Hectic But Eclectic

Rebecca Ferguson - "Nothing's Real But Love"

2012-01-12T18:49:00.001-06:00

Although it hasn't even been a full year since the release of Adele's 21, the success of that album may have already paved the way for Rebecca Ferguson's debut effort, Heaven, who also happens to be British. A few years ago, a track like "Nothing's Real But Love" might have been seen as something strictly for the Starbucks crowd due to its traditional sound and the lack of frills, but the demographic for this type of music has certainly expanded since then. The comparisons to Adele end there as I think Ferguson's voice has more grit to it and could easily lend itself naturally to some Stax/rock fusion. It's that extra bit of smokiness that makes everything here feel so pained, which is why I've been playing it a lot recently. Her voice is as distinct as they come and I'm betting she'll probably be huge if the album makes it here to the States.

Click here to download the song and visit her official website here.

Top 250 Singles of 2011

2011-12-29T22:29:00.007-06:00

1. King - The Story

Some of the imagery here is of a galactic nature, with references to the mothership, stars and such. Not uncommon at all in pop music, but very fitting since every listen to "The Story" feels like a journey beyond space, possibly on an astral plane. There's a magic going on here that's hard to explain, but something about paving your own path and following your own heart spoke loudly to the dreamer in me, in the sort of way that my favorite songs of all-time do. We sometimes have a tendency to sneer at anything that's purposefully positive in this world. Perhaps it's out of jealousy or maybe because we simply don't like being told how to feel. Whatever it is, I implore any cynics to not let that get in the way of enjoying this song. There is too much warmth in those keyboards and too much love in the harmonies to feel anything but empowered when your heart is fully opened to this track. In the seven years I've been doing these lists, never have I been this sure of what my #1 single would be.

2. Betty Black - Spring Blossoms

There is something both sexy and scary about Sylvia Gordon, which is why I find her so intriguing. To be obvious, her lower register has a mature purr that oozes sensuality, but she is rarely overt. She coos as if she knows all the secrets to carnal ecstasy and would only be willing to share them with whoever has enough courage. This is the aura that pervades throughout "Spring Blossoms," a ghostly yet romantic track that ranks among some of her best work, including even Kudu. It's like a brooding, erotic slow dance through a cemetery with a pale moon providing the only source of light.

3. Azealia Banks - 212

Aside from making me say the word "cunt" more than I have in the past few years combined, "212" is pretty remarkable on its own merit. One of the big appeals here is the vocabulary in general, filled with slang rarely heard over a house beat and mostly filtered through an accent that's half-valley girl and half-Southern. It's a bit disorienting to hear so much smack talk and repping for NYC in anything but the stereotypical East Coast growl, which is a huge part of why I've played it so many times. Most of the fun for me is in deciphering the artistic choices made and why it's so addictive. A simple answer as to why I can't stop playing it is because everything from the production to the personality is loud, kinetic and colorful.

4. Lloyd feat. Lil Wayne and Andre 3000 - Dedication To My Ex (Miss That)

In some way, I feel like this is the type of song that a lot of soul artists from back in the day wouldn't have minded recording at least just once without consequence. The 50s and 60s were indeed a time of subtle courtship and stricter social mores, but as we're all aware, the lifestyle of rock stars back then were much looser than what was being advertised. Let's not kid ourselves into thinking that Solomon Burke and Wilson Pickett were practicing celibacy on the road. It's not my intention to compare Lloyd to the aforementioned artists, but their penchant for raw, hip-shaking music share more than a few similarities with "Dedication To My Ex." Luckily for us, Lloyd has the luxury of being unrestricted and can channel the spirit of decades past to create something both filthy and fun in an authentic way. I've never heard Lloyd wail like this before, as most of his tracks are much smoother than this. Here, he convincingly sounds like a man whose entire existence depends on growling the word "pussy," if only to show you how betrayed he feels.

5. MNDR - Cut Me Out

She lent vocals to my #2 single of 2010, "Bang Bang Bang" by Mark Ronson, and call me cocky if you want but I think it bodes well for her that she cracked my top ten again in 2011 with her debut album still to come. The dark electropop textures of "Cut Me Out" weren't that far from her E.P.E. EP, but it's more accessible than anything on that release. While she's no stranger to using pop structures for her songs, MNDR's work is more challenging than the typical electronic diva, yet the rewards are more bountiful. The skittery backing track doesn't lend itself to be easily danced to, which is not a flaw against it but part of what makes it a compelling record.

6. Wynter Gordon - Buy My Love

The great thing about music is that you don't necessarily have to agree with what is being said to enjoy it. For me, it's all about the approach. There's nothing wrong with being told what you want to hear, but I like to be challenged once in a while. In real life, I do not care much for women who plot to spend my earnings on frivolous things, but with a song as full of sparkle as "Buy My Love," I allow it but only for three minutes. The song feels like one big giant grin, as if Gordon knows that her beaming delivery will be enough to convince you that spending money on her will make you happy as well. That sort of charisma is welcome for a track so concerned with money and is a testament to Gordon's capabilities as a performer.

7. tUnE-yArDs - Bizness

When Merrill Garbus holds out those notes during the first verse, I immediately switch into a primal state of mind. It makes me want to jump on top of a table because of how deep down it reaches into your soul. This doesn't happen because of technical mastery, but just pure, unrefined emotion, which Garbus knows how to squeeze every inch of. Along with the help of an African-inspired rhythm and a hopping bass line, "Bizness" became a semi-aggressive rallying cry for those who can't seem to offer up enough sacrifices when trying to please someone. Garbus is always a few steps from screaming and if she can sound so defiant, then dammit, why can't you?

8. Katy B - Movement

Blessed with a silky house groove, "Movement" was easily one of the highlights from On A Mission, which by default made it one of the best tracks of the year. Although less verbose than some of her more popular songs, we still get lines like "Silence is the sound of now/When I much prefer love bold and loud" that are near poetic and more vivid than the typical club banger. It's the happy kind of medium on the dancefloor where intelligence and entertainment are not at odds, but instead gloriously grinding on one another.

9. Summer Camp - Better Off Without You

When one is getting over an unworthy ex, you should feel overjoyed. The beauty of what Summer Camp did with this song is how they were able to capture that feeling so accurately through a chorus that shimmers radiantly, regardless of what decade they're trying to pay tribute to or what decade you're listening to this song in. This is their finest moment yet in a career that has already seen enjoyable releases such as the Young EP and Welcome To Condale, which makes their future look all the more promising. For right now, the rush of "Better Off Without You" is more than enough to appease any fixes for ear candy I might have.

10. Pistol Annies - Hell On Heels

It goes without saying that I hold the concept behind on "Hell On Heels" in high regard due to its placement, but the reason why it's a step above most bad girl songs is how casual it all comes off. There's no brimstone in these ladies' voices, but a soft flickering flame that serves as only a slight warning instead of something the fire department would need to get involved in. When they sing that the Devil made them pretty and he made them smart, it's not a boast but a simple fact of life and it's easy to buy into. It also doesn't hurt that this is one of the dustiest sounding country songs to chart in some time. I do enjoy some of the glossy Nashville stuff, but stripped down efforts like this that make a nod to the genre's past are more engaging for me.

11. Lovelle feat. Lady Cham - Uh-Oh
A delirious, frantic mix of pop and grime.
12. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers
Sometimes when I listen to this, I picture Satan with some headphones on in front of a recording console, playing with the knobs and just bobbing his head with a look of concentration on his face.
13. Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend
Robyn tells you to give your girl the cold shoulder. She brought some frosty synths to help you out.
14. Lady Gaga - Born This Way
Like Madonna never borrowed from anyone.
15. King Louie - Too Cool
Don't let the 8-bit influenced riff fool you: this beat will murder your speakers.
16. Star Anna and The Laughing Dogs - Alone In This Together
As pained a vocal performance I've heard all year.
17. T.I. feat. Pharrell - Here Ye, Hear Ye
Nope, this track isn't from 2003. They both just sound that hungry.
18. Class Actress - Weekend
Former folk singer revamps herself as a synthpop goddess with glamorous results and a slick chorus.
19. Cam'ron & Vado - Girls Cry
Cam + soul sample = repeat-worthy no matter what the year.
20. Mara Hruby - The Panties
Very faithful cover of Mos Def track that's even sultrier than the original.
21. XXXY - You Always Start It
Let's end the insanity now, America. This is dubstep, and one of the best damn examples out there.
22. Chris Brown feat. Benny Benassi - Beautiful People
I honestly haven't been this excited by a Brown track since "Kiss Kiss." He's made solid stuff in between, but rarely does it come out this exhilarating.
23. My Chemical Romance - Planetary (Go!)
Glam punk goes to the disco.
24. Jackie Chain feat. Bun B - Parked Outside
In a busy year, Big K.R.I.T. saves one of his best beats for an upstart and a Dirty South legend.
25. Timothy Bloom feat. V Bozeman - 'Til The End Of Time
Terrific traditional soul that holds up beautifully without the provocative visuals of the video.
26. Little Tybee - Passion Seekers
One of the best combinations of calming and sunny this year.
27. Jay-Z & Kanye West - Otis
The Redding sample doesn't even get me the most giddy: it's the way they both play off each other's last lines of a verse like they've been practicing Run DMC routines in the mirror.
28. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Ffunny Frends
If lo-fi hip hop were a thing, it would probably sound a little like this.
29. Charli XCX - Stay Away
Murky goth pop that makes pain feel good.
30. Beyonce - Countdown
Explosively joyful ode to monogamy.
31. Big Boi feat. Janelle Monáe - Be Still
Holdover from last year's Sir Lucious Leftfoot that reminds us that Atlanta is still the champ of urban sci-fi.
32. Theophilus London feat. Solange and Devonte Hynes - Flying Overseas
The chorus is just about one of the creamiest things I heard in 2011.
33. Nicki Minaj - Super Bass
The rare bubbly pop confection that doesn't ruin hip hop cred.
34. Wynter Gordon - Til Death
So my options are either leave the dancefloor or die there? If this song weren't playing right now, I wouldn't be as conflicted.
35. Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz - 6 Foot 7 Foot
Dizzying verses with another monster of a beat from Bangladesh.
36. Rihanna - Cheers (Drink To That)
The rumors are true: I will be singing this every weekend I go out partying for the next few years. Friends and family, be prepared.
37. St. Vincent - Cruel
Gorgeously layered as expected but with as much bite as anything she's done.
38. Raphael Saadiq - Movin' Down The Line
If this had actually been released in the 1960s, our current population might be increased by about 3%.
39. Jill Scott feat. Anthony Hamilton - So In Love
I have a ton of respect for songs that make me feel like I'm in a happy relationship even when I'm single. Bonus points if I can step to it.
40. Giraffage - Visible
R&B-influenced collage with a dash of psychedelic leanings.
41. Katy B - Easy Please Me
Why can't we get more smart female anthems like this? It's like R&B cranked three of these out every week back in the 90s.
42. Kanye West - All Of The Lights
A colorful and aggressive barrage of sound that proves why Kanye is one of the most forward-thinking artists in pop music.
43. Keren Ann - My Name Is Trouble
I'm a sucker for icy, detached vocals if the lyrics are sly enough.
44. The Foreign Exchange feat. Paris & Amber Strother - All The Kisses
If being responsible for my #1 single wasn't enough, the girls of King also contributed to this slick, pulsating track.
45. Smith Westerns - Weekend
The kids are alright.
46. Hot Chelle Rae - Tonight Tonight
Don't fight it. It's useless...
47. 1,2,3 - Work
You'd think that a falsetto on a record about the daily grind wouldn't work, but it helps to give it that bit of optimism it needs.
48. Thundercat - Daylight
Smooth and pure as baby tears.
49. J*DaVeY - Raincheck
Every time I play this song, I can see the sex dripping out of the earphones. And it feels good.
50. Jai Paul - BTSTU (Edit)
I feel like I'm cheating since I heard the original last year, but it got a remastered release and it's still worth your time if you like slinky R&B-esque jams with cuss words and effeminate vocals.
51. Lady Gaga - You and I
The arena has spoken. Lighters out, please.
52. St. Vincent - Surgeon
Borrowing from my favorite Nancy Sinatra ever will only get you so far. Then comes that great first line, "I spent the summer on my back," and we're cool again.
53. Beyonce - 1+1
What I love is how the arrangement is used to squeeze every bit of drama out of this song. I usually feel exhausted after every listen.
54. Eleanor Friedberger - My Mistakes
More sax solos in my indie pop, please.
55. Purity Ring - Ungirthed/Loftcries
The best of the bunch this year from the indie world's growing fascination with R&B and modern pop.
56. Star Slinger - Mornin'
Dilla-esque chopping and boom bap with an ace Staples Sisters sample.
57. Beastie Boys feat. Santigold - Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win
Thumping ska production with the patented old school flair they always deliver.
58. Drake - Marvin's Room
After this song was over, I almost wanted to put my hand on Drake's shoulder and tell him it was going to be okay.
59. Lethal B - Pow (2011)
Elbows will fly and teeth will come out if you're not careful with this track.
60. Orval Carlos Sibelius - I Don't Want A Baby
My favorite excuse: "I may have a cancer." Not just cancer, but a cancer. Cracks me up for some reason.
61. Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise
I don't care if it sounds like it could have easily been on Hello Nasty. This was one of my favorite beats of the year.
62. Zee Avi - Swell Window
Delicate acoustic ditty that's perfect for when you're pining for someone.
63. The Joy Formidable - Whirring
Their epic can probably beat your epic.
64. Glass Candy - Warm In The Winter
I climbed to the mountaintop and as I looked over the glacial terrain, this was the first song that was played.
65. Best Coast - Our Deal
Neko Case is probably kicking herself for not writing this.
66. Moullinex - Love It Is, Then
I tried to come up with something thoughtful for this, but I couldn't stop dancing.
67. Adele - Someone Like You
I was going to write something completely snarky, but then I remembered that "Chasing Pavements" cracked my top 10 back in '08, so I should have been less surprised that nearly everyone in the world enjoyed this song.
68. Yelle - Safari Disco Club
More restrained than their previous singles, but you'll still want to bounce around.
69. Cities Aviv - Coastin'
I guess this really is the 21st century if we have an MC from Memphis who convincingly sounds like he's from the East Coast.
70. Cymphonique - Something
The most talented member of Master P's clan does surprisingly well over an old Michel'le track.
71. Gang Gang Dance - Glass Jar
Good ol' dancefloor psychedelia like they're used to cranking out.
72. Ladytron - White Elephant
Good ol' moody electropop like they're used to cranking out.
73. Nadia Oh - Taking Over The Dancefloor (Kate Middleton)
Still trying to decide whether this is idiotic or genius.
74. MAKE OUT - You Can't Be Friends With Everyone
One minute and forty-two seconds of snotty garage pop that even manages to sneak in a key change.
75. Van Hunt - Eyes Like Pearls
Can anyone explain to me why this isn't being played on modern rock stations? Too much like Prince?
76. Class Actress - Keep You
Someone's been brushing up on their Depeche Mode and Human League.
77. Amy Winehouse feat. Nas - Like Smoke
A reinvigorated Nas continues his current winning streak on a track that wouldn't be out of place on Frank.
78. Acrylics - Sparrow Song
It's the floating soundtrack of a pivotal scene in an 80s teenage movie where two characters fall in love. I'm thinking somewhere in the hallways of school during the dance.
79. Chris Brown - She Ain't You
Based on merit, I'm disappointed that in the beginning it also lifts the vocal melody from the original SWV track it samples. Then I shrug and hit play again.
80. Rihanna - You Da One
Can I give the title of this era's Madonna to her already? She's got the combination of style and music to prove it. This song only helps her to further set the standard for mainstream pop.
81. EMA - California
A hookless, shoegazey ramble that's more engaging than I'm making it seem.
82. Cee Lo Green feat. Melanie Fiona - Fool For You
As much as I love all things eclectic, I think Cee Lo's at his strongest when he's in soul mode like this.
83. Ivy - Distant Lights
Feels like softly flashing colors across a calm sky set to a 4/4 beat.
84. Neon Indian - Polish Girl
Coming to you in a Victoria Secret's commercial in 5, 4, 3...
85. Jay-Z & Kanye West - Niggas In Paris
This club cray. This club cray.
86. Chris Brown feat. Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne - Look At Me Now
Still trying to wrap my head around Busta's verses and how much of a technical accomplishment that was.
87. Flo Rida - Good Feeling
Not saying that he needed an Etta James sample for me to consider him as a serious pop artist, but this guy has been pretty consistent in the genre for the past few years.
88. Lady Gaga - The Edge of Glory
More sax solos in my dance pop, please.
89. Pusha T featuring Tyler the Creator - Trouble On My Mind
Everything about this is just plain devious. Especially that Neptunes beat.
90. The Strokes - Under Cover of Darkness
At this point, why not go back to the formula from Is This It? What harm could it do? Very little, I tells you.
91. Nicola Roberts - Lucky Day
So all that talk about the members of Girls Aloud having indiscernible personalities turned out to be rubbish. Also, the onomatopoeias make me smile.
92. Those Dancing Days - I'll Be Yours
Sugary and rockin'. These ladies are some of the best at it.
93. Le Kid - America
A flat-out killer of a pop chorus. They're from Sweden, so the apt response would be, "Well, duh."
94. Jeremih - Another Song
Drop your guard and give this a chance. Might be one of the catchiest things you'll hear all day.
95. R. Kelly - Radio Message
Touching throwback to the sounds of yesterday and reminiscent of a time when apologies through a radio station were perfectly logical.
96. Jesse Boykins III - B4 The Night Is Thru
A sexy synth-heavy R&B cut that's proof there's an infinite amount of ways to draw inspiration from Prince.
97. Toby Keith - Red Solo Cup
I was completely sober when I made this list and I was completely sober every time I enjoyed this song, mind you.
98. Adele - Rolling In The Deep
Everybody sing along with me now.
99. Selena Gomez & The Scene - Who Says
I left adolescence a while ago and I never owned a pair of ovaries, but I'll be damned if the day doesn't look brighter and empowering after listening to this.
100. Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger
Not much about this song screams "Rolling Stones," but I swear that every time Adam Levine hits those ooohs during the chorus, I feel like doing that patented Mick shimmy.

101. Nicki Minaj feat. Drake - Moment 4 Life
102. Raphael Saadiq - Good Man
103. Young The Giant - My Body
104. M83 - Midnight City
105. Britney Spears - Till the World Ends
106. Lights - Toes
107. T-Pain feat. Lily Allen and Wiz Khalifa - 5 O'Clock
108. Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High
109. Katy Perry - Last Friday (T.G.I.F.)
110. Real Estate - It's Real
111. Miguel - Sure Thing
112. S.C.U.M. - Whitechapel
113. Nicole Atkins - Vultures
114. Reema Major - I'm The One
115. Washed Out - Amor Fati
116. SBTKRT - Wildfire
117. K. Michelle - How Many Times
118. Drake - Headlines
119. Kendrick Lamar - HiiiPower
120. Jessie J feat. B.o.B. - Price Tag
121. Jennifer Hudson - Where You At
122. Glee Cast - Loser Like Me
123. Pink - Fuckin' Perfect
124. Twin Sister - Kimmi In A Rice Field
125. Lana Del Rey - Video Games
126. Catcall - Satellites
127. Cut Copy - Need You Now
128. Colbie Calliat - Brighter Than The Sun
129. Katzenjammer - I Will Dance (When I Walk Away)
130. Zomby - Natalia’s Song
131. Martin Solveig (feat. Dragonette) - Hello
132. LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem
133. Veronica Maggio - Jag kommer
134. AraabMUZIK - Streetz Tonight
135. Cults - Abducted
136. Demi Lovato - Skyscraper
137. Britney Spears - I Wanna Go
138. Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out
139. Marsha Ambrosius - Late Nights & Early Mornings
140. Anna Calvi - Desire
141. Ladytron - Ace of Hz
142. Alexis Jordan - Good Girl
143. Girls Generation - The Boys
144. Katy B - Broken Record
145. The Rapture - How Deep Is Your Love?
146. Little Jackie - Cock Block
147. Never Shout Never! - Time Travel
148. Skream feat. Sam Frank - Where You Should Be
149. Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
150. Childish Gambino - Freaks and Geeks
151. Kathryn Calder - Who Are You?
152. Summer Camp - Down
153. Natalia Kills - Kill My Boyfriend
154. 151 Feva Gang - Kush Groove
155. The Go! Team - Secretary Song
156. CREEP feat. Nina Sky - You
157. Marit Larsen - Coming Home
158. Caroline - Swimmer
159. Iron & Wine - Tree By The River
160. Kelly Clarkson - Mr. Know It All
161. Selena Gomez & the Scene - Hit the Lights
162. Go Home Productions - Imagine The Band
163. Young The Giant - Cough Syrup
164. The Jezabels - Endless Summer
165. Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire - Lou Ferigno's Mad
166. Icona Pop - Nights Like This
167. The Lonely Island feat. Nicki Minaj - The Creep
168. Jill Scott - Hear My Call
169. Nikkiya - When I Was High
170. Nicola Roberts - Beat Of My Drum
171. Yeasayer - I Remember
172. Foo Fighters - Walk
173. Selena Gomez & The Scene - Bang Bang Bang
174. Emmy The Great - Iris
175. Apples In Stereo - C.P.U.
176. Austra - Lose It
177. Oh My! feat. Scrufizzer - Dirty Dancer
178. Kelly Clarkson - Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)
179. Best Coast - Crazy For You
180. Kissy Sell Out - Wild In The Warehouse
181. Les Demoniaques - Teenage Lust
182. Kelly Price feat. Stokley Williams - Not My Daddy
183. Big Troubles - Misery
184. DJ Quik feat. Jon B - Real Women
185. Bad Meets Evil - Fast Lane
186. Cee Lo Green - Cry Baby
187. Mayer Hawthorne - The Walk
188. Tycho - Hours
189. DJ Khaled feat. Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne - I'm On One
190. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
191. Big K.R.I.T. feat. Bun B & Ludacris - Country Shit (Remix)
192. Katy B - Witches Brew
193. Andy Allo - Lost In The World
194. Frank Ocean - Thinking About You
195. VV Brown feat. Chiddy Bang - Children
196. Lil Wayne - How To Love
197. Austra - The Beat and the Pulse
198. Common feat. Nas - Ghetto Dreams
199. Miranda Lambert - Baggage Claim
200. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
201. Rustie - Ultra Thizz
202. Air France - It Feels Good To Be Around You
203. Little Majorette - Never Be The Same
204. Sess 4-5 and Keedy Black - I Luv Dat Boy
205. Ghostface Killah - 2Getha Baby
206. Butch Walker and The Black Widows - Summer of '89
207. Little Majorette - Overflow
208. Bon Iver - Holocene
209. Foo Fighters - Rope
210. The Lonely Island feat. Akon - I Just Had Sex
211. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
212. The Drums - Money
213. Main Attrakionz - Perfect Skies
214. Big K.R.I.T. - Dreamin'
215. Nas - Nasty
216. Little Dragon - Nightlight
217. Radiohead - Lotus Flower
218. Icona Pop - Manners
219. Lykke Li - Sadness Is A Blessing
220. Estelle feat. Rick Ross - Break My Heart
221. Selena Gomez & The Scene - Love You Like A Love Song
222. My Chemical Romance - Sing
223. Pictureplane - Real is a Feeling
224. A$AP Rocky - Peso
225. Rewards feat. Solange Knowles - Equal Dreams
226. Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song
227. Waka Flocka Flame feat. Kebo Gotti - Grove St. Party
228. Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne - Motivation
229. U.S. Girls - Island Song
230. jj feat. Ne-Yo - We Can't Stop
231. Le Kid - We Are The Drums
232. J. Cole - Work Out
233. Gigi Barocco feat. Jane Berg - Crunk It
234. Wild Flag - Romance
235. Natalia Kills - Free
236. Wale feat. Rick Ross & Jeremih - That Way
237. LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It
238. Cold Cave - The Great Pan Is Dead
239. Pure X - Twisted Mirror
240. J*Davey - Quicksand
241. Nikkiya - Nobody But Me
242. OG Melody - OG Realness
243. Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland - Gone
244. SCB - Loss / FutureUnknown
245. Nurses - Fever Dreams
246. Factory Floor - Two Different Ways
247. Big & Rich feat. Gretchen Wilson - Fake ID
248. Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris - We Found Love
249. Win Win feat. Lizzi Bougatsos - Releaserpm
250. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Starlight

Best Albums of 2011

2011-12-20T20:18:00.004-06:00

These are my favorite albums of 2011. This year, I'm trying something different by bringing Spotify into the mix. I've created a playlist with a song from most of the albums here. Check back next week for my list of the best singles of the year.

1. Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'

On his 2008 album, The Way I See It, Saadiq copped a retro sound that recalled some of the softer, romantic touches of Motown. As enjoyable as that album was, it often felt like a tribute instead of a creative exercise. For the follow-up, the sound is still of the past and just as accurate, but more soulful, freewheeling and raucous. By convincingly conjuring up the spirit of Stax and the eclectic side of Sly and The Family Stone, Stone Rollin' would have been pleasing to the ears of most by default as well. Instead, Saadiq completely reinvigorated the whole process of being retro by using the era not to justify the means, but as a catalyst for exploring just how vibrant his songwriting could be. The authenticity is part of the charm, but the joy lies mostly in listening to one of R&B's most intelligent and classiest artists at the top of his game.

2. Katy B - On A Mission

On A Mission boasts some of the best production you're likely to hear all year. From the dubstep of "Katy On A Mission" to the 90s house of "Movement," there is no shortage of fresh ways to make you dance. What separates Katy B from the rest of her pop contemporaries is how smart and observant she comes off as. Life in the club through her lens is not just filled with partying and having a good time, but pointing out the nuances of courtship and her own anxieties. It's a mature pop album disguised as a dance floor filler, but with all the subtlety that's lacking from the Rihannas and Britneys of the world.

3. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

Back in 2009, St. Vincent's Actor was my favorite album of the year, and once again she is in the upper half of the list, automatically earning her a spot as one of my favorite current artists. Very little of the preciousness from that album is on Strange Mercy, as the music here is more chaotic and groove-based. Despite the newfound love for electronic sounds, the arrangements were intricate as usual and served more as support for the songs instead of being at the forefront. This was the first St. Vincent album where it felt like it was as equally concerned with window dressing as the content. Part of the delight in her albums are the array of instruments on display, but with Strange Mercy and its darker turns, the songwriting was just as consistent as the music.

4. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact

As much as Gang Gang Dance seem concerned with challenging your ears, they put just as much focus on making you move. After all, "Dance" is a part of the band name, but it's not in the traditional sense. Global rhythms build the foundation of their sound and coupled with hazy, fluorescent soundscapes, Eye Contact provided one of the more hallucinatory musical experiences of the year. It's been part of their approach for years and it continued to be enjoyable in 2011.

5. Summer Camp - Welcome To Condale

Whether you like it or not, a listen from beginning to end of Welcome to Condale will transport you back to the 80s. With each listen of this album, the visions of neon Ray-Bans and Lacoste shirts with popped collars became more distinct in my head, which I always feel is very special if music can do that to you. Of course, the audio clips of John Hughes' movies interspersed throughout help, but it's Summer Camp's ironclad grasp of the era that sees their goal through. Concept aside, just about every chorus here is bursting with sunshine and the sugar rush of a 2-liter Tab, which is mainly why it has earned a spot here. The accomplishment of being able to place you in the mindset of another decade is impressive, but catchy songs like "Better Off With You," "Down" and "Brian Krakow" are even more so.

6. Van Hunt - What Were You Hoping For?

With three official albums and the unreleased gem, Popular, Van Hunt has already built a discography that could compete with a lot of the other critically acclaimed rock acts who have released just as much output. Each successive album gets weirder and the guitars louder, making Hunt the heir apparent to Prince when it comes to rock and soul, but also one of the most underrated acts since sex seems to now belong to the club instead of the garage. He's played around with rock before on his previous two albums, but everything came out in full bloom on heavy tunes such as the thrash-worthy "Watching You Go Crazy Is Driving Me Insane" and the raging "A Time Machine Is My New Girlfriend," which would have probably never fit on any plan that EMI had for him. It isn't all just a full-out assault, as the album closer "It's A Mysterious Hustle" proves that few in the business can crank out a ballad like Van Hunt, further cementing his diversity.

7. Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi

Sonically, Calvi's self-titled debut is one of the most haunting of the year, filled with Spaghetti western-influenced guitar licks that sound as if they were created in a cemetery. There is indeed pain spread all over the strings, yet everything remains endlessly repeat worthy. Anna Calvi is rousing enough at times that it doesn't frighten your soul at every step, but touches it with enough grace and sensitivity that make it easy to empathize with an inanimate object such as a guitar.

8. tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L

By mixing the experimentation of her first album with lively, percussion-heavy rhythms, Merrill Garbus created an original piece of work that was as trippy as it was fun. Compared to Bird Brains, W H O K I L L does come off as more conventional, but the focus on a pop-oriented song structure only magnified Garbus' other talents, mainly her distinct wailing rasp, which is the album's secret weapon. The highlight here, "Powa," featured the fewest loops and Easter eggs, and it's also the most powerful track due to the captivating performance on vocals.

9. Wynter Gordon - With The Music I Die

To clear things up, this ranking is based on the full-length Australian version, not the EP that is only available in the States, which is really a shame. "Buy My Love" and "Til Death" are two of the strongest pop singles of the year, but American audiences were also deprived of cuts like the slinky "Drunk On Your Love," which displayed Gordon's knack for vibrant choruses. With The Music I Die is an unrelenting chain of booming, glossy dance beats that would sound right at home on top 40 radio and left little room for filler with a brisk running time of 33 minutes. Gordon has been able to hone her craft for years by writing tunes for Flo Rida and Jennifer Lopez, so it's no surprise that her debut effort would be solid. What is surprising is how it has raised the game for North American pop music, which has seen the best releases for the genre come out of Europe for the past decade. Game on.

10. Thundercat - The Golden Age of Apocalypse

Thundercat's debut fits in nicely with the burgeoning underground R&B movement that includes J*Davey and Sonnymoon, even if half of it is instrumental. With a creamy, free-flowing bass style, Stephen Bruner of Suicidal Tendencies has developed a jazzy experience that is reminiscent of Herbie Hancock's Headhunters album and comes with all the trademarks needed for a space-bop texture. A lot of the new R&B movement uses an intergalactic approach as well, but it goes much deeper on The Golden Age of Apocalypse. Although the album is mostly improvisational, when concrete melodies do arrive, it's some of the sleekest and smoothest music of 2011.

And the rest...

11. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
12. Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams
13. Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer
14. Fiend - Tennis Shoes and Tuxedos
15. Marit Larsen - Spark
16. DJ Quik - The Book of David
17. Little Jackie - Made4TV
18. Marsha Ambrosius - Late Nights and Early Mornings
19. Zee Avi - Ghostbird
20. Class Actress - Rapproacher
21. Big K.R.I.T.-Return of 4eva
22. Wild Flag - Wild Flag
23. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
24. Nicole Atkins - Mondo Amore
25. Tally Hall - Good and Evil
26. Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire - Lost In Translation
27. Washed Out - Within and Without
28. Pistol Annies - Hell On Heels
29. The Roots - undun
30. Lloyd - King of Hearts
31. Veronica Maggio - Satan I Gatan
32. Delicate Steve - Wondervisions
33. Young The Giant - Young The Giant
34. Ivy - All Hours
35. Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committe Part Two
36. Harrys Gym - What Was Ours Can't Be Yours
37. Frank Ocean - nostalgia, ultra
38. Le Butcherettes - Sin Sin Sin
39. White Shoes & The Couples Company - Album Vakansi
40. Giraffage - Comfort
41. Drake - Take Care
42. Saigon - The Greatest Story Never Told
43. Childish Gambino - Camp
44. Butch Walker & The Black Widows - The Spade
45. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - It's A Corporate World
46. jj - Kills
47. Cocaine 80s - The Pursuit EP
48. Säkert! - Pa Engleska
49. Cults - Cults
50. Little Dragon-Ritual Union

Honorable mention (in alphabetical order)

Adele - 21
Brown Recluse - Evening Tapestry
Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow
Caroline - Verdugo Hills
A Classic Education - Call It Blazing
Cloud Control - Bliss Release
The Coathangers - Larceny & Old Lace
Cocaine 80s - Ghost Lady
Curren$y & Alchemist - Covert Coup
Dengue Fever - Cannibal Courtship
Elisapie - There Will Be Stars
Rebecca Ferguson - Heaven
Fucked Up - David Comes To Life
Future Islands - On The Water
GIVERS - In Light
The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts
The Handcuffs - Waiting For The Robot
Hot Heavy & Bad - Undercover
Idle Warship - Habits of the Heart
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne
The Jezabels - Prisoner
Keep Shelly In Athens - Our Own Dream
The Kickdrums - Meet Your Ghost
Ladytron - Gravity The Seducer
Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
Lil B - I'm Gay
Mwahaha - Mwahaha
Nurses - Dracula
Puffy - Thank You
Rihanna - Talk That Talk
S.C.U.M. - Again Into Eyes
Jill Scott - The Light Of The Sun
Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
Sons & Daughters - Mirror Mirror
Those Dancing Days - Daydreams and Nightmares
Treefight for Sunlight - A Collection of
The Weeknd - House of Balloons
Yelle - Safari Disco Club

Year-End Stuff and Best of 2011 Lists

2011-12-13T10:22:00.000-06:00

It's about that time for best of lists. Next week I'll be doing albums and the week after that is singles. In the meantime, you can check out my 2010 lists for albums and singles. My movie list usually shows up sometime around February, so here is last year's too.

Are The Grammys Now Relevant?: My Reaction to the 2012 Nominations

2011-12-01T01:41:00.004-06:00

The nominations for the 54th Grammys were announced tonight and there was no shortage of surprises (click here for full list). The precedent for past Grammys has been thrown into disarray and this could be the sign of a new era for the ceremony.

First, let's look at the obvious. Song of the Year nominations were conceivable for Mumford & Sons and Bon Iver, but for both of them to take slots in Record of the Year speaks loudly as to how the NARAS are trying to shake things up. Usually when there are surprises like this, it comes from the result of a weak year, but there were several other viable contenders that fit into the previous mold of commercial and critical acclaim (think "Super Bass," "Pumped Up Kicks," "All The Lights"). In spite of that, the NARAS seemingly went straight for critical acclaim in a category that rewards big records. It looks as if Arcade Fire's win for Album of the Year was no fluke and the blue ribbon panel is willing to overlook sales in favor of merit. "The Cave" was a much more feasible choice because of its success at radio, but "Holocene" did not gather much attention outside of the indie press and its inclusion here is colossal.

In another cred seeking move, the Best New Artist category this year has two hip hop artists (J. Cole and Nicki Minaj), which is a first and a "dubstep" artist (I have nothing against Skrillex, but I'd rather not disrespect the genre by identifying his music as such). The Skrillex nomination is most interesting because he is at the head of a movement that has a very devoted fanbase but hasn't really broken through mainstream America. Once again, this is not typical behavior of the Grammys. They've apparently been paying attention to what's current and have adjusted accordingly.

Another way that the NARAS defied tradition was with Album of the Year, where four of the five nominees are also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album, a first. In my predictions, I excluded Lady Gaga partly because of this exact reason. Album of the Year has been known to have a sole representative from a genre, so I surely thought that there would not be three Pop Vocal Album nominees here. I think this only helps Adele's chances, which might have actually been the reasoning behind this.

Adele, Lady Gaga, Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars were all seen as major contenders for a slot here, but Rihanna was pegged as being a step or two behind them. The thing that kept Loud in contention was the success of the singles, much like how it helped Katy Perry's Teenage Dream get into this category last year. Everyone knew she wasn't going to win, much like I think Rihanna has the smallest chance to take it. In order for this to have been a clean victory for Adele without any outcry, Kanye had to be absent. A win for 21 over My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy would have made it look like the Grammys were back to their old tricks again by not recognizing progressive music and deciding to play it safe (think back to Norah Jones' Come Away With Me winning over Eminem's The Eminem Show or Robert Plant & Alison Krauss defeating Radiohead and Lil' Wayne). History eventually makes decisions like that appear wrongheaded and it has been a recurring theme for the Grammys.

Bon Iver also seemed headed for an Album of the Year nomination with a nod in Record of the Year, which I mentioned was colossal because rarely does a song of such small stature get recognized. There was an obvious willingness to acknowledge Bon Iver in the general field, but without him competing in the biggest category of the night, a win for Adele still helps the Grammy save face. A ROTY nomination for "Holocene" was probably a consolation prize. I also think that the Song of the Year nomination for Kanye's "All The Lights" was also a consolation prize and the Grammys did not want to completely ignore one of the most critically acclaimed albums within the past few years. When compared to other hip hop songs that have been nominated in this category, it is far behind in lyrical content.

I believe that something similar happened as well back in 2009 when Estelle's "American Boy" seemed like a no-brainer for Record of the Year, but in order to make room for Plant & Krauss' "Please Read The Letter," she was relegated to Song of the Year as a sign of appreciation, at least that's how I see it based on the history of the nominations.

So if the Grammys are really trying to be relevant, then why didn't they nominate a true critical favorite in Album of the Year such as Bon Iver or Kanye West, seemingly favoring Adele over them? I still think that the NARAS is heading in the right direction, but they are also in the business of getting people to tune in, and one easy way to do that is when a universally adored artist (Ex. Lauryn Hill, Norah Jones)is set to pick up a lot of awards. Right now, the Bon Ivers and Mumfords of the world are seen as the underdogs, but if the Grammys are indeed sincerely looking to rebuild their cred, they are going to have to eventually reward them and other hip artists with more general field wins or risk being called irrelevant and out of touch again. As of right now, they've shown that they can do a decent job of playing catch up.

2012 Grammy Nomination Predictions

2011-11-28T11:20:00.004-06:00

Nominations for the 54th Grammy Awards will be announced during their annual concert on Nov. 30. In what has also been a tradition for me, I like to predict who will get nominated.

Album of the Year

I'm not sure that I've seen anything as close to a sure thing for AOTY over such a long period of time, but Adele's 21 has been leading the charge since the beginning of the year with astoundingly consistent sales numbers from week to week. The album has been at or near the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 and the fact that her music is accessible and inoffensive pretty much makes her a lock. It also doesn't hurt that she's a previous Best New Artist winner as well. Things couldn't be set up any better.

I don't have any other definite locks, but I feel very confident in a few other favorites. One of them being Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It may not have had the hit singles that his previous albums did, but it had universal glowing reviews in the same stratosphere as Speakerboxxx/The Love Below and OK Computer, both previous nominees in this category. The fact that it wasn't the commercial juggernaut that his other AOTY entries were might be overlooked for the chance to reward what many consider a masterpiece by one of today's most important artists. One outlandish scenario where I don't see it getting nominated is if his collaboration with Jay-Z, Watch The Throne, cancel both albums out and leaves room for Lupe Fiasco's Lasers to slide in. Lupe just happens to be a performer at the nomination concert and although he had a successful year, I don't think too many people saw him as a frontrunner for any of the general fields. It's definitely something to keep an eye out for since most performers who are asked to be at the nomination concert end up getting a nod in a big category.

Country music has two strong contenders with Taylor Swift's Back To December and Jason Aldean's My Kinda Party, but I'm gonna go with Swift since she's still very well known and the album has moved a lot of units. I just don't think Aldean has that much awareness in the mainstream right now.

I'm conflicted about Lady Gaga's Born This Way making it since the album has gotten a mixed reaction from critics, but she has maintained a high profile over the course of the year and she is still a hot item in the world of pop culture. Her first two efforts were also AOTY nominees and a third straight nod would put her in the company of Kanye West, Dixie Chicks and Stevie Wonder as far as artists who've had three consecutive albums get acknowledged here. In those other cases, there was at least sustained hype and the feeling that the third album could match up to their previous work. I don't get that feeling from Born This Way, but it's difficult to count her out at this point in her career.

On paper, Tony Bennett's Duets II seems like it should get an automatic spot here because of the high profile guest stars, but I think that all the years the NARAS has been chided for being out of date are starting to catch up to them, and we probably won't see too many elder statesmen in this category unless it's for sentimental reasons or the academy is trying to make up for not rewarding them in their prime. Bennett already has an Album of the Year win and several trophies from the previous decade alone. The main factor that could catapult him into this category is the Amy Winehouse collaboration, "Body and Soul."

Foo Fighters' Wasting Light is another album that has a great shot of crashing the party because of how well its singles have done on rock radio and the enthusiastic response from fans to the album in general. Those kind of ingredients make it a good bet to take up the token rock spot, so I'm going with that. I ultimately decided on Bruno Mars' Doo Wops & Hooligans for the fifth and final spot because he has been in the spotlight all year long and it's hard to bet against an album that has two #1 singles and another that hit the top 5.

Predictions:

Adele-21
Bruno Mars-Doo Wops and Hooligans
Foo Fighters-Walking Light
Taylor Swift-Speak Now
Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Possible spoilers-: Tony Bennett-Duets II; Bon Iver-Bon Iver; Lady Gaga-Born This Way; Lupe Fiasco-Lasers
Other contenders: Jason Aldean-My Kinda Party; Marsha Ambrosius-Late Nights, Early Mornings; Tony Bennett-Duets II; Bon Iver-Bon Iver; Lupe Fiasco-Lasers; Nicki Minaj-Pink Friday; Paul Simon-So Beautiful or So What
Long shots: Beyonce-4; Foster The People-Torches; Jay-Z & Kanye West-Watch The Throne; Radiohead-The King of Limbs

Record of the Year

Expect to see Adele here also, this time for "Rolling In The Deep." A nomination for Teenage Dream last year showed that the NARAS has acknowledged Katy Perry as one of the biggest stars going and won't be afraid to let her mix it up in the general field. A nod for "Firework" will be the result of that. I'll go ahead and give another lock to Bruno Mars for "Grenade."

Although the year is heavy on pop contenders, there still must be room allowed for other genres. Foster The People's "Pumped Up Kicks" should represent the rock side of things and it's also reminiscent of other hip Record of the Year choices that had huge commercial success like "Feel Good Inc.," "Crazy" and "Paper Planes." A lot of other strong pop contenders such as Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera's "Moves Like Jagger," Pink's "Raise Your Glass" and Lady Gaga's "Yoü and I" could also make some noise, but there has rarely been a year that an urban song wasn't nominated in this category. By default the main contenders are Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Otis," Kanye's "All The Lights" and Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" (or that pesky Lupe). I'm going with "Super Bass" since it can practically double as a pop song, it was more popular, and Nicki had a huge year in general, which the NARAS loves to acknowledge.

Predictions:

Adele-"Rolling In The Deep"
Foster The People-"Pumped Up Kicks"
Bruno Mars-"Grenade"
Nicki Minaj-"Super Bass"
Katy Perry-"Firework"

Possible spoiler: Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera-"Moves Like Jagger"
Other contenders: Jay-Z & Kanye West-"Otis"; Lady Gaga-"Yoü and I"; LMFAO-"Party Rock Anthem"; Pink-"Raise Your Glass"; Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris-"We Found Love"
Long shots: Tony Bennett feat. Lady Gaga-"The Lady Is A Tramp"; Foo Fighters-"Walk"; Lupe Fiasco-"The Show Goes On"; Taylor Swift-"Back To December"; Wiz Khalifa-"Black and Yellow"

Song of the Year

I never claimed to the be the greatest at predicting Song of the Year since the nominees are usually based on how the panel personally connects with a song, so I'll try to make this quick. "Rolling In The Deep" will be here. No surprise. I also like Bruno Mars' chances for "Grenade." Jason Aldean's duet with Kelly Clarkson, "Don't You Wanna Stay" seems like it has the best shot to represent country. There also has to be something dark, so I'll go with Mumford & Sons' "The Cave" since their profile has only risen since their Best New Artist nomination last year. One good way to predict who will land here is to look at what has done well on adult radio stations. Pink's "Fuckin' Perfect" seems to fit that criteria and could play spoiler due to how much the Grammys love her, but with Katy Perry's "Firework" also being submitted here and a newfound openness toward uptempo pop songs in SOTY (think about past nominations for "Single Ladies," "American Boy" and "Poker Face"), I can't think of many reasons to bet against her.

Predictions:

Adele-"Rolling In the Deep"
Jason Aldean feat. Kelly Clarkson-"Don't You Wanna Stay"
Bruno Mars-"Grenade"
Mumford & Sons-"The Cave"
Katy Perry-"Firework"

Possible spoilers: Marsha Ambrosius-"Far Away"; Pink-"Fuckin' Perfect"
Other contenders: Beyonce-"I Was Here"; Bon Iver-"Holocene"; The Civil Wars-"Poison & Wine"; Foster The People-"Pumped Up Kicks"; Lady Gaga-"Yoü and I"; Christina Perri-"Jar of Hearts"; Paul Simon-"So Beautiful or So What"; Taylor Swift-"Back To December"
Long shots: Fleet Foxes-"Helplessness Blues"; Lil Wayne-"How To Love"; Miranda Lambert-"Heart Like Mine"; Pistol Annies-"Hell On Heels"

Best New Artist

This will more than likely be the only category where an artist will have a fighting chance if their name isn't Adele. Continuing with the trend of good years, I like Nicki Minaj to keep on riding the wave all the way to a BNA nod. I also like The Band Perry to be token country act, and if they hadn't submitted "If I Die Young" last year, I think we'd see them in Song of the Year. This category is at its most difficult to predict when there aren't a ton of mainstream success stories. Foster The People seems like an obvious choice, they're pretty much living off of one song and not a ton of people are exactly crazy about their album.

Although I don't like Foster The People's chances here because of the lack of buzz for their album, the indie rock world has made an impact on this category the past few years. Even though they lack a radio hit in the same way that allowed Feist, The Ting Tings and Silversun Pickups to crash the party, I think Bon Iver should get a nod here due to the attention their album has gotten and all the positive reviews. Lykke Li can also capitalize off the goodwill of a previous album much like Bon Iver will surely do. There isn't that one big money song on Wounded Rhymes that the general public can't identify, which makes me worry about Li's chances, but if recent history holds up, more than one indie act can make it here.

I also like Cage The Elephant's chances because of the success they've had on radio as well. I'm probably crazy for not including Fleet Foxes here since they are arguably more popular than Li and got better reviews than Cage, but I don't think they have that one song that has connected outside of their core audience. At least Justin Vernon of Bon Iver is in good with Kanye.

Predictions:

The Band Perry
Cage The Elephant
Bon Iver
Lykke Li
Nicki Minaj

Possible spoilers: The Civil Wars; Fleet Foxes; Foster The People
Other contenders: Ellie Goulding; Il Volo; Miguel; Christina Perri; Skrillex; Tyler, The Creator
Long shots: Nicole Atkins; James Blake; J. Cole; Jessie J; Wiz Khalifa

Here are some other categories that are of interest to me:

Best Alternative Music Album

Death Cab For Cutie-Codes and Keys
My Morning Jacket-Circuital
PJ Harvey-Let England Shake
Bon Iver-Bon Iver
Radiohead-The King of Limbs

Other contenders: Foster The People-Torches; Kid Cudi-Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager; Lykke Li-Wounded Rhymes; The Strokes-Angles; TV On The Radio-Nine Types Of Light
Long shots: Bright Eyes-The People's Key; St. Vincent-Strange Mercy; Wild Flag-Wild Flag

Best Rap Performance

Beastie Boys-"Make Some Noise"
Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes-"Look At Me Now"
Nicki Minaj feat. Drake-"Moment 4 Life"
Wiz Khalifa-"Black and Yellow"
Jay-Z & Kanye West-"Otis"

Other contenders: Common and Nas-"Street Dreams"; Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz-6 Foot 7 Foot; Lupe Fiasco-"The Show Goes On"; Tyler, The Creator-"Yonkers"
Long shots: Kreayshawn-"Gucci Gucci"; Waka Flocka Flame feat. Roscoe Dash and Wale-"No Hands"

Best Rap Song

Chris Brown feat. Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes-"Look At Me"
Dr. Dre feat. Eminem and Skylar Grey-"I Need A Doctor"
Lupe Fiasco-"The Show Goes On"
Kanye West & Jay-Z-"Otis"
Wiz Khalifa-"Black and Yellow"

Other contenders: Bad Meets Evil-"Lighters"; Beastie Boys-"Make Some Noise"; Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz-"6 Foot 7 Foot"; Lupe Fiasco-"The Show Goes On"; Kanye West-"All Of The Lights"; Nicki Minaj-"Right Thru Me"
Long shots: Drake-"Marvin's Room"; Tyler, The Creator-"Yonkers"

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars-"Lighters"
Dr. Dre F/ Eminem & Skylar Grey-"I Need A Doctor"
Kanye West feat. Rihanna & Kid Cudi-"All The Lights"
Kelly Rowland feat. Lil Wayne-"Motivation"
Rihanna feat. Drake-"What's My Name?"

Other contenders: Beastie Boys feat. Santigold-"Don't Play No Games I Can't Win"; Beyonce feat. Andre 3000-"Party"; DJ Khaled feat. T-Pain, Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne-"I'm On One"; Lupe Fiasco feat. Trey Songz-"Out Of My Head"; Sade feat. Jay-Z-"The Moon & The Sky"; Tinie Tempah feat. Eric Turner-"Written In The Stars"
Long shots: Jamie Foxx feat. Drake-"Fall For Your Type"; Lloyd feat. Andre 3000 & Lil Wayne-"Dedication To My Ex"; Miguel feat. J. Cole-"All I Want Is You"; Tyler, The Creator feat. Frank Ocean-"She"; Kanye West feat. John Legend-"Blame Game"; Betty Wright, The Roots & Lil Wayne-"Grapes On A Vine"

Best Rap Album

Lil Wayne-The Carter IV
Nicki Minaj-Pink Friday
Kanye West-My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Jay-Z & Kanye-Watch The Throne
Lupe Fiasco-Lasers

Other contenders: Bad Meets Evil-Hell: The Sequel; Beastie Boys-Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2; Diddy-Dirty Money-Last Train To Paris; J. Cole-Cole World; Wiz Khalifa-Rolling Papers
Long shots: Talib Kweli-Gutter Rainbows; T.I.-No Mercy; Tyler, The Creator-Goblin

Best Pop Solo Performance (Yes, I'm aware that I chose six nominees. It's happened before and there are a lot of favorites this year.)

Adele-"Someone Like You"
Lady Gaga-"Yoü & I"
Bruno Mars-"Grenade"
Katy Perry-"Firework"
Pink-"Fuckin' Perfect"
Taylor Swift-"Back To December"

Other contenders: Beyonce-"Best Thing I Never Had"; Kelly Clarkson-"Mr. Know It All"; Ke$ha-"We R Who We R"; Rihanna-"S&M"; Paul Simon-"So Beautiful or So What"; Britney Spears-"Till The World Ends"; Taylor Swift-"Back To December"
Long shots: Lady Gaga-"Judas"; Christina Perri-"Jar of Hearts"; Willow-"Whip My Hair"

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Tony Bennett feat. Amy Winehouse-"Body and Soul"
Foster The People-"Pumped Up Kicks"
LMFAO-"Party Rock Anthem"
Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera-"Moves Like Jagger"
Katy Perry feat. Kanye West-"E.T."

Other contenders: Adele & Darius Rucker-"Need You Now"; Black Eyed Peas-"Just Can't Get Enough"; Chris Brown feat. Justin Bieber-"Next To You"; David Guetta feat. Usher-"Without You"; Coldplay-"Paradise"; Hot Chelle Rae-"Tonight Tonight"; Jessie J feat. B.o.B.-"Price Tag"; Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull-"On The Floor"; Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer-"Give Me Everything"

Best Pop Vocal Album

Adele-21
Bruno Mars-Doo Wops & Hooligans
Lady Gaga-Born This Way
Rihanna-Loud
Paul Simon-So Beautiful or So What

Other contenders: Black Eyed Peas-The Beginning; Lindsey Buckingham-Seeds We Sow; Cee-Lo Green-The Lady Killer; Britney Spears-Femme Fatale
Long shots: Ellie Goulding-Lights; Ke$ha-Cannibal

Best R&B Performance

Beyonce-"Countdown"
Chris Brown-"She Ain't You"
Marsha Ambrosius-"Far Away"
Ledisi-"Pieces of Me"
Jennifer Hudson-"Where You At"

Other contenders: Mary J. Blige-"25/8"; Corinne Bailey Rae-"Is This Love"; El Debarge feat. Faith Evans-"Lay With You"; R. Kelly-"Love Letter"; Keri Hilson-"Pretty Girl Rock"; Jill Scott-"The Light (Piano Mix)"; Jazmine Sullivan-"10 Seconds"

Best R&B Traditional Performance

Beyonce-1+1
Cee Lo Green feat. Melanie Fiona-Fool For You
Raphael Saadiq-Good Man
Jill Scott feat. Anthony Hamilton-So In Love
Betty Wright feat. The Roots & Joss Stone-Whisper In The Wind
Charlie Wilson-You Are

Other contenders: Betty Wright feat. The Roots & Joss Stone-"Whisper In The Wind"; Kelly Price feat. Stokley-"Not My Daddy"; Jennifer Hudson-"Feeling Good"; Keb Mo' & India.Arie-"Crush On You"; Ronald Isley-"What I Miss The Most"; R. Kelly-"Radio Message"

Best R&B Song

Beyonce-"1+1"
Jill Scott feat. Anthony Hamilton-"So In Love"
Marsha Ambrosius-"Far Away"
Jennifer Hudson-"Where You At"
Miguel-"Sure Thing"

Other contenders: El Debarge feat. Faith Evans-"Lay With You"; R. Kelly-"Love Letter"; Keri Hilson-"Pretty Girl Rock"; Ledisi-"Pieces of Me"; Jazmine Sullivan-"10 Seconds"
Long shots: Cee Lo Green feat. Melanie Fiona-"Fool For You"; Sade-"Love Is Found"

Best R&B Album

Beyonce-4
Jill Scott-The Light Of The Sun
Raphael Saadiq-Stone Rollin'
Marsha Ambrosius-Late Nights and Early Mornings
R. Kelly-Love Letter

Other contenders: Chris Brown-F.A.M.E.; El Debarge-Second Chance; Jennifer Hudson-I Remember Me; Jazmin Sullivan-Love Me Back; Keri Hilson-No Boys Allowed; Ledisi-Pieces of Me; Miguel-All I Want Is You; Ne-Yo-Libra Scale
Long shots: Kelly Rowland-Here I Am; Charlie Wilson-Just Charlie

Best Dance/Electronica Album

David Guetta-Nothing But The Beat
Ladytron-Gravity The Seducer
LMFAO-Sorry For Party Rocking
Robyn-Body Talk Pt. 3
Skrillex-Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites

Other contenders: Benny Benassi-Electroman; Cut Copy-Zonoscope; Deadmau5-4x4=12; Metronomy-The English Riviera

Best Dance Recording

Benny Benassi feat. Chris Brown-"Beautiful People"
Dev-"In The Dark"
Duck Sauce-"Barbara Streisand"
Martin Solveig & Dragonette-"Hello"
Robyn-"Call Your Girlfriend"

Other contenders: Afrojack feat. Steve Aoki-"No Beef"; Deadmau5-"Raise Your Weapons"; LMFAO feat. Natalia Kills-"Champagne Showers"; Skrillex-"Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites"; Alexandra Stan-"Mr. Saxobeat"; Swedish House Mafia-"Save The World"

Ten on Tuesdays: Reasons Why I'll Never Lose Faith In Eddie Murphy

2011-11-15T20:26:00.000-06:00

It's not easy being an Eddie Murphy fan these days. If you looked at his resume for just the past ten years, you would find a body of work that's mostly disappointing and not fitting for one of Hollywood's greatest talents. What's been so frustrating about Murphy is that he seems to be drawn to scripts that only a bank account could love. Despite his crap radar needing a tune-up, Murphy could still succeed even at this stage in his career given the right vehicle. Based on the reviews, his recent role in Tower Heist appeals more to his adult audience, which will hopefully be a direction that he continues in given that's what made him a superstar in the first place. There was the possibility that he could have reminded the world just how talented he was on a grander stage if he had stayed on as host of the Oscars, but a reminder shouldn't even be necessary given his obvious talent. That's simply what years of bad movies will do to a career. Throughout his many downs, I kept holding out hope that the next project would be the one to get him back on track. Needless to say, there has not been much encouragement for a long time, but here are ten reasons why I'll never give up on the man.

