10.13.2011
7.18.2011
I MOVED!!!!!
No, not actual re-location phsyically. My flop ass blog here has moved to Wordpress, and I actually love it over there. It's a little simpler, it looks cleaner, and they provide important site stats to let me know who is reading and where they were referred from.
Anyway go check it out d1esel6.wordpress.com , I'll probably leave this up for a few weeks and after that ... DELETE!!!!
I enjoyed the time I had here, but sometimes you gotta move on.
Anyway go check it out d1esel6.wordpress.com , I'll probably leave this up for a few weeks and after that ... DELETE!!!!
I enjoyed the time I had here, but sometimes you gotta move on.
6.30.2011
TV Review: So You Think You Can Dance Week 2 & 3 Recaps
Sorry about skipping last week's "So You Think You Can Dance" performances recap, because overall the show was a little lackluster compared to the debut week of performances. Last night's performance show was definitely a step up with some really good routines, good judges and it gives the viewers a good sense of which contestants are great and which should be on the chopping block soon.
Since in a few weeks, the couples will be switched up I wanted to run down who in these past three weeks have been the best, which couples are terribly mismatched and who just needs to go home.
1. Melanie and Marko.
These two are flawless in every way. They both are excellent technical dancers and they both are able to convey whatever character they pick effortlessly. Melanie from her first audition was one of my favorites, there's just a real X-Factor with her. After the phenomenal Travis Wall routine from week 1, Melanie got all sexy on us with week 2's Mandy Moore's Jazz routine. And she proved more than capable of the quick staccato movements of one of NappyTabs best lyrical Hip Hop routines last night (clip below).
Her partner Marko is no slouch either, and is so far really underrated. He is just as fantastic as Melanie, he's a technically excellent dancer and he also is able to really bring it with the characters he's asked to portray. These two also have the strongest connection it seems when they are dancing together. Last nights Hip Hop routine was perfection because they were great, it could have fallen apart with other dancers but because they have such a great relationship it worked probably better than NappyTabs even imagined.
It will be sad to see this couple split up, but they both should be in the competition long enough to be paired up again towards the end.
2. Sasha and Alexander
Unlike Melanie and Marko, Sasha is clearly the standout in this pairing. The NappyTabs routine they pulled last week (clip below) was great, but Sasha's solo in the very beginning of the routine shows that she's a powerhouse dancer. With every movement she makes she's making a clear and strong statement. Alexander is great technically, but he doesn't seem to match to power and intensity that Sasha brings. Despite the somewhat unevenness of this couple, they probably have had the most emotionally draining routines consistently and they always deliver.
In this case, I see Sasha going further than Alexander. Although last night Nigel gave him a critique that might end up helping Alexander, he told him his emoting needed work and that's really his only flaw so we'll see if he works on it next week.
3. Clarice and Jess
The Broadway dancer Jess was not my favorite in the beginning, or the first week. However these past two weeks he's emerged as a bit of a favorite. Last weeks routine, his character alone sold me, he completely owned the Prince role he was playing with so much grace, class and romance. And this week, he turned in a truly elegant and smooth rendition of a 1940's Lounge singer and sold the vibe effortlessly (clip below). Add to that, he's been a standout in some of the group numbers. His partner Clarice is just flawlessly beautiful with a great body, however her physical attributes aren't her only shining grace. True, on last weeks routine Nigel was right, the chemistry wasn't totally there, but last nights routine was so beautiful and flawless and she looked incredibly beautiful and carrying off the grace needed for one of the best routines of the night.
4. Jordan and Tadd
Easily the cutest most adorable couple of the show, these two deliver but just not with the sheer strength of the above mentioned couples. They have had a pretty diverse run so far with a powerful African Jazz, a very elegant Viennese Waltz (clip below) and a fun Hip Hop last night. The problem is that with the other couples getting such great routines and owning, Jordan and Tadd's routines are sometimes forgotten. They just need to up their performance levels to stand out, but I think in the next few weeks they'll get a routine that really showcases both of their abilities and they will nail it and this won't be a problem for them anymore.
5. Caitlynn and Mitchell
The first week, Mitchell let Caitlyn down due to an injury. This week, I personally felt like Caitlynn let Mitchell down in their Samba where he killed but she seemed to fall flat. However their week 2 contemporary routine (clip below) was a perfect combination of both of their skills and their chemistry worked really well. Caitlynn on that number was excellent with her emotion and really understood what choreographer Stacey Tookey was asking of her. While Mitchell held his end of the deal by becoming really masculine and powerful in his dance.
So that's only one great performance in three weeks, I feel like these two have potential but somehow are just finding it difficult to get a real connection going. However they are both individually two of the best on this season, so if they get it together they can be true competitors.
6. Ashley and Chris
These two seem to suffer the same fate as Jordan and Tadd. Week after week they deliver, but just nothing too stand out. Last week's Jazz routine by Tyce Diorio (clip below) was amazing in it's uniqueness, and they did great with the choreography but personally they didn't really over shadow the routine themselves. They are the type of couple who are good at executing the steps but don't bring much else to the routines. Last night is a great example, the Sonya Tayeh routine was weird and creepy and the music was the same. They did good, but I couldn't shake the feeling that if it were two other dancers, the routine would have been one of my favorites.
I'm not sure what this couple needs to become more dynamic and memorable, but they need to figure it out soon. (I actually feel they might be going home tonight!)
7. Ryan and Ricky
This is a perfect case of a couple who really should have re-drawn from that hat. They are both really great dancers (of course Ricky is better than Ryan), but their chemistry is just all off. For all three of their routines so far, it seems like they are both in their OWN heads while dancing and not thinking of the couple aspect. Last nights Sonya routine (clip below) was unique and I give them major props for working with the long cloth which could have easily ruined their night, but I didn't feel anything from them at all. They are both great technical dancers, but together there's just nothing and that routine should have been way more epic than it was.
Also, aesthetically they don't match up well. They have great height, and they both look like just long legs and long arms, but there's something about their roles... sexually that bothers me. Second week they dressed Ricky up in what appeared to be a corset, and it only enhanced the fact that he's a bit of a feminine dancer while Ricky sometimes is so focused it comes off harder and more masculine than it needs to be. Both of them are probably praying for the week they get paired up with an All-Star and Ricky will definitely shine when this happens. Not too sure about Ryan who has been decent this season, but has yet to really WOW.
8. Miranda and Robert
Poor Things. They both seem to be pretty cool people in general, and they aren't bad dancers, it's just them combined doesn't making for a winning duo at all. Robert has surprised me though, last nights Broadway routine (clip below) showed he's capable of venturing out of his Hip Hop style just not far enough at this point in the season. Miranda has the misfortune of being with a dancer who isn't as skilled as her, so sometimes I feel like she's taking her performance down a notch as to not overshadow her partner which is a mistake. This is a competition after all and she'd be smart to out dance him if she has it in her. These two I also fear might be in the Bottom tonight.
I'm on the west coast, so if you're on the east coast you have probably already seen who was eliminated this week... my predictions though are that Ryan/Ricky, Ashley/Chris and Miranda/Robert will land in the bottom. And I think Miranda and Robert might be the ones going home, unless Robert's personality overshadows his shortcomings than Ashley and Chris will be out.
Thanks to:
AmericasBestEver
meweihn
0yramary0
for the clips!
Since in a few weeks, the couples will be switched up I wanted to run down who in these past three weeks have been the best, which couples are terribly mismatched and who just needs to go home.
1. Melanie and Marko.
These two are flawless in every way. They both are excellent technical dancers and they both are able to convey whatever character they pick effortlessly. Melanie from her first audition was one of my favorites, there's just a real X-Factor with her. After the phenomenal Travis Wall routine from week 1, Melanie got all sexy on us with week 2's Mandy Moore's Jazz routine. And she proved more than capable of the quick staccato movements of one of NappyTabs best lyrical Hip Hop routines last night (clip below).
Her partner Marko is no slouch either, and is so far really underrated. He is just as fantastic as Melanie, he's a technically excellent dancer and he also is able to really bring it with the characters he's asked to portray. These two also have the strongest connection it seems when they are dancing together. Last nights Hip Hop routine was perfection because they were great, it could have fallen apart with other dancers but because they have such a great relationship it worked probably better than NappyTabs even imagined.
It will be sad to see this couple split up, but they both should be in the competition long enough to be paired up again towards the end.
2. Sasha and Alexander
Unlike Melanie and Marko, Sasha is clearly the standout in this pairing. The NappyTabs routine they pulled last week (clip below) was great, but Sasha's solo in the very beginning of the routine shows that she's a powerhouse dancer. With every movement she makes she's making a clear and strong statement. Alexander is great technically, but he doesn't seem to match to power and intensity that Sasha brings. Despite the somewhat unevenness of this couple, they probably have had the most emotionally draining routines consistently and they always deliver.
In this case, I see Sasha going further than Alexander. Although last night Nigel gave him a critique that might end up helping Alexander, he told him his emoting needed work and that's really his only flaw so we'll see if he works on it next week.
3. Clarice and Jess
The Broadway dancer Jess was not my favorite in the beginning, or the first week. However these past two weeks he's emerged as a bit of a favorite. Last weeks routine, his character alone sold me, he completely owned the Prince role he was playing with so much grace, class and romance. And this week, he turned in a truly elegant and smooth rendition of a 1940's Lounge singer and sold the vibe effortlessly (clip below). Add to that, he's been a standout in some of the group numbers. His partner Clarice is just flawlessly beautiful with a great body, however her physical attributes aren't her only shining grace. True, on last weeks routine Nigel was right, the chemistry wasn't totally there, but last nights routine was so beautiful and flawless and she looked incredibly beautiful and carrying off the grace needed for one of the best routines of the night.
4. Jordan and Tadd
Easily the cutest most adorable couple of the show, these two deliver but just not with the sheer strength of the above mentioned couples. They have had a pretty diverse run so far with a powerful African Jazz, a very elegant Viennese Waltz (clip below) and a fun Hip Hop last night. The problem is that with the other couples getting such great routines and owning, Jordan and Tadd's routines are sometimes forgotten. They just need to up their performance levels to stand out, but I think in the next few weeks they'll get a routine that really showcases both of their abilities and they will nail it and this won't be a problem for them anymore.
5. Caitlynn and Mitchell
The first week, Mitchell let Caitlyn down due to an injury. This week, I personally felt like Caitlynn let Mitchell down in their Samba where he killed but she seemed to fall flat. However their week 2 contemporary routine (clip below) was a perfect combination of both of their skills and their chemistry worked really well. Caitlynn on that number was excellent with her emotion and really understood what choreographer Stacey Tookey was asking of her. While Mitchell held his end of the deal by becoming really masculine and powerful in his dance.
So that's only one great performance in three weeks, I feel like these two have potential but somehow are just finding it difficult to get a real connection going. However they are both individually two of the best on this season, so if they get it together they can be true competitors.
6. Ashley and Chris
These two seem to suffer the same fate as Jordan and Tadd. Week after week they deliver, but just nothing too stand out. Last week's Jazz routine by Tyce Diorio (clip below) was amazing in it's uniqueness, and they did great with the choreography but personally they didn't really over shadow the routine themselves. They are the type of couple who are good at executing the steps but don't bring much else to the routines. Last night is a great example, the Sonya Tayeh routine was weird and creepy and the music was the same. They did good, but I couldn't shake the feeling that if it were two other dancers, the routine would have been one of my favorites.
I'm not sure what this couple needs to become more dynamic and memorable, but they need to figure it out soon. (I actually feel they might be going home tonight!)
7. Ryan and Ricky
This is a perfect case of a couple who really should have re-drawn from that hat. They are both really great dancers (of course Ricky is better than Ryan), but their chemistry is just all off. For all three of their routines so far, it seems like they are both in their OWN heads while dancing and not thinking of the couple aspect. Last nights Sonya routine (clip below) was unique and I give them major props for working with the long cloth which could have easily ruined their night, but I didn't feel anything from them at all. They are both great technical dancers, but together there's just nothing and that routine should have been way more epic than it was.
