Showing posts with label Foo Fighters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Foo Fighters. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

I Want My Music Television - 9/7/11


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

The Scientist – Willie Nelson



Just in case you did not think Willie Nelson covering Coldplay was random enough, here come the music video presented by Chipotle, that fast food restaurant you are familiar with but never actually visited, about, um, I have no idea. Are we not supposed to eat pork or something?


A Long Time - Mayer Hawthorne



The latest from Mayer Hawthorne is a good enough song, but the rediscovered VHS tap has been done before and better by multiple artists (see Snoop Dogg). Okay seeing some dude doing the Thriller dance is still entertaining and the random country jingle. I cannot believe Don Draper okayed that to air.


Love the Way You Walk Away – Blitzen Trapper



You may remember Blitzen Trapper from my Best of Neo-Folk and the boys have a new album coming out soon and here is their first single. Even though I have a bunch of their songs on my iPod, I new the band consisted of lead singer Josh Groban, keyboardist Napoleon Dynamite, and the dude from The Civil Wars on bass.


Hot Buns – Foo Fighters



Um, so the Foo Fighters created this video to promote their upcoming tour. Just do not ask me why they decided to do so by dressing up by Willie Nelson, Rob Zombie, and ZZ Top. For those braver than me, there is an uncensored version.

Monday, June 06, 2011

I Want My Music Television - 6/6/11


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Walk – Foo Fighters



Falling Down is one of the great forgotten, only in the nineties, movies and maybe it is the right time for us to revisit it as we inch closer to an American without a WASP majority. But I was a little disappointed that the Foo Fighters did not give a shout out to the also from the nineties highway parking lot, Everybody Hurts - R.E.M. by R.E.M., by adding some subtitles to the other drivers.


Man Down – Rihanna



In other violent video news, Man Down has gotten a lot of flack for her new video. So for those keeping track at home, man on man violence: funny; chick on dude violence: inappropriate. But if Johnny Cash and Jimi Hendrix’s friend Joe can shoot trifling partners down, why not Rihanna. I just do not understand what is with the Drummer Boy chorus.


Back Down South – Kings of Leon



But speaking of nineties influence, I get a strong southern version of Smashing Pumpkin’s 1979 music video from the new Kings of Leon offering.


Home Is a Fire – Death Cab for Cutie



Not to knock Death Cab for Cutie, but didn’t Selena Gomez and the Scene make this exact video not too long ago. (Yes, yes they did.)

Monday, March 21, 2011

I Want My Music Television - 3/21/11


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Rope - Foo Fighters



It seems like Foo Fighters alternate videos between cheesy dress up ones and artsy performance based ones and after the eightiestastic White Limo it’s time for artsy. And did I miss the memo that Pat Smear was back in the band?


I Do - Colbie Caillat



The whole (un)happy faced inanimate objects is cute and all for Colbie Caillat, but is there a credit card ad that already did that a year or two ago?


How You Love Me - Talib Kweli



Those credits seemed a little long for a music video featuring a dude and a chick in a bedroom. At least it was another killer track from Talib Kweli.


'Til The End of Time (Edited Version) - Timothy Bloom



For those that think like me that R&B died about a decade ago, here is a song by Timothy Bloom that might give you hope for its resurrection. And the music video is like a two person D'Angelo video. And for those wondering, yes there is an undited version.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

I Want My Music Television - 2/16/11


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I thought I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.

Howlin’ for You – The Black Keys



Seriously, if Robert Rodriquez can turn a trailer he made for Grindhouse in the full length feature Machete, how about turning this Black Keys music video into feature film. I’d plop down money for the blu-ray just to see more of Sir Todd Bridges as a preacher.


Good Man - Raphael Saadiq



Ooo, Raphael Saadiq goes dark. Speaking of music videos that need to be turned a motion picture, someone create a Blaxplotation film to put this song on because it would make the best soundtrack since Curtis Mayfield.


White Limo – Foo Fighters



I do not know about the new Foo Fighters song or the homage to Journey’s Separate Ways video but the awesomeness of the video can be summed up in one word: Lemmy!!!


And lastly, here is my favorite performance from this year’s Grammy awards.