The redneck bar scene in 48 Hours
Sure, the movie is nearly 30 years old, but at the time there was a lot of excitement surrounding this scene because it showed his potential as a leading man. There is a charm and toughness here that make up part of the reason why America fell in love with him in the first place and I still feel like there is a piece of Reggie Hammond still left in Eddie Murphy at his age. A scene like this where he handles most of the dialogue would be intriguing to see now with more refined acting chops.

His stint as host of the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards
If Eddie had gotten the opportunity to host the Oscars, we could have been witness to some of the spontaneity that he showed here. At 3:20 of this clip, he walks through Radio City Music Hall accompanied by Morris Day and Glenn Frey and riffs on just about anything that comes across his path. There is a childlike fearlessness displayed here that would make him a natural to host any of the major awards show. Granted, this happened a while ago, but with enough preparation to get back into shape for live TV, he could easily create a captivating evening.

His many impersonations during Delirious
Most of the material in Delirious is still pretty spot on—especially his ice cream bit being one of the highlights—but one of the most amazing parts of the show is the wide range of eerily accurate impersonations he does, including Michael Jackson, Mr. T, Elvis Presley, James Brown and Ralph Kramden & Norton of The Honeymooners in a hilariously un-PC rumination on what it would be like if they were gay lovers. It's common knowledge that Murphy has a knack for creating his own characters, but it's very rare when a comedian can emulate well known figures so well with the jokes to back it up.

His bit on Italians and Rocky movies from Raw
Before he took on a full-time film career, Eddie Murphy was known as one of the greatest stand-up comedians of his generation and is now generally regarded as one of the best all-time. Given the choice between comfortably pulling in eight figures per movie or hitting the clubs every night for a fraction of that amount, it's understandable why Murphy has not done stand-up for decades, but the brilliance of this bit where he effortlessly and vividly switches between two characters of different races makes me sad that he may never take the stage again. There are more laughs in these four minutes than all of The Adventures of Pluto Nash.

His skit on Saturday Night Live where he went undercover as a white man
The precursor to his transformations in Coming To America and The Nutty Professor was a much more subtle affair than those raucous moments, with a lot of the best moments coming from Murphy's reaction shots. It's expected that he would commit to the character like no other, but the quizzical looks on his face after acts of kindness took it even further as the confusion of a "white man" cuts clearly through an only adequate makeup job.

The barbershop scenes in Coming To America
A lot of credit goes to Rick Baker for making Eddie and Arsenio Hall so unrecognizable, but these scenes would not have had half the magic if not for a talent such as Murphy. I think a good deal of people, including myself, were surprised when it was revealed that it was Eddie who portrayed Saul, the elderly Jewish man, during the end credits of the movie because of how there was barely any trace of him within that character. Although the magic of editing had a lot to do with how seamless the scene came off, it's still impressive that Murphy had such great timing when he was basically acting with himself.

The Klumps in The Nutty Professor
Even more impressive and arduous must have been the dinner scenes in The Nutty Professor where Murphy had to take on five characters simultaneously. Not since the likes of Peter Sellers had anyone been able to so convincingly take on multiple personas at such a high level. The movie itself did have a softer side to it, but is more noted for its lowbrow humor. I feel that fact sometimes overshadows the first rate chameleonesque skills on display here, which probably ranks as one of the most difficult comedic feats achieved in our generation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhVwFiyituE

His voiceover work in animation
It's a wonder that it took so long for Murphy to get into animation since it seemed like his manic energy would be an obvious fit for the format. Whether it was family-friendly fare such as Mulan and Shrek or something closer to what his mature fans would expect in The PJ's, animation allowed him to become completely unhinged in a way that we didn't too often see from him. It would be too much to expect the same rapid timing and delivery in live-action, so overall it was an interesting look into the how a mind such as his dealt with new rules.

Think of what he could accomplish if he always did scripts as good as Bowfinger
We've seen Eddie take on dual roles before, but never with a screenplay as smart and funny as the one penned by Steve Martin here in Bowfinger. This is one of the few Murphy films where it felt like he didn't have to try as hard to create a laugh since the elements were already there strongly in place to create something humorous. Take Eddie Murphy out of Beverly Hills Cop and you have a pretty standard movie. Take him out of Bowfinger and you'll still have a good movie, albeit slightly weaker. As much I loved Kit's one-liners and his descent into madness, I usually laugh the hardest at Jiff because his thought process is written all over his face.

The scene in Dreamgirls where his song is rejected and he goes back to doing drugs
For me, this was one of the most memorable parts of the movie because so much was said with Murphy's eyes. After his character, James "Thunder" Early, tried to get clean and change his sound to something more positive to no avail, he immediately fell back in to his old ways without any words. When there's a plea from the room to stop, he simply looked up with a devastated face and continued preparing his drugs in hopes of some solace. It was the most dramatic thing I had ever seen him do and my fingers are crossed that he'll be daring enough to tap into something that dark again one of these days. Without a doubt, he would win the Academy Award if he did so.

Little Jackie - "Time of Your Life" & "Cryin' For The Queen"

2011-11-03T16:03:00.002-05:00

After only being available digitally since the summer, Little Jackie's second album, Made4TV, was finally released on CD a few weeks ago. It's encouraging because I think that a physical release causes a bit more hype and I firmly believe that the duo of Imani Coppola and Adam Pallin should already have a few songs on the Hot 100 under their belt by now. Made4TV picks up where The Stoop left off—which by the way, was one of my favorite albums from last decade—and continues to perfect their approach of marrying sunny hip hop beats with Motown-esque melodies. One of the highlights, "Time of Your Life," is a colorful track about taking a chance on love that feels youthful, but not wide-eyed. Coppola has always played the role of streetwise girl pretty well, so whenever she applies that same wit to a song that allows her heart to open up, she creates something that feels like its overjoyed with love without coming off as sappy.

Time Of Your Life (click here to download)

During the summer of 2008, The Stoop was my daily soundtrack. It was bright pop music filled with an attitude and its short running time made it easy to squeeze into my listening schedule. I still go back to it very often, especially now with the release of Little Jackie's latest album. One of the easiest ways to tell if I love an album is how often my favorite song changes. Sometimes it's "Black Barbie." For a while it was "The World Should Revolve Around Me." On many days, and as of right now, it has been "Cryin' For The Queen." Right out the gate, the song is gleefully profane and confident as Coppola chops down an entitled diva (I interpreted it as Amy Winehouse). It's a stretch to call this song hardcore, but from a pop perspective everything is blistering from the horns to Coppola's delivery.

Cryin' For The Queen (click here to download)

To download Made4TV from Little Jackie's Bandcamp website, click here and to buy The Stoop from Amazon, click here.

My Summer in Pictures 2011 (or Life is Complete Now that I Finally Saw Sade)

2011-09-29T17:03:00.002-05:00

Loretta Lynn/Taste of Chicago/Jul. 1, 2011

Chosen Few Picnic with pictures of Frankie Knuckles and LisaRaye/Jackson Park/Jul. 9, 2011

Cibo Matto/Lincoln Hall/Jul. 14, 2011

tUnE-yArDs/Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park/Jul. 15, 2011

Curren$y/Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park/Jul. 15, 2011

Yuck/Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park/Jul. 17, 2011

Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All/Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park/Jul. 17, 2011

Cut Copy/Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park/Jul. 17, 2011

John Legend/United Center/Aug. 5, 2011

Sade/United Center/Aug. 5, 2011

Nikka Costa/Lincoln Hall/Aug. 21, 2011

Ten on Tuesdays: Best Musical Numbers by Disney Villains

2011-09-20T17:00:00.004-05:00

After watching The Lion King in 3-D this weekend, I was suddenly in a Disney state of mind. For better or worse, the studio has provided family entertainment for several generations and shaped many a childhood. Despite any gripes I might have with some of the racism and sexism they've included in their films over the years, I can't deny that they've always enlisted the best storytellers and songwriters. Traditionally in an animated Disney musical, songs of triumph, joy and love are usually the most beloved, but while watching Scar sing "Be Prepared," I started thinking of all the great songs from Disney that promoted evil and were as equally worthy of admiration as their morally superior counterparts. This edition of Ten On Tuesdays will count down what I feel are the best musical numbers by Disney villains.

10. Gaston and mob from Beauty and The Beast - "Kill The Beast"

The best songs in this movie all belong to Belle and the inhabitants of the castle, but when Gaston finally gets a chance to let his mean streak shine, it turns into one of the most intense numbers of the movie and elevates him from more than just an egotistical punchline, but a legitimate threat.

9. Jafar from Aladdin - "Prince Ali (Reprise)"

Part of the reason why I think the reprise to "Prince Ali" is so overlooked is not only because it's in a movie filled with some of Disney's most memorable songs, but it comes nearly at the end and at a point where the musical numbers take a backseat to the climax. While not as flamboyant as some of the other songs from villains, it remains equally dastardly and that little slap he gives Aladdin is just the icing.

8. Si and Am from Lady and The Tramp - "The Siamese Cat Song"

Aside from the painfully offensive Asian stereotypes, the song sets up the two cats as someone you can easily dislike, with nearly every line dedicated to the mischief they cause. They're quite possibly some of the best assholes that Disney ever produced.

7. Dr. Facilier from The Princess and The Frog - "Friends On The Other Side"

This is probably one of the catchiest songs ever given to a Disney villain, with much more of a swing than the usual dramatic swirl that is common for them. Visually, it also stands up with the extravagance of some of the studio's best work, nearly in the same league as "Be Our Guest" and "I Just Can't Wait To Be King."

6. Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas - "Savages"

While Ratcliffe does share singing duties with Pocahontas' tribe, the brief moment that he does sing lead here is still very effective, much more so than "Mine, Mine, Mine," which is also enjoyable but lacks the power of lines like "What can you expect from filthy little heathens?"

5. Scar from The Lion King - "Be Prepared"

Jeremy Irons' portrayal of Scar is one of my favorite voiceover performances of all-time. His croaky voice lent a sarcastic, sinister tone that made the character feel as realistic as any Disney villain to date. Those attributes help make "Be Prepared" one of the most wry call-to-arms performed in a Disney musical.

4. Gothel from Tangled - "Mother Knows Best"

The music here is lighter than the usual foreboding villain fare, but that only adds to the underlying manipulation at play here. By singing in a playful yet lecturing way, Gothel still maintains a motherly presence that uses fear and familiarity to achieve her goal. It's not the kind of evil that's blunt, but still dangerous because it preaches only one road to comfort.

3. Ursula from The Little Mermaid - "Poor Unfortunate Souls"

The power of persuasion is a trait shared among many classic antagonists, so it says a lot that "Poor Unfortunate Souls" probably does the best cajoling out of anyone in Disney's rogue gallery. This is another selection that often gets overshadowed due to the popularity of the other songs in the film, but Ursula's devilish grin and the grim visual details are hard to forget for fans of this movie.

2. Kaa from The Jungle Book - "Trust In Me"

The lyrics and melody are the most simple out of all the songs here, but the vocal performance by Sterling Holloway (who also voiced Winnie The Pooh) takes the creepiness factor to another level with the way his words are slickly drawn out. With each note that's held longer, the tension rises as you can feel Mowgli's demise is all but certain. The fact that it's sung in the way that you would sing a lullaby makes it sound even more devious.

1. Frollo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame -"Hellfire"

There have been terrifying moments in the catalog of Disney movies, but nothing quite as disturbing as the inner turmoil Frollo displays in "Hellfire." As a man of the cloth, he wrestles with his lust for Esmeralda and sees her death as the only possible solution for his soul to remain intact. It's very heavy material for a film targeted at families, which is probably why Hunchback is one of the forgotten films of the Disney Renaissance. The realistic themes of "Hellfire" was a bold move for the Disney creative team, but despite not having the accolades of other classics, it stands on its own merit as one of the studio's most distinct animated moments.

A look back at MTV's Video of the Year

2011-08-29T16:33:00.005-05:00

I've long given up hope that MTV will retain musical relevancy ever again. For a little over two decades, the cable network dictated trends while also breaking in new acts with graceful ease. Its dedication to showing music videos also pushed the medium forward, with its artistic heyday being in the 1990s when creative, visually distinct directors like Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, Stéphane Sednaoui, Hype Williams, Anton Corbijin and Mark Romanek, among many others, made regular contributions, therefore upping the ante for any artist trying to get their video into regular rotation. Since MTV has long abandoned showing music videos during regular viewing hours, you would almost think that their annual award show, the Video Music Awards, would no longer need to exist. There is a bit of humor to be found in the fact that a network that hardly airs music would pretend to care for one night while keeping up the facade that they follow everything throughout the year.

While the VMAs have never been mistaken as harbingers of quality, I do place a bit of value into the main award: Video of the Year. Having come up in the 90s, music videos became one of my first loves and Video of the Year is probably the highest honor one can receive in that field. The Grammys have made some solid nominations over the years for their Best Short-Form Music Video category, but hardly any attention is paid to it and MTV has a longer history of identifying the most striking and relevant videos in the art form.

Despite barely dedicating time to music programming and with the majority of videos being watched online, I feel the Video of the Year award still manages to hold prestige by coming up with at least one surprise nomination a year. It shows that they care just a little bit, at least for me. I understand that MTV is in the business of making money and attracting viewers, so they have no choice but to include popular, albeit inferior videos into this category at times. This is also a different era than the 80s and 90s when the music industry thrived and more money was able to be thrown at budgets for videos, which meant more good videos in general.

With me still being a music video fan, I'm usually eager to see what happens with Video of the Year. Over the course of the VMAs' history, MTV has at times proven that it can acknowledge quality, but the VOTY could have more prestige if the network had decided to be consistently more daring. Here is a look back at all the previous nominees and winners in that category and what was overlooked in that respective year. Keep in mind when discussing what should have been nominated, I narrowed it down to videos that could have conceivably landed in the biggest category of the night, meaning that it had to have been a sizable hit with MTV rotation. Also, it should be noted that viewers have been able to vote in this category since 2006, which has taken away from the surprise factor, meaning we may never seen an upset like "Nothing Compares 2 U" or "Virtual Insanity" ever again.

1984

The Cars — "You Might Think"

* Herbie Hancock — "Rockit"
* Michael Jackson — "Thriller"
* Cyndi Lauper — "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
* The Police — "Every Breath You Take"

What should have won: While the campy humor of "You Might Think" still holds up very well, "Thriller" was an unprecedented accomplishment at the time and has not lost its luster.
What should have been nominated: Talking Heads — "Burning Down the House"; Queen - "I Want To Break Free"; Twisted Sister - "We're Not Gonna Take It"

1985

Don Henley — "The Boys of Summer"

* Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — "Don't Come Around Here No More"
* David Lee Roth — "California Girls"
* David Lee Roth — "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody"
* USA for Africa — "We Are the World"

What should have won: The set design for "Don't Come Around Here No More" trumps the lush cinematography of "The Boys of Summer" for me.
What should have been nominated: Art of Noise — "Close (To the Edit)"; 'Til Tuesday - "Voices Carry"; Madonna - "Material Girl"; Frankie Goes to Hollywood — "Two Tribes"; Bronski Beat - "Smalltown Boy"

1986

Dire Straits — "Money for Nothing"

* a-ha — "Take on Me"
* Godley & Creme — "Cry"
* Robert Palmer — "Addicted to Love"
* Talking Heads — "Road to Nowhere"

What should have won: A good deal of me wants to say "Take On Me," mostly for the mirror shot where the camera rotates around and reveals both the animated and live-action world, but overall, "Cry" is the most distinct. "Road To Nowhere" would have been a good choice as well seeing as how Talking Heads were miles ahead of everyone when it came to making videos around this time.
What should have been nominated: Kate Bush — "Running Up That Hill"; Talking Heads — "And She Was" ; Prince and The Revolution — "Raspberry Beret"; INXS — "What You Need"; Kate Bush - "Hounds Of Love"; ZZ Top — "Rough Boy"

1987

Peter Gabriel — "Sledgehammer"

* Genesis — "Land of Confusion"
* Paul Simon — "The Boy in the Bubble"
* U2 — "With or Without You"
* Steve Winwood — "Higher Love"

Should have won: "Sledgehammer" was the right call this year.
Should have been nominated: Talking Heads — "Wild Wild Life"; Wang Chung - "Everybody Have Fun Tonight"; Madonna - "Open Your Heart"; Crowded House — "Don't Dream It's Over"; Kate Bush — "The Big Sky"

1988

INXS — "Need You Tonight/Mediate"

* George Harrison — "When We Was Fab"
* Bruce Springsteen — "Tunnel of Love"
* U2 — "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
* U2 — "Where the Streets Have No Name"

What should have won: The humor in "When We Was Fab" is just too charming for me to deny, but there was no way INXS would lose after the monster year that they had.
What should have been nominated: Squeeze — "Hourglass"; XTC — "Dear God"; Eurythmics — "You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart"; Janet Jackson — "The Pleasure Principle"; Guns N' Roses — "Welcome to the Jungle"

1989

Neil Young — "This Note's for You"

* Fine Young Cannibals — "She Drives Me Crazy"
* Michael Jackson — "Leave Me Alone"
* Madonna — "Like a Prayer"
* Steve Winwood — "Roll with It"

What should have won: Kind of crazy that Neil Young won in a year with MJ and Madonna nominated. Either one of those videos would have been a better choice, although the scathing "This Note's For You" was still a worthy pick.
What should have been nominated: Madonna — "Express Yourself"; R.E.M. — "Orange Crush"; The Escape Club — "Wild, Wild West"; DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince — "Parents Just Don't Understand"; Metallica - "One"

1990

Sinéad O'Connor — "Nothing Compares 2 U"

* Aerosmith — "Janie's Got a Gun"
* Don Henley — "The End of the Innocence"
* Madonna — "Vogue"

What should have won: "Nothing Compares 2 U" was refreshing with its minimalism and emotion.
What should have been nominated: Tears For Fears - "Sowing The Seeds Of Love"; Janet Jackson — "Rhythm Nation"; Paula Abdul — "Opposites Attract"; Faith No More — "Epic"; Depeche Mode — "Personal Jesus"

1991

R.E.M. — "Losing My Religion"

* C+C Music Factory — "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)"
* Deee-Lite — "Groove Is in the Heart"
* Divinyls — "I Touch Myself"
* Chris Isaak — "Wicked Game"
* Queensrÿche — "Silent Lucidity"

What should have won: "Wicked Game" is still one of the sexiest videos ever made.
What should have been nominated: George Michael — "Freedom! '90"; Janet Jackson — "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"; Jane's Addiction — "Been Caught Stealing"; LL Cool J — "Mama Said Knock You Out"

1992

Van Halen — "Right Now"

* Def Leppard — "Let's Get Rocked"
* Nirvana — "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
* Red Hot Chili Peppers — "Under the Bridge"

What should have won: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" brought an authentic rebellious energy to the airwaves, a contrast to much of what MTV was playing at the time.
What should have been nominated: Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Give It Away"; En Vogue — "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)"; Metallica — "Enter Sandman"; Guns N' Roses — "November Rain"; Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers — "Into the Great Wide Open"; A Tribe Called Quest - "Scenario"; Michael Jackson - "Black Or White"; Metallica - "The Unforgiven"; Sir Mix-A-Lot - "Baby Got Back"

1993

Pearl Jam — "Jeremy"

* Aerosmith — "Livin' on the Edge"
* En Vogue — "Free Your Mind"
* Peter Gabriel — "Digging in the Dirt"
* R.E.M. — "Man on the Moon"

What should have won: "Jeremy" was fitting, but it was a very strong year overall.
What could have been nominated in a very tough year: Madonna — "Rain"; Ice Cube - "It Was A Good Day"; Lenny Kravitz - "Are You Gonna Go My Way?"; Terence Trent D'Arby - "She Kissed Me"; Annie Lennox - "Walking On Broken Glass"

1994

Aerosmith — "Cryin'"

* Beastie Boys — "Sabotage"
* Nirvana — "Heart-Shaped Box"
* R.E.M. — "Everybody Hurts"

What should have won: This was another strong year, but "Sabotage" was one of the most brilliantly executed parodies MTV had seen up until then and helped to usher in a new age of irony for music videos.
What also could have been nominated in another tough year and with more than just four slots: Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun"; Björk - "Human Behavior"; Rollins Band - "Liar"; Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - "Mary Jane's Last Dance"; Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Soul To Squeeze"

1995

TLC — "Waterfalls"

* Green Day — "Basket Case"
* Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson — "Scream"
* Weezer — "Buddy Holly"

What should have won: "Buddy Holly" had one of the most original concepts for its time, which is saying a lot for this era.
What should have been nominated: Nine Inch Nails - "Closer"; Lucas - "Lucas With The Lid Off"; Madonna - "Human Nature"; Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Gin & Juice"; Janet Jackson - "Any Time, Any Place"

1996

The Smashing Pumpkins — "Tonight, Tonight"

* Bone Thugs-n-Harmony — "Tha Crossroads"
* Foo Fighters — "Big Me"
* Alanis Morissette — "Ironic"

What should have won: "Tonight, Tonight" gave a cinematic experience that the other nominees could not match.
What should have been nominated: Björk – "It's Oh So Quiet"; Garbage - "Stupid Girl"; Radiohead - "Just"; 2Pac (featuring Dr. Dre) - "California Love"

1997

Jamiroquai — "Virtual Insanity"

* Beck — "The New Pollution"
* Jewel — "You Were Meant for Me"
* Nine Inch Nails — "The Perfect Drug"
* No Doubt — "Don't Speak"

What should have won: "Virtual Insanity" still remains visually impressive to this day.
What should have been nominated: Missy Elliott - "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)"; Cibo Matto - "Sugar Water"; Eels - "Novocaine for the Soul"; Daft Punk - "Da Funk"; The Chemical Brothers - "Setting Sun"

1998

Madonna — "Ray of Light"

* Brandy and Monica — "The Boy Is Mine"
* Puff Daddy and the Family (featuring The LOX, Lil' Kim, The Notorious B.I.G.
and Fuzzbubble) — "It's All About the Benjamins (rock remix)"
* Will Smith — "Gettin' Jiggy wit It"
* The Verve — "Bitter Sweet Symphony"

What should have won: "Ray Of Light was the correct choice here, but there were a wealth of other great nominations that did not make the cut, with MTV perhaps paying too much attention to commercial success this year.
What should have been nominated: Björk — "Bachelorette"; Garbage — "Push It"; The Prodigy - "Smack My Bitch Up"; Busta Rhymes — "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See"; Radiohead - "Karma Police"; Janet Jackson — "Got Till It's Gone"; Dave Matthews Band - "Crash Into Me"

1999

Lauryn Hill — "Doo Wop (That Thing)"

* Backstreet Boys — "I Want It That Way"
* Korn — "Freak on a Leash"
* Ricky Martin — "Livin' la Vida Loca"
* Will Smith (featuring Dru Hill and Kool Moe Dee) — "Wild Wild West"

What should have won: Besides that freaky bullet from "Freak On A Leash," "Doo Wop" was the most memorable nominee in another year that yielded too strongly to popularity and not the quality of videos.
What should have been nominated: Fatboy Slim — "Praise You"; Marilyn Manson - "The Dope Show"; Eminem — "My Name Is"; Busta Rhymes — "Gimme Some More"; Smashing Pumpkins - "Ava Adore"

2000

Eminem — "The Real Slim Shady"

* Blink-182 — "All the Small Things"
* D'Angelo — "Untitled (How Does It Feel)"
* 'N Sync — "Bye Bye Bye"
* Red Hot Chili Peppers — "Californication"

What should have won: "Untitled" aptly portrayed the rawness of the record and became one of the most talked about videos of the year in the process.
What should have been nominated: Blur — "Coffee & TV"; Björk - "All Is Full Of Love"; The Chemical Brothers — "Let Forever Be"; Foo Fighters - "Learn To Fly"; Lauryn Hill – "Everything Is Everything"

2001

Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa and Pink — "Lady Marmalade"

* Missy Elliott — "Get Ur Freak On"
* Eminem (featuring Dido) — "Stan"
* Fatboy Slim — "Weapon of Choice"
* Janet Jackson — "All for You"
* U2 — "Beautiful Day"

What should have won: "Weapon Of Choice" featured Christopher Walken dancing and flying around a room. The actual video is more captivating than the treatment sounds.
What should have been nominated: R.E.M. - "Imitation of Life"; Robbie Williams - "Rock DJ"; Outkast - "B.O.B."; Gorillaz - "Clint Eastwood"

2002

Eminem — "Without Me"

* Linkin Park — "In the End"
* 'N Sync — "Gone"
* Nas — "One Mic"
* P.O.D. — "Alive"
* The White Stripes — "Fell in Love with a Girl"

What should have won: "Fell In Love With A Girl" was the perfect image for the song and the artist, while also managing to amaze.
What should have been nominated: Kenna - "Hell Bent"; Elton John - "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore"; Cake — "Short Skirt/Long Jacket"; Missy Elliott (featuring Ludacris and Trina) — "One Minute Man";

2003

Missy Elliott — "Work It"

* 50 Cent — "In da Club"
* Johnny Cash — "Hurt"
* Eminem — "Lose Yourself"
* Justin Timberlake — "Cry Me a River"

What should have won: "Hurt" invoked a deeper reaction than most videos.
What should have been nominated: Kylie Minogue - "Come Into My World"; The Chemical Brothers - "Star Guitar"; Queens Of The Stone Age - "Go With The Flow"; The White Stripes - "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"; Scarface - "On My Block"

2004

OutKast — "Hey Ya!"

* D12 — "My Band"
* Jay-Z — "99 Problems"
* Britney Spears — "Toxic"
* Usher (featuring Ludacris & Lil Jon) — "Yeah!"

