Saturday, December 03, 2011

Ukeobit: Bill Tapia

Bill Tapia, a ukulele player believed to be the oldest musician still performing, has died. He was 103; he toured last year and released a live album just six months ago.

He has been playing so long, one of his earliest influences was John Philip Sousa's band. Which makes Noel Gallagher seem like a modernist.


Grammys 2012: The shortlist

It's going to be hard throwing a swanky awards bash in this economic climate. The temptation to be showy and flash must be avoided at all costs, while still keeping a sense of dignity. How are the Grammy organisers going with that?

Oh, yes. That ugly wrist choker is the official Grammy "timepiece" (implying there's no Grammy cuckoo clock this year) and comes in at just $1,395.

As ever, here's the full list of nominations; leap over to get to the chattery bit

1. Record Of The Year

Rolling In The Deep

Adele
Paul Epworth, producer; Tom Elmhirst & Mark Rankin, engineers/mixers
Track from: 21
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]


Holocene

Bon Iver
Justin Vernon, producer; Brian Joseph & Justin Vernon, engineers/mixers
Track from: Bon Iver
[Jagjaguwar]


Grenade

Bruno Mars
The Smeezingtons, producers; Ari Levine & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers
Track from: Doo-Wops & Hooligans
[Elektra]


The Cave

Mumford & Sons
Markus Dravs, producer; Francois Chevallier & Ruadhri Cushnan, engineers/mixers
Track from: Sigh No More
[Glassnote Records]


Firework

Katy Perry
Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen & Sandy Vee, producers; Mikkel S. Eriksen, Phil Tan, Sandy Vee & Miles Walker, engineers/mixers
[Capitol]



2. Album Of The Year

21

Adele
Jim Abbiss, Adele, Paul Epworth, Rick Rubin, Fraser T. Smith, Ryan Tedder & Dan Wilson, producers; Jim Abbiss, Philip Allen, Beatriz Artola, Ian Dowling, Tom Elmhirst, Greg Fidelman, Dan Parry, Steve Price, Mark Rankin, Andrew Scheps, Fraser T. Smith & Ryan Tedder, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]


Wasting Light

Foo Fighters
Butch Vig, producer; James Brown & Alan Moulder, engineers/mixers; Joe LaPorta & Emily Lazar, mastering engineers
[RCA Records/ Roswell Records]


Born This Way

Lady Gaga
Paul Blair, DJ Snake, Fernando Garibay, Lady Gaga, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Jeppe Laursen, RedOne & Clinton Sparks, producers; Fernando Garibay, Bill Malina, Trevor Muzzy, RedOne, Dave Russell, Justin Shirley Smith, Horace Ward & Tom Ware, engineers/mixers; Gene Grimaldi, mastering engineer
[Streamline/Interscope/Kon Live]


Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Bruno Mars
B.o.B, Cee Lo Green & Damian Marley, featured artists; Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin-Quee, Needlz & The Smeezingtons, producers; Ari Levine & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Stephen Marcussen, mastering engineer
[Elektra]


Loud

Rihanna
Drake, Eminem & Nicki Minaj, featured artists; Ester Dean, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Alex Da Kid, Skylar Grey, Kuk Harrell, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mel & Mus, Awesome Jones, Makeba Riddick, The Runners, Sham, Soundz, Chris "Tricky" Stewart, Sandy Vee & Willy Will, producers; Ariel Chobaz, Cary Clark, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Alex Da Kid, Josh Gudwin, Kuk Harrell, Jaycen Joshua, Manny Marroquin, Dana Nielsen, Chad "C-Note" Roper, Noah "40" Shebib, Corey Shoemaker, Jay Stevenson, Mike Strange, Phil Tan, Brian "B-Luv" Thomas, Marcos Tovar, Sandy Vee, Jeff "Supa Jeff" Villanueva, Miles Walker & Andrew Wuepper, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer
[Def Jam]



3. Song Of The Year

All Of The Lights

Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)
Track from: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
[Roc-A-Fella; Publishers: Very Good Beats/Hip Hop Since 1978]


The Cave

Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
Track from: Sigh No More
[Glassnote Records]


Grenade

Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Bruno Mars)
Track from: Doo-Wops & Hooligans
[Elektra; Publishers: Mars Force Music/Bughouse, Music Famamanem/Toy Plane Music/Art For Arts Sake/Late 80s Music/Westside Ind. Music/Studiobeat Music, Warner Tamerlane, Andrew Wyatt, Downtown DMP Songs]


Holocene

Justin Vernon, songwriter (Bon Iver)
Track from: Bon Iver
[Jagjaguwar; Publisher: April Base Publishing]


Rolling In The Deep

Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)
Track from: 21
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records; Publishers: Universal-Songs of Polygram/EMI Music Publishing]



4. Best New Artist

The Band Perry

Bon Iver

J. Cole

Nicki Minaj

Skrillex


5. Best Pop Solo Performance

Someone Like You

Adele
Track from: 21
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]


Yoü And I

Lady Gaga
Track from: Born This Way
[Streamline/Interscope/Kon Live]


Grenade

Bruno Mars
Track from: Doo-Wops & Hooligans
[Elektra]


Firework

Katy Perry
[Capitol]


F***in’ Perfect

Pink
[Jive Records]



6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Body And Soul

Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
Track from: Duets II
[Columbia Records]


Dearest

The Black Keys
Track from: Rave On Buddy Holly
[Fantasy]


Paradise

Coldplay
[Capitol Records]


Pumped Up Kicks

Foster The People
Track from: Torches
[Star Time Intl./Columbia]


Moves Like Jagger

Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera
Track from: Hands All Over
[A&M/Octone Records]



7. Best Pop Instrumental Album

Wish Upon A Star

Jenny Oaks Baker
[Shadow Mountain Records]


E Kahe Malie

Daniel Ho
[Daniel Ho Creations]


The Road From Memphis

Booker T. Jones
[Anti Records]


Hello Tomorrow

Dave Koz
[Concord Records]


Setzer Goes Instru-Mental!

Brian Setzer
[Surfdog Records]



8. Best Pop Vocal Album

21

Adele
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]


The Lady Killer

Cee Lo Green
[Radiculture/Elektra]


Born This Way

Lady Gaga
[Streamline/Interscope/Kon Live]


Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Bruno Mars
[Elektra]


Loud

Rihanna
[Def Jam]



9. Best Dance Recording

Raise Your Weapon

Deadmau5 & Greta Svabo Bech
Joel Zimmerman, producer
Track from: 4x4=12
[Ultra Records]


Barbra Streisand

Duck Sauce
Duck Sauce, producers; Duck Sauce, mixers
[Downtown Records]


Sunshine

David Guetta & Avicii
Avicii, David Guetta & Giorgio Tuinfort, producers; Avicii, mixer
Track from: Nothing But The Beat
[Virgin]


Call Your Girlfriend

Robyn
Klas Åhlund & Billboard, producers; Niklas Flyckt, mixer
Track from: Body Talk Pt. 3
[Interscope Records]


Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites

Skrillex
Skrillex, producer; Skrillex, mixer
Track from: Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites
[Big Beat/Atlantic]


Save The World

Swedish House Mafia
Steve Angello, Axel Hedfors & Sebastian Ingrosso, producers; Steve Angello, Axel Hedfors & Sebastian Ingrosso, mixers
[Astralwerks]



10. Best Dance/Electronica Album

Zonoscope

Cut/Copy
[Modular Recordings]


4x4=12

Deadmau5
[Ultra Records]


Nothing But The Beat

David Guetta
[Virgin Records]


Body Talk, Pt. 3

Robyn
[Interscope Records]


Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites

Skrillex
[Big Beat/Atlantic]



11. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Duets II

Tony Bennett & Various Artists
[Columbia Records]


The Gift

Susan Boyle
[Syco Music/Columbia Records]


In Concert On Broadway

Harry Connick Jr.
[Columbia Records]


Music Is Better Than Words

Seth MacFarlane
[Universal Republic]


What Matters Most - Barbra Streisand Sings The Lyrics Of Alan And Marilyn Bergman

Barbra Streisand
[Columbia Records]



12. Best Rock Performance

Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

Coldplay
[Capitol Records/ EMI/ Parlophone]


Down By The Water

The Decemberists
Track from: The King Is Dead
[Capitol]


Walk

Foo Fighters
Track from: Wasting Light
[RCA Records/ Roswell Records]


The Cave

Mumford & Sons
Track from: Sigh No More
[Glassnote Records]


Lotus Flower

Radiohead
Track from: The King Of Limbs
[XL/ TBD Recordings]



13. Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance

On The Backs Of Angels

Dream Theater
[Roadrunner Records]


White Limo

Foo Fighters
Track from: Wasting Light
[RCA Records/ Roswell Records]


Curl Of The Burl

Mastodon
[Reprise Records]


Public Enemy No. 1

Megadeth
[Roadrunner Records]


Blood In My Eyes

Sum 41
Track from: Screaming Bloody Murder
[Island]



14. Best Rock Song

The Cave

Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
Track from: Sigh No More
[Glassnote Records]


Down By The Water

Colin Meloy, songwriter (The Decemberists)
Track from: The King Is Dead
[Capitol; Publisher: Osterozhna Music]


Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay)
[Capitol Records/ EMI/ Parlophone; Publishers: Edition Pink Music/Hanseatic Musikverklag, Opal Music/Upala Music, Universal Music Publishing, Woulnough Music/Irving Music]


Lotus Flower

Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway & Thom Yorke, songwriters (Radiohead)
Track from: The King Of Limbs
[XL/ TBD Recordings; Publisher: Ticker Tape Ltd.]


