Grammy Predictions

The Grammy nominations were announced this morning, but rather than discuss who should or shouldn't have been nominated, blah blah blah, I'm going to announce my picks. Well, at least for the categories that I listen to, or know something about, or care about -- or whatever. Because, in all honesty, I know nothing about Polka or Hawaiian music. And, as a disclaimer, I'm willing to admit that my only qualification to make these picks is that I buy a lot of albums, so I'm as likely to be wrong as much as anyone else. But still, everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Here's mine:

1. Best Short Form Music Video
   
   8th Of November -- Big & Rich
   When You Were Young -- The Killers
   Here It Goes Again -- OK Go
   Dani California -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
   Writing On The Walls -- Underoath
   
   To me, this is an easy choice. I've seen all but one of these, and honestly, the only one that stood out at all is OK Go. I mean, I devoted an entire blog entry to how awesome this video is. If it doesn't win, it was robbed. Best. Video. Ever.
   
   
2. Best Country Song
   
   Every Mile A Memory -- Dierks Bentley
   I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today -- Gretchen Wilson
   Jesus, Take The Wheel -- Carrie Underwood
   Like Red On A Rose -- Alan Jackson
   What Hurts The Most -- Rascal Flatts
   
   Alright. I admit it. I occasionally listen to country music that is not the Dixie Chicks. And I really like two of these songs -- I Don't Feel Like Loving You Today and What Hurts the Most. But neither will win. Heck, if Carrie Underwood won the Country Music Award (or whatever the heck those things are called), she'll probably win this too. Maybe Gretchen Wilson will win something else.



3. Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
   
   Who Says You Can't Go Home -- Bon Jovi & Jennifer Nettles
   Tomorrow Is Forever -- Solomon Burke & Dolly Parton
   Calling Me -- Kenny Rogers & Don Henley
   Midnight Angel -- Rhonda Vincent & Bobby Osborne
   Love Will Always Win -- Trisha Yearwood & Garth Brooks
   
   I just put this in so I could vote for Bon Jovi. Whatever.



4. Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
   
   Not Ready To Make Nice -- Dixie Chicks
   Heaven's My Home -- The Duhks
   Boondocks -- Little Big Town
   What Hurts The Most -- Rascal Flatts
   Leave The Pieces -- The Wreckers
   
   Love the Dixie Chicks. Love the Wreckers. Like Rascal Flatts. I think the latter will win this one, though.



5. Best Alternative Music Album
   
   Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not -- Arctic Monkeys
   At War With The Mystics -- The Flaming Lips
   St. Elsewhere -- Gnarls Barkley
   Show Your Bones -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs
   The Eraser -- Thom Yorke
   
   I have no idea why Gnarls Barkley is in this category. They won't win, will they?



6. Best Rock Album
   
   Try! -- John Mayer Trio
   Highway Companion -- Tom Petty
   Broken Boy Soldiers -- The Raconteurs
   Stadium Arcadium -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
   Living With War -- Neil Young
   
   I love the John Mayer Trio album, but it's blues, not rock. I think the Raconteurs will win this, because they're critical darlings. And it's a pretty good album.



7. Best Rock Song
   
   Chasing Cars --Snow Patrol
   Dani California -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
   Lookin' For A Leader -- Neil Young
   Someday Baby -- Bob Dylan
   When You Were Young -- The Killers
   
   This is one of those categories where I like each song for completely different reasons, so none of them stand out. I sort of hope that Snow Patrol win this one, because they're like nothing else out there right now. But I can't get When You Were Young out of my head lately.



8. Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
   
   Talk -- Coldplay
   How To Save A Life -- The Fray
   Steady, As She Goes -- The Raconteurs
   Dani California -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
   The Saints Are Coming -- U2 & Green Day
   
   See #3 and substitute "U2" for "Bon Jovi." No, seriously, even though the song was supposed to benefit Katrina victims, I don't think it'll win. I love How to Save a Life, but it won't win either (too "pop"). Coldplay is so last year, so give my vote, again, to the Raconteurs. And it's a great song.