Also, aesthetically they don't match up well. They have great height, and they both look like just long legs and long arms, but there's something about their roles... sexually that bothers me. Second week they dressed Ricky up in what appeared to be a corset, and it only enhanced the fact that he's a bit of a feminine dancer while Ricky sometimes is so focused it comes off harder and more masculine than it needs to be. Both of them are probably praying for the week they get paired up with an All-Star and Ricky will definitely shine when this happens. Not too sure about Ryan who has been decent this season, but has yet to really WOW.
8. Miranda and Robert
Poor Things. They both seem to be pretty cool people in general, and they aren't bad dancers, it's just them combined doesn't making for a winning duo at all. Robert has surprised me though, last nights Broadway routine (clip below) showed he's capable of venturing out of his Hip Hop style just not far enough at this point in the season. Miranda has the misfortune of being with a dancer who isn't as skilled as her, so sometimes I feel like she's taking her performance down a notch as to not overshadow her partner which is a mistake. This is a competition after all and she'd be smart to out dance him if she has it in her. These two I also fear might be in the Bottom tonight.
I'm on the west coast, so if you're on the east coast you have probably already seen who was eliminated this week... my predictions though are that Ryan/Ricky, Ashley/Chris and Miranda/Robert will land in the bottom. And I think Miranda and Robert might be the ones going home, unless Robert's personality overshadows his shortcomings than Ashley and Chris will be out.
Thanks to:
AmericasBestEver
meweihn
0yramary0
for the clips!
6.28.2011
Album Review: Beyoncé
With all huge Stars of the music industry and their new albums, expectations are the biggest hurdle. And for Beyoncé and her fourth solo album "4" it's no different.
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Her discography up until this release has been quite diverse but also relatively safe, and for this outing people might be expecting something a little more out there from her. Maybe expanding on the Rock and Electronica she flirted with on her last album "I Am... Sasha Fierce", or going into a totally different direction with something more worldly and international given the year hiatus she spent traveling the world.Or the album could be commercial tripe made specifically for chart dominance.
"4" is none of those things, and that is it's biggest strength and at the same time it's weakness. Beyoncé is much more subdued than on any of her previous works, and it's because this album is her covering material that is right in her comfort zone. "4" plays like a continuation of her R&B heavy debut solo album "Dangerously In Love", but showing her vocal growth in the 7 years since than. While some might complain that she didn't push herself enough, others will say that she's taking a big risk by staying true to herself. Either way, when you put expectations aside "4" is a more than solid album, it's not nearly as safe as her previous albums, but it still manages to be really familiar and classic.This is truly the album of an artist that is no longer trying to prove anything, but just making music she enjoys.
Vocally she's the best we've ever heard her, and not in the showy way of past hits like "Halo" or "Listen", she barely belts or has any soaring notes on this album. Even on the Dianne Warren penned "I Was Here", she resists the urge to turn the somewhat schlocky lyrics into a 90's style power ballad ala Celine or Whitney. She focuses on singing the lyrics with conviction and emotion. Same with most of the albums best material, the stunning electro-ballad "I Miss You", the Prince inspired "1+1" and the soulful "Rather Die Young". When she does show out, it comes out of nowhere like on "I Care" (probably the worst Beyonce hook ever!) where towards the middle she starts running with the melody and pumps out some impressive high notes. Everything she does with her voice here feels natural and again, it's because this album is totally within her comfort zone. Several songs even feel like the music she probably loved pre-Destiny's Child. "Love on Top" is a breezy R&B tune that might have been released in 87 or 88 by LeVert or Whitney Houston. "Party" is a chilled-out Hip Hop track similar to an SWV or En Vogue from the early 90's. And than there are the Prince, Michael Jackson and Earth Wind and Fire influences. At times the album is so nostalgic and smooth it almost doesn't feel like a Beyonce album, than you have "Countdown" which has the King B stamp all over it with it's staccato phrasing and attitude. Earlier, the second single "Best Thing I Never Had" plays like a mash up of her previous hits "Irreplaceable" and "Halo" with the female empowerment and "neck twisting" kiss-off lyrics.
"4" is the album that right now might be surprising to listeners, but it will hold up years from now when matched with other albums in her career. It's not as aggressive and confident as "B'Day", and it's not as experimental and diverse as "I Am... Sasha Fierce", but it really does in a simple subtle way show all of the talents she's amassed over the years and why she's easily one of the most respected in her field. She has the goods, and "4" is proof that she doesn't even have to go overboard to prove it.
4.5 of 5
Best: End of Time (this link is from her performance at Glastonbury), I Miss You, Party << not able to find links for the other two. sorry.
"4" is none of those things, and that is it's biggest strength and at the same time it's weakness. Beyoncé is much more subdued than on any of her previous works, and it's because this album is her covering material that is right in her comfort zone. "4" plays like a continuation of her R&B heavy debut solo album "Dangerously In Love", but showing her vocal growth in the 7 years since than. While some might complain that she didn't push herself enough, others will say that she's taking a big risk by staying true to herself. Either way, when you put expectations aside "4" is a more than solid album, it's not nearly as safe as her previous albums, but it still manages to be really familiar and classic.This is truly the album of an artist that is no longer trying to prove anything, but just making music she enjoys.
Vocally she's the best we've ever heard her, and not in the showy way of past hits like "Halo" or "Listen", she barely belts or has any soaring notes on this album. Even on the Dianne Warren penned "I Was Here", she resists the urge to turn the somewhat schlocky lyrics into a 90's style power ballad ala Celine or Whitney. She focuses on singing the lyrics with conviction and emotion. Same with most of the albums best material, the stunning electro-ballad "I Miss You", the Prince inspired "1+1" and the soulful "Rather Die Young". When she does show out, it comes out of nowhere like on "I Care" (probably the worst Beyonce hook ever!) where towards the middle she starts running with the melody and pumps out some impressive high notes. Everything she does with her voice here feels natural and again, it's because this album is totally within her comfort zone. Several songs even feel like the music she probably loved pre-Destiny's Child. "Love on Top" is a breezy R&B tune that might have been released in 87 or 88 by LeVert or Whitney Houston. "Party" is a chilled-out Hip Hop track similar to an SWV or En Vogue from the early 90's. And than there are the Prince, Michael Jackson and Earth Wind and Fire influences. At times the album is so nostalgic and smooth it almost doesn't feel like a Beyonce album, than you have "Countdown" which has the King B stamp all over it with it's staccato phrasing and attitude. Earlier, the second single "Best Thing I Never Had" plays like a mash up of her previous hits "Irreplaceable" and "Halo" with the female empowerment and "neck twisting" kiss-off lyrics.
"4" is the album that right now might be surprising to listeners, but it will hold up years from now when matched with other albums in her career. It's not as aggressive and confident as "B'Day", and it's not as experimental and diverse as "I Am... Sasha Fierce", but it really does in a simple subtle way show all of the talents she's amassed over the years and why she's easily one of the most respected in her field. She has the goods, and "4" is proof that she doesn't even have to go overboard to prove it.
4.5 of 5
Best: End of Time (this link is from her performance at Glastonbury), I Miss You, Party << not able to find links for the other two. sorry.
6.27.2011
Album Review: Yuck, Cage The Elephant
Two Rock releases caught my eye this year, one thanks to Pitchfork and the other thanks to iTunes. Both albums surprised me, one was a good surprise while the other was, well, not so much. So here's my take on the two.
Yuck caught my attention on Pitchfork, when the first single from their debut self titled album was posted to their site. However "Rubber" (the first single) is not only the standout of the album it's one of only two really great songs on the album while the rest fall really flat.
"Get Away" is a perfect Rock album opener, great hook and melody and some seriously amped up instrumentation from the band. By the time you get to "Rubber" which closes the album, it feels almost like you've listened to an hour of a Alternative Tribute radio station as most of Yuck's album feels like retreads of other Rockers material from the 90's. You can hear all the greats heavily influencing the sound on this album. Nirvana, Weezer ("Suck"), Green Day ("Holing Out"), Pearl Jam, Blind Melon ("Stutter"), there's even some Blues Traveler-like material here. Not to say that the band doesn't do well with the sounds, it's just the album becomes too much of a hodge podge mess to enjoy as a whole. It's not a terrible album, there are songs that are probably really good on their own but jumbled with everything else they lose some luster. The biggest problem is there's nothing there that really screams Yuck, nothing that shows they have a unique identity in the rock field. There are still good moments that come from the album, "Operation" is another stand out as well as the instrumental "Rose Gives a Lilly", the album just doesn't make a great statement about who this band actually is.
2.5 of 5
Best: Rubber, Get Away, Operation
The sophomore album from Cage The Elephant "Thank You Happy Birthday" has its faults but no one can say those faults are a lack of excitement and energy.
The album is a great diverse mix of different Rock sounds, but unlike Yuck this group manages to make every song their own by putting a unique stamp on each song be it with vocals or the arrangements. They go from really loud and aggressive Hard rock tracks like "Indy Kidz" and "Sabertooth Tiger", to subdued acoustic leaning tracks like the fabulous album closer "Flow". A slight departure from their more acoustic-y Hip Hop/Rock of their debut album, "Thank You Happy Birthday" is alot more exciting and feels like a group just really having fun recording and trying to push boundaries and try new things in different ways. Lead singer Matthew Shultz brings a weird high pitched vocal, but he's really confident and experimental with it giving the listeners something new with every song. The band and the albums Producer Jay Joyce are just as adventurous giving us a very hard sound but adding really creative starts and stops, backing electronic blips.At times the album can be a little too much to handle, but I definitely commend the group for staying true to who they are. Their sound is new and unique and that's something one should always look for in new music.
3.5 of 5
Best: Aberdeen, Shake Me Down, Flow
Yuck caught my attention on Pitchfork, when the first single from their debut self titled album was posted to their site. However "Rubber" (the first single) is not only the standout of the album it's one of only two really great songs on the album while the rest fall really flat.
"Get Away" is a perfect Rock album opener, great hook and melody and some seriously amped up instrumentation from the band. By the time you get to "Rubber" which closes the album, it feels almost like you've listened to an hour of a Alternative Tribute radio station as most of Yuck's album feels like retreads of other Rockers material from the 90's. You can hear all the greats heavily influencing the sound on this album. Nirvana, Weezer ("Suck"), Green Day ("Holing Out"), Pearl Jam, Blind Melon ("Stutter"), there's even some Blues Traveler-like material here. Not to say that the band doesn't do well with the sounds, it's just the album becomes too much of a hodge podge mess to enjoy as a whole. It's not a terrible album, there are songs that are probably really good on their own but jumbled with everything else they lose some luster. The biggest problem is there's nothing there that really screams Yuck, nothing that shows they have a unique identity in the rock field. There are still good moments that come from the album, "Operation" is another stand out as well as the instrumental "Rose Gives a Lilly", the album just doesn't make a great statement about who this band actually is.
2.5 of 5
Best: Rubber, Get Away, Operation
The sophomore album from Cage The Elephant "Thank You Happy Birthday" has its faults but no one can say those faults are a lack of excitement and energy.
3.5 of 5
Best: Aberdeen, Shake Me Down, Flow
6.17.2011
TV Review: So You Think You Can Dance, Week One Recap
FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance" is easily one of my favorite shows. And really the only reality competition show on television that exposes it's viewers to things they wouldn't normally see. In season's past we've seen dance styles as diverse as African Jazz, Bollywood, Samba, even Russian Folk Dancing and you really won't see any of those styles anywhere else on television. That's why I love the show, and even with the styles that we have seen, the choreographers the show employs are at the top of their game when it comes to creativity. After the auditions, this past Wednesday the choreographers were back on their game for the first performance show of the season. Much like past season openers, there are still some dancers that aren't quite at the star level yet and are probably just in awe that they made the show, but there were some truly great performances and at least one future classic.
