Sing-Off Season 5 to air Wednesday, December 17, 2014

There is no need to stay home from black Friday shopping to watch Season 5 of the Sing-Off during the NBC winter-season break this Thanksgiving holiday. The formerly all A Capella, now instrument backed vocal competition show will not debut until Wednesday, December 17th at 9 p.m. for what is being celebrated as "A Special Holiday Event."

I am looking forward to the new format with morbid curiosity. How will strict A Cappella groups fare against vocal groups using backing instruments? How do you judge apples to apple pie? Although I love Sing-Off Season 3 winner Pentatonix as a strict A Capella group, I am much more impressed with their collaboration with expert fiddler Lindsey Stirling on an extraordinary cover of Imagine Dragons' Radioactive. In this rendition, Pentatonix' beat boxer Kevin Olusola (KO) also pulled out all the stops to accompany the group on cello:  

 

The judges will have a challenging time discerning the quality vocal groups from those groups who perhaps have less vocal talent, but are musical geniuses in supplementing their lack of vocal prowess with a difficult-to-emulate horn section or harpsichord. 

I am happy to report that both Dr. Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men (Now using a PhD by his name on twitter, Stockman received an honorary doctor of humane letters from Drexel University in 1996) and Jewel are returning as judges on the Sing-Off. Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees is also returning as host. 

Former judge Ben Folds is passing this year, he says due to scheduling conflicts as he took his concerto tour to the southern hemisphere, too far to hop on a jet plane to bounce back and forth for the show's tapings. However, it is no secret that he is an A Cappella purist and I'm sure the show's format change to allow the addition of instrumentation must have ruffled his feathers. 

Replacing Folds is Patrick Stump, lead vocalist, guitarist, pianist and composer for the popular pop punk alternative band, Fall Out Boy. Stump is currently an advisor for The Voice, joining "Team Adam" just this Monday to advise contestants on correct vocal styling. Known for his quality two-octave baritone tenor vocal range, he will bring an interesting and fresh set of opinions to the judges' box. 

Fan petition to Save The Sing-Off reaches 20,000 signatures

This morning at 7:40 a.m., I was given the rare treat of being able to watch the number of signatures on the petition to Save The Sing-Off television show flip from 19,999 to 20,004.  The number had crept to just under 16,000 signatures on Friday, then surged over the long Memorial Day holiday weekend.

The show, which has aired each fall for three consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2011 and features several a cappella groups competing for a Sony recording contract, is currently on the cutting room floor of the NBC scheduling room. The show is hosted by Nick Lachey and judged by performers Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman, and Sara Bareilles. Because The Sing-Off enjoyed high ratings during the post-season five-day run in December 2010, the show was extended to run the full season in the fall of 2011. Unfortunately, it did not fair as well and struggled for viewership against hit shows such as How I Met Your Mother, Dancing with the Stars, House, and Ashton Kutcher's debut on Two and a Half Men.

The show will sadly not run the full season this fall on NBC. Whether or not NBC will pick it up for a short December run in 2012 is still a big question mark. Industry insider @mcbc noted on twitter:

"...that holiday thing is looking increasing unlikely. 10/90, 5/95 at best. And it would only be a reunion."

Undaunted, Sing-Off fans are not giving up! Here are just a few of the efforts currently in place:

Petition
The petition, started by Dan St. John of Lawrence, Kansas, now boasts over 20,100 signatures:
Sign the petition.

Twitter trend campaign
Fans are continuing to post #SaveTheSingOff on twitter.

Videos by Sing-Off competitors:

X-Factors from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois:
Cover of Eric Hutchinson's "You Don't Have to Believe Me" with an introduction and plea.

Members of Fannin Eleven from Wisconsin:
Cover of "Break Even" by the Script with a testimonial of the joy they experienced while on the show.

Pentatonix, Season 3 winner, from Arlington Texas;
Cover of Beyonce's "End of Time" with a request to sign the petition at the end.

Taking on the Jazz challenge – Submit Jazz music TV performances you’ve seen here

Afro-Blue playfully attacks Sing-Off Judge Ben Folds

The Sing-Off a cappella singing competition TV show was unexpectedly amiss in controversy this year after Afro-Blue, the 9-member a cappella class-turned-performance-group from Howard University in Washington, D.C. was eliminated by the panel of expert judges on the brink of the semi-finals.