Walk

Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
Track from: Wasting Light
[RCA Records/ Roswell Records; Publishers: M.J.-Twelve Music, I Love The Punk Rock Music, Living Under A Rock Music, Flying Earform Music, Ruthensmear Music]



15. Best Rock Album

Rock 'N' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul

Jeff Beck
[ATCO]


Wasting Light

Foo Fighters
[RCA Records/ Roswell Records]


Come Around Sundown

Kings Of Leon
[RCA Records]


I'm With You

Red Hot Chili Peppers
[WB]


The Whole Love

Wilco
[dBpm Records/ Anti Records]



16. Best Alternative Music Album

Bon Iver

Bon Iver
[Jagjaguwar]


Codes And Keys

Death Cab For Cutie
[Atlantic/ Barsuk]


Torches

Foster The People
[Star Time Intl./ Columbia]


Circuital

My Morning Jacket
[ATO Records]


The King Of Limbs

Radiohead
[XL/ TBD Records]



17. Best R&B Performance

Far Away

Marsha Ambrosius
Track from: Late Nights & Early Mornings
[J Records]


Pieces Of Me

Ledisi
Track from: Pieces Of Me
[Verve Forecast]


Not My Daddy

Kelly Price & Stokley
Track from: Kelly
[My Block/Sang Girl/Malaco]


Is This Love

Corinne Bailey Rae
Track from: The Love EP
[Capitol]


You Are

Charlie Wilson
Track from: Just Charlie
[Jive Records]



18. Best Traditional R&B Performance

Sometimes I Cry

Eric Benét
[Reprise]


Fool For You

Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
[Radiculture/Elektra]


Radio Message

R. Kelly
Track from: Love Letter
[Jive Records]


Good Man

Raphael Saadiq
Track from: Stone Rollin'
[Columbia Records]


Surrender

Betty Wright & The Roots
Track from: Betty Wright: The Movie
[Ms B Records & S-Curve Records]



19. Best R&B Song

Far Away

Marsha Ambrosius, Larrance Dopson, Lamar Edwards, Sterling Simms & Justin Smith, songwriters (Marsha Ambrosius)
Track from: Late Nights & Early Mornings
[J Records; Publishers: Marshmellow Music/SPZ Music/Downtown DMP Songs, N.Q.C. Music/F.O.B. Music, YS Publishing, Stone Agate Music]


Fool For You

Cee Lo Green, Melanie Halim, Jack Splash, songwriters (Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona)
[Radiculture/Elektra; Publishers: Jacks Love Emporium/Radiculture Publishing/EMI Blackwood Music, Chrysalis Music/God Given Music]


Not My Daddy

Kelly Price, songwriter (Kelly Price & Stokley)
Track from: Kelly
[My Block/Sang Girl/Malaco; Publishers: For The Write Price/Roynet]


Pieces Of Me

Charles Harmon, Claude Kelly & Ledisi Young, songwriters (Ledisi)
Track from: Pieces Of Me
[Verve Forecast]


You Are

Dennis Bettis, Carl M. Days, Jr., Wirlie Morris, Charlie Wilson & Mahin Wilson, songwriters (Charlie Wilson)
Track from: Just Charlie
[Jive Records; Publishers: Nephew Wirlie Music, Pacific Coast Pirate Publishing, P Ty Music, Escribir Publishing, Mammas Pebbly Publishing]



20. Best R&B Album

F.A.M.E.

Chris Brown
[Jive Records]


Second Chance

El DeBarge
[Geffen]


Love Letter

R. Kelly
[Jive Records]


Pieces Of Me

Ledisi
[Verve Forecast]


Kelly

Kelly Price
[My Block/Sang Girl/Malaco]



21. Best Rap Performance

Look At Me Now

Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
Track from: F.A.M.E.
[Jive Records]


Otis

Jay-Z & Kanye West
Track from: Watch The Throne
[Roc-A-Fella Records/Def Jam]


The Show Goes On

Lupe Fiasco
Track from: Lasers
[1st & 15th/Atlantic]


Moment 4 Life

Nicki Minaj & Drake
Track from: Pink Friday
[Cash Money/Universal Motown]


Black And Yellow

Wiz Khalifa
Track from: Rolling Papers
[Rostrum/Atlantic]



22. Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

Party

Beyoncé & André 3000
Track from: 4
[Columbia Records]


I'm On One

DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
Track from: We The Best Forever
[Cash Money/Universal Motown]


I Need A Doctor

Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
[Aftermath]


What's My Name?

Rihanna & Drake
Track from: Loud
[Def Jam]


Motivation

Kelly Rowland & Lil Wayne
Track from: Here I am
[Universal Motown]


All Of The Lights

Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie
Track from: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
[Def Jam]



23. Best Rap Song

All Of The Lights

Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)
Track from: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
[Roc-A Fella; Publishers: Very Good Beats/Hip Hop Since 1978]


Black And Yellow

Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa)
Track from: Rolling Papers
[Rostrum/Atlantic; Publishers: PGH Sound/WB Music/EMI Music]


I Need A Doctor

Andre Young, Marshall Mathers III, Alexander Grant & Skylar Grey, songwriters (Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey)
[Aftermath]


Look At Me Now

Jean Baptiste, Chris Brown, Ryan Buendia, Trevor Smith, Dwayne Carter, Jr., Wesley Pentz & Nick Van De Wall, songwriters (Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes)
Track from: F.A.M.E.
[Jive Records; Publishers: Songs of Universal/Culture Beyond Ur Experience, I Like Turtles Music/Downtown Music, Cherry315 Publishing/The Bad Bad Guys, Meloist Music, Mack Music/Young Money Publishing/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing, T'Ziah's Music]


Otis

Shawn Carter & Kanye West, songwriters (James Brown, Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, Roy Hammond, J. Roach, Kirk Robinson & Harry Woods, songwriters) (Jay-Z & Kanye West)
Track from: Watch The Throne
[Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam; Publishers: Hip Hop Since 1978, EMI Robbins, BMG Gold/Hot Buttermilk Music/BMG Platinum/First Priority/Swing Beat Songs, Universal Music, Dynatone Publishing]


The Show Goes On

Dustin William Brower, Jonathon Keith Brown, Daniel Johnson, Kane & Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, songwriters (Isaac Brock, Dann Gallucci & Eric Judy, songwriters) (Lupe Fiasco)
Track from: Lasers
[1st & 15th/Atlantic; Publishers: Hey Lu Chill, Heavy As Heaven/Universal/Artist Pub. Group West, Dustin William Brown Pub. Designee, Jonathan K. Brown Pub. Designee, Sony/ATV, Best Dressed Chicken In Town, Tschudi Music, Ugly Casanova]



24. Best Rap Album

Watch The Throne

Jay-Z & Kanye West
[Def Jam]


Tha Carter IV

Lil Wayne
[Cash Money/Young Money/Universal Republic]


Lasers

Lupe Fiasco
[1st & 15th/Atlantic]


Pink Friday

Nicki Minaj
[Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown]


My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West
[Def Jam]



25. Best Country Solo Performance

Dirt Road Anthem

Jason Aldean
[Broken Bow Records]


I'm Gonna Love You Through It

Martina McBride
[Republic Nashville]


Honey Bee

Blake Shelton
Track from: Red River Blue
[Warner Bros. Records]


Mean

Taylor Swift
Track from: Speak Now
[Big Machine Records]


Mama's Song

Carrie Underwood
Track from: Play On
[Arista Nahville]



26. Best Country Duo/Group Performance

Don't You Wanna Stay

Jason Aldean With Kelly Clarkson
[Broken Bow Records]


You And Tequila

Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter
[BNA Records]


Barton Hollow

The Civil Wars
Track from: Barton Hollow
[Sensibility Music LLC]


Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not

Thompson Square
Track from: Thompson Square
[Stoney Creek Records]



27. Best Country Song

Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not

Jim Collins & David Lee Murphy, songwriters (Thompson Square)
Track from: Thompson Square
[Stoney Creek Records; Publishers: Sexy Tractor Music/Hope-N-Cal Music, Old Desperados/N2D Publishing]


God Gave Me You

Dave Barnes, songwriter (Blake Shelton)
[Warner Bros.; Publisher: No Gang Music]


Just Fishin'

Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell & Ed Hill, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
[Show Dog-Universal Music; Publishers: Sony/ATV Acuff Rose Music/Six Ring Circus Songs; Sony/ATV Tree Publishing; Five Hills Music]


Mean

Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
Track from: Speak Now
[Big Machine Records; Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, Taylor Swift Music]


Threaten Me With Heaven

Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Will Owsley & Dillon O’Brian, songwriters (Vince Gill)
[MCA Nashville]


You And Tequila

Matraca Berg & Deana Carter, songwriters (Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter)
[BNA Records]



28. Best Country Album

My Kinda Party

Jason Aldean
[Broken Bow Records]