Here is my opinion on who did the best, and later will talk about the "elimination" this week and my thoughts on it.
the GREAT!!
1. Melanie Marko
This Travis Wall routine is not only one of HIS best pieces ever, but it's one of the greatest the show has ever seen. The concept is beautiful on it's own, two statues who are trying to combine and become one statue, and the music ("Turn to Stone" by Ingrid Michaelson) is perfectly fitting. It's creative, beautiful, emotional and a fine example of why this show is so groundbreaking. Before this show started in 2005, I honestly didn't feel like Dance could illicit real emotions from the viewer and this, like past routines, has blown that idea out of my mind. And while the storyline and choreography were great, lesser dancers could have ruined this and taken all the emotion and realness out of it. Thankfully, Travis got two great dancers on this one. Melanie has been one of my favorites since her first audition, and this is a great example of why. Her control over the moves was amazing, and Marko more than held his own. They both really got the story and embodied everything they needed to, their technique was flawless and you could freeze-frame most of the moments of this routine and it would make for beautiful and classic statues. They also as a team brought the appropriate amount of emotion to make everybody feel what they would have felt if they were really in that situation. Nigel said this should be the first Emmy nomination of the season, and he's right it would truly deserve it because it's one of those perfect moments in Dance where just everything falls into place perfectly.
the REALLY GOOD.
2. Jordan Tadd
3. Sasha Alexander
4. Missy Wadi
These three routines were fantastic in so many ways. Energy, Emotion, Creativity. They only lack a sense of uniqueness because while they were some of the best of the night, they weren't exactly breaking new ground. Jordan and Tadd completely attacked African Jazz in this Sean Cheesman routine, but it's not the best routine in that genre that we've seen. Same with Sasha and Alexander on their Contemporary Sonya Tayeh routine where Sasha was the star with her intensity and power, but it still wasn't the best. Missy and Wadi's routine was a bit more original, using Wadi's unique dancing talent, but it really reminded me of a routine from Season 5 performed by Kayla and Maksim.
the GOOD
5. Iveta Nick
6. Miranda Robert
These two routines were fun fun fun, but nothing in the choreography or the dancers technique really screamed fantastic or stand out. For one, Iveta (as it was noted by Mary) is the World Champion in her genre and has been doing Quickstep since she was 7 years old. Kind of an unfair advantage if you ask me, but she was destined to pull her genre out of the hat at least one time this season so might as well get it over with. The routine overall was really cute, and Nick, a tap dancer, did his part even if he sometimes seemed overly conscious of the steps. And Robert, the annoying "woooo" guy, was perfectly matched in this Jason Gilkison routine. His upbeat and goofy personality was perfect for this Jive number, and though he wasn't technically the best he out shined his partner Miranda who did respectable but just didn't match Robert's personality which was radiating and saved the whole performance.
the MEH.
7. Ryan Ricky
8. Ashley Chris
9. Caitlynn Robert
10. Jess Clarice
The rest of the routines are not terrible, nobody really messed up enough this season to ruin any of the routines, but this bunch were just a little unimpressive. Ryan and Ricky's Lyrical Hip Hop choreographed by douchebag Christopher Scott. This is one of those cases where the dancers were better than the routine, as both Ryan and Ricky gave their all (and went outside their comfort zone a little) and both had some great moments, but the choreography was just dull and it actually reminded me of the famous "Bleeding Love" routine from Season 5. Chris "Douchebag" Scott also choreographed another so-so Hip Hop routine for Ashly and b-boy Chris, Chris to me was better because he was more effortless and smooth while Ashly brought the personality but was a little too technical with her steps. Caitlynn's partner Mitchell was out due to an injury so she got the chance to dance with last seasons Robert on a Sonya Tayeh routine, which was probably one of my least favorites from Sonya, very dull in comparison to her best stuff. Finally Jess, the Broadway guy, pulled Broadway with his partner Clarice. It was a fun routine, but not fun enough in my opinion. Clarice was really pretty and graceful, while Jess didn't seem to be at 100% though he was praised by the judges.
Once the credits rolled, Thursday was a bit anti-climactic because nobody went home. Seemed like a bit of planning on the producers part, but Nigel made it seem like there was some big mix up with the judges (he actually even blamed guest judge Megan Mulally of "Karen" fame), he made Mitchell and Robert dance for their lives twice. Than he lined everyone in the Bottom up, praised each one, and than said nobody was going home. Next week though two couples will be going home, so maybe it was a way for the show to get the dancers to amp their game up.
I want to add, Sonya Tayeh's group routine that opened up Thursday's show was A-MA-ZING!! It was so fierce and powerful and intense. I've loved pretty much all of her group routines in the past and this one is up there with my all time favorites, just perfection when it comes to the moves and also the look and the song choice.
So until next week, Enjoy the clips.(Thank you to SYTYCDFanS08V2 biaJME and rafahenrique of Youtube for uploading the clips)
I love comments on this blog.
Here is my opinion on who did the best, and later will talk about the "elimination" this week and my thoughts on it.
the GREAT!!
1. Melanie Marko
This Travis Wall routine is not only one of HIS best pieces ever, but it's one of the greatest the show has ever seen. The concept is beautiful on it's own, two statues who are trying to combine and become one statue, and the music ("Turn to Stone" by Ingrid Michaelson) is perfectly fitting. It's creative, beautiful, emotional and a fine example of why this show is so groundbreaking. Before this show started in 2005, I honestly didn't feel like Dance could illicit real emotions from the viewer and this, like past routines, has blown that idea out of my mind. And while the storyline and choreography were great, lesser dancers could have ruined this and taken all the emotion and realness out of it. Thankfully, Travis got two great dancers on this one. Melanie has been one of my favorites since her first audition, and this is a great example of why. Her control over the moves was amazing, and Marko more than held his own. They both really got the story and embodied everything they needed to, their technique was flawless and you could freeze-frame most of the moments of this routine and it would make for beautiful and classic statues. They also as a team brought the appropriate amount of emotion to make everybody feel what they would have felt if they were really in that situation. Nigel said this should be the first Emmy nomination of the season, and he's right it would truly deserve it because it's one of those perfect moments in Dance where just everything falls into place perfectly.
the REALLY GOOD.
2. Jordan Tadd
3. Sasha Alexander
4. Missy Wadi
These three routines were fantastic in so many ways. Energy, Emotion, Creativity. They only lack a sense of uniqueness because while they were some of the best of the night, they weren't exactly breaking new ground. Jordan and Tadd completely attacked African Jazz in this Sean Cheesman routine, but it's not the best routine in that genre that we've seen. Same with Sasha and Alexander on their Contemporary Sonya Tayeh routine where Sasha was the star with her intensity and power, but it still wasn't the best. Missy and Wadi's routine was a bit more original, using Wadi's unique dancing talent, but it really reminded me of a routine from Season 5 performed by Kayla and Maksim.
the GOOD
5. Iveta Nick
6. Miranda Robert
These two routines were fun fun fun, but nothing in the choreography or the dancers technique really screamed fantastic or stand out. For one, Iveta (as it was noted by Mary) is the World Champion in her genre and has been doing Quickstep since she was 7 years old. Kind of an unfair advantage if you ask me, but she was destined to pull her genre out of the hat at least one time this season so might as well get it over with. The routine overall was really cute, and Nick, a tap dancer, did his part even if he sometimes seemed overly conscious of the steps. And Robert, the annoying "woooo" guy, was perfectly matched in this Jason Gilkison routine. His upbeat and goofy personality was perfect for this Jive number, and though he wasn't technically the best he out shined his partner Miranda who did respectable but just didn't match Robert's personality which was radiating and saved the whole performance.
the MEH.
7. Ryan Ricky
8. Ashley Chris
9. Caitlynn Robert
10. Jess Clarice
The rest of the routines are not terrible, nobody really messed up enough this season to ruin any of the routines, but this bunch were just a little unimpressive. Ryan and Ricky's Lyrical Hip Hop choreographed by douchebag Christopher Scott. This is one of those cases where the dancers were better than the routine, as both Ryan and Ricky gave their all (and went outside their comfort zone a little) and both had some great moments, but the choreography was just dull and it actually reminded me of the famous "Bleeding Love" routine from Season 5. Chris "Douchebag" Scott also choreographed another so-so Hip Hop routine for Ashly and b-boy Chris, Chris to me was better because he was more effortless and smooth while Ashly brought the personality but was a little too technical with her steps. Caitlynn's partner Mitchell was out due to an injury so she got the chance to dance with last seasons Robert on a Sonya Tayeh routine, which was probably one of my least favorites from Sonya, very dull in comparison to her best stuff. Finally Jess, the Broadway guy, pulled Broadway with his partner Clarice. It was a fun routine, but not fun enough in my opinion. Clarice was really pretty and graceful, while Jess didn't seem to be at 100% though he was praised by the judges.
Once the credits rolled, Thursday was a bit anti-climactic because nobody went home. Seemed like a bit of planning on the producers part, but Nigel made it seem like there was some big mix up with the judges (he actually even blamed guest judge Megan Mulally of "Karen" fame), he made Mitchell and Robert dance for their lives twice. Than he lined everyone in the Bottom up, praised each one, and than said nobody was going home. Next week though two couples will be going home, so maybe it was a way for the show to get the dancers to amp their game up.
I want to add, Sonya Tayeh's group routine that opened up Thursday's show was A-MA-ZING!! It was so fierce and powerful and intense. I've loved pretty much all of her group routines in the past and this one is up there with my all time favorites, just perfection when it comes to the moves and also the look and the song choice.
So until next week, Enjoy the clips.(Thank you to SYTYCDFanS08V2 biaJME and rafahenrique of Youtube for uploading the clips)
I love comments on this blog.
6.16.2011
Album Review: tUnE-yArDs
Hipster RunOff has become a go-to site for me to find new music and I saw a mention of Merrill Garbus, better known under the moniker tUnE-YaRdS (annoying spelling right?), a one woman band whose sophomore album "w h o k i l l" is easily one of the freshest and most unique outings of the year.
The album has such an eclectic mix of genres and she herself brings major diversity vocally going from a really aggressive spoken word vibe to a soft almost jazzy tone (and this is sometimes within the same song). "w h o k i l l" is the most adventurous and fearless album I've heard maybe since Dirty Projectors "Bitte Orca" which was so far outside the box but still very catchy. tUnE-YaRdS are totally different from that group but in the same ways her approach works on so many different levels.
The albums first single, and my first introduction to this talent, "Bizness" goes from a soft electronica track with a replayed vocal sample in the beginning to a joyous and highly energetic jam session towards the end. And this is the best representation of what the album holds in store for the listeners, an album where each individual song is it's own musical movement. Garbus really throws everything into the pot from Folk, Salsa, R&B, Rock and Hip Hop. At times she recalls the aggressive spoken word of a PJ Harvey over beats likened to (believe it or not) A Tribe Called Quest (try "Es-So") , and than on other tracks she's flowing softly about love-making over something Erykah Badu or Jill Scott might attack. With all the highs and lows of each track, and the overall diversity of the album you'd think it would be too much... and at times it is, but the album of the whole is a very pleasant listen because she's very skilled at balancing out all of her influences. "w h o k i l l" is a great showcase for a very talented artist, and though there's not much here that would typically be considered commercial, she's the type of artist people do need to know about.