To say that viewers at home were disappointed is a bit of an understatement as social media was flooded with comments. Many of my personal friends told me that Afro-Blue was their favorite group, and although Pentatonix was my favorite by a long shot, I honestly could not understand why Afro-Blue was eliminated. America should have been given the opportunity to vote for them, perhaps allowing four groups to move forward as was done last year. They may have won, or at the very least, come in second place.

As it was, Pentatonix came in first, the Dartmouth Aires won second, and Urban Method won third after the public voted on these three choices. The public could not vote for Afro-Blue -- they were knocked out at the eleventh hour by the judges, Sara Bareilles and Ben Folds. Shawn Stockman was the only judge of the three who felt they should move forward instead.

Judge Ben Folds explained his reasoning for choosing the Dartmouth Aires over Afro-Blue in his Nov. 21, 2011 blog posted on NBC’s Sing-Off Website:

“Afro-Blue stands for excellence in music education and for the great underdog American art form of jazz. Neither of these concepts often leads to lucrative ventures and both are under-represented on TV and radio.”

Essentially, Folds was saying in so many words in his blog that he feels that Afro-Blue is not as marketable as the Dartmouth Aires. Folds confessed that Afro-Blue was his own favorite group as well and that “they were actually great TV, and they could make records. They have a charm and charisma that transcends drama and competition.” However, he felt that they simply wouldn’t make as much money as the Dartmouth Aires could with a Sony Recording contract, the grand prize in the Sing-Off a cappella competition.

I think most of us at home just figured that was a bunch of hooey.

It's not hard to tell that pop, rock, hip-hop, and country are the big money makers today. However, I feel that Folds is incorrect in claiming that jazz won't make money since he feels that by appealing to a small, elite group of intelligent listeners, it won’t sell in the big mainstream market. But, does it need to sell in the mainstream market to make money?

I’m a huge Ben Folds and Ben Folds Five fan, and I have to say, he isn’t all that mainstream himself. Survey a few friends and you’ll find maybe one in ten people, depending on their ages, who have even heard of him (you may have to sing a few bars of Brick or Rockin’ the Suburbs). However, Ben Folds made Sony Records a good deal of money. Why? Because Ben Folds fans tend to be super fans. They will buy all of his CDs and tickets to shows in their area, spend money on T-shirts and other miscellaneous swag, and invest in collectible vinyl record versions of his CDs.

I think the same could be said for jazz lovers. There’s a lot of money to be made in that market, but perhaps, as Folds expains, that market is a bit untapped at the moment. Such a shame!

Folds challenged TV viewers in his latest blog on November 28, 2011, to “Survey the year's prime time network programming and get back to me with a list of live jazz performances you saw - hell, make that ten years.”

• Live Performances – When Folds says “live,” I assume that he means actual bands playing the music, since nearly all primetime (save sports) is taped these days, and since I could probably meet this challenge in one or two weeks if I were allowed to simply list all of the jazz music tracks played in the background behind serious dramatic scenes on hit TV shows.
• Network – By network, I assume Folds means the big seven: ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC, PBS and TBS, as opposed to say, BET or the Jazz channel, which would also make this challenge far too easy.
• Primetime – Folds also asks that we find these performances in prime time, which is defined by Answers.com as “The evening hours, generally between 7 and 11 P.M., when the largest television audience is available,” as opposed to late night or daytime. That eliminates the obvious: Conan, Kimmel, Letterman, Leno, Fallon, and Ferguson. It also knocks out their counterparts greeting us each morning: the Today Show, Good Morning America, the Early Show, Good Day, and CBS Sunday morning, who coincidentally featured a segment on kids dancing to a jazz band playing in the subway this past Sunday. Unfortunately, it also counts out midday talk shows, such as (The show formerly known as) Live with Regis and Kelly (since Regis “moved on” this past month) and the Ellen DeGeneres show.

Since we are currently in the midst of the Christmas holiday season, I think we can probably find a few jazz performances during prime time on major networks in the next month.

