2012 Grammy Nominees Announced!

Hey everyone!

It's that time of year again! The nominees for the 54th annual Grammy Awards were announced earlier this evening during a one hour special on CBS that was hosted by LL Cool J. Kanye West led the crop of nominees with 7 nominations, including nominations for Song of the Year for "All of the Lights" and nominations for his own "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", and for his collaboration album with Jay-Z, "Watch The Throne" for Best Rap Album. Adele was also a big nominee, scoring 6 nominations including Album of the Year for "21", Song of The Year and Record of The Year for "Rolling In The Deep", and for Best Pop Vocal Album. Foo Fighters also came up big with 6 nominations including Album of The Year for "Wasting Light", Best Rock Album, and Best Rock Song for "Walk". Here is a selected list of nominations for this year's Grammys:

Album of The Year

Adele - 21
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Lady Gaga - Born This Way
Bruno Mars - Doo Wops and Hooligans
Rihanna - Loud

Record of The Year

Adele - Rolling In The Deep
Bon Iver - Holocene
Bruno Mars - Grenade
Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Katy Perry - Firework

Song of The Year

Kanye West - All of The Lights
Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Bruno Mars - Grenade
Bon Iver - Holocene
Adele - Rolling In The Deep

Best New Artist

Bon Iver
Nicki Minaj
J. Cole
The Band Perry
Skrillex

Best Pop Solo Performance

Adele - Someone Like You
Lady Gaga - You and I
Bruno Mars - Grenade
Katy Perry - Firework
Pink - Fuckin Perfect

Best Pop Vocal Album

Adele - 21
Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer
Lady Gaga - Born This Way
Bruno Mars - Doo Wops and Hooligans
Rihanna - Loud

Best Rock Performance

Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
The Decemberists - Down By The Water
Foo Fighters - Walk
Mumford & Sons - The Cave
Radiohead - Lotus Flower

Best Rock Song

Mumford & Sons - The Cave
The Decemberists - Down By The Water
Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
Radiohead - Lotus Flower
Foo Fighters - Walk

Best Rock Album

Jeff Beck - Rock N Roll Party Honoring Les Paul
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown
Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You
Wilco - The Whole Love

Best Alternative Music Album

Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Death Cab For Cutie - Codes and Keys
Foster The People - Torches
My Morning Jacket - Circuital
Radiohead - The King of Limbs

Best Rap Performance

Chris Brown f/ Lil' Wayne & Busta Rhymes - Look At Me Now
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Otis
Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On
Nicki Minaj & Drake - Moment 4 Life
Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow

Best Rap Song

Kanye West - All of the Lights
Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow
Dr. Dre f/ Eminem & Skylar Grey - I Need A Doctor
Chris Brown f/ Lil' Wayne & Busta Rhymes - Look At Me Now
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Otis
Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On

Best Rap Album

Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne
Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter IV
Lupe Fiasco - Lasers
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

For a full list of all of this year's Grammy nominees, head on over to the Grammy's official website at http://www.grammy.com/ The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 12, 2012 at 8:00PM on CBS. Don't miss it!

Artist Spotlight: Ryan Harris Brown

Hey everyone!

Hope you all had a happy and restful Thanksgiving! Getting back into the swing of things this week with an all new edition of Artist Spotlight. This week for you guys, we have an emerging artist from northeastern Pennsylvania named Ryan Harris Brown. Ryan has a mellow, country-tinged quality to his music, similar to the likes of Ryan Adams and Ben Folds with a unique musical sensibility to him that sounds real and authentic as soon as you hear the first few notes. Ryan received his musical education from right here in the Boston area from Berklee College of Music, which is a gold mine for musicians from all over the world to receive the best musical education in the world which sets them on the track for destined musical success further on down the road! I really liked Ryan's organic and authentic playing style that shows a musician that has all the right musical ingredients in his possession and is ready to put his best foot forward with all the musical knowledge he has obtained right at his disposal. The first single from his upcoming EP "The Trail You Leave Behind" is definitely recommended for you to check out and discover for yourselves!

To check out the music of Ryan Harris Brown, head on over to his BandCamp page at ryanharrisbrown.bandcamp.com/ where you can snag a free download of "The Trail You Leave Behind". He also has a Facebook page where you can keep in touch with him at www.facebook.com/ryanharrisbrownmusic He can also be followed on Twitter by going over to www.twitter.com/ryanharrisbrown where you can get all the latest updates and tour information on him!

Thursday To Go On Indefinite Hiatus Following American And Australian Tours!

Hey everyone!

