Buble has mouth fixings

Michael Buble had been preparing for a gig in Manchester, New Hampshire when he tried to open a packet of ketchup with his teeth. And dislodged a crown.

A call went out for a dentist:

Bloom was in surgery Friday morning when he received an unusual call.

“The assistant comes in and says, ‘Dr. Bloom, your wife is on the phone,’ and I’m thinking, ‘Who died? What happened to the dog? What happened to the hour?’” Bloom said.

Bloom fixed up Buble's mouth, the show went on and Bloom got tickets and a call-out during the show.

Yes, without David Bloom's intervention, nobody would have had to listen to Michael Buble in New Hampshire that day. After nearly 40 years, Laurence Olivier's Dr Szell finally has a challenger for the 'inflicting misery using dental instruments' crown.

(Seriously: Buble - despite having the sort of pain which makes you seek out a dentist, Buble was still charm itself. He might be a hoofer, but he's a hell of a trooper.)

Grammys 2014: Daft Punk get lucky

Emmylou Harris, Black Sabbath, Herb Alpert, Led Zeppelin. Nothing says "it's the 1970s" like the 2014 Grammy awards. Even Paul McCartney got a prize, for that Sound City project thing, which made a nice change from the bit of the ceremony which they banged on about The Beatles. Where they reunited The Beatles, or what's left of them. Oh, and The Beatles even got a prize, too. The Beatles.

Oh, sure, there's a few prizes given to Daft Punk, but really, more than ever, this year's Grammys was The Music Industry Nurtures The Artist Who Are At The Heart Of A Catalogue Business Strategy. (Effectively, a prize for Bruno Mars and Michael Buble is the same thing - if not artists who made records twenty years ago, then artists who could have made their records twenty years ago.)

Meanwhile, the long battle for the right to marry the person you love was reduced to a stunt at a music business jolly as Macklemore and Ryan Lewis wheeled in Madonna and Queen Latifah to rush through a Moonie-style mass wedding:

The weddings of 33 couples during the Grammy Awards were legally presided over by Queen Latifah. The rapper-actress-talk show host had to be sworn in as a commissioner by the state of California to perform the ceremony.
"You can call me Queen Commish for a little longer," she joked backstage Sunday night.

Latifah said she's not an ordained minister and her special powers expired at midnight.

"It was something I took very seriously," she said. "That is someone's life commitment to one another, you want to make sure you do it right. That's what sunk in for me."

Yeah. It's someone's life commitment, and how can you take that more seriously by having it squeezed in between Madonna's chorus, the network cutting to commercials and the prize for the least threatening R&B performance?

I know the intention was to be positive, and I know Macklemore and Lewis' song was at least about gender-blind marriage, but god, what a shitty, miserable little stunt; using people's love for each other to shore up an awards ceremony.

I guess we're lucky that the Grammys started a couple of years after Rosa Parks made her stand, otherwise we'd have had buses of all kinds of people being driven round and round the stage to demonstrate just how forward-thinking the horribly conservative music industry is.

Here are the winners in full from last night:

Album of the Year:
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories (Julian Casablancas, DJ Falcon, Todd Edwards, Chilly Gonzales, Giorgio Moroder, Panda Bear, Nile Rodgers, Paul Williams & Pharrell Williams, featured artists; Thomas Bangalter, Julian Casablancas, Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo, DJ Falcon & Todd Edwards, producers; Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta, Guillaume Le Braz & Daniel Lerner, engineers/mixers; Antoine "Chab" Chabert & Bob Ludwig, mastering engineers)

Record of the Year:
Daft Punk, "Get Lucky" (Thomas Bangalter & Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo, producers; Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta & Daniel Lerner, engineers/mixers; Antoine "Chab" Chabert & Bob Ludwig, mastering engineers)

Song of the Year:
Lorde, "Royals" (Joel Little & Ella Yelich O'Connor, songwriters)

Best Country Album:
Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park

Best Pop Vocal Album:
Bruno Mars, Unorthodox Jukebox

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration:
Jay Z Featuring Justin Timberlake, "Holy Grail"

Best Pop Solo Performance:
Lorde, "Royals"

Best Rock Song:
Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear, "Cut Me Some Slack"

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, "Get Lucky"

Best New Artist:
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

Best Rock Album:
Led Zeppelin, Celebration Day

Best Metal Performance:
Black Sabbath, "God Is Dead?"

