Thanks to the help of some friends here at Arcadia and some online activity that would piss off the RIAA to no end, I now have 6 of Radiohead's 7 studio albums (only missing Hail to the Thief, which someone has already promised to let me borrow). After finally hearing what people like about In Rainbows, I decided to go back and look at the rest of their catalog, see how I felt about it. I've already listened to Pablo Honey and The Bends, and am relatively impressed, moreso with Pablo Honey (this is where I duck as all the hardcore Radiohead fans throw things at me). Expect a more thorough reflection next week once I've heard it all.
If you were to look at my last.fm stats for the last day or two, you would encounter lots of music from the following:
Radiohead (See above)
Nine Inch Nails (broke out Year Zero and Downward Spiral for another round)
Pink Floyd (long story involving a strange card game)
Pearl Jam (going through that Live at the Gorge box set)
Nirvana (currently playing through a bunch of tracks from With The Lights Out)
Clearly a very '90s alternative heavy set, and the weird stuff from that era, too. Not sure why I'm entering a premature crotchety old fart phase, listening to stuff from 15 years ago, but I am nonetheless. The question is, where is this gonna go? After I go through the Nirvana rarities, what's next? It'll probably be more Pearl Jam, as I continue trekking through the Live stuff, but I just thought my current taste has been a total reversal of what it's been in the past and worth noting.
Radiohead - Stop Whispering (AmazonMP3)
Nine Inch Nails - Heresy [iTunes]
Pearl Jam - Love Boat Captain (Live at the Gorge 9/1/05) (Not available online)
Nirvana - Polly [Demo] [iTunes]
Back tomorrow with Weekend WTF. Sneak preview; it feature one of the above bands.
==TJ==
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Wednesday WTF: The Return of Green Day (Sort Of)
This story is actually a few weeks old, but I've been sitting on it to see if it fizzled or if something big came out of it. In December of 2007 a band calling themselves The Foxboro Hot Tubs launched a MySpace page and website where they were giving away digital copies of their debut Stop Drop and Roll EP. It didn't take very long for music enthusiasts to point out that the anonymous lead singer's voice sounds remarkably like Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, most notably on lead single "Mother Mary". Speculation has run rampant about whether or not this is actually Green Day, but there's plenty of evidence. In 2001, a band known as The Network released an EP, again bearing similarities to Green Day. The band never owned up to being The Network, and its unlikely they'll ever come clean about The Foxboro Hot Tubs (if they are in fact responsible for it).
Under normal circumstances the EP would have floated around the internet a bit and then ultimately fizzled out. But in checking the Alternative Rock Radio Charts for the last week or so, I encountered the following:
"Mother Mary" has apparently been slowly climbing the charts. So for everyone clamoring for a new Green Day album, hope this keeps you amused for a bit. And kudos to Green Day for a brilliant scheme to keep rabid fans at bay.
The Foxboro Hot Tubs - Mother Mary
==TJ==
Under normal circumstances the EP would have floated around the internet a bit and then ultimately fizzled out. But in checking the Alternative Rock Radio Charts for the last week or so, I encountered the following:
"Mother Mary" has apparently been slowly climbing the charts. So for everyone clamoring for a new Green Day album, hope this keeps you amused for a bit. And kudos to Green Day for a brilliant scheme to keep rabid fans at bay.The Foxboro Hot Tubs - Mother Mary
==TJ==
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Second (More Like 4th or 5th) Spin: Showing Up Late to the In Rainbows Party
For my just-short-of-dreadful Writing in Communications class I'm writing about the critical blowjob Radiohead got back in October for their In Rainbows marketing ploy and how it affects the RIAA (basically, it comes down to its time for the RIAA to get off its ass and do something). All the research I've been doing led me to decide that it was time to try giving In Rainbows another chance, see if maybe I hear what everyone else did when they fell in love with it. So a few weeks ago (and right now), I gave the album, the same 160-bitrate copy I downloaded on October 10th, yet another listen, to determine whether or not the album was something that needed to grow, or if it is indeed just sludgy trip-music with no coherence at all.
The first time around the only songs that had a truly positive impact on me were "Faust Arp" and "Videotape". The rest of the album I was mixed about, some of it having some cool elements to it, but largely inaccessible to me. This time around (I am indeed on my fourth or fifth time through the album) the first two tracks managed to suck me in. "15 Step" and "Bodysnatchers" are both neurotic messes in song form, reflected thusly in the lyrics. Part of the turn-off here is the fact that Thom Yorke's singing, and thus his lyrics, are very much one part of the equation that tend to get lost in Johnny Greenwood's guitars and Ed O'Briens various contributions. I've slowly learned that's what Radiohead is about in a lot of ways. They aren't the kind of rock band where the lead singer is the one delivering the message; everyone is. I can't say I necessarily agree with that tactic as a music fan, since as observed in In Rainbows, that can make things jumblefucky and turn off a lot of listeners.
After the first 8 minutes, Yorke gets his first chance to land a real blow on the listener with "Nude". As with most Radiohead songs, I couldn't tell you what the song is about without looking at the lyrics, but the sound itself is very flowy and smooth, a total shift from the opening. That concept continues in "All I Need" and "Reckoner", with the band still getting their shots in along the way (Greenwood's best moment lies in the all-too-short "Faust Arp"). By the time "Reckoner" starts playing the band has found a much better blend, and I stopped feeling like I was getting beat over the head with dischordant noise once every 3 minutes.
Lyrically, Yorke is damn near peerless in the genre. The faltering point is in the fact that the lyrics aren't always delivered well, making the words of In Rainbows better as poetry in some spots ("House of Cards" being one of them). The instrumentals still haven't sold me, but they've made serious progress since the first listen. After nearly 5 listens (the fifth listen will end by the time I finish this entry), In Rainbows will have proven that its a unique album not only for the way it was released, but in the way it grew from something sludgy and hard to swallow, to something powerful and multilayered.
In closing, yeah...I guess I am pretty impressed. Radiohead may not chart as high as the Foo Fighters or Pearl Jam in my book, but they're certainly a worthy peer.
Ruling on the field
Then: 4.5/10
Now: 9/10
Radiohead - Videotape
(Creepiest ending of an album in awhile)
The first time around the only songs that had a truly positive impact on me were "Faust Arp" and "Videotape". The rest of the album I was mixed about, some of it having some cool elements to it, but largely inaccessible to me. This time around (I am indeed on my fourth or fifth time through the album) the first two tracks managed to suck me in. "15 Step" and "Bodysnatchers" are both neurotic messes in song form, reflected thusly in the lyrics. Part of the turn-off here is the fact that Thom Yorke's singing, and thus his lyrics, are very much one part of the equation that tend to get lost in Johnny Greenwood's guitars and Ed O'Briens various contributions. I've slowly learned that's what Radiohead is about in a lot of ways. They aren't the kind of rock band where the lead singer is the one delivering the message; everyone is. I can't say I necessarily agree with that tactic as a music fan, since as observed in In Rainbows, that can make things jumblefucky and turn off a lot of listeners.
After the first 8 minutes, Yorke gets his first chance to land a real blow on the listener with "Nude". As with most Radiohead songs, I couldn't tell you what the song is about without looking at the lyrics, but the sound itself is very flowy and smooth, a total shift from the opening. That concept continues in "All I Need" and "Reckoner", with the band still getting their shots in along the way (Greenwood's best moment lies in the all-too-short "Faust Arp"). By the time "Reckoner" starts playing the band has found a much better blend, and I stopped feeling like I was getting beat over the head with dischordant noise once every 3 minutes.
Lyrically, Yorke is damn near peerless in the genre. The faltering point is in the fact that the lyrics aren't always delivered well, making the words of In Rainbows better as poetry in some spots ("House of Cards" being one of them). The instrumentals still haven't sold me, but they've made serious progress since the first listen. After nearly 5 listens (the fifth listen will end by the time I finish this entry), In Rainbows will have proven that its a unique album not only for the way it was released, but in the way it grew from something sludgy and hard to swallow, to something powerful and multilayered.
In closing, yeah...I guess I am pretty impressed. Radiohead may not chart as high as the Foo Fighters or Pearl Jam in my book, but they're certainly a worthy peer.
Ruling on the field
Then: 4.5/10
Now: 9/10
Radiohead - Videotape
(Creepiest ending of an album in awhile)
Monday, February 25, 2008
Paramore Go To Separate Corners, Deny Breakup Reports
(Apologies for the absence this weekend. Your Weekend WTF will now show up on Wednesday, in the interest of alliteration)
Can't say I was too surprised to hear this story. Last week Paramore announced that they were canceling 6 European shows this year due to "internal issues". It was a week before that that Zach Farro issued a long-winded statement that amounted to "Hayley isn't the only member of this band." Of course every music blog worth a damn (except for me, sorry guys) dove on the story and basically played up a breakup announcement that never really came.
Paramore shot back this week, vehemently denying that they were breaking up, and also denying a second rumor that the cancellation was due to Hayley Williams getting pregnant. They maintain that this is just a need to take a break from each other, and they are still on tap to support Jimmy Eat World's US tour on April 1st.
The pregnancy rumors are pretty obviously ridiculous and got blown out of proportion way too quick. The breakup reports aren't as ridiculous, but more likely some overzealous blog (looking at you, Stereogum and Idolator) trying to sound the death knell for another punk band that dared to show their face on the radio. Meanwhile "Misery Business" and "Crushcrushcrush" are still climbing radio charts, with reports of a video being shot in early March (speculation is that the single will be "That's What You Get").
Paramore - Crushcrushcrush
Paramore - That's What You Get
Paramore on iTunes
==TJ==
Can't say I was too surprised to hear this story. Last week Paramore announced that they were canceling 6 European shows this year due to "internal issues". It was a week before that that Zach Farro issued a long-winded statement that amounted to "Hayley isn't the only member of this band." Of course every music blog worth a damn (except for me, sorry guys) dove on the story and basically played up a breakup announcement that never really came.