Please keep your ears and eyes peeled and get back to me if you see something worth watching. If you can, please take the time to comment here or email me at TVgrrrrl@gmail.com.

I think one possible hit might be on tonight’s Sing-Off, which will feature a few holiday favorites. If I see a version of Eartha Kitt’s Santa Baby, I’m counting that as one. The show airs tonight between 8 pm and 10 pm on NBC (WESH 2 here in Orlando, on Channel 4 and 1020 on Brighthouse Cable).

So, X-Factor, the Voice, American Idol, I hope you’re listening. Serve me up some jazz, pretty please!

We’ll keep track here in this blog and post updates to Dr. Folds, who adds in his blog:

“When I say it's a miracle that we got vocal jazz on TV, I'm speaking reality. Further, I'm not commenting on the intelligence of the viewers but instead on the tolerance, systems, research, and paradigm of reality TV… You can hide under a rock and ignore it, or you can roll up your sleeves and get inside it and try to make a change. But expect to take some knocks because reality is more complicated than reality TV.”

Someone had to wear the Black Hat on the Sing-Off

The votes are in as of 9 a.m. this morning, the tally is being counted, and we will soon know who the Sing-Off a cappella winner is for Season III. That group, either Pentatonix, Urban Method, or the Dartmouth Aires, will walk home with a $200,000 cash prize and a coveted Sony Music Recording Contract, no small potatoes. The finale, hosted by Nick Lachey, will air on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC (WESH 2 here in Orlando, Channel 4 or 1020 on Brighthouse Cable) and will feature a guest star appearance performance by Smokey Robinson.

Last Monday’s show was a bit of a shock to many of us who not only assumed that Afro-Blue, a diverse 9-member jazzy-blues a cappella singing class from Howard University in Washington D.C., would be a finalist, we wondered if perhaps they might inevitably walk home with the grand prize. However, in an upset, the judges instead chose the Dartmouth Aires, an all male 15-member a cappella group from Dartmouth University in Hanover, New Hampshire, for the third and final spot.

I myself was amiss – I like the Dartmouth Aires and feel that they are by far the most entertaining group on stage. However, the judges repeatedly pointed out that they were picking a group for the purpose of making a hit record, not putting on a show. And to me, Afro-Blue was a shoo in.

The decision to axe Afro-Blue was placed upon Ben Folds shoulders, although technically, he was one of two judges, the other being Sara Bareilles, who chose the Dartmouth Aires a cappella group over Afro-Blue. Only one judge, Shawn Stockman, felt that Afro-Blue would be a better choice.

Soon after the show aired, the insults began to fly, and Folds’ twitter and facebook walls were bombarded with criticisms, some quite nasty, some attempting to be understanding, but nearly all in disagreement.

It was good that we, the TV viewing public, voiced our unhappiness.

However, as disappointed as I am with Fold’s decision, I would never want to devalue all of the wonderful good he has done for the Sing-Off and the a cappella music genre over the past three years, even longer if you count his work with college a cappella groups featured on his CD, University A Cappella. Folds has been a real asset to the show. In his reviews of each contestant’s performances, he has explained complex musical terms in easy to understand language, pointed out the tiniest of group achievements, and politely suggested improvements for future performances, all of which have earned him the honorary title of Professor Folds. Without Dr. Folds on board, I, quite frankly, simply would not watch the show.

The judges were intentionally chosen by the Sing-Off producers for their diverse backgrounds in the music industry in an effort to offer a balanced appraisal of how successful a group will fair in today’s music market. Shawn Stockman represents the rhythm and blues, and hip hop side of the coin; Ben Folds represents the alternative, anti-folk, pop-rock music industry; and Sara Bareilles, a former a cappella group member herself, represents the pop and country music markets. Each judge brings a different and equally valuable opinion to the table of what will sell and what will not.

Between the three judges, a consensus would be made, since there could be no ties with an odd number of votes.

With so many talented groups on the docket, it’s no wonder there were fewer unanimous decisions this year. For the first time ever, a sing-off was held, where the bottom two groups had to perform another song to make it easier to compare the two competitors side by side. In fact, the final decision between Afro-Blue and the Dartmouth Aires was also made after a sing-off.

