Is This Really Music's Greatest Night?

I debated whether or not it was worth typing something up about this year’s Grammy Awards for a number of reasons but, ultimately, I decided it was worth weighing in on. If you believe CBS’s promotional machine, then The Grammy’s are music biggest night. And while this may be truth, the Grammy’s are only a shell of what they once were. This year, the large majority of the awards were announced in a preshow that wasn’t even televised.

Among the earlier winners who didn’t get a chance to thank anyone was Jason Mraz. Those of you who know me also know how much I love Mraz and how upset I was when he was snubbed last year. His two wins this year are bittersweet mostly because he was never shown on the screen once during the 3 and a half hour telecast. When did Best Pop Vocal Male become a category so unimportant? If Justin Timberlake or John Mayer had been eligible for the award would we have seen it on the live show? At some point the Grammys became desperate for ratings at the expense of quality.

Thus, the majority of the night was consumed by performances. Said performances ranged from awful to interesting but none of them really blew me away. Pink performed a song called “Glitter in the Air” while spinning from a ribbon and getting pounded by water. It was like a Cirque de Soleil audition gone awry. The Black Eyed Peas, who’ve been no strangers to live TV this year, stumbled their way through “Imma Be” and “I Gotta Feeling.” Jamie Foxx and T-Pain brought out the incredibly relevant duo of Slash and Doug E. Fresh to help them perform “Blame It.” And Bon Jovi marked their first Grammy performance ever by singing a medley that included “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Then there was the Michael Jackson tribute that seemed like a hodgepodge thrown together by a hard core environmentalist.

Kings of Leon walked away with 3 awards for “Use Somebody” but only one, Record of the Year, was televised. Did the group perform their smash hit? No, in fact, they didn’t get to perform at all. Instead we received the “privilege” of seeing Green Day perform with the cast of their new Broadway musical. The group would go on to win Rock Album of Year, which is bewildering for two reasons. First, they weren’t nominated for Album of Year and Dave Matthews Band was; and secondly 21^st Century Breakdown was a terrible album undeserving of a nomination let alone a win. Then again, Eminem won Rap Album of the Year for Relapse, an album I found equally bad. That award wasn’t shown on TV either by the way. Surprisingly only one Rap category made it to the telecast and that was Best Rap Collaboration. That award went to “Run This Town,” as did Best Rap Song. Unfortunately, Kanye West was banned from Sunday night’s event because of his previous indiscretions. West made “Run This Town” what it was and deserved those two Grammy’s more than Jay-Z or Rihanna, both of whom were on hand to accept. Later in the evening Drake, Lil Wayne and Eminem took the stage to perform “Forever” but West absence precluded him from taking part.

The night didn’t belong to West though; it belonged to three women who have dominated the charts this year. Lady Gaga opened the show with mash up of “Poker Face,” “Speechless,” and “Your Song.” She was joined by music legend Elton John for the latter half of her performance and walked away with two awards. Both of those wins came in the Dance category and went untelevised, something that surprised me. Beyonce also performed a mash up, and an odd one at that. She mixed her hit song “If I Were a Boy” with the Alanis Morrissette’s “You Oughta Know.” Unlike Gaga, Beyonce got to accept one of her record breaking 6 awards on the live show. The night’s most coveted award, Album of the Year, eluded Beyonce. That award went to Country Pop Princess Taylor Swift, who also collected awards for Best Female Country Vocal, Best Country Song, and Best Country Album. Swift was gracious as always but her performance may have spoiled some people’s opinions of her. Swift was joined by Stevie Nicks and rearranged “You Belong With Me” accordingly but she was out of tune throughout the song. As someone who’s come to accept Swift’s flaws it didn’t really bother me, but I can see how others might be perturbed. As least there was effort on her part, which is more than I can say for CBS or numerous other performers.

Lady Antebellum - Need You Now

A year and a half after the release of their self titled debut album, Lady Antebellum released their sophomore disc yesterday. Need You Now is an infectious country-pop record that verges on perfection. Fans of a country music will appreciate Need You Now but the album’s scope should also make it accessible to the general public.

The album’s lead single, also entitled “Need You Now,” is a rock tinged cut that allows lead vocalists Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott to show off their respective ranges. The song hit number 1 on the Billboard Country Charts shortly after it was released and remained there for 5 weeks. It also found its way to the top of the iTunes Top 100 Chart, a rarity for Country musicians. One listen to the song and it’s easy to see why, “Need You Now” is incredibly catchy. Then again, that’s pretty much the case with every song on this album.

