The 55th GRAMMY Awards are this Sunday. The Super Bowl of the music world. I love a good competition. Though, this year it seems as though most of the winners are clear.
Honestly I mostly watch the Grammys for the performances. This year I am most anxious for: Travis Barker and Tom Morello, Justin Timberlake, and Brittany Howard with Mumford & Sons (+ others) to play tribute to Levon Helm by playing The Weight. Can't friggen wait.
A band so new they aren't even on Wikipedia yet here's introducing, Pickwick. I received an e-mail from Dine Alone Records a few weeks ago saying they had signed a new band called Pickwick. The Seattle hometown heros have a surprisingly large following for such a low key group.
Pickwick is a rough around all the right edges, soul garage rock outfit with splashes of punk for good measure. The band plays in varying styles. Some funky, some even sounding like they belong in a NOLA jazz group. Pickwick vocals are especially unique to this particular sound of dream garage rock resembling a more soulful Pixies, or Cold War Kids.
The group is the type of audiophyllic musicians who pay clear attention to detail noting, harnessing, and perfecting their influences. Hacienda Motel, the bands first song off Can't Talk Medicine is a clear debut. The song, which was also the first song the band has had played on the radio, exemplifies how rock is done right shaping their sound with varying influence.
Priding themselves in the use of unique musical aesthetic, Pickwick will be releasing their first "big" album in March titled Can't Talk Medicine. The album is available for pre-order here: http://tinyurl.com/7q48aq9
+ K-Os' new album, Black on Blonde, dropped this past week. It's experimental, lengthy, and great. The Canadian rapper also has set dates for his Canada tour.
+ Macklemores hipsteresque rap song, Thrift Shop, is a Billboard chart topper! No surprises here. The song is clever and inventive. Not to mention beyond catchy. Could it be this years Call Me, Maybe? Maybe. This is fuck-ing awe-some.
+ Iron & Wine plans to release a new album, Ghost on Ghost, in April. Sam Beam seems to be all business as usual. The first single from Ghost on Ghost was released this week called 'Lovers Revolution'. It's jazzy in its big band style. A meritorious taste of what is to come.
+ Beck is in the works of creating a cover of David Bowie's 'Sound and Vision'. The cover will be created using 170 musicians. Beck is diving into the project and taking it on as his own. The quirky artist admits to probably never being able to work with this many artists at one time again, and is trying to cherish it to produce something inventive, while remaining authentic to Ziggy Stardust.
+ Jim James (of My Morning Jacket) performs on Fallon the night before his latest album debut; Regions of Light and Sound of God. The album, which dropped today, staying true to his indie folk sound dabbles in sounds of soul, and some chamber pop while experimenting with varying space rock sounds. Rad.
+ Fall Out Boy is back from their nearly 4 year hiatus. But, does anyone over the age of sixteen care? Patrick Stump should continue working solo. Soul Punk, Stumps 2011 solo effort was actually really good. Pete Wentz should stick to posting pictures of his junk online and being Ms. Simpsons baby daddy.
+ Vampire Weekend are doing big things this year, and I can't wait to experience them all. Their new album, titled 'Modern Vampires of the City' is set to be released May 7th. They have also signed on for countless North American shows.
+ The Sasquatch music festival lineup was released today. Headliners include The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, The Postal Service.. the list goes. A fantastic lineup, trumping Coachella. Also, Atlanta has a new music festival called Shaky Knees Festival. It boasts an outstanding cast to start them off; Lumineers, Band of Horses, Jim James, Gary Clark Jr... I got butterflies looking at both set lists.
+ Super Bowl: Beyonce "killed" it. She was good. And more importantly, she didn't lip sync! Plus, who else was thrilled with Destinys Child? They could have sang a bit more though, really. I'm pretty sure Beyonce shut down the internet on Sunday night. Her performance overshadowed some pretty great performers that weekend. Including, Alicia Keys singing the national anthem, Gary Clark Jr., Stevie Wonder, and Justin Timberlake played the pre Super Bowl. Which you know was spectacular. Timberlake also played two new songs in big band style. Oh and, have we found the best use for Psy in America? Selling pistachios. Of course...
+ Beyonce is the lip syncing scoundrel. If I were her I would not have chosen the presidential inauguration to take a breather but I think people should get off her nuts, everyone lip syncs. It's mostly just funny. And a little pathetic. Now she really has something to prove. Like Wendy Williams said "do we want Beyonce to sing for real, or lip sync so she can perform her booty dances?". I pick the booty dances. Kelly Clarkson didn't lip sync though. You go Kell, you go!
+ Addendum to an earlier Grapevine post: The Black Keys will be releasing an album this year, yes. But the chances that it will be ready by March are not likely. Sad face.
+ Coachella set list has been released! Very exciting, and unexciting all at once. My reaction to the setlist was "mmeh". There are a ton of "big" names, and a plethora of "ho hum" smaller names. Don't get too excited.