4.5 of 5
Best: Powa, Gangsta, Riotriot
The albums first single, and my first introduction to this talent, "Bizness" goes from a soft electronica track with a replayed vocal sample in the beginning to a joyous and highly energetic jam session towards the end. And this is the best representation of what the album holds in store for the listeners, an album where each individual song is it's own musical movement. Garbus really throws everything into the pot from Folk, Salsa, R&B, Rock and Hip Hop. At times she recalls the aggressive spoken word of a PJ Harvey over beats likened to (believe it or not) A Tribe Called Quest (try "Es-So") , and than on other tracks she's flowing softly about love-making over something Erykah Badu or Jill Scott might attack. With all the highs and lows of each track, and the overall diversity of the album you'd think it would be too much... and at times it is, but the album of the whole is a very pleasant listen because she's very skilled at balancing out all of her influences. "w h o k i l l" is a great showcase for a very talented artist, and though there's not much here that would typically be considered commercial, she's the type of artist people do need to know about.
4.5 of 5
Best: Powa, Gangsta, Riotriot
6.15.2011
Album Review: Lady GaGa
And here's where GaGa shows her greatness, by not getting drowned out by all the goings on within each track. Whether she's paying homage to herself with her stretched and exagerrated vocals on "Judas" (vocally a "Bad Romance" part two), playfully experimenting with German on "Scheiße", or emulating 90's Power balladeering over dance beats on the title track or "Edge of Glory", she always makes herself the main event somehow. Her vocal abilities really shine through on this album, not only that she can belt like some of the greats but that on nearly every song she attacks the vocals in a completely different way. By the time you get to her almost country/western ode "Yoü and I" you can fully appreciate her diverse talents. Even lyrically she brings something different to the table this time, by making themes and concepts a little more abstract yet still making the songs fun and catchy. All in all the album is a win and a nice step into a more artistic direction for GaGa, seems her music is finally starting to match up with her unique and creative personality which is a great thing. She's not fully escaping her Pop chains, but she's definitley stepping out and delivering something on this album you wouldn't hear from any of her competitors.
4 of 5
Best: Electric Chapel, You and I, Marry The Night
6.13.2011
Album Review: Quick Updates, James Blake and Toro Y Moi... The Growers
Sorry for all these breaks, you know sometimes just LIFE gets in the way (life and laziness LOL!!) but I have a to-do list of a couple albums I need to get through so this will be the first of a few new blog posts so get ready! This first post will be about The Growers, two albums that didn't immediately blow me away but have since shown their worth.
Two Indie favorites of this year James Blake and Toro Y Moi have been sitting in my iTunes for a few months, and while initially I had lukewarm feelings about both albums they have really grown on me and showed that subtlety can be a stand out.
Toro Y Moi's second album "Underneath The Pine"
is a really relaxing chill album with heavy disco, R&B and funk inspiration. The albums first single "Still Sound" is the best example for his sound, a late 70's track that Chaka Khan could have easily wailed over, while "New Beat" could have been an Evelyn "Champagne" King disco stomper. The album isn't devoted to disco though, Toro manages to merge the lush instrumentation of the 70's with the chilled out electronic sound of today and with great effect especially on the album closer "Elise". The problem with the album however is Toro's vocal chops, when you hear these songs that could easily be taken on by powerhouse singers it sounds a little off when he comes on the tracks with his very limited vocal ability. In fact some of the better tracks on the album have little to no vocals, leaving the listener to wonder how much more effective the album would have been as a straight instrumental album. The vocals are definitely in the vain of the Indie scene he is a part of where they seem to have no care about things like tone and pitch when singing. And as mentioned before this isn't just a typical 70's throwback album so the off-kilter overall production makes sense after a few listens. All in all the album is a great groovy listen and shows promise, if not for his singing definitley for his production which would match nicely with some of the top artists of the day (Christina Aguilera needs to swoop him up quick, his sound and her voice would match up perfectly).
3 of 5
Best: Still Sound, New Beat, Elise
James Blake's self titled debut came earlier this year, and he's almost the opposite of Toro Y Moi. Blake possesses a really strong, husky and soulful voice but on this album he uses it on top of some very low-key and chilled electronic tracks. Critics have considered him a Dubstep artist which confused me as nothing on this album is traditionally Dubstep, maybe more Dub than Step since most of the album is very moody and calm with electro-effects playing subtly in the background. Rarely ever using more than 10 words for a full song, the songs swell and build up to pretty amazing climaxes. Upon first listen, the songs might seem dull or too weird, but on repeated listens you can appreciate the nuances Blake uses as a producer. "I Never Learnt To Share" and "I Mind" are great examples, very simple stuff but with the correct headphones or speaker system you can feel the love and patience he put into every electro-tweek and keyboard sequence. And even with a majority of the tracks being very ambient and experimental, there are a few tracks that could actually work on radio like first single "Limit To Your Love" and "The Wilhelm Scream" which are both a lot less stark than the rest of the album and show off both his voice and his production skills.
4 of 5
Best: The Wilhelm Scream, I Never Learnt To Share, Limit To Your Love
Two Indie favorites of this year James Blake and Toro Y Moi have been sitting in my iTunes for a few months, and while initially I had lukewarm feelings about both albums they have really grown on me and showed that subtlety can be a stand out.
Toro Y Moi's second album "Underneath The Pine"
3 of 5
Best: Still Sound, New Beat, Elise
4 of 5
Best: The Wilhelm Scream, I Never Learnt To Share, Limit To Your Love
5.04.2011
Album Review: Foo Fighters
I might be at a slight disadvantage in trying to review Foo Fighters' latest album "Wasting Light", the reason being I've just been a casual fan of the group over the years, and I only heard their breakthrough 1997 album "Colour & The Shape" within the past few weeks. The Grohl-fronted band has had quite a long history of classic songs, and in the ever changing world of Rock they've been the most consistent with delivering that harder edged sound.
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4.11.2011
Movie/Album Review: Daft Punk Tron Legacy
As a huge fan of Electronica Kings Daft Punk, ofcourse I purchased their soundtrack to Disney's "Tron: Legacy" when it was released last November. My reaction was so lukewarm however I sort of put the album aside until I saw the movie, thinking it might not be fair to judge the soundtrack alone and that I may end up enjoying the music more if I had the visual counterpart. So when the film was released to DVD and Blu Ray this past Tuesday I jumped on it.
As for the album, the film didn't really help. While I was watching the film, the soundtrack was a little underwhelming even than. Most of the times, the backing soundtrack felt a little like generic "futuristic" elevator music and not the unique, infectious Daft Punk sound I was expecting. There's a scene early on where Sam Flynn is being chased by the police and the underlying score ("The Son of Flynn") is just a simple loop of a keyboard sequence and it never elevated or went anywhere although you'd think they'd match up the music to the action in the scene. And the sort of light electronic sounds heard on one scene sound way too similar to most of the other tracks on this soundtrack. There's a bit of a Daft stamp on them, but almost in the way of some lesser producer stealing their sound and producing really washed out and boring tracks instead. And there are even times when it doesn't sound like Daft Punk at all, the scene where Quorra is introduced ("Outlands") and she's driving Sam into his fathers secret lair sounds way too much like the Danny Elfman scoring in a similar scene in 1989's "Batman". For the most part, Daft's score is just too pedestrian and simple. It almost feels like they felt the pressure of doing a big Hollywood score and were scared to truly be themselves, which is a shame. Their cameo in the movie was cute though, and gave us the best moments from the score, the first single "Derezzed" and "End of the Line". Unfortunately, even after viewing the film, this outing was a big disappointment and I just can't wait for their next Real Daft album.
Rating: 2 of 5
Best: Derezzed, End of Line, Fall
The movie, surprisingly enough, was actually much better than expected. Even though I'm a child of the 80's I'd never seen the original "Tron" just heard of it (and seen film stills from it), but you imagine there was a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo but for all real purposes it was just a visual movie you'd watch for the special effects. In that way, "Tron: Legacy" is a success because it's truly one of the movies you can't take your eyes off. And there is a lot of dialogue about grid's and power sources and disks and a host of things viewers really don't need to know that much about, but the main focus is the visual aspect. The pretty amazing CGI and overall design of the computer world that Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund) finds himself in after locating the office of his father Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) who has been missing in the real world for over 15 years. Sam, as much of a computer genius as his father who created a Microsoft-like empire in the 1980's (after the first "Tron" film), finds himself in the Grid and is immediately set-up to participate in 'Games', which is punishment for bad 'programs'. The 'Games' portion is probably the best part of the movie, he goes through a series of 'Air Hockey'-like games before he is set up for the Bike Race which takes the cake visually. It takes what has become classic from the first film and elevates it for the new generation and it is both aesthetically stunning and heart pounding, edge of your seat excitement. Sam is finally reunited with his father, (not Clu, the grid clone of his father) and the rest of the movie is their plan to escape the grid and get back to the real world.
Again there is alot of unnecessary chatter here, and the script generously takes bits from "The Matrix" and "Inception" to try to prevent plot holes, but it's all okay because the film is an exciting one which can be followed with the minimal amount of information about the Flynn's.
This is nowhere near a Great movie, don't get me wrong, but pretty much everything from the acting to the writing were on par and nothing to complain about. The one major complaint, and maybe just because it looked so weird, was the CGI-fication of Jeff Bridges for his scenes as the younger father and for Clu. The animators did a really good job for the most part, but they really haven't perfected doing a human in CGI and making him look 100% real. Which I suppose actors are happy about.
Rating: 3.5 of 5
Rating: 2 of 5
Best: Derezzed, End of Line, Fall
Again there is alot of unnecessary chatter here, and the script generously takes bits from "The Matrix" and "Inception" to try to prevent plot holes, but it's all okay because the film is an exciting one which can be followed with the minimal amount of information about the Flynn's.
This is nowhere near a Great movie, don't get me wrong, but pretty much everything from the acting to the writing were on par and nothing to complain about. The one major complaint, and maybe just because it looked so weird, was the CGI-fication of Jeff Bridges for his scenes as the younger father and for Clu. The animators did a really good job for the most part, but they really haven't perfected doing a human in CGI and making him look 100% real. Which I suppose actors are happy about.
Rating: 3.5 of 5
4.01.2011
Album Review: Jennifer Hudson
Standards were set sky high with Jennifer Hudson's self titled debut album released in 2008. And though the album was decent, it felt underwhelming somehow. It just didn't manage to stand above the other R&B offerings out at the time, we all knew she could sing but there wasn't much personality to go along with it.
With her recently released follow up "I Remember Me", she seems to bring more confidence and character to her voice and it works out well. Along with that, the album offers a more diverse range of sounds to show off her versatility. To be honest it's not all great, some of the material is just too common and similar to other R&B acts, but there's enough here to show some major growth and Hudson comes off as a totally different singer and artist than on the last album.
The album opener, a nice bouncy Urban track "No One Gonna Love You" has her in a really confident and sassy stance and breezing through the song with major vocal strength with the ease of a real professional. As does the albums first single "Where You At", whose repetitive hook would have resulted in disaster if it was any other singer however Jennifer makes it work. The albums best tracks takes Hudson in a 70's 80's Soul and Funk direction which she performs with the appropriate attitude and grit. The Alicia Keys penned "Angel" has Jennifer channeling divas like Chaka Khan and Teena Marie but still putting her own stamp on the sound. "Everybody Needs Love", which stands out primarily because of it's unique fresh and new production (a mix of 90's House specifically the Dub sound, and smooth R&B) is elevated by her commitment to the sound. This and "Don't Look Down" are the Dance numbers her debut was missing, and these are destined to be remixed into thumping House anthems for the Club crowd.
And even the songs that aren't total winners are still passable and possible growers like the anthemic "I Got This" and the title track, which is slightly predictable in lyric but given a different light thanks to her voice. "Gone" suffers from a terrible boring hook, but you have to appreciate her taking a risk on a pop/rock song that you'd imagine a Kelly Clarkson singing. The rest of the album is just average, while the closer "Believe" is just stunningly beautiful lyrically and vocally. The album may not be one of the stand out R&B albums to be released but it shows even more promise and gives listeners even more reason to celebrate her immense talents. While her first album may have left people wanting more, this album shows that she is indeed a true vocal artist -- and that there's no reason why she won't be around for a long time.