Paramore shot back this week, vehemently denying that they were breaking up, and also denying a second rumor that the cancellation was due to Hayley Williams getting pregnant. They maintain that this is just a need to take a break from each other, and they are still on tap to support Jimmy Eat World's US tour on April 1st.
The pregnancy rumors are pretty obviously ridiculous and got blown out of proportion way too quick. The breakup reports aren't as ridiculous, but more likely some overzealous blog (looking at you, Stereogum and Idolator) trying to sound the death knell for another punk band that dared to show their face on the radio. Meanwhile "Misery Business" and "Crushcrushcrush" are still climbing radio charts, with reports of a video being shot in early March (speculation is that the single will be "That's What You Get").
Paramore - Crushcrushcrush
Paramore - That's What You Get
Paramore on iTunes
==TJ==
Friday, February 22, 2008
Real Life vs. Blogging-- Advantage: Real Life
Once again this whole consistent blogging thing is not happening. Let's try this again.
I spent several hours last night hoping that Mother Nature would trample Murphy's Law, and that I wouldn't have to leave my room. It didn't quite succeed, but it did enough to cancel my one class today. I declare victory.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow (Hey Oh) [iTunes]
Tangent: Oscars are Sunday night. We had a nice long chat in my Theatre History class, in which I pretty much said that most of the Grammy and/or Oscar voters are crochety old farts bent on self-preservation, which is why you keep seeing the same, largely dull, safe stuff getting nominated and winning (the ballsiest Best Picture Award in the last 10 years went to Crash, and look at what kind of hell the Academy received for that one). And frankly this batch of nominees is the weakest I've seen in recent memory. Only one of the movies this year (Juno, and if you think that's gonna win you're kidding yourself) shows any kind of guts to not take itself so unbearably seriously (and I haven't seen it, but don't get me started on Atonement). That said, I'm curious to see how the Best Original Song category plays out. Enchanted dominates the field, but the other 2 songs are absolutely incredible.
Jamia Simone Nash and Impact Repertory Theater- Raise it Up (from August Rush) [iTunes]
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly (from Once) [Album Only on iTunes]
The August Rush song is great (the girl who sings the second verse is only 11 years old), but I still think "This Time" is the better song. However having recently seen "Once", I have to say that "Falling Slowly" is just too beautiful for words. It's a pretty, simple song, and really reflects the mood of the entire movie. So I'm hoping for "Falling Slowly" over anything else.
I think that's all. Back this weekend with another round of Weekend WTF.
Current Music: The Rolling Stones - Paint it Black [iTunes]
(Note: this is the studio version, NOT on Flashpoint. My bad.)
==TJ==
I spent several hours last night hoping that Mother Nature would trample Murphy's Law, and that I wouldn't have to leave my room. It didn't quite succeed, but it did enough to cancel my one class today. I declare victory.
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow (Hey Oh) [iTunes]
Tangent: Oscars are Sunday night. We had a nice long chat in my Theatre History class, in which I pretty much said that most of the Grammy and/or Oscar voters are crochety old farts bent on self-preservation, which is why you keep seeing the same, largely dull, safe stuff getting nominated and winning (the ballsiest Best Picture Award in the last 10 years went to Crash, and look at what kind of hell the Academy received for that one). And frankly this batch of nominees is the weakest I've seen in recent memory. Only one of the movies this year (Juno, and if you think that's gonna win you're kidding yourself) shows any kind of guts to not take itself so unbearably seriously (and I haven't seen it, but don't get me started on Atonement). That said, I'm curious to see how the Best Original Song category plays out. Enchanted dominates the field, but the other 2 songs are absolutely incredible.
Jamia Simone Nash and Impact Repertory Theater- Raise it Up (from August Rush) [iTunes]
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly (from Once) [Album Only on iTunes]
The August Rush song is great (the girl who sings the second verse is only 11 years old), but I still think "This Time" is the better song. However having recently seen "Once", I have to say that "Falling Slowly" is just too beautiful for words. It's a pretty, simple song, and really reflects the mood of the entire movie. So I'm hoping for "Falling Slowly" over anything else.
I think that's all. Back this weekend with another round of Weekend WTF.
Current Music: The Rolling Stones - Paint it Black [iTunes]
(Note: this is the studio version, NOT on Flashpoint. My bad.)
==TJ==
Saturday, February 16, 2008
It's Time for your Weekend WTF?!?!
Introducing a new weekly(ish) feature on Viva La Mainstream!, entitled Weekend WTF?!?! It's where I post and/or discuss a song that is pretty well described as What The F#(&. Some posts might actually have meaning, others will just be something ridiculous.
I know I posted this back in the spring when this first came out, but it's so cool it needs to be re-posted. Sometime in mid-2007, after Fall Out Boy released Infinity On High, but before Kanye released Graduation, a group of DJs put together a mixtape of mashups, blends and remixes between Kanye and FOB. The results were fairly mixed, but the highlight was the mashup of "Dance Dance" and "Golddigger". I love it, and I think you'd be hard pressed to not do the same.
Kanye West and Fall Out Boy - I Don't Care I Still Love Her
==TJ==
Currently Listening: Good Charlotte - I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem) [iTunes]
(why...why do I like this song??)
I know I posted this back in the spring when this first came out, but it's so cool it needs to be re-posted. Sometime in mid-2007, after Fall Out Boy released Infinity On High, but before Kanye released Graduation, a group of DJs put together a mixtape of mashups, blends and remixes between Kanye and FOB. The results were fairly mixed, but the highlight was the mashup of "Dance Dance" and "Golddigger". I love it, and I think you'd be hard pressed to not do the same.
Kanye West and Fall Out Boy - I Don't Care I Still Love Her
==TJ==
Currently Listening: Good Charlotte - I Don't Wanna Be In Love (Dance Floor Anthem) [iTunes]
(why...why do I like this song??)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Words Fail Me
I've been planning a concert for the ARC for the last few weeks, and not long ago one of my colleagues sent me a list of the following bands that are touring and available to play Arcadia (Note that all these bands have also been nixed as a result of wanting too much money, so if you go to AU, don't get too excited):
Eve 6
Nine Days
Stroke 9
Marcy Playground
The Calling
...among others. Word of the Eve 6 reunion spread pretty quick and got some publicity, but the others...WHAT? Nine Days!! The people who did "Absolutely (Story of a Girl) are on tour! To top it off, The Music Slut broke the story earlier today that Deep Blue Something, responsible for the Adult Alternative hit "Breakfast At Tiffany's" announced a small reunion trek later this year. It is indeed 1996 all over again. I'm going to wake up tomorrow to discover that a group of preteen boys have a #1 single, and some girl named Britney will be all over the head---wait...ah, you get the picture.
Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany's [iTunes]
Nine Days - Absolutely (Story of a Girl) [iTunes]
The Calling - Wherever You Will Go [iTunes]
==TJ==
Eve 6
Nine Days
Stroke 9
Marcy Playground
The Calling
...among others. Word of the Eve 6 reunion spread pretty quick and got some publicity, but the others...WHAT? Nine Days!! The people who did "Absolutely (Story of a Girl) are on tour! To top it off, The Music Slut broke the story earlier today that Deep Blue Something, responsible for the Adult Alternative hit "Breakfast At Tiffany's" announced a small reunion trek later this year. It is indeed 1996 all over again. I'm going to wake up tomorrow to discover that a group of preteen boys have a #1 single, and some girl named Britney will be all over the head---wait...ah, you get the picture.
Deep Blue Something - Breakfast At Tiffany's [iTunes]
Nine Days - Absolutely (Story of a Girl) [iTunes]
The Calling - Wherever You Will Go [iTunes]
==TJ==
Monday, February 11, 2008
A Final Word on the 2008 Grammys (Such as they were)
I've had a little over 12 hours to process it, and I've read over a few other liveblogs of last night's Grammys, so I've come to the following conclusions:
-While Herbie Hancock's big win last night was most likely the wrong call, it's altogether not surprising. This is the same organization that went with Steely Dan over Eminem a few years back, and Norah Jones over both Eminem AND Springsteen...in the same decade. The Grammys have been notorious for being at least 5 years behind what's truly critically appreciated, and it always has their darlings. How else do you explain Alicia Keys getting 2 separate performances during the broadcast, and Aretha Franklin getting a full 8 minute medley? I scoffed when Trent Reznor called the Grammys "Out of touch old men jacking each other off", but after last night, he might have actually had something there. Looking at the list of AotY winners this decade, I count once that they actually picked something close to right (U2 in 2006), and even then it was a band whose career spanned 2 decades outdoing progressive musicians like Kanye West. In hindsight, I don't think the Foo Fighters stood a chance in hell, and it would've been a hard sell for Kanye or Winehouse to win. So basically our only hope is for most of the Grammy voters to lapse into comas or die in the near future before we stand a chance of seeing a change in this pattern.
On the bright side, by the time I got onto YouTube today, there were plenty of copies of the performances last night, which allows for this:
Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats (Live @ the 2008 Grammys) [YouTube] [YSI]
Alicia Keys - No One feat. John Mayer (Live @ the 2008 Grammys) [YouTube] [YSI]
Foo Fighters - The Pretender (Live @ the 2008 Grammys) [YouTube] [YSI]
The copy of "The Pretender" includes Jason Bateman's intro, because he was good enough last night that he deserves to be remembered for it. Also adding YSI links for these three only so they get picked up by hypem.
One thing that didn't get picked up last night:
-Rolling Stone's cover story this week is Britney Spears and her descent into madness. Sean went apeshit when he saw this, but I'm letting it go. I've only read about half the article, but it's far from a typical "Oh, Britney..." tabloid piece that have been the norm lately. It's an actual depiction of her rise, fall, and how it all happened. Does the piece make me feel any differently toward her? Not really. Does it shed light on a story that otherwise has no explanation? Yes.