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical:
Pharrell Williams

Best Alternative Music Album:
Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City

Best Rock Performance:
Imagine Dragons, "Radioactive"

Best Country Song:
Kacey Musgraves, "Merry Go 'Round" (Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves and Josh Osborne)

Best Country Solo Performance:
Darius Rucker, "Wagon Wheel"

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
the Civil Wars, "From This Valley"

Best Music Film:
Paul McCartney, Live Kisses (Jonas Åkerlund, video director; Violaine Etienne, Aron Levine and Scott Rodger, video producers)

Best Music Video:
Justin Timberlake Featuring Jay Z, "Suit and Tie" (David Fincher, video director; Timory King, video producer)

Best Blues Album:
Ben Harper With Charlie Musselwhite, Get Up!

Best R&B Album:
Alicia Keys, Girl on Fire

Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Rihanna, Unapologetic

Best R&B Song:
Justin Timberlake, "Pusher Love Girl" (James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon, Timothy Mosley and Justin Timberlake, songwriters)

Best Traditional R&B Performance:
Gary Clark, Jr., "Please Come Home"

Best R&B Performance:
Snarky Puppy With Lalah Hathaway, "Something"

Best Pop Instrumental Album:
Herb Alpert, Steppin' Out

Best Dance Recording:
Zedd Featuring Foxes, "Clarity"

Best Dance/Electronica Album:
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories

Best Rap Performance:
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz, "Thrift Shop"

Best Rap Song:
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Featuring Wanz, "Thrift Shop" (Ben Haggerty and Ryan Lewis, songwriters)

Best Rap Album:
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, the Heist

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
Michael Bublé, to Be Loved

Best New Age Album:
Laura Sullivan, Love's River

Best Improvised Jazz Solo:
Wayne Shorter, "Orbits"

Best Jazz Vocal Album:
Gregory Porter, Liquid Spirit

Best Jazz Instrumental Album:
Terri Lyne Carrington, Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album:
Randy Brecker, Wlodek Pawlik Trio and Kalisz Philharmonic, Night in Calisia

Best Latin Jazz Album:
Paquito D'Rivera and Trio Corrente, Song for Maura

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance:
Tasha Cobbs, Break Every Chain

Best Gospel Song:
Tye Tribbett, "If He Did It Before . . . Same God"

Best Contemporary Christian Music Song:
Mandisa, "Overcomer" (David Garcia, Ben Glover and Christopher Stevens, songwriters)

Best Gospel Album:
Tye Tribbett, Greater Than

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album:
Mandisa, Overcomer

Best Latin Pop Album:
Draco Rosa, Vida

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album:
La Santa Cecilia, Treinta Días

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano):
Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea, A Mi Manera

Best Tropical Latin Album:
Pacific Mambo Orchestra, Pacific Mambo Orchestra

Best American Roots Song:
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, "Love Has Come for You" (Edie Brickell and Steve Martin, songwriters)

Best Americana Album:
Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Old Yellow Moon

Best Bluegrass Album:
Del McCoury Band, The Streets of Baltimore

Best Reggae Album:
Ziggy Marley, Ziggy Marley in Concert

Best World Music Album:
Gipsy Kings, Savor Flamenco (tie)

Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Live: Singing for Peace Around the World (tie)

Best Folk Album:
Guy Clark, My Favorite Picture of You

Best Regional Roots Music Album:
Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience, Dockside Sessions

Best Children's Album:
Jennifer Gasoi, Throw A Penny In the Wishing Well

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books and Storytelling):
Stephen Colbert, America Again: Re-becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't

Best Comedy Album:
Kathy Griffin, Calm Down Gurrl

Best Musical theater Album:
Kinky Boots

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media:
Sound City: Real to Reel

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media:
Skyfall, Thomas Newman, composer

Best Song Written for Visual Media:
Adele, "Skyfall" (Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth, songwriters)

Best Instrumental Composition:
the Clare Fischer Orchestra, "Pensamientos for Solo Alto Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra" (Clare Fischer, composer)

Best Instrumental Arrangement:
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, "on Green Dolphin Street" (Gordon Goodwin, arranger)