Need You Now’s second single “American Honey” is a catchy song that puts Scott on display but it’s actually one of the albums weaker tracks. “Love This Pain,” one of the few tracks not written by Lady Antebellum themselves, has a nice guitar riff and memorable chorus that would make it a radio friendly track. After “Love This Pain” the group offers “When You Got A Good Thing,” which is reminiscent of an 80’s power ballad in the best way possible.

Lady Antebellum rarely venture into full country mode, but even when they do it works. Such is the case with party anthem “Stars Tonight,” a song that I imagine playing well live. While, “Something Bout A Woman” just leaves you smiling, avoiding clichés and embracing them at the same time it is the album’s most impressive song. From production, to writing, to the way Kelley and Scott’s vocals blend with David Haywood’s instrumentation, this album is executed with an acute precision that makes it can’t miss music.

Revolution - Miranda Lambert

Miranda Lambert - Revolution
Score: A-


"I ain’t the kind you take home to mama. I ain’t the kind to wear no ring. Somehow I always get stronger when I’m on my second drink," croons Miranda Lambert at the opening of "Heart Like Mine." And in 3 sentences she describes exactly what makes her unique and by proxy successful. In an industry dominated by men Lambert isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. She isn't trying to cross over into pop music like most other female country singers. She is content being herself, which on this album means a little less Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and a little more woman in love.

Its no secret that Lambert has found love with fellow country singer Blake Shelton, in fact he helped pen a number of the songs of Revolution, and their relationship helps evolve Miranda's lyrics. "Airstream Song" finds Lambert questioning what alternative lifestyles might be like. While On "Makin' Plans" showcases a softer side of Lambert, one who's ready to settle down. Both of the album's singles "Dead Flowers" and "White Liar" allow to show off her vocal range in ways that she hasn't on here last two albums. But the real stand out track is "The House That Built Me" wherein Lambert sings of days gone by in a way that make you feel nostalgic for a place you've never been.

Not all of the album is soft tracks though, as that wouldn't be true to form and Lambert offers up a dose of her southern attitude on "Somewhere Trouble Don't Go" and "That's the Way the World Goes Round." There are a few missteps along the way, most notably "Love Song" which wastes the talent of Lady Antebellum's Charles Kelley subjugating him to background vocals. That said the album cements Lambert as one of the premiere vocalists in her genre.

Selena Gomez and The Scene - Kiss & Tell Album Review

Selena Gomez and The Scene - Kiss & Tell
Score: B-

Two songs into Kiss & Tell and I already knew what my problem with the album would be, unsurprisingly my initial reaction was correct. What was that problem you ask; the album simply isn’t Selena Gomez the girl instead we get Selena Gomez product of the Disney machine. Perhaps it’s my undying love for Selena the girl that prevented me from truly loving this album but certain things didn’t sit right with me. Gomez is Disney’s pet because she is the perfect role model. She’s nowhere near as risqué as Miley Cyrus, nor is she edgy like best friend Demi Lovato but on Kiss & Tell that’s the biggest problem.

Unlike Cyrus and Lovato, Gomez has almost no writing credits on her debut and because of that I felt like we weren’t hearing her voice so much as the hire hands. On two tracks that means we get Zach Hanson, yes that Zach Hanson, imagining what a 17 year old girl might feel like. Don’t get me wrong this album isn’t a misstep so much as it is stumbling block. Tween girls with love the CD and probably make it a number one record but what I admired about Lovato’s debut was that it had mainstream appeal rather than pandering to a niche.

It should be noted that technically this album isn’t a solo venture for Gomez as the album is credited to Selena Gomez and The Scene but her backup band is nowhere to be found in the artwork lining the album. There are some shadows on the back cover that might be The Scene. But, since Selena’s best tracks are synth driven they seem like nothing more than an accessory, a marketing ploy to differentiate her from her peers.

Overall, I would say the album progresses and, while the start might not be particularly strong, Gomez is able to sell the back half the way she’s sold Wizards of Waverly Place for 3 seasons and a telefilm. Save for the album’s lead single I would suggest skipping the first 5 tracks and picking up with “Naturally,” a fun club anthem in the making. Other standouts include “The Way I Loved You” which feels like the most personal cut on the album, the fun and flirty “More” and “I Don’t Miss You At All” which is probably the album’s most surefire radio hit. “Tell me something I don’t know” Selena sings in the album’s final track, borrowed from the Another Cinderella Story Soundtrack. And my response, it’s ok to be yourself, the 17 year girl I adore.

Note: The one song that Selena does have a writing credit on is track 2 entitled "I Won't Apologize" but I question just how much of that track she wrote.