It should also be noted that after Sean and I had this exchange, I made the prediction that she doesn't make it to 2009. It sounds cruel and I certainly don't hope I'm right, but I defy you to tell me I'm completely off base.
OK. Back tomorrow-ish
==TJ==
-While Herbie Hancock's big win last night was most likely the wrong call, it's altogether not surprising. This is the same organization that went with Steely Dan over Eminem a few years back, and Norah Jones over both Eminem AND Springsteen...in the same decade. The Grammys have been notorious for being at least 5 years behind what's truly critically appreciated, and it always has their darlings. How else do you explain Alicia Keys getting 2 separate performances during the broadcast, and Aretha Franklin getting a full 8 minute medley? I scoffed when Trent Reznor called the Grammys "Out of touch old men jacking each other off", but after last night, he might have actually had something there. Looking at the list of AotY winners this decade, I count once that they actually picked something close to right (U2 in 2006), and even then it was a band whose career spanned 2 decades outdoing progressive musicians like Kanye West. In hindsight, I don't think the Foo Fighters stood a chance in hell, and it would've been a hard sell for Kanye or Winehouse to win. So basically our only hope is for most of the Grammy voters to lapse into comas or die in the near future before we stand a chance of seeing a change in this pattern.
On the bright side, by the time I got onto YouTube today, there were plenty of copies of the performances last night, which allows for this:
Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats (Live @ the 2008 Grammys) [YouTube] [YSI]
Alicia Keys - No One feat. John Mayer (Live @ the 2008 Grammys) [YouTube] [YSI]
Foo Fighters - The Pretender (Live @ the 2008 Grammys) [YouTube] [YSI]
The copy of "The Pretender" includes Jason Bateman's intro, because he was good enough last night that he deserves to be remembered for it. Also adding YSI links for these three only so they get picked up by hypem.
One thing that didn't get picked up last night:
-Rolling Stone's cover story this week is Britney Spears and her descent into madness. Sean went apeshit when he saw this, but I'm letting it go. I've only read about half the article, but it's far from a typical "Oh, Britney..." tabloid piece that have been the norm lately. It's an actual depiction of her rise, fall, and how it all happened. Does the piece make me feel any differently toward her? Not really. Does it shed light on a story that otherwise has no explanation? Yes.
It should also be noted that after Sean and I had this exchange, I made the prediction that she doesn't make it to 2009. It sounds cruel and I certainly don't hope I'm right, but I defy you to tell me I'm completely off base.
OK. Back tomorrow-ish
==TJ==
Sunday, February 10, 2008
2008 Grammys Diary: What is Box Happening??
About to turn on the TV for the Grammy pregame stuff before kicking it to the actual event. I didn't watch last year, mostly cause I thought all the nominees were crap, except for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who got shut out. Not really sure if I can predict anything in this year's set, but I know who I like, and I know who I'll spit blood at if they win (Looking at you, Feist and Amy Winehouse). And with that, I've got enough snacks to induce a heart attack, my roommate Sean is here to assist, there's no work to be done for the next several hours...I think it's time we get started.
7:27: turn on CBS to find...Katie Couric interviewing Hillary Clinton. Well that sucks. Sean proceeds to see if we get E! on campus...only to get distracted by some garbage on NBC.
7:30: just scrambled through the channels and went digging for a channel listing, and from the looks of it, we don't get E! at Arcadia...so odds of pregame are looking kinda slim. That's a pain in the ass. Be back when the show itself starts.
7:35: Bingo. CBS is streaming some live stuff on their website...this might get hairy, but let's give it a shot. Kevin Frazier and some nameless girl are talking about the postgame parties and something that Akon will be doing afterward. that might or might not involve fighting.
7:37: Interviewing Taylor Swift now, nominated for Best New Artist. And apparently she's only 18, so I don't need to worry about the fact that I don't care about who she is. But she just said she likes the Foo Fighters and Kanye...might need to download a track a bit later.
7:39: Stream just went dark. F***ing internet...
7:40: Stream comes back in time for commericals. Just as well, the red carpet folks seem worse than average, and the odds of an interview with someone decent doesn't look too good, given that we're 19 minutes out.
7:41: CBS scored the rights to Dexter apparently, and for some reason it looks like they're gonna try to tie it in to CSI. Don't ask me, I just like the music.
7:42: Obligatory montage of people including John Legend, Christina Aguilera (I think), and for some reason our lovely people feel as though Evander Holyfield is worth talking to. But before he can talk to, our other set of interviewers interject 'cause they've got Seal...and the stream goes dead. Comes back, and Seal's being a glorified ad for who's performing. Rumor has it that Michael Jackson is in attendance...perhaps a performance? Do we really want this to happen?
7:45: Seal talking about wife Heidi Klum and her singing and a battle with laryngitis (as if anyone watching gives a damn about how she sings). Stream dies.
7:46: Sean and I talk about the rumored Michael Jackson performance. We also note that neither of us have seen him perform during our lifetime. Neither of us know if this is a good or bad thing.
Sean: "I guess that's the one good thing about Britney Spears being in the news all the time; Michael Jackson's out of it"
7:50: The Mayor of LA just talked to one of the guys, just in time to drop a few names and close out the pregame show. Stream's being funky...and the last thing we get is the signoff. Guess I'll be back in 10 when the show starts for real.
The good news is now I'm not bouncing between two Firefox windows to try to see what's happening. CBS remains intent on showing the tail end of 60 Minutes, since Mickey Rooney probably has something to rant about that the world must hear, I guess.
7:53: turning around so I can see the action for real. Grammy commercial just aired. When did we name him "The Sensational Kanye West"??
7:55: Mickey Rooney is in a sports store buying Giants and/or Pats gear (the tape was recorded before the Super Bowl). THIS is what they're not giving me Grammy pregame for...wow...
7:56: Apparently Rooney went to the game too...but dammit if he didn't look bored as all hell. His closing thought? The Patriots should say they're from Boston. Truly Pulitzer-worthy journalism once again.
7:58: Back to back ads for CSI:Miami and New York...can we get a trifecta?
Nope. Without a Trace instead. If you didn't guess, I'm watching CBS right now.
7:59: During the credits for 60 Minutes they show an ad for Jericho. If you never watched the show, go rent the 1st season...it's incredible. So happy that it got renewed for 7 more episodes. Beats the cliffhanger the show was supposed to end on.
As I go back and fix a typo let me preface the rest of this diary by saying I'm not looking at the screen (I have a desktop so I can't see that and the TV...sue me). So please forgive any screwups, I'm trying to keep things clean though.
8:02: We have a start. How should the 50th Grammy Awards start? The same way every award show starts: a montage of previous Grammy moments. Or maybe just one clip and in comes Alicia Keys singing with a old video of Frank Sinatra. Don't know how I feel about this. We have one of our nominees singing with a video of a legend?
8:04: Keys is singing with the old video of Sinatra, but there's a full orchestra playing live. WTF??!! What kind of a slap in the face is this to the legendary musicians who are still alive??
8:06: A pan across the crowd shows us Patton Oswalt (according to Sean) and Yoko Ono. Alicia Keys welcomes us with another obligatory speech about how wonderful everything is. "We look forward towards the future...Here's to another 50 years". The RIAA just spit blood a little bit.
8:08: Carrie Underwood gets things started with a Stomp influenced version "Before He Cheats". Game on! Sean scoffs, but I'm sold. Not a huge fan of Underwood...but it's friggin' STOMP!!!
8:10: Sean still not a fan, but he likes the Stomp. Keep in mind Sean is an indie fanatic. Underwood herself is a bit static right now given what's happening behind her, but it's a network awards show, what can you expect?
8:11: "Before He Cheats" goes into its final bars...and we have the first performance of the night worth bootlegging.
8:11: Apparently they already named some of these awards as Prince is announced as a winner. He announces the Female R&B nominees. No song is particularly impressive to me, but I can't stand "No One".
8:12: But of course it wins. Not before Prince makes a failed attempt at a joke. AS Keys thanks God, Sean decides to keep tabs on thanks to "the G-Man". Yup...gonna be a good diary tonight. Keys thanks the radio DJs...there's hope for me yet in 20 years...
8:14: They appear to be showing some predetermined awards while they plug some of the upcoming performances, but the TV is too far away and the font is garbage, so i have no idea what they're supposed to be.
8:17: when did it become socially OK to use Queen's "You're My Best Friend" to advertise something? Isn't that universally considered one of their lamest songs ever? It also says something when the song is in an ad for an electronic product (didn't see what).
8:18: Sean and I debate who's more annoying: Abagail Breslin (Definitely, Maybe) or Dakota Fanning. I say Fanning is the next Lindsay Lohan. Sean hopes she just fades into obscurity.
8:20: The Time just kicked into their reunion performance. No one below the age of 30 cares, unless they REALLY like Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. It's one thing for a band from the 80s to reunite, but its different like they're still there.
8:21: The Time get interrupted by Rihanna, doing a disco twinged version of "Umbrella". Wow...this is not OK. And oh look, the girls had umbrellas!!! Ain't that cute?
8:22: Rihanna looks like Prince. Just sayin'...
I think the guy from Step Up was just dancing with Rihanna during her least impressive single yet? Correction: there were 2 of said guy...and we're back to the Time. Was that a segue or what?
8:25: There must be some rule that says Tom Hanks MUST be at every awards ceremony EVER. Unless I'm forgetting about some great album Hanks recorded. Oh yeah, and he's talking about The Band winning a Lifetime Acheivement Award. This would mean more if they weren't given out like they were going out of style. Hell, they don't even get a chance to be on stage. And now Hank is intro'ing the Beatles tribute as the camera goes in on Ringo, Yoko and two others. Tom Hanks is now reaching epic levels of excitement.