What should have won: "99 Problems" still has a reputation as one of the grittiest videos ever made.
What should have been nominated: The White Stripes — "The Hardest Button to Button"; Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Y Control"; Kanye West (featuring Syleena Johnson) — "All Falls Down"; Steriogram — "Walkie Talkie Man"; Christina Aguilera - "Fighter"; Ludacris (featuring Shawnna) — "Stand Up"

2005

Green Day — "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

* Coldplay — "Speed of Sound"
* Snoop Dogg (featuring Pharrell) — "Drop It Like It's Hot"
* Gwen Stefani — "Hollaback Girl"
* Kanye West — "Jesus Walks"

What should have won: "Jesus Walks" had the strongest concept from this year's categories, which were mostly just an exercise in style and not much else.
What should have been nominated: Beck - E-Pro"; Missy Elliott (featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop) — "Lose Control"; Gorillaz — "Feel Good Inc."; My Chemical Romance — "Helena"; The Killers - "Mr. Brightside"

2006

Panic! at the Disco — "I Write Sins Not Tragedies"

* Christina Aguilera — "Ain't No Other Man"
* Madonna — "Hung Up"
* Red Hot Chili Peppers — "Dani California"
* Shakira (featuring Wyclef Jean) — "Hips Don't Lie"

What should have won: "Hung Up" turned every setting into a dancefloor and was the most distinct in one of the weakest years for this category.
What should have been nominated: The Killers - "All These Things I've Done"; Pink - "Stupid Girls"; Beck — "Hell Yes"; Beyoncé (featuring Slim Thug and Bun B) — "Check on It"; R. Kelly - "Trapped In The Closet"

2007

Rihanna (featuring Jay-Z) — "Umbrella"

* Beyoncé — "Irreplaceable"
* Justice — "D.A.N.C.E."
* Justin Timberlake — "What Goes Around... Comes Around"
* Kanye West — "Stronger"
* Amy Winehouse — "Rehab"

What should have won: "Umbrella" rightfully established Rihanna as a big player in the medium of music videos, but the category also momentarily got back on track with worthy clips from Justice, Kanye West and Justin Timberlake.
What should have been nominated: "OK Go - Here It Goes Again"; My Chemical Romance" - "Welcome To The Black Parade"; Ciara - "Like A Boy"

2008

Britney Spears — "Piece of Me"

* Chris Brown — "Forever"
* Jonas Brothers — "Burnin' Up"
* Pussycat Dolls — "When I Grow Up"
* The Ting Tings — "Shut Up and Let Me Go"

What should have won: "Shut Up and Let Me Go," although it was far from the best that the year had to offer.
What should have been nominated: Erykah Badu - "Honey"; Weezer - "Pork & Beans"; Snoop Dogg - "Sensual Seduction"; Kanye West (featuring T-Pain) — "Good Life"; Fergie - "Clumsy"

2009

Beyoncé — "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"

* Eminem — "We Made You"
* Lady Gaga — "Poker Face"
* Britney Spears — "Womanizer"
* Kanye West — "Love Lockdown"

What should have won: According to Kanye West, "Single Ladies" was one of the greatest videos of all-time.
What should have been nominated: Gnarls Barkley – "Who's Gonna Save My Soul"; Matt & Kim – "Lessons Learned"; Lady Gaga – "Paparazzi"; Kanye West (featuring Mr Hudson) – "Paranoid"; Pink – "So What"; Keri Hilson (featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo) - "Knock You Down"

2010

Lady Gaga — "Bad Romance"

* 30 Seconds to Mars — "Kings and Queens"
* B.o.B (featuring Hayley Williams) — "Airplanes"
* Eminem — "Not Afraid"
* Florence and the Machine — "Dog Days Are Over"
* Lady Gaga (featuring Beyoncé) — "Telephone"

What should have won: "Bad Romance" is the kind of extravagant pop art that the biggest stars should be doing.
What should have been nominated: "Janelle Monáe (featuring Big Boi) — "Tightrope"; Rihanna - "Rude Boy"; Dan Black — "Symphonies";

2011

Katy Perry — "Firework"

* Adele — "Rolling in the Deep"
* Beastie Boys — "Make Some Noise"
* Bruno Mars — "Grenade"
* Tyler, the Creator — "Yonkers"

What should have won: "Yonkers" is still one of the most daring and unsettling videos of the year.
What should have been nominated: Lady Gaga — "Born This Way"; Erykah Badu - "Window Seat; Kanye West - "Power" & "Runaway"; Willow Smith - "Whip My Hair"; Bruno Mars - "The Lazy Song"; Katy Perry (featuring Kanye West) — "E.T."

Adventures at Lollapalooza 2011

2011-08-11T00:04:00.004-05:00

Day 1 - Friday

Ryan Leslie

Although there weren't as many big name hip hop acts as there were in years past (which was an admittedly small list to begin with), it was refreshing to have a mainstream R&B singer at the festival. Ryan Leslie had an easygoing confidence about him that did not make it hard to be drawn into his show, but I felt it was lacking a certain punch, which could probably be remedied by adding more pieces to the band, which for this day was just a guitarist and a DJ. Still, Leslie is a talented songwriter and it would have been apparent to anyone passing by that he had an ear for beats and melodies.

Tab The Band

I think I enjoyed their stage banter the most out of all the bands over the weekend ("This song was on Major League Baseball 2K11. It's on the screen where you choose baseball players to do shit. Like play baseball, I guess.") Overall, they were fun and played some good time rock n' roll that provided a good jumpstart to Lollapalooza.

Tennis

I know it's unfair, but I'm always leery of seeing bands live that gain their following through the internet. Sure, the songs can sound great at home or on your iPod, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be as enjoyable in person. I'm pleased to say that Tennis exceeded all of my expectations as they gave a set filled with pep as the summer weather seemed to fit their sun-drenched songs.

The Naked & Famous

Certain songs like "Young Blood" and "Punching In A Dream" brought the crowd to life, but the energy of the set wavered up and down as a midtempo song was usually placed in between the party starters, therefore stalling the momentum of the set. One thing that dawned upon me when seeing them live is that it appears that they are aspiring to be a huge rock band, the type that could play arenas on a regular basis. This is something that probably should have seemed obvious to me from their previous singles, but they'll have to polish up the stage show in order to fulfill their potential.

Los Bunkers

They drew a decent-sized but spirited crowd, which made them one of the more interesting early day sets. The atmosphere was pretty lively and the band built off of that as they rocked out.

Reptar

Their live show was as spastic as their music, mixing genres at a pace that was likely to cause dizziness. With an animated stage presence, they were able to win over the crowd on pure charisma alone, but the music itself was electrifying.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

There was sex appeal galore to be found during this set, and it wasn't just limited to Potter's short dress. She gyrated and growled through a blistering, blues-tinged set that was highlighted by an extended version of "2:22" that blew the crowd away. It was one of those performances that I kept thinking about over the weekend. It was just that damn good.

Smith Westerns

It was pleasing to see some native Chicagoans play so late in the day, but Smith Westerns have definitely earned it with a critically-acclaimed album this year in Dye It Blonde. At times, it felt like the Petrillo Band Shell was too big a stage for them and their presence wouldn't have registered with me if I had been further back. I did enjoy myself, but some bands just feel better suited for intimate venues.

Cults

I like the fragility of Madelin Follin's voice on record, but I don't think it held up as well outdoors, especially in her lower register. Once again, this isn't necessarily a bad thing as I imagine most of Cults' tracks being better appreciated in a smaller setting anyway. The songs themselves still sounded good but I wasn't that impressed with them as a live act.

Since Sade was performing that weekend at the United Center and she hardly ever tours, I had to make the tough decision of deciding which night of Lollapalooza to skip the headliner. There was absolutely no way that I was going to miss one of my favorite artists, regardless of how much fun I have every year at Lolla. I figured the night that I could sacrifice was Friday since I had already seen Muse, Ratatat & Girl Talk and I wasn't that big of a Coldplay fan anyway. Missing Eminem was out of the question and I enjoy way more songs by Foo Fighters than I do of Friday's headliners combined. The Sade concert was magnificent and I'll post pictures at a later date. Usually, I would rank the top five acts of the day, but since I headed out early, I'll only do a top three for Friday.

Top Three Acts for Day 1

1. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
2. Tennis
3. Los Bunkers

Day 2 - Saturday

Ximena Sariñara

She had a pleasant voice with a few solid songs mixed in. It was an accessible adult alternative sound that filled the time nicely.

J. Roddy Walston And The Business

These guys were a lot of fun to watch as they played rollickin', bouncy rock tunes that easily drew a crowd. Entertaining and a lot of zest.

A lot of the acts over the weekend had sign language interpreters on the side of the stage for the hearing impaired. I'm always curious as to who these people are because they're very animated and I wouldn't be surprised if they were huge fans of the artists. Take for instance the one that was on stage for J. Roddy Waltson.

Disappears

Their set was filled with dark riffs that eventually became hypnotizing as they droned on. They're based in Chicago and are certainly a band I wouldn't mind checking out again. Just a very solid art-rock sound.

Chico Trujillo

One of the liveliest sets of the day. The atmosphere was one big party as they played cumbia music that had the crowd rocking back and forth. Hardly anyone in the audience was standing still.

Maps & Atlases

I only stuck around for the first two songs, but I'm glad that they opened with "Pigeons" since I'm a fan of that one. What I saw was very promising and I wish I could have stayed longer. Luckily, they're also from Chicago so hopefully there will be more opportunities to see them.

Skylar Grey

I've always liked Skylar Grey's melodies, but have always found the Alex Da Kid productions that they usually land on problematic. It's been a while since there's been some angsty female-driven rock in the mainstream and the songs I heard could definitely find a bigger audience. I think she had a problem connecting with the audience since most of them weren't familiar with her solo work, so there wasn't quite the emotional response that the songs begged for. That will probably change after she releases an album though.

Fitz & The Tantrums

They probably engaged the crowd more than anyone I saw over the weekend. There was constant interaction and stage banter and they seemed very to eager to please overall. While I thought the band was hard-hitting and displayed some chops, I thought their take on soul music was a bit corny and too showy, although still enjoyable.

Mayer Hawthorne & The County

Certainly one of the best sets I caught this weekend and a more authentic soul counterpart to the previous act. The main appeal with Hawthorne is his voice, which closely resembles Smokey Robinson, but he also has a charmingly awkward stage presence that contrasts with the deep-rooted soul surrounding him. There was just a genuine quality about his performance that evoked the spirit of Motown and Stax.

Death From Above 1979

Besides Eminem, they were my most anticipated act of the weekend since they had been broken up for five years now and their performance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien was legendary. The intensity level was unsurprisingly ramped up, but I felt that the beginning of the set felt ragged and didn't have the same punch they did on record. Due to my expectations, I wasn't completely blown away but I was still impressed and I think a lot of the people who probably never heard of them prior to the fest had a good time as well.

Deftones

It seemed as if frontman Chino Moreno could never stay in one place as he frantically matched the excitement of the band's crunching dynamics. The band itself was powering and Moreno's movements gave an extra dimension to an already aggressive performance.

Ellie Goulding

She had a solid presence, but not much else was going on. The performance was satisfactory on all points, but I didn't hear anything that gave me any rush to hear her album.

Cee Lo Green

There's no question that Cee Lo gave it his all, but for the majority of the set it felt as if the crowd was just waiting for his big hits. The set was more rock-oriented than I expected it to be, with him opening up with a cover of Danzig's "Mother" and with his DJ spreading snippets of classics in between songs, which felt more like crowd pandering to me instead of staying true to the sound of The Lady Killer and his previous two albums. This approach was too jumbled for my liking and the overall effect came off as messy. It also didn't help that the vocals were up too loud to the point of being distorted. I expect a crowd to go crazy over the singles, but the gap in reaction between songs they knew and didn't know was very huge and it affected the energy of the set.

Lykke Li

Once again, she gave an amazing performance. I was over the moon about her the last time she performed at Lolla and she was just as magical and hypnotic this time. I heavily prefer Youth Novels over her latest, Wounded Rhymes and I knew that I would hear a great deal from that album, which I wasn't exactly looking forward to, but she made them all sound terrific and it's leading me to rethink my stance on her second LP.

Eminem

He sounded as technically proficient as you would hope one of the great MCs would sound and it led to a good performance. Eminem mostly stuck to the first verse of songs, which I'm not a fan of, but I understand that you're able to squeeze in more songs that way. Still, it was thrilling to hear even parts of "Kill You" and "Square Dance" in person. The guest stars that he brought out included Royce Da 5'9", Bruno Mars and Skylar Grey, with Bruno receiving the biggest pop. The crowd was as into his set as anyone over the weekend, and personally, he was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to attend this year since he rarely performs now and I'm not sure I'd pay for one of his concerts. Based on the strength of his catalog and skills, it was one of my favorite shows of the weekend.

Top Five Acts for Day 2

1. Mayer Hawthorne & The County
2. Lykke Li
3. Eminem
4. Chico Trujillo
5. Disappears

Day 3 - Sunday

Gold Motel

As fun as I expected them to be and a nice laid back way to start the day. They're another Chicago band who has done well with solid indie pop songwriting instincts.

Titus Andronicus

A raucous set that matched the energy of their album. They ripped it up for 45 minutes and never let up once.

Imelda May

She provided the crowd with some rockabilly stompers that pleased just about everyone and was pure fun overall. I can only imagine how much more impressive she could be at smaller venue where it would be easier to connect with people since she already did a fine job on this day.

Lia Ices

The shaded BMI stage was the perfect place for her as the music was calming and her strong voice provided a soothing change of pace. With quieter artists, I'm always impressed if they can translate their songs to a big outdoor crowd, which usually bodes well for the recorded work. She sounded good enough for me to do some further investigating.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

More spirited than I thought they would be due to the mellow nature of It's A Corporate World and the Horse Power EP, but no matter what the tune, they played with vigor more fitting for an arena band.

The Cars

There were moments of life during their set, but other intervals sounded less polished. The fact that they have so many good songs was enough to make the set fun, but they played like an average band.

Best Coast

At this moment in the day, the rain really started to pour down, which contradicted the themes of summer in Best Coast's music, but it didn't deter the fans and the set was more stimulating than expected. There is a hazy, relaxed sound on their album, but the band played as if they were ready to kick someone's ass instead.

Nas & Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley

Despite Nas stumbling over a few words, I was still excited to finally see one of my favorite rappers of all-time. The chemistry between Marley and Nas was just as strong onstage as it was on record and it made for a very hype set. Marley's whip-tight backing band helped to elevate both performers.

Explosions In The Sky

Both intense and ethereal at the same time. With them being so late in the day, I don't think as many people were prepared to listen as closely and probably expected more traditional verse/chorus structures or the fact that the Foo Fighters were performing right after might have altered the crowd's energy. The last time I saw them at Lollapalooza, I remember everyone being in awe of what they were seeing and totally focused on the band. Their performance was still worthy of such attention.

Foo Fighters

The rain once again made its presence known during the Foo Fighters' set, but it probably invigorated them even more than Best Coast. During "My Hero," as Dave Grohl riled the crowd by amping up his delivery, I couldn't help but be caught up in the fervor and sing along with the rest of the crowd as raindrops pelted my umbrella and soaked my shoes. It will probably go down as one of my most memorable Lollapalooza moments. The band soldiered on and delivered extended versions of songs that provided a nice surprise and never once lagged.

Top Five Acts for Day 3

1. Titus Andronicus
2. Best Coast
3. Foo Fighters
4. Explosions In The Sky
5. Imelda May/Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (TIE)

Other random things at Lolla:

I didn't spend a lot of time at Perry's this year, but I did like the idea of a huge tent to give it a rave feel, although it seemed like they might have had more space to accommodate the crowd last year. It looked like it would get cramped pretty fast, but I also did like that they had the stage positioned further south in the park, which lessened the sound carrying over to other stages than in previous years. This is what it looked like.

I wish I had this backpack.

I wonder what this guy's story was. He looks like he's related to Super Hugo, a mascot for the New Orleans Hornets

If you can't make it out, that's a guy in a moped with a hook for a left hand holding to a beer. He was probably the coolest person I saw all weekend.

The northern part of Grant Park is no stranger to geese. This was the first year they made an appearance during Lollapalooza as far as I can remember. The picture was taken early in the day on Sunday.

The Camelbak Filling Station was one of the smartest ideas they've ever had at this fest and it's something I hope they continue. In past years, if you wanted to fill up on water, you had to go one of a handful of water fountains throughout the park, which usually resulted in very long lines on days where it was hot. They had people squeeze water into your container and I never had to wait more than five minutes to fill up my bottles.

With rain comes mud, and with mud comes messy fun. This particular crowd tried to outdo each other by sliding and just plain slopping around.

About an hour later in the same field, a mud wrestling racket had started. I love the communal nature of Lollapalooza, but I also admire the creativity of the people as well.

He was cheered on by the crowd to do a third slide. He obliged them.

This rainbow should headline next year due to all the attention it got from people.

Mixed Reaction: my other blog

2011-07-27T09:25:00.002-05:00

So I've started a new blog where I take a look back at all the mixtapes I've made for myself, starting back in 1996. It's called Mixed Reaction and I post new entries every Tuesday. Check it out because it will be a long journey.

http://mixedreaction.blogspot.com

Betty Black - "Spring Blossoms"/Kudu - "Let's Finish" & "Physical World"

2011-06-22T23:55:00.003-05:00

Kudu's 2006 Death Of The Party is an album that remains in constant rotation for me and is often played on those weekend nights when I'm getting ready to go out to a party or dancing. With some booze and company, it could almost be a fitting substitute for a night out if you decided to stay in, as it's already a practical journey through NYC's underground with electronic nods to ESG and Blondie thrown in. Even though the album has nicely filled a niche in my life, like most artists that I enjoy I'm usually left clamoring for new material. It now appears that 2011 will see my wishes come true as they are slated to release a follow-up album under their new moniker Art World Killer, but not before vocalist Sylvia Gordon churns out a trilogy of EPs as her alter ego, Betty Black.

Part of what makes Kudu/Art World Killer so unique is the diversity of Gordon, who seems to be one of the few contemporary female vocalists that uses Siouxsie Sioux as a reference point. On "Spring Blossoms," which will be on the upcoming Slow Dance, Gordon continues to retain the Goth stylings that influenced her youth to an enchanting and subdued use. The sound of Betty Black is centered around 50's girl groups and meant to evoke David Lynch films, according to Gordon, and that description is pretty spot-on. The relative sparseness of songs such as The Shirelles' "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and The Ronettes' "You, Baby," along with countless others from that era, have their blueprint all over this track, but with an added tinge of darkness.

"Spring Blossoms"
Spring Blossoms by Betty Black

To listen to more songs from Betty Black, head on over to her Bandcamp website. Slow Dance will be released through iTunes on June 28.

Another reason why Death Of The Party has never been far from my mind is because I think that Sylvia Gordon is one of the sexiest vocalists around. I say this not based on looks, but on the aura she gives off through the speakers. It's the kind of sensuality that doesn't beg you to pay attention to it, but it is always there, lurking and grinning, leaving little doubt what its intentions are. There are several moments like this on Death Of The Party, but the one that's been taking up my attention more recently comes on "Let's Finish" when she determinedly delivers the line "Do you live alone?" to a potential paramour. The implication is obvious, but thanks to the breathy, slow-building narrative of the first verse, there is still plenty for me to imagine.

"Let's Finish"

Click here to download.

"Physical World" finds Gordon in a more playful mood, but there are still inklings of carnality in the air. It closes out the album and is a switch up from the throbbing beats that came before it as it adopts a whimsical Dixieland feel. As I'm recalling the first time I came across this album years ago, I believe that this song might have been the moment where I went from digging this group to anticipating quickly what they would they do next.

"Physical World"

Click here to download.

To buy Death Of The Party from Amazon, click here.

White Shoes & The Couples Company - "Sans Titre" & "Matahari"

2011-05-19T00:36:00.007-05:00

White Shoes and The Couples Company are one of my favorite current groups going right now. They hail from Indonesia and thrive on a sunny, jazzy sound with shades of American pop from the 1960s. Their second album, Album Vakansi, which was released late last year in their native country but as of now doesn't have U.S. distribution, takes more chances than its predecessor by playing heavily on the jazzier aspects of their sound. I'll always hold their debut album in very high regard due to its ability to instantly brighten my mood, but here are a few tracks from their latest one which I've been constantly repeating.

"Sans Titre" marks a departure for the band as it's their first record to be sung in neither Indonesian or English, but in French. It's also the most eerie that the band has sounded, with theremin-like sounds floating in the background and a few other experimental touches that wouldn't be out of place in the world of trip-hop. It also happens to one of their most delicate-sounding songs as well.

"Sans Titre"

Click here to download.

"Matahari" falls more in line of what one would expect of White Shoes and The Couples Company. The song gives off a bright feeling that's reminiscent of spring and is another showcase for the musical ability of the group, which I sometimes tend to gloss over when basking in the melodies. I'd be interested to know who some of their influences were as far as the world of jazz and if they're fans of any other kind of world music since I definitely hear some West African guitar picking going on here.

"Matahari"

Click here to download.

I've gone on so much about their first album, so why not listen to "Senandung Maaf" while you're at it?

KING - "The Story"

2011-04-19T03:03:00.003-05:00

The debut EP from KING has been one of the more pleasant discoveries so far in 2011. All three songs from The Story showcase a fresh, new R&B trio not confined to just relying on aesthetic and groove, but heavily focusing on the intricacies of songwriting and arrangement. I get a sense of enchantment when listening to their songs that I can't quite put a finger on. Part of me thinks it has something do with two of the members being twins and that somehow enhances their musical communication. My favorite track from them is "The Story," which has traces of an Oriental melody and a lite synth sound that is reminiscent of some of Prince's sensual moments. Although this is their first release, I'm hoping to hear more of those electronic textures from them in the future because it seems to be their strong suit and part of what makes them so unique.

You can buy the EP from Amazon for just $2.97 by clicking here. Also, the video, which they crafted by hand by themselves, is as cute as buttons and has been making me smile for about a month now.

I've been told I should take more pictures

2011-03-30T22:36:00.002-05:00

I get asked a lot by people who read my blog why I don't post more pictures of concerts. It's a very excellent question, one that I really didn't have a decent reply for. To be honest, I haven't been taking that many pictures of anything, probably due to my newfound reluctance to snap portraits of myself, but that's another story. I've been trying to get into the habit of bringing my camera with me whenever I go out, so hopefully it will be a semi-regular thing. Here's what I found as I looked through it for this post.

Asobi Seksu/Bash On Wabash/Sept. 5, 2010

This was my second time seeing them and I got a chance to hear some new songs from the album they just recently released. Once I found that they were going to be at this street fest in the South Loop, I knew that my Sunday night had been decided.

Gold Motel/Bash on Wabash/Sept. 5, 2010

Had never heard their music until I saw them live, but it was definitely a nice surprise. Just some good local indie pop.

The Detroit Cobras/Bash On Wabash/Sept. 5, 2010

Midnight screening of The Room w/ Tommy Wiseau/Music Box Theatre/Feb. 11, 2011

Going to midnight showings of The Room is one of my favorite things to do because of the energy the crowd always gives and the encouragement to show crude things in a movie theatre. This night was special since the movie's star/director/writer/producer, Tommy Wiseau, was in attendance. He was as eccentric as his movie was horrible.

Marnie Stern/Subterranean/Mar. 10, 2011

It's one thing to hear the math rock-esque rhythms being played on record, but it's another thing to see them live. Marnie's drummer kept my head shaking in disbelief for pretty much the entire time.

Teedra Moses/The Shrine/Mar. 26, 2011

I'm still not 100% sold on The Shrine as a music venue (too many sound problems, too much distance from performer), but Teedra overcame all of that to give a magnetic performance. I was pleased to hear pretty much all of Complex Simplicity and the cover of Prince's "Do Me Baby" slayed.

If you see someone at a concert playing with one of these, chances are it's probably me.

Best Movies of 2010

2011-02-26T13:20:00.001-06:00

As I always mention whenever I do my best films of the year list, I like to wait till around February or so to allow myself to be able to see some of the movies that don't go nationwide until the new year. I'm on a modest budget and I don't get to go to film festivals, so it's impossible for a Midwesterner such as myself to catch all the prestige films that are rushed to release during the Oscar season that manage to land on a lot of critics' year-end list. I feel that as long as I can do my list before the Academy Awards, it can still remain somewhat relevant and topical. This was also the first year that I got a subscription to Netflix and if you haven't jumped on board by now, I highly recommend it if you're a movie buff such as myself. It allowed me to watch more movies in a year than I have in a very long time and is partly the reason why this list is close to 60 and could have potentially been higher if I had the time to fit in everything I hoped to see.

1. I Am Love

One of the most visually impressive films of the year was not a flashy, big-budget Hollywood effort, but a brooding family drama from Italian director Luca Guadagino. The set design and wardrobes are rich with vivaciousness and detail that pop off the screen in an effective, subtle manner and reflect the tone and personalities of its scenes and characters beautifully. This is a movie that deals with contrast at nearly every corner, since the main character, a Russian woman played Tilda Swinton who married into an affluent Italian family, is an outsider in her own family and that idea is delicately exposed in nearly every frame. Technically, I Am Love is masterfully produced, but when it delves into the intentions and actions of its characters, the effect is poetic as it can be interpreted in many different ways. Even the film's final, grainy shot could have several connotations after repeat viewings (I've seen people refer to it as having the qualities of an ultrasound). I know I've come across a great film when I can't get it out of my head days later and I am constantly thinking it over in my head. As is the case with a lot of revered art, everything may not come to you the first time around, but along the way it forces you to ask yourself questions you never thought of before and enriches you in the process.

2. A Prophet

The brutality and violence shown in A Prophet is portrayed in an unflinching way, the kind that isn't shown much in American films. This doesn't mean that American movies shy away from violence—as a matter a fact, gruesomeness is seen as a badge of honor—but the way its done is fetishsized and desensitizes the impact on its viewer. In A Prophet, there is nothing romantic about the acts that are portrayed and it managed to jar even a nonchalant, bloodlusting American as myself. I believe that anything that can get a reaction out of me has made an achievement in that it has accomplished its goal, but that only speaks to the skill of director Jacques Audiard and glosses over the heartening content of the movie that has earned it such a high spot on my list. This French film centers on a young Arab who enters a ethnically divided prison (is there any other kind?) and links up with the Corsicans, an act that is in direct conflict with his Muslim brethren. With the mixture of social issues and gritty entertainment that shares a few strokes from some of Scorcese's earlier works, A Prophet, with its epic span, distinguishes itself from the ordinary crime drama and delivers a more fulfilling experience.

3. Mother

In Bong Joon-Hoo's follow up to The Host, the Korean director finds himself once again juggling around with genres. Mother flows from drama to mystery to suspense seamlessly. Of course, such an arc is required for the story, which deals with an intensely loving mother who will do anything to prove that her mentally disabled son is innocent of a murder he has been accused of. Hye-ja Kim, who plays the character simply titled as Mother, is wonderful in the role as she has to maintain a pained look on her face while also making you believe that this is a determined woman who will do whatever it takes to exonerate her only child, even if it causes her to be in over her head. The movie also has a trance-like tone throughout so as not to latch on solely to the mystery—which is certainly entertaining in its own right and kept me guessing—but to remind us of how far family is willing to go for one another.

4. Restrepo

The fact that a documentary was filmed in Afghanistan in one of the Taliban's strongholds is impressive enough, but following a platoon in the midst of it all is still mind-boggling. Perhaps it's because I would lack the courage to strap on a camera and follow this group of brave men, knowing that at any moment we could be ambushed. Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington were brave enough to do such a thing, and not only was the footage astounding, but it gave us a not too often seen, in-depth look at the horrors of war and put a face to the men who put their lives at risk everyday. Fewer films provided as many intense moments as Restrepo, but it would be almost unfair to compare it with a work of fiction. The stakes were all too real as tragedy struck and its effect ever remaining on the faces of those who survived. The film does not strive to make a statement about whether war is good or bad, but simply observes a year in the life of these men. The viewer is left to decide on their own, and the answer may not be pretty.

5. Black Swan

Darren Aronofsky is my favorite contemporary director. His work is consistently fearless and challenging with a visual flair all his own. He continues to hold that title here with Black Swan, which is the most accessible out of all his films, but doesn't cop out in anyway. I'm a fan of color scheme in movies and I know that it matters a big deal as to what color a character is wearing with the most detailed directors. Whenever we're in Nina's bedroom, the main character portrayed by Natalie Portman, I kept focusing on that one black plush toy in the background because it was such a contrast with the other white animals and it was no coincidence that that one random toy would be in the frame. It's the type of subtle foreshadowing that makes Aronofsky's films so rich. As Nina descends into madness (or is it reality), Aronofsky strikes a balance between fantasy and the real world that is plausible and keeps the audience guessing as to what is actually happening on the screen. It makes for an engaging experience that requires your attention, but at the same time jolting and visceral enough to provide few dull moments.

6. The Secret In Their Eyes

This Argentinean film won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film last year over such great movies as The White Ribbon and my #2 A Prophet. At the time of its victory, I wanted to think that the Academy was afraid to give the award to something more daring, but when I finally sat down to watch The Secret In Their Eyes, I was impressed by its mastery and tone. While I still do prefer The White Ribbon and A Prophet, it is only by the slimmest of margins and the Academy Award was still much deserved for this film. The story centers around a federal investigator who is writing a novel based on a murder case from nearly two decades ago as a way of seeking closure. New things are revealed, leading up to one of the more surprising and honest climaxes of the year. The movie does have the arc of a television procedural, but it's also just as fascinated with its characters and their motivations just as much as the grisly crime.