Chief

Eric Church
[EMI Records Nashville]


Own The Night

Lady Antebellum
[Capitol Records Nashville]


Red River Blue

Blake Shelton
[Warner Bros. Records]


Here For A Good Time

George Strait
[MCA Nashville]


Speak Now

Taylor Swift
[Big Machine Records]



29. Best New Age Album

Northern Seas

Al Conti
[Shadowside Music]


Gaia

Michael Brant DeMaria
[Ontos Music]


Wind, Rock, Sea & Flame

Peter Kater
[Point Of Light Records]


What's It All About

Pat Metheny
[Nonesuch]


Instrumental Oasis, Vol. 6

Zamora
[Z-Records]



30. Best Improvised Jazz Solo

All Or Nothing At All

Randy Brecker, soloist
Track from: The Jazz Ballad Song Book (Randy Brecker With DR Big Band)
[Half Note]


You Are My Sunshine

Ron Carter, soloist
Track from: This Is Jazz (Donald Harrison, Ron Carter & Billy Cobham)
[Half Note]


500 Miles High

Chick Corea, soloist
Track from: Forever (Corea, Clarke & White)
[Concord Records]


Work

Fred Hersch, soloist
Track from: Alone At The Vanguard
[Palmetto Records]


Sonnymoon For Two

Sonny Rollins, soloist
Track from: Road Shows Vol. 2
[Doxy/Emarcy/Decca]



31. Best Jazz Vocal Album

'Round Midnight

Karrin Allyson
[Concord Jazz]


The Mosaic Project

Terri Lyne Carrington & Various Artists
[Concord Jazz]


The Gate

Kurt Elling
[Concord Jazz]


American Road

Tierney Sutton (Band)
[BFM Jazz]


The Music Of Randy Newman

Roseanna Vitro
[Motéma Music]



32. Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Bond: The Paris Sessions

Gerald Clayton
[Emarcy/Decca]


Forever

Corea, Clarke & White
[Concord Records]


Alone At The Vanguard

Fred Hersch
[Palmetto Records]


Bird Songs

Joe Lovano/Us Five
[Blue Note]


Road Shows Vol. 2

Sonny Rollins
[Doxy/Emarcy/Decca]


Timeline

Yellowjackets
[Mack Avenue Records]



33. Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

The Jazz Ballad Song Book

Randy Brecker With DR Big Band
[Half Note]


The Good Feeling

Christian McBride Big Band
[Mack Avenue Records]


40 Acres And A Burro

Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
[Zoho]


Legacy

Gerald Wilson Orchestra
[Mack Avenue Records]


Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook

Miguel Zenón
[Marsalis Music]



34. Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance

Do Everything

Steven Curtis Chapman
Track from: re:Creation
[Sparrow Records]


Alive (Mary Magdalene)

Natalie Grant
Track from: Music Inspired By The Story
[WOW Joint Venture/EMI CMG]


Your Love

Brandon Heath
Track from: Leaving Eden
[Reunion Records]


Jesus

Le'Andria Johnson
Track from: The Awakening Of Le'Andria Johnson
[Music World Gospel]


I Lift My Hands

Chris Tomlin
Track from: And If Our God Is For Us...
[Sparrow Records / sixstepsrecords]



35. Best Gospel Song

Hello Fear

Kirk Franklin, songwriter (Kirk Franklin)
Track from: Hello Fear
[Verity Gospel Music Group/Fo Yo Soul Ent.; Publisher: Aunt Gertrude Music]


Sitting With Me

Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell, Gerald Haddon & Tammi Haddon, songwriters (Mary Mary)
Track from: Something Big
[Columbia Records; Publishers: Precious Baby Music/T Bella Music/EMI April Music, It's Tea Tyme, That's Plum Song]


Spiritual

Donald Lawrence, songwriter (Donald Lawrence & Co. Featuring Blanche McAllister-Dykes)
Track from: YRM (Your Righteous Mind)
[Verity Gospel Music Group; Publisher: Quiet Water Entertainment]


Trust Me

Richard Smallwood, songwriter (Richard Smallwood & Vision)
Track from: Promises
[Verity Gospel Music Group; Publishers: Universal-Z Tunes/T.Autumn Music]


Window

Canton Jones, songwriter (Canton Jones)
Track from: Dominionaire
[Cajo Records; Publisher: CAJO Music]



36. Best Contemporary Christian Music Song

Blessings

Laura Story, songwriter (Laura Story)
Track from: Blessings
[Fair Trade Services; Publishers: New Spring/Gleaning Publishing]


Hold Me

Jamie Grace Harper, Toby McKeehan & Christopher Stevens, songwriters (Jamie Grace Featuring Tobymac)
[Gotee Records; Publishers: Universal Music, Brentwood Benson Tunes, Songs of Third Base/Chriscendo Music, Meaux Mercy/Achtober Songs]


I Lift My Hands

Louie Giglio, Matt Maher & Chris Tomlin, songwriters (Chris Tomlin)
Track from: And If Our God Is For Us...
[Sparrow Records/sixstepsrecords; Publishers: sixsteps Music/worshiptogether.com Songs/Vamos Publishing/Thankyou Music/spiritandsong.com Publishing]


Strong Enough

Matthew West, songwriter (Matthew West)
Track from: The Story Of Your Life
[Sparrow Records; Publishers: External Combustion Music/Songs For Delaney/Songs of Southside Independent Music]


Your Love

Brandon Heath & Jason Ingram, songwriters (Brandon Heath)
Track from: Leaving Eden
[Reunion Records; Publishers: Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing/Big Skwawka Music, Sony/ATV Timber Publishing/Windsor Hill Music]



37. Best Gospel Album

The Love Album

Kim Burrell
[Shanachie Entertainment]


The Journey

Andraé Crouch
[Riverphlo Entertainment]


Hello Fear

Kirk Franklin
[Verity Gospel Music Group/ Fo Yo Soul Ent.]


Something Big

Mary Mary
[Columbia Records]


Angel & Chanelle Deluxe Edition

Trin-I-Tee 5:7
[Music World Gospel]



38. Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

Ghosts Upon The Earth

Gungor
[Brash Music]


Leaving Eden

Brandon Heath
[Reunion Records]


The Great Awakening

Leeland
[Essential Records]


What If We Were Real

Mandisa
[Sparrow Records]


Black & White

Royal Tailor
[Essential Records]


And If Our God Is For Us...

Chris Tomlin
[Sparrow Records / sixstepsrecords]



39. Best Latin Pop, Rock, Or Urban Album

Entren Los Que Quieran

Calle 13
[Sony Music]


Entre La Ciudad Y El Mar

Gustavo Galindo
[Surco/Universal Music Latino]


Nuestra

La Vida Bohème
[Nacional Records]


Not So Commercial

Los Amigos Invisibles
[Nacional Records]


Drama Y Luz

Maná
[Warner Music Mexico]



40. Best Regional Mexican Or Tejano Album

Bicentenario

Pepe Aguilar
[Venemusic]


Orale

Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea
[Shea Records/East Side Records]


Amor A La Musica

Mariachi Los Arrieros Del Valle
[Los Arrieros]


Eres Un Farsante

Paquita La Del Barrio
[Balboa Records, Co]


Huevos Rancheros

Joan Sebastian
[Fonovisa]



41. Best Banda Or Norteño Album

Estare Mejor

El Güero Y Su Banda Centenario
[A.R.C. Discos]


Intocable 2011

Intocable
[Good I Music]


Los Tigres Del Norte And Friends

Los Tigres Del Norte
[Fonovisa]


El Árbol

Los Tucanes De Tijuana
[Fonovisa]


No Vengo A Ver Si Puedo... Si Por Que Puedo Vengo

Michael Salgado
[Zurdo Records]



42. Best Tropical Latin Album

Homenaje A Los Rumberos

Edwin Bonilla
[Sonic Projects Records]


The Last Mambo

Cachao
[Eventus/Sony Music Latin]


Mongorama

José Rizo's Mongorama
[Saungu Records]



43. Best Americana Album

Emotional Jukebox

Linda Chorney
[Dance More Less War Records]


Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down

Ry Cooder
[Perro Verde Records LLC/Nonesuch]


Hard Bargain

Emmylou Harris
[Nonesuch]


Ramble At The Ryman

Levon Helm
[Vanguard/Dirt Farmer Music]


Blessed

Lucinda Williams
[Lost Highway Records]



44. Best Bluegrass Album

Paper Airplane

Alison Krauss & Union Station
[Rounder]


Reason And Rhyme: Bluegrass Songs By Robert Hunter & Jim Lauderdale

Jim Lauderdale
[Sugar Hill Records]


Rare Bird Alert

Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
[Rounder]


Old Memories: The Songs Of Bill Monroe

The Del McCoury Band
[McCoury Music]


A Mother's Prayer

Ralph Stanley
[Rebel Records]


Sleep With One Eye Open

Chris Thile & Michael Daves
[Nonesuch]



45. Best Blues Album

Low Country Blues

Gregg Allman
[Rounder]


Roadside Attractions

Marcia Ball
[Alligator]


Man In Motion

Warren Haynes
[Stax Records]


The Reflection

Keb Mo
[Yolabelle International/Ryko Records]


Revelator

Tedeschi Trucks Band
[Masterworks]



46. Best Folk Album

Barton Hollow

The Civil Wars
[Sensibility Music LLC]


I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive

Steve Earle
[New West Records]


Helplessness Blues

Fleet Foxes
[Sub Pop]


Ukulele Songs

Eddie Vedder
[Monkeywrench Inc./Universal Republic]


The Harrow & The Harvest

Gillian Welch
[Acony Records]



47. Best Regional Roots Music Album

Can't Sit Down

C.J. Chenier
[World Village]


Wao Akua - The Forest Of The Gods

George Kahumoku, Jr.
[Daniel Ho Creations]


Rebirth Of New Orleans

Rebirth Brass Band
[Basin Street Records]


Grand Isle

Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
[Mamou Playboy Records]


Not Just Another Polka

Jimmy Sturr & His Orchesta
[Starr Record]



48. Best Reggae Album

Harlem-Kingston Express Live!

