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Featured Music I’m Salty And I Know It: The 2012 Grammy Predictions

February 9, 2012 - 10:42 am

Here’s what I love about the Grammys: everyone wins. When Robert Plant and Alison Krauss took home Album of the Year in 2009—or when Bob Dylan beat out Radiohead’s OK Computer in 1998—tuxedoed traditionalists got to poo-poo the upstarts who had come challenge the status quo. Then last year, indie rockers everywhere gave grandpa the business when Arcade Fire beat out chart toppers like Gaga, Katy Perry, Eminem and Lady Antebellum. And even if you’re cynical or tragically hip or “don’t really care about the Grammys except for Best Instrumental Arrangement because it’d be really funny for a song called ‘Nasty Dance’ to win an award,” you can always pour a drink, tweet yourself into a #coma and get your jollies the good, old fashioned American way… by being unreasonably judgmental while trying to guess who wins. Here, let me get you started.

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Music Serenading the Shrine: Bon Iver

by Nicole Pajer and Sidney Bensimon

September 22, 2011 - 9:59 am

During Bon Iver’s show at downtown L.A.’s Shrine Auditorium, the band’s creative force, Justin Vernon, shot a heartfelt glance out towards a sold out audience and proclaimed that this was the biggest show the band had ever played. In shock over every single seat in the house being filled, Vernon told his army of loyal followers that, “It would be far weirder if we were up here sweating it out by ourselves with no one here.”

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Uncategorized Tuesday Newsday: New Releases from Pitbull, Peter Tosh, Devin Townsend, In Flames, and Laura Cantrell

by Shop Keeper

June 21, 2011 - 9:15 pm

Here we go…new Pitbull…some re-releases of classic Peter Tosh…Devin Townsend releases the last two albums in a 4-part series, and it’s worth the wait…a lot of metal in the for of Symphony X and Black Dahlia Murder….and Weird Al’s new one is out too…see ya next week with a new one from Limp Bizkit, amongst others…

Pitbull – Planet Pit

Laura Cantrell - Kitty Wells Dresses: Songs of the Queen of Country Music

Peter Tosh - Equal Rights/Legalize It

Bon Iver - Self

The Black Dahlia Murder – Ritual

Crossfade – We All Bleed

Weird Al Yankovic – Alpocalypse

Jill Scott - The Light of the Sun

Symphony X - Iconoclast

In Flames - Sounds of a Playground Fading

Devin Townsend - Ghost/Deconstruction

Music Mandy’s Music Mail 4/22/11

by Amanda Boyd

April 22, 2011 - 10:37 am

I didn’t think it was possible, but I’ve fallen even more in love with the Kings of Leon. Last night I went to the premier screening of Talhina Sky: The Story Of Kings Of Leon at Tribeca Film Festival with my brother El and friend Billy, aka Drummer Boy, (guess what he does?) whose band, The Postelles, opened for KOL last summer at the infamous pigeon fiasco concert. I went in excited to see the film but not expecting the band to be there as it was just a screening. However who should walk right by me as I’m walking in? None other than ¾ of the Followill clan, brothers Caleb, Nathan and Jared. Naturally I put on my best “jaded New Yorker” and acted nonplussed as the (ridiculously good looking) boys in my favorite band walked right next to me, however inside I was screaming like a teenage girl whose just seen Justin Bieber. The film, directed by Stephen C Mitchell, a close friend of theirs, was an unapologetic, intimate look into their lives that was simultaneously humorous (particularly Caleb’s drunken monologue about living), absurd and at times, quite sad. After the film the band and Mitchell came up for a brief Q&A; the boys were wonderfully sarcastic yet genuine. They were raised very religious and when asked how they intend to raise their children, Caleb brilliantly replied “Scientology of course! We’re celebrities!” Hero.

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Music Kanye West’s Top 10 Producing Credits

by Shop Keeper

January 4, 2011 - 11:36 am

Before he was throwing temper tantrums at the MTV VMAs and being labeled the biggest jerk in the history of hip hop, and before he released his critically acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West was producing some of the dopest beats the game has ever heard.

Kanye’s career as a rap artist didn’t exactly take off like a Gulfstream en route to the south of France. Prior to reaching superstar status as a rap artist, many labels were reluctant to sign Kanye West “the producer” to a record deal.

It took a 2003 car accident to inspire Kanye to write and produce “Through the Wire”, a track he recorded with his jaw wired shut. With critical acclaim, his career as a respected rap artist and eventual superstar was launched. For Mr. West, there was no looking back.

Luckily for you, we enjoyed history class in high school. So much so that we decided to take a look back and list our favorite pre-superstar Kanye-produced tracks:

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Music Can Kanye ‘Survive in America?’

by Yael Reed Wachspress

December 7, 2010 - 12:20 pm

Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Pusha T, RZA and CyHi Da Prynce all repeatedly chant, “It’s like that sometimes, I mean ridiculous / It’s like that sometimes, the shit is ridiculous” over the track, So Appalled, debuted on Ye’s fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. And that’s exactly what the whole entire album is, ridiculous. Ridiculously good.

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Mandy's Awesome Music Mail Mandy Mail! Hello Rocktober!

by Amanda Boyd

October 1, 2010 - 10:38 am

Hello kiddiwinks! Your favorite time of the week is upon us once again; I am of course referring to the moment when you all get to bask in the glory that is my weekly music news recap. I’ve finally recovered from the oh so lovely cold a certain someone gave me (you know who you are, but don’t worry, I still totes love you) and am feeling back to normal once again! Eeee! Happy panda paws in the air! So, without further ado, let’s get to it shall we?
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