9. Best Dance Recording
   
   Suffer Well -- Depeche Mode
   Ooh La La -- Goldfrapp
   Get Together -- Madonna
   I'm With Stupid -- Pet Shop Boys
   Sexy Back -- Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
   
   Still trying to figure out how Depeche Mode wound up in this category. Give my vote to J.T.



10. Best Pop Vocal Album
    
    Back To Basics -- Christina Aguilera
    Back To Bedlam -- James Blunt
    The River In Reverse -- Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint
    Continuum -- John Mayer
    FutureSex/LoveSounds -- Justin Timberlake
    
    I really like the John Mayer album, but it won't win. And James Blunt is annoying. And as much as I like Elvis Costello . . . It'll be between Xtina and J.T. I think Xtina will win.



11. Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
    
    For Once In My Life -- Tony Bennett & Stevie Wonder
    One -- Mary J. Blige & U2
    Always On Your Side -- Sheryl Crow & Sting
    Promiscuous -- Nelly Furtado & Timbaland
    Hips Don't Lie -- Shakira & Wyclef Jean
    
    I didn't like the new version of One the first time I heard it, but it's starting to grow on me. Just the same, I think it's going to go to Promiscuous or Hips Don't Lie. I vote for the latter.



12. Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
    
    My Humps -- The Black Eyed Peas
    I Will Follow You Into The Dark -- Death Cab For Cutie
    Over My Head (Cable Car)-- The Fray
    Is It Any Wonder? -- Keane
    Stickwitu -- The Pussycat Dolls
    
    Just for the record, My Humps is a seriously dumb song. I think it's going to be between The Fray and Keane. I don't care which.



13. Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
    
    You're Beautiful -- James Blunt
    Save Room -- John Legend
    Waiting On The World To Change -- John Mayer
    Jenny Wren -- Paul McCartney
    Bad Day -- Daniel Powter
    
    I'd like to see either of the Johns win this one. Mostly because I'm sick of James Blunt and Daniel Powter.



14. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
    
    Ain't No Other Man -- Christina Aguilera
    Unwritten -- Natasha Bedingfield
    You Can Close Your Eyes -- Sheryl Crow
    Stupid Girls -- Pink
    Black Horse And The Cherry Tree -- KT Tunstall
    
    There is something about each of these that annoys me. KT Tunstall is the least annoying.



15. Best New Artist
    
    James Blunt
    Chris Brown
    Imogen Heap
    Corinne Bailey Rae
    Carrie Underwood
    
    Since this is the kiss of death, I sincerely hope that James Blunt wins this. He is whiny and malnourished-looking.



16. Song Of The Year
    
    Be Without You -- Mary J. Blige
    Jesus, Take The Wheel -- Carrie Underwood
    Not Ready To Make Nice --Dixie Chicks
    Put Your Records On --Corinne Bailey Rae
    You're Beautiful -- James Blunt
    
    Please, God, let the Dixie Chicks win this. This song kicks ass.



17. Album Of The Year
    
    Taking The Long Way -- Dixie Chicks
    St. Elsewhere -- Gnarls Barkley
    Continuum -- John Mayer
    Stadium Arcadium -- Red Hot Chili Peppers
    FutureSex/LoveSounds -- Justin Timberlake
    
    I can think of reasons that any of these artists can or should win this, or why they won't. I originally was tempted to say Gnarls Barkley would win this, but honestly, they're all about the song, not the album. I hope the Dixie Chicks win.



18. Record Of The Year
    
    Be Without You -- Mary J. Blige
    You're Beautiful -- James Blunt
    Not Ready To Make Nice -- Dixie Chicks
    Crazy --Gnarls Barkley
    Put Your Records On -- Corinne Bailey Rae
    
    When I close my eyes and think of the theme song to this year, it's Crazy. Not only is it awesome, but it can't be classified into any one genre. If it doesn't win I'll be surprised.

So, there you go. My list.

What do you think?