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s):
Bobby McFerrin and Esperanza Spalding, "Swing Low" (Gil Goldstein, arranger)

Best Recording Package:
Reckless Kelly, Long Night Moon (Sarah Dodds and Shauna Dodds, art directors)

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package:
Paul McCartney and Wings, Wings Over America (Deluxe Edition) (Simon Earith and James Musgrave, art directors)

Best Album Notes:
John Coltrane, Afro Blue Impressions (Remastered and Expanded) (Neil Tesser, album notes writer)

Best Historical Album:
the Rolling Stones, Charlie Is My Darling - Ireland 1965 (Teri Landi, andrew Loog Oldham and Steve Rosenthal, compilation producers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer) (tie)

Bill Withers, the Complete Sussex and Columbia Albums (Leo Sacks, compilation producer; Joseph M. Palmaccio, tom Ruff and Mark Wilder, mastering engineers)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical:
Daft Punk, Random Access Memories (Peter Franco, Mick Guzauski, Florian Lagatta and Daniel Lerner, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer)

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical:
Lana Del Rey, "Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix) (Cedric Gervais, Remixer)

Best Surround Sound Album:
Paul McCartney, Live Kisses (Al Schmitt, surround mix engineer; tommy LiPuma, surround producer)

Best Engineered Album, Classical:
Dawn Upshaw, Maria Schneider, Australian Chamber Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Winter Morning Walks (David Frost, Brian Losch and Tim Martyn, engineers; Tim Martyn, mastering engineer)

Producer of the Year, Classical:
David Frost

Best Orchestral Performance:
Minnesota Orchestra, Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 4 (Osmo Vänskä, conductor)

Best Opera Recording:
the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; the Metropolitan Opera Chorus, Adès: the Tempest (Thomas Adès, conductor; Simon Keenlyside, Isabel Leonard, Audrey Luna and Alan Oke; Luisa Bricetti and Victoria Warivonchick, producers)

Best Choral Performance:
Tui Hirv and Rainer Vilu; Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir; Sinfonietta Riga and Tallinn Chamber Orchestra; Latvian Radio Choir and Vox Clamantis, Pärt: Adam's Lament (Tõnu Kaljuste, conductor)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance:
Brad Wells and Roomful of Teeth, Roomful Of Teeth

Best Classical Instrumental Solo:
Albany Symphony, Corigliano: Conjurer - Concerto for Percussionist and String Orchestra (Evelyn Glennie; David Alan Miller, conductor)

Best Classical Vocal Solo:
Maria Schneider; Jay anderson, Frank Kimbrough and Scott Robinson; Australian Chamber Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Winter Morning Walks (Dawn Upshaw)

Best Classical Compendium:
Hindemith: Violinkonzert; Symphonic Metamorphosis; Konzertmusik, Christoph Eschenbach, conductor

Best Contemporary Classical Composition:
Schneider, Maria: Winter Morning Walks, Maria Schneider, composer (Dawn Upshaw, Jay anderson, Frank Kimbrough, Scott Robinson and Australian Chamber Orchestra)

Still, at least Stephen Colbert won.

Nobody comes between me and my Michael Buble tickets

Up in Dundee, Agnes Neish came home to find a burglar going through her stuff.

She told him to drop the stuff, he scarpered. Police caught him; she got her things back.

The Courier records her joy:

She has now been reunited with her possessions, including her [Michael Buble] tickets and is looking forward to seeing the singer in London next week.

She said: “Of all the things he stole I was most upset that he took my tickets and I am delighted I got them back.”

The paper pitches this thus:

Dundee pensioner tackles burglar to save her Michael Buble tickets

That's a great headline, although the facts of the story mean the headline would be more honestly:

Dundee pensioner shouts at burglar to save possessions, presumably unaware of what he might have taken at this point; scaring him off but eventually gets Michael Buble tickets back

But why let the facts, etc etc?

Michael Buble: Me And My Spoon

Really? Does the world really need a Michael Buble/Reese Witherspoon duet?

"By all accounts it would be true," he said of working with Witherspoon. "I just really am a big fan, and so myself and my camp, we wanted to do this with her, and we were thrilled that she was excited about it too."

Buble's camp made him want to work with Reese?

Let's leave that open goal there, shall we?