8:29: Cirque Du Soleil is doing their piece of "A Day in the Life" from LOVE. And I'm all out of LSD. Damn!
Full disclosure: I've never been a big fan of Cirque du Soleil...and this just looks like a deleted scene from Across the Universe. Meanwhile Sean and I debate which Beatle will die next (I say Paul), and who was the best.
8:33: The Across the Universe version of "Let it Be" is next up. Actually the original performers from the movie. I yell at Sean for not seeing the movie. As much as I skip this track on the CD, I like it anytime I see it. The song doesn't work as well when it's just heard, methinks. I'm still bummed that they couldn't get Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood to do "All You Need Is Love", but I'll live. Probably not eh worst performance of the night, but not actively memorable.
8:36: We consider Miley Cyrus a legitimate artist now? This physically hurts me a bit. The Best New Artist award is up next. GO PARAMORE!!!
8:37: AMY WINEHOUSE??!! WHAT??!! Of course she can't accept the award, she's too busy stoned and couldn't get a visa!!! ROBBED!!!
Meanwhile Sean is too busy wondering about Cyndi Lauper's accent. I'm inexplicably pissed now. 0 for 2 on my picks now. Curses. He redeems himself by being equally pissed about Winehouse's win, but he was rooting for Feist.
8:39: Jason Bateman was talking about the My Grammy Moment with the Foos during that rant. Dear Dave Grohl, why did you let your band sign up for this terrible idea? Bad ideas all over the place...but Jason Bateman has been the funniest thing of the night so far.
8:41: Commercial break means its time for popcorn. Back in a bit.
8:46: Back with popcorn, and still pissed about the Winehouse win. Do we have odds on her sobriety during her performance?
8:47: Daft Punk and Kanye performing "Stronger" now. Say what you will about Kanye and his attitude, but his music is damned peerless. I remember when I first liked Kanye; First Grammys performance of "Jesus Walks".
Kanye West - Jesus Walks [iTunes]
Kanye West - Stronger [iTunes]
West looks like he just came out of Tron, and I'm pretty sure he was doing the robot earlier. Either way, he's the second best performance of the night (I'm still loving the Carrie Underwood piece).
8:50: I think West has established that "this is what we been waitin' for" as Daft Punk finally get their due for being in the background of this song. The glow-in-the-dark bit gets old just as the song ends, thankfully. West segues into "Hey Mama", appropriate given his mother's passing.
8:53: Say what you will about West's ego, but he's pushing back tears right now...different side of Kanye and I love it. He might not win a Grammy tonight, but people'll still remember him tomorrow.
8:55: Most emotionally charged song gets followed up with...
Fergie. Correction: 3-Time Grammy Winner Fergie...with John Legend. I'm trying to like this song since I'm OK with John Legend, but my dislike for Fergie is prevailing.
Sean: "I'm half-expecting them to turn this into a remix of 'My Humps'"
8:58: LOVE wins the Best Soundtrack Category. I was pulling for Across the Universe, but this was the compilation prize since now Ringo gets stagetime.
9:00: Not liking the way they're showing pre-announced winners...too hard to seem, and thus too hard for me to make fun of. I just know Carrie Underwood won something for "Before He Cheats"
9:01: Sean goes looking online for Amy Winehouse fan groups, since neither of us know of anyone who likes her. Too bad we can't check sobriety over the internet. Apparently the only thing he found is a blog with two posts, last updated September. Once again, the Grammys show they have their finger on the pulse of the music world.
Just had a flashback to an old episode of Sports Night where one of the two leads admits to liking the Starlight Vocal Band, who were Best New Artist in the day. Clearly nothing has changed.
9:06: Dear Cher, just because we make fun of your age, doesn't mean its cool for you too. Love, society.
Meanwhile Beyonce doesn't look like she every changed out of her outfit from her Sports Illustrated covershoot as she drops names of 60s female soul artists to intro Tina Turner.
9:08: Sean: "I didn't realize I turned on WJJZ (local jazz station). The sadder part? I know all the words to ["What's Love Got To Do With It?]"
9:11: Beyonce and Tina Turner are gearing up to do "Proud Mary". I'm pretending to not hear this. In my mind, only one band did that song.: CCR.
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary [iTunes]
9:13: This is hurting. Why are we letting young artists do songs from 30 years ago? I would much rather see these two "Irreplaceable". And I'm not a huge fan of that one either. Points for performance value, but B- on the song choice.
9:16: Song of the Year getting named now. Rooting for "Hey There Delilah" but odds aren't looking good.
9:17: DAMMIT!!! SON OF A BITCH!!! "Rehab" again!!??
9:18: It's official: Amy Winehouse will herein be known as Amy Cokewhore. I think it works.
9:22: A couple things can save this night: one is if the Foos wreck shop. and one is if Cokewhore performs beyond wasted.
9:23: The "cute Asian" (Sean's words) win the top slot playing with the Foo. And now the Foo play which means I stop typing for 5 minutes.
9:29: Back, and now there are TWO performances to be bootlegged. Of course the Foo Fighters were incredible. Please don't ask me to pick between that and Underwood's bit. The orchestra was positively epic, and that was the best Foo live performance I've ever seen. And according to Jason Bateman, the Foo already had one win tonight. Jason Bateman has definitely been the MVP of the night so far.
9:34: What goes on in Will Ferrell's mind that leads him to think that a movie like Semi-Pro is a good idea? Can we remove that part of his brain? Please?
9:35: George Lopez opens up his bit with.....racist comedy. Lovely. And he introduces the country act. Yeah, there's logic in that.
Sean: "Hey look, another country rocker in a cowboy hat."
Another one I'm trying to enjoy, but I'm well past my country phase. And I'm pretty sure this song is likening sex to checking a girl for ticks. Only in country music, people...
9:39: Sean is curious whether checking for ticks is an effective pickup line.
Sean: "I think he's only into girls with pubic lice"
Segue to Chris Brown, Solange and Akon for Best Rap Album, and an obligatory joke about parents understanding.
9:41: Best Rap Album...Kanye West for Graduation. A nuclear disaster may have just been averted. Sean is criticizing the oversized sunglasses while West rambles on and argues with the conductor playing him off.
9:43: West just OWNED the conductor as he talks about his mom. Just when things coulda gotten ugly, it gets really good. 50 points to both Kanye AND the conductor for not making things worse.
9:45: As Aretha comes in there's a giant cross lit up. Mention number 2 for God tonight (Sean's keeping score). Not impressed with this number. Nice thought, not particularly memorable though.
9:51: Aretha again. This has gone on too long...
9:57: Celine Dion with a special on CBS. This needs to not happen. What's wrose is that she's with artists who are weak enough as it is. And somehow she thinks her covering these songs will make them good. Strike Two. Ugh.
10:00: 2 and a half hours of blogging, and Feist is on now. Sean's transfixed, and I'm ready for a power nap. Scratch that; Feist was with Broken Social Scene??!! Never listened to them, but suddenly I care just a bit more. Not enough to like her, but still. I think sales of Ambien might plummet after people hear this song.
10:02: Even Sean admits the Feist song was weak. I don't know who they just intro'd (someone who won one of the first Grammys)...but Kid Rock is now accompanying her. What kind of world are we living in when we let a supposed legend sing with Kid Rock? ANd he just called that little old lady sexy. Good God have we lost all good taste.
10:05: Best Rock Album up now. Rooting for Springsteen or the Foo.
10:06: Foo Fighters pick up another! YES! The night is not yet lost. With all due respect to Sean (rooting for Wilco...bleck), the Grammys make the first right call of the night. "The Pretender" won hard rock performance, so that's 2 for 5 right now. Game on.
Foo Fighters - The Pretender [iTunes]
10:08: They seem to think I'm excited for Cokewhore's performance. If I'm excited for anything, it's to see if she shoots up on stage! GAH!
10:11: Just had my first taste of the new Mary J Blige song via a car commercial. Bette than I remember her being in the past. Perhaps a download for later...
10:13: Let the record show that the new CBS Monday is AWESOME. not just awesome...AWESOME. Don't forget this people.
Sean on Stevie Wonder's appearance and subsequent applause: "They're cheering so he knows he's not in an empty room." Dude, you're SO going to hell.
10:15: Alicia Keys gets a second performance of the night so she can do "No One" on top of the intro. Favoritism much? At least she's dressed and sounding better than she did at the Super Bowl. Who knows, with another 30 million plays, this song might get good.
10:18: John Mayer comes in for a guitar solo and makes the song a keeper. Bootleg #3 of the night.
10:20: Why are Ringo and Dave Stewart intro'ing the Country category? Missing the logic here. Sean says they all sound the same.
Vince Gill wins it, but I (still) don't care. So far every AotY nominee has won their genre. This might get ugly later on...
10:23: The makers of Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow present another film with decent CGI, unintentionally funny dialog, and plenty of potential to show up on channel 347 six months from now (this one's called 10,000 BC).
10:26: After seeing a Big Brother ad, I must ask: What the hell is a "Dirty Jersey"?
10:29: Obligatory break for "Rhapsody in Blue"
10:33: Sean informs me that Flight of the Conchords win a Grammy for comedy album (beat out Geroge Lopez, thank God), and Barack Obama wins for spoken word. Game on.
10:36: Best Rap song collab is up next...T-Pain in there twice, and whiffs as "Umbrella" takes it. Loving this bit of Rihanna speaking and Jay-Z translating. I think Jay-Z might be climbing the ranks on my list of most appreciated rap artists.
Rihanna - Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z) [iTunes]
10:43: Amy Cokewhore takes the stage via satellite. I can't tell if she's dancing or trying to stand up straight and failing.
10:47: She segues into "Rehab" and I'm still trying to find a reason to like her. I'm estimating her BAL at about .04. Much lower than I anticipated. She still screams like a tonedeaf banshee, but at least she wasn't high...sadly.