Albums of the Year(s)

Last year, the AV Club ran an article based on something they saw somewhere else -- which is essentially a highbrow meme -- where they picked a favorite album for each year they've been alive. Of course, I think it's kind of a neat idea. So, here are my favorite albums for each year that I've been alive:

1975: Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac
1976: Hotel California, The Eagles
1977: Rumours, Fleetwood Mac
1978: Outlandos d'Amour, The Police
1979: London Calling, The Clash
1980: Boys Don't Cry, The Cure
1981: Escape, Journey
1982: Thriller, Michael Jackson
1983: Madonna, Madonna
1984: The Unforgettable Fire, U2
1985: Songs From the Big Chair, Tears for Fears
1986: Slippery When Wet, Bon Jovi
1987: The Joshua Tree, U2
1988: New Jersey, Bon Jovi
1989: Disintigration, The Cure
1990: Violator, Depeche Mode
1991: Ten, Pearl Jam
1992: Wish, The Cure
1993: August and Everything After, Counting Crows
1994: Grace, Jeff Buckley
1995: A Boy Named Goo, Goo Goo Dolls
1996: Crash, Dave Matthews Band
1997: Whatever and Ever Amen, Ben Folds Five
1998: Wide Open Spaces, Dixie Chicks
1999: There is Nothing Left to Lose, Foo Fighters
2000: No Name Face, Lifehouse
2001: Room For Squares, John Mayer
2002: Songs About Jane, Maroon 5
2003: Elephant, The White Stripes
2004: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2
2005: X&Y, Coldplay
2006: Stand Still, Look Pretty, The Wreckers
2007: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon
2008: Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, Coldplay
2009: Middle Cyclone, Neko Case

I'm shocked by how hard it was to make these choices, and how mainstream these choices are.

This week in music

I generally have a pretty short commute to and from work, and I usually listen to my MP3 player on random. These are the songs I listened to this week, starting with the least recent:

• Open Up Your Eyes, Tonic
• Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, U2 (live)
• Ants Marching, Dave Matthews Band
• Love Will Tear Us Apart, Joy Division
• Wheel in the Sky, Journey
• She Loves You, The Beatles
• Two Step, Dave Matthews Band
• At Last, Etta James
• Angel, Sarah McLachlan
• Singing in My Sleep, Semisonic
• Black, Pearl Jam
• Calling All Angels, Train
• Wild Boys, Duran Duran
• Brass Monkey, Beastie Boys
• Hold My Hand, Hootie and the Blowfish
• Jumper, Third Eye Blind
• Hanging By A Moment, Lifehouse
• Promise, Eve 6
• High Enough, Damn Yankees
• Something's Missing, John Mayer
• Best of Both Worlds, Van Halen
• Maybe I'm Amazed, Paul McCartney & Wings
• Walk Away, Bree Sharp
• Bed of Roses, Bon Jovi
• Burn, The Cure
• Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel
• The Best of What's Around, Dave Matthews Band
• New, No Doubt
• Rapture, Blondie
• Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, U2
• Summer Wine, The Corrs and Bono
• White Flag, Dido (Live)
• All Eyes on Me, Goo Goo Dolls
• A Lack of Color, Death Cab For Cutie
• Can't Help Falling In Love With You, U2 (live from Zoo TV tour)
• Dreams, The Corrs
• No Such Thing, John Mayer
• Sour Girl, Stone Temple Pilots
• Bitter Tears, INXS
• The Mountains Win Again, Blues Traveler
• Come Rain or Come Shine, Don Henley (MTV Unplugged)
• Bring Me Some Water, Melissa Etheridge (live acoustic version)
• Jump, Van Halen
• Misunderstood, Bon Jovi (live version)
• Because the Night, 10,000 Maniacs
• 18 and Life, Skid Row
• Hey Ya, OutKast
• All I Really Want, Alanis Morissette
• Layla, Eric Clapton
• Mystify, INXS (live version)
• Elvis Presley and America, U2
• Suck My Kiss, Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Slither, Velvet Revolver

I have 1500+ songs on the MP3 player, and this a random -- not representative -- 3.4%. I'm still not sure whether this makes me a popist or a rockist.

Things I learned this weekend

1. It is possible to get sunburned just by walking from the stadium to the parking lot.


2. Even if you're not drunk, it is impossible to dance normally on a dance floor where stupid people spill their drinks.


3. They purportedly have several different types of cologne available in the men's room at Clarendon Ballroom, and none of these made the random drunk guy who grabbed me to dance any more attractive.


