Idol Chatter & Voice Views

There’s so much talent on The Voice this year, I’ve decided to feature pre-show music released by contestants in this spot.

Like the tune? You can find it on iTunes.

Monday, Oct. 8

First up: Lelia Broussard with “My Heart’s a Cannonball.” Lelia specializes in quirky pop. I decided to feature one of her songs first because her blind audition got just a few seconds of airtime, a shame considering the quality of her pre-show music. You can learn more about Lelia and hear more of her music here.

Tuesday, Oct. 9

Nelson Emokpae, who performs as Nelly’s Echo, lost his batttle round match Monday night to De’Borah in a verdict I thought should have gone the other way. Below, check out the song “If I Were the King” from his fine 2009 album “Secrets to a Happy Life.” Find out more about Nelly’s Echo here.

Wednesday, Oct. 10

I’ve listened to dozens of songs already released by artists on The Voice. This is one of just three I had to download as soon as I heard it — “It’s Not Love” by Lisa Scinta. You say you don’t recall Lisa?. Little wonder. She got virtually no screen time before being eliminated Tuesday night. Which is a shame. She has two EPs out. This song is from 2011’s “Naked.” I’d also suggest checking out “Replay”and an interesting cover of Ke$ha’s “Blah, Blah, Blah” from Lisa’s 2010 “The Bathroom Sessions” EP.  Find out more about Lisa here.

Thursday, Oct. 11

She’s just 15, but Nathalie Hernandez has already released an EP and a couple of singles to iTunes. My favorite song is the delightful pop tune “Open Your Eyes.” According to the caption on the YouTube clip, Nathalie wrote the song when she was just 13. Nathalie’s run on The Voice ended Tuesday night when she lost a battle round showdown with Aquile, nine years her senior. Learn more about Nathalie here.

Friday, Oct. 12

Aquile — real name McChale Gunby — advanced with Team Christina by winning a battle round against Nathalie Hernandez on Tuesday. In 2009, he released the dance single “Sweet Mistake” that you can hear below. Aquile also recorded a 2010 EP with The Orbit Group that’s available on iTunes. For more about Aquile, head here.

Monday, Oct. 15

Collin McLoughlin, the guy who dropped out of grad school to pursue music full time, will go down as the first singer ever “saved” on The Voice. After losing his battle round match with Bryan Keith, Collin was snagged by Blake Shelton to stave alive in the competition. Prior to The Voice, Collin released two EPs and a couple of singles, including “Monster,” the tune I’ve embedded below.

Tuesday, Oct. 16

Benji — last name Kuriakose — was eliminated from The Voice Monday night in a battle round match with Sam James. Known on the show as a screamer, Benji proves he can sing a catchy pop song without screaming on “One Winged Angel” embedded below. Benji fronts the alternative band Built to be Broken. This song is from an EP the group released in December 2011. For more on Benji, go here.

Wednesday, Oct. 17

I was annoyed that The Voice breezed right past Mycle Wastman’s battle round victory in Tuesday’s episode, because the 40-year-old from Seattle has some great pre-show music. He has also released my favorite pre-Voice song from a Season 3 contestant, “I’m All Over It,” the title track from a 2011 album. For more on Mycle, head here.

Thursday, Oct. 18

Todd Kessler was eliminated from The Voice after his battle round match with Nicholas David earlier this week. But it would be a shame if fans weren’t aware of his pre-Voice music, including a “Sea Fever” album released earlier this year by Todd and the New Folk. The song below, “Hallelujah,” is from that album. For more on Todd, go here.

Friday, Oct. 19

If Blake Shelton thinks Suzanna Choffel is a Stevie Nicks’ imitator, he really needs to familiarize himself with her pre-Voice music. She’s released two albums, showcasing her own distinctive style. Check out “Race Car” below from her wonderfully titled 2011 CD “Steady Eye, Shaky Bow.” You can learn more about Suzanne here.

Saturday, Oct. 20

One of the biggest disappointments this week on The Voice was the elimination of Lelia Broussard. Prior to The Voice she made the finals of a Rolling Stone Chose the Cover competition and released an album and two EPs filled with musical gems. Like the song below, “You’re Not Fooling Anyone,” from the 2010 album “Masquerade.” For more on Lelia, head here.

Monday, Oct. 22

Terisa Griffin lost her battle round last week in a bit of a baffling decision by Blake Shelton, but was quickly stolen by Cee Lo Green. In 2011, Terisa released dual albums, Soulzophrenic (Personalities of Soul) and Soulzophrenic Dance. The song below, “You Got Me,” was a single from the former album. For more on Terisa, go here.

Tuesday, Oct. 23

One of the big disappointments on The Voice Monday was the elimination of Alexis Marceaux, the Hurricane Katrina survivor from New Orleans. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get to know Alexis’ music, especially her 2010 Orange Moon album. “Wishing Well,” the closing track, is featured below. If you’re wondering, the song was written from the perspective of Louisiana’s state bird, the Pelican, as the 2010 oil spill washes ashore.

Wednesday, Oct. 24

Talented former Disney star Jordan Pruitt was among the latest contestants eliminated from The Voice. Three years removed from her Hollywood Record albums, she released a pair of singles in Nov. 2011, including “Hey, Shy Boy,” the catchy tune featured below. Jordan is still offering seven free songs on her website. Head here to learn more about Jordan.

Thursday, Oct. 25

Nicole Nelson, the 35-year-old singer from Vermont who wowed us with “Hallelujah” in the blind auditions, performs as part of duo with Dwight Ritcher. As Dwight and Nicole, they released an album called “!Signs” in 2010. Here’s “Hell Burns Over You,” from that album. For more on Nicole, and another song from “!Signs,” go here.

Friday, Oct. 26

Cassadee Pope is the 22-year-old singer from Florida who is taking a hiatus from the group “Hey Monday” to embark on a solo career. As a first step, she released a four-track EP in May; the EP includes the song “Secondhand,” which I’ve embedded below. Cassadee got four judges to turn around for her blind audition. Unfortunately, her battle round wasn’t featured, but she advanced to the new knockout round on The Voice. For more on Cassadee, including acoustic versions of two songs from the EP, head here.

Tuesday, Oct. 30

I apologize for yesterday’s hurricane interrupted absense of a song of the day. Things got a bit frantic in the newsroom. Anyway, today I’ll feature a song by Terry McDermott, the rock singer who formerly fronted Drive Blind, but more recently performed with Lotus Crush. This song — “Black Hole Heart” — is from an album the band released in March 2011. For more on Terry, go here.