The judges made their choices with a great deal of knowledge, careful thought, consideration, and heart, based on their own personal experiences. Their choices were not an issue of favoritism, “selling-out,” or prejudice. They each chose wisely based on what they know personally about making it in the music business.

It’s a shame that someone had to be the “bad guy,” and pick one group over another to proceed to the finals. However, that burden fell on the shoulders of Ben Folds in this final round. I have to admire him for sticking to his guns, not backing down, and believing in his own opinion.

That being said, I would not be at all surprised if all of this negative publicity boosts Afro-Blue cosmically into outer space with their first record deal, which will no doubt be on the horizon, if not announced on tomorrow’s finale show. Everyone loves an underdog, especially one who is believed to have been given an unfair shake. I am and will always be one of their biggest fans and look forward to purchasing their first CD, after it is released.

Don't Assume Your Favorite Sing-Off Finalist is a Shoo-In... VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!

Yesterday, my blog on NBC's The Sing-Off television show featured a reminiscence of that other show, FOX television’s American Idol, where one of my favorite contestants, Jennifer Hudson, was booted off early due to an unfortunate luck of the draw of demographics, but later became one of the most successful former contestants in Idol history. Her story reminded me of Afro-Blue, who was voted off before the finals by the Sing-Off judges. However, in the case of Idol, who stays and who goes was determined solely by the voting public.

After several weeks of competition, you, the voting public, also get to choose the winner of the Sing-Off. Don't assume that your favorite is a shoo-in. You still must pick up the phone and text or call, or your favorite may suffer a similar fate of other American Idol finalists: Clay Aiken, David Archuleta, Chris Daughtry, Adam Lambert, Kelly Pickler, and Elliot Yamin, just to name a few, who were eliminated (some very early on) and didn't walk home with the American Idol prize itself, but have proven themselves to be highly successful out in the real world, sometimes more successful than that season's actual winner.

I want to see my favorite Sing-Off a cappella group win the grand prize: the $200,000 in cash and the Sony Recording Contract. This will give them a boost in the music business and the confidence they need to move forward, keep producing quality music, and not give up. Please take the time and trouble to vote.

You can vote for your favorite of the three groups by going online to the NBC Sing-Off website, calling or texting:

Penatatonix:
Call: 1-877-674-6401
Text: 1 to 97979

Urban Method:
Call: 1-877-674-6402
Text: 2 to 97979

Dartmouth Aires:
Call: 1-877-674-6403
Text: 3 to 97979

Sing-Off Makes an American Idol Mistake

Last night on NBC's The Sing-Off, Judges Sara Bareilles and Doctor Ben Folds chose to send home Afro-Blue, a jazzy-blues a cappella group from Howard University. I experienced a moment of deja vu, and remembered a similar mistake made in another talent competition show, American Idol.

American Idol Sends Home a Star

In 2004, during the third season of FOX television’s American Idol, an amazingly talented singer who I felt could win the grand prize that year was voted off the show in the sixth round, halfway through the final competition. The decision was so shocking, we TV viewers at home could hear an audible gasp from the live, onstage audience. I was watching that night, and I remember my jaw dropped.

“This can’t be happening. How did this happen?” I asked.

In the case of American Idol Season III, the burden of determining who stays and who goes was placed solely on the shoulders of the TV viewing audience who voted for the contestants by placing multiple phone calls or texts. The judges did not decide themselves – their only power was in giving critiques of each performance, in hopes to sway the voting public at home.

That performer who was sent home prematurely, was none other than Jennifer Hudson. Hudson is now a household name, currently with a big commercial deal promoting Weight Watchers. She starred in the 2006 hit movie, Dream Girls, where she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, an NAACP Image Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She recorded a top ten hit with "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," from the movie Dream Girls; won a Grammy for her first album, “Jennifer Hudson,” released in 2008; reached number 2 on Billboard’s top 200 with her second album, “I Remember Me,” released earlier this year in March; and had a top ten hit with “Where You At,” the single from that album.

She is one of the more highly successful former American Idol competitors, and to think she was sent home so early at week six! It boggles the mind, until you look at the demographics.