10:51: Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole are naming the Record of the Year after giving Doris Day a Lifetime Award. "The Pretender" is my favorite, but I'm hoping for NOT "Rehab".
10:52: And I fail. "Rehab" again. She's definitely slurring her words and grasping her mum while she thanks any number of people. Not looking good for Foo Fighters to win AotY now. It'd be best to keep all sources of fire and all small children away from me for the next few hours.
11:00: Head of the recording industry announces all the things they're working on, then offers a backhanded shot at music pirates, then offers up a kid who was apparently on the Grammys many years ago as a kid, now a nominee. I would have had a better description than that but my dad IMed me about something.
11:03: Annual montage of musicians who died. The guy from Boston died?? Bummer. Hate to say it, but he's the only guy I find myself caring much about. And no mentions of Casey Calvert or the guy from Quiet Riot...that's garbage.
11:07: I think the Josh Groban/Andrea Bocelli piece would work better if it were one or the other. Neither of them are bad, I just think they both work better solo. Sean agrees.
11:15: Grammy takes a turn for classic rock with Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and John Fogerty from CCR. As much as I like the sound, I can't understand a word Fogerty is saying. Jerry Lee Lewis doesn't look like he can move anything except his jaw and his fingers. The energy in this performance is falling everytime I see Lewis.
11:20: Enter Little Richard, who looks the same now as he did 15 years ago. A little bit more energy from Richard, but Fogerty is stealing the show right now.
11:26: My friend Sam Keeler offers up the following: SCREW AMY WINEHOUSE. She also likens the current situation to Norah Jones a few years ago. Meanwhile will.i.am is singing something that I'm managing to forget as he's singing it.
11:29: Usher announces Producer of the Year, and now they're at AotY...Praying to the Gods on High right now...forget the Foos...anything but Cokewhore.
11:30: WHAT??!!?? Herbie Hancock? Seriously?
Well THAT was anticlimactic. I guess giving it to the Cokewhore would've sent the wrong message, Vince Gill was too dry, Kanye didn't need the ego boost, and the Foo Fighters, well, God forbid we give it to a modern artist??!! And now Hancock is going Barack Obama on us....bleck. He sounds like an African American Artist has NEVER won a Grammy before.
Well, I suppose as per my rule I need to give this album a shot, no matter how much I don't want to. Before I wrap things up, let's go through what we take away from the night:
Cokewhore: 3 Grammys
Foo Fighters: 2
God References: ~3 (Sean stopped counting)
Times TJ wanted to punch small children: 3
Memorable Performances: 3 (Carrie Underwood, Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys/John Mayer)
MVP: Jason Bateman for being the presenter with the most personality.
Worst speech: Tie between Cokewhore and Herbie Hancock
Best speech: Kanye West, for OWNING the conductor.
See you all later.
==TJ==
PS If you don't get the reference in the title of this entry, watch this video.
7:27: turn on CBS to find...Katie Couric interviewing Hillary Clinton. Well that sucks. Sean proceeds to see if we get E! on campus...only to get distracted by some garbage on NBC.
7:30: just scrambled through the channels and went digging for a channel listing, and from the looks of it, we don't get E! at Arcadia...so odds of pregame are looking kinda slim. That's a pain in the ass. Be back when the show itself starts.
7:35: Bingo. CBS is streaming some live stuff on their website...this might get hairy, but let's give it a shot. Kevin Frazier and some nameless girl are talking about the postgame parties and something that Akon will be doing afterward. that might or might not involve fighting.
7:37: Interviewing Taylor Swift now, nominated for Best New Artist. And apparently she's only 18, so I don't need to worry about the fact that I don't care about who she is. But she just said she likes the Foo Fighters and Kanye...might need to download a track a bit later.
7:39: Stream just went dark. F***ing internet...
7:40: Stream comes back in time for commericals. Just as well, the red carpet folks seem worse than average, and the odds of an interview with someone decent doesn't look too good, given that we're 19 minutes out.
7:41: CBS scored the rights to Dexter apparently, and for some reason it looks like they're gonna try to tie it in to CSI. Don't ask me, I just like the music.
7:42: Obligatory montage of people including John Legend, Christina Aguilera (I think), and for some reason our lovely people feel as though Evander Holyfield is worth talking to. But before he can talk to, our other set of interviewers interject 'cause they've got Seal...and the stream goes dead. Comes back, and Seal's being a glorified ad for who's performing. Rumor has it that Michael Jackson is in attendance...perhaps a performance? Do we really want this to happen?
7:45: Seal talking about wife Heidi Klum and her singing and a battle with laryngitis (as if anyone watching gives a damn about how she sings). Stream dies.
7:46: Sean and I talk about the rumored Michael Jackson performance. We also note that neither of us have seen him perform during our lifetime. Neither of us know if this is a good or bad thing.
Sean: "I guess that's the one good thing about Britney Spears being in the news all the time; Michael Jackson's out of it"
7:50: The Mayor of LA just talked to one of the guys, just in time to drop a few names and close out the pregame show. Stream's being funky...and the last thing we get is the signoff. Guess I'll be back in 10 when the show starts for real.
The good news is now I'm not bouncing between two Firefox windows to try to see what's happening. CBS remains intent on showing the tail end of 60 Minutes, since Mickey Rooney probably has something to rant about that the world must hear, I guess.
7:53: turning around so I can see the action for real. Grammy commercial just aired. When did we name him "The Sensational Kanye West"??
7:55: Mickey Rooney is in a sports store buying Giants and/or Pats gear (the tape was recorded before the Super Bowl). THIS is what they're not giving me Grammy pregame for...wow...
7:56: Apparently Rooney went to the game too...but dammit if he didn't look bored as all hell. His closing thought? The Patriots should say they're from Boston. Truly Pulitzer-worthy journalism once again.
7:58: Back to back ads for CSI:Miami and New York...can we get a trifecta?
Nope. Without a Trace instead. If you didn't guess, I'm watching CBS right now.
7:59: During the credits for 60 Minutes they show an ad for Jericho. If you never watched the show, go rent the 1st season...it's incredible. So happy that it got renewed for 7 more episodes. Beats the cliffhanger the show was supposed to end on.
As I go back and fix a typo let me preface the rest of this diary by saying I'm not looking at the screen (I have a desktop so I can't see that and the TV...sue me). So please forgive any screwups, I'm trying to keep things clean though.
8:02: We have a start. How should the 50th Grammy Awards start? The same way every award show starts: a montage of previous Grammy moments. Or maybe just one clip and in comes Alicia Keys singing with a old video of Frank Sinatra. Don't know how I feel about this. We have one of our nominees singing with a video of a legend?
8:04: Keys is singing with the old video of Sinatra, but there's a full orchestra playing live. WTF??!! What kind of a slap in the face is this to the legendary musicians who are still alive??
8:06: A pan across the crowd shows us Patton Oswalt (according to Sean) and Yoko Ono. Alicia Keys welcomes us with another obligatory speech about how wonderful everything is. "We look forward towards the future...Here's to another 50 years". The RIAA just spit blood a little bit.
8:08: Carrie Underwood gets things started with a Stomp influenced version "Before He Cheats". Game on! Sean scoffs, but I'm sold. Not a huge fan of Underwood...but it's friggin' STOMP!!!
8:10: Sean still not a fan, but he likes the Stomp. Keep in mind Sean is an indie fanatic. Underwood herself is a bit static right now given what's happening behind her, but it's a network awards show, what can you expect?
8:11: "Before He Cheats" goes into its final bars...and we have the first performance of the night worth bootlegging.
8:11: Apparently they already named some of these awards as Prince is announced as a winner. He announces the Female R&B nominees. No song is particularly impressive to me, but I can't stand "No One".
8:12: But of course it wins. Not before Prince makes a failed attempt at a joke. AS Keys thanks God, Sean decides to keep tabs on thanks to "the G-Man". Yup...gonna be a good diary tonight. Keys thanks the radio DJs...there's hope for me yet in 20 years...
8:14: They appear to be showing some predetermined awards while they plug some of the upcoming performances, but the TV is too far away and the font is garbage, so i have no idea what they're supposed to be.
8:17: when did it become socially OK to use Queen's "You're My Best Friend" to advertise something? Isn't that universally considered one of their lamest songs ever? It also says something when the song is in an ad for an electronic product (didn't see what).
8:18: Sean and I debate who's more annoying: Abagail Breslin (Definitely, Maybe) or Dakota Fanning. I say Fanning is the next Lindsay Lohan. Sean hopes she just fades into obscurity.
8:20: The Time just kicked into their reunion performance. No one below the age of 30 cares, unless they REALLY like Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. It's one thing for a band from the 80s to reunite, but its different like they're still there.
8:21: The Time get interrupted by Rihanna, doing a disco twinged version of "Umbrella". Wow...this is not OK. And oh look, the girls had umbrellas!!! Ain't that cute?
8:22: Rihanna looks like Prince. Just sayin'...
I think the guy from Step Up was just dancing with Rihanna during her least impressive single yet? Correction: there were 2 of said guy...and we're back to the Time. Was that a segue or what?
8:25: There must be some rule that says Tom Hanks MUST be at every awards ceremony EVER. Unless I'm forgetting about some great album Hanks recorded. Oh yeah, and he's talking about The Band winning a Lifetime Acheivement Award. This would mean more if they weren't given out like they were going out of style. Hell, they don't even get a chance to be on stage. And now Hank is intro'ing the Beatles tribute as the camera goes in on Ringo, Yoko and two others. Tom Hanks is now reaching epic levels of excitement.
8:29: Cirque Du Soleil is doing their piece of "A Day in the Life" from LOVE. And I'm all out of LSD. Damn!