Rating: 3 of 5
Best: Angel, No One Gonna Love You, Everybody Needs Love
The album opener, a nice bouncy Urban track "No One Gonna Love You" has her in a really confident and sassy stance and breezing through the song with major vocal strength with the ease of a real professional. As does the albums first single "Where You At", whose repetitive hook would have resulted in disaster if it was any other singer however Jennifer makes it work. The albums best tracks takes Hudson in a 70's 80's Soul and Funk direction which she performs with the appropriate attitude and grit. The Alicia Keys penned "Angel" has Jennifer channeling divas like Chaka Khan and Teena Marie but still putting her own stamp on the sound. "Everybody Needs Love", which stands out primarily because of it's unique fresh and new production (a mix of 90's House specifically the Dub sound, and smooth R&B) is elevated by her commitment to the sound. This and "Don't Look Down" are the Dance numbers her debut was missing, and these are destined to be remixed into thumping House anthems for the Club crowd.
And even the songs that aren't total winners are still passable and possible growers like the anthemic "I Got This" and the title track, which is slightly predictable in lyric but given a different light thanks to her voice. "Gone" suffers from a terrible boring hook, but you have to appreciate her taking a risk on a pop/rock song that you'd imagine a Kelly Clarkson singing. The rest of the album is just average, while the closer "Believe" is just stunningly beautiful lyrically and vocally. The album may not be one of the stand out R&B albums to be released but it shows even more promise and gives listeners even more reason to celebrate her immense talents. While her first album may have left people wanting more, this album shows that she is indeed a true vocal artist -- and that there's no reason why she won't be around for a long time.
Rating: 3 of 5
Best: Angel, No One Gonna Love You, Everybody Needs Love
3.29.2011
Album Review: The Strokes
The album leaves you feeling like they delivered another good Strokes album that will fit nicely into their discography. That's mostly because of the fact that they didn't seem to feel the need to prove anything to any listeners. A lot of groups who haven't recorded together for over 4 years would probably feel pressure to make their "comeback" a Masterpiece album, The Strokes seemed to want to give their fans what they were used to. And you can't really fault them for that, it just feels like they wanted to gather more great songs for their upcoming tours, and if that was the purpose of the album they succeeded.
Rating: 3.5 of 5
Best: Machu Picchu, Metabolism, You're So Right
3.28.2011
Album Review: Radiohead
Rating: 4 of 5
Best: "Lotus Flower", "Bloom", "Give Up The Ghost"
3.24.2011
Mixtape Review: Frank Ocean
Lyrically, Frank Ocean is more than fresh and a much needed change from hearing the same stories in R&B and Hip Hop. Vocally he's on point as well, his voice does have traces of the aforementioned Kid Cudi but with much more confidence. At many points in the album, with his phrasing and his creative runs he takes on a bit of a Brandy vibe just slightly more masculine. Frank is a talent that apparently nearly got wasted, this mixtape was released by him accompanying a tumblr tirade against his label Def Jam who he feels didn't care about him as an artist. Hopefully the world will take note of his immense and unique talents and we'll be hearing more from him in the coming years, he truly deserves the fame that some lesser talents have.
Rating: 4 of 5
Best: We All Try, Nature Feel, American Wedding
3.13.2011
Album Review: Britney Spears
The rest runs the spectrum of slightly above average Dance singles like "Trip to Your Heart", which takes a slightly experimental production take on EuroDance, as well as "Seal it With a Kiss" and "Criminal" which show more diversity with their more Pop/Urban leanings. And than there's the terribly average Dance tracks like "(Drop Dead) Beautiful" "I Wanna Go" "Trouble for Me" and "Gasoline" which all are fun, but sound a little dated and like re-treads of stuff we've already heard. In the end you just wish that Britney had stretched herself a little further and took a few more risks, this could have been a masterpiece compared to her other work. Instead it just falls in line with the rest of her catalgoue with only quick glimpses of any growth. The album is still better than a lot of the Dance-Pop material over the years, and she's more or less established herself as the Queen of the Dancefloor, since that's what we should always expect from her in the future apparently.
Rating: 3 of 5
Best: How I Roll, Inside Out, Till The World Ends
3.11.2011
Album Review: Local Natives
Here's the thing, they do share some similarities with groups like Vampire Weekend, Temper Trap, Grizzly Bear etc. They totally fit into that indie/organic/live group, but in so many ways they are at a higher level than them all. I've been listening to the album for about a month now, and I think I figured out what makes them stand out more so than the aforementioned groups. It's that their sound is a perfectly blended mix of, well Everything. They are primarily Alternative, but they mix in R&B and Rock and Pop and Folk so effortlessly you don't even catch it sometimes. The production and their instrumentation are really flawless, they obviously know what they are doing because nothing ever sounds forced or the opposite it's not lacking anything. Another great thing is their lead singer who isn't afraid to stretch his voice. It's whiney at times (which seems to be the favored vocal style in a lot of indie groups, I have NO idea why-- it gets annoying), but in appropriate spots. However as the music switches genres effortlessly, so does the lead singer. I mean he's straight up Belting on the stellar single "Airplanes", and he can get softer with slower heartfelt ballads as well as getting that rocker roughness on the uptempo numbers. And finally, unlike alot of other indie groups, their songs actually seem to be talking about something. Not just random words strung together that sound good within the melody (which also they excel at creating great melodies and great hooks to their songs).
This debut is really impressive, and I hope to hear lots from this group in the future. They really seem to know their way around their instruments and the studio. They also seem to have a great grasp of music knowledge, being able to so effortlessly blend genres, and if this is just their first time at bat, I can't wait to see what they'll come up with on later albums.
Rating: 4.5 of 5
Best: Airplanes, Cards and Quarters, Wide Eyes
Album Review: Sleigh Bells
So I went ahead and bought the album, and was surprised by it. They fall under this genre of "Noise Pop" (have no idea where that term came from, but it does kind of fit), they use heavy electronic sounds and they are amped up to be super loud and grungy. The beauty of the album lies in two things, first the album is easy to swallow because the group is smart enough to make their songs relatively shorter than most. The loudness and the hooks could become redundant and boring if a song was over 4 minutes, but at an average of just 3 minutes long, the songs are "bite size" enough to enjoy them. The other thing about Sleigh Bells that's great is they are obviously fond of melody, and amongst the loud sort of angsty tracks, they supply really catchy and melodic hooks that make you remember each song. On a number of other electronic albums, it's basically just the track and songs kind of blend in together and lyrics and vocals are just muddled into the mix.
"Treats" is a great introduction to the group and their sound, which is pretty unique in that it's really underground but at the same time has enough to make it radio accessible. Definitley worth a listen.
Rating: 3.5 of 5
Best: Run the Heart, Rill Rill, Tell Em
3.08.2011
Album Review: Adele
Dam I had this still saved in my New Posts section for two weeks now. So okay here we go (I actually saw this CD at Starbucks today so maybe that was a sign).
Anyway, Adele's first album "19" was honestly at times boring but overall it was a really solid album, and most importantly it exposed the world to her talents which were beyond most of her competitors (*cough Amy Winehouse). Her vocals, her vocal control, her creative and unique runs, her flawless tone. Just listening to the very first track off that album shows she has all the potential in the world.
Two years later she comes back the with the appropriately titled (if not a little lazy) "21", and she has definitely stepped up her game. The biggest difference is the bigger and bolder production value of the songs. It has a nice Motown 60's sound, but also more in touch with the blues and jazz stuff she obviously is into. This bigger production almost begs for her to fill the music with her big and bolder voice, and she does, effortlessly. The first single "Rolling the Deep" is a great example, a lesser singer would totally get drowned out with all the soulful instrumentation, same for "Rumor Has It". While I applaud her for tackling more uptempo numbers on here (there were hardly ANY on her debut), she really comes alive on the ballads. "Turning Tables", her cover of The Cure's "Lovesong" are phenomenal in that she shows restraint but shows her full potential at the same time. "Set Fire to the Rain" is easily the best song on the album though, it's intense, it's lyrics are thoughtful and creative, and she elevates just like the production.
"21" still isn't like, the BEST album ever released, but it's definitely a great follow up and solidifies Adele as an artist who truly stands above the rest vocally.
Rating: 4 of 5
Best: "Set Fire To The Rain", "Rolling In the Deep", "Lovesong"
Anyway, Adele's first album "19" was honestly at times boring but overall it was a really solid album, and most importantly it exposed the world to her talents which were beyond most of her competitors (*cough Amy Winehouse). Her vocals, her vocal control, her creative and unique runs, her flawless tone. Just listening to the very first track off that album shows she has all the potential in the world.
Two years later she comes back the with the appropriately titled (if not a little lazy) "21", and she has definitely stepped up her game. The biggest difference is the bigger and bolder production value of the songs. It has a nice Motown 60's sound, but also more in touch with the blues and jazz stuff she obviously is into. This bigger production almost begs for her to fill the music with her big and bolder voice, and she does, effortlessly. The first single "Rolling the Deep" is a great example, a lesser singer would totally get drowned out with all the soulful instrumentation, same for "Rumor Has It". While I applaud her for tackling more uptempo numbers on here (there were hardly ANY on her debut), she really comes alive on the ballads. "Turning Tables", her cover of The Cure's "Lovesong" are phenomenal in that she shows restraint but shows her full potential at the same time. "Set Fire to the Rain" is easily the best song on the album though, it's intense, it's lyrics are thoughtful and creative, and she elevates just like the production.
"21" still isn't like, the BEST album ever released, but it's definitely a great follow up and solidifies Adele as an artist who truly stands above the rest vocally.
Rating: 4 of 5
Best: "Set Fire To The Rain", "Rolling In the Deep", "Lovesong"
Concert Review: Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and P!nk.
Hey readers.
I haven't posted anything, obviously, since the Grammy update. I was experimenting with Tumblr (d1esel6.tumblr) and wrote some quick music reviews there. And than I was contemplating closing this blog out, but maybe I just need to revamp how I go about this.
So anyway, I thought maybe I should start by reviewing what I saw this weekend. This past Sunday, the LOGO network had a cool little Pop Diva marathon. They were showing Behind the Music when I woke up (Eve and Jennifer Hudson), and than after that they showed 4 concerts in a row. Concerts that I actually had on my Netflix Q, Mariah Carey's "Adventures of Mimi Tour", Christina Aguilera's "Back to Basics Tour" and P!nk's recent "Funhouse Tour". I'm pretty sure most of the shows were edited down for time and commercial breaks (I know, for instance, that P!nk not doing "Stupid Girls" or Christina not doing "Genie in a Bottle" was more of an editing thing because to not perform those hits seems strange) but they gave a good indication on whether or not the shows were any good.
Mariah's show, well I give her an A for effort.
"The Adventures of Mimi" came after her big comeback with the album "Emancipation of Mimi" and I think she felt like she had to pull out all the stops. So there were big dance numbers and elaborate set pieces, and her scantily clad throughout. Mariah is great with her interaction with the crowd, that's definitely where she excels. She was fun and funny, and at times genuinely heartfelt. Her voice, at times, was still phenomenal although not flawless. There were times when she kind of fell off the melodies, or just hit the wrong notes, but those were few and far between. And her stage presence, well it ain't that great. I feel like her problem is that she's too overly conscious of every move she makes. Though sometimes she busted out some dance moves that looked really natural on her. At the end of the show, I was satisfied with the concert. She ran through pretty much ALL her big hits and it was fun taking a trip down memory lane (I hadn't listened to "Dream Lover" in I don't know how long and I forgot how much I love it), she even brought out Boyz II Men (well three of the four original members) to do her gigantic mid-90's hit "One Sweet Day". Mariah really did give her all, she really tried and you can't really fault her for the mis-steps, just comparatively it wasn't the best show out there. Obviously great for True Mariah fans like myself.