Rod Stewart announces plans to ruin Christmas

It might only be June, but already people in the music industry are working hard on plans to spoil Christmas.

In the list of 'things the world really doesn't need', how high is the idea of a Rod Stewart Christmas album? Seriously, there's no way that idea could be any worse.

The festive record will apparently include several all-star duets, including a collaboration with crooner Michael Buble.

I stand corrected.

Michael Buble: A puck in every port

It's easy to characterise Michael Buble as a dull, dull man. But surely that can't be true, can it? He has crazy times on tour, right?

Ice hockey enthusiast Michael Buble takes his obsession on tour with him by asking for a local team's puck in every venue he plays.

God. He's even duller than he appears at first.

Juno shortlist: A world where Avril Lavigne can still get on a shortlist

The shortlist for the Juno awards has been revealed. The fan's choice category looks more like a 'can you think of a Canadian act' round in Pointless. I'm surprised Rush aren't on there:

JUNO FAN CHOICE AWARD

Arcade Fire

Avril Lavigne

City and Colour

Deadmau5

Drake

Ginette Reno

Hedley

Justin Bieber

Michael Bublé

Nickelback


SINGLE OF THE YEAR

City and Colour
Fragile Bird

Hedley Universal
Invincible

Johnny Reid
Let's Go Higher

Nickelback
When We Stand Together

The Sheepdogs
I Don't Know


INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Coldplay
Mylo Xyloto

Lady Gaga
Born This Way

LMFAO
Sorry For Party Rocking

Rihanna
Loud


ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Avril Lavigne
Goodbye Lullabye

Drake
Take Care

Justin Bieber
Under the Mistletoe

Michael Bublé
Christmas

Nickelback
Here And Now


ARTIST OF THE YEAR
City and Colour
Deadmau5
Drake
Feist
Michael Bublé


GROUP OF THE YEAR
Arkells
Down With Webster
Hedley
Nickelback
Sam Roberts Band


NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Alyssa Reid
Dan Mangan
Diamond Rings
JRDN
Lindi Ortega


NEW GROUP OF THE YEAR

Braids
Hey Rosetta!
Mother Mother
The Rural Alberta Advantage
The Sheepdogs


SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Dallas Green
Dan Mangan
Feist
Jim Cuddy
Ron Sexsmith


COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Doc Walker
16 & 1

High Valley
High Valley

Jason McCoy
Everything

Jimmy Rankin
Forget About the World

Terri Clark
Roots and Wings


ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Cuff The Duke
Morning Comes

Feist
Metals

Jenn Grant
Honeymoon Punch

Jim Cuddy
Skyscraper Soul

Ron Sexsmith
Long Player Late Bloomer


ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Braids, Native Speaker

Dan Mangan, Oh Fortune

Destroyer, Kaputt

F***ed Up, David Comes To Life

Timber Timbre, Creep On Creepin On


POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Avril Lavigne, Goodbye Lullaby

Down With Webster, Time To Win Vol. II

Hedley, Storms

Lights, Siberia

Marianas Trench, Ever After


ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Arkells, Michigan Left

Matthew Good, Lights of Endangered Species

Sam Roberts Band, Collider

Sloan, The Double Cross

The Sheepdogs, Learn & Burn


VOCAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Diana Panton, To Brazil With Love

Fern Lindzon, Two Kites

Sonia Johnson, Le carré de nos amours

Sophie Milman, In The Moonlight

The Nylons, Skin Tight


CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Chris Tarry, Rest of the Story

Colin Stetson, New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges

François Bourassa Quartet, Idiosyncrasie

Hilario Duran & Jane Bunnett, Cuban Rhapsody

Phil Dwyer Orchestra feat. Mark Fewer, Changing Seasons


TRADITIONAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Dave Young Quintet, Aspects of Oscar

David Braid, Verge

Kirk MacDonald Orchestra, Deep Shadows

Mike Murley Septet, Still Rollin

Oliver Jones, Live In Baden


INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Andrew Collins, Cats & Dogs

Colin Stetson, New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges

L'Orkestre des Pas Perdus, L¹Âge du cuivre

Stretch Orchestra, Stretch Orchestra


FRANCOPHONE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Catherine Major, Le désert des solitudes

Coeur de Pirate, Blonde

Fred Pellerin, C¹est un monde

Jérôme Minière, Le vrai le faux

Malajube, La caverne



CHILDREN'S ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Bobs & Lolo, Connecting the Dots

Charlie Hope, Songs, Stories and Friends: Let's Go Play!