Full disclosure: I've never been a big fan of Cirque du Soleil...and this just looks like a deleted scene from Across the Universe. Meanwhile Sean and I debate which Beatle will die next (I say Paul), and who was the best.
8:33: The Across the Universe version of "Let it Be" is next up. Actually the original performers from the movie. I yell at Sean for not seeing the movie. As much as I skip this track on the CD, I like it anytime I see it. The song doesn't work as well when it's just heard, methinks. I'm still bummed that they couldn't get Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood to do "All You Need Is Love", but I'll live. Probably not eh worst performance of the night, but not actively memorable.
8:36: We consider Miley Cyrus a legitimate artist now? This physically hurts me a bit. The Best New Artist award is up next. GO PARAMORE!!!
8:37: AMY WINEHOUSE??!! WHAT??!! Of course she can't accept the award, she's too busy stoned and couldn't get a visa!!! ROBBED!!!
Meanwhile Sean is too busy wondering about Cyndi Lauper's accent. I'm inexplicably pissed now. 0 for 2 on my picks now. Curses. He redeems himself by being equally pissed about Winehouse's win, but he was rooting for Feist.
8:39: Jason Bateman was talking about the My Grammy Moment with the Foos during that rant. Dear Dave Grohl, why did you let your band sign up for this terrible idea? Bad ideas all over the place...but Jason Bateman has been the funniest thing of the night so far.
8:41: Commercial break means its time for popcorn. Back in a bit.
8:46: Back with popcorn, and still pissed about the Winehouse win. Do we have odds on her sobriety during her performance?
8:47: Daft Punk and Kanye performing "Stronger" now. Say what you will about Kanye and his attitude, but his music is damned peerless. I remember when I first liked Kanye; First Grammys performance of "Jesus Walks".
Kanye West - Jesus Walks [iTunes]
Kanye West - Stronger [iTunes]
West looks like he just came out of Tron, and I'm pretty sure he was doing the robot earlier. Either way, he's the second best performance of the night (I'm still loving the Carrie Underwood piece).
8:50: I think West has established that "this is what we been waitin' for" as Daft Punk finally get their due for being in the background of this song. The glow-in-the-dark bit gets old just as the song ends, thankfully. West segues into "Hey Mama", appropriate given his mother's passing.
8:53: Say what you will about West's ego, but he's pushing back tears right now...different side of Kanye and I love it. He might not win a Grammy tonight, but people'll still remember him tomorrow.
8:55: Most emotionally charged song gets followed up with...
Fergie. Correction: 3-Time Grammy Winner Fergie...with John Legend. I'm trying to like this song since I'm OK with John Legend, but my dislike for Fergie is prevailing.
Sean: "I'm half-expecting them to turn this into a remix of 'My Humps'"
8:58: LOVE wins the Best Soundtrack Category. I was pulling for Across the Universe, but this was the compilation prize since now Ringo gets stagetime.
9:00: Not liking the way they're showing pre-announced winners...too hard to seem, and thus too hard for me to make fun of. I just know Carrie Underwood won something for "Before He Cheats"
9:01: Sean goes looking online for Amy Winehouse fan groups, since neither of us know of anyone who likes her. Too bad we can't check sobriety over the internet. Apparently the only thing he found is a blog with two posts, last updated September. Once again, the Grammys show they have their finger on the pulse of the music world.
Just had a flashback to an old episode of Sports Night where one of the two leads admits to liking the Starlight Vocal Band, who were Best New Artist in the day. Clearly nothing has changed.
9:06: Dear Cher, just because we make fun of your age, doesn't mean its cool for you too. Love, society.
Meanwhile Beyonce doesn't look like she every changed out of her outfit from her Sports Illustrated covershoot as she drops names of 60s female soul artists to intro Tina Turner.
9:08: Sean: "I didn't realize I turned on WJJZ (local jazz station). The sadder part? I know all the words to ["What's Love Got To Do With It?]"
9:11: Beyonce and Tina Turner are gearing up to do "Proud Mary". I'm pretending to not hear this. In my mind, only one band did that song.: CCR.
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Proud Mary [iTunes]
9:13: This is hurting. Why are we letting young artists do songs from 30 years ago? I would much rather see these two "Irreplaceable". And I'm not a huge fan of that one either. Points for performance value, but B- on the song choice.
9:16: Song of the Year getting named now. Rooting for "Hey There Delilah" but odds aren't looking good.
9:17: DAMMIT!!! SON OF A BITCH!!! "Rehab" again!!??
9:18: It's official: Amy Winehouse will herein be known as Amy Cokewhore. I think it works.
9:22: A couple things can save this night: one is if the Foos wreck shop. and one is if Cokewhore performs beyond wasted.
9:23: The "cute Asian" (Sean's words) win the top slot playing with the Foo. And now the Foo play which means I stop typing for 5 minutes.
9:29: Back, and now there are TWO performances to be bootlegged. Of course the Foo Fighters were incredible. Please don't ask me to pick between that and Underwood's bit. The orchestra was positively epic, and that was the best Foo live performance I've ever seen. And according to Jason Bateman, the Foo already had one win tonight. Jason Bateman has definitely been the MVP of the night so far.
9:34: What goes on in Will Ferrell's mind that leads him to think that a movie like Semi-Pro is a good idea? Can we remove that part of his brain? Please?
9:35: George Lopez opens up his bit with.....racist comedy. Lovely. And he introduces the country act. Yeah, there's logic in that.
Sean: "Hey look, another country rocker in a cowboy hat."
Another one I'm trying to enjoy, but I'm well past my country phase. And I'm pretty sure this song is likening sex to checking a girl for ticks. Only in country music, people...
9:39: Sean is curious whether checking for ticks is an effective pickup line.
Sean: "I think he's only into girls with pubic lice"
Segue to Chris Brown, Solange and Akon for Best Rap Album, and an obligatory joke about parents understanding.
9:41: Best Rap Album...Kanye West for Graduation. A nuclear disaster may have just been averted. Sean is criticizing the oversized sunglasses while West rambles on and argues with the conductor playing him off.
9:43: West just OWNED the conductor as he talks about his mom. Just when things coulda gotten ugly, it gets really good. 50 points to both Kanye AND the conductor for not making things worse.
9:45: As Aretha comes in there's a giant cross lit up. Mention number 2 for God tonight (Sean's keeping score). Not impressed with this number. Nice thought, not particularly memorable though.
9:51: Aretha again. This has gone on too long...
9:57: Celine Dion with a special on CBS. This needs to not happen. What's wrose is that she's with artists who are weak enough as it is. And somehow she thinks her covering these songs will make them good. Strike Two. Ugh.
10:00: 2 and a half hours of blogging, and Feist is on now. Sean's transfixed, and I'm ready for a power nap. Scratch that; Feist was with Broken Social Scene??!! Never listened to them, but suddenly I care just a bit more. Not enough to like her, but still. I think sales of Ambien might plummet after people hear this song.
10:02: Even Sean admits the Feist song was weak. I don't know who they just intro'd (someone who won one of the first Grammys)...but Kid Rock is now accompanying her. What kind of world are we living in when we let a supposed legend sing with Kid Rock? ANd he just called that little old lady sexy. Good God have we lost all good taste.
10:05: Best Rock Album up now. Rooting for Springsteen or the Foo.
10:06: Foo Fighters pick up another! YES! The night is not yet lost. With all due respect to Sean (rooting for Wilco...bleck), the Grammys make the first right call of the night. "The Pretender" won hard rock performance, so that's 2 for 5 right now. Game on.
Foo Fighters - The Pretender [iTunes]
10:08: They seem to think I'm excited for Cokewhore's performance. If I'm excited for anything, it's to see if she shoots up on stage! GAH!
10:11: Just had my first taste of the new Mary J Blige song via a car commercial. Bette than I remember her being in the past. Perhaps a download for later...
10:13: Let the record show that the new CBS Monday is AWESOME. not just awesome...AWESOME. Don't forget this people.
Sean on Stevie Wonder's appearance and subsequent applause: "They're cheering so he knows he's not in an empty room." Dude, you're SO going to hell.
10:15: Alicia Keys gets a second performance of the night so she can do "No One" on top of the intro. Favoritism much? At least she's dressed and sounding better than she did at the Super Bowl. Who knows, with another 30 million plays, this song might get good.
10:18: John Mayer comes in for a guitar solo and makes the song a keeper. Bootleg #3 of the night.
10:20: Why are Ringo and Dave Stewart intro'ing the Country category? Missing the logic here. Sean says they all sound the same.
Vince Gill wins it, but I (still) don't care. So far every AotY nominee has won their genre. This might get ugly later on...
10:23: The makers of Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow present another film with decent CGI, unintentionally funny dialog, and plenty of potential to show up on channel 347 six months from now (this one's called 10,000 BC).
10:26: After seeing a Big Brother ad, I must ask: What the hell is a "Dirty Jersey"?
10:29: Obligatory break for "Rhapsody in Blue"
10:33: Sean informs me that Flight of the Conchords win a Grammy for comedy album (beat out Geroge Lopez, thank God), and Barack Obama wins for spoken word. Game on.
10:36: Best Rap song collab is up next...T-Pain in there twice, and whiffs as "Umbrella" takes it. Loving this bit of Rihanna speaking and Jay-Z translating. I think Jay-Z might be climbing the ranks on my list of most appreciated rap artists.
Rihanna - Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z) [iTunes]
10:43: Amy Cokewhore takes the stage via satellite. I can't tell if she's dancing or trying to stand up straight and failing.
10:47: She segues into "Rehab" and I'm still trying to find a reason to like her. I'm estimating her BAL at about .04. Much lower than I anticipated. She still screams like a tonedeaf banshee, but at least she wasn't high...sadly.
10:51: Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole are naming the Record of the Year after giving Doris Day a Lifetime Award. "The Pretender" is my favorite, but I'm hoping for NOT "Rehab".