7. Last Train Home

The title of the film refers to one of the biggest annual human migrations in the world where workers return to their homes in rural China from the cities once a year for the holidays. The focus is on one family over the years as they deal with being separated and the oncoming rebelliousness of adolescence. For about the first 15 minutes of Last Train Home, I honestly thought I was watching a work of fiction and I had to do some research when I got home. I was so impressed at how the director was able to catch such intimate moments of a family of migrant workers in China that I didn't want to believe it was a documentary. The participants rarely talk to the camera and most of what we find out is through the dialogue between them. It's an approach that I found refreshing and better served by the content. By directly addressing the camera, we immediately become aware that those people are being followed, and as a long time viewer of reality television and documentaries, anytime this happens, I always try to make sure that I'm cognizant of whether some events or staged how things might have been edited to better serve a narrative. With Last Train Home, none of that ever crossed my mind and it actually felt like I was watching a story, albeit a real live one.

8. Blue Valentine

I adore Natalie Portman's performance in Black Swan because I think it was very demanding and required diversity, but I'll be rooting for Michelle Williams to take home the Oscar. Without giving too much away, there is a scene at a clinic that filled me with dread, discomfort and sadness all at the same time, but all we mostly see is Williams' face. It was a heart-wrenching display of great acting and it will forever be seared into my mind because of the depths that Williams must have to dig through to pull that out of her. Blue Valentine centers around a couple falling out of love, with Ryan Gosling (in another excellent performance) portraying her significant other. The movie goes back and forth to show them in happier times to the present, where things have turned considerably bleak. There is not much hope offered in the film and those moments of despair are undeniably brutal and real, which is all part of the human experience. We understand how things have gotten to the way they have, but even while watching the couple fall in love before our eyes onscreen, I felt more warmth than from the majority of romantic movies that are released every year. The fact that both ends of the relationship spectrum were captured so expertly made Blue Valentine one of the most enduring films of 2010 for me.

9. The Social Network

If you've noticed, Hollywood does not make a lot of movies that cater to mature adults anymore. It was not uncommon for smart, dialogue-driven, crowd-pleasing films starring older actors to become box office hits on a yearly basis (think Dave, As Good As It Gets, Jerry Maguire, The American President, etc.). Now it appears that Meryl Streep is the only one capable of helping to make those types of movies any significant money. The Social Network reminded me a lot of those types of movies in the sense that it was mostly just characters talking, but there was still plenty of excitement and memorable moments. The main difference is that The Social Network featured younger actors and was a bit more flashier. A lot of credit goes to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin (who also wrote the script for The American President) for giving the film its zip and a bit of old school charm, but the bigger achievement goes to director David Fincher for creating a movie whose premise might seem dull on paper into an exhilarating film. It's certainly one of the bigger mainstream achievements overall of the year, firing on all cylinders and exceeding above the standard in writing, acting and directing. Simply put, it's a high quality piece of work that should remain enjoyable over the years to come, even when its subject matter is no longer as topical.

10. Toy Story 3

Even without the previous emotional attachment I've had with the characters of the Toy Story movies over the years, this still would have been one of the most entertaining films of 2010. Without even getting into the established characters, take a look at such new wonderful creations as Big Baby and the cymbal monkey (two creepy characters that wouldn't be out of place in a PG movie) and the dazzling action sequences as examples of the level of creativity that went into making Toy Story 3 one of the best threequels ever. There's not much new that can be said about what Pixar did here. It's become expected for them to do something smart, funny and with a lot of heart. It's a combination that rarely goes wrong for me, but Toy Story 3 seemed to tug at the heart strings a little more than usual. The constant theme of growing up and moving on is a universal one that just about anyone can relate to and provided heavier moments than most family films. This movie can be enjoyable without having seen the first two, but if you were a fan coming into this one like I was, Toy Story 3 becomes all the more special and you may have come close to choking up a bit, like I did.

11. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
12. Another Year
13. True Grit
14. The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo
15. Winter's Bone
16. Exit Through The Gift Shop
17. The Square
18. Dogtooth
19. My Dog Tulip
20. Inception
21. The Lottery
22. Shutter Island
23. Tangled
24. How To Train Your Dragon
25. Rabbit Hole
26. The Girl Who Played With Fire
27. Catfish
28. The Tillman Story
29. Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work
30. The Kids Are All Right
31. Salt
32. White Material
33. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest
34. Easy A
35. Vincere
36. The Town
37. The Secret of Kells
38. Waking Sleeping Beauty
39. Machete
40. The Losers
41. Cyrus
42. Winnebago Man
43. Greenberg
44. The Agony and Ecstasy of Phil Spector
45. Ajami
46. Megamind
47. Diary of A Wimpy Kid
48. Youth In Revolt
49. MacGruber
50. Hot Tub Time Machine
51. Inside Job
52. The Fighter
53. Iron Man 2
54. Kick-Ass
55. The Runaways
56. The Expendables

Live Blogging the 2011 Grammys:

2011-02-13T19:15:00.036-06:00

6:49 Showtime is near. Checking out some of the awards handed out before the show and seeing how they matched up with my predictions. Some things of note: Black Keys won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group and also took Best Alternative/Music Album, which was supposed to be a gimme for Arcade Fire. Huge upset. Also, "Empire State of Mind" taking Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration over Eminem suggests that it may not be his night after all. This could have huge ramifications for the general categories, specifically Album of the Year where Eminem is favored.

6:58 I'm probably more excited than I should be that "Empire State of Mind" won those categories. For one, it makes Record of the Year more interesting and "Empire State of Mind" is simply the better song.

7:05 Tribute to Aretha Franklin to kick off the show featuring Martina McBride, Florence Welch, Yolanda Adams, Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Hudson. Right now, Xtina is winning. Florence seems like the only who doesn't belong. Will have to wait till she gets her solo turn. Martina McBride is making a very strong case for 2nd place.

7:10 Yolanda Adams was probably the most rousing so far. It touched something within me. I still think Christina came out tops. Any good reason why Joss Stone couldn't make it?

7:13 Aretha tribute was decent. Not sure I would have started the show off with it, but I can't 100% knock it because it is frickin' Aretha Franklin.

7:14 Final scorecard for Aretha tribute. 1. Christina Aguilera 2. Yolanda Adams 3. Martina McBride 4. Jennifer Hudson 5. Florence Welch.

7:21 "Hey, Soul Sister" wins Best Performance by a Pop Duo or Group. Not a shocker. It was the biggest hit out of the category, if we're being honest, Paramore was robbed!

7:24 Thank you Lady Gaga for making the Grammys wonderfully weird. Also, can't wait to hear the studio version of "Born This Way." Sounds like a keeper.

7:32 The promos for the Grammys made it seem as if this was going to be an amazing Gaga performance that would allegedly have everyone talking the next morning. Decent, but not watercooler material.

7:35 I liked "The House That Built Me" so much that it cracked my top 100 singles of 2010, but Miranda Lambert sounds a little flat during this performance. There's very little of the magic she had on the recording, which sucks because it's a damn fine song and it's the first time that a lot of people will hear it.

7:39 Whoa! Muse performing on the Grammys? Not very often that they have rock acts without crossover hits on the show, unless they're tenured veterans or released an album that got a ton of attention.

7:45 Kind of interesting that Muse would be on the Grammys. Only nominated for two Grammys with no chance of winning and "Resistance" was mostly a hit on the rock charts. Perhaps they're striving to actually include some quality, relevant acts to fill out the three hours. Also, why have there only been two awards handed out within the first 45 minutes? Maybe more people would watch if the races were hyped up more.

7:58 Fun performance overall by B.o.B., Bruno Mars and Janelle Monae. I knew it was going to be fun as soon as I saw B.o.B. rockin' the monocle. I love Bruno's voice when he's going for a softer tone, but couldn't stand some of the shoutier moments of "Grenade," but I did like the doo-wop arrangement. Of course, Monae took over the show with "Cold War." She oozes star quality out of everyone of her pores. We'll be blessed if we see anything else during the night that matches the energy of that performance.

8:07 Showing Justin Bieber play the guitar can only improve his status. I'm sure a lot of people were unaware he could do that.

8:08 Bieber is also okay in my book for bringing up dancers who resemble Scorpion circa Mortal Kombat II.

8:10 I'm not a fan of Jaden Smith as a rapper. Just having the camera cut back and forth to his parents mouthing the words only reinforced the fact that the performance just turned into a talent show.

8:13 I have to admit that was a pretty decent performance from Justin Bieber and Usher. Cool production values and and it was very spirited. I'm sure their fans enjoyed it.

8:15 Best Rock Album was such a weak category this year. I'm glad that Muse won, but I wouldn't consider it a great album by any means. Before I said they had no chance of winning, but I suppose all the older votes canceled each other out. Plus, Muse had an increased profile in the States with "Resistance" becoming a radio hit.

8:26 Smart programming to have Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers playing back-to-back on the same stage. Highlights the sort of music that doesn't get mainstream attention.

8:31 Okay, Bob Dylan's voice is shot to crap, but I'm halfway close to getting chills from watching this bluegrass version of "Maggie's Farm." The execution is lively.

8:40 Have Lady Antebellum been closet Teddy Pendergrass fans all this time? This is news to me. I also picked Lady Antebellum to win Record and Song of the Year in my predictions.

8:44 Eh, pleasant enough performance from Lady A.

8:48 Gwyneth Paltrow is actually the weirdest part of this performance, puppets, and Elton John regalia included.

8:53 I appreciated the spectacle of Cee Lo's performance and it also made me smile, but it just didn't really connect with me. The musicianship wasn't there and I think the focus was lost. Scissor Sisters did a much cooler job of working with puppets at the 2005 Brit Awards. http://youtu.be/fEf_-BKT6zg

9:02 Katy Perry gives a another solid performance in what is shaping up to be a decent Grammy ceremony. Less risque than when she performed "I Kissed A Girl" but certainly more memorable overall.

9:06 Nice sweet little tribute to Dolly Parton with John Mayer, Keith Urban and Norah Jones performing "Jolene." It was actually deserving of being played on a bigger state instead of as a lead-up to Song of the Year, which is won by Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now." As it stands, I still favor Eminem to take Album of the Year as long as he can still nab Best Rap Album. A little bit of his thunder was stole with the "Empire State of Mind" wins in the rap categories, but he is by far the strongest choice. Record of the Year will be very telling but it appears that Best New Artist is coming up now. I called Drake in my predictions, but it seems to be popular to pick Florence + The Machine. I just don't see that happening with BNA being her only nomination of the night.

9:23 Eminem gave a good technical performance, but "I Need A Doctor" is far from one of his best songs. Nice to see Dr. Dre perform again. I guess this is all the hip hop we're going to get this year. Sigh.

9:24 I'm completely shocked at the Esperanza Spalding win for Best New Artist. Very deserving and it would make sense that the NARAS would pick someone like her. Young jazz artist who's sings and plays upright bass, writes her own material, sings in English and Spanish. It's definitely the kind of stuff they like to award. Not to mention that the music itself really good. Her 2008 album, Esperanza is ace, folks.

9:28 Still beaming from the Esperanza win! Very happy for her.

9:35 Nice touch having Mick Jagger do a Solomon Burke tribute. It makes more sense than oh, Lady Antebellum performing Teddy Pendergrass.

9:38 How is Mick Jagger able to move around like that at his age??

9:40 So yeah, Jagger just killed "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love." Pretty much showed everyone in the audience how it's done.

9:47 I have nothing against Barbara Streisand. Don't know enough of her music and she's got a good voice, but how is her performing relevant? Don't think she was even nominated. But I suppose if Streisand wants to perform, who is anyone to reject her?

9:52 I've never seen Best Rap Album given so late in the ceremony. I'm sure they did it for the ratings because they figured people would want to see Eminem win. Now I'm starting to think that Album of the Year is less likely for him now that it could be viewed he's already had his moment. Hmm...

10:04 I understand that Rihanna is a big star, but that performance was not worthy of being one of the last ones of the show. Nice chemistry between her and Drake though.

10:05 Not surprising to me at least, Lady A takes Record of the Year. I still don't see how they could get Album of the Year since there is only one crossover hit on that album. The Dixie Chicks were able to do it, but they were much more of a mainstream name and had been nominated in that category twice before. I still think Eminem is going to get the win.

10:12 Something new and strange is happening at the Grammys this year. The programming choices have all been pretty solid, but what's most shocking is Arcade Fire being one of the last acts to perform.

10:25 Arcade Fire wins Album of the Year in an upset, then proceeds to perform again directly after accepting the award. This must be a first and I am loving it.

10:28 Arcade Fire winning Album of the Year is monumental in so many ways. First, it's unheard of for an indie rock album to win this category. They've managed to do something that neither Beck, Radiohead or The White Stripes accomplished. What's also more impressive is that The Suburbs had to have won based purely on merit because there are no big singles as was the case with the previously mentioned artists and there was next to no impact on the larger mainstream conscience aside from debuting at #1. What's also crazy is that Arcade Fire won this award with no other victories in any categories. They were widely expected to take Best Alternative/Music Album, which went to The Black Keys instead. Once they lost that, I'll admit that I completely wrote them off. I'm thinking that most of the votes were between Arcade Fire and Eminem. A victory for Eminem would have been due to outside circumstances such as his comeback and the success of his album, but the album itself is not exactly a masterpiece. The Katy Perry nod is still a joke, Lady Antebellum has no other hits and Lady Gaga's entry was an EP. After all that, Arcade Fire probably felt like the strongest choice to go with for a lot of voters.

10:39 And I'm done for the night. Overall, it's been a pretty solid ceremony. Most of the performances held my attention, but it would be nice to have more awards given throughout during the show, which will probably never happen since most folks watch to see the artists perform.

Grammy Predictions & Live Blogging

2011-02-11T09:06:00.003-06:00

It's Grammy time once again and I'll be live blogging the event as usual this Sunday, Feb. 13. I'll be getting things started here a couple of minutes before the big ceremony. Also, make sure to check out my Grammy predictions posted at Prefix.

Top 250 Singles of 2010

2011-01-26T01:00:00.003-06:00

1. Janelle Monáe F/ Big Boi - Tightrope

It was only just a few weeks ago that I listed The ArchAndroid as my #1 album of 2010. Now Janelle Monáe can also lay claim to my favorite single as well. The steady groove of "Tightrope" was deceptive to me at first and made everything appear simple. Having been a fan of Monáe for some years, I was used to expecting something more explosive and colorful. Where was the sci-fi adrenaline rush of "Violet Stars, Happy Hunting"? Or the party vibe of "Lettin' Go!"? At first, "Tightrope" appeared to be just a fun decent tune and nothing amazing, but subsequent listens revealed just how layered it was. The groove itself was already solid, giving nods to James Brown and Fela Kuti, but it was the little surprises such as the background vocals mimicking the bass line, the ukulele during Big Boi's verse and the "happy birthday" coda that made me realize how meticulously crafted this song was. It's filled with all kinds of fun bells and whistles, packaged neatly into a subtly joyful experience. Monáe's nimble delivery is also locked deeply into its own groove that it's also possible to overlook just how impressive it is upon initial listens, truly providing us another flavor, something like a Terminator.

2. Mark Ronson and The Business Int'l F/ Q-Tip and MNDR - Bang Bang Bang

The main riff throughout the verse is a bouncy hip hop-inflected synth line that fits wonderfully with Q-Tip's easy-going, effortless flow. The combination of the two would have been enough to land a spot on this list, but for me it's about the chorus. It seemingly comes from a different song while still maintaining the 1980s pop aura that Ronson successfully achieved. With a new wave rush of neon and French nursery rhymes, MNDR aptly channels the right amount of early-era MTV cool needed to make "Bang Bang Bang" one of the most exciting time warps of 2010. Everything here would appear to contradict each other and end up as one noodling, aimless exercise, but in actuality it's one of the most original pop songs of the year.

3. The Like - He's Not A Boy

The Like switched up their sound from the alternative-era indie pop of their debut, Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking? to Mod-influenced girl group garage rock for Release Me. "He's Not A Boy," another Mark Ronson produced track, is their catchiest song yet and the best example of The Like's new direction, which is still heavily melody-based and with more of a focus on vocal harmonies. The song itself is a sugary, shuffling track that sounds like something The Pipettes would have made if they spent a weekend with The Stooges.

4. Sleigh Bells - Infinity Guitars

Listening to this song is like one big giant "fuck off." Not in the sense that the quality is less than desired and not taking the listener into consideration, but it feels as if the song is saying fuck off to everything. To your ears. To your speakers. To whatever little wimpy song you have next in your playlist. To how you think music should sound. The fuck off vibe is immensely helped by Alexis Krauss' shouty, bratty vocals and the track's unrelenting, abrasive sound levels. It translates the energy of crunk music into noise pop that comes crashing in from all corners and won't let up till it sees your head nod and your foot stomp.

5. Ciara - Ride F/ Andre 3000 & Bei Maejor (Remix)

Reminiscent of great Miami bass pop tracks from the 90s such as Ghetto Town DJ's' "My Boo" and Dana's "As We Lay," the remix to "Ride" surpasses the original by downplaying that version's overt sexuality into a less distracting record that is more freewheeling and playfully sensual. If Ciara had managed to lead with this record instead of the one featuring Ludacris, less of the focus would have been on the titillating video and on the actual music. Not that I have anything against the original "Ride," but I strongly feel that one version gets stuck in your head easier and the other only comes to mind fleetingly. The remix is also helped by an Andre 3000 verse, who is always a welcome presence and continues his winning streak since he decided to pick the mic back up. The production is handled by multi-hyphenate newcomer Bei Maejor, whose pop sensibilities are already strong and has made Ciara sound as young as she's ever had in recent memory.

6. Quadron - Average Fruit

With a sly, slinky groove and downtempo tones, "Average Fruit" was easily one of the sexiest sounding songs of the year. Vocalist Coco O. sings in a breathy hushed manner as she ponders about a well-dressed man who has caught her eye, giving the record a romantic but observant mood. She seems content to just watch in the background, but when you hear her voice, it's not hard to tell what's on her mind. Robin Hannibal, the musical maestro behind Quadron, has excelled for some time now at coolly prepared R&B backgrounds that sound appropriate for either a lounge or a bedroom, but "Average Fruit" marks a high point.

7. Kanye West F/ Pusha T - Runaway

While Kanye is not the most gifted singer, his voice has the right amount of sincerity that makes it easy to overlook his technical shortcomings at certain points. "Runaway" is one of those points, along with "Hey Mama" and "Say You Will," that provide the right amount of emotion necessary to be able to connect with the song. Even as West sings of toasting to douchebags and assholes, there is a hint of pain in his voice that adds more gravity to the lines, "Run away from me baby." He's warned you that he's a jerk-off. Now it's time to follow his advice, and you believe him. Kanye is one of the most open-hearted pop stars of our time, so the honesty of "Runaway" is no surprise, but who would have guessed that he would be at his most intriguing when painting the least flattering picture of himself?

8. Robyn - Dancing On My Own

Can anyone console a fractured heart on the dancefloor better than Robyn? "Dancing On My Own" is familiar territory since her best work has managed to bring human warmth to the icy soundscapes of electronic dance music, but there's never the sense that Robyn is simply repeating herself. In this episode, Robyn spots the object of her affection with a new lover on the floor and her only defense is to keep dancing. While a good deal of pop songs focus on the brighter side of a night out at the club, Robyn manages to show the dark underbelly of the scene by examining the loneliness of being in a crowd that could care less about a person's feelings. You may not know what it's like to have your heart slowly fall apart as you watch someone you're infatuated with choose someone other than you, but you'll be damned if you don't know what it feels like after this song is over.

9. MdCL presents Sy Smith - Truth

I'm not familiar with Mark de Clive-Howe's previous work or how this collaboration between him and underground soul artist Sy Smith took place, but that's one of the beautiful things about listening to a song for the first time; you don't care about who wrote it, its context or its background—it's just you and that song and you only care whether you like it or not. Obviously, "Truth" is a song I like very much and it's a refreshing blast of sunny house that delightfully skates between dance music and R&B. When Sy Smith's harmonies kick in along with sustains on the keyboard during the chorus, it creates a jolting, joyous moment that's immediately distinctive in the way that it awakens.

10. Duck Sauce - Barbara Streisand

It's a goofy idea that becomes more and more addictive with each listen. The only words spoken over this thumping house track is "Barbara Streisand." That's it. Something as simple as name checking one of music's biggest icons would be enough to label this song a novelty, but it ends up being much more than that. Like most novelty tunes, "Barbara Streisand" is certainly fun, with constant cooing background vocals and a funky groove, but the only thing is that the novelty has a devil of a time wearing off. It won't catch anyone off-guard that the teaming up of A-Trak and Armand Van Helden would result in a slice of dance euphoria, but it's charming to see the both of them involved in something so nonsensical yet maintain its vibe of nightclub chic.

11. Elsinore - Yes Yes Yes
Buoyant rock tune with a fun and easy chorus to shout along to.
12. Kanye West F/ Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver & Nicki Minaj - Monster
Aside from Nicki's fantastic verse, I just love how Rick Ross pops in at the beginning for a second and leaves. That voice sets the mood for what's to come.
13. MNDR - E.P.E. EP
The winners here are the eerie "I Go Away" and the robotic "Fade To Black."
14. One For The Team - Hard For You
A lot of Alternative Nation dynamics going on here. This puts me in a good mood.
15. Eluvium - The Motion Makes Me Last
Ghostly, minimal and beautiful.
16. Kanye West - Power
Is it safe to call this prog hop since it samples King Crimson? It's so far to the left of anything current.
17. Dan Black - Symphonies
Borrows the drums from "Umbrella" and sounds like the soundtrack for a meteor shower.
18. Kelis - 4th of July (Fireworks)
Girl, I'll house you.
19. Katy Perry - Teenage Dream
Actually, the video for this song should have taken place in the clouds instead of "California Gurls." Going all the way sometimes feels like that.
20. Music Go Music - Light Of Love
I know ABBA has got royalties flying out of the wazoo, but I bet they're pretty pissed they didn't write this one.
21. Antoine Dodson & The Gregory Brothers - Bed Intruder Song (feat. Kelly Dodson)
I once watched this video seven times in one night and it never got old. Run and tell that.
22. Marsha Ambrosius - Far Away
Just Blaze understands what works for Marsha so well that it's scary, lest we forget The Game's "Tell Me Why You Hate The Game."
23. Standard Fare - Philadelphia
My last long-distance relationship wasn't nearly as catchy as this. Go figure.
24. Erykah Badu - Window Seat
Does Erykah get enough credit for the melodies in her songs? They're all so distinctive as she continues to get attention for her grooves.
25. Marnie Stern - For Ash
An ode to a lost loved one set to structured chaos.
26. Timbaland F/ Katy Perry - If We Ever Meet Again
I'm a sucker for huge choruses that can fill up a room. Also, I had no idea that I could enjoy a Timbaland pop/rock track so much.
27. Keri Hilson - Pretty Girl Rock
No guest stars? No problem. Hilson delivers her first gem by herself.
28. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Horse Power EP
"Simple Girl" was my most played song of 2010. "Vocal Chords" also brought some serious glee as well.
29. Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You
When I listen to this song, I don't just hear vulgarity; I hear some serious spite in that man's voice.
30. Drake F/ Alicia Keys - Fireworks
The seeds of 808s and Heartbreak have come to fruition.
31. Jonsi - Animal Arithmetic
If I ever get lost in a house of mirrors, I imagine that this would be the song playing over the speakers as I descend into madness.
32. Macy Gray F/ Bobby Brown - Real Love
Sure, it's a calculated stab at old school R&B, but that doesn't make it any less effective.
33. Tennis - Marathon
Imagine a girl group from the 60s who died in a plane crash and came back from the dead. They'd book a haunted house and perform songs that sounded like this.
34. Robyn - Hang With Me
Who keeps on toying with this woman's emotions? I'll pay them to keep doing it if she continues to crank stuff like this out.
35. Kylie Minogue - All The Lovers
It's regal and reserved for the most part, but then that chorus bursts through like a ray of sunshine.
36. Kinky Notti - Ghetto Love
You will juke. You will sweat. You will put your hands in inappropriate places on your dance partner.
37. Jonsi - Boy Lilikoi
Adventurous and gloriously textured track with a rousing moment at nearly every step.
38. The Fives F/ Vanya Taylor - It's What You Do (Hottest By Far)
This fantastic exercise in the UK funky genre uses elements of garage and soca to create an instant party.
39. Fol Chen - The Holograms
What Shugo Tokomaru would sound like if he wanted to appeal to the cool kids.
40. Beach House - Zebra
Every time I hear the opening guitar riff, I still get a haunting feeling. The good kind, of course.
41. The Vaselines - Sex With An X
By the time the guitar solo kicks in, the chorus has been repeated so often that it pretty much forces you into submission, despite its deceptively simple, laid back ways.
42. LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change
The power of the line, "I can change, if it helps you fall in love" gets me every time because it's such an honest and naive approach and reminds me of grade school.
43. DVAS - Society
Velvety, synth-heavy disco track that glides along smoothly.
44. Sade - Soldier Of Love
Sade's vocals are so pained and arresting that you immediately want to pump your fist and fight for the cause. But then you have to remind yourself exactly what you're a soldier of.
45. Alphabeat - Heatwave
At this point, I'm convinced that one of their pets could die in a horrible accident and it still wouldn't deter them from cranking out a giddy-as-all-hell pop song.
46. Ludacris F/ Trey Songz - Sex Room
Keeps its humor while still not skimping on the kink.
47. Katy Perry F/ Snoop Dogg - California Gurls
Expect art and you will be disappointed. Look for a good time and expectations are surpassed.
48. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round
The 1980s provide a gateway to accessibility without trading in his distinct weirdness.
49. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
When I think of some of Hot Chip's best choruses, the word that always pops into my mind is "creamy."
50. Miranda Lambert - The House That Built Me
Emotional reflection on youth that gives a nod to country's golden years.
51. Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes
I feel like I've already mentioned the heyday of alternative music too many times already, but I hear this and think that Spike Jonze could have directed the video.
52. Drake F/ The-Dream - Shut It Down
The slow build and sparseness of this track undeniably helps its sensuality, but the fact that it carries on for seven minutes is what makes the climax so worth it.
53. Willow Smith - Whip My Hair
Oh, how I've matured. If I were 9, I would have probably pretended to hate this song. Now I pay no attention to those haters cuz I whip 'em off (sans whippable hair).
54. Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill
Proof that they can still please when they're not trying to destroy eardrums.
55. Hunx and His Punx - Dream On (Little Dreamer)
Some surf twang mixed with punk catchiness. Delightful little treat.
56. Usher F/ Nicki Minaj - Lil' Freak
The Stevie Wonder sample gives this song an unexpected epic swirl on the chorus. Tack on a typically bizarre Nicki Minaj verse and you've got pop magic.
57. Gabriella Cilmi - On a Mission
Fiercely uptempo manifesto awash in Casios.
58. OK Go - This Too Shall Pass
If The Flaming Lips made an intentional attempt at airplay, it would probably sound like this.
59. Diddy-Dirty Money F/ T.I. - Hello Good Morning
European club gloss mixed with a hardcore R&B edge.
60. Cecile & Venice - Rimmel
Just the right amount of late night potency to either pull you back onto the floor or relax comfortably.
61. Goldfrapp - Rocket
Could find a place on just about any youth-oriented movie soundtrack from the 1980s.
62. Big Boi F/ Yelawolf - You Ain't No DJ
Yelawolf's cadence on this is mind-boggling; it shows little regards for the "rules" as we've known them to be.
63. Delorean - Stay Close
I can't tell whether those are actual female vocals or samples in the background, but the abstractness of it all gives it a warm ecstasy.
64. Jay-Z F/ Swizz Beatz - On To The Next One
I love it when Jay-Z sticks to a distinct rhythm in a song. It usually adds more propulsion to the beat.
65. Sky Ferreira - One
The best use of repetition in a pop song this year, especially when it segues into the chorus.
66. Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me
Despite the collected mood, there's something slyly sinister about Posner's delivery that makes it all work.
67. Cali Swag District - Teach Me How To Dougie
Nowhere near as annoying as some of the other rap dance tracks that plagued us over the past few years. It finds a nice balance between the streets and the clubs.
68. Orianthi - Shut Up and Kiss Me
Shreds harder than the average pop/rock song, which brings even more of a energy release during the hook.
69. Wiz Khalifa - Black And Yellow
Stargate are mainly known for their pop work, but the hard-hitting production work here shows the duo's versatility. Wiz also brings life to the track as well.
70. Fol Chen - In Ruins
Jagged and catchy electronic indie pop.
71. Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union
It sounds like Ted Leo stopped by for a Bruce Springsteen recording session and gave a few pointers.
72. Fyfe Dangerfield - When You Walk in the Room
Modern take on 1970s pop, but with more falsetto.
73. Rihanna - Rude Boy
Rihanna has a way of making the most lascivious things sound sound sweet but with enough edge to make a guy adjust their collar.
74. Rox - My Baby Left Me
While I'm still a fan of the original version that's been around since 2008, I can appreciate the wider palette used here, giving it less of a Ronson/Winehouse feel.
75. Aloe Blacc - Femme Fatale
I like the meaning this song takes on when from the viewpoint of a male. More soul covers of Velvet Underground, please!
76. Curren$y - King Kong
Imaginative, original track that isn't content with simple, literal boasts.
77. Redman - Lookin' Fly
The smooth, classy soul sample keeps the Funk Doc sounding invigorated as his career enters its 3rd(!) decade.
78. Sleigh Bells - Tell 'Em
I think this would make a great opening theme music for a Saturday cartoon. I'm picturing lots of quick cuts and something with robots and lasers.
79. Nikki & Rich - Next Best Thing
Modern take on 1960s R&B with a dash of Winehouse-esque bite.
80. Rose Elinor Dougall - Find Me Out
Achingly beautiful song that provides more than enough justification for leaving The Pipettes.
81. Lil' Wayne F/ Nicki Minaj - Knockout
Obnoxious? Sure. Clumsy? Maybe. Goofy fun that I inexplicably keep on repeat? Dear Lord, yes.
82. Groove Armada - Look Me In The Eye Sister
Picture a song rising out of a dingy, dark swamp only wanting to be hugged.
83. Usher-There Goes My Baby
When he goes into that higher register, it's pretty much butter.
84. My Chemical Romance - Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na
Na Na)
Cartoonish and over the top, but sometimes throwing in the kitchen sink is warranted.
85. Goldfrapp - Believer
Another pulsating synth heavy track from one of the most retro leaning albums of the year.
86. Soulja Boy F/ Gucci Mane - Pretty Boy Swag (Remix)
Sometimes you just have to wipe that serious look off your face.
87. The Naked & Famous - Punching In A Dream
The atmosphere here is mostly fuzz, but it's the kind that makes you bounce.
88. Metric - Stadium Love
I can't think of a more fitting title for a song that sounds so expansive and energetic.
89. N.E.R.D. F/ Nelly Furtado - Hot-N-Fun
The bass line reminds me of something they might have done in the early 00s. Nothing wrong with that sound at all.
90. Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar
My parents once lived in a time where a record as good as this actually cost a dollar.
91. Summer Camp - Round The Moon
Someone just needs to go ahead and coin the term "Hughes wave" for songs like this.
92. James Blake - CMYK
The samples here sound as if they were created in a graveyard.
93. Orianthi - According To You
Her guitar skills automatically makes any of her songs distinct, which can be tough to do with such a homogeneous genre.
94. Girls Can't Catch - Echo
Another song that use the template of "Umbrella" and does it admirably.
95. The School - Is He Really Coming Home?
Yearning indie pop tune with traces of Northern soul and twee.
96. Givers - Up Up Up
There are few spare moments to rest here, as if the title didn't give it away.
97. Crystal Castles F/ Robert Smith - Not In Love
I can practically smell the eyeliner melting from all the verve.
98. Pin Me Down - Treasure Hunter
Bloc Party side project that shares some of that band's explosiveness but with more sweetener.
99. Paramore - Playing God
This song, along with others, certifies them as one of the better American pop acts. within the last few years.
100. Curren$y - Breakfast
Everything about this song is so fluid that you don't even notice there's not a hook.