Eddie Douglas, Sleepy Sky Lullaby

Music with BRIAN, Everyone

Vocal Paint, My Butterfly/A Capella Lullabies


CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: SOLO OR CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

Canadian Brass, Brahms On Brass

Louis Lortie, Louis Lortie Plays Liszt

Marc-André Hamelin, Liszt Piano Sonata

New Orford String Quartet, Schubert & Beethoven

Susan Hoeppner, American Flute Masterpieces


CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: LARGE ENSEMBLE OR SOLOIST(S) WITH LARGE

ENSEMBLE ACCOMPANIMENT

Alexandre Da Costa/Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Daugherty : Fire and Blood

James Ehnes Chandos, Bartók Voilin Concertos

Jean-Guihen Queyras, Vivaldi Cello Concertos

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Orchestre Métropolitain, Bruckner 4

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Orchestre Métropolitain, Florent Schmidt- La tragédie de salomé


CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: VOCAL OR CHORAL PERFORMANCE

Jane Archibald;

Orchestre Symphonique Bienne; Thomas Rösner ATMA*Naxos

Haydn Arias

Karina Gauvin - Marie-Nicole Lemieux Naive*Naxos

Handel: Streams of Pleasure



Le Nouvel Opéra ATMA*Naxos

Caldara : La Conversione di Clodoveo

Marie-Josée Lord; Orchestre Métropolitain; Giuseppe Pietraroia ATMA*Naxos

Marie-Josée Lord

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra & Daniel Taylor Analekta*Sélect

J.S. Bach: Cantatas 70 & 154; Concerto 1060; Orchestral Suite No. 2



CLASSICAL COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR

Ann Southam, Glass Houses #5

Derek Charke, Sepia Fragments

Heather Schmidt, Piano Concerto No. 2

Jacques Hétu, String Quartet No. 2

Jeffrey Ryan, Fugitive Colours



RAP RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Classified, Handshakes and Middle Fingers

D-Sisive, Jonestown 2: Jimmy Go Bye Bye

Drake, Take Care

Kardinal Offishall, Anywhere (Ol¹ Time Killin¹ Part.2)

Swollen Members, Daggermouth



DANCE RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Anjulie, Brand New Chick

Deadmau5, Aural Psynapse

Duck Sauce, Barbara Streisand

Martin Solveig & Dragonette, Hello

Mia Martina, Devotion


R&B/SOUL RECORDING OF THE YEAR

JRDN, IAMJRDN

Jully Black, Set it Off ft. Kardinal Offishall

Karl Wolf Lone Wolf, Ghetto Love ft. Kardinal Offishall

Melanie Fiona, Gone And Never Coming Back

Robin Thicke, Pretty Lil Heart ft. Lil Wayne


ABORIGINAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Bruthers of Different Muthers, Speakers of Tomorrow

Donny Parenteau, To Whom It May Concern

Flying Down Thunder and Rise Ashen Balanced, One Nation

Murray Porter, Songs Lived & Life Played

Randy Wood, The Gift of Life


ROOTS & TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: SOLO

Bruce Cockburn, Small Source of Comfort

Craig Cardiff, Floods & Fires

Dave Gunning, A Tribute To John Allan Cameron

David Francey, Late Edition

Lindi Ortega, Little Red Boots


ROOTS & TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: GROUP

Good Lovelies, Let The Rain Fall

The Deep Dark Woods, The Place I Left Behind

The Once Borealis, Row Upon Row Of The People We Know

The Wailin' Jennys, Bright Morning Stars

Twilight Hotel, When The Wolves Go Blind


BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Bill Johnson, Still Blue

David Gogo, Soul Bender

Harrison Kennedy, Shame The Devil

MonkeyJunk, To Behold

Suzie Vinnick, Me + Mabel


CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Downhere Centricity, On The Altar of Love

Hawk Nelson, Crazy Love

Jon Bauer, Forevermore

Kellie Loder, Imperfections & Directions

Sky Terminal, Don't Close Your Eyes

WORLD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Aboulaye Kone et Bolo Kan, Afo Gné

