[StellarWind]

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I think SixWire will win this. Franklin Bridge = musical masturbation. I'd give Dot Dot Dot an outside chance, just because they have an interesting look. Tres Bien could do better if they would start to take the competition seriously.

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Dead money:

1. Tres Bien! - They are taking this seriously but they simply aren't good enough. The musically weakest act left in the competition except maybe LoD.

2. Denver and the Mile High Orchestra - Stuck in a limited-appeal genre and Denver is boring both onstage and off.

3. Light of Doom - Really great for 13-yr-old kids but at some point they will be forced to compete against adults on their merits. Their sound is inflexible and basically copied from other heavy metal bands. They are very lacking in terms of writing and arranging music. Their arrangement of The Stranger last night made me want to cry. Worst hack job of any cover since the top 12 began.

Plus they make many adults very uncomfortable. There are a lot of people who will never vote for them no matter what.

4. Cliff Wagner & Old #7 - These guys are really talented and I like them a lot. Problem is they are in a limited-appeal genre and they show no signs of being able to 'occupy the center' and reach a broader audience.

Wild card:

5. Dot Dot Dot - These guys have a lot of stage appeal and they play types of music that have broad appeal. They aren't good enough right now but they are fixing their problems and improving much faster than anyone else. They are a longshot but they have a shot.

Contenders:

6. Franklin Bridge - This band is very talented and has the flexibility to do a lot of different types of music. These guys own a big share of the center while also monopolizing important niches by being the only black group and the only group that can do soul, funk, and several other things.

7. Sixwire - A finished product of obvious high quality and broad appeal. However there are two minor problems to resolve before we all declare Sixwire the winner and stop watching early.

First, don't they seem a little static? I don't see much improvement week-to-week and I don't see many things that can easily be improved. The trend in these competitions is the performers that survive grow very rapidly as artists. Betting on someone who looks good now but lacks potential is a sucker bet because the price will never be good enough.

The second problem with Sixwire is ...

8. The Clark Brothers are the best country band right now and probably the best band period. They are really tight both musically and visually and their arrangements and original material have been topnotch. Last night the judges seem to acknowledge their performance as best and I'm inclined to agree with them. I think we've reached a tipping point where they break out of Sixwire's shadow and become one of the recognized front runners.