And for your downloading pleasures, here are the studio versions of the songs performed in order:

The Cave – Mumford and Sons
Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise – The Avett Brothers
Maggie's Farm – Bob Dylan

Saturday, December 27, 2008

25 Best Live Performances of 2008


Last year I started a Best Performances of the year list mostly because of the overabundance of great performances at Live Earth. Despite the lack of any major cultural event, I thought I would continue the list for at one more year. Here the live performances that caught my ear this year. I have links to YouTube for those that have yet been pulled and there are even a couple that are sold on iTunes so check out the button for those.


1. Stronger/Hey Mama - Kanye West and Daft Punk (Grammy Awards)




2. Just Stand Up - Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Nicole Scherzinger , Natasha Bedingfield, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, Keyshia Cole, Ashanti and Ciara (Stand Up 2 Cancer)



3. Burning Up/Ray of Light - The Stooges (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony)



4. Slow Dancing in a Burning Room - John Mayer (Where the Light Is)



5. Jungle Boogie/Umbrella/Don’t Stop the Music - The Time and Rihanna (Grammy Awards)

6. Learnin’ the Blues - Alicia Keys and Frank Sinatra (Grammy Awards)

7. Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (The Oscars)

8. Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood (Grammy Awards)

9. Always a Friend - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band and Alejandro Escovedo (Magic Highlights)

10. Children’s Story - Slick Rick (Hip Hop Honors)

11. The Pretender - Foo Fighters and the My Grammy Night Orchestra (Grammy Awards)

12. Let it Roll - B.B. King and John Mayer (Grammy Nomination Special)

13. Praying for Time - Carrie Underwood (Idol Gives Back)

14. No One - Alicia Keys and John Mayer (Grammy Awards)

15. Ghost of Tom Joad - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Tom Morello (Magic Highlights)

16. Viva la Vida - Coldplay (MTV Movie Awards)

17. Love Lockdown - Kanye West (MTV Video Music Awards)

18. Just a Dream - Carrie Underwood (Country Music Award)

19. Free Fallin’ - John Mayer (Where the Light Is)

20. God Put a Smile on Your Face/Stop Me/Valerie - Mark Ronson, Adele, Daniel Merryweather, and Amy Winehouse (The Brit Awards)

21. Photograph - Taylor Swift and Def Leopard (CMT Crossroads)

22. Pink Houses - John Mellencamp (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony)

23. Love Bug - Jonas Brothers (MTV Video Music Awards)

24. You’re So Vain - Foo Fighters (Grammy Nomination Special)

25. Love Story - Taylor Swift (Country Music Award)

Monday, February 11, 2008

We on Award Tour: 2008 Grammy Awards


In contrast of award shows, The Grammy’s decided to kick off their fiftieth anniversary with Alicia Keys dueting with a youthful Frank Sinatra while MTV decided on their twentieth Video Music Awards to instead go with the train wreck that is Britney Spears. And this is why the Grammy’s keeps getting better and better why the VMA’s has slipped further and further since the last time Chris Rock hosted. And the Grammy’s were wise enough to stick their over hyped train wreck (i.e. Amy Winehouse) near the end of the show just in case it backfired. Here are some other thoughts from last night’s festivities:

Cariie Underwood - I'd hit that- Another reason why the Grammy’s are always worth watching is because they get artists to take their songs in a different direction and that was most evident with the Carrie Underwood, doing her best Nancy Sinatra impression, being backed by Fat Albert’s Junk Yard Band and still made it work.

- Someone should have told Rihanna just because she was performing with The Time didn’t mean she had to get the Morris Day haircut.

- Performance of the night had to go to Kanye West. I actually preferred the slowed down version of Stronger than the album version and it was visually stunning as he brought the Daft Punk pyramid complete with Daft Punk inside. Then Hey Mama was just heart wrenching. Not sure why he continued to wear that glow in the dark vest all night though.

One is Rihanna, one is Morris Day, can you tell which is which?- Too bad John Legend had to slum it with Fergie, couldn’t they let him sing one of his own songs for having to stoop so low.

- I wonder if Cher and Tina Turner had a contest to see who face could move the less last night. When will people realize that you look much creepier with Botox than with wrinkles? Odd that Tina performed a song she help made famous with her ex-husband who just died without a mention. As for the guy who wrote it, I really couldn’t tell if John Fogerty liked the preference or not.