Aline Morales, Flores, Tambores e Amores

Azam Ali, From Night To The Edge Of Day

Kiran Ahluwalia, Aam Zameen : common ground

Socalled, Sleepover

JACK RICHARDSON PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

Bob Rock

Brian Howes

David Foster

Noah Shebib

RECORDING ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

Chris Shreenan-Dyck

David Travers-Smith

George Seara

Jeff Wolpert

Michael Phillip Wojewoda


VIDEO OF THE YEAR

John JP Poliquin - The Stand - MOTHER MOTHER

Jon Busby - Rows of Houses - DAN MANGAN

Jose Lourenco - Stamp - THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE

Michael Maxxis - Good Day At The Races -HOLLERADO

Mike Roberts - Rumbleseat - THE SADIES

ELECTRONIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Arthur Oskan, A Little More Than Everything

Austra, Feel It Break

Azari & III, Azari & III

Junior Boys, It¹s All True

Tim Hecker, Ravendeath, 1972

METAL/HARD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Anvil, Juggernaut of Justice

Cauldron Earache, Burning Fortune

Devin Townsend Project, Deconstruction

F**k The Facts, Die Miserable

Michael Buble ponders Michael Buble

Michael Buble doesn't think he's sexy, you know:

The Canadian singer - who is set to tie the knot with Argentinean actress Luisana Lopilato on April 6 2011 - says he is never approached by women and can only see his self-deprecating sense of humour as the reason why people would fall for him.

He said: "They don't approach me and I don't think I'm sexy.

"If there is anything sexy about me maybe it's that I'm a goof and I don't take myself seriously. Isn't that kind of sexy? If you just take the p**s out of yourself a bit.

"I don't think sexy is, 'Hi, nice to meet you.' I sing beautiful songs and I mean what I say."

CORRECTION: In the first sentence of this article, I claimed that Michael Buble doesn't think he's sexy. That sentence should have read:

Michael Buble thinks it just makes him even more sexy when he talks about how he's self-deprecating, all the time thinking 'heh, nobody in the world is as good as I am at pretending that I don't think I'm all that'.

I regret the error.

Michael Buble thinks people who believe he mimes are idiots

Michael Buble was on The X Factor at the weekend - who knew that George Osborne's spending review wouldn't be the most miserable event on TV last week - and some people believe he was miming.

This has made Michael Buble very very very angry indeed. Because Michael is an artist. He fumed all over Scott Mills:

"People, whoever you are, if you're writing on these blogs or whatever, if you think that I'm miming, you're an idiot," he said.

"You're so used to being fed crap and you're so used to seeing people jam microphones in their faces because they're lip synching, that when you see somebody using actual mic tehcnique and move a microphone away... it's crazy."

The singer continued: "I'm shocked. Did they not listen to me? I was flat! I sang flat! And I was out of breath. If I was going to lip synch, wouldn't I just do it to my recording?"

Oh God, of course not, Michael - I mean, have you heard your recordings? Who'd want to have to trump around stage listening to one of those?

It's wonderful that he's appealing to people who watch the X Factor to judge the quality of his performance. They don't really have the best track record on these matters, do they?

In other news, Covent Garden act Mime And Mimer have angrily hit out at suggestions they have been pretending to be Michael Buble.

Juno Awards: Canada gives prizes

Who knew there was a still a land where working on a Dolores O'Riordan record would see you win a prize, rather than be detained in a secure unit?

The Canadian version of the Grammys, the Junos, were passed out this weekend. Actually, I say like the Grammys - it's hard to picture them giving proper, non-genre prizes to K'naan and Metric.