4. Bon Jovi does a surprisingly good cover of Hallelujah.


5. There is really no reason for me to drive out to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods when Harris Teeter is right here.


6. It is possible for people to find me from my blog.

Inappropriate Touching

Don't get me wrong: I totally understand the uncontrollable desire to touch Jon Bon Jovi. Still, this guy probably should have exercised some self-restraint.

Although, no one would be making a big deal about it if I did it -- since I'm a girl.

Concert meme

HoneyKBee posted this meme, and I thought I would play along.

Here's how it works: Copy this list, leave in the bands you've seen perform live, delete the ones you haven't, and add new ones that you have seen until you reach 25. An asterisk means the previous person had it on their list. Two asterisks means the last two people who did this before you had that band on their list.

1. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers*
2. Dave Matthews Band*
3. Bob Dylan*
4. Counting Crows*
5. Bon Jovi
6. Goo Goo Dolls
7. U2
8. The Police
9. Fleetwood Mac
10. Matchbox Twenty
11. Willie Nelson
12. Queensryche
13. They Might Be Giants
14. Sister Hazel
15. Eric Clapton
16. Everclear
17. Beastie Boys
18. Nirvana
19. The Breeders
20. Cheap Trick
21. Dixie Chicks
22. Gin Blossoms
23. Sugar Ray
24. Velvet Revolver
25. Smashing Pumpkins


I'm not tagging anyone. But it's a fun exercise, so you should totally do it.

What do my ringtones say about me?

I ran across an article entitled "What your ring tone says about you" and started to wonder . . . .

In the past year, for some inexplicable reason, I've downloaded seven ring tones, and use them at various times and for various purposes. So here they are, in alphabetical order, along with my thoughts as to what they might be saying about me:

• Alive, Pearl Jam: "Where's my plaid flannel?"


• Dizzy, Goo Goo Dolls: "Johnny Rzeznik is so hot."


• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Police: "I remember when the Police were cool. Sadly, the only other choice was 'Every Breath You Take.' Trite is better than cliché, I guess.


• Love Song, Cure: "I'm so depressed. I should change in to something more black."


• Sweet Child O' Mine, Guns N' Roses: "Remember when Axl Rose wasn't a punchline?"


• Whip It, Devo: "Dammit, I wish I got those hats for Halloween."


• You Give Love A Bad Name, Bon Jovi: "I am from New Jersey, and proud of it. Now give me some hairspray, preferably aerosol."

Concert t-shirts

Admittedly, I have a lot of clothing. I have a particularly large collection of t-shirts. And when Pop Candy ran an article about favorite concert t-shirts, I realized that I had a lot to choose from. And since my cable box is busted -- I won't get the replacement until Saturday -- I had some time to think about it.

This one's my favorite, hands down:



Go figure.

This is a close second, though:



And those aren't even my only U2 t-shirts:





I even have a U2 crew t-shirt that I bought for my brother, back when he was going through a phase where he liked to wear employee shirts from places that he did not work. But I never did give it to him.



The second-largest number of t-shirts are from the Goo Goo Dolls. But that makes sense, considering that I've probably seen them the most of any band. Heck, I saw them four times on the same tour -- but I only bought one t-shirt then, and it's the one I cut up:





I'm pretty sure that I had another one -- a white t-shirt -- but I can't find it.

Next, I have two Beatles shirts:




Admittedly, I wasn't around to go to these concerts. But they still count, right?

After that, in alphabetical order, AC/DC, Bon Jovi, Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, the Doors, Pearl Jam, and Poison:









So, that's my collection of concert tees. It's only a small portion of a vast collection, though. Maybe later I'll post pictures of my four different CBGB's t-shirts.


Update: I sent the picture of my favorite in to Pop Candy, and they posted it.

Lay your hands on these

Would it be weird to ask for Bon Jovi Action figures for my next birthday?

Seriously, though -- who wouldn't want collectible Jon and Richie?



Well, other than Heather Locklear.

How D.C. and New York are really different

In today's Washington Post, we see an article about how the various candidates are trying to get Al Sharpton's endorsement. In The New York Times, there's a similar article -- only theirs is about Jon Bon Jovi.

