Jeff poses the question - "Are happenings like this still possible?" - I'd say if this type of event happened today it certainly wouldn't warrant 10 minutes on a major tv program, maybe five seconds of most people skimming over a link.
I love these long lost artist mythology-building pieces. Neither this show nor NIN were on my radar at the time, but now it's fascinating to look back and see how the mainstream media at the time handled one of my now-favourite artists.
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Production software is now so cheap and accessible that the difference between your bedroom and the top of the charts is basically marketing, right?
I'm more partial to the smaller venues and bands, but if The National and their dozy pop-rock are the biggest act of the year I've either underestimated their popularity or this looks to be a down year. Who exactly are the rest of those bands?
Reminds me of a Twin Shadow vibe. This is the 80s pop aesthetic after filtered through a couple revival waves and the slickest modern production.
Zzzz. This one's in Regina though!
Carly Rae Jepsen should win a bunch of awards, I guess. Single of the Year definitely, that could hardly be a contest.
Strange to see Rush nominated in 'Group of the Year' with bands that couldn't hold a candle to them. Sheepdogs are the only other nom in that category that isn't totally off the mark.
Breakthrough Group of the Year is an interesting category: Hey Ocean!, Monster Truck, The Pack a.d., Walk Off the Earth, Yukon Blonde. Walk of the Earth would be a cool winner, since they're pretty much an all-web thing.
Turning out to be a good year for music!
Every year CBS' Standard And Practice group issues a warning to Grammy performers and presenters dubbed affectionately, the ‘Wardrobe Advisory’, and almost every year some performer intentionally or via a "malfunction" falls well beyond (or below) CBS' stated decency standards. This year, CBS and The Grammy's decided to get specific with warnings that include: "Thong type costumes are problematic....avoid exposing bare fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack. Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic."
So... no side boob? Why bother watching?
New album in April. Sweet.
The context for the post was that I had just returned from a month-long trip to Europe with my brother. We heard U2 every single day we were over there. Four different countries, a few plane rides, train rides, a bunch of pubs and coffee shops, and without a doubt we would hear U2 at some point.
I'm sure someone visiting North America might find something similar, but the sheer breadth and diversity of venues, and the distances traveled... I dunno, I guess something about that stuck out to me.
We also heard lots of Stevie Wonder and Madonna as I recall, but it wasn't the same.
The definite theme song of that trip was this tune, "American Boy" by Estelle and Kanye... featuring a pond-crossing performing duo plus a bangin' beat; which is to say the song featured, for us, cultural context as well as the content to match. This song will forever be tied to that trip for me. Great song, catchy hook, butchered nightly by karaoke singers everywhere.