#WhatchaListeningTo Wednesday

Here's what I'm listening to this week:

• Adele - I'll Be Waiting - basically the only Adele song I'm not tired of! Sing it, girl.
• Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Never Go Back - "I’m pushin’ up on the ceiling/ I’m beatin’ back all my demons/ And I’m never lettin’ you back in again..."
• Incubus - Dig - Heard this on the radio this week and realized that I haven't listened to anything from them in a long time...
• Walk The Moon - Anna Sun - loving this song, partly because it makes me think of my friend Kurtis John and the band he and some other friends used to be in (The Last Goodnight / Renata) - sort of a similar sound to me, and I am curious to learn more about and listen to more of Walk The Moon's music.
• State Radio - Right Me Up - there's a Kayem hot dog commercial that uses this song and it's been on TV more and more lately, and I love the music video for the song - very sweet, check it out. 
• State Radio - Calling All Crows - bonus! I hadn't ever seen this video before, but it makes me want to go and grab all my girlfriends and... uh... change the world?  Go dancing?  Both?

So, #whatchalisteningto?

The Grammys, Or, The Whitney Houston Tribute Show

If you don't live under a rock, then you are probably aware that the Grammys were on last night.  Or, as it was made into, The Whitney Houston Tribute Show.  This nice Jewish girl didn't realize that we were going to church last night, but LL Cool J took us all there by leading the crowd in prayer.  "Amen...and with that, welcome to the Grammys."  What a transition, sir.  


I know that everyone and their music-loving mother will be writing about what they thought about the show and who won or didn't win, but I figured, I have a music blog - I think it's only expected that I should write something, right? I'm just going to share some thoughts about some favorite moments; I'm not even going to touch Nicki Minaj and her "performance" - I don't want to catch anything. 


Bruno Mars opened up the show with a lot of energy:  "Get off your rich asses and start dancing!"  He was definitely channelling his inner James Brown.

Foo Fighters - They were on more than once, and I think that I liked their 1st performance the best, even if they weren't in the actual theater.  They performed "Walk, which is one of my favorites from the new album.  This makes me want to see them live!  The performance at the end when they were in the big red thing next to Deadmau5? Cool, but, well, maybe it was that I wasn't pickin' up what Deadmau5 was puttin' down.

Dear Chipotle: You got me. I am in need of a burrito or a taco or something of that variety in my life. Like, hours ago.  You can deliver it to my home or place of business, whatever is easiest, thanks.
For real though, that commercial with Willie Nelson singing 'The Scientist' by Coldplay?  Genius.  Who didn't like this commercial?  Jerks, that's who.  Good work, team.

The Civil Wars - they had a beautiful but quick performance. I keep forgetting that they're NOT a couple.  Their Barton Hollow album is really beautiful all the way through.

Adele - What can I say? America (and The Grammy Academy, obviously) loves you.   Your performance was definitely worthy of the standing ovation you received. Wasn't a huge surprise that she won what she won! You go girl.

Bon Iver - SO excited that he won for Best New Artist... except that he's not new, really!  Either way, I'm cool with it.  Great speech, too.  He just really loves making music.  (Sidebar: THIS blog is hilarious.)

VH1's Top 20 Most Anticipated Albums of 2012

VH1's newest email included a link to their "Top 20 Most Anticipated Albums of 2012."  I was curious to see what VH1 is excited about for this new year.

1. "With the reign of Adele perhaps taking a brief hiatus..."  Oh, Adele.  I have nothin' but love for ya. However, anytime "Rolling In The Deep" comes on the radio, I switch to a different station.  It's just sadly become an instinctual behavior.  Sorry, girlfriend.

2. Lana Del Rey - she's scheduled to be on SNL on January 14, and I've seen her video for 'Video Games'  and am really digging the older style of her sound and the Super 8 style video.  I'm definitely interested to see how she performs live, and to hear more from her.

3. No Doubt is supposedly scheduled to release their first album 11 years?  Whoa. I didn't even know they were even still together.  I definitely played the hell out of the Tragic Kingdom album back in '95-'97ish.  I'm curious to hear what they have going on now.

4. Robbie Williams – for serious?  Where's he been?

... no, really?  Where's he been?

5. U2 is also working on some new material - but "sessions have reportedly not necessarily been going so well."  Come on, guys, let's see whatcha got.

6. The XX – "It’s can be said that it’s fairly rare for a band to follow through with their sophomore release after a cosmic debut, but we have high hopes for the XX and think that they just might deliver on our expectations."  I'm actually pretty psyched to hear that they've got something new coming out soonish.  "Heart Skipped a Beat" is a favorite of mine, check it out if you're not familiar with The xx.

P.S. VH1, the band spells it with lowercase x's.  You also spelled Kanye's name wrong. #justsayin

Anyone have thoughts about these or other anticipated 2012 releases?