Judging Based on Looks, Not Sound

Unfortunately, through the luck of the draw, there were three African American female stars competing against each other during the third season of American Idol: La Toya London, Jennifer Hudson, and the eventual grand prize winner, Fantasia Barrino. All three ended up in the bottom three that day after the viewing public voted in their favorites, who had each performed a Barry Manilow hit. The assumption is that, being similar in style and sound, the three shared many of the same fans, creating an unfair advantage for their competitors. There was only one Asian American in the mix, Jasmine Trias, and despite negative criticism from the judges early on, she proceeded to the final three spot in the competition. The token red headed cutey crooner, John Stevens, made it even one show farther than Hudson, though I think most of us at home were scratching our heads over that one. It was clear that race was the deciding factor with many of the voting public.

It isn’t just race. It’s looks. In more recent years of American Idol, I’ve seen contestants chosen by the judges who I feel had less talent than my little finger, but my oh my, they were gorgeous! The Voice, another of NBC’s singer competition shows, attempted to eliminate “looks” from the judges decision by not allowing the judges to see the performers during the first round. However, they proved themselves fallible by letting the judges turn around afterwards. I’ll never forget when Judge Blake Shelton took one look at a rejected female competitor (the name of whom escapes me, now), commented on her looks, and said something to the effect of, “I wish I’d known, I would have picked you.”

Although I don’t believe Afro-Blue was eliminated by the Sing-Off judges because their group consists of nearly all African Americans, I do wonder if Vocal Point, an all white male group from the conservative Brigham Young University, was eliminated for being too racially homogeneous. Instead, the bells-and-whistles-performance-heavy Dartmouth Aires group, consisting of 15 men of various races and character types was given one of the treasured three spots to compete in the finals. That decision also left me scratching my head. While the Dartmouth Aires will no doubt do quite well on tour, entertaining and amazing audiences, most likely opening for Ben Folds himself, I wonder how many records they’ll sell. Kids don’t buy records. Adults do. Kids pirate records. I would imagine that the more mature-polished sounding Vocal Point will outsell them two to one, and Afro-Blue will do even better, possibly outselling them four to one, by dominating the jazz-blues contemporary music market.

Are the Music Buying Public Being Underestimated?

Sing-Off Judges Sara Bareilles and Ben Folds chose Dartmouth Aires over Afro-Blue on last nights show. Judge Shawn Stockman said he felt Afro-Blue has a better chance of making a hit record, and I agree.

After the show aired, while the “shit hit the fan,” metaphorically speaking, Judge Ben Folds confessed that Afro-Blue was his favorite group from day one, and commending them, said in his blog on NBC’s Sing-Off website, “Afro-Blue stands for excellence in music education and for the great underdog American art form of jazz. Neither of these concepts often leads to lucrative ventures and both are under-represented on TV and radio.”

With all due respect, Dr. Folds, I disagree with your decision to eliminate them on many levels. Music tastes change with the times. Who is to say that Afro-Blue’s particular flavor of bluesy jazz is not the next big thing? I find their sound to be quite refreshing and inventive, with a contemporary sounding solid bass and percussive rhythm supporting a more traditional jazzy interweaving of opposing harmonies, and thick rich bluesy vocals carrying the main bell-like melody. Recent movies, such as the aforementioned Dream Girls and Cadillac Records both generated multiple awards and big record sales from similar music.

Today’s buying public are not getting their music fix on radio, nor TV. Listeners now listen to Spotify and Pandora over radio; view videos on youtube and facebook – not on TV (does MTV even have any music at all anymore?); and buy more music on CD Baby, itunes, and Amazon, than in those wonderfully old-fashioned record stores we love so much.

I think perhaps you are limiting yourself and underestimating a growing jazz-blues-appreciative audience, dear sir.

They say living well is the best revenge. I hope Afro-Blue, the little music-class-from-Howard-University-that-could, gets signed to a killer record deal, makes a hit record, gets a soundtrack deal, and follows in the footsteps of the fabulous Jennifer Hudson, winning a Grammy. I will be one of the first in line to buy their record, when they do!

Time to Vote!