Here are the winners:

UNO FAN CHOICE AWARD
Presented By Pepsi
Winner
Michael Bublé

Reprise*Warner

----

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Winner
Haven’t Met You Yet
Michael Bublé

Reprise*Warner

-----

INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
Only By The Night
Kings Of Leon

RCA*Sony

---

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Canadian Recording Industry Association
Winner
Crazy Love
Michael Bublé

Reprise*Warner

---

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Winner
K’naan

A&M/Octone*Universal

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GROUP OF THE YEAR
Winner
Metric

Last Gang*Universal

---

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY FACTOR AND CANADA’S PRIVATE RADIO BROADCASTERS)
Winner
Drake

Aspire*Universal

---

NEW GROUP OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY FACTOR AND CANADA’S PRIVATE RADIO BROADCASTERS)
Winner
Arkells

Dine Alone*Universal

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SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO)
Winner
K’Naan
“Wavin Flag” – co-songwriters B. Mars, P. Lawrence & J. Daval | “Take A Minute”, “If Rap Gets Jealous” – co-songwriters G. Eaton & B. West
TROUBADOUR – K’Naan

A&M/Octone*Universal

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COUNTRY ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
Dance With Me
Johnny Reid

Open Road*Universal

---

ADULT ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY GALAXIE, YOUR MUSICAL UNIVERSE)
Winner
Three
Joel Plaskett

MapleMusic*Universal

---

ALTERNATIVE ALBUM OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY LONG & MCQUADE)
Winner
Fantasies
Metric

Last Gang*Universal


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POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
Crazy Love
Michael Bublé

Reprise*Warner

---

ROCK ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
III
Billy Talent

WEA*Warner

---

VOCAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
Ranee Lee Lives Upstairs
Ranee Lee

Justin Time*EMI

---

CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
The Happiness Project
Charles Spearin

Arts & Crafts*EMI

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TRADITIONAL JAZZ ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
It’s About Time
Terry Clarke

Blue Music

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INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
As Seen Through The Windows
Bell Orchestre

Arts & Crafts*EMI

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FRANCOPHONE ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
Les sentinelles dorment
Andrea Lindsay

GSI Musique*Select

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CHILDREN’S ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
Love My New Shirt
Norman Foote

Inarow Records

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CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: SOLO OR CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
Winner
Joel Quarrington: Garden Scene
Joel Quarrington

Analekta*Select

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CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: LARGE ENSEMBLE OR SOLOIST(S) WITH LARGE ENSEMBLE ACCOMPANIMENT
Winner
Mathieu, Shostakovich, Mendelssohn: Concertino & Concertos
Alain Lefèvre & London Mozart Players

Analekta*Select

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CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: VOCAL OR CHORAL PERFORMANCE
Winner
Adrianne Pieczonka sings Puccini
Adrianne Pieczonka

Orfeo*SRI

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CLASSICAL COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR
Winner
Lament In The Trampled Garden
Marjan Mozetich LAMENT IN THE TRAMPLED GARDEN

Centrediscs*CMC

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RAP RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Winner
So Far Gone
Drake

Aspire*Universal

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DANCE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Winner
For Lack Of A Better Name
Deadmau5

Ultra*EMI

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R&B/SOUL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Winner
Lonesome Highway
jacksoul

Sony

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REGGAE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Winner
Gonna Be Alright
Dubmatix ft. Prince Blanco

7 Arts

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ABORIGINAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY ABORIGINAL PEOPLES TELEVISION NETWORK)
Winner
We Are
Digging Roots

Odeimin*Outside

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ROOTS & TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: SOLO
Winner
Hunter, Hunter
Amelia Curran

Six Shooter*Warner

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ROOTS & TRADITIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: GROUP
Winner
Good Lovelies
Good Lovelies

Independent*Fontana North

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BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
The Corktown Sessions
Jack de Keyzer

Blue Star*Indiepool

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CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Winner
Where’s Our Revolution
Matt Brouwer

Black Shoe*Fontana North

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WORLD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS)
Winner
Comfortably Mine
Dominic Mancuso

Independent

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JACK RICHARDSON PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Winner
Bob Rock
“Haven’t Met You Yet” | “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)” – CRAZY LOVE – Michael Bublé

Reprise*Warner

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RECORDING ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Winner
Dan Brodbeck
“Apple Of My Eye” | "Be Careful" NO BAGGAGE – Dolores O’Riordan

Zoë/Rounder*Universal

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RECORDING PACKAGE OF THE YEAR
Winner
Martin Bernard (Art Director); Stéphane Cocke (Photographer); Thomas Csano (Designer/Illustrator)
Beats on Canvas BEATS ON CANVAS

BOC Records

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VIDEO OF THE YEAR

(SPONSORED BY MUCHFACT)
Winner
Little Bit Of Red
Marc Ricciardelli SERENA RYDER

EMI

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MUSIC DVD OF THE YEAR
Winner
Iron Maiden Flight 666
Sam Dunn, Scott McFadyen Rod Smallwood, Stefan Demetriou, Andy Taylor IRON MAIDEN

EMI

But for Michael Buble, all of us might have loved to daydream about moving to Canada.