Monty Alexander
[Motéma Music]


Reggae Knights

Israel Vibration
[Mediacom/VPAL]


Revelation Pt 1: The Root Of Life

Stephen Marley
[Tuff Gong/Universal Republic]


Wild And Free

Ziggy Marley
[Tuff Gong Worldwide]


Summer In Kingston

Shaggy
[Ranch Entertainment]



49. Best World Music Album

AfroCubism

AfroCubism
[World Circuit/Nonesuch]


Africa For Africa

Femi Kuti
[Knitting Factory Records]


Songs From A Zulu Farm

Ladysmith Black Mambazo
[Razor & Tie]


Tassili

Tinariwen
[Anti Records]



50. Best Children's Album

All About Bullies... Big And Small

(Various Artists)
James Cravero, Gloria Domina, Kevin Mackie, Steve Pullara & Patrick Robinson, producers
[Cool Beans Music & East Coast Recording Co.]


Are We There Yet?

The Papa Hugs Band
[Indie]


Fitness Rock & Roll

Miss Amy
[Ionian Productions, Inc]


GulfAlive

The Banana Plant
[The Banana Plant]


I Love: Tom T. Hall's Songs Of Fox Hollow

(Various Artists)
Eric Brace & Peter Cooper, producers
[Red Beet Records]



51. Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling)

Bossypants

Tina Fey
[Hachette Audio]


Fab Fan Memories - The Beatles Bond

(Various Artists)
Nathan Burbank, Bryan Cumming, Dennis Scott & David Toledo, producers
[WannaBeats Records]


Hamlet (William Shakespeare)

Dan Donohue & Various Artists - Oregon Shakespeare Festival
[Blackstone Audio Inc]


If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won't)

Betty White
[Penguin Audio]


The Mark Of Zorro

Val Kilmer & Cast
[Blackstone Audio Inc.]



52. Best Comedy Album

Alpocalypse

"Weird Al" Yankovic
[Jive Records]


Finest Hour

Patton Oswalt
[Comedy Central Records]


Hilarious

Louis C.K.
[Comedy Central Records]


Kathy Griffin: 50 & Not Pregnant

Kathy Griffin
[Universal Network Television]


Turtleneck & Chain

The Lonely Island
[Universal Republic]



53. Best Musical Theater Album

Anything Goes

Sutton Foster & Joel Grey, principal soloists; Rob Fisher, James Lowe & Joel
Moss, producers (Cole Porter, composer/lyricist) (New Broadway Cast Recording)
[Ghostlight Records]


The Book Of Mormon

Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells, principal soloists; Anne Garefino, Robert Lopez,
Stephen Oremus, Trey Parker, Scott Rudin & Matt Stone, producers; Robert Lopez, Trey Parker & Matt Stone, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)
[Ghostlight Records]


How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

John Larroquette & Daniel Radcliffe, principal soloists; Robert Sher, producer
(Frank Loesser, composer/lyricist) (The 2011 Broadway Cast Recording)
[Decca]



54. Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media

Boardwalk Empire: Volume 1

(Various Artists)
[Elektra]


Burlesque

Christina Aguilera
[RCA Records]


Glee: The Music, Volume 4

(Glee Cast)
[Columbia Records]


Tangled

(Various Artists)
[Walt Disney Records]


True Blood: Volume 3

(Various Artists)
[WaterTower Music]



55. Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media

Black Swan

Clint Mansell, composer
[Sony Classical/Fox Music]


Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Alexandre Desplat, composer
[WaterTower Music]


The King's Speech

Alexandre Desplat, composer
[Decca]


The Shrine

Ryan Shore, composer
[Screamworks]


Tron Legacy

Daft Punk, composers
[Walt Disney Records]



56. Best Song Written For Visual Media

Born To Be Somebody (From Never Say Never)

Diane Warren, songwriter (Justin Bieber)
Track from: Never Say Never The Remixes
[Island/Raymond Braun/School Boy]


Christmastime Is Killing Us (From Family Guy)

Ron Jones, Seth MacFarlane & Danny Smith, songwriters (Danny Smith, Ron Jones & Seth MacFarlane)
[Fox Music]


I See The Light (From Tangled)

Alan Menken & Glenn Slater, songwriters (Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi)
Track from: Tangled
[Walt Disney Records; Publishers: Wonderland Music/Walt Disney Music]


So Long (From Winnie The Pooh)

Zooey Deschanel, songwriter (Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward)
Track from: Winnie The Pooh
[Walt Disney Records; Publisher: Walt Disney Music]


Where The River Goes (From Footloose)

Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Drew Pearson & Anne Preven, songwriters (Zac Brown)
Track from: Footloose
[Atlantic/Warner Music Nashville; Publishers: Weimerhound Publishing,Warner-Tamerlane Publishing, CYP Two Publishing, Lil Dub Music/Angelika Music]


You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me (From Burlesque)

Diane Warren, songwriter (Cher)
Track from: Burlesque
[RCA Records; Publisher: Realsongs]



57. Best Instrumental Composition

Falling Men

John Hollenbeck, composer (John Hollenbeck, Daniel Yvinec & Orchestre National de Jazz (ONJ))
Track from: Shut Up And Dance
[BEE JAZZ / Abeille Musique]


Hunting Wabbits 3 (Get Off My Lawn)

Gordon Goodwin, composer (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band)
Track from: That's How We Roll
[Telarc International]


I Talk To The Trees

Randy Brecker, composer (Randy Brecker With DR Big Band)
Track from: The Jazz Ballad Song Book
[Half Note]


Life In Eleven

Béla Fleck & Howard Levy, composers (Béla Fleck & The Flecktones)
Track from: Rocket Science
[eOne Music]


Timeline

Russell Ferrante, composer (Yellowjackets)
Track from: Timeline
[Mack Avenue Records]



58. Best Instrumental Arrangement

All Or Nothing At All

Peter Jensen, arranger (Randy Brecker With DR Big Band)
Track from: The Jazz Ballad Song Book
[Half Note]


In The Beginning

Clare Fischer, arranger (The Clare Fischer Big Band)
Track from: Continuum
[Clare Fischer Productions/Clavo Records]


Nasty Dance

Bob Brookmeyer, arranger (The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra)
Track from: Forever Lasting - Live In Tokyo
[Planet Arts Recordings]


Rhapsody In Blue

Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band)
Track from: That's How We Roll
[Telarc International]


Song Without Words

Carlos Franzetti, arranger (Carlos Franzetti & Allison Brewster Franzetti)
Track from: Alborada
[Amapola Records]



59. Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)

Ao Mar

Vince Mendoza, arranger (Vince Mendoza)
Track from: Nights On Earth
[HORIZONTAL]


Moon Over Bourbon Street

Nicola Tescari, arranger (Sting & The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra)
Track from: Sting Live In Berlin
[Deutsche Grammophon]


On Broadway

Kevin Axt, Ray Brinker, Trey Henry, Christian Jacob & Tierney Sutton, arrangers (The Tierney Sutton Band)
Track from: American Road
[BFM Jazz]


Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)

Jorge Calandrelli, arranger (Tony Bennett & Queen Latifah)
Track from: Duets II
[RPM/Columbia Records]


The Windmills Of Your Mind

William A. Ross, arranger (Barbra Streisand)
Track from: What Matters Most - Barbra Streisand Sings The Lyrics Of Alan And Marilyn Bergman
[Columbia Records]



60. Best Recording Package

Chickenfoot III

Todd Gallopo, art director (Chickenfoot)
[eOne Music]


Good Luck & True Love

Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)
[No Big Deal Records]


Rivers And Homes

Jonathan Dagan, art director (J.Viewz)
[Jorjia Music]


Scenes From The Suburbs

Vincent Morisset, art director (Arcade Fire)
[Merge Records]


Watch The Throne

Virgil Abloh, art director (Jay-Z & Kanye West)
[Def Jam]



61. Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package

The King Of Limbs

Donald Twain & Zachariah Wildwood, art directors (Radiohead)
[ATO Records]


The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story

Dave Bett & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)
[Columbia Records]


25th Anniversary Music Box

Matt Taylor & Ellen Wakayama, art directors (Danny Elfman & Tim Burton)
[WB]


25 Years

James Spindler, art director (Sting)
[A&M Records/Cherrytree Records/UMe]