- I don’t remember the show ever performing outside the venue and not only did they have Amy Winehouse perform via satellite, the Foo Fighters performed in the parking lot. Luckily they didn’t spend as much time as last year hyping the My Grammy Moment this year but more Jason Bateman isn’t that bad. And did I miss what exactly the girl won? Aside from being at the front of the stage, it didn’t seem that much prestigious than the rest of the orchestra.

Kanye West goes dark and glowy- Yet another reason not to listen to hillbilly music, the song Brad Paisley performed about searching a chick for ticks. And I didn’t think anything would be stupider than the song about how tractors are sexy. My IQ needs to drop about forty points before I can start enjoying those types of songs.

- In a rare misstep in Grammy performances, that was an odd bit from Feist. I’m not for sure, but I think they cut out a verse. Her performance on Saturday Night Live was actually much better and cooler with the massive band and choir she had with her. Really, the “whoa-o-o-o” is the best part. Less people on a bigger stage just didn’t work.

- Speaking of things that didn’t work, Keely Smith (who won the first Grammy) and Kid Rock? Umm, yeah, no.

I am glad they did not perform Lesson Learned- Just when I started to get tired of No One, the new spin on it from Alicia Keys made it better again. Performing with Frank Sinatra and John Mayer in the same night? Good work if you can get it.

- Seeing Amy Winehouse singing about not going to rehab when she is on leave from rehab (name dropping her incarcerated husband twice during the song) just makes the performance a little weird. And seeing how she reacted to winning Record of the Year making me wonder if the current treatment is taking.

- Token Old Dude Alert!: Nothing better than an old dude who probably made more last year than I’ll make in my lifetime complain about money.

- Earlier this evening, Grammy’s went to the narrator of Pushing Daisies and Barak Obama who beat out Bill Clinton. No, seriously.

- Will.i.am’s little bit was, um, interesting to say the least.

- And the Grammy for Album of the Year goes to… of, course, the oldest guy in the category. Anyone who says their shock by Herbie Handcock beating out Kanye and Winehouse obviously has never seen the Grammy’s before even if it were the second jazz album to ever win the award.

- My two favorite performences of the night:







Friday, December 21, 2007

25 Best Live Performances of 2007


While watching Live Earth earlier this year with all the great music, it crossed my mind to come up with the greatest live performances of the past twelve month. And with the Grammy’s, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the thousands of other pat themselves on the back events that the music business throws for themselves, it wasn’t hard to populate a list. I did throw out the talk show performances because 99% of them are just boring rehashes of their album versions. But here are the best of the best of 2007 with links to YouTube where available (and if you have the mp3 of any of them shout me a holla because there are a couple I would like that I haven’t hunted down yet):


1. Gimme Shelter - Keith Urban and Alicia Keys (Live Earth)



2. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley (49th Annual Grammy Awards)



3. Check the Rhyme/Award Tour - A Tribe Called Quest (2007 VH1 Hip-Hop Honors)

4. Like a Star/Coming Home/Gravity - Corrine Bailey Rae, John Legend and John Mayer (49th Annual Grammy Awards)



5. Darling Nikki - Cee-Lo and Foo Fighters (2007 MTV Video Music Awards)



6. Big Bottom - Spinal Tap and an Army of Bassists (Live Earth)

7. Bonita Applebum/Electric Relaxation/Scenario - Common, Pharrell, Lupe Fiasco and Busta Rhymes (2007 VH1 Hip-Hop Honors)

8. Man on the Moon - R.E.M. and Eddie Vedder (2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony)

9. No One/Freedom ’90 - Alicia Keys (2007 MTV Video Music Awards)

10. Not Ready to Make Nice - The Dixie Chicks (49th Annual Grammy Awards)

11. Roxanne - The Police (49th Annual Grammy Awards)

12. Sabotage - Beastie Boys (Live Earth)

13. Go Your Own Way - Carrie Underwood and Lindsay Buckingham (Fashion Rocks)

14. That’s the Thing about Love - Alicia Keys (Live Earth)

15. Message in a Bottle - The Police, John Mayer and Kanye West (Live Earth)

16. Shut Up and Drive - Rihanna and Fall Out Boy (2007 MTV Video Music Awards)

17. Mercy Mercy Me - Corrine Bailey Rae and John Legend (Live Earth)

18. White Lines/Good Times/The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony)

19. Drummers - SOS All Stars (Live Earth)

20. For the Love of Money/Living for the City/Mercy Mercy Me - Alicia Keys (Live Earth)

21. Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer (Live Earth)

