Pop is such a random catch-all term that it’s hard to figure out how the people that nominate artists for the Grammys figure out what constitutes “pop”. Of course, if you’re in the know, you just know that the labels that nominate their artists designate what categories certain songs go into, so…yeah, it’s totally random. This year’s nominees are the typical mixed bag of pop, a term that can navigate vast waters and describe everything from Michael Buble to Lady […]
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Popblerd!’s 2011 Grammy Preview: Rock
It’s the dinosaurs, y’all! Grammy’s rock categories typically tend to honor those who have attained a certain tenure in the industry. Grizzled vets get carte blanche, and if you’re an up and comer, you know you’ve been accepted into the rock establishment when the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences starts heaping little golden gramophones on your ass (i.e. Kings of Leon, Green Day, Foo Fighters, The White Stripes, etc.) This year’s most interesting category overall (to me) is […]
Popblerd!’s 2011 Grammy Preview: Rap
Another year, another time to kvetch over the Grammy Award nominations, right? It may be music’s biggest night, but it’s hard to find a Grammy Awards that’s not fraught with controversy and/or boring as hell. The nomination process always results in head scratching decisions, and this year’s are no different. Katy Perry nominated for Album of the Year? Weird. Lady GaGa’s “Bad Romance” scratched off of the Record of the Year nominees? Uber-weird. No Lil Wayne nominations? Big Boi passed […]
Award Show Sundays: The Stevie & Bette Show
I’ve been in a Stevie frame of mind lately-definitely not a bad place to be. Mr. Wonder has won all sorts of awards during his career, but the feat that impresses most is the fact that he won the Album of the Year Grammy three times in four years-Innervisions won in ’73, Fulfillingness’ First Finale won in ’74, and Songs in the Key of Life won in ’76. Hell, when Paul Simon won the AOTY in ’75 for Still Crazy […]
Your 2011 Grammy Preview: Courtesy of Patrick Stump
I must admit, this is pretty inventive. Going through my Google reader, I had to stop on a clip that purported to show former Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump singing each of this year’s five Record of the Year nominees acapella. Sure enough, Stump, whose solo debut, Soul Punk, is scheduled for release later this year, performs a relatively seamless medley of Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”, Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind”, Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie”, Cee-Lo’s […]
Award Show Sundays: “I Saw Her Standing There”
When I talk about the Grammy Awards, I refer to Ken Ehrlich’s book At the Grammys: Behind the Scenes at Music’s Greatest Night quite a bit. The show producer’s recap of three decades worth of ceremonies is quite an interesting read. Excellently reverent in spots (he obviously has a hard on for certain artists like Bonnie Raitt and Melissa Etheridge) and delightfully bitchy in others (not a fan of Britney Spears…or Usher…or obnoxious former NARAS president Michael Greene), I recommend […]
Award Show Sundays: Enter Sinead
Earlier in the week, I published a piece making some suggestions on how to improve the Grammy Award ceremony. One suggestion I had was to focus on new artists, and I mentioned that the first time I saw or heard Sinead O’ Connor was on a Grammy show. Of course, from there it was a small step to go on YouTube, find the clip and post it for you guys. I was 12 when this show aired, so obviously the […]
Dear Grammy…
The Grammy Awards ceremony needs a face-lift, and I propose more awards and more performances by up-and-coming acts.
Award Show Sundays: Have a Little “Faith”
In between cursing myself for not having an NBA TV cable package and watching Season 7 of “Scrubs” for the 240th time, I turned to YouTube to pass the time. I somehow stumbled upon “A Different Story”, the documentary about the life and career of British superstar George Michael. As much as George has made some incredibly stupid decisions in his life, most of which have to do with getting behind the wheel of a car stoned off his gourd, […]
Award Show Sundays: Christmas in Hollis?
This week’s Award Show Sundays column gives props to Run-DMC with a clip from the 1986 Black Gold Awards.
Award Show Sundays: He’s Marvin Gaye, Bitch
Time for another legendary award show moment-check out Marvin Gaye being given his first Grammy by Rick James & Grace Jones.
Overdue? Waits, Dr. John, Neil Diamond Lead Rock Hall Inductees
Tom Waits and Neil Diamond lead the list of 2011 inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Bon Jovi and the Beastie Boys are among the artists who were left off.