Wingless Angels - Deluxe Edition

David Gorman, art director (Wingless Angels)
[Mindless Records, LLC]



62. Best Album Notes

The Bang Years 1966-1968

Neil Diamond, album notes writer (Neil Diamond)
[Columbia/Legacy]


The Bristol Sessions, 1927-1928: The Big Bang Of Country Music

Ted Olson & Tony Russell, album notes writers (Various Artists)
[Bear Family]


Syl Johnson: Complete Mythology

Ken Shipley, album notes writer (Syl Johnson)
[The Numero Group]


Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond As Recorded By The San Francisco Bay By Chris Strachwitz In The 1960s

Adam Machado, album notes writer (Various Artists)
[Arhoolie Records]


The Music City Story: Street Corner Doo Wop, Raw R&B And Soulful Sounds From Berkeley, California 1950-75

Alec Palao, album notes writer (Various Artists)
[Ace Records]



63. Best Historical Album

Band On The Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection - Deluxe Edition)

Paul McCartney, compilation producer; Sam Okell & Steve Rooke, mastering engineers (Paul McCartney & Wings)
[Hear Music]


The Bristol Sessions, 1927-1928: The Big Bang Of Country Music

Christopher C. King & Ted Olson, compilation producers; Christopher C. King & Chris Zwarg, mastering engineers (Various Artists)
[Bear Family]


Syl Johnson: Complete Mythology

Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Jeff Lipton, mastering engineer (Syl Johnson)
[The Numero Group]


Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond As Recorded By The San Francisco Bay By Chris Strachwitz In The 1960s

Chris Strachwitz, compilation producer; Mike Cogan, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
[Arhoolie Records]


Young Man With The Big Beat: The Complete '56 Elvis Presley Masters

Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, compilation producer; Vic Anesini, mastering engineer (Elvis Presley)
[RCA/Legacy]



64. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

Follow Me Down

Brandon Bell & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Sangwook "Sunny" Nam & Doug Sax, mastering engineers (Sarah Jarosz)
[Sugar Hill Records]


The Harrow & The Harvest

Matt Andrews, engineer; Stephen Marcussen, mastering engineer (Gillian Welch)
[Acony Records]


Music Is Better Than Words

Rich Breen & Frank Filipetti, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Seth MacFarlane)
[Universal Republic]


The Next Right Thing

Kevin Killen, Brendan Muldowney & John Shyloski, engineers; John Shyloski, mastering engineer (Seth Glier)
[MPress Records]


Paper Airplane

Mike Shipley, engineer; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)
[Rounder]



65. Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

Danger Mouse

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi Present Rome (Gilda Buttá, Luciano Ciccaglioni, Gegé Munari, Dario Rosciglione, Antonello Vannucchi et al) (A)
Meyrin Fields EP (Broken Bells) (S)

Paul Epworth

Call It What You Want (Foster The People) (T)
I Would Do Anything For You (Foster The People) (T)
I'll Be Waiting (Adele) (T)
Life On The Nickel (Foster The People) (T)
No One's Gonna Love You (Cee-Lo Green) (S)
Rolling In The Deep (Adele) (T)

The Smeezingtons

Doo-Wops & Hooligans (Bruno Mars) (A)
If I Was You (OMG) (Far East Movement Featuring Snoop Dogg) (T)
Lighters (Bad Meets Evil Featuring Bruno Mars) (T)
Mirror (Lil Wayne Featuring Bruno Mars) (T)
Rocketeer (Far East Movement Featuring Ryan Tedder of One Republic) (T)

Ryan Tedder

Brighter Than The Sun (Colbie Caillat) (T)
Favorite Song (Colbie Caillat Featuring Common) (T)
I Remember Me (Jennifer Hudson) (T)
I Was Here (Beyoncé) (T)
Not Over You (Gavin DeGraw) (S)
#1Nite (One Night) (Cobra Starship) (S)
Rumour Has It (Adele) (T)
Sweeter (Gavin DeGraw) (T)
Who's That Boy (Demi Lovato Featuring Dev) (T)

Butch Vig

Wasting Light (Foo Fighters) (A)


66. Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

Cinema (Skrillex Remix)

Sonny Moore, remixer (Benny Benassi)
Track from: Electroman
[Ultra Records]


Collide (Afrojack Remix)

Afrojack, remixer (Leona Lewis)
[RCA/Syco Music]


End Of Line (Photek Remix)

Photek, remixer (Daft Punk)
Track from: Tron: Legacy Reconfigured
[Walt Disney Records]


Only Girl (In The World) (Rosabel Club Mix)

Abel Aguilera & Ralphi Rosario, remixers (Rihanna)
[Island Def Jam]


Rope (Deadmau5 Mix)

Deadmau5, remixer (Foo Fighters)
Track from: Wasting Light: Deluxe
[RCA/Roswell Records]



67. Best Surround Sound Album

An Evening With Dave Grusin

Frank Filipetti & Eric Schilling, surround mix engineers; Frank Filipetti, surround mastering engineer; Phil Ramone, surround producer (Various Artists)
[Telarc]


Grace For Drowning

Steven Wilson, surround mix engineer; Paschal Byrne, surround mastering engineer; Steven Wilson, surround producer (Steven Wilson)
[K-Scope]


Kind

Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Kjetil Almenning, Ensemble 96 & Nidaros String Quartet)
[2L (Lindberg Lyd)]


Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (Super Deluxe Edition)

Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Bill Levenson & Elliot Scheiner, surround producers (Derek & The Dominos)
[USM/UMe/Polydor]


Spohr: String Sextet In C Major, Op. 140 & Nonet In F Major, Op. 31

Andreas Spreer, surround mix engineer; Andreas Spreer, surround mastering engineer; Andreas Spreer, surround producer (Camerata Freden)
[Tacet]



68. Best Engineered Album, Classical

Aldridge: Elmer Gantry

Byeong-Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Jesse Lewis, mastering engineer (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
[Naxos]


Glazunov: Complete Concertos

Richard King, engineer (José Serebrier, Alexey Serov, Wen-Sinn Yang, Alexander Romanovsky, Rachel Barton Pine, Marc Chisson & Russian National Orchestra)
[Warner Classics]


Mackey: Lonely Motel - Music From Slide

Tom Lazarus & Bill Maylone, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer (Rinde Eckert, Steven Mackey & Eighth Blackbird)
[Cedille Records]


Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4

Arne Akselberg, engineer (Leif Ove Andsnes, Antonio Pappano & London Symphony Orchestra)
[EMI Classics]


Weinberg: Symphony No. 3 & Suite No. 4 From 'The Golden Key'

Torbjörn Samuelsson, engineer (Thord Svedlund & Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra)
[Chandos]



69. Producer Of The Year, Classical

Blanton Alspaugh

Aldridge: Elmer Gantry (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas (Peter Takács)
Osterfield: Rocky Streams (Paul Osterfield, Todd Waldecker & Various Artists)

Manfred Eicher

Bach: Concertos & Sinfonias For Oboe; Ich Hatte Viel Bekümmernis (Heinz Holliger, Eric Höbarth & Camerata Bern)
Hymns & Prayers (Gidon Kremer & Kremerata Baltica)
Manto & Madrigals (Thomas Zehetmair & Ruth Killius)
Songs Of Ascension (Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble, Todd Reynolds Quartet, The M6 & Montclair State University Singers)
Tchaikovsky/Kissine: Piano Trios (Gidon Kremer, Giedre Dirvanauskaite & Khatia Buniatishvili)
A Worcester Ladymass (Trio Mediaeval)

David Frost

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass Live (Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass)
Mackey: Lonely Motel - Music From Slide (Rinde Eckert, Steven Mackey & Eighth Blackbird)
Prayers & Alleluias (Kenneth Dake)
Sharon Isbin & Friends - Guitar Passions (Sharon Isbin & Various Artists)

Peter Rutenberg

Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45 (Patrick Dupré Quigley, James K. Bass, Seraphic Fire & Professional Choral Institute)
The Vanishing Nordic Chorale (Philip Spray & Musik Ekklesia)

Judith Sherman

Adams: Son Of Chamber Symphony; String Quartet (John Adams, St. Lawrence String Quartet & International Contemporary Ensemble)
Capricho Latino (Rachel Barton Pine)
85th Birthday Celebration (Claude Frank)
Insects & Paper Airplanes - Chamber Music Of Lawrence Dillon (Daedalus Quartet & Benjamin Hochman)
Midnight Frolic - The Broadway Theater Music Of Louis A. Hirsch (Rick Benjamin & Paragon Ragtime Orchestra)
Notable Women - Trios By Today's Female Composers (Lincoln Trio)
The Soviet Experience, Vol. 1 - String Quartets By Dmitri Shostakovich & His Contemporaries (Pacifica Quartet)
Speak! (Anthony De Mare)
State Of The Art - The American Brass Quintet At 50 (The American Brass Quintet)
Steve Reich: WTC 9/11; Mallet Quartet; Dance Patterns (Kronos Quartet, Steve Reich Musicians & So Percussion)
Winging It - Piano Music Of John Corigliano (Ursula Oppens)


70. Best Orchestral Performance

Bowen: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2

Andrew Davis, conductor (BBC Philharmonic)
[Chandos]


