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.)

Making The Mixtape: "Moving Across The Country"

So, I'm not going on a road trip any time soon, but my brother will soon be making a move across the country soon, and it made me think about road trip mixtapes (yes, mixtapes - sorry, I can't help but call them mixtapes!), or even just the music that we listen to when we drive, are stuck in traffic to get through the craziness, etc.

Here's what's in my car right now:

MUSE
Ozomatli
Gone By Daylight
Eric Hutchinson
Foo Fighters

I'm working on a "moving across the country" mix right now for my brother... here's just a sneak-peek:

What would YOU put on a mix for someone making a big move/going on an adventure?

Music I Was Introduced To In 2011

Here we are, the end of another year, and this always brings "Best Of ____" lists, right?  There has been so much music playing in my apartment, in my iPod and in my car these days, that I will probably edit and re-edit this list more than twice.  This is more of a "Music I was Introduced To That Really Has Stuck With Me" list than a "Best Of"... but, just go with it.
1. Blind Pilot - We Are The Tide

 Blind Pilot is an indie folk band from Portland, Oregon.  The title track, "We Are the Tide" gets me moving, and tends to make it onto my unofficial "cooking dance party in the kitchen" mix.  The beat, the lyrics, the whole package works for me. "Oh man we won't last long, but we're giving it our best try."  [Click the image to listen to the title track]


2. Kurtis John - EP

This is someone that I know and admire, and someone who makes some pretty kickass music. Kurt has been a friend of mine for a few years, since his days in Renata and The Last Goodnight, and the way he blends beautiful lyrics together with his work on the keyboard and guitar always keeps me interested.  "Life has a beautiful sound" is what's written on his Twitter page (@kurtisjohn) and he definitely finds beauty in life's moments.  [Click the image to listen to the promo for his EP, which was released in July 2011]


3. Kina Grannis - Stairwells 

Can't say enough about this girl!  She's an incredibly talented musician with a beautiful voice, and is down to earth. Some friends of mine in LA mentioned her name to me a year or two ago, and then another moved out there last year and also mentioned her name to me.  Kina just performed on Ellen recently, where her amazing video was featured.  288,000 jelly beans + 2 years to produce + "In Your Arms" = a must-see video.


4. Ben Rector - Into The Morning

I've gotten hooked on this album more recently, but still, it's one that I've become attached to.  The track that really gets me going and wanting to move is "The Beat": "And then the beat comes/ and then she's moving on the dance floor/ and I wonder what she's running from/ if it'll catch her."  Definitely an album to chill to, to cook to, to have on while you're riding the T... it's got it all.  [Click the image to listen to "The Beat"]


5. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

I have to preface this by saying I've never been a die-hard Foo Fighters fan, but I've always thought they were cool.  Back when one of my favorite TV shows was still running, "Next Year" was used as the theme song (anyone remember Ed ? 2000-2004? Tom Cavanagh? Julie Bowen? Michael Ian Black? ... No one? No? Moving on...) and it was a perfect intro song for the show.  This album was graciously shared with me by my friends over at Radio 92.9 - I've been lucky enough to be involved with them in a "listener feedback" type of group, but more about that later. 

Here's what my instructions were for listening to the album: 

1.) Listen Loudly     2.) Repeat

I followed both of these directions, and really dug the album.  Dave Grohl's voice is unmistakable (how does he still have a voice after years of screaming?), and I can't stop listening.  I'm not sure why I didn't really get into this band sooner.  This album has been on Radio 92.9's fan "Best Of 2011" list, and I can definitely see why.

Okay, so this is just an intro to me, and to what I got into this year, musically-speaking.  I'll definitely be adding to this list, which is totally kosher because this is my blog, and I say I can.  So... yeah.  This is definitely a different blog than the one I have had since '07 (about a whole different topic - if you're really curious, let me know, I'll give you the link). This blog gives me the space to just let loose about my feelings about the music I'm listening to, how I'm connecting/I've connected to it, what concerts I'm checking out, what's coming up, all that good stuff.