With the announcement I posted yesterday regarding Thrice going on indefinite hiatus, another prominent band within the post-hardcore scene is going on indefinite hiatus. Thursday announced this afternoon that they would be going on an indefinite hiatus following their tours of North America and Australia. This news takes the fans of the group by surprise as they just released their latest studio album, In Devolucion earlier this year on their new label, Epitaph Records. Geoff Rickly issued the following statement just a short time ago:

"Thursday will be playing our final shows, starting tomorrow night and ending with our tour in Australia. We would love to see you all one more time.  So please, if we're near your city, come out and have fun with us. It has been our pleasure and honor to make music for such wonderful people over the last thirteen years."

In addition to the aforementioned North American tour, the band will be performing at Australia's Soundwave festival, beginning on February 25, 2012 in Brisbane, Australia. For all the American fans who want to see the band one last time or haven't yet, please check them out on one of these dates:

11/23/2011 Irving Plaza; New York, NY
11/25/2011 Opera House; Toronto, ON
11/26/2011 Altar Bar; Pittsburgh, PA
11/27/2011 Turner Hall; Milwaukee, WI
11/28/2011 Grog Shop; Cleveland Heights, OH
11/30/2011 The Loft; Atlanta, GA
12/01/2011 20th Century Theatre; Cincinnati, OH
12/02/2011 Bottom Lounge; Chicago, IL
12/03/2011 The Eagle Theater; Pontiac, MI
12/04/2011 Montage Music Hall; Rochester, NY
12/26/2011 Starland Ballroom; Sayreville, NJ
12/27/2011 9:30 Club; Washington, D.C.
12/28/2011 Toad’s Place; New Haven, CT
12/29/2011 Royale Boston; Boston, MA
12/30/2011 Theatre Of Living Arts; Philadelphia, PA

Artist Spotlight: Madison Rose

Hey everyone!

Getting you all filled up before Thanksgiving with a brand new edition of Artist Spotlight! This week I have for you guys an up and coming artist directly from Los Angeles, CA where we check out a brand new artist by the name of Madison Rose. Madison has a simple and elegant vocal style similar to that of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, with a strong emphasis on melody and the instrumental accompaniment which helps to enhance the overall aura and pristine quality of her vocals. Her brand new single "Teenage Runaway", which is also the first single off her upcoming studio release Aftershock, just received a nomination for Best Pop Song of the year by the Hollywood Music in Media Awards. The song starts off with a simple acoustic guitar based melody, before her vocals set in and provide an emotional spark throughout the song that resonates strongly right until the very end. I was really impressed with her vocal ability and her ability to weave simple, easy to understand lyrics throughout this particular song that anybody can relate to. Definitely recommended if you are a fan of adult oriented pop music.

To find out more information about Madison Rose, head on over to her official website at www.madisonroserocks.com While you're there, you can check out the just released music video for "Teenage Runaway" that you are sure to enjoy! Also, take the time to head over to her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/madisonroserocknroll where you can check out her latest schedule of tour dates coming to your area. You can also follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mroserocks

Thrice To Take Hiatus Following Spring Tour!

Hey everyone!

Some surprising and unexpected news coming in from the Thrice camp. Frontman Dustin Kensrue announced on Thrice's official website today that the band would be taking a hiatus following the band's Spring tour to support their just released Major/Minor album. While this news is shocking to say the least, it's not entirely unexpected as Dustin said in a recent interview with Alternative Press magazine that he would like to devote more time as a worship director for Mars Hill Church near his hometown of Orange County, CA. Here is the full statement from Dustin that was posted on their website this afternoon:

"Thrice is not breaking up.  If nothing has broken us up by now, I doubt anything ever could.

However, we will be taking a break from being a full-time band, and the upcoming tour in the Spring will be the last one for the foreseeable future.

Playing music for the past 13 years with Riley, Ed, and Teppei has been such a gift.  We have been able to see the world, share music with thousands and thousands of people, and make records with a variety of talented and inspiring people.  The four of us have been through many highs and lows and overcome them together.  I value their friendship, and it has been a great privilege to play alongside them for so long.  They are truly an amazingly gifted group of people, and the ways we’ve grown together as people and musicians has been a joy to experience.

Along the way we have adapted to many changing situations, especially the growing families of both Teppei and myself, but it has been harder and harder for me with each step.  I have three little girls now under the age of 5, and it is a huge strain on my family and I when I’m away for several weeks at a time.  The way we’ve been doing things for a while is simply not sustainable for me anymore.