Brahms: Symphony No. 4

Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
[Deutsche Grammaphon]


Haydn: Symphonies 104, 88 & 101

Nicholas McGegan, conductor (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra)
[Philharmonia Baroque Productions]


Henze: Symphonies Nos. 3-5

Marek Janowski, conductor (Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin)
[Wergo]


Martinu: The 6 Symphonies

Jirí Belohlávek, conductor (BBC Symphony Orchestra)
[Onyx Classics]



71. Best Opera Recording

Adams: Doctor Atomic

Alan Gilbert, conductor; Meredith Arwady, Sasha Cooke, Richard Paul Fink, Gerald Finley, Thomas Glenn & Eric Owens; Jay David Saks, producer (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
[Sony Classical]


Britten: Billy Budd

Mark Elder, conductor; John Mark Ainsley, Phillip Ens, Jacques Imbrailo, Darren Jeffery, Iain Paterson & Matthew Rose; James Whitbourn, producer (London Philharmonic Orchestra; Glyndebourne Chorus)
[Opus Arte]


Rautavaara: Kaivos

Hannu Lintu, conductor; Jaakko Kortekangas, Hannu Niemelä, Johanna Rusanen-Kartano & Mati Turi; Seppo Siirala, producer (Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra; Kaivos Chorus)
[Ondine]


Verdi: La Traviata

Antonio Pappano, conductor; Joseph Calleja, Renée Fleming & Thomas Hampson; James Whitbourn, producer (Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus)
[Opus Arte]


Vivaldi: Ercole Sul Termodonte

Fabio Biondi, conductor; Romina Basso, Patrizia Ciofi, Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, Vivica Genaux, Philippe Jaroussky, Topi Lehtipuu & Rolando Villazón; Daniel Zalay, producer (Europa Galante; Coro Da Camera Santa Cecilia Di Borgo San Lorenzo)
[Virgin Classics]



72. Best Choral Performance

Beyond All Mortal Dreams - American A Cappella

Stephen Layton, conductor (Choir Of Trinity College Cambridge)
[Hyperion Records]


Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45

Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor; James K. Bass, chorus master (Justin Blackwell, Scott Allen Jarrett, Paul Max Tipton & Teresa Wakim; Professional Choral Institute & Seraphic Fire)
[Seraphic Fire Media]


Kind

Kjetil Almenning, conductor (Nidaros String Quartet; Ensemble 96)
[2L (Lindberg Lyd)]


Light & Gold

Eric Whitacre, conductor (Christopher Glynn & Hila Plitmann; The King's Singers, Laudibus, Pavão Quartet & The Eric Whitacre Singers)
[Decca]


The Natural World Of Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen

Paul Hillier, conductor (Ars Nova Copenhagen)
[Dacapo Records]



73. Best Small Ensemble Performance

Frank: Hilos

Gabriela Lena Frank; ALIAS Chamber Ensemble
[Naxos]


The Kingdoms Of Castille

Richard Savino, conductor; El Mundo
[Sono Luminus]


Mackey: Lonely Motel - Music From Slide

Rinde Eckert & Steven Mackey; Eighth Blackbird
[Cedille Records]


A Seraphic Fire Christmas

Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor; Seraphic Fire
[Seraphic Fire Media]


Sound The Bells!

The Bay Brass
[Harmonia Mundi]



74. Best Classical Instrumental Solo

Chinese Recorder Concertos - East Meets West

Lan Shui, conductor; Michala Petri (Copenhagen Philharmonic)
[OUR Recordings]


Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18; Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini

Claudio Abbado, Yuja Wang (Mahler Chamber Orchestra)
[Deutsche Grammaphon]


Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4

Leif Ove Andsnes, Antonio Pappano (London Symphony Orchestra)
[EMI Classics]


Schwantner: Concerto For Percussion & Orchestra

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Christopher Lamb (Nashville Symphony)
Track from: Schwantner: Chasing Light…
[Naxos]


Winging It - Piano Music Of John Corigliano

Ursula Oppens
[Cedille Records]



75. Best Classical Vocal Solo

Diva Divo

Joyce DiDonato (Kazushi Ono; Orchestre De L'Opéra National De Lyon; Choeur De L'Opéra National De Lyon)
[Virgin Classics]


Grieg/Thommessen: Veslemøy Synsk

Marianne Beate Kielland (Nils Anders Mortensen)
[2L (Lindberg Lyd)]


Handel: Cleopatra

Natalie Dessay (Emmanuelle Haïm; Le Concert D'Astrée)
[Virgin Classics]


Purcell: O Solitude

Andreas Scholl (Stefano Montanari; Christophe Dumaux; Accademia Bizantina)
[Decca]


Three Baroque Tenors

Ian Bostridge (Bernard Labadie; Mark Bennett, Andrew Clarke, Sophie Daneman, Alberto Grazzi, Jonathan Gunthorpe, Benjamin Hulett & Madeline Shaw; The English Concert)
[EMI Classics]



76. Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Aldridge, Robert: Elmer Gantry

Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein
[Naxos]


Crumb, George: The Ghosts Of Alhambra

George Crumb
Track from: Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 15
[Bridge Records, Inc.]


Friedman, Jefferson: String Quartet No. 3

Jefferson Friedman
Track from: Jefferson Friedman: Quartets
[New Amsterdam Records]


Mackey, Steven: Lonely Motel - Music From Slide

Steven Mackey
[Cedille Records]


Ruders, Poul: Piano Concerto No. 2

Poul Ruders
Track from: Music Of Poul Ruders, Vol. 6
[Bridge Records, Inc.]



77. Best Short Form Music Video

Rolling In The Deep

Adele
Sam Brown, video director; Hannah Chandler, video producer
[XL Recordings/Columbia Records]


Yes I Know

Memory Tapes
Eric Epstein, video director; Eric Epstein, video producer
[Carpark Records]


All Is Not Lost

OK Go
Itamar Kubovy, Damian Kulash Jr & Trish Sie, video directors; Shirley Moyers, video producer
[Paracadute]


Lotus Flower

Radiohead
Garth Jennings, video director; Garth Jennings, video producer
[XL/TBD Records]


First Of The Year (Equinox)

Skrillex
Tony Truand, video director; Noah Klein, video producer
[Big Beat/Atlantic]


Perform This Way

"Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic, video director; Cisco Newman, video producer
[Jive Records]



78. Best Long Form Music Video

I Am...World Tour

Beyoncé
Ed Burke, Frank Gatson Jr. & Beyoncé Knowles, video directors; Beyoncé Knowles & Camille Yorrick, video producers
[Columbia Records/Music World]


Foo Fighters: Back And Forth

Foo Fighters
James Moll, video director; James Moll & Nigel Sinclair, video producers
[Exclusive Media Group/RCA Records/Back & Fort]


Talihina Sky: The Story Of Kings Of Leon

Kings Of Leon
Stephen C. Mitchell, video director; Casey McGrath, video producer
[RCA/Kings of Leon]


Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest
Michael Rapaport, video director; Robert Benavides, Debra Koffler, Eric Matthies, Frank Mele, Edward Parks & A Tribe Called Quest, video producers
[Jive/Legacy]


Nine Types Of Light

TV On The Radio
Tunde Adebimpe, video director; Michelle An & Braj, video producers
[Interscope/Geffen/A&M]

ade
Phew. And remember, this is after they've cut things down.

The "historical album" category seems a bit strange - most of the nominations suggest it's supposed to be about collecting and celebrating forgotten parts of the musical past, which is a great thing to do, but then slam bang in the middle there's a re-release of a Wings album.

The best Wings album, admittedly, but still, it's a re-release. And has the air of 'how can we try and persuade Paul McCartney to show up this year?' to it.

I was going to say that Bon Iver looked like this year's Mumford and Sons, but somehow Mumfords have turned up again. I know there's an element of "I saw them at the Falcon" about this, but since they won last year there's become something less loveable about them. It's like someone discovering you like olives, and then forcing olives on you at every opportunity; what was once a delicious flavour to have mixed in with the others has become too dominant in the dish.

Adele's accession suffers from a different, but related problem. Her album was about as good as you'd get in a multi-million selling record, but has already become so overfamiliar it's surprising to see it's only just now coming up for consideration by the Grammy Committee. It's already become so much part of the furniture, it's as much a historical relic as Band On The Run.

It's all irrelevant of course; any shortlist for anything other than 'what shall we throw off the plane to make it lighter' that contains Bruno Mars clearly isn't meant to be taken seriously.


Gordon in the morning: When Kanye goes west

Gordon brings us this morning the dreams of Kanye West:

"I was thinking about my funeral a couple of days ago."
That happens when you watch Countdown and the advert with Michael Parkinson talking about assurance pops up, Kanye.
"The people I want to be there are like world leaders."
If it helps, Merkel and Sarkozy have said they can make next Tuesday, providing it's an open casket.

Why would Kanye expect world leaders to congregate at his wake?
"Ones that say, 'Kanye gave me my first shot, he told me to believe in myself'.

"I want to affect people like that if I pass away."
Oh, bless. He's confusing Pusha T with a world leader.

Still, after the Katrina telethon he might get George Bush along for a spot of grave-top jigging.