You can vote for your favorite of the three groups by going online to the NBC Sing-Off website, calling or texting:

Penatatonix:
Call: 1-877-674-6401
Text: 1 to 97979

Urban Method:
Call: 1-877-674-6402
Text: 2 to 97979

Dartmouth Aires:
Call: 1-877-674-6403
Text: 3 to 97979

People, Get Ready! Sing-Off Voting Starts Tonight

Ahhh, yes! My favorite singing talent show, the Sing-Off is now nearing the finals. After nine weeks of singing their hearts out, only four of the original sixteen a cappella groups remain: Afro Blue, Dartmouth Aires, Pentatonix, and Urban Method. Three are destined to move forward to the finals where they will compete for a $200,000 cash prize plus a Sony Music recording contract.

Judges Shawn Stockman, Sara Bareilles, and Dr. Ben Folds will be making the final decision on the three lucky groups who will still have a chance to win the grand prize. However, the final decision lies in the hands of TV land – you, the viewers.

Beginning after tonight's show, the three finalist groups will be announced. Then, viewers will be given three phone numbers which give them the power to vote for the winning group who will win the whole kit and caboodle grand prize. Voting will continue through Sunday, November 27.

I will be sure to post my own personal critiques and recommendations this week. This has been a close year — each of the sixteen original acts have been phenomenal!

The show airs tonight from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on NBC. (Here in Orlando, you can find it on WESH 2, or channel 4 or 1020HD on Brighthouse Cable.)

The Sing-Off SixteenTonight, Monday at 8 pm on NBC

Pentatonix from Arlington, TX features three members who performed together at Martin High School.

The Sing-Off is back for Season 3 and I am thrilled! This year's groups sound spectacular:

Afro-Blue
sing-off site • official website • Facebook page
Washington, DC • 10 diverse men and women from Howard University
Live performance of ‪"In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning"‬ in 2011 (fast forward to the 1.36 minute mark)

Afro-Blue rounds out their multiple harmonies, resulting in a pleasing tone which is almost bell-like. Judging from the many videos I listened to online, they seem to be primarily a vocal group who works accompanied by instruments, not an a cappella group. I look forward to hearing them stretch their legs to emulate instruments with their voices.

The Cat's Pajamas
sing-off site • official site • Facebook page
Branson, MO • 5 men
Recorded promotional medley video. FFWD to 3:16 for an amazing rendition of "Video Killed the Radio Star."

Professional a cappella group with tons of experience, The Cat's Pajamas are ready to win, and feature an amazing vocally created electric guitarist, Nate Mendl, incredibly smooth vocals, and perfectly matched harmonies. They are an example of how difficult it is to get a good recording contract -- they have already performed on several other TV competition shows, and are scheduled to play five regular shows a week. I look forward to being thoroughly entertained.

The Collective
sing-off site • Facebook page
Nashville, TN • 9 men and women
Group video unavailable. Sam and Ruby performing "The Here and Now" original song.

What an appropriate name for this conglomerate of successful singer/songwriters and performers. Individually, each has made his mark on the music scene. Together, they hope to make an even bigger splash. I was unable to find any videos of the Collective, but did find a video of Sam and Ruby, two of the members of the Collective who are signed to Rykodisc as a duo. I imagine they will be an impressive group combined with other performers. A comprehensive list of each of the performers is listed on the info page of their Facebook page.

Dartmouth Aires
sing-off site • official site • Facebook page
Hanover, NH • 16 men from Dartmouth University
Performance of "All the Above"

Fun loving, highly entertaining a cappella group, a real crowd pleaser featuring both singing, rap, and clever choreography. Their real talent seems to be that although they are composed of all males, they seem to be graced with a wide vocal range stretching into the high end… and they can sing! In the past, this type of group has not won first place, but they make the show extremely interesting.

Delilah
sing-off site • Facebook page
Los Angeles, CA • 8 women

There were no videos to be found on this group which is an assemblage of a cappella performers from other groups, some of whom have performed on the Sing-Off in the past.

University of Delaware Deltones
sing-off site • official site • Facebook page
Newark, DE • 15 men and women from the Univ. of Delaware
Performance of "Feels Like Home."

Surprisingly, the Deltones were formed by individuals who tried out for other a cappella groups, were rejected, and decided to form their own group. The Deltones focuses on having fun and making friends and that positive energy is reflected in their performances. Their diverse voices allow them to provide a melodic mix of a ranges and skills, making their arrangements flow effortlessly like water.