I don’t know what the future looks like for Thrice, or for any of us individually.  I do know that I would love to make more music in the future with them, as well as play some shows or short tours, but for the time being, I need to step out of the role of full time touring/recording musician, and will do so after this tour.  I will continue to make music in various capacities I’m sure, and continue in my work as a Worship Director at Mars Hill Church in Orange County.

I know this will be very disappointing news to many people, and for that I am truly sorry.  The amount of support and love we’ve been given in our career is staggering and overwhelming.  I know I’m biased, but I think we have the best fans in the world.

This upcoming tour should be a lot of fun.  We are planning for it to be somewhat of a celebration of the last 13 years and I’m sure we’ll be breaking out a bunch of songs that have been buried in the archives.  I hope to see you out there to celebrate with us.

I never expected to be able to do any of this, let alone do it for 13 years, with such amazing bandmates, such gifted and hard working crew and management, and such incredible and loyal fans.  

Thank you all."

Mac Miller - Blue Slide Park

Fresh out of Pittsburgh, PA Mac Miller has arrived on the scene with his debut release, Blue Slide Park. The debut from the much buzzed about rap sensation has built up quite a following with his mixtapes and amazing lyrical flow that has made him one of the most buzzed about rap sensations in quite awhile.

The disc starts off strong with the disc's title track, a fast moving, lyrical cavalcade that shows off Mac Miller's amazing vocal rhymes that move at a breakneck speed and show how remarkably talented he is at only 19 years of age. My favorite song off the album is "Party On Fifth Ave.", which uses a sample of "The 900 Number" by DJ Mark The 45 King and is one of the more dance oriented rap tracks found on here that will have you bopping your head all the way throughout. "Frick Park Market" uses more uptempo electronic beats and melds them in with Mac Miller's fast paced rhyming skills that are a joy to behold. "Under The Weather" sees Mac using his clever inventiveness to create a smooth, musically inclined track that brings all the musical elements on a level playing field and allows Mac to easily get his point across without much trouble.

We kick off the disc's second half with "My Team", a pulsating, fist pumping banger that sees Mac throwing it into overdrive here with a fast paced lyrical salvo that will have you sweating bullets by the time the song is over. "Up All Night" is a party ready, laid back jam that sees Mac letting loose a little bit and showing off his upbeat personality on this one. We head into the disc's final tracks with "Missed Calls", a track that is all about the struggles of being out on the road focused on chasing your dream, while your loved one is back at home not coping well with your absence. "Man In The Hat" brings everything together with a lyrical track that shows Mac at his best with fast paced rhymes and lightly tuned beats that show off everything that Mac has to offer you in one unique package. The last song appropriately titled "One Last Thing", brings about a sense of finality and is a great way to wrap up the album and show why Mac Miller is the real deal and a force to be reckoned with down the road. Never before has a new rap artist impressed me as much as Mac Miller has, with his advanced and clever lyrical rhymes leaving nothing to the imagination and constructing that around tightly wound beats that will leave you spellbound once you've listened to the whole album. With over a million Facebook likes and a million Twitter followers as we speak, people are connecting with his music almost instantaneously and is able to draw an immediate connection to the listener and makes it feel like you're actually interacting with him in person. At the young age of 19, Mac Miller is mature beyond his years and is capable of anything in his grasp that is set before him.

All in all, a terrific debut effort here from Mac Miller, who has clearly demonstrated that he has the lyrical chops and the studio craftiness to create deep and resonating hip-hop tracks that are some of the best heard from a new hip-hop artist in quite awhile. I'm positive we'll be hearing more of this gentleman further on down the road.

                                                                                                                         Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. English Lane
2. Blue Slide Park
3. Party on Fifth Ave.
4. PA Nights
5. Frick Park Market
6. Smile Back
7. Under the Weather
8. Of the Soul
9. My Team
10. Up all Night
11. Loitering
12. Hole in My Pocket
13. Diamonds & Gold
14. Missed Calls
15. Man in the Hat
16. One Last Thing

Artist Spotlight: Andrea Godin

Hey everyone!

Bringing to you another edition of Artist Spotlight this week. Today for you guys, I have a pop/R&B artist from St. George, Ontario Canada called Andrea Godin. Andrea's style can best be compared to singers such as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, but with a more streamlined approach. Her voice has exceptional range and her vocals deliver exquisite passion and spot on delivery through each of her songs, especially her latest one called "Bullet". The song has been gaining airplay on several FM radio stations up in Canada and have been featured on some TV networks from north of the border as well. I don't typically cover this genre of music too often on my blog, but her voice has something unique and powerful and all of her songs have a message to convey to her listening audience every time. Other songs from her that are worth checking out include "Like That" and the edgy "Sunset to Sunrise".