Kanye, as you'll already have spotted, has something of a set of tickets on himself. In a totally humble way:
"When the lightbulb was invented it wasn't to stop a war.

"I'm not saying what I'm doing is the most important thing that's happening on the planet.

"But it's necessary. Just like one teacher teaching in a class."
The late Miles Kington used to create Albanian Proverbs - phrases which sounded profound at first, but turned out to be meaningless when you thought about them. Nice to see Kanye keeping the flame alive with "the lightbulb wasn't invented to stop a war".

I guess we should just be delighted that he's enough humility to accept that "making increasingly disappointing songs" isn't - quite - the "most important thing that's happening on the planet."

If Kanye believes he's like one teacher teaching a class, what specific teacher would be at his level of "necessary"? I'd suggest he's somewhere around a supply teacher covering an RE class for a group of year three pupils during a flu crisis that means most of the kids haven't turned up. Although that might still be overstating it a bit.


Friday, December 02, 2011

Gennaro Castaldo watch

Gennaro Castaldo is currently live on BBC Radio 4. This is not a drill.


Gordon in the morning: Something is growing inside, but we don't talk about it, do we?

Some pretty weak stuff about Beyonce this morning, as Gordon runs a photo given to him by ITV to puff a programme this weekend:

No sign of the baBey

By GORDON SMART, Showbiz Editor

ANY pregnant women watching A Night With Beyonce on TV this Sunday will want to know where she got this maternity get-up.

The singer is eight months pregnant but appears perfectly slim on the ITV1 show.
Goodness! Has Gordon stumbled onto something here?
It's sure to fire internet rumour
Yes, the one that claims that - like Gordon's old boss, Rebekah Phonehakah Brooks - Beyonce has got a surrogate parent on the books. So is this solid evidence, Gordon?
but she's actually only bump-less because it was recorded back in the summer.
In other words, Gordon has run a piece saying "look, this woman doesn't look eight months pregnant because, erm, she wasn't eight months pregnant."

Even an internet conspiracy nut wouldn't bother with that. Although it's good enough for The Sun, it seems.


Thursday, December 01, 2011

Most majors outlive Napster

Napster is, officially, no more...

... as the website currently living with the name that once struck fear into the RIAA asks users to go to Rhapsody instead. For the time being. Until Rhapsody closes.


Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Venuewatch: The Masque

The Masque, which had once been the Liverpool Barfly, has closed. The venue's Facebook page had a statement:

It comes with great sadness, that we have to announce, The Masque has ceased trading as from today. All shows are now cancelled (or in some cases moved) and you are entitled to a refund from your ticket providers. Thanks for being our friend, we'll miss you!
Club EVOL, which promoted nights at the venue, are currently working to try to find a new home.

It's a shame - the venue was never much from the outside but inside had a choice of halls and (certainly the last time I went there) had a sense of luxury and refinement that's unusual for a place of its size. It'll be missed.


Gordon in the morning: Gordon at night

Gordon went to see Kasabian playing in Brighton.

THERE'S an old rock 'n' roll saying along the lines of: "You never go home from a gig humming the lights."
There is?

And yet Gordon seems to have done:
Well, if it were possible, I would have been humming all the way home after seeing Kasabian's new lighting rig in action on Monday.

It was like watching the best telly you've ever seen — a massive concave screen with spectacular graphics reacting to the thumping bass and guitar riffs.

Hats off to the team behind it. They've come up with something truly original.
Yes, his first four paragraphs are all about the lights. It's only an eight paragraph piece.

But that could be because it's Kasabian - after all, wouldn't all of us fix our stare into the lighting rig and try to ignore what was happening on the stage.

Hold on, though: doesn't Gordon love this band?
It seems unfair to mention the music second.
Well, probably not. But do tell us about it. If you must.
However, Tom Meighan, Serge Pizzorno, Chris Edwards and Ian Matthews, plus session musicians Ben Kealey and Jay Mehler, raised the roof. As always.

Their latest album, Velociraptor, is epic live. Hits like Days Are Forgotten and Re-Wired have enhanced an already brilliant set list featuring tunes that are almost ten years old.
Am I being unfair, or is this the weakest gig review ever to appear in a newspaper?

A list of the band members. A list of the session musiciains. An empty cliché. A panicked reassurance that the cliché wasn't implying this was a surprise.

The name of the album, with an empty one-word description of how it sounds live. The name of some of the songs that got played, and a confirmation that the older songs were still on the list.
Serge has never looked so confident, which might explain his feather coat, and Tom, with a slick new barnet, is on the form of his life.
The first half of that sentence doesn't actually make sense - 'because Serge looks confident, he is wearing a feather coat'. Presumably Gordon means "Serge has never looked so confident, which might explain how he thought he could get away with his feather coat" or "might explain why he felt comfortable wearing a feather coat" or something of that nature.

The whole piece reads like the sort of review that you'd file if you'd missed the gig entirely and only saw the band in the bar afterwards; given this is meant to be one of Smart's favourite bands, you'd have thought you'd get a review which was a bit more involved.

Perhaps he should have taken the night off to enjoy the gig and forgotten about being a writer.

Actually, it looks like he has.


Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Sonic Youth on ice

No, that doesn't mean there's going to be a festive edition of Sonic Youth; just that Lee Renaldo has confirmed that the band are on hold:

"It's not as sudden for me as it's been in terms of the press," Ranaldo told Rolling Stone magazine.
[...]
"I'm feeling optimistic about the future no matter what happens at this point," Ranaldo said. "It was a pretty good tour overall. I mean, there was a little bit of tiptoeing around and some different situations with the travelling – you know, [Kin and Thurston are] not sharing a room any more or anything like that … It remains to be seen at this point what happens. I think they are certainly the last shows for a while and I guess I'd just leave it at that."
Renaldo is going to do some solo work for now. He doesn't have any idea how long this self-employment will last.


We're all in this together (except Sting)

Sting made a massive loss in the year he's just published accounts for - over £20million quid.

Don't worry, though: before we start to have a whip-round, it was just an accounting move to save him from £2million worth of tax.

Because, hey, why should Sting pay his share like the rest of us?


We need to talk about '11: Other people's picks

A gathering of some of the best-ofs, worst-ofs and show-offs of 2011. This list will expand and grow as more are published.

Last updated: 01-01-12

Lest we forget: 2010 2009 2008

The AV Club's best music:
5. Wilco - The Whole Love
4. Low - C'mon
3. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
2. Fucked Up - David Comes To Life
1. Wye Oak - Civilian

MTV's Bigger Than The Sound best albums:
5. The Horrors - Skying
4. Fucked Up - David Comes To Life
3. Drake - Take Care
2. Adele - 21
1. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Dan Bodah's best music experience:
Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest

Dan Bodah's worst music experience:
Being forced to admit to myself I like Air Supply

Death And Taxes' top songs :
5. Jay-Z/Kanye West - Niggas in Paris
4. Cults - Abducted
3. M83 - Midnight City
2. Real Estate - It's Real
1. Bon Iver - Holocene

Kitty Empire's Turkey of the year:
Viva Brother - Famous First Words

Gorilla vs Bear best songs of 2011:
5. Shabazz Palaces – Are you… Can you… Were you? (Felt)
4. Peaking Lights – All The Sun That Shines
3. Lana Del Rey – Video Games
2. White Denim – Street Joy
1. Panda Bear – Alsatian Darn

Ben Howard's track of the year:
James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream

Gareth Los Campesinos' records of the year include:
How To Dress Well - Just Once EP
Prurient - Bermuda Drain
The Weekend - House Of Balloons

Cher Lloyd's favourite track:
Professor Green - Read All About It

ifblog's albums of the year:
5. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
4. Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys!
3. Einar Stray - Chiaroscuro
2. Emmy the Great - Virtue
1. Patrick Wolf - Lupercalia

Jfa010's best tracks mix YouTube channel includes:
Basslovers United - Forever Is Over;
Arty- Around The World;
The Storm - Lost In The Fire

Juno Award for new group of the year:
Said The Whale

Erika Meyer's favourite find of 2011:
Jan Terri

Music For Kids Who Cant Read Good's best videos:
5. Battles - My Machines
4. Young Galaxy - Blown Minded
3. Is Tropical - The Greeks
2. Battles - Ice Cream
1. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math

The New Yorker's best classical recording includes:
Berlioz, “Nuits d’été,” Handel arias; Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Nicholas McGegan, Philharmonia Baroque (PBP)

Paste Magazine's Best Albums:
5. Middle Brother – Middle Brother
4. tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
3. My Morning Jacket – Circuital
2. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
1. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

Neil Pickering's album of the year:
Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Popjustice Readers' singles of the year:
5. Marina & The Diamonds - Radioactive
4. Nicola Roberts - Beat Of My Drum
3. Lady Gaga - The Edge Of Glory
2. Will Young - Jealousy
1. Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris - We Found Love

Popjustice Readers' new act most likely to save pop (not that it needs saving) in 2012:
Little Mix

Popjustice Readers' act with the most annoying fanbase:
Justin Bieber

Sideline readers' band of the year:
VNV Nation

Sideline readers' best print magazine:


Speakers In Code's best songs:
5. Cults - You Know What I Mean
4. Smith Westerns - The End Of The Night
3. Wilco - One Sunday Morning
2. Ryan Adams - Dirty Rain
1. Bon Iver - Holocence

Sweeping The Nation's albums of the year:
5 David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding
4 Wild Beasts - Smother
3 Los Campesinos! - Hello Sadness
2 Johnny Foreigner - Johnny Foreigner vs Everything
1 PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Erik Thompson's five most overrated artists:
5. EMA
4. Dawes
3. Adele
2. Odd Future
1. Foster The People

Tinie Tempah's favourite song:
Adele - Rolling In The Deep

Everett True's 20 favourite songs of 2011 includes:
No Mas Bodas - Flesh
Hive Dwellers - Get In
Tunabunny - Song For My Solar Sister

Sweeping The Nation's UK music blogger poll:
5. Radiohead- The King Of Limbs
4. Wild Beasts - Smother
3. tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
2. Bon Iver- Bon Iver
1. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Woodhands' best shizz of 2011 includes:
Kid Koala - Remembrance
Junior Boys – A Truly Happy Ending
Timber Timbre – Bad Ritual
Rich Aucoin – It
Purity Ring - Ungirthed
Grimes - Vanessa


We need to talk about '11: 2011 overview

This post doesn't do much right now, but over the next month or so it will be a hub - a hub - for our year-end content. A list of it will appear down beneath this bit.