101. Goldfrapp - Alive
102. Lykke Li - Get Some
103. Drake - Over
104. The Like - Release Me
105. Japandroids - Younger Us
106. Kate Nash - Do Wah Doo
107. B.o.B. F/ Bruno Mars - Nothin' On You
108. Cloud Control - This Is What I Said
109. Quadron - Herfra Hvor Vi Står
110. Divine Comedy - At The Indie Disco
111. The Saturdays - Ego
112. White Shoes & The Couples Company - Vakansi
113. Mannie Fresh - Like a Boss
114. The Naked & Famous - Young Blood
115. Kylie Minogue - Get Outta My Way
116. The Russian Futurists - Hoeing Weeds Sowing Seeds
117. Pink - Raise Your Glass
118. Cee-Lo Green - Bright Lights Bigger City
119. Rick Ross - Super High
120. Sad Day For Puppets - Again
121. St. Vincent - Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood
122. Ke$ha - Your Love Is My Drug
123. Robyn - Fembot
124. Princess Nyah - Butterflies
125. Rick Ross F/ Styles P - BMF (Blowin' Money Fast)
126. Oh Land - Sun of A Gun
127. The Sonnets - No Hollywood Ending
128. Lady Gaga F/ Beyonce - Telephone
129. Underworld - Always Loved A Film
130. The-Dream - Love King
131. Cody ChestnuTT - Come Back Like Spring
132. jj - Let Go
133. R.Kelly - When A Woman Loves
134. Quadron - Buster Keaton
135. The Radio Dept. - Heaven's On Fire
136. Girl Unit - Wut
137. Jenny and Johnny - Big Wave
138. Cults - Go Outside
139. Underworld - Scribble
140. Janelle Monáe - Cold War
141. Stars - We Don't Want Your Body
142. Grum - Can't Shake This Feeling
143. Beach House – Norway
144. Minks - Funeral Song
145. El Debarge F/ Fabolous - 5 Seconds
146. Yolanda Be Cool & DCup - We Speak No Americano
147. The Tartans - West of La Brea
148. Lloyd Banks F/ Swizz Beatz, Kanye West, Ryan Leslie &
Fabolous - Start It Up
149. Hunx and His Punx - You Don't Like Rock 'N Roll
150. Hole - Skinny Little Bitch
151. Florrie - Introduction EP
152. Sambasseduer - I Can Try
153. Rusko - Woo Boost
154. La Sera - Never Come Around
155. Dum Dum Girls-Bhang Bhang, I'm A Burnout
156. Twin Sister - All Around and Away We Go
157. Glasser - Home
158. Jamiroquai - White Knuckle Ride
159. Field Music - Them That Do Nothing
160. Bonobo F/ Andreya Triana - Eyesdown
161. Jazmine Sullivan - 10 Seconds
162. Penguin Prison - Something I'm Not
163. The-Dream F/ T.I. - Make Up Bag
164. Nas and Damian Marley - As We Enter
165. Justin Bieber F/ Ludacris - Baby
166. Christian Rich - Hello Virgin
167. Katy B - Katy's On A Mission
168. Lucky Soul - White Russian Doll
169. Far East Movement - Like a G6
170. Crystal Castles - Celestica
171. DOM - Living In America
172. Robyn - Indestructible
173. Eminem F/ Lil Wayne - No Love
174. Braids - Lemonade
175. Glasser - Mirrorage
176. Andy Allo F/ Blu - Dreamland
177. The Go! Team - T.O.R.N.A.D.O.
178. Alicia Keys - Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)
179. Dum Dum Girls-Bhang Bhang, I'm A Burnout
180. Free Energy - Bang Pop
181. Anika - Yang Yang
182. Chiddy Bang - The Opposite of Adults
183. Paramore - The Only Exception
184. Big Boi - Shutterbugg
185. Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring
186. City Center - Zen Kids
187. Ke$ha - We R Who We R
188. Kvelertak - Mjød
189. The Tallest Man On Earth - King of Spain
190. Candy Claws - The Breathing Fire
191. Crookers F/ Yelle - Cooler Couleur
192. Hole - Samantha
193. Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La
194. Penguin Prison - The Worse It Gets
195. Rihanna - Only Girl (In the World)
196. Rose Elinor Dougall - Carry On
197. Go Home Productions - Smells Like Rockin' Robin
198. The Pipettes - Call Me
199. Camera Obscura - The Nights Are Cold
200. Strong Arm Steady F/ Phonte - Best Of Times
201. Deerhunter - Revival
202. Azari & III - Reckless With Your Love
203. Lindstrøm & Christabelle - Lovesick
204. Big KRIT F/ Yelawolf - Hometown Hero (Remix)
205. Flo Rida F/ David Guetta - Club Can't Handle Me
206. Roisin Murphy - Momma's Place
207. Pixie Lott - Gravity
208. Hot Chip - I Feel Better
209. Katy Perry - Firework
210. Emeralds - Candy Shoppe
211. Le Futur Pompiste - Five Hundred Heartbeats
212. Hanson - Thinking 'Bout Somethin'
213. Princess Nyah - Take Control
214. Rox - I Don't Believe
215. Pictureplane - True Ruin
216. The Black Keys - Next Girl
217. Lloyd - Lay It Down
218. Delorean - Real Love
219. Ludacris - How Low
220. Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are
221. Betty and The Werewolves - Paper Thin
222. Kisses - People Can Do The Most Amazing Things
223. Vampire Weekend - Giving Up The Gun
224. School Gyrls-Something Like A Party
225. Deerhunter - Helicopter
226. Chris Brown F/ Drake, T.I., Fabolous, Rick Ross, Kanye West & Andre 3000 - Deuces (Remix)
227. El Guincho - Bombay
228. Hyetal - Phoenix
229. Taylor Swift - Mine
230. Veronica Falls - Beachy Head
231. Scissor Sisters - Fire With Fire
232. Lena Meyer-Landrut - Satellite
233. Jazmine Sullivan - Holding You Down (Goin' In
Circles)
234. Lloyd Banks F/ Juelz Santana - Beamer, Benz, or Bentley
235. Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man
236. Uffie F/ Pharrell - ADD SUV
237. Veronica Falls - Found Love In A Graveyard
238. VV Brown - Game Over
239. Marina and the Diamonds - Hollywood
240. Linkin Park - Waiting For The End
241. Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill
242. Usher F/ will.i.am - OMG
243. Local Natives - Wide Eyes
244. Mz Bratt - Selecta
245. The Band Perry - If I Die Young
246. Cloud Control - There's Nothing In The Water We Can't Fight
247. Ludacris F/ Nicki Minaj - My Chick Bad
248. Actress - Paint, Straw and Bubble
249. Black Eyed Peas - Imma Be
250. Here We Go Magic - Collector

Best Albums of 2010

2010-12-22T21:20:00.005-06:00

Another year, another albums list, another reason to share. This is what I live for in the last few weeks of December (and of course, family, holidays, yadda yadda yadda). Keep an eye out for my singles list next week. Also, if you want to check out lists from previous years, just check out the links below.

2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004

1. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid

It's not very often when you come across a debut album as confident and self-assured as this one. Usually it might take an artist a few albums before they can muster up the courage and audacity to create something with as wide a scope as The ArchAndroid on their first time out, which is part of what makes it so impressive. Janelle Monáe has always had a clear, cinematic vision for her music dating back to the Metropolis: Suite I EP in 2007, which showed ambition and a compelling story arc, in spite of its miniscule running time. The ArchAndroid is considered Suites II and III and follows less of a plot than its predecessor (as far as I can tell), but is no less focused thematically as Monáe manages to take the listener on a journey that embraces human warmth through intergalatic tones. As is the case with a lot of debut albums, Monáe has an eagerness to cram as much of herself and her tastes as possible onto the record, which results in an epic Technicolor album that runs the gamut from Afro-beat, indie electropop, chamber music, funk and hip hop, among many others. The headiness of it all might appear to be a lot to take in, but even with its running length, the album is filled with highly enjoyable and pop ready songs such as the Off The Wall-aping "Locked Inside" and the sunny robo-pop of "Wondaland." In today's musical landscape, individual songs can still hold a transportable power over us, but it's rare when you get an album that immerses you in an experience unlike anything that is part of our world—something that grabs a hold of both your ears and your imagination.

2. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can

While Janelle Monáe's first album promises great things for the future, Laura Marling has already firmly laid the foundation for what surely looks to be a viable career with her second album. On her debut, Alas, I Cannot Swim, Marling showcased a seasoned songwriting that belied her young age and only continued to impress on I Speak Because I Can. Her approach to folk music is traditional but refreshing enough, thanks to her lovely voice and visual lyrics. It made for some of the most touching music of 2010, with rousing songs such as "Rambling Man" and "Devil's Spoke" inciting a hushed thrill, while quieter songs like "Made By Maid" exhibited a a true, fragile beauty that easily put you in the moment that Marling had created.

3. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening

Sound of Silver, which was my #2 album of 2007, dealt with growing old and figuring out how to adapt to the changes. James Murphy and Co. still explore what it's like to get on in age, but find out that dealing with relationships are just as tricky, if not darker. They're still a band that's geared toward making you move on the floor, but instead of relying solely on the dance punk of their past sound, the group looked toward the moody pop of the '80s to capture a pain and scariness that had yet to be seen in LCD Soundsystem's catalog. For once, the main draw in Murphy's lyrics wasn't the sarcasm that he typically displays, although it hasn't completely left him yet, but in how well he was able to deliver songs that went beyond inside jokes for hipsters and could resonate with people outside of that demographic.

4. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West is the closest thing we have to The Beatles in the 21st century. No other current artist comes close in comparison combining cultural significance, popularity and consistency with quality of work. Ladies and gentlemen, he is just that damn good and this latest album proves why he is one of the most important musicians out there. Much like The Fab Four did later in their career, West has pushed the boundaries of what we've come to expect of him and in the process has further pushed the general public to redefine what hip hop can be. The genre has always allowed for introspection and emotion within its realm for decades now, but it has never been on the scale that it has been in the mainstream currently with artists like Kid Cudi and Drake, nor has a hip hop star as huge as Kanye West used it as his platform. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy could be seen as his White Album (expansive opus, builds on past work, slightly dark and experimental yet accessible) and it already seems to be the one that the press has exalted as his masterpiece. Personally, I'll need some more time before I can decide that, but as it stands right now, it is indeed an extraordinary album, one that examines the angst and paranoia that come with being a celebrity and with a sweeping soundtrack that catches its grandiose lifestyle along with abstract touches to match the solemn moments.

5. Los Campesinos! - Romance Is Boring

When I say that Los Campesinos! have slowed things down, it doesn't mean that they've necessarily gone the ballad route, but that there is less of an immediacy and eagerness than there was on their debut album, which was my #1 a few years ago. The Welsh collective is still noisy, but instead of consuming an entire economy size bag of Skittles and going on a manic sugar rush, they sound as if they only consumed about 3/4 of the bag for Romance Is Boring, still giving off the impression of a major sugar rush, but much more measured this time around. It's an effort that shows maturity for a band where maturity could very well be its death knell and not make them as fun any more. Coming off the rushed We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, which was released only months after their first album, Romance Is Boring is a snapshot of a young, talented band discovering their strengths and maximizing them to their fullest potential with more consistency.

6. Quadron - Quadron

Following behind Sweden's Little Dragon and now Denmark's Quadron, one can only wonder how many other Scandinavian groups must be out there toying with the conventions of R&B and turning it into a frosty, sublime experience. While both Little Dragon and Quadron approach R&B with an electronic/chill filter, Quadron sticks slightly closer to some of its traditional sound, thanks to the feathery voice of singer Coco O. and multi-instrumentalist/producer Robin Hannibal's ear for capturing the sound of 60's girl pop. Where Quadron truly set themselves apart is how they embrace folk and downtempo as part of their arsenal and create music filled with mystique and subtle sexuality. When the melodies are given room to soar, as is the case with standout tracks "Average Fruit" and "Far Cry," the result is something that has a coolly ethereal quality to it.

7. The-Dream - Love King

On the surface, The-Dream may appear conventional and not all that distinguishable from other modern R&B peers such as Trey Songz or Jeremih, especially when looking at their content, which is probably not the choice for most romantics. The-Dream is very much an artist who is in touch with the current sound, partly because he helped create it as a songwriter for some of the biggest hits in the past few years, but it's those little touches and idiosyncrasies that make him and his albums the standard bearer for the genre. Last year's Love vs. Money was a more decidedly dramatic affair, but The-Dream still gets an A for sticking to themes as Love King picks up in the aftermath of the relationship gone wrong from the previous album and amps up the liberation/raunch factor. Much like that impressive run in the heart of Love vs. Money, another mini-suite makes up the center of Love King, ("Yamaha," "Nikki Part 2," and "Abyss"), which cashes in on all the Prince inflections that have found its way into The-Dream's music and is ultimately one of the better tributes to Minneapolis' favorite son in some years. There are few in the world of R&B who are as ambitious as this man.

8. Aloe Blacc - Good Things

I've enjoyed Aloe Blacc's work in the past, but he always caught my attention more whenever he sang, with a voice that's rugged, buttery and evoked pain and truth much more vividly than his mic skills. With the Truth and Soul production team helming his second album, Blacc was able to accurately tap into the era of '60s and '70s, a period that suits his vocals just perfectly. The backing tracks could easily be hidden cuts from the vaults of Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers and a host of others from that period, but the whole thing never comes off as achingly retro. Good Things exists as a product of both times with its sincere dedication to the sounds of yesteryear and Aloe Blacc merely giving his own interpretation of soul music's most recognizable singers, not imitating. Impressive as the studiousness of it all is, none of it would matter if the songs weren't good. The attention to detail paid in the sound carries over in the songwriting as one stunner after another is delivered, including the popular single, "I Need A Dollar," the Sly Stone embracing "You Make Me Smile," and a smoky, surprising cover of The Vevlet Underground and Nico's "Femme Fatale."

9. Curren$y - Pilot Talk

After jumping around a few labels and toiling on the mixtape circuit for years, 2010 saw the former No Limit rapper release not one, but two albums on Def Jam and be thrust into the national underground spotlight. Both Pilot Talk, and its sequel Pilot Talk II, are terrific albums and feature an almost uniform sound with Ski Beatz handling the bulk of the production, but I give the edge to Pilot Talk because I feel it's a more cohesive effort and more wonderfully weird. It also has some of my favorite Curren$y songs on it, such as "King Kong" and "Breakfast," two tracks that are undeniably Southern at heart with Curren$y's hazy drawl cutting clearly through, but with enough colorful production and insight to sway even the most region-phobic backpacker. In fact, the album as a whole boasts some of the best beats of the year and its eclectic nature is a perfect match for Curren$y's stoned, fractured persona.

10. Sonnymoon - Golden Age

Sonnymoon is a duo from Boston composed of vocalist Anna Wise and producer Dane Orr. Technically, this is a 2009 release, but the group released it nearly a year ago last Christmas and didn't really hit most publications' radar till 2010. I talked about "Soular" a few months ago, but the rest of the album is just as beautifully inventive and experimental. With rubbery basslines and ghostly melodies, Golden Age gives off a delicate, haunting buzz that calls to mind the great trip hop of the late '90s, but with slightly more attitude and a definitively R&B lean. While the atmosphere is undeniably murky, there is a pop appeal that shines through in even the most eccentric moments, showing that while the team of Wise and Orr certainly know how to create a mood, their songcraft is never secondary.

And the rest...

11. Cee-Lo - Stray Bullets
12. Beach House - Teen Dream
13. Robyn - Body Talk
14. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Leftfoot....The Son of Chico Dusty
15. Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh
16. Marnie Stern - Marnie Stern
17. Fol Chen - Part II: The New December
18. The Ruby Suns - Fight Softly
19. Hot Chip - One Life Stand
20. Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite
21. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
22. Jazmine Sullivan - Love Me Back
23. Kelis - Flesh Tone
24. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - I Learned The Hard Way
25. Free Energy - Stuck On Nothing
26. Fortune - Staring at the Ice Melt
27. Best Coast - Crazy For You
28. Candy Claws - Hidden Lands
29. Esperanza Spalding - Chamber Music Society
30. Shelby Lynne - Tears, Lies and Alibis
31. Jamiroquai - Rock Dust Light Star
32. Lindstrøm and Christabelle - Real Life Is No Cool
33. Happy Birthday - Happy Birthday
34. MGMT - Congratulations
35. The Roots - How I Got Over
36. Dungen - Skit I Allt
37. jj - N°3
38. Curren$y - Pilot Talk II
39. N.E.R.D. - Nothing
40. John Legend & The Roots - Wake Up!
41. Ginger Ninja - Wicked Map
42. Delorean - Subiza
43. Sleigh Bells - Treats
44. Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
45. Allo Darlin' - Allo Darlin'
46. Andreya Triana - Lost Where I Belong
47. Cibelle - Las Venus Resort Palace Hotel
48. Sade - Soldier Of Love
49. Goldfrapp - Head First
50. Fefe Dobson - Joy

Honorable Mention (in alphabetical order):

Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
The Bird and The Bee - Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates
Bombay Bicycle Club -Flaws
Broken Bells - Broken Bells
Cherry Ghost - Beneath This Burning Shoreline
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Eminem - Recovery
Girl Talk - All Day
Ke$ha - Animal
The Knife in Collaboration With Mt. Sims And Planningtorock - Tomorrow, In A Year
Bettye Lavette - Interpretations: The British Songbook
The Like - Release Me
Love Is All - Two Thousand And Ten Injuries
Ludacris - Battle of the Sexes
M.I.A. - Maya
New Pornographers - Together
One For The Team - Ghosts
Perfume Genius - Learning
Pin Me Down - Pin Me Down
Meaghan Smith - The Cricket's Orchestra
Strong Arm Steady - In Search of Stoney Jackson
Usher - Raymond v. Raymond
Victoire - Cathedral City
The Watson Twins - Talking To You, Talking To Me
Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Kinky Notti - "100 Pieces"

2010-10-12T13:59:00.000-05:00

There are a few of Kinky Notti's songs that I'm absolutely over the moon about, but "100 Pieces" gets the most play from me, hands down. It falls right in line with the sexy atmosphere of their debut album, Succumb, but this track steps further away from the R&B/hip hop hybrid that dominates their sound and is decidedly more eerie and subtle. There's a Prince vibe in the way that the guitars are used to bring sensuality to a pop song, but the bass and drums keep things sinister and serve as a reminder that if this song is playing, you should be making your way around 3rd base by now. It sounds like nothing else that's coming out of Chicago right now.

Download the song here and buy Succumb on Bandcamp here

They also recently released a video for the title track to Succumb a few weeks ago. Warning: not safe for work.

Succumb - Official Music Video - KINKY NOTTI from Kinky Notti on Vimeo.

Sonnymoon - "Soular"

2010-09-19T16:35:00.000-05:00

Sonnymoon is an electronic duo based out of Boston who recently signed to Plug Research, the Los Angeles label responsible for the latest releases by Bilal and Quadron. They self-released their debut album, Golden Age on Christmas last year, way after I made my year-end list, which pretty much ensures that they'll make it this year. The album is excellent all around but "Soular" for me is one of the standouts. It's a subdued but rubbery track that showcases the group's more playful side amidst an album that's heavy on atmospheric, experimental hip hop sounds mixed with hazy melodies. "Soular" is more immediate but no less enjoyable. It also serves as a proper introduction to how Sonnymoon perceive themselves, which is as artists who specialize in making music meant for another solar system. Listening to this track, it certainly feels like it could have come from outer space, or at least something Esthero would have created after landing on Mars.

Download the album here, which the group offered up for free or if that link doesn't work any more, you can also listen to the rest of the album streaming here and also pay $5 for it.

Best TV Shows of 2009-2010 Season

2010-09-10T04:22:00.002-05:00

On the eve of the new television season and a full summer under my belt to catch up on some shows, why not take a look at the best TV shows from 2009-10. I mention it every year I do this list, but I never understand why critics do a best of television list at the end of year in December when a lot of the shows have not completed their seasons. I take into account shows that premiered from June 2009 and wrapped up by May 2010.

10. Archer (FX)

Animation is the perfect medium for pushing the boundaries that live-action television shows are usually confined to. Years after the heyday of Beavis and Butthead and South Park, it's nice to know that it's still finding ways to appall and offend while still making you roar with laughter. Archer, FX's first serious venture into animation, is centered around the title character who is an immature yet seemingly capable secret agent and the rest of the employees at the agency, which includes his overbearing mother, who also happens to be his boss. The retro visuals give the show a flashy old-school feel and the scripts are filled with raunchiness and sharp one-liners, but the main appeal to the show is the excellent voice cast they have, which includes H. Jon Benjamin, Jessica Walter, Chris Parnell and Judy Greer. It's some of the best comedic talent currently gathered on basic cable today.

9. Community (NBC)

Being someone who was born in the early 1980's and developed a huge love for pop culture while growing up, I get joy from the many references that Community throws in. Luckily, the show is more than just winking nostalgia and derives most of its laughs from the smart fast-paced jokes and the zany energy that the cast brings to each episode. Joining a season with a fairly strong slate of new shows, I felt that Community sometimes slipped under the radar since it lacked the ratings and any nation-uniting zeitgeist moments, but as the season went on, the episodes became more audacious and Danny Pudi gave one of the most enjoyable comedic performances on TV from week to week as Abed, an off-kilter pop culture savant/film student. The rest of the cast is no slouch either and given some time I'm sure they'll be universally recognized as one of the funniest on television. Those who watch on a regular basis already know this to be true.

8. Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (CBS)

Twenty seasons on and the show that ignited the reality TV craze had one of its best editions ever. The last time I included Survivor on my list was for Micronesia which brought back fan favorites and pitted them against superfans of the show. By once again bringing back some of its most memorable contestants, Survivor became mandatory viewing on a weekly basis. The concept of putting the show's "heroes" against the "villains" put an interesting psychological spin on the game since contestants bought into those roles while others fought against them and added new elements of strategy. Just about everything worked for this season, including the all-star cast, the clash of personalities and the always exciting blind side. I can barely recall a dull moment and as it is with the best seasons of Survivor, this season was wildly unpredictable.

7. The Good Wife (CBS)

Sometimes it's easy to overlook how good a show is when it's so consistent. The Good Wife breaks no new ground and seems out of place in a television landscape that includes more ambitious offerings from cable, but the quality of a piece of art should not be undermined simply because it doesn't follow current trends. Starring Julianne Margulies as the wife of a disgraced district attorney caught in a public scandal while also balancing a return to practicing law herself, The Good Wife is a throwback to the kind of dramas that used to close out weeknights for a network. There are continuing storylines, but one could just as easily find something to enjoy on any given episode, which is how most dramas used to approach things before they became the heavily serialized affairs they are today. I used to often give a disclaimer when discussing this show saying that it didn't do anything new, but looking back it was probably unnecessary. Shouldn't a show with superb acting and writing simply be worth anyone's time?

6. Lost (ABC)

Past seasons have been more insane as far as the reveals and there have certainly been bigger emotional pay-offs, but the final run of one television's most discussed shows still went out as a winner in my opinion. Throughout this season, Lost continued to do what it's always excelled at: balancing action with intriguing character development. There isn't much that I can say that I haven't already said about past seasons, but I will say that I was pleased with how it all ended. Of course, Lost has had more intense endings to seasons, but the show stuck to its guns by still having people ask questions even after the show was done. Lost has always purposely been a show that's been open to multiple interpretations, so it would make sense that things didn't end in an exposition heavy manner. Sure, the journey was exciting, but it was the journey of the characters' inner strife which has been the focus from the first episode. I've always felt that discussion about the arts is healthy and it's not too often we come across a piece of popular work that incites so much debate. We've come to expect so many things to be explained to us as a culture that if a series or film does not make things clear, we think it has failed us, but we should never be afraid to be challenged and use our independent thoughts. Lost was one of the rare pieces of work that got masses of people to do that and for that it should be commended.

5. Parks and Recreation (NBC)

The problem I had with the first season of this show was that it simply wasn't funny. It wasn't depressingly unfunny the same way that Kath & Kim was, but with the potential involved on the show, it should have been better. During its second season, Parks and Recreation fulfilled that promise. While it still shares the same beats and style of its cousin, The Office, P&R staked out its own individuality by making Leslie Knope, the lead character played Amy Poehler, less of a Michael Scott-type and more of a naive, ambitious go-getter and letting the rest of the idiosyncrasies of the supporting cast shine. A full twenty-two episode season allowed for characters to be developed more as individuals and the show became smarter overall. While 30 Rock and The Office are showing signs of fatigue, Parks and Recreation quietly became the funniest show on NBC's Thursday night line-up.