+ 2013 album release madness: MGMT plan to release follow up to Congratulations. From the sounds it the album will be much more complex, and "weird". Fingers crossed the bands picks up where they left off post Orracular Spectacular. Daft Punk also plan to release new album since 2005. Other artists making comeback albums include: Eve, The Postal Service and Iggy and the Stooges. Oh yeah, and The Roots team up with Elvis Costello for an intriguing album. Also, The Darkness attempt to claim some fame in a 2013 album release.
+ Madonna has released workout videos called "Sweat". It was bound to happen. Not sure how much I will be able to stomach this. Keep it covered Madge. Keep. It. Covered.
+Ohio Players frontman and funk master Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner passes at 69 years old this past Saturday. R.I.P. Thank you for providing us with years us groovy music.
+ The Lonely Island don't completely grasp the concept of 'Yolo' in their latest comedy pop-rock song featuring both Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar. Levine also proved on SNL that he should stick to singing because acting is so not his forte.
Get Up! - Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite
Album Released: January 29, 2013
I'd say we were due for a Ben Harper release. The man makes and releases music so rapid fire its easier to count the years that he hasn't released something.
Get Up! is the long awaited combined efforts of Ben Harper and bluesman Charlie Musselwhite. Harpers' signature loud whisper drawl accompanying his Hendrix sampling dirty guitar plays harmoniously alongside Musselwhites' blues knack and kickin' harmonica. Get Up! is that type of instant gratification album. It is perfect. All new Americana style rockers can take this as note to shrivel back into the studio and rework. Harper and Musselwhite should be household names; the answer to faultless blues folk rock.
Musselwhite's harmonica see-sawing with Harper's vocals in both "Don't Look Twice" and "You Found Another Lover (I Lost Another Friend)" are just spot on. Harpers guitar work detail is so prevalent throughout the entire album. Both musicians using their authentic capability to create a mean rootsy sorrow-filled treasury. In Get Up! you will find that, like the understated artists who created it, the album pushes you to the edge but not over the cliff.
I feel so excited for the pair, who after over a decade, have been planning to create together. I feel thrilled that they have creating something worth listening to, a timeless piece.
Heartthrob - Tegan and Sara
Album Released: January 29, 2013
I don't get Tegan and Sara. I just don't. Not even a little bit. OK, that is not entirely true I guess. I mean, their "fun" synth, instrumental sound is, ya know, typical. If you played me Metric and Tegan and Sara without vocals I could not identify which is which. The most annoying Pepsi vs. Coke challenge. To me, the parallels to their Canadian pop synth brethren are uncanny.
I don't typically go out of my way to write a negative review, but seriously, someone needs to fill me in. I feel as if the Quin sisters are secret hypnotize specialists. I find the vocals to be as annoying as their six album predecessors. I've tried time and time again to "get into" Tegan and Sara, with fail.
Heartthrob is no different than their previous work. It was named "daring", and I think that is complete phooey. In no way is it daring. It's completely what you would expect. I'm sure I could stomach the album given there was no singing at all. But the duo's super pop synth sound is irritating. Parts of it sounding like it would be better suited for Blossom, or any other 90's teen girl drama.
+ Indie roots rock band, The Lumineers perform on Saturday Night Live. As predicted, they are absolutely fantastic.
+ Jimmy Fallon hearts Brits: The Joy Formidable play their latest single off their sophomore album on Jimmy Fallon. It holds promise. Michael Kiwanuka plays a lovely 'Tell Me a Tale' with help from The Roots. Kiwanuka is wonderful.
+Jerry Seinfeld will be on Wale's next mixtape. Say what?! It's not as random as you might think. A few years before Wale broke into the interweb, he made an album called 'The Mixtape About Nothing'. This was inspired by Seinfeld. The mixtape was in direct reference to the show, showing parallels to the classic sitcom in way of song title, and musical scores. Jerry Seinfelds probable boredom to accompany Wale's fanboy boner.
+ Wiggity, wiggity... what?! No one, NO ONE could have predicted the return of 90's boys Kris Kross. No no, the former grade school one hit wonder rappers aren't back for good. They have admitted to one performance. I doubt it'll end there though. Maybe more than one should be anticipated.
+ The lineup for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has been released. It's a stellar lineup with The Black Keys at the top.
+ Loveable indie rock band Yo La Tengo release latest album called 'Fade'. It's as pretty as it's album artwork. Very.
+ The best show on television Girls is selling music like hot cakes. Since the Golden Globes, Robyn's 2010 album has had an increase in sales. No doubt all thanks to Girls promotional pumping 'Dancing On My Own'. Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino aka Troy (of Troy and Abed in the Morning of Community) aka boy genius is playing Sandy on Girls. Fingers crossed we hear some of his music on the show.
+ James Brown biopic in the works. Casting will begin shortly.
+ West of Memphis: Voices for Justice is released this week and it's perfect.