To discover the music of Andrea Godin for yourself, head on over to her Reverb Nation page at www.reverbnation.com/andreagodin  While you're there, you can also check out her latest round of tour dates and see where she'll be appearing at a concert venue near you! She also has a Facebook page where you can keep tabs on her and that you can 'Like' by going over to www.facebook.com/pages/Andrea-Godin/244961435529922 She can be followed on Twitter as well by heading over to www.twitter.com/andreagodin

Artist Spotlight of The Year Nominees!

Hey everyone!

With the end of the year fast approaching comes the time for people to come up with lists of the top albums and songs of 2011! I'm currently working on mine as we speak, but I also thought about all the new and emerging artists that I covered this year in my weekly series, Artist Spotlight. I thought it would be a cool idea to come up with a contest where the readers of my blog can vote as well! I've racked my brain of the 40+ Artist Spotlight features that I've done so far this year, and I've whittled it down to a list of 5 nominees for the Artist Spotlight of The Year. Here are this year's nominees:

Advocate
Paul Materne
The Self Proclaimed Rockstars
Moss Points North
Call Me Anything

To check out the nominee's music, click on the respective artists' link to their Facebook pages where you can listen to their music and you can 'Like' the pages as well if you love what you heard. Then, come back here to the blog and vote for your favorite artist from the field of nominees. The winner will be announced on December 20 so make your voice heard and vote today!

BREAKING NEWS! Heavy D Has Died!

Hey everyone,

Some sad news to report to you this evening. Earlier this afternoon, rap pioneer Heavy D, famous for his 1991 hit "Now That We Found Love", has died. Paramedics rushed him to the hospital in Los Angeles and was pronounced dead at 1 p.m. PST. Police are currently investigating his death at this time, but there are no signs of foul play as of yet. He was 44 years old.

Heavy D first broke onto the music scene with his debut effort, Living Large released in 1987 as part of the group Heavy D & The Boyz. More sizable success followed with the aforementioned 1991 hit "Now That We Found Love" and recorded theme songs for such sketch comedy shows like In Living Color and MADtv. More recently, Heavy D recorded a reggae fusion album called Vibes that was released in 2008.

Artist Spotlight: Good King Friday

Hey everyone!

Kicking off yet another edition of Artist Spotlight! This week, we have a band emanating from the left coast, Los Angeles, CA to be exact and we find the unique sounds of Good King Friday. The band consists of Kelly Caldwell on lead vocals and piano, Nathan Caswell on bass and vocals, Patrick Conlon on violin and vocals, Christina Giacona on guitar, clarinet, and vocals, Audrey Synder on cello, and Chris Wakelin on drums. The band's sound can best be described as symphonic rock, with influences of Evanescence and Lacuna Coil thrown in for good mixture and provides a substantial balance all the way throughout. I normally don't cover this genre of music quite too often, but something about their music made me want to keep listening and take notice of the rich melodic landscapes and incredible vocal patterns that set their music apart from their other counterparts in that respective genre. A great band with a host of potential and one that has a ever growing fanbase as we speak. Some songs that are worth checking out include "Breakdown" and "I Know".

To check out the music of Good King Friday, head on over to their Facebook page and 'Like' it as well at www.facebook.com/goodkingfriday Their music is also available on their Reverb Nation page at www.reverbnation.com/goodkingfriday You can also follow the band on Twitter if you wish by going over to www.twitter.com/goodkingfriday

Radiohead Announce U.S. Tour Dates!

Hey everyone!

Radiohead fans have something to be happy about this morning! The band announced that they will be undergoing an extensive U.S. tour early next year in support of their latest release, The King Of Limbs. The tour will kick off on February 27, 2012 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida and will travel through Texas and Missouri before wrapping up on March 15 in Glendale, Arizona. Indie rockers Other Lives will be opening on all shows and tickets for these shows will go on sale this Saturday with more dates expected to be added to the itinerary fairly soon.