4. Southland (TNT)

Poor NBC. The Jay Leno Show experiment nearly killed the network and stalled any chances for properly developing the rest of their fall line-up. One of the casualties that doesn't get talked about as often is how Southland, which I felt was one of the best shows last season also, was canned by the network before even airing an episode of their second season. It made it to the fall schedule, but NBC felt that they would be better served by keeping Dateline NBC in that Friday timeslot. With limited space available to move around Southland, it simply met an untimely demise until TNT stepped in and aired the six episodes that were already filmed. As a mid-season replacement in the spring of 2009, Southland only aired six episodes in its first season as well, so it will be interesting to see how they develop their plots over ten episodes when it returns in January. While I'm positive the show can still be powerful with additional episodes, I can't help but feel that six is its lucky number. With such a limited amount, Southland was able to deliver a strong impression with each new hour without once feeling like it lost steam. The more I watched it, the more it felt like one of the most distinct cop shows currently on television. There is a tone of tension hanging in the air throughout each episode until it all boils over in an intense scene that either makes your heart race faster or completely breaks it. It's an exercise in how to capture a consistent mood and smartly place climaxes. Southland is simply one of the best at doing that. NBC's loss has been TNT's gain and ours.

3. Dexter (Showtime)

One of television's most addictive shows took its thrills to new heights in its fourth season. In other hands, this show could easily be simplified and run the motions a standard procedural, but one of the things that's so great about Dexter is its ambitious storytelling aspirations. There have definitely been more highbrow ideas on television than having a serial killer who kills nothing murderers, but with a heavy focus on the title character's constant inner turmoil and tightly written plotlines, Dexter is that rare show that turns entertainment into an art. Each twist that came was shocking, but it was logical and set up beautifully with care and detail. This season also benefited from the presence of John Lithgow, who turned in a fantastic performance as a methodic serial killer and Dexter's rival and reminded us that once upon a time he made a great living off playing creepy bastards.

2. Mad Men (AMC)

At this point in Mad Men's run, the characters are so perfectly developed and detailed that with almost each gesture or line of dialogue they make, I can't help but smile sometimes and be impressed because it's such a Don thing to do or a Pete thing to do. The reason it makes me smile is because the simple details go a long way to breathing life into the characters and making them feel like actual beings and not something designed solely for our entertainment. Mad Men has always been a show with a strong voice and tone, but it's now working at a point where everything is so finely tuned that's it's easy to lose yourself in the show because the world they've created is so realistic yet poetic. While JFK's assassination predates me by a couple of decades, the fear, anxiety and despair that the characters go through made me feel that things would have played out in a similar fashion if I had ever been unfortunate enough to live through such an event. Characters responded in ways that were natural to them and even if they immediately seemed shocking to the viewer, it nevertheless felt appropriate. Just how good is this show? As much I adored the JFK episode, it wasn't even close to my favorite from this season (that would be the season finale, "Shut The Door, Have A Seat").

1. Modern Family (ABC)

The best comedies are usually the ones with the most well-rounded characters and not simply with the best gags. Think of how a lot of the jokes in The Office are purely reaction shots to how characters respond. If you see Stanley rolling his eyes or Creed looking bewildered at something in particular, it's hilarious because you're familiar with the character, but to someone who's never seen the show they might not get what's so funny. Modern Family works in much the same way where responses and reactions deliver a good deal of the laughs—which is impressive for a freshman show to accomplish so quickly—but whether you joined in on the pilot or midway through the season, the one-liners were always sharp and delightful. The combination of smart writing and a strong sense of the characters keeps Modern Family ahead of other TV shows because it does not require you to know a ton about the characters beforehand to appreciate it, but if you do, it is that much more enjoyable. And why wouldn't you? The family sitcom—all of us have loved at least one at one point or another—has been dying a slow death for the past decade but this show has somehow managed to reinvigorate the sub-genre by updating it for the 21st century by shooting in a docu-style, using a diverse cast and borderline offensive jokes. That right there is a big enough accomplishment, but context aside Modern Family still delivered more big laughs than any other show I watched during the season.

Adventures at Lollapalooza 2010

2010-08-24T17:21:00.006-05:00

Another summer, another Lollapalooza. Under any other normal circumstances, I couldn't see myself walking back and forth across the entirety of Grant Park for eleven hours a day over three straight days in the hot sun, but it's my love of music and the energy I get from everyone attending that makes me do such a crazy thing, even if I'm completely exhausted at the end of each day. During Lollapalooza weekend, there really isn't any other place I would want to be, so I bear it all with a smile on my face and two bottles of frozen water in my bag. This past weekend also marked the fifth straight year I've been to Lollapalooza since it moved permanently to Chicago and this is also my fourth recap, which makes me feel like some sort of grizzled, accomplished veteran at this thing now.

Day 1 - Friday

These United States

I felt these guys were a pleasant enough way to start off the festival. Just some harmless folk pop-rock, but I appreciated their energy and they seemed genuinely excited to be opening up the weekend, as I'm sure most small bands would be. I didn't stay long, but I enjoyed what I heard.

B.o.B.

It made absolutely no sense that a guy who has had two massively successful singles and a #1 album would be performing so early. Understandably, he only has one album under his belt, but so have other acts who've performed later in the day. Obviously he drew the biggest crowd I've ever seen at 11:30 in the morning and the kids loved him. This was my first exposure to songs from his debut album besides the singles and while I did appreciate the eclecticism of the songs, most of the tracks sounded like generic attempts for commercial glory and their shelf life for fun felt limited (I don't necessarily blame him. This is his first album with a major label). With that being said, B.o.B. is a good performer with plenty of energy and parts of the set were enjoyable, mainly due to his energy and easy-going nature. I just wish the songs were better.

Balkan Beat Box

I had a fantastic time with these guys. Very funky, lively blend of world music and hip hop. They reminded me how much I enjoyed their first album and that I should keep up with them more often.

The Ettes

Gritty garage pop with a driving sound and displayed with a cool demeanor. I enjoyed the songs but they just couldn't get the crowd moving though. Also, I had never seen the BMI stage that packed so early in the day. The only reasonable explanation I could think of is the expansion of the festival by 30-something acres which allowed for more tickets being sold.

Los Amigos Invisibles

One of the weekend's sets that provided non-stop fun, as I hoped it would since 2006's Superpop Venezuela remains one of my favorite albums to put on before I go out for a night of partying. This was probably was the first instance of the weekend where I noticed the crowd collectively dancing. Their music is hard to describe since I believe it's dance at its heart (Dimitiri from Paris produced Superpop Venezuela, but heavily includes elements of funk, jazz and African & Latin rhythms, but I usually enjoy myself too much with these guys to really care. Their show also included the biggest beach ball frenzy of any performance, courtesy of band who had their logo imprinted on them.

Raphael Saadiq

Armed with a whip-tight band, Saadiq blazed through most of his 2008 retro soul effort, The Way I See It with fervor and the stage show kept in spirit with the style of that album, in the process delivering one of the best performances of the weekend and showcasing just how much admiration and respect he has for music of the past. The crowd couldn't help but be brought to life through out the set and he also threw in favorites for older fans like "Dance Tonight," "Feels Good" and a rocking variation on "Be Here" that was one of the highlights of the day.

The Big Pink

I was surprised at how well the hazy tones of their shoegaze pop held up outdoors, as I imagined that a band like this would probably be better suited in a big club. The energy wavered here and there, so I'd be curious to see them again in a more appropriate venue, maybe opening up for someone.

Peanut Butter Wolf

The Stones Throw founder delivered a video DJ set full of crowd-pleasing hip hop hits from the mid 90's and early 00's. What was really cool was that you could literally see songs blend together thanks to the music videos on the screen, along with a few other standard DJ effects, such as looping and scratching that corresponded with the images. The most apt word I can think of to describe it is "awesome."

Devo

I've known of Devo's live reputation for some time and I was very conflicted between seeing them and one of my favorite bands, The New Pornographers, who were also playing at the same time. But hey, I've seen the Pornos about four times already, even once with Neko Case and Dan Bejar, who were also there on Friday from what I heard. If I had known this before, the decision might have been even more agonizing since I've never seen them perform before "Myriad Harbour," but I opted to go with the act I've never seen period. Of course, Devo has no shortage of good songs to perform, but they played with a vitality unexpected for most guys their age. Add to that their already humorous stage presence and the entertaining videos that played behind them and the result was one of the best sets all weekend. The new material sounded great, but the powerful way they ripped through "Going Under" was a highlight and the moment I knew that I was watching a classic set.

Fuck Buttons

I was really impressed by the sound of their performance, but there really wasn't much to see, except for one dude at a floor tom and another making effects on a table. They did seem to be really into it, but that didn't stop me from taking a seat for the first time all day. This was also my first time at the Sony bloggie stage and its new location, which in years past was the Citi stage. One of the main problems I used to have with this stage was that it was placed on Balbo and if there was ever an extremely popular act who played, such as Girl Talk or Passion Pit, it made it impossible to walk through the crowd if you wanted to get to the food court or simply walk to Hutchinson Field. The new location was located in a grassy area on the corner of Columbus and Jackson, away from most of the traffic and with plenty of space to accommodate some of the more well-known acts. The organizers get a thumbs up for that one.

Hot Chip

They played a scorching set full of synth pop tunes that emitted an aura of cool but were still engaging enough to make you want to dance. Just a very good band all-around and a damn good set.

Lady Gaga

The one set that beforehand everyone was talking about. While it may seem unusual for one of the world's biggest pop stars to play a fest such as Lollapalooza, she did play there previously back in 2007, which I was (un)fortunate enough to see. I'm not sure who hasn't seen one of her performances on television by now, which have varied from grandiose productions to stripped down with just her and a piano, but I can tell you that a lot more people were curious to see her instead of The Strokes. That isn't necessarily a knock against The Strokes, who I have a lot of admiration for and have heard nothing but good things about live, but you definitely know what you're getting when you're going to one of their shows, and you could probably catch the same exact thing at a smaller venue. With Gaga, the unexpected and the spectacle was the appeal, which is why I decided to close the night out with her.

The entire set centered around a storyline about her and her cohorts trying to get to the Monster Ball, a magical place where the freaks are welcome and you're free to be yourself. I actually found these scenes to be the weakest part of the show since they included a lot of unnecessary pausing and gazing into the audience and not exactly the best acting in the world, but since its main message was individuality, I'm sure it got over well with her fans. At the very least, the storyline gave an excuse for some very impressive set changes, including one where Gaga's keyboard was inside the hood of a car and the giant puppet creature known as The Fame Monster, which was good, campy fun. While Gaga did have a tendency for cheap pops, a la Mick Foley, by constantly shouting out "Chicago" and "Lollapalooza" to roaring approval, her talent as a showwoman stands. I found her stage banter about headlining Lollapalooza more endearing than anything that had to do with the Monster Ball because it not only involved fewer pointless goddess poses, but it seemed like she was on the verge of tears a few times.

When listing the various things that detractors and naysayers said she couldn't do as a means of encouragement for her fans, she mentioned that people called her show at the BMI stage back in 2007 a "fucking train wreck." And I definitely agreed. I saw her at Lollapalooza back then and while watching, 50% of me felt unenthused, 25% of me was shocked that it was so plain awful and 25% felt sorry for her because she was getting nowhere with the audience. I then thought to myself who would have even cared to mention Lady Gaga back in 2007. She was nowhere near close to being an anticipated act that year and she played on the smallest stage aside from Kidzapalooza. I know that a lot of smaller artists who play at Lollapalooza often come across my blog when Googling themselves to see if anyone saw them, so I became curious and when I looked back at my Lollapalooza recap from that year, I had indeed described her show as "a real life train wreck" (scroll down to Day 2). Is it possible that an up-and-coming Gaga read my blog back in 2007 and used it as motivation? Her use of the word "train wreck" certainly made me wonder. Looking back I was certainly harsh, but I wouldn't change anything because the performance simply was not that enjoyable. I don't get a kick out of trashing people just for the sake of it. I actually want anyone I see to do a good job! Now I'm certainly not claiming that I'm responsible at all for Gaga's growth as an artist, but I can definitely respect that when she saw someone trash her show, it set off a desire inside of her to prove them wrong. It's also kind of cool to see someone you didn't think much of in the past and watch them blossom into something they weren't before: memorable, confident and above all, entertaining.

Top 5 Acts for Day 1

1. Devo
2. Los Amigos Invisibles
3. Hot Chip
4. Lady Gaga
5. Balkan Beat Box

Day 2 - Saturday

MyNameIsJohnMichael

I had a fun time with these guys. Everyone onstage was energetic, but it was the percussionist who had more than enough to spare. I was impressed with the solid tunes and felt it was a pleasant way to start off the fest. The touches of brass in the songs were also a nice touch.

The Kissaway Trail

Their atmospheric songs surprisingly played well to a bigger crowd, but overall I wasn't too crazy about them. I did enjoy them to an extent and just felt that they were solid at best. With bands like these, I'm usually 100% sure they sound better on record and would probably be worth investigating. The songs felt anthemic, but didn't quite provide the rush that it should live.

The Morning Benders

Very warm and mellow indie pop . Just a really beautiful sound I could wrap myself in and that just made me want to be at ease in the grass. It's surprises like this that make coming to the festival early worth it.

The Soft Pack

One of the better surprises of the weekend. Very lively indie pop and they also made me smile by including a traditional roll-call of the band members near the end of the set—something usually reserved for genres like jazz and soul. I appreciated that they weren't afraid to have fun and that just made them stick out even more in my mind.

Wild Beasts

Even though some songs stuck out more than others, they had a magnetizing sound overall. Fairly standard art rock that didn't inspire me to write down any more than I already have.

Dragonette

Their stage show is just as lively as their music, with spirited frontwoman Martina Sorbara leading the charge and serving as the catalyst. The electro-pop jams were kicked out furiously with style and I can only imagine how much more insane the set could have been if they played at the dance heavy Perry's stage instead of at BMI. With a short but strong discography, they turned out to deliver one of my favorite performances of the weekend.

Stars

One of the best sets of the weekend. It was one of those performances where you could tell that half of the crowd was unfamiliar with them, but were totally won over by the time it ended. It's not surprising considering the amount of good songs that the band has in their arsenal, which bounce back and forth between indie pop, chamber music and synth rock. "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" was a majestic highlight and I could only wonder why I hadn't seen this band at least twice by now. Members of the band also shot confetti and threw flowers randomly into the crowd, which gave off the impression that they were there to have fun, but were classy about it.

The xx

I really couldn't stay in the northern part of the park for very long since it was too crowded to even try to enjoy this group. With the PlayStation stage/Petrillo Band Shell being located right by one of the main entrances onto the field, things became cluttered quick as people tried to catch one of the weekend's most anticipated acts or were gathering to wait for Grizzly Bear. If I had been able to hear them loudly enough, I would have been tempted to stay longer, but they sounded so uninspiring and dull. By listening to them, you could at least tell that the album would be interesting or at least worth investigating, but hearing them outdoors just seemed like a perfect case of a band that can work wonders in the studio but haven't quite mastered live performance.

Gogol Bordello

Initially, I wanted to stay for The xx's set, but as I mentioned before I found the circumstances too unbearable. Having seen Gogol Bordello twice before, I felt I could sacrifice not seeing them. I often claim them to be one of the best live acts going right now, so I would have done an injustice to myself if I had not seen them at all, for which I have The xx to thank partially. As expected, Eugene Hutz was his typical madman self with the rest of the band matching his energy. I'm always impressed whenever I see these guys in concert and I'm glad I caught them for at least a little bit.

Grizzly Bear

It was easy to let yourself get washed away in the sounds of this set. It was absolutely gorgeous and entrancing. I probably can't think of any better compliment than that they sound exactly like they do on record, which is usually of a pristine quality. They delivered the kind of epic moments I had been waiting for all weekend.

Metric

It never dawned upon me how suitable Metric was for festivals, but with such big choruses they were a band that was made to unite large crowds. Songs that I've only known in the comfort of my home sounded as if they could fill an arena and simultaneously energized the field. While they may not be the most popular band, they took the stage with a rock star presence as if they were determined to make their set one of the most talked about of the weekend. The only problem I've had with their albums is that sometimes a lot of the songs can start to sound the same after a while and that happened for a stretch during their performance but it did not derail anything. The highlight for me included an extended version of "Dead Disco" which completely ripped and confirmed that they're just not swagger onstage, but possess real chops.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes

Once again, thank goodness for the location of the Sony bloggie/former Citi stage. The crowd that they drew here would have brought Balbo to a complete halt and I could actually enjoy a closing act comfortably. The animated demeanor of the band matched the joyous-sounding songs, which provided many fun moments to sing along to. It was overall a laid back set, but I'm assuming that part of the fun in watching them is that it's better to be up close to catch their lively expressions.

Green Day

As long as Green Day has been around, there isn't much new to say about their stage show. Sure, almost two decades in the business, they're still rambunctious as ever with a heavy sense of humor, but with this being my first time seeing them live, it was intriguing to see the American Idiot/21st Century Breakdown incarnation of the group embrace their status as one of the biggest rock bands in the world, packing their show with such arena antics as non-stop pyrotechnics and shooting t-shirts into the crowd with a bazooka. The crowd pleasing didn't stop there, and not just with their own songs as they did short abbreviated versions of popular classics ("Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Highway To Hell" with matching goofy falsettos and bouncy punk versions of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Hey Jude" and The Isley Brothers' "Shout"). If anything, they were great at pumping the crowd up and it made the whole thing feel like an event. To keep themselves from appearing too godlike, they brought people from the audience onstage on four separate occassions: once to get a fan stage dive, a young girl to help act out a song, another fan who was brought up to sing lead vocals for "Longview" and the classic "hey, let's bring everyone on the stage!" manuever. It all made for an entertaining show and I got to hear all my favorite Green Day singles, except for "Walking Contradiction," but I'm certainly not complaining since they played with plenty of zest and attitude.

Top 5 Acts for Day 2
1. Grizzly Bear
2. Metric
3. Stars
4. Green Day
5. Dragonette

Day 3 - Sunday

Son Of A Bad Man

I'll admit that they played with conviction, but their brand of Southern-flavored pop/rock was just not my cup of tea. They're not a bad band and they were actually fun in spurts, but I would have probably enjoyed them better if I happened to walk into a random bar with low expectations.

HEALTH

It was starting to rain a little bit around the time they started playing, which fit their abrasive sound just well and gave a sense of chaos to the environment. With music as intense as theirs, one would hope they'd would with ferocity, and that they did.

Nneka

I've been told by a few people that I should check out Nneka and this was my first exposure to her. She had a very smooth sound with some nice grooves and while I did find it enjoyable, it all felt too standard to me. Fans of soul looking for some new music would probably find her serviceable and it surely wasn't a bad way to spend 40 minutes. She's got a very solid band behind, as evidenced by the scatting her bass player did while picking his strings at the same time.

Company of Thieves

Ashamed to say, but this was the first I had ever listened to this band, even though they're from Chicago. Their music is a mixture of yearning indie pop and soft-edged alternative. They've definitely got some good songs under their belt and the band itself was jolting at times as they packed their performance with plenty of vigor. It's always a good feeling when a band you've never seen before makes you want to listen to their album.

The Dodos

I would have never thought to use the word "lush" to describe the music of The Dodos before, because while although it is beautiful it feels too minimal to be considered lush for my taste. But when I saw them perform, it just felt lush listening to them, even though it was just the three of them. The music maintained the same beauty and power that it has on record and it was also a nice little treat when Neko Case was brought onstage to sing backing vocals on "Walking" and "Red and Purple." These guys play haunting and eerie indie folk like very few.

Blitzen Trapper

I thought that with such a throwback sound, Blitzen Trapper would have been one of the bigger hits at the festival, but some songs just came off as very blah. The pacing of the set didn't feel like they were trying to play for 20,000 people, considering that they have songs in their catalog that could have made more of an impression. They were enjoyable at moments but ultimately forgettable.

The Ike Reilly Assassination

Whoever was able to catch these guys were in for a treat. These guys delivered old-fashioned robust rock music with songs big enough to bring the house down at a bar but detailed lyrics that show a true songwriter at work. The choruses packed plenty of punch and they provided a nice revitalization at the perfect moment that my body needed after three straight days of walking across Grant Park.

Mumford & Sons

I was curious about them after their recent Mercury Prize nod and I wasn't disappointed. Although I felt that the volume at the PlayStation stage was too low during their set, the rousing nature of their bluegrass rock still translated pretty well. The musical chops on display easily won over the crowd and they delivered one of the best sets of the weekend.

Chiddy Bang

I didn't catch much of their set but felt that they were worth mentioning because of their high energy and that they rapped over samples of Yelle's "Ce Jeu" and Ellie Goulding's "Under The Sheets." It would have been worth it to stick around to see what other pop tunes might have been in store.

X Japan

Behind Lady Gaga, they had the second most dramatic show of the weekend. With a futuristic androgynous look and soaring power metal anthems, their set was never short on entertainment. A ton of theatricality and a ton of screaming. The phrase "WE ARE!! X JAPAN!!" was stuck in my head the next morning.

Erykah Badu

It's very unusual to have to wait long for an act to perform at Lollapalooza seeing as how things usually run smoothly and the artists start promptly, but Ms. Badu did not take the stage until 15 minutes past her start time. The DJ kept the crowd warmed up with hip hop classics from the Golden Age which helped eased the downtime but most of my time was spent looking at the clock on my phone. All was just about forgiven when she finally showed up onstage after her band spent a few minutes jamming and when she blew a whistle that she wore as a ring and told the crowd to settle down, I just about nearly died from laughing. She would do this often throughout the set and it killed me just about every time. Her sense of humor seeped in here and there, but the real show was the woman herself, or her essence rather. Badu oozed a certain star quality that was not matched by anyone over the weekend and it says a lot that she nearly stole Lollapalooza with a 45-minute performance. From her buttery voice to her band, everything was running on all gears and in sync with warm precision. The set was heavy on material from her last two albums but she offered fresh variations on old songs, such as an electro version of "Appletree," which eventually turned into a scat and then a vamp on Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock." To sum it up, it was a terrific performance but I'm sure that would be a surprise to few people.

Flosstradamus

I think this was probably my 6th time seeing Flosstradamus and it was fun as always. This set was heavy on house music and they didn't play as much hip hop as I would have liked. I find that their sets that include a good dose of hip hop are usually the most off the charts as far as energy goes. Their performance was still crazy and there's really no reason to complain. It's Flosstradamus and they made it hard for me to leave and go see...

Cypress Hill

After fruitlessly searching for a non-smoking section of the field, I simply gave up and just tried to enjoy the show. The entire set had a party atmosphere as expected, complete with giant bong hits and charged classic cuts. It seems as if Lollapalooza has reserved this late Sunday slot for legendary West Coast hip hop acts (Snoop Dogg played a similar timeslot last year) and it's something that I hope they continue, seeing as how there were very few hip hop artists on the schedule this year. The ideal thing to do would be to find more current artists, which would be even greater in addition to having more established veterans like Cypress Hill each year. Moving on though, I was very entertained, but please Lolla, more hip hop acts next year please. Thank you.

Soundgarden

I remember it being sort of a sad day when Soundgarden broke up. I thought they still had a lot left in the tank and felt their mainstream presence could only increase. I never could lump them amongst my top favorite bands of the day, but only because the alternative era was stacked with so many great acts. I did really like a great deal of Soundgarden songs, so naturally I was excited to see them. One of the first things I noticed when they took the stage is how Chris Cornell grew his hair out similar to the Badmotorfinger days, perhaps to make everyone remember how much they loved him before his failed crossover attempt with Timbaland. It felt like something more for the fans since Cornell has kept a short 'do for over 15 years now. As the set started, I felt the riffs move me a little bit but there was no sense of urgency on the stage. No one can deny Soundgarden's heaviness; it's just that there was nothing else going on except for some great musicianship. I felt no soul. It also didn't help that Cornell's mic was constantly having feedback problems and the sound mix was too low for such a band like Soundgarden. I should have been able to feel those drums cracking my ribcage, but I mellowed out after about a half hour. One highlight of the show was "Jesus Christ Pose," which was as intense as a fan would have hoped. It was a blistering, intense experience that came very close to melting my face off. That's how much they ripped it. It seemed to temporarily spark the band back to life, only for them to fade back to their lulling state. Even "Black Hole Sun," which should have resuscitated the crowd, failed to move me, but to be fair a lot of that pesty feedback didn't help the moment. It was then that I knew that the battle had been completely lost and there was no way that Soundgarden was going to regain any kind of spark on this night.

Top 5 Acts for Day 3

1. Erykah Badu
2. Mumford & Sons
3. The Dodos
4. The Ike Reilly Assassination
5. Cypress Hill

Some random observations/non-related music pictures over the weekend:

Maybe it's my perverted mind, but everytime I walked past this statue, I immediately thought "golden shower."

As if pee were a theme for the weekend, when I first walked past this port-a-potty, I thought someone was urinating towards the outside from inside. Turns out it was just a hose with a leak, but I certainly wouldn't put it past anyone at this fest to do something like that.

Early on Sunday it started raining and people became creative and starting using trash bags as rain jackets. I'm always intrigued at how when you have large amounts of people in one place, how many folks are sharp enough to improvise and come out ahead.

For most of Sunday, all of the screens were lowered at or near ground level for the majority of the day. Every single one of them. Pretty damn frustrating but it was cool to be up close to something so pixelated though.

Sometimes I look out at the crowd and go, "Damn, there sure are a lot of people" and then I'm compelled to take a picture. This was one of those moments.

I thought it was kind of funny that these cops were standing watching Cypress Hill perform the whole time as they smoked ridiculous amounts of weed onstage. "Insane In The Brain" isn't exactly the most law enforcement friendly tune either, so I had to wonder if these guys were secretly Cypress Hill fans. If I were a cop, I'd probably still get hype over that song.

Probably the biggest display of hatred towards one band I've ever seen in all my years at the festival, but then again I kind of wish she had the balls to do this on the day that Green Day actually performed instead of on Friday.

Ten On Tuesdays: Ten Most Influential Survivor Players of All-Time

2010-05-11T14:15:00.002-05:00

With the season finale of what has arguably been one of the best editions, Heroes vs. Villains, this Sunday night and after 20 seasons of cutthroat strategy and boneheaded mistakes, what better time than now to look back at some of the most influential players the game has ever seen. I based influence not exactly on if a person won or not, but how their gameplay has made an impact on all future editions of Survivor and on the contestants, for better or worse. While I did not rank these and decided to do the list chronologically, I believe in my heart that Richard Hatch is without a doubt the overall most influential player of all-time. If he had not won in that first season, the game of Survivor would have turned out completely different and the use of strategy would not be as evolved as it is right now at this point 20 seasons on.

Richard Hatch (Borneo, All-Stars)
Placed: 1st; 14th

He is the grandfather of Survivor strategy, the man who first coined the term "alliance," which is now as neccessary as fire to survive in this game. By getting the idea of gathering a group of people to all vote the same way, it would ensure that they would have strength in numbers to advance in the game. When I first started watching Survivor, I originally thought that it would be a game of strength and endurance, but Hatch reminded us that along with outplay and outlast, outwit is also apart of the Survivor motto. His voting bloc was so unthinkable at the time that the opposing Pagong tribe members were easily picked off one by one, spreading their votes everywhere instead of focused one member, which is now the usual course. If Richard's strategy did not earn him the million dollars in the end, the game of Survivor would look completely different.