10:52: And I fail. "Rehab" again. She's definitely slurring her words and grasping her mum while she thanks any number of people. Not looking good for Foo Fighters to win AotY now. It'd be best to keep all sources of fire and all small children away from me for the next few hours.
11:00: Head of the recording industry announces all the things they're working on, then offers a backhanded shot at music pirates, then offers up a kid who was apparently on the Grammys many years ago as a kid, now a nominee. I would have had a better description than that but my dad IMed me about something.
11:03: Annual montage of musicians who died. The guy from Boston died?? Bummer. Hate to say it, but he's the only guy I find myself caring much about. And no mentions of Casey Calvert or the guy from Quiet Riot...that's garbage.
11:07: I think the Josh Groban/Andrea Bocelli piece would work better if it were one or the other. Neither of them are bad, I just think they both work better solo. Sean agrees.
11:15: Grammy takes a turn for classic rock with Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and John Fogerty from CCR. As much as I like the sound, I can't understand a word Fogerty is saying. Jerry Lee Lewis doesn't look like he can move anything except his jaw and his fingers. The energy in this performance is falling everytime I see Lewis.
11:20: Enter Little Richard, who looks the same now as he did 15 years ago. A little bit more energy from Richard, but Fogerty is stealing the show right now.
11:26: My friend Sam Keeler offers up the following: SCREW AMY WINEHOUSE. She also likens the current situation to Norah Jones a few years ago. Meanwhile will.i.am is singing something that I'm managing to forget as he's singing it.
11:29: Usher announces Producer of the Year, and now they're at AotY...Praying to the Gods on High right now...forget the Foos...anything but Cokewhore.
11:30: WHAT??!!?? Herbie Hancock? Seriously?
Well THAT was anticlimactic. I guess giving it to the Cokewhore would've sent the wrong message, Vince Gill was too dry, Kanye didn't need the ego boost, and the Foo Fighters, well, God forbid we give it to a modern artist??!! And now Hancock is going Barack Obama on us....bleck. He sounds like an African American Artist has NEVER won a Grammy before.
Well, I suppose as per my rule I need to give this album a shot, no matter how much I don't want to. Before I wrap things up, let's go through what we take away from the night:
Cokewhore: 3 Grammys
Foo Fighters: 2
God References: ~3 (Sean stopped counting)
Times TJ wanted to punch small children: 3
Memorable Performances: 3 (Carrie Underwood, Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys/John Mayer)
MVP: Jason Bateman for being the presenter with the most personality.
Worst speech: Tie between Cokewhore and Herbie Hancock
Best speech: Kanye West, for OWNING the conductor.
See you all later.
==TJ==
PS If you don't get the reference in the title of this entry, watch this video.
Plans for tonight's Grammy Awards
In a little over an hour I'm going to start a running diary of the Grammy Awards. Just thought you all should know. If you feel so inclined, you can email or IM me with your thoughts/commentary, and I'll be happy to consider said thoughts. Below is my contact info, and i'll be back tonight/tomorrow with the diary.
IM: TylersApostle24
Email: TONeill@arcadia.edu
Take it easy, everyone.
==TJ==
IM: TylersApostle24
Email: TONeill@arcadia.edu
Take it easy, everyone.
==TJ==
Friday, February 8, 2008
Calling Bullshit On iTunes
My love for iTunes is pretty well documented on this blog, I think. I use it almost exclusively for (legal) music downloading, and only twice in its existence have I noticed a technical glitch that affected my use of the site. But earlier this week I saw a series of events that I've seen a couple times now, and I think it needs to be pointed out.
Earlier this week Apple started running ads for its new ultra-slim MacBook Air and Leopard, its new OS. As is often the case in Apple commercials, there's some mindless poppy song in the background. In this case its "New Soul" by Yael Naim. This week when the iTunes page was updated with the new releases for the week, "New Soul" magically leaped to #1, without any previous appearance in the Top 100. In fact, prior to its appearance in an Apple ad, Yael Naim's catalog was only available in the French iTunes store. And I'm supposed to believe that based on a 30 second clip of a song in an Apple ad, millions of casual music fans leaped out of their seats to download a track by an unknown international artist, enough to propel that song into Billboard's Hot 100? Yeah, right.
I don't call conspiracy lightly. I don't believe the moon landing was faked. I sure as hell don't believe 9/11 was a government plot. The only conspiracy I've ever truly considered viable was the Kennedy Assassination, and that was after weeks of research in my senior year. But I can't help but believe that Apple might be trying to boost publicity for the MacBook Air by padding the download count on "New Soul".
I doubt it would be the first time, too. A similar thing happened to Feist's "1234" shortly after those annoying iPod video nano ads dropped (I don't know if that song went to number 1 though), and contrary to what my roommate wants to think, Feist was not big outside of indie circles prior to "1234". It also happened with U2's "Vertigo", but I'm more likely to believe that's natural based on the fact that U2 is in fact big enough to pull that kind of success that quickly without help from an iTunes ad and shady business from Apple. Then there are other random immediate successes, i.e. "Bubbly" and "Low", which seem pretty inexplicable (neither song was in the Top 100 before its sudden rise to #1), but since they weren't used to sell any Apple product, this could probably be explained away by radio play or other fair practices.
In closing, please don't immediately think this is the whole truth and that the iTunes Top Songs Chart is corrupt. It may be, it may not be...but based on what I've seen this week and in weeks before, I think there's plenty of evidence to call bullshit on some of Apple's practices. Just something to keep an eye on when you buy from iTunes from now on.
U2 - Vertigo [iTunes]
==TJ==
Earlier this week Apple started running ads for its new ultra-slim MacBook Air and Leopard, its new OS. As is often the case in Apple commercials, there's some mindless poppy song in the background. In this case its "New Soul" by Yael Naim. This week when the iTunes page was updated with the new releases for the week, "New Soul" magically leaped to #1, without any previous appearance in the Top 100. In fact, prior to its appearance in an Apple ad, Yael Naim's catalog was only available in the French iTunes store. And I'm supposed to believe that based on a 30 second clip of a song in an Apple ad, millions of casual music fans leaped out of their seats to download a track by an unknown international artist, enough to propel that song into Billboard's Hot 100? Yeah, right.
I don't call conspiracy lightly. I don't believe the moon landing was faked. I sure as hell don't believe 9/11 was a government plot. The only conspiracy I've ever truly considered viable was the Kennedy Assassination, and that was after weeks of research in my senior year. But I can't help but believe that Apple might be trying to boost publicity for the MacBook Air by padding the download count on "New Soul".
I doubt it would be the first time, too. A similar thing happened to Feist's "1234" shortly after those annoying iPod video nano ads dropped (I don't know if that song went to number 1 though), and contrary to what my roommate wants to think, Feist was not big outside of indie circles prior to "1234". It also happened with U2's "Vertigo", but I'm more likely to believe that's natural based on the fact that U2 is in fact big enough to pull that kind of success that quickly without help from an iTunes ad and shady business from Apple. Then there are other random immediate successes, i.e. "Bubbly" and "Low", which seem pretty inexplicable (neither song was in the Top 100 before its sudden rise to #1), but since they weren't used to sell any Apple product, this could probably be explained away by radio play or other fair practices.
In closing, please don't immediately think this is the whole truth and that the iTunes Top Songs Chart is corrupt. It may be, it may not be...but based on what I've seen this week and in weeks before, I think there's plenty of evidence to call bullshit on some of Apple's practices. Just something to keep an eye on when you buy from iTunes from now on.
U2 - Vertigo [iTunes]
==TJ==
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Bonnaroo to Stop Sucking in 2008
The other day the REAL lineup for Bonnaroo hit the internet. Despite endless rumors to the contrary suggesting a Led Zeppelin appearance AND a botched report by NME that said they were in fact on the final lineup, the Zep sha'n't be playing. In their place will be all female tribute band Lez Zeppelin, as well as headliners Pearl Jam, Metallica, Kanye West, and Jack Johnson. Also on the lineup are OAR, Ben Folds, Rilo Kiley, and the Raconteurs, Jack White's side project when he's not dressed up like a matador.
In the past I've never been particularly impressed with the Bonnaroo lineup. Always a bunch of jam bands that you need to be positively shitfaced to appreciate. But this year there's actually something truly worth seeing in Pearl Jam and the strong likelihood of new stuff from Metallica (their new album is slated for a mid-2008 release). Don't know if this means I'll be hitchhiking down to Tennessee this summer (still holding out for a Foo Fighters concert...*sigh*), but definitely something to get intrigued by.
Back later with MP3s and stuff...just wanted to get that announcement out there.
==TJ==
In the past I've never been particularly impressed with the Bonnaroo lineup. Always a bunch of jam bands that you need to be positively shitfaced to appreciate. But this year there's actually something truly worth seeing in Pearl Jam and the strong likelihood of new stuff from Metallica (their new album is slated for a mid-2008 release). Don't know if this means I'll be hitchhiking down to Tennessee this summer (still holding out for a Foo Fighters concert...*sigh*), but definitely something to get intrigued by.
Back later with MP3s and stuff...just wanted to get that announcement out there.
==TJ==
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Singles All Over The Place
So far 2008 hasn't offered much in the way of exciting new music. for the last month or so it's been lots of either garbage or carryovers from 2007. Luckily this week unveiled a great set of stuff to come for the next few months. I already posted "Nine In The Afternoon" by Panic at the Disco (which according to Hype Machine I have the blogworld exclusive on right now...pretty cool). Over the last few days some kickass bands offered new singles for new albums. Before that, some singles from older bands.
Linkin Park announced that "Given Up" will be the fourth single from Minutes to Midnight. Not a great move if you ask me. "Shadow of the Day" is still climbing on the charts (#13 on the CHR/Top 40 this week) and could hit the Top 10 very soon, and "Given Up" was the weakest song off that album. I get that they want to keep their names on the alternative charts, but this song is pretty terrible.