Rating: 7 of 10
Christina Aguilera's "Back to Basics Tour" faltered only because she pretty much sang nothing but "Back to Basics" material, and that's not my favorite Christina album.
I respect the album because she truly did go for the sound that she was into and didn't get persuaded to change it, however that R&B meets Old School Jazz meets Pop sound doesn't lend itself well for a big arena tour. I also should add, I think this was the most edited show of the three I watched. I just kept feeling like "Okay, WHEN is she gonna sing a song I know" and it didn't come until the end. (I also got the feeling she was lipping big chunks of her show... I just never heard her BREATHE which is an indication) Where Christina excelled on this show was her confidence and her stage presence blew me away. She was ripping up the stage, and not that she was doing intricate dance moves or anything like that, she just was all over the stage with sass and attitude that was necessary for the material. Even the overall staging of the show was superb, "Makes Me Wanna Pray" and "Candyman" specifically were really well thought out as far as look and utilizing the stage. Towards the end, Aguilera lost some steam it seemed like. She ended with her classic "Beautiful" (terribly oversung) and "Fighter" which I felt was an ODD closer, but it worked. Overall, the show seemed a little disjointed and out of sync (and I think it's because of the LOGO editing) but she LOOKED great, and her stage presence was on point. Better than I expected, but still not all that impressive.
Rating: 6 of 10 (based on the LOGO broadcast which I still think was heavily edited)
Now I saw P!nk's tour in support of "I'm Not Dead" on DVD a few years ago, and it blew me away. I always knew she was a great singer and great performer but that concert was just EVERYTHING you'd want in a show.
Her most recent "Funhouse Tour" took it up a bunch of notches. The stage presence that Christina had, and the interaction with the crowds that Mariah had, combined with some real Cirque du Soleil stunts, true musicality, and wonderful costume and set design really OWNS both the other concerts. I guess the thing that P!nk has is pure energy and not taking herself too seriously. And I should add, true versatility. She goes from Rock Anthems (the excellent cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody") to slower acoustic sets ("I Don't Believe You") to pure Pop extravaganzas (a great rendition of "Get the Party Started") all while joking with the crowd, making fun of her dancing, and being playful with her band. Of the three shows (there was a 30 minute Lady GaGa show I didn't watch) P!nk really just seemed like she was the one actually having fun up on stage, and of course the audience and the viewer enjoyed it more because of it. Immediately after watching, I added the show to my Amazon playlist because I could definitely imagine myself giving that more than 10 viewings.
Rating: 9.5 of 10
I haven't posted anything, obviously, since the Grammy update. I was experimenting with Tumblr (d1esel6.tumblr) and wrote some quick music reviews there. And than I was contemplating closing this blog out, but maybe I just need to revamp how I go about this.
So anyway, I thought maybe I should start by reviewing what I saw this weekend. This past Sunday, the LOGO network had a cool little Pop Diva marathon. They were showing Behind the Music when I woke up (Eve and Jennifer Hudson), and than after that they showed 4 concerts in a row. Concerts that I actually had on my Netflix Q, Mariah Carey's "Adventures of Mimi Tour", Christina Aguilera's "Back to Basics Tour" and P!nk's recent "Funhouse Tour". I'm pretty sure most of the shows were edited down for time and commercial breaks (I know, for instance, that P!nk not doing "Stupid Girls" or Christina not doing "Genie in a Bottle" was more of an editing thing because to not perform those hits seems strange) but they gave a good indication on whether or not the shows were any good.
Mariah's show, well I give her an A for effort.
"The Adventures of Mimi" came after her big comeback with the album "Emancipation of Mimi" and I think she felt like she had to pull out all the stops. So there were big dance numbers and elaborate set pieces, and her scantily clad throughout. Mariah is great with her interaction with the crowd, that's definitely where she excels. She was fun and funny, and at times genuinely heartfelt. Her voice, at times, was still phenomenal although not flawless. There were times when she kind of fell off the melodies, or just hit the wrong notes, but those were few and far between. And her stage presence, well it ain't that great. I feel like her problem is that she's too overly conscious of every move she makes. Though sometimes she busted out some dance moves that looked really natural on her. At the end of the show, I was satisfied with the concert. She ran through pretty much ALL her big hits and it was fun taking a trip down memory lane (I hadn't listened to "Dream Lover" in I don't know how long and I forgot how much I love it), she even brought out Boyz II Men (well three of the four original members) to do her gigantic mid-90's hit "One Sweet Day". Mariah really did give her all, she really tried and you can't really fault her for the mis-steps, just comparatively it wasn't the best show out there. Obviously great for True Mariah fans like myself.
Rating: 7 of 10
Christina Aguilera's "Back to Basics Tour" faltered only because she pretty much sang nothing but "Back to Basics" material, and that's not my favorite Christina album.
Rating: 6 of 10 (based on the LOGO broadcast which I still think was heavily edited)
Now I saw P!nk's tour in support of "I'm Not Dead" on DVD a few years ago, and it blew me away. I always knew she was a great singer and great performer but that concert was just EVERYTHING you'd want in a show.
Rating: 9.5 of 10
2.17.2011
2011 Grammys Update!
Even though I predicted Eminem would win (as did most people, who seem very surprised that he only got 2 wins of 10 nominations) Album of the Year, my "should win" choice Arcade Fire took home Grammy gold. And I couldn't be more happy because of what I wrote about them possibly winning "It would be nice if the Grammy's showed they could be ahead of the curve for once, awarding an Indie act would do that. Arcade Fire have continued to be one of the most critically acclaimed act of the Indie scene, which is quickly beginning to surface on the mainstream."
For Record and Song of the Year I was on point with my guess that Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" would sweep. "It's really a great, simple, catchy and relatable song. It would deserve any prize it got."
I accurately predicted both Pop Vocal Performance prizes based off Grammy voters favoritism, with Bruno Mars winning the Male prize "With 6 nominations already, it seems the Grammy voters are falling for Bruno Mars fast, so he'll probably get this one." and Lady GaGa winning the Female one "The Grammy voters are obviously in love with Lady GaGa so she'll probably take it, and why not, her vocals on "Bad Romance" were some of the high points of the song.". I was also correct with Lady GaGa's other win for Pop Vocal Album.
One Pop category I was floored that I was incorrect in predicting. I would have bet money that Lady GaGa and Beyonce would have won Pop Collaboration for "Telephone", but I didn't trust my first mind when looking at the nominees. I was going to mention the calvalcade of stars that won for Herbie Hancock's "Imagine", he had the help of Jeff Beck, Pink, Seal, India.Arie as well as Konono No 1, & Oumou Sangare. A remake of a classic Beatles song with previous Grammy winners, what was I thinking not mentioning this, it's obviously a Grammy winner just on paper.
Though it was an easy call, I got R&B Album correct which went to John Legend and The Roots for "Wake Up!" "However individually John Legend and The Roots have won a few Grammys already, teaming up looks like a winning idea." Another easy call came from the Rap Album which went to Eminem "Eminem definitely, even though his was the lesser album of them all, with his track record there's no way he could lose this one this year."
Surprisingly I got a few of the Rap categories wrong, but I was so pleased that I was correct in guessing Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind" would triumph in Rap/Sung Collaboration, they also won Rap Song which made me very happy because of this comment I made "this future classic instantly captured the hearts of people in every city and became Jay's biggest hit and first #1 single." Still I was off with Rap Solo Performance, awarded to Eminem's "Not Afraid". Nicki Minaj didn't get Grammy gold as I predicted for Rap Duo or Group Performance, Jay-Z also grabbed that one for "On To The Next One" (which... I mean I'm happy he won, but Swizz Beatz hype-man status on the song doesn't seem to qualify for Group performance to me).
Even though Arcade Fire won the Album of the Year prize, that didn't translate to any wins in their category of Alternative Album which surprisingly went to The Black Keys, the duo also won for Rock Performance Duo or Group. Both of those awards I predicted Arcade Fire would win, but I did say if Kings of Leon didn't win the latter award it "would leave the race open to the Black Keys, Arcade Fire and Muse... The Black Keys' song was an underground and commercial favorite".
Overall, I felt like most of the winners were well-deserved. As I mentioned before Arcade Fire winning the top prize of Album of the Year looks good for the Grammy's, showing you don't have to have massive album sales or media attention to win awards. I think the winner I was most happy with was Danger Mouse finally winning Producer of the Year. His output the previous year wasn't as high a volume as the other nominees, but obviously voters recognize his genius.
I was also really pleased with the telecast. In typical award fashion, it went a little over-long, but overall some really great and diverse performances took place. Going into the show, the most buzzed about performances were that of Mick Jagger taking the Grammy stage for the first time to tribute Solomon Burke , Barbara Streisand's (pretty boring) performance of "Evergreen" and ofcourse Lady GaGa's performance, debuting her new record-breaking single "Born This Way".
Arcade Fire's second performance, "Ready to Start", was much better than their first seizure inducing rendition of "Month of May". Lady Antebellum, Muse, Avett Brothers and Miranda Lambert were all passable. Justin Bieber's performance was a little over the top and when Jaden Smith joined him it felt like The Kid's Choice Awards and not the most respected Music awards show, and Usher should just lipsync any future performance of "OMG" because with the choreography it's obvious he can't sing at the same time. And when Eminem, Rihanna, Adam Levine and Dr. Dre all took the stage, it was newcomer Skylar Grey who stole the performance by just singing the hook of Dre's new hit "I Need a Doctor".And ofcourse there was the mess of a Aretha Franklin tribute with chronic over-singers Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Hudson, along with Yolanda Adams, Martina McBride and Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine. You kind of knew what to expect here, but I think the biggest problem was the ladies voices were not compatible at all. And Florence Welch and Martina McBride really seemed out of place, not great, but somehow better than the Michael Jackson tribute last year which was just painfully boring.
Here are my Top 5 performances of the evening.
1. Mumford & Sons "The Cave". They were just the first part of a trio of performances followed by The Avett Brothers and Legend Bob Dylan. However their short time on the stage was easily the most exciting during the whole show. They sounded great, the song was good, their band was in perfect sync with each other. The best thing about it was they, moreso than any other performer, actually seemed really excited to be performing there. You could feel so much love coming from their performance.
2. B.o.B., Bruno Mars & Janelle Monae "Nothin' On You/Grenade/Cold War". The newbies of the evening really showed why they deserved to be there. B.o.B. started with a beautifully stripped down version of "Nothin' on You" with Bruno and Janelle providing wonderful backing harmonies. Bruno Mars was full of confidence with his Doo-Wop version of his recent hit "Grenade". Though he was pitchy towards the end, overall his performance showed great promise. And with "Cold War" Janelle Monae rocked the house, hopefully that performance will get her the exposure she deserves.
3. Cee-Lo Green "Forget You". Not exactly sure why Gwyneth Paltrow was chosen as his duet partner here, but his whole performance was just a great show. His over the top feathered outfit, the Muppet band and the Muppet back up singers and their choreographed steps. And even though I'm still perplexed, Gwyneth sounded really good just lacking in stage presence.
4. Mick Jagger "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love". Hard to believe, but this is his first ever Grammy performance, and he chose to use his debut appearance to tribute one of his inspirations Solomon Burke. If you're a Stones fan you realize they started out all those years ago playing the early Blues and Rock and Roll sounds they loved and he seemed like a little kid on stage just enjoying singing probably one of his all time favorite songs. I didn't quite understand why he kept pushing Raphael Saadiq around on stage (was he mad he was trying to hog some spotlight, or is this some kind of Blues thing I just don't get), but it was an impressive performance.
5. Katy Perry "Not Like the Movies/Teenage Dream". This is a performance that won't really be remembered, as it wasn't anything too groundbreaking or new. She just sounded great, she stepped up her game a lot for The Grammys. And the wedding footage is also adorable.