Johnny "John" Carroll, Zoe Zanidakis, Tammy Leitner, Robert "General" DeCanio (Marquesas)
Placed: 9th, 8th, 7th, 6th

While no one can doubt the power of having a strong alliance in your corner, it cannot be overestimated, especially when you don't have the numbers. This alliance got a little too cocky during a challenge and made it clear there was a separation between them and the rest of the merged Soliantu tribe. The only problem was that there were five other players still in the game and this alliance of four did not try to bring anyone over to their side, confident of their place in the game. All future alliances now know that it doesn't mean anything to have a voting bloc unless the numbers are on your side. It also doesn't help to flaunt said alliance either, or you'll get picked off one after the other much like these four were. John, Zoe, Tammy and General all deserve a special slot together to themselves and provide a lesson to any future Survivors who think their alliance is in control of the game.

Rob Cesternino ( The Amazon)
Placed: 3rd

Rob had a comfortable alliance with Alex, Heidi and Jenna. They were clearly in control of the game and likely would have made it to the final four. The only thing is that Alex had different plans and notified Rob that he would be going soon and wasn't in their final plans. Taking this information, Rob went to the other remaining tribe members of the merged Jacaré, who were on the outskirts of the group and prepared to be eliminated, and gathered them together to vote out Alex next. While he didn't win and he eventually turned on that new alliance, Rob quickly gained more control of the game then he already had. Even though he was in a strong alliance with Alex, he realized where he stood on the totem pole and turned on his group. Rob showed that while alliances will get you far, to get further in the game, you have to always keep your options open and not be deadlocked with a certain group. Turning on your own alliance was groundbreaking at the time, but now it's the norm.

Brian Heidik (Thailand)
Placed: 1st

While Thailand is generally considered one of the worst seasons in Survivor (it's host Jeff Probst's least favorite by far), there is still much to be learned. No one will ever assume that a tribe has merged until Probst says so thanks to Shii Ann's premature celebration, but Brian's gameplay throughout this season is something that is still utilized. By promising everyone in his alliance that he would take them to the final two, he made sure that he always had people in his pocket willing to vote whichever way he wanted. It's the kind of manipulative gameplay that could see diminishing returns in future seasons, but its effectiveness for other Survivors such as Todd in China and Russell in Samoa can't be overlooked.

Sandra Diaz-Twine (Pearl Islands, Heroes vs. Villains)
Placed: 1st; to be determined

Physically, Sandra is probably one of the weakest players even when it comes to challenges. Most people like that usually don't make it out of the merge, but Sandra employed a simple strategy throughout her winning season in Pearl Islands: she would vote for anyone as long as her neck wasn't on the chopping block. For someone who may not seem like much of a physical threat, it's still important that your mind at least stay in the game and Sandra was still cognizant of what went on. Even when the numbers of her original alliance dwindled, she still voted along with her nemesis Jonny Fairplay in order to get further. In Survivor, if you're slow to make a decision, you may find yourself a target and become considered unreliable. Sandra often showed litttle to no remorse over her decisions and rarely ever panicked during Pearl Islands. Also, any future eavesdroppers are indebted to her.

Chris Daughtery (Vanuatu)
Placed: 1st

Chris was the last remaining original member of the Lopevi after all the men had been eliminated in the merged Alinta tribe. In a season which separated the teams by gender, the odds looked even slimmer for Chris as the six Yasur women outnumbered the men and systematically voted them out. Chris serves as inspiration to all future contestants who think that there is no hope. He was able to play the women against each other and win the season with a final jury vote of 5-2. Once the numbers start to dwindle, everyone starts to realize where their place in the ranking is and in order to proceed in the game, a person might have to flip. Chris used this to his advantage like no other Survivor before him and proved that no matter how outnumbered you may be, there will usually be someone who would rather take 3rd place over 6th place.

Tom Westman (Palau)
Placed: 1st

Sometimes being popular in this game isn't all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes it can win you a million dollars. For those foolish enough to take someone that everyone likes to the end, losing the game could be the end result. Tom was in a solid alliance all season long and had the pleasure of rarely going to tribal council since his tribe completely dominated at immunity challenges. During Koror's winning streak, Tom became known as the leader of his tribe and often provided food for everyone while also being a hard worker at camp. Tom garnered so much respect that when his once-solid alliance member, Ian, was revealed as being deceptive, he dropped out of the final immunity challenge after 12 hours to give Tom the idol by default. As a result, Tom won by a jury vote of 6-1. Future nice guys Earl from Fiji, Bob from Gabon and J.T. in Tocantins all turned likeability into a million dollars.

Parvati Shallow (Cook Islands, Micronesia, Heroes vs. Villains)
Placed: 6th; 1st; to be determined

Without a doubt, one of the greatest contestants to ever play this game. If she makes it to the final jury vote in the current season of Heroes vs. Villains, I would officially call her the greatest. She has a feel for the game strategically that is matched by very few. She knows who to align with, who to blindside and when to blindside them. On Heroes vs. Villains, Parvati was an early target and has remained one throughout mainly because of her history in the game and her wits. There isn't really anything revolutionary about Parvati's gameplay—there have been cunning contestants before, players who have flirted and used their beauty to an advantage and players who have joined strong alliances—but anyone would be a fool to not take notice of how well she's played the game and should jot down a few notes if they hope to make it far.

Yau-Man (Fiji, Micronesia)
Placed: 4th; 18th

When Yau-Man first found the hidden immunity idol back at his camp, he got one helluva crazy idea: why not create a fake idol? Made out of a coconut shell with a painted face on it and with the letters "I.I." cleverly placed (it stood for "Immunity Idol), Yau-Man buried the idol in the exact spot where he discovered the real one in the hopes that someone else would falsely believe that they had the idol. While no one found the fake idol on Fiji, future seasons such as China and Gabon would show people using a fake idol at tribal council to very hilarious results. You can bet that anyone else who creates a fake idol will be thinking of Yau-Man as they construct it.

Russell Hantz (Samoa, Heroes vs. Villains)

While Russell is a great, if often times, brute strategist, he has made this list for different reasons. During his time on Samoa, Russell was a hidden immunity idol magnet. The only thing is that he found them without any clues. His success with finding the idols has led the producers of the show to change how they place hidden immunity idols for future editions, now referring to it as "the Russell Factor," according to Jeff Probst. I'm pretty sure Russell would prefer the title of sole survivor (and he may still get that chance since he is still in the game as of now), but he should be able to take solace that he has left his mark on the game of Survivor forever.

What If The Oscars Had Ten Best Picture Nominees In Years Past?

2010-03-09T01:19:00.004-06:00

For fun, I decided to take my hand at imagining what the Best Picture race at the Oscars would have looked if there had been ten nominees in years past. Yes, these are the things I think of as "fun" in my head. I decided to do from 1998-2008 since I really didn't follow the Oscar race as intensely in years before, but not to say I don't ever see myself not taking a look at years prior to.

I've listed the five films that were nominated for that year with the five possible nominees following after.

1998

** denotes the winner.

Elizabeth
**Shakespeare in Love**
Life Is Beautiful
Saving Private Ryan
The Thin Red Line

Gods And Monsters
The Truman Show
Out of Sight
Primary Colors
A Simple Plan

The Truman Show was the only one that was seen as a major snub, as Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey also failed to get a acting nomination.

1999

**American Beauty**
The Cider House Rules
The Green Mile
The Insider
The Sixth Sense

Being John Malkovich
The Matrix
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Topsy-Turvy
Toy Story 2

I opted to go with Toy Story 2 over other strong contenders like Election and Magnolia since it had near universal acclaim and the Best Animated Feature category had not been created yet, increasing the likelihood of such a movie to get a Best Pic nod. Just a ridiculously stacked year overall.

2000

Chocolat
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Erin Brockovich
**Gladiator**
Traffic

Almost Famous
Billy Elliott
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
You Can Count On Me
Wonder Boys

An Editing nod for Wonder Boys makes it seem like the logical choice over Pollock.

2001

**A Beautiful Mind**
Gosford Park
In the Bedroom
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Moulin Rouge!

A.I.: Artificial Intelligence
Amélie
Black Hawk Down
Memento
Mulhollland Drive

Shrek seems like an obvious choice, but I still don't see the Academy giving a Best Picture nod to an outright animated comedy without hardly any emotional pull.

2002

**Chicago**
Gangs of New York
The Hours
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Pianist

About Schmidt
Adaptation
Bowling For Columbine
Far From Heaven
Talk To Her

I think there was enough buzz around Bowling For Columbine for it to sneak in here. It certainly felt like more of a Best Pic contender than Catch Me If You Can or Frida.

2003

**The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King**
Lost in Translation
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Mystic River
Seabiscuit

City of God
Cold Mountain
Finding Nemo
Kill Bill Vol. 1
In America

Personally, it hurt my soul that Kill Bill never received any nominations, but in spite of that it would have probably edged out The Last Samurai due to the mixed reaction that movie received.

2004

The Aviator
Finding Neverland
**Million Dollar Baby**
Ray
Sideways

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Hotel Rwanda
The Incredibles
The Passion Of The Christ
Vera Drake

Vera Drake may not have gotten a ton of Best Picture buzz around the time, but it did get a Best Director nomination for this year.

2005

Brokeback Mountain
**Crash**
Capote
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Munich

A History of Violence
The Constant Gardener
Match Point
Walk The Line
Pride & Prejudice

Cinderella Man fell out of the race before autumn, due to a summer release and failing to live up to expectations. Not too many commercial films to choose from, so box office probably would have mattered little in the voting process this year.

2006

Babel
**The Departed**
Letters from Iwo Jima
Little Miss Sunshine
The Queen

Borat
Children Of Men
Dreamgirls
Pan's Labyrinth
United 93

I went with Borat and Children of Men over Little Children since Borat was well-loved by nearly everyone in the industry and Children of Men's tracking shots give it the edge from a technical standpoint and features more than just strong acting.

2007

Atonement
Juno
Michael Clayton
**No Country for Old Men**
There Will Be Blood

The Bourne Ultimatum
The Diving Bell and The Butterfly
I'm Not There
Into The Wild
Ratatouille

The Bourne Ultimatum would have been the first action film to get serious buzz for Best Picture in sometime since it was critically acclaimed and very successful. Add to that, it also won all three of its categories that it was nominated for. Sweeney Todd could have also been a contender, but Oscar-nominated musicals tend to make more money than what it did.

2008

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
Milk
The Reader
**Slumdog Millionaire**

The Dark Knight
Doubt
In Bruges
Wall-E
The Wrestler

This was the year that sparked that the expansion to ten nominees. The omissions of The Dark Knight and Wall-E made the Academy seem out of touch with the national conscious, but now it's too late and The Blind Side can now call itself a Best Picture nominee.

Best Movies of 2009

2010-03-04T06:24:00.006-06:00

Living in the Midwest, I usually have to wait longer for a lot of the year-end prestige pictures to open in my area. While critics in Los Angeles and New York have the luxury of being able to catch movies that open in limited release before going nationwide within a calendar year, an average guy such as myself who happens to be a film lover can't fully complete a list of what the best pictures of the year are until much later. Add to that a modest budget and time can pass quickly before I've seen everything on my wish list. Which is why I'm finally doing best films of 2009 list more than two months into 2010. I figure that a list such as this still has relevance as long as it's before this Sunday's Oscars. So here it is. My favorite movies of 2009.

1. Ponyo

This marks the third consecutive year that an animated movie has topped my list. I think it goes to show just how great a period it is right now for animation. All three films were unique in their tone and subject matter and further proves just how diverse the field has become, from the moments of grimness in 2007's Persepolis to 2008's Wall-E with its patient and expressive storytelling style and to my favorite film of 2009, Ponyo, that mixed dazzling visuals with pure emotion in the way that director Hayao Miyazaki has made his career on. The film centers on the title character, a fish who magically attempts to turn into a human girl in order to be friends with a little boy named Sosuke, who has taken her in as a pet. Miyazaki films are usually the best, live-action or animated, when it comes to capturing childhood. Most often, movies seem to forget that children are fully formed people as well, thoughtful and capable of many emotions, but Ponyo is able to capture many of the details that can make childhood so joyous and scary at the same time. In addition to having one of the most exhilarating sequences I saw all year which involved Ponyo running on the waves, I was moved by the innocence and affection of her and Sosuke's relationship. By the movie was finished, I was overcome with more happiness than I've had in a while after watching a movie. Ponyo isn't my favorite film of 2009 simply because it made me the happiest, but it what does what most great movies do: it transports an emotion onto the viewer.

2. 35 Shots of Rum

There is a scene in 35 Shots of Rum that stands as my favorite of 2009, even more so than the one in Ponyo. It takes place in a bar where The Commodores' "Night Shift" sets the mood with all four main characters of this French drama. It is representative of the movie with its lingering camera shots, sparse dialogue and the way that it simply lets the viewer be an observer. So much is revealed about the characters' desires and doubts through the slightest of gestures and subtly emotive facial expressions. It's a wonderfully human moment because it engages you so much that the fact that this is a movie gets thrown to the back of your mind. Much of 35 Shots of Rum is like this. You're dropped into the world of these four people and everything is laid bare and left for the viewer to decipher on their own. There are moments between Lionel and Joséphine, the father and daughter that the movie is centered around, that are extremely heartfelt without clubbing you over the head that it is a loving and dependent relationship. The cast deserves a lot of the credit for doing so much by saying so little, but its director Claire Denis who proves once again how adept she is at examining relationships.

3. Inglourious Basterds

The thing I love most about Quentin Tarantino and why he's one of my favorite directors is that you can clearly see his love for cinema on the screen. What some might see as a lazy homage, I prefer to view as a movie buff geekily sharing his joy and knowledge with the world. In Inglourious Basterds, Tarantino shows that his movie reference well has yet to run dry as he cribs from various aspects of the Spaghetti western, European cinema and the classic ensemble war movie. By drawing from the most artistic and intense elements of those genres, Tarantino manages to create a work that remains within the realm of his unique style, but at the same time still entertaining. While I'm in the minority as far as being a supporter of Death Proof and the way it built things slowly, Tarantino does a much better job with creating tension-filled scenes this time around, mostly due to the superb casting of Christoph Waltz, who injects a cunning mix of glee and terror into nearly every moment, but even when he's not on screen, specifically in the tavern scene—one of Tarantino's most impressive—where you can feel the inevitable approaching, the journey to the climax is as exciting as its conclusion.

4. The White Ribbon

The White Ribbon takes place in a rural German village on the eve of World War I. Mysterious acts of violence against the inhabitants strike fear into the community. Who's behind it? Why are they doing it? Is it the work of an adult? A child? Children? It's the mark of a great artist when one can raise so many questions without answering outright, but yet doesn't frustrate in the process. Director and writer Michael Haneke packs the story with so much historical, social and religious subtext that it leaves the intention of these acts up to multiple interpretations, any of which could be valid. In typical Haneke fashion, it's not ultimately important that the questions are so easily resolved, but that the audience is challenged to question why instead of how and to independently form their own opinion. The film's poetic nature is further helped by being gorgeously shot in black and white, a choice that rightfully resulted in an Academy Award nomination for its cinematography.

5. Fantastic Mr. Fox

Usually when big names are attached to an animated project, you never get the sense that they're acting, but instead playing an exaggerated version of themselves (Exhibit A: Shark Tale). George Clooney, Meryl Streep and Bill Murray, amongst others, make up the well-known cast, but the vocal performances in Fantastic Mr. Fox stand out not only because of the level of talent involved, but because of the gravity they're are able to bring to certain parts and director Wes Anderson being able to successfully inject his live-action rhythms into the animated world. It all makes for a very mature effort and some of the most natural sounding voice-over work I've ever heard in animation. Seeing Anderson's signature comedic pacing in stop-motion also encourages the thought that his style could possibly translate stronger in animation than most of his films. By far, Fantastic Mr. Fox was one of the smartest and most fun films I saw all year, filled with constant wit and zippy action sequences.

6. In The Loop

I used to think that Samuel L. Jackson was the English language's best curser. His most famous roles include characters who use profanity emphatically and enthusiastically to a point that it's almost artistic, because let's face it, not everyone can swear and make it sound as sincere as Jackson does, but Peter Capaldi, who portrays the British Prime Minister's enforcer Malcolm Tucker in this salty, political satire, has me thinking that there might actually be someone who knows how to curse better than Jackson. Capaldi lights up the screen whenever he makes an appearance and provided some of the year's funniest and cruelest lines. In The Loop takes its inspiration from the War in Iraq and explores who benefits from war and what it takes to create one, all done in an intelligent yet humorous matter.

7. Big Fan

At its most base form, Big Fan is not about an obsessed, pathetic sports fan, but a man-child who just happens to idolize the New York Giants to an excessive fault. The scenes that look into an overexuberant sports culture are handled well, but its when we see Paul Afiero, portrayed incredibly in a dramatic role by comedian Patton Oswalt, interacting with his family that it becomes apparent that this is a movie about arrested development and is where the most of the substance lies. It's a terrific character study that lies on the back of how well Oswalt can display a sad sack demeanor without coming off as humorous and propelled in its realism by a grim script courtesy of Robert Siegel, who also wrote The Wrestler and made his directorial debut with this film.

8. Up

I can't mention Up without first talking about its wonderful early opening sequence. It tells the story of a couple beginning with their marriage and follows them through their ups and downs over the years. Without Michael Giacchino's score, it simply wouldn't have half of its magic, but as storytelling on its own, its impressive how much emotion is captured and elevates the entire field of animation. With its mixture of tenderness and pristine visuals, it exemplifies the best of what Pixar has been so great at over the past few years. It's almost a shame in a way that it takes an animated studio to remind the rest of us that movies can be entertaining and heartfelt without sacrificing one for the other or dumbing it down for the audience. It's an endlessly exciting adventure that takes the time to develop its characters in a way that both kids and adults can appreciate.

9. The Damned United

With myself being a very casual soccer fan, the story of how Derby County's manager left the team to go to their hated rivals, Leeds United during the 1970's was completely new to me. Even with minimal knowledge of England's soccer history, The Damned United proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Michael Sheen dazzles in his role as Brian Clough, the egocentric yet determined manager and brings a healthy amount of charisma to the role. The proceedings of The Damned United are often dramatic, but is peppered with comedic touches that make the entire thing extremely delightful.

10. Coraline

There should be no shame for Coraline in being the second best stop-motion animation film of 2009, right behind Fantastic Mr. Fox. While it is not very often that feature-length stop-motion films make it to theaters, 2009 blessed us with a double whammy of great films. Coraline is still good enough to finish in my top ten because of the mesmerizing world director Henry Selick was able to create and his unwillingness to play things safe or saccharine. There are moments that border on scary and some that are just plain weird, but the rightful tone of the original source material is never sacrificed in order to make something that is more palatable for a typical family film audience. It's that kind of daring attitude and adventurousness that made 2009 such a banner year for animation.

And the rest...

11. Broken Embraces
12. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans
13. A Serious Man
14. Precious
15. The Hurt Locker
16. (500) Days of Summer
17. Black Dynamite
18. Star Trek
19. The Informant!
20. The Maid
21. Up In The AIr
22. Tyson
23. Drag Me To Hell
24. Good Hair
25. An Education
26. Moon
27. Bruno
28. District 9
29. Me & Orson Welles
30. Fish Tank
31. Invictus
32. Police, Adjective
33. Zombieland
34. A Single Man
35. Where The Wild Things Are
36. Bright Star
37. The September Issue
38. This Is It
39. Capitalism: A Love Story
40. Paranormal Activity

Live Blogging the 2010 Grammys

2010-01-31T22:39:00.004-06:00

Once again, I'm liveblogging the Grammys. Check back often for commentary, analysis and to see how I fared with my predictions.

7:01 Is it me or does Lady Gaga's eye make-up look very similar to Sting (as in the pro wrestler). Pretty great choice to have her kick off the show though. Much better than U2 last year who weren't even nominated or had an album out at the time.

7:04 Elton John joins Gaga onstage for a duel piano duet of "Your Song" after a spirited performance of "Poker Face." Elton is "Gaga-ed" up, more than less. He's got that glitter shades and smeared make-up over his face. If there's any male singer who can get away with being "Gaga-ed" up, it's Elton John.

7:07 The sad thing about that performance is that it didn't even come close to one of Gaga's best, but it's probably one of the more interesting performances the Grammy telecast has had in sometime.

7:09 Colbert is going kind of hit-or-miss for me. The crowd doesn't seem to be that into it. And wow, Jay-Z finally cracked a smile!

7:12 First award of the night and it's for Song of the Year. I called Taylor Swift in my predictions. Still feel confident about it.

7:13 And Beyonce takes Song of the Year! The implications for this are huge. "Single Ladies" is probably the first uptempo song to take this category and everyone thought it was misplaced here and should have been in Record of the Year. This win shows that the Beyonce machine might be too strong and we could see wins for her in Record of the Year and Album of the Year tonight.

7:17 So I know that the songs for the American Idiot musical will be enjoyable, but seeing them perform with the band isn't making me all that more anticipated to watch. I firmly believe in a separation of authentic rock bands and musical casts.

7:21 Not saying that I don't enjoy rock musicals, but I think the performances would have been better served by both parties being kept separate.

7:24 When In Rome is that CBS Corp. movie, right? Figures.

7:26 Was Miranda Lambert not eligible this year? She should have totally gotten a nod for Best Country Album.

7:27 Don't look that surprised Taylor.

7:29 Very interested to see how Beyonce incorporates these soldiers into her performance. Please let it be relevant.

7:30 I really wish Beyonce had chosen a better song to perform instead of "If I Were A Boy." And did she just totally pick up a dude out the audience with one hand? Nothing boyish about that. That is pure manliness.

7:32 Beyonce sounds pretty, dare I say it...fierce singing Alanis' "You Oughta Know." Best part of the performance so far.

7:33 And was that a bit of "California Love" she snuck in there?

7:38 Still trying to figure out the purpose of all the soldiers she had onstage. Did they switch genders? Were they secretly girls before? Hermaphrodites?

7:41 I'm really captivated by this Pink performance. She's a seasoned performer, so it's no surprise.

7:43 I'm also impressed with Pink's vocal control while swinging upside down. But to be fair, if this performance were at an exotic nightclub, I wouldn't be paying attention the vocals as much.

7:46 Best New Artist time. I picked Keri. Zac Brown Band or MGMT as spoiler.

7:47 Darn, I knew I should have picked Zac Brown Band. Keri failed to get any major nods in her genre while Zac Brown Band got all kinds of country nods. Also, you can't discount the country voting contingent in the NARAS.

7:54 I know MF Doom is somewhere looking at will.i.am's mask and having a fit.

7:57 The Black Eyed Peas' performance was nice to look at it, but nothing really memorable except for robots in disguise. Or am I just suffering from "I Gotta Feeling" fatigue?

8:05 Pretty surprised that the Jonas Brothers showed their face at the Grammys after last year's awkwardly abysmal performance of "Superstition" with Stevie Wonder. I'm shuddering just thinking about it.

8:07 You can just feel the momentum of the show dying with this Lady Antebellum performance. Not like they're terrible or anything, it's just been one high-octane song after another. And then this.

8:10 Looking at the starpower for these Best Comedy Album nominees and I can see why they decided to televise this category. Colbert is the winner obviously.

8:13 Record of the Year will be up next. I still like Taylor's chances even though she lost to Beyonce in Song of the Year. "Single Ladies" was massive, so that's understandable. "Halo?" Not so much. Also, I think Kings of Leon are pretty much eliminated from this category as well, even though rock acts generally win this category.

8:17 And rock wins again for Record of the Year. It happens every year. All the pop acts cancel each other out and a rock song wins. Kinda surreal seeing Kings of Leon win it because I remember their first album back in 2002 or 2003.

8:22 Jamie Foxx is kinda ruining one of my favorite songs of 2009. And he's the one who recorded it. Everything feels so disjointed.

8:24 Doug E. Fresh has just proven that he can save just about any performance. Just about. And then Slash comes out for a guitar solo along with some random girl dancing. Overkill much?

8:27 My soul is still pretty hurt that "Use Somebody" won.

8:33 I consider Green Day's win for Best Rock Album an upset. Dave Matthews Band got the Album of the Year nod, which made them the favorite and U2 was also nominated, and we all know how much the Grammys love them. DMB now has no shot at winning AOTY. We may finally get a relevant winner this year.

8:37 Hey, this Zac Brown Band performance is actually kind of fun. Pretty rollicking and easy-going. And ooh, now we've got a hoedown at the end on a acoustic guitar! They're definitely making the most of this opportunity.

8:43 So apparently the random girl in the Jamie Foxx performance was his mentally disabled sister. Good for Jamie, but my opinion on the performance remains unchanged.

8:47 Really not feeling this Taylor Swift performance. I just wish that Stevie Nicks would shove her off the stage and take over. It just sounds so dull.

8:50 Not really digging this vaudeville/bluegrass version of "You Belong With Me." It would probably sound better stripped down but it feels like it's being robbed of its charms in this setting.

9:04 My eyes need a second to recover from looking at my computer monitor with 3-D glasses. First off, the 3-D was a total rip-off. But then again, after Avatar, everything else will pretty much pale in comparison. As far as the performance, Celine, Usher, J-Hud, Carrie Underwood and Smokey all did a great job, but I just wish there had been a more suitable MJ song for them to perform. Just didn't feel like the best choice for five singers. Or maybe the problem was that there were five singers.

9:08 Wait, Bon Jovi is playing three songs? And only one is before 1995? Bathroom break.

9:10 I think that Bon Jovi have a lot of quality singles, but sorry, haven't liked anything they've done since I was in grammar school. Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland showing up is sort of a pleasant surprise.

9:14 And in a shocker, the fans pick "Livin' On A Prayer."

9:18 "Run This Town" takes home Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Probably the only way that Kanye would've gotten an award this year since he was obviously blackballed by the VMA incident.

9:24 When are they gonna hand out some more awards? It feels like there's been nothing but performances tonight.

9:27 Blige and Bocelli are so damn effortless. Just wish they had a better arrangement of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" to work with. Too much bombast and it's turning me off.

9:37 President of NARAS is giving his speech. Has it really been 10 years since the Latin Grammys started? I feel old.

9:40 Portnoy gets the first "zzzzz" of the night.

9:41 Haven't paid much attention to Dave Matthews Band for sometime, but they're giving a very spirited performance. It feels like one of the most alive of the night.

9:46 Lea Michele was in Spring Awakening? Gonna have to check the liner notes in my CD.

9:48 Beyonce's win over Taylor Swift in Best Pop Vocal Female Performance all but guarantees a Beyonce win for Album of the Year. Taylor was seen as her main competition in Song of the Year, Record of the Year and this category right here. The only spoiler could be Dave Matthews Band, but they failed to win Best Rock Album, their only other nomination. Really don't see Black Eyed Peas or Lady Gaga being much of a factor.

9:55 Never realized how refreshing it would be to see Maxwell on a Grammy stage.

9:58 This Maxwell and Robert Flack performance sounds so smooth. Roberta looks a little lost though. It doesn't look natural on her part.

10:06 Okay, so that Les Paul tribute was pretty fun, if too short. It made me smile, which is something I haven't done much of tonight.

10:09 Okay, so I'm looking at some of my tweets and several people seem to think that the vocalist in that tribute was lip-synching. It did sound a little too perfect now that I think about it.

10:14 Hey censors at CBS, I'd at least like to hear half of Lil' Wayne's verse.

10:17 No seriously, CBS. Cut it out. It's getting out of hand. Aside from that, I'm feeling the energy from Drake, Lil' Wayne and Eminem.

10:18 As I figured, Eminem's verse from "Forever" stole the show. Just bonkers.

10:26 Taylor takes Album of the Year in what has to be an upset. She seemed like a frontrunner before the awards were handed out, but according to how the night was going, this looked like Beyonce's night.

10:29 I can't even begin to understand how Taylor's win happened without winning any of the general categories or Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Either ROTY or SOTY would have probably seemed more appropriate since "You Belong With Me" was so huge and Swift's content is probably considered too lightweight to win the night's biggest award. There is no doubt that she is popular and Fearless could have probably benefitted from being a multiple-format album (country, pop, adult contemporary), which only increased its exposure. Fearless also maintained its popularity throughout the entire year and has the kind of legs that hasn't been seen for a while (63 straight weeks in the top 20 and counting). Its success is too rare in the industry nowadays and Album of the Year might have been seen as her reward from the NARAS.