Linkin Park - Given Up [iTunes]
This week Finger Eleven is sent "I'll Keep Your Memory Vague" to radio stations as their next single after "Falling On" failed to stick around for very long. It's been described as the token ballad from the album, and that's pretty accurate, but it's still better than a lot of other stuf Finger Eleven's put out. Anyone else remember the last ballad Finger Eleven dropped, the emotacular "One Thing"? Yeah, this may not be great and not sure how it'll take with the far superior ballad by Linkin Park doing so well, but a decent song nonetheless.
Finger Eleven - I'll Keep Your Memory Vague [iTunes]
This week was also a hell of a week for new singles. Last month I mentioned Secondhand Serenade's sophomore album A Twist In My Story. The album became available for pre-order on iTunes yesterday, and with it the title track was released. Lead single "Fall For You" hasn't made nearly the impact I thought it might, and until today when a second song had come out, I had forgotten about it. "A Twist In My Story" isn't terribly exciting at first listen either, but I'm hoping that as it gets closer to a release I'll warm up to it. No word on if the title track will be a single. In the meantime, here's "Fall For You"
Secondhand Serenade - Fall For You [iTunes]
Back for his first song since 2003 is rock singer songwriter Gavin DeGraw. "In Love With A Girl" is the first track from his allegedly self-titled sophomore album due out April 1st. Information on the release is spotty, and the only confirmed info is the release date and this single, which hit iTunes yesterday. The song shares a lot in common with his smash hit "I Don't Wanna Be", but is far from a carbon copy. The song still shows off DeGraw's excellent guitars and equally great lyrics, but with a touch more edge than most of Chariot. I've been waiting to hear from Gavin DeGraw for awhile now, and while he may not have changed much in 5 years, he's certainly welcome back the way he has been.
Gavin DeGraw - In Love With A Girl [iTunes]
The Counting Crows were among that chunk of music that Mike Newsham gave me last week, and based on what I heard, I like it. So I was quite excited to hear that last month the band leaked 2 tracks from their forthcoming Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings album to their website, as well as first single "You Can't Count On Me" to iTunes yesterday. "1492" and "When I Dream of Michelangelo" do a decent job of showing off the two sides of the album (it's a two-disc a la Foo Fighters' In Your Honor with one loud disc and one soft disc), but neither song is particularly amazing. "You Can't Count On Me" is most definitely is single, and looks like it might be big on the AC charts. For me, I don't think anything will top the stuff on August and Everything After, but the new song is still a worthy hit to add to their collection.
Counting Crows - You Can't Count On Me [iTunes]
I think that's it for now. Might be back later to cover the Bonnaroo lineup.
==TJ==
Linkin Park announced that "Given Up" will be the fourth single from Minutes to Midnight. Not a great move if you ask me. "Shadow of the Day" is still climbing on the charts (#13 on the CHR/Top 40 this week) and could hit the Top 10 very soon, and "Given Up" was the weakest song off that album. I get that they want to keep their names on the alternative charts, but this song is pretty terrible.
Linkin Park - Given Up [iTunes]
This week Finger Eleven is sent "I'll Keep Your Memory Vague" to radio stations as their next single after "Falling On" failed to stick around for very long. It's been described as the token ballad from the album, and that's pretty accurate, but it's still better than a lot of other stuf Finger Eleven's put out. Anyone else remember the last ballad Finger Eleven dropped, the emotacular "One Thing"? Yeah, this may not be great and not sure how it'll take with the far superior ballad by Linkin Park doing so well, but a decent song nonetheless.
Finger Eleven - I'll Keep Your Memory Vague [iTunes]
This week was also a hell of a week for new singles. Last month I mentioned Secondhand Serenade's sophomore album A Twist In My Story. The album became available for pre-order on iTunes yesterday, and with it the title track was released. Lead single "Fall For You" hasn't made nearly the impact I thought it might, and until today when a second song had come out, I had forgotten about it. "A Twist In My Story" isn't terribly exciting at first listen either, but I'm hoping that as it gets closer to a release I'll warm up to it. No word on if the title track will be a single. In the meantime, here's "Fall For You"
Secondhand Serenade - Fall For You [iTunes]
Back for his first song since 2003 is rock singer songwriter Gavin DeGraw. "In Love With A Girl" is the first track from his allegedly self-titled sophomore album due out April 1st. Information on the release is spotty, and the only confirmed info is the release date and this single, which hit iTunes yesterday. The song shares a lot in common with his smash hit "I Don't Wanna Be", but is far from a carbon copy. The song still shows off DeGraw's excellent guitars and equally great lyrics, but with a touch more edge than most of Chariot. I've been waiting to hear from Gavin DeGraw for awhile now, and while he may not have changed much in 5 years, he's certainly welcome back the way he has been.
Gavin DeGraw - In Love With A Girl [iTunes]
The Counting Crows were among that chunk of music that Mike Newsham gave me last week, and based on what I heard, I like it. So I was quite excited to hear that last month the band leaked 2 tracks from their forthcoming Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings album to their website, as well as first single "You Can't Count On Me" to iTunes yesterday. "1492" and "When I Dream of Michelangelo" do a decent job of showing off the two sides of the album (it's a two-disc a la Foo Fighters' In Your Honor with one loud disc and one soft disc), but neither song is particularly amazing. "You Can't Count On Me" is most definitely is single, and looks like it might be big on the AC charts. For me, I don't think anything will top the stuff on August and Everything After, but the new song is still a worthy hit to add to their collection.
Counting Crows - You Can't Count On Me [iTunes]
I think that's it for now. Might be back later to cover the Bonnaroo lineup.
==TJ==
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Friday Night Goodies (Sort Of)
(So I'm a dumbass and posted this entry last night and botched the links to the songs. In the interest of getting picked up the Hype Machine, I deleted the entry and am reposting now with the actual links)
Once again, not much of note on the Top 40. "No One" is still at #1, beyond my comprehension, "Clumsy", "Low", and "Tattoo" are still nipping at its heels, but not doing enough, and the only new songs aren't terribly exciting (except for the new Daughtry song). Perhaps better luck next week.
I have to confess, I may have committed a nearly indefensible sin. I brought "He Said She Said" by Ashley Tisdale onto my hard drive. At the time I did it this didn't seem awful, just another example of my off-the-wall fascination with pop music. It wasn't till nearly a week later that I realized that Ashley Tisdale was cast member in High School Musical. I thus enabled Disney's sorry excuse for a record label AND annoying 12-year-olds everywhere. The file is still on my hard drive, but everytime I listen to it, I play something infinitely better both before and after it as penance. In the interest of not parading around this transgression, I will NOT post the song.
Earlier this week Panic At The Disco (they dropped the exclamation point from their name, perhaps The Disco has restored some order? Is it now just a mild concern?) released the first single from their new album Pretty.Odd. Regardless of the absurd punctuation in the album title, lead single "Nine in the Afternoon" is actually a pretty cool song. Panic has chilled out a bit, and the blatant Fall Out Boy worship is gone, but that carnival-esque style that set them apart in the first place is still present. At first listen it doesn't pack the same punch that anything on A Fever You Can't Sweat Out did, but regardless, it still commands a listen. Pretty.Odd. drops March 25th, and is available (along with "Nine in the Afternoon") on iTunes.
Panic at the Disco - Nine in the Afternoon [iTunes]
I've only scratched the surface of the 300+ songs I mentioned in the last post, but I'm already finding things I like and things that need work. For the record, with a few exceptions, Eric Clapton was better in a band than he ever was solo. I also truly like the Gin Blossoms, even though I've only heard a couple of songs.
That's it for now. Back later this weekend with reviews and stuff.
Currently Listening: John Mayer - The Heart Of Life [iTunes]
(listening to this album...my reaction coming this weekend)
==TJ==
Once again, not much of note on the Top 40. "No One" is still at #1, beyond my comprehension, "Clumsy", "Low", and "Tattoo" are still nipping at its heels, but not doing enough, and the only new songs aren't terribly exciting (except for the new Daughtry song). Perhaps better luck next week.
I have to confess, I may have committed a nearly indefensible sin. I brought "He Said She Said" by Ashley Tisdale onto my hard drive. At the time I did it this didn't seem awful, just another example of my off-the-wall fascination with pop music. It wasn't till nearly a week later that I realized that Ashley Tisdale was cast member in High School Musical. I thus enabled Disney's sorry excuse for a record label AND annoying 12-year-olds everywhere. The file is still on my hard drive, but everytime I listen to it, I play something infinitely better both before and after it as penance. In the interest of not parading around this transgression, I will NOT post the song.
Earlier this week Panic At The Disco (they dropped the exclamation point from their name, perhaps The Disco has restored some order? Is it now just a mild concern?) released the first single from their new album Pretty.Odd. Regardless of the absurd punctuation in the album title, lead single "Nine in the Afternoon" is actually a pretty cool song. Panic has chilled out a bit, and the blatant Fall Out Boy worship is gone, but that carnival-esque style that set them apart in the first place is still present. At first listen it doesn't pack the same punch that anything on A Fever You Can't Sweat Out did, but regardless, it still commands a listen. Pretty.Odd. drops March 25th, and is available (along with "Nine in the Afternoon") on iTunes.
Panic at the Disco - Nine in the Afternoon [iTunes]
I've only scratched the surface of the 300+ songs I mentioned in the last post, but I'm already finding things I like and things that need work. For the record, with a few exceptions, Eric Clapton was better in a band than he ever was solo. I also truly like the Gin Blossoms, even though I've only heard a couple of songs.
That's it for now. Back later this weekend with reviews and stuff.
Currently Listening: John Mayer - The Heart Of Life [iTunes]
(listening to this album...my reaction coming this weekend)
==TJ==
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