I got punched in the face with Rock 'n' Roll, via "The Voice" ... and I liked it.

If there is one thing that Jan and I believe wholeheartedly in, it's the power of karaoke. Drunkenly singing in bars and at parties is what makes the world go 'round. In fact, I firmly believe that we'd live in a much more peaceful world if leaders would get together, have a few beers, pick up a microphone, and perform a rousing duet of "We Built This City" before they make any firm decisions.

Now, you'd think that we'd be more than enamored of all the karaoke-based singing competitions that are on television, right? Well, my logical friend, you'd be dead wrong. Oh sure, we have our fun with American Idol ... but the entertainment value of it depends entirely of the train wreck factor it presents (Mariah, we're looking at you to carry that torch, and hopefully burn the motherf*cker down with it. Yeah!). So, color me shocked as hell that through the awesome power of OnDemand television, I got addicted to back episodes of The Voice, season two in particular.

There are many factors that contribute to the greatness of The Voice. I love the fact that the celebrity judges pick the contestants with their backs turned, and then find themselves fighting amongst each other and begging total unknowns to choose them as a coach. (Really, did you ever expect to see Adam Levine or Christina Aguilera beg ANYONE for their time?) Then, the judges turn right around and eliminate half the people who just placed their livelihoods in their hands. This is done through battle rounds, where the coaches pit members of their team against each other. The dynamic is just deliciously wrong in a Dr. Evil kind of way, and it's also impossible to stop watching.

Cee Lo Green, one of the four celebrity judges/coaches, understands my Dr. Evil reference
and wants you to know that you do not gnaw on kitty.

Unfortunately, my favorite contestant(s) of The Voice, Season Two, the cranked-to-11 Shields Brothers, fell victim to the arbitrary decision of their celebrity coach, Cee Lo, in such a battle round. It was SUCH a shame, because they were clearly superior to former model Erin Martin in every way ... except being a hot female. She got 'em on that one.

Maybe if the Shields Brothers had worn sluttier outfits, they could have won this thing.

However, all was not lost for the Shields Brothers. Earlier today, I sought out the battle video of them singing against Erin because I simply wanted another look at the performance, and ended up falling down a rabbit hole. You see, I arrived at the Shields Brothers' fantastic YouTube channel, and spent ... well ... much more time than I reasonably should have watching their cheeky rock covers of popular songs from all genres. Their goal: To punch America in the FACE with Rock 'n' Roll. I don't know about America, but I took my hit like a champ.

Simply put, the Shields Brothers are phenomenal in that Paul McDonald kind of way. Like our beloved Paul, they got out on that stage and performed in a way that lets the audience know that, while they're legitimately talented, they perform with just enough of a wink, wink/nudge, nudge to show us that they're not taking themselves too seriously. I love that. I love it long time. Plus, I also LOVE the wardrobe. It's almost as good as Paul's rose suit. Almost. 

 

 

In this one, the Shields Bros add a keyboard to the party ... just like Jan and I do when we get down to SingStar. Our song of choice: Aha's immortal "Take on Me"

Gosh, these guys know how to bring the cray ... and I say that with nothing but admiration. I highly encourage everyone to check out the Shields Brothers' YouTube channel and blog. Paul McDonald, since you hate your fans anyway, you're in real danger of being altogether replaced. Get it together, man.

Now, if only I could get Adam Levine to beg me for a bit of my time, I'd be totally set.