2.13.2011
2011 Grammy Nominations -- Winner Predictions!
This Sunday night, The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards will take place. And who's going to emerge the big winner is anybody's guess. In fact, the nominees are spread so evenly there might not be any clear winner -- Although I'm looking at Eminem and Lady Antebellum to come out on top.
What we do know right now is who's performing, and with Mick Jagger, Barbra Streisand & Bob Dylan taking the stage, it looks like the history of Popular Music might be a focal point. Still there are those current acts to look forward to, Lady GaGa who is set to perform her newest single live for the first time. Rihanna and Drake are set to perform together, as well as Eminem and Dr. Dre and of course Justin Bieber will be there for the little girls watching. And get your ears ready for the Over-Sing-Fest of Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera doing an Aretha Franklin tribute. We can probably expect minimal mentions of the late Teena Marie, and a bunch of overrated artists performing their overrated songs.
As I do every year, I'm gonna take a stab at predicting these quite odd Grammy's. (I'm late!)
Record of the Year.
B.o.B. & Bruno Mars, Nothin' on You
Eminem & Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie
Cee-Lo Green, F**k You
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, Empire State of Mind
Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
Looks like the domestic abuse anthem is the favorite, so that's one for Eminem. He will probably pick up alot of awards Grammy night, and this song was really popular. However in a race dominated by Hip Hop acts, Lady Antebellum also has a really great shot at picking this one up, and their song was also a pretty big hit for a Country group. It's a toss up, but I think Lady Antebellum might just come out on top here.
Will Win: Lady Antebellum.
Should Win: Jay-Z. Empire State of Mind instantly captured the hearts of people in every city and became Jay's biggest hit and first #1 single. He won't have many chances to win for this song, but this future classic deserves to get a Top 4 Honor.
Album of the Year.
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Eminem, Recovery
Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
Lady GaGa, The Fame Monster
Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
A slightly better race than last year, save for the GaGa EP being nominated. The ones I think should be taken off the list are probably the ones that have the biggest shot. Lady GaGa and Eminem. Still, Arcade Fire and Lady Antebellum have an equally good chance. The only drawback with Arcade Fire is that Indie acts hardly ever win this award. Country acts rarely do either, but Taylor Swift pulled the surprise win last year. It's really between Eminem and Lady Antebellum, and Eminem is the one who's been in the industry the longest so he might get the "legend" win here.
Will Win: Eminem
Should Win: Arcade Fire. It would be nice if the Grammy's showed they could be ahead of the curve for once, awarding an Indie act would do that. Arcade Fire have continued to be one of the most critically acclaimed act of the Indie scene, which is quickly beginning to surface on the mainstream.
Song of the Year.
Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs, Beg Steal or Borrow
Cee-Lo Green, F**k You
Miranda Lambert, The House That Built Me
Eminem & Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie
Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
This is a race between the country songs, with both Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum coming out in front. Both of their nominated songs are lyrically deserving of the title, however Lady Antebellum probably has the edge because the message in "Need You Now" is more universal, and the song is also a little more Pop-leaning. If the two country acts cancel each other out, Eminem might get yet another win.
Will Win: Lady Antebellum.
Should: Lady Antebellum. It's really a great, simple, catchy and relatable song. It would deserve any prize it got.
New Artist.
Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence and the Machine
Mumford and Sons
Esperanza Spalding
Drake might seem like the favorite here, but this race will probably result in a big surprise. And I feel like Mumford & Sons will take the trophy. It was a surprise this 4 piece band was even nominated, but along with a critically hailed album and the buzz from their live shows, they might just take the crown. Drake and Bieber are fall backs if not enough voters know who Mumford & Sons are. Still I feel they might pull the upset here.
Will Win: Mumford & Sons.
Should Win: Drake.
Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Sara Bareilles, King of Anything
Beyonce, Halo (live)
Norah Jones, Chasing Pirates
Lady GaGa, Bad Romance
Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
The Grammy voters are obviously in love with Lady GaGa so she'll probably take it, and why not, her vocals on "Bad Romance" were some of the high points of the song. This could be an interesting race though because Norah Jones is another Grammy favorite, and Katy Perry has a good chance of being the winning underdog.GaGa and her song were staples of last year though so she should probably get it.
Will Win: Lady GaGa.
Should Win: Lady GaGa.
Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Michael Buble, Haven't Met You Yet
Michael Jackson, This Is It
Adam Lambert, Whataya Want From Me
Bruno Mars, Just the Way You Are
John Mayer, Half of My Heart
With 6 nominations already, it seems the Grammy voters are falling for Bruno Mars fast, so he'll probably get this one. Even though Adam Lambert is the one that truly deserves it. Michael Jackson might get the sympathy votes however, but who knew "This is It" was even a song. John Mayer has also been a Grammy favorite in the past, but that was before the serial-celeb dating and questionable public comments. Michael Buble had a hit with "Haven't Met You Yet", and since he's up against Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow in the other category he's nominated for, he might get this one. This is actually a hard race to predict.
Will: Bruno Mars.
Should: Adam Lambert.
Group Pop Vocal Performance.
Glee Cast, Don't Stop Believin'
Maroon 5, Misery
Paramore, The Only Exception
Sade, Babyfather
Train, Hey, Soul Sister (live)
Will the love for the TV show "Glee" translate over to the Grammy's? It looks like highly possible. The biggest competition comes from Train with their huge hit single "Hey, Soul Sister", and maybe since it's actual music insiders voting they'll go with the well respected band as opposed to the manufactured television show cast.
Will: Glee Cast.
Should: Maroon 5.
Pop Vocal Collaboration.
B.o.B., Hayley Williams & Eminem, Airplanes Part II
Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare, Imagine
Elton John & Leon Russell, If It Wasn't for Bad
Lady GaGa & Beyonce, Telephone
Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg, California Gurls
Seems like GaGa and Beyonce are the favorites in this race, there is a question mark though. You have Elton John there with Leon Russell, and since Katy might not grab too many of the awards she's up for she might take this one. Also the Eminem connection might help B.o.B. Still, Lady GaGa and Beyonce are obvious Grammy favorites so I think this win is a bit of a sure thing.
Will: Lady GaGa & Beyonce.
Should: Lady GaGa & Beyonce.
Pop Vocal Album.
Justin Bieber, My World 2.0
Susan Boyle, I Dreamed a Dream
Lady GaGa, The Fame Monster
John Mayer, Battle Studies
Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
Even though it's only 8 tracks it's up for Lady GaGa is up frikkin ALBUM OF THE YEAR!! It's gotta win this one if they thought highly enough to nominate it for the top prize. Slight competition may come from John Mayer and Katy Perry, but Lady GaGa is on fire and I don't think either of them have enough power to take her down here.
Will Win.: Lady GaGa.
Should Win: Katy Perry.
Solo Rock Performance.
Eric Clapton, Run Back to Your Side
John Mayer, Crossroads
Paul McCartney, Helter Skelter
Robert Plant, Silver Rider
Neil Young, Angry World
This is the battle of the old fogeys versus John Mayer. All the four guys are legends, so Mayer can basically kiss his chances goodbye. The two favorites being Neil Young and Paul McCartney. With Beatle mania happening again this year, and this performance coming from the nationally televised concert special, McCartney has a good chance of taking it. Still Neil Young is the only nominee here (besides Mayer) nominated for his entire album this year. If he doesn't win this one, he'll take Rock Album. Which will than leave it open for Paul.
Will: Paul McCartney.
Should: Paul McCartney.
Group Rock Performance.
Arcade Fire, Ready To Start
Jeff Beck & Joss Stone, I Put a Spell on You
The Black Keys, Tighten Up
Kings of Leon, Radioactive
Muse, Resistance
Kings of Leon had the best vocal of the nominated song, and they should win. Doing so great last year might hurt them this year. Which would leave the race open to the Black Keys, Arcade Fire and Muse. Muse had the biggest hit single with their nominated single, The Black Keys' song was an underground and commercial favorite, and Arcade Fire seems to be the Grammy favorite of the three. I think Muse's hit-factor might give them this win.
Will Win: Muse.
Should Win: Kings of Leon.
Alternative Album.
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Band of Horses, Infinite Arms
The Black Keys, Brothers
Broken Bells, Broken Bells
Vampire Weekend, Contra
This one obviously goes to Arcade Fire, who have won this award with every previous album. Now that they are also up for the big Album prize, it's a no-brainer they will take this one again.
Will Win: Arcade Fire.
Should Win: Broken Bells.
R&B Album.
Raheem DeVaughn, The Love & War Masterpiece
Fantasia, Back to Me
Jaheim, Another Round
John Legend & The Roots, Wake Up!
Monica, Still Standing
Another very easy race, John Legend & The Roots pulled together an organic and instantly classic album by paying homage to the songs and album of R&B's greatest era. Slight competition comes from the sympathy vote which might go to Fantasia. However individually John Legend and The Roots have won a few Grammys already, teaming up looks like a winning idea.
Will Win: John Legend & The Roots.
Should Win: John Legend & The Roots.
Solo Rap Performance.
Drake, Over
Eminem, Not Afraid
Ludacris, How Low
T.I., I'm Back
Kanye West, Power
Eminem may just sweep all the Rap categories, but I don't think after such a critically acclaimed album on their brain that the Grammy voters will skip a chance to give Kanye an award this year. Drake also has a chance here, but I think it's definitely between Em and Kanye. And since Eminem has so many chances to win this year, Kanye will probably get it.
Will Win: Kanye West.
Should Win: Kanye West.
Duo or Group Rap Performance.
Big Boi, Bosko, Cutty & Mouche, Shutterbug
Drake, T.I. & Swizz Beatz, Fancy
Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz, On To the Next One
Ludacris & Nicki Minaj, My Chick Bad
Young Jeezy & Plies, Lose My Mind
Ludacris has the best shot because voters are going to want to give Nicki Minaj her first Grammy this year, this is the only category she's up for tonight and the competition here isn't that difficult to beat.
Will Win: Ludcaris & Nicki Minaj.
Should Win: Ludacris & Nicki Minaj.
Rap/Sung Collaboration.
B.o.B. & Bruno Mars, Nothin' On You
Chris Brown, Tyga & Kevin McCall, Deuces
Eminem & Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, Empire State of Mind
John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona & Common, Wake Up Everybody
Empire State of Mind and Love the Way You Lie look like the favorites here, both big hit singles from very popular Hip Hop acts. Don't count out the John Legend & Roots collaboration here who might just pull the upset. These Rap categories are hard to call, because with so many top names nominated who knows if the voters will go Eminem for everything or if they want to diversify their picks.
Will Win: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys. Ultimately I think this may be the one award they give Jay.
Should Win: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys. It deserves every award it's nominated for.
Rap Album.
B.o.B., The Adventures of Bobby Ray
Drake, Thank Me Later
Eminem, Recovery
Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3
The Roots, How I Got Over
Eminem definitely, even though his was the lesser album of them all, with his track record there's no way he could lose this one this year.
Will Win: Eminem.
Should Win: Jay-Z. His best album in years, which helped him get the biggest hit singles of his career. It's just sad to think he might walk home empty handed.
Producer of the Year.
Rob Cavallo
Danger Mouse
Dr. Luke
RedOne
The Smeezingtons
RedOne or Dr. Luke might sadly take this award simply for their volume of work this year, and it won't be about quality at all. (And why haven't Stargate been nominated here?). Danger Mouse deserves it, but his albums weren't as high-profile as those of the aforementioned producers. The Smeezingtons, relatively new, produced some of the top nominated songs this year, so they are the underdogs, and I'd much rather see them win. But it's gonna be either Dr. Luke or RedOne, with the latter being the favorite for their GaGa connection.
Will Win: RedOne.
Should Win: Danger Mouse.
Okay there you have it, I'm so sorry I'm so late. I think as I'm about to post this nominees are being announced. Forgive any sloppiness and the lack of visuals, I was racing to finish this.
Enjoy!