22. Bleed it Out - Linkin Park (2007 MTV Video Music Awards)

23. Rehab - Amy Winehouse (2007 MTV Movie Awards)

24. Babylon - David Gray and Damien Rice (Live Earth)

25. Heart of Glass - Blondie and Lily Allen (The Today Show)

Thursday, December 06, 2007

We on Award Tour: 2008 Grammy Nominations


It is the start of the awards season as the Grammy nominations were announced today. No huge surprises as Kanye West and Amy Winehouse lead the pack with eight and six respectively. Of course it wouldn’t be the Grammy’s without a few head scratchers (Herbie Hancock released an album lately?) and there is no better indication that R&B as a genre is pretty much dead looking at the nominations. Here are some of the highlights, if you want to know who nabbed the Polka nominations, check out the full 110 categories here:

Grammy Nominations on iTunes


Record of the Year
Irreplaceable - Beyoncé
The Pretender - Foo Fighters
Umbrella - Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
What Goes Around…Comes Around - Justin Timberlake
Rehab - Amy Winehouse

Who Will Win: Umbrella
Who Should Win: Rehab

I may get into this more later during my Year End lists, but this has been a mediocre year for music and this list just empathizes my theory. All these songs are catchy, but none are what I would label as great.


Album of the Year
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace - Foo Fighters
These Days - Vince Gill
River: The Joni Letters - Herbie Hancock
Graduation - Kanye West
Back to Black - Amy Winehouse

Who Will Win: Graduation
Who Should Win: Back to Black

Kanye certainly had the most hyped album of the year and that may carry over here. Granted it may be better suited for the most disappointing album of the year even if it were one of the top five albums of the year.


Song of the Year
Before He Cheats - Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
Hey There Delilah - Tom Higgenson, songwriter (Plain White T's)
Like a Star - Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriter (Corinne Bailey Rae)
Rehab - Amy Winehouse, songwriter (Amy Winehouse)
Umbrella - Shawn Carter, Kuk Harrell, Terius “Dream” Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z)

Who Will Win: Umbrella
Who Should Win: Umbrella

Isn’t Like a Star two to three years old? The requirements for the Grammy’a are really screwy. And could it kill them to actually have the deadline in December instead of October? Do they really need four months before the deadline and when they hand out the awards? It is just strange that a song from Carrie Underwood’s 2005 album gets nominated for this year’s Gammy, but nothing from the album she released this year. But it is not as strange as Before He Cheats getting nominated for a songwriting award.


Best New Artist
Feist
Ledisi
Paramore
Taylor Swift
Amy Winehouse

Who Will Win: Amy Winehouse
Who Should Win: Amy Winehouse

Nothing I love better that the laughable Best New Artist category. Would have liked to see Lily Allen or Sara Bareilles here but they already had your token pop act (Winhouse) and needed to have room for a token rock act (Paramore), token country act (Swift), and token R&B act (Ledisi). Then Feist gets your token Canadian nomination.


Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Candyman - Christina Aguilera
1234 - Feist
Big Girls Don’t Cry - Fergie
Say it Right - Nelly Furtado
Rehab - Amy Winehouse

Who Will Win: Say it Right
Who Should Win: Rehab

There are very few songs I hated more this year than Big Girls Don’t Cry. Every time it would come on the radio, which was way too often, I would think, “Cool, they dipped into the catalog to play More than Words by Extreme” only to have that ruined by he la la’s. Ugg. I can take a look at my iPod to find ten or so songs by chicks that were better than that rip-off.


Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
Everything - Michael Bublé
Belief - John Mayer
Dance Tonight - Paul McCartney
Amazing - Seal
What Goes Around...Comes Around - Justin Timberlake

Who Will Win: What Goes Around...Comes Around
Who Should Win: Belief

It used to be really to predict Grammy winners; you just pick the oldest dude. Then a couple years ago Kelly Clarkson (who is not so conspicuously missing this year) beat out McCartney for Best Pop Album. How Timberlake became a golden boy is beyond me, his album was unlistenable, but I’d take an actual musician if I had a vote.


Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
(You Want To) Make a Memory - Bon Jovi
Home - Daughtry
Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5
Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
Window in the Skies - U2

Who Will Win: Makes Me Wonder
Who Should Win: Hey There Delilah

Seriously? Daughtry? Well I guess there is no Best Mom Rock Performance catergory to put them in. But certainly there spot could have been reserved for Snow Patrol or The Fray, I’d even take Lifehouse or The Killers over them. But then again, I’m not a soccer mom.


Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Steppin’ Out - Tony Bennett & Christina Aguilera
Beautiful Liar - Beyoncé & Shakira
Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
The Sweet Escape - Gwen Stefani & Akon
Give it to Me - Timbaland Featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake

Who Will Win: Steppin’ Out
Who Should Win: Steppin’ Out

Yeah, I just got done taking about how old dudes are no longer favorite to win, but the rest of this category is pretty anemic.


Best Pop Vocal Album
Lost Highway - Bon Jovi
The Reminder - Feist
It Won’t Be Soon Before Long - Maroon 5
Memory Almost Full - Paul McCartney
Back To Black - Amy Winehouse

Who Will Win: Amy Winehouse
Who Should Win: Amy Winehouse

I seem to be picking Winehouse a lot but I wonder if her British Lindsay Lohan routine will hurt her chances of taking home any awards even though it were her eccentricities that made this album so entertaining.


Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
Timebomb - Beck
Only Mama Knows - Paul McCartney
Our Country - John Mellencamp
Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen
Come On - Lucinda Williams

Who Will Win: Radio Nowhere
Who Should Win: Radio Nowhere

Anyone who has watched any football in the past year knows just how annoying Our Country is.


Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
It’s Not Over - Daughtry
Working Class Hero - Green Day
If Everyone Cared - Nickelback
Instant Karma - U2
Icky Thump - The White Stripes

Who Will Win: Icky Thump
Who Should Win: Working Class Hero


Best Rock Song
Come On - Lucinda Williams, songwriter (Lucinda Williams)
Icky Thump - Jack White, songwriter (The White Stripes)
It’s Not Over - Chris Daughtry, Gregg Wattenberg, Mark Wilkerson & Brett Young, songwriters (Daughtry)
The Pretender - Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel & Chris Shiflett, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen, songwriter (Bruce Springsteen)

Who Will Win: Radio Nowhere
Who Should Win: Radio Nowhere

Fun fact, Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s husband is nominated in this category. Keep in mind he has absolutely no chance to win.


Best Rock Album
Daughtry - Daughtry
Revival - John Fogerty
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace - Foo Fighters
Magic - Bruce Springsteen
Sky Blue Sky - Wilco

Who Will Win: Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace
Who Should Win: Magic

It is a little surprising that the Foo Fighters grabbed the proper Album of the Year nod over the Boss in the big category. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Magic takes this award as it was the better album.


Best Alternative Music Album
Alright, Still... - Lily Allen
Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
Volta - Bjork
Wincing the Night Away - The Shins
Icky Thump - The White Stripes

Who Will Win: Icky Thump
Who Should Win: Alright, Still...

They really need to get rid of this category as it is about ten years past its prime. It’s a shame that this is the only recognition that Lily Allen got for her album as it deserved as much press as Amy Winhouse’s.


Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Just Fine - Mary J. Blige
When I See You - Fantasia
No One - Alicia Keys
If I Have My Way - Chrisette Michele
Hate On Me - Jill Scott

Who Will Win: No One
Who Should Win: No One


Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
Woman - Raheem DeVaughn
B.U.D.D.Y. - Musiq Soulchild
Because of You - Ne-Yo
Future Baby Mama - Prince
Please Don’t Go - Tank

Who Will Win: Because Of You
Who Should Win: B.U.D.D.Y.


Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals
Same Girl - R. Kelly Featuring Usher
Disrespectful - Chaka Khan Featuring Mary J. Blige
Hate That I Love You - Rihanna Featuring Ne-Yo
Baby - Angie Stone Featuring Betty Wright
Bartender - T-Pain Featuring Akon

Who Will Win: Baby
Who Should Win: Hate That I Love You


Best R&B Song
Beautiful Flower - India.Arie & Joyce Simpson, songwriters (India.Arie)
Hate That I Love You - M.S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen & Shaffer Smith, songwriters (Rihanna Featuring Ne-Yo)
No One - Dirty Harry, Kerry Brothers & Alicia Keys, songwriters (Alicia Keys)
Teachme - Ivan Barias, Adam W. Blackstone, Randall C. Bowland, Carvin Haggins, Johnnie Smith II & Corey Latif Williams, songwriters (Musiq Soulchild)
When I See U - Louis Biancaniello, Waynne Nugent, Erika Nuri, Kevin Risto, Janet Sewel & Sam Watters, songwriters (Fantasia)

Who Will Win: No One
Who Should Win: No One


Best R&B Album
Funk This - Chaka Khan
Lost & Found - Ledisi
Luvanmusiq - Musiq Soulchild
The Real Thing - Jill Scott
Sex, Love & Pain - Tank

Who Will Win: The Real Thing
Who Should Win: Luvanmusiq


Best Contemporary R&B Album
Konvicted - Akon
Just Like You - Keyshia Cole
Fantasia - Fantasia
East Side Story - Emily King
Because Of You - Ne-Yo

Who Will Win: Because Of You
Who Should Win: East Side Story

I am just going to combine because it is just sad this is what R&B has come to that the horrible Bartender song can get a nomination. And should I even know who Tank is? And it is odd that Umbrella got nominations in the major categories but is left out in the R&B. Lukily next year they will have the Alicia Keys album to sweep everything.


Best Rap Solo Performance
The People - Common
I Get Money - 50 Cent
Show Me What You Got - Jay-Z
Big Things Poppin’ (Do It) - T.I.
Stronger - Kanye West

Who Will Win: Stronger
Who Should Win: The People

Really, this catergory should have just been filled with Kanye and Common. Everything else here is forgettable.


Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Southside - Common Featuring Kanye West
Make It Rain - Fat Joe Featuring Lil Wayne
Party Like a Rockstar - Shop Boyz
Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You) - UGK Featuring OutKast
Better Than I’ve Ever Been - Kanye West, Nas & KRS-One

Who Will Win: Southside
Who Should Win: Better Than I’ve Ever Been

R.I.P. Pimp C


Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
I Wanna Love You - Akon Featuring Snoop Dogg
Kiss, Kiss - Chris Brown & T-Pain
Let it Go - Keyshia Cole Featuring Missy Elliott & Lil' Kim
Umbrella - Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
Good Life - Kanye West Featuring T-Pain

Who Will Win: Umbrella
Who Should Win: Umbrella

Is what T-Pain does really constitute as “sung”?


Best Rap Song
Ayo Technology - Nate (Danja) Hills, Curtis Jackson, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (50 Cent Featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)
Big Things Poppin’ (Do It) - Clifford Harris & Byron Thomas, songwriters (T.I.)
Can’t Tell Me Nothing - A. Davis & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West)
Crank That (Soulja Boy) - Soulja Boy Tell'Em, songwriter (Soulja Boy Tell'Em)
Good Life - A. Davis, F. Najm & K. West, songwriters (J. Ingram & Q. Jones, songwriters) (Kanye West Featuring T-Pain)

Who Will Win: Can’t Tell Me Nothing
Who Should Win: Can’t Tell Me Nothing

I am really beginning to think that the Grammy people throw rap songs into a bag and randomly pick five for Best Song, a songwriting award. Seriously, who reads the Ayo Technology lyric sheet and say, yeah that was well written? They should have just gone and made this category completely laughable and thrown in This Is Why I’m Hot.


Best Rap Album
Finding Forever - Common
Kingdom Come - Jay-Z
Hip Hop Is Dead - Nas
T.I. vs T.I.P. - T.I.
Graduation - Kanye West

Who Will Win: Graduation
Who Should Win: Graduation

There really is an argument here even as disappointing as Graduation was.


Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling)
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream - Barack Obama
Celebrations - Maya Angelou
Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World - Bill Clinton
Sunday Mornings in Plains: Bringing Peace to a Changing World - Jimmy Carter
Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself - Alan Alda

This is really a toss up between Obama and Clinton and may be a prelude to who will get the Democratic nomination. Of course Cater is still the afterthought to the party.


Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Howard Benson
• Daughtry (Daughtry) (A)
• Devils & Angels (Mêlée) (A)
• Direction (The Starting Line) (A)
• Five Score And Seven Years Ago (Relient K) (A)
• Stay Inside (Sound The Alarm) (A)

Joe Chiccarelli
• Mercy (Burden Brothers) (A)
• The Narcotic Story (Oxbow) (A)
• Nightmoves (Kurt Elling) (A)
• Wincing The Night Away (The Shins) (A)

Mike Elizondo
• It Won't Be Soon Before Long (Maroon 5) (A)
• Under The Blacklight (Rilo Kiley) (A)

Mark Ronson
• Back To Black (Amy Winehouse) (T)
• Littlest Things (Lily Allen) (T)
• Rehab (Amy Winehouse) (T)
• Version (Mark Ronson) (A)
• You Know I’m No Good (Amy Winehouse) (T)

Timbaland
• Come Around (M.I.A. Featuring Timbaland) (T)
• Give It To Me (Timbaland Featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake) (T)
• Make Me Better (Fabolous Featuring Ne-Yo) (S)
• Timbaland Presents: Shock Value (Timbaland) (A)
• The Way I Are (Timbaland Featuring Keri Hilson & D.O.E.) (S)

Who Will Win: Timbaland
Who Should Win: Mark Ronson

This is a no brainer to me as the sound of great music of 2007 was shaped my Mark Ronson. I’m not entirely sure why he is just credited for one Lily Allen track as I was under the impression he produced the whole album.

Best Short Form Music Video
God’s Gonna Cut You Down - Johnny Cash
1234 - Feist
Gone Daddy Gone - Gnarls Barkley
D.A.N.C.E. - Justice
Typical - Mute Math

Who Will Win: God’s Gonna Cut You Down
Who Should Win: God’s Gonna Cut You Down

Great song, great video, view my thought here: Go Tell hat Long Tongue Liar, Go and Tell that Midnight Rider.


Best Long Form Music Video
Live & Loud at the Fillmore - Dierks Bentley
Trapped in the Closet Chapters 13-22 - R. Kelly
The Confessions Tour - Madonna
10 Days Out - Blues from the Backroads - Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Various Artists
Liberacion - The Songs of the New Cuban Underground - Various Artists

Who Will Win: The Confessions Tour
Who Should Win: Trapped in the Closet Chapters 13-22

As much as I dumped on Trapped in the Closet, it still by far the greatest cultural movement of the decade.

Friday, November 09, 2007

I Want My Music Television vol. X


There have been a couple of videos that have caught my eye lately so I though I’d give them some love since the death of Musical Television left a void for a forum on the art form so here they are courtesy of YouTube. I advise you to watch them before you read my reviews if you don’t want me to spoil things. If you are interested in buying the video through iTunes, click the title link (where available, if not the link goes to YouTube where you can watch the video in full screen). If you are interested in buying the song, look for a link in the analysis.


Long Road to Ruin - Foo Fighters



Nice to see the Foo Fighters back to their quirky way after the more politically charged The Pretender video. It doesn’t seem like a real Foo Fighters video without Dave Grohl in a mustache. And was hallucinating or was there a banner ad at the begging at the video? It’s enough that NBC fill the bottom third of their shows three times an episode for that unwatchable Phenomenon show, but now we get them on YouTube videos? (Scooter Update: It looks like the ads do not embed and only appear when you view the video on the YouTube website.)


Tranquilize - The Killers and Lou Reed




It is too bad that The Killers didn’t release this song sooner because it would have been perfect for any Halloween party thanks to the ominous backing track, the gravel of Lou Reed’s voice and the inclusion of the creepy children’s choir. Maybe The Killer won’t be a one-album wonder after all.


Roc Boys (And the Winner Is...) - Jay-Z



I have said it before and I’ll say it again, music videos with “To Be Continued” are lame (well, sans, Richard Marx Hazard trilogy of course). And for some reason I get the feeling you have to see American Gangster for the video to make sense, aside from the gratuitous famous people sighting. But at least the song is better than anything off of the Jay-Z comeback album. But didn’t anyone realize the Kanye West h-h-h-house thing didn’t work. It just brings down the song.


Citizen Soldier - 3 Doors Down



Just in time for Veterans Day, a tribute to the National Guard from 3 Doors Down. Unfortunately today the National Guard is too busy fighting in another country to do what is supposed to be doing, guarding the nation and helping out with national disasters. But anyways.