Fifteen Albums

(from Facebook)

The rules: Don't take too long to think about it. Choose fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.

15. U2: Achtung Baby
14. Neko Case: Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
13. Pearl Jam: Ten
12. Dave Matthews Band: Crash
11. They Might Be Giants: Flood
10. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours
9. U2: The Unforgettable Fire
8. The Cure: Disintegration
7. Nirvana: Nevermind
6. Guns N Roses: Appetite for Destruction
5. Bon Jovi: New Jersey
4. Madonna: Like A Virgin
3. The Police: Synchronicity
2. Led Zeppelin IV
1. U2: The Joshua Tree

Soundtrack To My Life

I saw this meme somewhere a couple days ago and thought it was cute, but for some reason, I held off doing it. Today, though, since I was already tagged with one meme, I thought, "Heck, might as well do another."

The rules:

1. Set your i-Pod/MP3 player/wherever-you-keep-your-music to shuffle.


2. Press play.


3. For every question, type the song that's playing.


4. When you get to a new question, press next.

So here it is -- the soundtrack to my life:

Opening credits: All My Life -- Foo Fighters

Waking up: Daughter -- Pearl Jam

Falling in love: Vacation -- The Go-Go's

Fight song: Sober -- Tool

Breaking up: Don't Stand So Close To Me '86 -- The Police

Making up: All Eyes on Me -- Goo Goo Dolls

Life's okay: Rags to Rags -- Eels

Mental breakdown: The Boxer -- Simon & Garfunkel

Driving: Cool -- Gwen Stefani

Flashbacks: Where The Streets Have No Name -- U2

Happy dance: The Indoor Type -- Lemonheads

Regret: Angels of the Silences -- Counting Crows

Final Battle: With or Without You -- U2

Death scene: Wild is the Wind -- Bon Jovi

Final credits: Love is Blindness -- U2

Man, I have a lot of U2 on this list. And as a whole, the outcome seems a little too much like some boring romance that ends poorly. Still, I can be thankful that at least no embarrassing boy band songs came up.

Since turnabout is fair play, Ryane, I tag you -- along with anyone else that wants to do it too.

Rock Star Update

I am wrong about Rock Star so much that I shouldn't even try. But here goes:

Best cover performance of the evening was clearly Lukas. And not just because I love Bon Jovi. Even though I generally don't like his singing, he did something different -- memorable -- with the song. Toby's cover of Mr. Brightside was good too -- but nothing special. Other than that, I wasn't particularly impressed with any of the covers.

And as for the original songs, Storm kicked ass. She was phenomenal, for the first time in the entire competition -- but she was only slightly better than Toby. And I still have to give some props to Magni for writing a pretty good song in a language not his own. Dilana and Lukas did not impress me at all with their songwriting.

Since next week is the finale, I don't really think it's really about the individual performaces of the songs anymore. I think it's going to wind up being about who can bring the whole package to the band. Songwriting, performance, personality -- and consistency. I think that's why they got rid of Ryan last week. So, for me, tonight, it was Toby.

Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows

I just got back from the Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows show out at Nissan Pavillion.* The Counting Crows' set was a little mellow for my taste, but as always, the Goo Goo Dolls played an incredible show.

Let me start by telling you how much I love the Goo Goo Dolls. Forget about the fact that I actually own all of their albums -- even the ones from before anyone knew who they were -- I once saw them three times in various places in Florida during the same tour. Twice in one week. In fact, they are now, officially, the band that I've seen the most live.

And, yes, they are one of my all time favorite bands -- right up there with U2, Bon Jovi, and the Cure.

Anyway -- even though I'm sure Inbal's pictures will be better than mine, since I only had my camera phone -- here are my pictures:





And here are two little video snippets. As usual, the quality is very bad:







So, now I'm reconsidering starting a blog campaign to get a date with John Rzeznik. What do you think?



* Yes, the traffic was horrible. We didn't get out of the parking lot until 12:15, and god only knows what time we actually got onto I-66. But at this point, I know that it's just part of the deal and that it's a waste to even complain about it. So, instead, I just stopped planning on going out there on a weeknight.