What we do know right now is who's performing, and with Mick Jagger, Barbra Streisand & Bob Dylan taking the stage, it looks like the history of Popular Music might be a focal point. Still there are those current acts to look forward to, Lady GaGa who is set to perform her newest single live for the first time. Rihanna and Drake are set to perform together, as well as Eminem and Dr. Dre and of course Justin Bieber will be there for the little girls watching. And get your ears ready for the Over-Sing-Fest of Jennifer Hudson and Christina Aguilera doing an Aretha Franklin tribute. We can probably expect minimal mentions of the late Teena Marie, and a bunch of overrated artists performing their overrated songs.
As I do every year, I'm gonna take a stab at predicting these quite odd Grammy's. (I'm late!)
Record of the Year.
B.o.B. & Bruno Mars, Nothin' on You
Eminem & Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie
Cee-Lo Green, F**k You
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, Empire State of Mind
Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
Looks like the domestic abuse anthem is the favorite, so that's one for Eminem. He will probably pick up alot of awards Grammy night, and this song was really popular. However in a race dominated by Hip Hop acts, Lady Antebellum also has a really great shot at picking this one up, and their song was also a pretty big hit for a Country group. It's a toss up, but I think Lady Antebellum might just come out on top here.
Will Win: Lady Antebellum.
Should Win: Jay-Z. Empire State of Mind instantly captured the hearts of people in every city and became Jay's biggest hit and first #1 single. He won't have many chances to win for this song, but this future classic deserves to get a Top 4 Honor.
Album of the Year.
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Eminem, Recovery
Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
Lady GaGa, The Fame Monster
Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
A slightly better race than last year, save for the GaGa EP being nominated. The ones I think should be taken off the list are probably the ones that have the biggest shot. Lady GaGa and Eminem. Still, Arcade Fire and Lady Antebellum have an equally good chance. The only drawback with Arcade Fire is that Indie acts hardly ever win this award. Country acts rarely do either, but Taylor Swift pulled the surprise win last year. It's really between Eminem and Lady Antebellum, and Eminem is the one who's been in the industry the longest so he might get the "legend" win here.
Will Win: Eminem
Should Win: Arcade Fire. It would be nice if the Grammy's showed they could be ahead of the curve for once, awarding an Indie act would do that. Arcade Fire have continued to be one of the most critically acclaimed act of the Indie scene, which is quickly beginning to surface on the mainstream.
Song of the Year.
Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs, Beg Steal or Borrow
Cee-Lo Green, F**k You
Miranda Lambert, The House That Built Me
Eminem & Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie
Lady Antebellum, Need You Now
This is a race between the country songs, with both Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum coming out in front. Both of their nominated songs are lyrically deserving of the title, however Lady Antebellum probably has the edge because the message in "Need You Now" is more universal, and the song is also a little more Pop-leaning. If the two country acts cancel each other out, Eminem might get yet another win.
Will Win: Lady Antebellum.
Should: Lady Antebellum. It's really a great, simple, catchy and relatable song. It would deserve any prize it got.
New Artist.
Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence and the Machine
Mumford and Sons
Esperanza Spalding
Drake might seem like the favorite here, but this race will probably result in a big surprise. And I feel like Mumford & Sons will take the trophy. It was a surprise this 4 piece band was even nominated, but along with a critically hailed album and the buzz from their live shows, they might just take the crown. Drake and Bieber are fall backs if not enough voters know who Mumford & Sons are. Still I feel they might pull the upset here.
Will Win: Mumford & Sons.
Should Win: Drake.
Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Sara Bareilles, King of Anything
Beyonce, Halo (live)
Norah Jones, Chasing Pirates
Lady GaGa, Bad Romance
Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
The Grammy voters are obviously in love with Lady GaGa so she'll probably take it, and why not, her vocals on "Bad Romance" were some of the high points of the song. This could be an interesting race though because Norah Jones is another Grammy favorite, and Katy Perry has a good chance of being the winning underdog.GaGa and her song were staples of last year though so she should probably get it.
Will Win: Lady GaGa.
Should Win: Lady GaGa.
Male Pop Vocal Performance.
Michael Buble, Haven't Met You Yet
Michael Jackson, This Is It
Adam Lambert, Whataya Want From Me
Bruno Mars, Just the Way You Are
John Mayer, Half of My Heart
With 6 nominations already, it seems the Grammy voters are falling for Bruno Mars fast, so he'll probably get this one. Even though Adam Lambert is the one that truly deserves it. Michael Jackson might get the sympathy votes however, but who knew "This is It" was even a song. John Mayer has also been a Grammy favorite in the past, but that was before the serial-celeb dating and questionable public comments. Michael Buble had a hit with "Haven't Met You Yet", and since he's up against Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow in the other category he's nominated for, he might get this one. This is actually a hard race to predict.
Will: Bruno Mars.
Should: Adam Lambert.
Group Pop Vocal Performance.
Glee Cast, Don't Stop Believin'
Maroon 5, Misery
Paramore, The Only Exception
Sade, Babyfather
Train, Hey, Soul Sister (live)
Will the love for the TV show "Glee" translate over to the Grammy's? It looks like highly possible. The biggest competition comes from Train with their huge hit single "Hey, Soul Sister", and maybe since it's actual music insiders voting they'll go with the well respected band as opposed to the manufactured television show cast.
Will: Glee Cast.
Should: Maroon 5.
Pop Vocal Collaboration.
B.o.B., Hayley Williams & Eminem, Airplanes Part II
Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare, Imagine
Elton John & Leon Russell, If It Wasn't for Bad
Lady GaGa & Beyonce, Telephone
Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg, California Gurls
Seems like GaGa and Beyonce are the favorites in this race, there is a question mark though. You have Elton John there with Leon Russell, and since Katy might not grab too many of the awards she's up for she might take this one. Also the Eminem connection might help B.o.B. Still, Lady GaGa and Beyonce are obvious Grammy favorites so I think this win is a bit of a sure thing.
Will: Lady GaGa & Beyonce.
Should: Lady GaGa & Beyonce.
Pop Vocal Album.
Justin Bieber, My World 2.0
Susan Boyle, I Dreamed a Dream
Lady GaGa, The Fame Monster
John Mayer, Battle Studies
Katy Perry, Teenage Dream
Even though it's only 8 tracks it's up for Lady GaGa is up frikkin ALBUM OF THE YEAR!! It's gotta win this one if they thought highly enough to nominate it for the top prize. Slight competition may come from John Mayer and Katy Perry, but Lady GaGa is on fire and I don't think either of them have enough power to take her down here.
Will Win.: Lady GaGa.
Should Win: Katy Perry.
Solo Rock Performance.
Eric Clapton, Run Back to Your Side
John Mayer, Crossroads
Paul McCartney, Helter Skelter
Robert Plant, Silver Rider
Neil Young, Angry World
This is the battle of the old fogeys versus John Mayer. All the four guys are legends, so Mayer can basically kiss his chances goodbye. The two favorites being Neil Young and Paul McCartney. With Beatle mania happening again this year, and this performance coming from the nationally televised concert special, McCartney has a good chance of taking it. Still Neil Young is the only nominee here (besides Mayer) nominated for his entire album this year. If he doesn't win this one, he'll take Rock Album. Which will than leave it open for Paul.
Will: Paul McCartney.
Should: Paul McCartney.
Group Rock Performance.
Arcade Fire, Ready To Start
Jeff Beck & Joss Stone, I Put a Spell on You
The Black Keys, Tighten Up
Kings of Leon, Radioactive
Muse, Resistance
Kings of Leon had the best vocal of the nominated song, and they should win. Doing so great last year might hurt them this year. Which would leave the race open to the Black Keys, Arcade Fire and Muse. Muse had the biggest hit single with their nominated single, The Black Keys' song was an underground and commercial favorite, and Arcade Fire seems to be the Grammy favorite of the three. I think Muse's hit-factor might give them this win.
Will Win: Muse.
Should Win: Kings of Leon.
Alternative Album.
Arcade Fire, The Suburbs
Band of Horses, Infinite Arms
The Black Keys, Brothers
Broken Bells, Broken Bells
Vampire Weekend, Contra
This one obviously goes to Arcade Fire, who have won this award with every previous album. Now that they are also up for the big Album prize, it's a no-brainer they will take this one again.
Will Win: Arcade Fire.
Should Win: Broken Bells.
R&B Album.
Raheem DeVaughn, The Love & War Masterpiece
Fantasia, Back to Me
Jaheim, Another Round
John Legend & The Roots, Wake Up!
Monica, Still Standing
Another very easy race, John Legend & The Roots pulled together an organic and instantly classic album by paying homage to the songs and album of R&B's greatest era. Slight competition comes from the sympathy vote which might go to Fantasia. However individually John Legend and The Roots have won a few Grammys already, teaming up looks like a winning idea.
Will Win: John Legend & The Roots.
Should Win: John Legend & The Roots.
Solo Rap Performance.
Drake, Over
Eminem, Not Afraid
Ludacris, How Low
T.I., I'm Back
Kanye West, Power
Eminem may just sweep all the Rap categories, but I don't think after such a critically acclaimed album on their brain that the Grammy voters will skip a chance to give Kanye an award this year. Drake also has a chance here, but I think it's definitely between Em and Kanye. And since Eminem has so many chances to win this year, Kanye will probably get it.
Will Win: Kanye West.
Should Win: Kanye West.
Duo or Group Rap Performance.
Big Boi, Bosko, Cutty & Mouche, Shutterbug
Drake, T.I. & Swizz Beatz, Fancy
Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz, On To the Next One
Ludacris & Nicki Minaj, My Chick Bad
Young Jeezy & Plies, Lose My Mind
Ludacris has the best shot because voters are going to want to give Nicki Minaj her first Grammy this year, this is the only category she's up for tonight and the competition here isn't that difficult to beat.
Will Win: Ludcaris & Nicki Minaj.
Should Win: Ludacris & Nicki Minaj.
Rap/Sung Collaboration.
B.o.B. & Bruno Mars, Nothin' On You
Chris Brown, Tyga & Kevin McCall, Deuces
Eminem & Rihanna, Love the Way You Lie
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, Empire State of Mind
John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona & Common, Wake Up Everybody
Empire State of Mind and Love the Way You Lie look like the favorites here, both big hit singles from very popular Hip Hop acts. Don't count out the John Legend & Roots collaboration here who might just pull the upset. These Rap categories are hard to call, because with so many top names nominated who knows if the voters will go Eminem for everything or if they want to diversify their picks.
Will Win: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys. Ultimately I think this may be the one award they give Jay.
Should Win: Jay-Z & Alicia Keys. It deserves every award it's nominated for.
Rap Album.
B.o.B., The Adventures of Bobby Ray
Drake, Thank Me Later
Eminem, Recovery
Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3
The Roots, How I Got Over
Eminem definitely, even though his was the lesser album of them all, with his track record there's no way he could lose this one this year.
Will Win: Eminem.
Should Win: Jay-Z. His best album in years, which helped him get the biggest hit singles of his career. It's just sad to think he might walk home empty handed.
Producer of the Year.
Rob Cavallo
Danger Mouse
Dr. Luke
RedOne
The Smeezingtons
RedOne or Dr. Luke might sadly take this award simply for their volume of work this year, and it won't be about quality at all. (And why haven't Stargate been nominated here?). Danger Mouse deserves it, but his albums weren't as high-profile as those of the aforementioned producers. The Smeezingtons, relatively new, produced some of the top nominated songs this year, so they are the underdogs, and I'd much rather see them win. But it's gonna be either Dr. Luke or RedOne, with the latter being the favorite for their GaGa connection.
Will Win: RedOne.
Should Win: Danger Mouse.
Okay there you have it, I'm so sorry I'm so late. I think as I'm about to post this nominees are being announced. Forgive any sloppiness and the lack of visuals, I was racing to finish this.
Enjoy!
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