Lest we forget: 2010 2009 2008

Other people's best-of picks
Month-by-month reviews of the year
Records of the year
Valete


Gordon in the morning: Following in Steps' steps

This was always going to happen: After the Steps reunion, here comes the S Club 7 reunion. It's not quite out of the blue, as there's already a rump of a band:

J O'Meara, Bradley McIntosh and Paul Cattermole still play gigs at universities and clubs, as S Club 3.
In other words, nearly half of them haven't even got any dignity to lose.

The plan is to copy Steps' every movemake a reality TV show the heart of the reunion.

Reality TV? Yeah, that worked out well for Jo O'Meara before, didn't it?


Monday, November 28, 2011

The smell of Aguilera

Christina Aguilera has launched a perfume.

I know, it's an inspired idea and I can't imagine why more celebrities don't lend their brand names to stinky water in glass bottles.

It's called Secret Potion.

No, really. Secret Potion. I guess they couldn't afford any market research, or mistook the response for everyone laughing with them.

[Christina] says, “every woman has a secret sexy side. With my fragrance, I really want that side to shine.”
Christina, we've seen the Dirrty video, and your subsequent work. I don't think you could really claim to have a secret sexy side. You've never been backwards about coming forwards. Or, indeed, anywhere much.


Videobit: Ken Russell

Ken Russell, the film director, who has died at the age of 84 had more than a few links with the music world.

Perhaps most famously, he filmed a pop video for his lawyer as payment for a court case won, but it went much deeper than that. His day job saw him turn Tommy into a film, the only movie ever to use Quintaphonic sound. He also had a chance to create an even bigger part of British pop cinema, when he was offered the chance of directing Summer Holiday.

Although that was not to be, he would work with Cliff later. He did the video for She's So Beautiful, which escaped from the soundtrack of Time: The Musical, and looked like this:

It's probably safe to say that wasn't his greatest work.

There had been talk of him producing a Hamlet with David Bowie and Elton John. In fact, there was a lot of talk of Russell and John doing something more substantial than John's appearance in Tommy, but all that came of it was a video for Nikita:

There's nothing that unlikely about a girl called Nikita, is there? Russell appears to have made a Cold War Boy Named Sue.

Perhaps the most frustrating lost music project, though, is the proposed video as part of a Sgt Pepper collection. Different directors would have a go at each song; Russell was supposed to do When I'm 64.

Still, there's always The Boyfriend to enjoy:


Mind the Buzzcocks

Louder Than War is reporting a possible Buzzcocks/Howard Devoto reunion.


Fazer works with the dead

Here's an eye-catching claim:

N-Dubz' Fazer is set to work with Phil Collins.

"Everyone will be expecting I'm going to work with Tinie Tempah, Tinchy Stryder and Chipmunk, but I want to do something musically credible that opens me up to different markets.
"I'm going to work with Phil Collins."
To be frank, we'd not really expect Tinie, Tinchy or Chipmunk to be rushing to work with Fazer - why would you trade down like that? But the Collins claim is fascinating.

Given that Phil Collins has retired from music.

So, has Fazer managed to tempt Collins back for one last job? Has Collins been assured by ATOS that working with Fazer isn't actually doing music, and so won't affect hios entitlement to pensions?

Or is it merely that the record label is dumping a bunch of tapes in Fazer's hands and getting him to have a play?

Let's go back to that quote and find out:
"I'm going to work with Phil Collins, The Script, and I'm already doing a remix of Sting's 'Englishman in New York'."
Dumped tapes, then.

Fazer is happy, though:
"I love 80s music. Dappy and I think music now is nowhere near as good as it was back then."
I suppose if you had to spend most of your day listening to N-Dubz over and over again, you might come to that conclusion.


Gary Barlow learns a hard lesson

A sharp Twitterslap to the side of the head has taught Gary Barlow what he should have known: you treat Carol Decker with the respect she deserves.

He'd slagged off T'pau's version of China In Your Hands after one of the inmates on X Factors did a caterwauling cover of it:

The Take That star said he preferred Devlin’s version because it was “in tune”.

Decker responded on Twitter, asking Barlow what his problem was and saying: “I actually have perfect pitch [an innate ability to stay in tune].”

She also swore at him and aimed an insult at his music, saying: “I had to suffer a Take That concert for the sake of my kids this summer.”
Barlow sort-of apologised.

But one thing more: mysteriously, Decker's invite to appear on Xtra Factors on ITV2 was dropped.

It looks like Barlow is happy to dish it out but not man enough to take it.

Luckily, you can send a message by making China In Your Hand the Christmas number one.


Gordon in the morning: We all live in the space-age

You'd have thought that George Michael would be getting the best possible care, but perhaps not, if we're to believe Gordon:

Space-age kit protects star
Space-age? What, they've lobbed him in equipment from the late 1950s?

It turns out he means "modern".

Justwait until Gordon sees TV dinners - crazy times, all on one plastic tray.

In other news, Chris Martin has been doing the aw-shucks-lil'ol-me routine again:
Chris said: "I'd just be terrible [as a solo artist]. I don't think I could even get a gig in Butlins — and I've been to Butlins. I think me and my keyboard would be outside Woolworths most days, getting shouted at."
Woolworths? When did you last do any shopping, Chris?

The terrible thing is, Chris says this hoping we'll all look at the new Coldplay album and go "don't be silly", but instead most people whose ears function will be thinking "Woolworths? You'd be lucky not to be forced round the back of a Bejam."


Sunday, November 27, 2011

Jimmy Saville sex shop brick bother

Back in 1981, as part of a fundraising drive for Stoke Mandeville, a collection of limited edition bricks were sold and, well, used for building. Bedfordshire On Sunday explains:

Around 100 limited edition bricks made bearing the fleur-de-lys crest of the Prince of Wales were specially created to commemorate the International Year of the Disabled.
One of these ended up in a building in a lay-by on the A1 which is now a sex shop. (Yes, there are drive-in sex shops in East Anglia. Whole other story.) And the charity brick being in a dildo'n'DVD store has upset Sandy Parish Councillor Ken Lynch. He reckons it's an insult to the memory iof Jimmy Savile:
“I protested against it and tried to get the brick removed. People might say I’m being unreasonable. When Sir Jimmy was alive I couldn’t really publicise it but now that he’s gone I am demanding it be taken out. I hold Sir Jimmy in great esteem and I feel it’s an insult to him and the way he lived his life. There’s no reason for it to be there. I will fight to get it removed. Sir Jimmy was a wonderful person.”
The odd thing is that although Jimmy was involved in the charity campaign, there's nothing on the brick itself to link him to wall. Even if there was, you'd have to be hard-pressed to discover the brick and a little bit overwrought to assume some sort of link between an old brick in the side of a wall and the current business inside the shop.

There's a suspicion that Lynch is merely using Saville's death to restart a campaign he's been running for over five years; indeed, given that there's nothing on said brick of a Savile-esque nature, if he hadn't said anything nobody would even have made the link.

One further point: what was the "appropriate" business originally housed in the walls in which the brick was laid?

Erm, a Happy Eater. The food chain that died of shame.

[via: Angry People In Local Newspapers]


This week just gone

Most-read stories this month:

1. Tatu wonder why we think they're lesbians
2. Pete Townshend: technology is bad
3. R Kelly video blah blah blah
4. Matt Willis (not that one) sues Tricky (yes, that one)
5. Gary Lightbody struggled for ideas
6. Kylie's new knickers are for every woman
7. The last Mark & Lard show in full
8. MTV Awards hail this young Eminem chap
9. Let's launch some more charts
10. Alex James festival rots away

These were this week's interesting bits:


Emmy The Great & Tim Wheeler - This Is Christmas


Download This Is Christmas



Calexico - Selections From Road Atlas


Download Selections...



Kate Bush - 50 Words For Snow


Download 50 Words For Snow



Charlene Soraia - Moonchild


Download Moonchild



Kate Walsh - The Real Thing


Download The Real Thing