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| Photo via: Grantland |
Monday, March 30, 2015
Recommendation #4: The Hip-Hop Music Video Bracket
Everyone's favorite NBA podcast hosted by a former NBA player and David Jacoby, Jalen & Jacoby, has followed up on last year's Hip Hop Group Bracket with an even more fun topic to debate about! Here's the link to vote for the greatest music video in the history (or at least, this field of 32) of hip hop. Check it out.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Andy Todd's Bla Blog is on Hiatus
The Bracket of Awesome has returned for it's fifth year! As a result of this AWESOME annual event, I will likely be blog-less this month until I'm ready to preview the upcoming MLB season or the untitled Kendrick Lamar album forces me to hustle out a review post.
My personal favorite nominee for the Bracket of Awesome this year? Decorative Lawn Flamingos. Why? I fell apart under pressure and put something funny and unexpected in the field of 64. It has no chance.
Here is where you vote for the first round if you have not already.
Here is a post from 2014 explaining the Bracket of Awesome's origin story.
Here is a song by Action Bronson that will get stuck in your head for a solid 24-hour span.
Here is Jimmy Hoffa's Wikipedia page.
And lastly, a photo that I thought deserved Bracket of Awesome nomination...
Enjoy the last 25 days of March and may they be filled with awesomeness!
My personal favorite nominee for the Bracket of Awesome this year? Decorative Lawn Flamingos. Why? I fell apart under pressure and put something funny and unexpected in the field of 64. It has no chance.
Here is where you vote for the first round if you have not already.
Here is a post from 2014 explaining the Bracket of Awesome's origin story.
Here is a song by Action Bronson that will get stuck in your head for a solid 24-hour span.
Here is Jimmy Hoffa's Wikipedia page.
And lastly, a photo that I thought deserved Bracket of Awesome nomination...
Enjoy the last 25 days of March and may they be filled with awesomeness!
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Recommendation #3: Wednesday Night Television
Thursday night was crowned as THE night to watch and/or record television by NBC 22 years ago when they first began using the catchphrase of "Must See TV" after years of dominating the prime-time hours of Thursday night in ratings. Thursday was the stay-at-home night for Hill Street Blues, The Cosby Show, Cheers, L.A. Law, Seinfeld, Friends, ER, The Office, 30 Rock and My Name Is Earl from 1981-2012 (The Office finale) which is why it's so surprising to see that a night NBC prided itself on being their best has become such a train-wreck. Outsourced, Perfect Couples, The Paul Reiser Show, Prime Suspect, Up All Night, Awake, 1600 Penn, Go On, Welcome to the Family, Sean Saves The World, The Michael J. Fox Show, Bad Judge and A to Z have all been aired on Thursday nights on NBC and died quick yet painful deaths after or during one season since 2010.
After the death of the Community-30 Rock-The Office-Parks & Recreation era of 2012, there was a period of about two and a half years where every night was free for me because, there isn't much of a payoff in not going anywhere for say, Parks & Rec's single 22-minute episode airing by itself with nothing enticing outside of that show airing that night. With the expansion of television into new territories like Crackle and Netflix, the idea of one night being "Must See TV" is extinct as technology like the DVR has become as common a household appliance as the television itself.
The closest thing to "Must See TV" that has packed up my DVR recently are the comedies airing Wednesday night that, according to viewer totals, are being massively slept on.
Workaholics (9 PM CT on Comedy Central)
Already in it's fifth season, Workaholics is consistently amusing and has yet to lose a step even as the lead actors careers' blossom outside of TelAmeriCorp. The show has strayed outside of the actual office that employs Adam, Blake and Ders, settling for more episodes of the adult Ed, Edd N' Eddy coming up with plans that quickly fall apart and have no real consequence in a half hour. It's simple, sometimes dumb fun that doesn't at least gross the viewer out to the point of laughter in every episode. Trust me, if you aren't a fan of the show, it moves so quickly that it won't feel like time wasted (even though the characters might be).
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (9 PM CT on FXX)
Another show that has become a semi-staple of their network, Sunny is already in their tenth under-the-radar season. Don't worry about catching up on the series as none of the story-lines connect from episode-to-episode except for the characters progressively becoming more two-dimensional over time. The FXX comedy showcases that it is possible for a program to remain humorous after a decade (unlike How I Met Your Mother) and the acting on the show is really some of the best comedic acting I've seen. If you want to witness this show in it's peak form, watch this season's "Charlie Work" episode where a visit from the health inspector goes just about as you would expect in a comedy and the payoff at the end of the episode leaves everyone pleased.
Broad City (9:30 PM CT on Comedy Central)
Originally a web series, Parks & Recreation's Amy Poehler originally brought this show to the attention of Comedy Central. Now in it's second season, Broad City is the funniest show on a channel that refers to itself as the center of comedy. Basically a female version of the Workaholics crew, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer are two stoner girls living in New York City with Hannibal Burress alongside them as they just try to get by in the busiest city in America. The show has really won me over the past few weeks with episodes like this past week's where Abbi gets stuck in a construction hole in the middle of a park as her and Ilana roller-blade their way to their friends' dog wedding (officiated by Janeane Garofalo of course). The show is another consistently feel-good comedy that Comedy Central should really get invested in with the loss of Jon Stewart.