Michael Buble: You're in with a chance

There's a Michael Buble announcement about dating fans:

"I have dated a fan. What's amazing is they start as a fan and they get to know you as a person and you become a real human being.

"I don't choose people to fall in love with because of what they do. I think good people are good people."

There is no way this is a big wink at the audience and a "it could happen, ladies".

Parky fills the hours

Did you happen to catch Michael Parkinson on Jonathan Ross at the start of the weekend? Somehow claiming that he'd given up his ITV chat show because he was tired of it - despite having been moaning on elsewhere that Michael Grade had canned it because it was too expensive? Still banging on about the BBC shifting him for Match Of The Day? Fawning over Ross and his interviewing technique, hoping nobody would remind him of his constant griping about the current state of the chat show?

If you've still not had enough of Parky shoved down your craw, you'll be delighted to hear that he's sticking out a series of albums. Because he's a proper journalist, you see, and not a celebrity, so he's following in the footsteps of the Charles Wheeler Presents The Hardline series from Def Jam a couple of years back.

There is, of course, a press release written in tones that make the Gospels sound uncommitted:

With a multi-award winning career as a broadcaster, Parkinson is renowned as one of the music industry's most influential figures. His series of album releases commences with the November 3rd release of 'My Life in Music', a compilation of the music that has provided the soundtrack to his life, remembers the extraordinary people he's met and celebrates the styles of music and performers he is most passionate about.

Is he really renowned as "one of the music industry's most influential figures"? Isn't that just a bit of old tosh dreamed up a couple of years back to try and boost the idea that appearing in the middle of the night on an ITV chat show while the world watched the football on the other side was some sort of a way to boost a career other than Parkinson's?

'My Life in Music' will be released on Reprise Records, the label founded by the man Parkinson calls his "greatest entertainer", the legendary Frank Sinatra, as well as home to one of his favourite contemporary artists Michael Bublé. The album's 40 tracks, hand picked by Parkinson, feature the crème de la crème of jazz and classical songs from some of the most respected artists including Bublé, Nat King Cole, Paul Simon, Elton John and of course Frank Sinatra. The Sinatra tracks are a particular coup as they are not usually licensed for compilations.

Interesting that "one of the music industry's most influential figures" has chosen to stick up a load of acts that, erm, got going quite nicely without his help. And, of course, Michael Buble who probably did get a boost from appearing on Parky shortly before disappearing again.

Still, good work on getting Sinatra onboard - after all, they only very occasionally allow his tracks to appear on compilations. They have to be of the quality of Classic Crooners Selection, for example.

And this is the first in a series. Michael, you're spoiling us.

Buble slams Grammys, tries desperately to take it back

"No, no, I was joking... honest..." - the desperate cry of people trying to put right what they've just got very wrong. Latest desperately hoping his mouth hasn't got him into trouble is Michael Buble.

He was asked about his grammy nomination, and his response? Less than gracious:

The Vancouver-based singer said in an interview with the Canadian Press on Tuesday "it's absolute crap" that his category is not part of the televised ceremony on Feb. 11.

Nominated for an award for best traditional vocal pop album, he had said he would rather stay in Vancouver and watch the Canucks play than attend the ceremony.

Not a good idea, of course, to slag off the academy while it's still voting. Now Buble - or, at least, his label - have issued an apology:

"I'm extremely honoured to have been nominated for a Grammy in the best traditional [pop] category.

"I did indeed make my feelings known that the category should be broadcast live during the award ceremony. This category honours the interpreters of some of the greatest songs ever written. There are millions of people like me who love and respect this music."

"I jokingly said that Tony Bennett is going to win anyway so why should I go? This is not sour grapes. I worship, love and respect Tony Bennett. He is my idol. I voted for him and he deserves to win.

"I mean no offence to the Grammy Awards, the Grammy nominees or the NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) organization."

Please, please don't be mean to me. Please.