This is the band's first tour since 2008 when they toured in support of their last release, In Rainbows. Their latest effort, The King of Limbs has sold 268,000 copies to date according to Nielsen Soundscan. Here is the band's upcoming tour schedule as of right now:

2/27/2012 American Airlines Arena; Miami, FL
2/29/2012 St. Pete Times Forum; Tampa, FL
3/1/2012 Philips Arena; Atlanta, GA
3/3/2012 Toyota Center; Houston, TX
3/5/2012 American Airlines Center; Dallas, TX
3/7/2012 Frank Erwin Center; Austin, TX
3/9/2012 Scottrade Center; St. Louis, MO
3/11/2012 Sprint Center; Kansas City, MO
3/13/2012 1stBank Center; Broomfield, CO
3/15/2012 Jobing.com Arena; Glendale, AZ

Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials

Hailing from London, England indie-rock group Florence + The Machine is back with their highly anticipated sophomore album, Ceremonials. The follow up to 2009's Lungs finds Florence Welch and her group building off the success of their last album and continuing to bring their own unique blend of indie rock to the masses.

The album starts off strongly with "Only If For A Night" a moody, piano laced ballad that serves as a great starting point for Florence to express her vocal talents that run rampant throughout all parts of the song to a great degree. The album's first single and my favorite track off the album "Shake It Out" finds the group reaching a height of greatness that we first saw glimpses of on their last album, with richly melodic undertones that bubble up until the song reaches its climax and features Florence's amazing vocals ripping through the song at a pretty good clip and is a great representation of the overall sound of the album as well. "What The Water Gave Me" is a somber, dark tune that starts off slowly before quietly building up intensity and Florence's voice once again adding a great deal of emotional resonance to a solid track inside and out. "Breaking Down" starts off with a bombastic drum beat before settling into a piano laced groove that sets the stage for the entire song to follow with Florence's rapturous vocals setting the atmosphere for the entire track. "Lover To Lover" features many of the same piano grooves found on the preceding track, albeit at a more controlled and different angle that matches the tempo of the song to an precise degree.

We ease into the disc's second half and find "Seven Devils" a chilling, thematic tune that features ominous piano melodies interspersed on top of Florence's vocal presence that add a great deal of emotional intensity that you can feel at the same time that Florence is singing. "Heartlines" builds upon the bombastic, drum laden melodies that were found on the album's first half and presents it in a more longform presentation coupled with Florence's amazing vocal prowess adding to a fantastic and well rounded track. We head into the disc's closing tracks with "All This And Heaven Too" a melodic, vocal driven track that sees Florence using her vocal ability to push the melodies along and work together in harmony to create a resonating and memorable track. The disc's finale "Leave My Body" is a dark, mysterious tune that is much more toned down in musical appearance than the majority of other tracks, but serves as a great closer to a diverse and well rounded effort. When Florence + The Machine first burst onto the scene early last year, she immediately captivated audiences with her rapturous voice and added a great indie rock sensibility to match that is markedly different from 99% of the indie rock bands out there.

Overall, a great follow up from Florence + The Machine, who proves that their debut effort was no fluke and aims to continue their musical odyssey in exploring the outermost realms of the indie rock genre and presenting to us some of the most diverse sounds that are unlike anything we've ever heard before.

                                                                                                                     Album Score: 4/5

Track Listing:

1. Only If For A Night
2. Shake It Out
3. What the Water Gave Me
4. Never Let Me Go
5. Breaking Down
6. Lover to Lover
7. No Light, No Light
8. Seven Devils
9. Headlines
10. Spectrum
11. All This and Heaven Too
12. Leave My Body

Artist Spotlight: Jet Black Sunrise

Hey everyone!

Kicking off the month of November with a brand new edition of Artist Spotlight! This week, we're keeping it local in Beantown and focusing on a band called Jet Black Sunrise. The band is composed of Matt Cronin on vocals and keys, Nick Fede on vocals and guitar, Jay Schneider on vocals and bass, Matt Smith on guitar and vocals, and JC Zwisler on drums and vocals. The band is a mixture of indie-rock and alternative influences that can best be described as a offshoot of Death Cab For Cutie, but with a stronger emphasis on electric guitars and vocal presence. I recently had the pleasure of checking out the band this past Friday at McGann's in Boston and they really left a impression on me with their amazing set which was a mixture of Death Cab covers and some of their own tracks which gave a great representation of what the band's sound is like for those who may not be too familiar with the band. An awesome band and one that is starting to make their presence known throughout the Boston area music scene. Some songs of theirs for you to check out include "Falling" (the title track from their latest album) and "Impossible".

For more on Jet Black Sunrise, log on to their Facebook page and 'Like' it by going over to www.facebook.com/jetblacksunrisemusic You can also follow the band on Twitter by heading over to www.twitter.com/jbs_music If you want to download the band's album "Falling" and check it out for yourself, you can do so by going over to jetblacksunrise.bandcamp.com and see what the band have to offer you.