Fannin Family
sing-off site • official site • Facebook page
Hortonville, WI • 8 brothers and sisters
Performance of "One Day."

Fans of the Van Trapp family will truly enjoy this contemporary a cappella group comprised of 11 brothers and sisters, 8 of whom are performing on the Sing-Off. Like any band who lives together, they have the advantage that they've technically been practicing all their lives, and their extremely tight renditions of songs and perfect timing are the result.

Kinfolk 9
sing-off site • Facebook page
9 men and women • Performance of "Hallelujah"

Filled with stars… this very diverse group has the advantage that each member can stand alone, as well as work as a member of a team to merge and create a beautifully well-rounded vocal tone. Their arrangements are dynamic, their vocal intensity varies from soft to loud, and the result is bold and powerful, and emotionally stirring.

Messiah's Men
sing-off site • Facebook page • official site
Minneapolis, MN • 9 men originating from Africa
Performance of "Exekial Saw the Wheel" (end cut off)

The advantage of having 9 full grown men in your group, is you will never be hurting for deep rich vocal sounds. Their melodic blending of their controlled voices exude confidence and their gospel renditions are spiritually uplifting.

North Shore
sing-off site • official site
Boston, MA • 5 men
Perfomance of "Run Around Sue," with audience participation, cut off.

A group with a lot of training and experience, North Shore is accustomed to providing sidewalk performances on the streets of Boston. Their wide ranges, perfect pitch, phenomenal harmonies and beautiful tonal quality create a sound that is easy on the ears. They are a flashback in time, doo-wop the way doo-wop used to be!

Pentatonix
sing-off site • Facebook page
Arlington, TX • 5 men and women
Performance of "Telephone" by 3 members while in high school last year.

This group seems to have a naturally flawless effortless technique as their voices blend beautifully, while still retaining rich individual characteristics. I'm curious what the two additional members will add, because they seem complete with their three core members, but alas, the rules require a minimum number of members. Their creative arrangements seem to be one of their biggest assets.

Sonos
sing-off site • official site • Facebook page
Los Angeles, CA • 5 men and women
Live performance of "Wicked Games."

This group features unique percussive sounds (created by Benjamin Mclain), interesting arrangements, and great harmonies. Their music is artfully and creatively executed, and brings a cappella to a higher level, away from the traditional gospel harmonies and doo wap accents. They are the Picasso's of a cappella.

Soul'd Out
sing-off site • Facebook page
Wilsonville, OR • 16 men and women from Wilsonville High School
Performance of "Knights of Cydonia."

Soul'd Out is cute! But, they're also quite good, winning the International Championship of High School A Cappella NW regionals this year and going forward to place 2nd place in the nation. As a 16 member male and female performance group, they have the ability to pull from within their ranks to provide a variety of unique talents, highs and low ranges, strong soloists, beat boxers, even a female "trumpet" player. Like most large groups, they also feature uniquely creative choreography, and are therefore very entertaining to the eye as well.

Urban Method
sing-off site • official site • Facebook page
Denver, CO • 8 men and women
Professional recording of "Love the Way you Lie."

Urban Method is unique in that it features a rapper and a crew of expertise beat boxers. The sound is hip and the beat is driving. In addition, the singing vocals are beautiful and the harmonies well matched. The only video I was able to find it a recording, and I hope the live version does not disappoint.

Vocal Point
sing-off site • official site • Facebook page
Provo, UT • 8 men from Brigham Young University (BYU)
Live performance of "Just the Way You Are."

I had to double check to make sure that what I was hearing was live and not a recording, since the vocal harmonies are so perfect and the the beatboxing effect is so exact on their version of Bruno Mars' "Just the Way You Are." When everything is so very well matched, the listener forgets that they are hearing to voices only. I imagine this group will come ready to impress.

University of Rochester YellowJackets
sing-off site • official site • Facebook page
Rochester, NY • 15 men
Live performance

Featuring high energy popish upbeat songs, the Yellow Jackets are a fun group of college men who's primary goal is to entertain. Their arrangements are heavy on percussion and their professional recordings fool the listener into believing that drums are present.