Man Seeking Woman (9:30 PM CT on FXX)
The newest of the four shows taking up my DVR space on Wednesday night is Man Seeking Woman starring Jay Baruchel and Eric Andre'. The show was created by former-SNL writer Simon Rich and is absolutely nothing like Saturday Night Live. The show seems to be much more influenced by Baruchel and Andre' (who have lengthy histories as writers) as it is one of the more bizarre shows on television. To a first-time viewer, this is the weirdest show in America right now but, after watching the first six episodes, the themes are all fairly common with an absurd twist in each episode. For example, the "Boyfriend gets jealous of girlfriend's new male friend" story-line was made a hundred times more extreme when girlfriend(Minka Kelly)'s new friend turned out to be Tanaka, an ancient Japanese penis monster (voiced by Fred Armisen). The show even reads hilarious without watching it so, I recommend you all watch Man Seeking Woman, Broad City, Workaholics and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia as they struggle in ratings when they are some of the most original content on television.
After the death of the Community-30 Rock-The Office-Parks & Recreation era of 2012, there was a period of about two and a half years where every night was free for me because, there isn't much of a payoff in not going anywhere for say, Parks & Rec's single 22-minute episode airing by itself with nothing enticing outside of that show airing that night. With the expansion of television into new territories like Crackle and Netflix, the idea of one night being "Must See TV" is extinct as technology like the DVR has become as common a household appliance as the television itself.
The closest thing to "Must See TV" that has packed up my DVR recently are the comedies airing Wednesday night that, according to viewer totals, are being massively slept on.
Workaholics (9 PM CT on Comedy Central)
Already in it's fifth season, Workaholics is consistently amusing and has yet to lose a step even as the lead actors careers' blossom outside of TelAmeriCorp. The show has strayed outside of the actual office that employs Adam, Blake and Ders, settling for more episodes of the adult Ed, Edd N' Eddy coming up with plans that quickly fall apart and have no real consequence in a half hour. It's simple, sometimes dumb fun that doesn't at least gross the viewer out to the point of laughter in every episode. Trust me, if you aren't a fan of the show, it moves so quickly that it won't feel like time wasted (even though the characters might be).
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (9 PM CT on FXX)
Another show that has become a semi-staple of their network, Sunny is already in their tenth under-the-radar season. Don't worry about catching up on the series as none of the story-lines connect from episode-to-episode except for the characters progressively becoming more two-dimensional over time. The FXX comedy showcases that it is possible for a program to remain humorous after a decade (unlike How I Met Your Mother) and the acting on the show is really some of the best comedic acting I've seen. If you want to witness this show in it's peak form, watch this season's "Charlie Work" episode where a visit from the health inspector goes just about as you would expect in a comedy and the payoff at the end of the episode leaves everyone pleased.
Broad City (9:30 PM CT on Comedy Central)
Originally a web series, Parks & Recreation's Amy Poehler originally brought this show to the attention of Comedy Central. Now in it's second season, Broad City is the funniest show on a channel that refers to itself as the center of comedy. Basically a female version of the Workaholics crew, Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer are two stoner girls living in New York City with Hannibal Burress alongside them as they just try to get by in the busiest city in America. The show has really won me over the past few weeks with episodes like this past week's where Abbi gets stuck in a construction hole in the middle of a park as her and Ilana roller-blade their way to their friends' dog wedding (officiated by Janeane Garofalo of course). The show is another consistently feel-good comedy that Comedy Central should really get invested in with the loss of Jon Stewart.
Man Seeking Woman (9:30 PM CT on FXX)
The newest of the four shows taking up my DVR space on Wednesday night is Man Seeking Woman starring Jay Baruchel and Eric Andre'. The show was created by former-SNL writer Simon Rich and is absolutely nothing like Saturday Night Live. The show seems to be much more influenced by Baruchel and Andre' (who have lengthy histories as writers) as it is one of the more bizarre shows on television. To a first-time viewer, this is the weirdest show in America right now but, after watching the first six episodes, the themes are all fairly common with an absurd twist in each episode. For example, the "Boyfriend gets jealous of girlfriend's new male friend" story-line was made a hundred times more extreme when girlfriend(Minka Kelly)'s new friend turned out to be Tanaka, an ancient Japanese penis monster (voiced by Fred Armisen). The show even reads hilarious without watching it so, I recommend you all watch Man Seeking Woman, Broad City, Workaholics and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia as they struggle in ratings when they are some of the most original content on television.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Even the Weak Years for Music Receive Grammy Awards
The Los Angeles Clippers might be on the road (the Lakers are so irrelevant that I do not even feel the need to mention them as an L.A. team anymore) but, that doesn't mean the Staples Center won't be packed full of over-confident rich people who will lose more than they win. That's right folks, it's time for the 57th Annual Grammy Awards! LL Cool J is back to babysit and lick his lips for the fourth consecutive year as CBS could not be more lamely safe with their hosting choice. From an entertainment stance, this show is going to be all about the performances for once and the actual awards will only be a footnote on what should be a good night for live music. Don't believe me? Here's a list of those who will be performing Sunday night according to the official Grammy website...
- AC/DC
- Beck and Chris Martin
- Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga
- Eric Church
- Brandy Clark and Dwight Yoakam
- Common and John Legend
- Ariana Grande
- Herbie Hancock, John Mayer, Questlove with Ed Sheeran
- Hozier and Annie Lennox
- Jessie J and Tom Jones
- Juanes
- Miranda Lambert
- Lang Lang
- Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani
- Jeff Lynne's ELO
- Madonna
- Katy Perry
- Rihanna, Paul McCartney and Kanye West
- Sia
- Sam Smith and Mary J. Blige
- Usher
- Pharrell Williams
Old names mixed with new names mixed with country names mixed with pop names mixed with hip-hop names etc. etc. etc....
It's going to be a cool night with good songs despite a potential lack of drama. Last year, everyone seemed to walk away happily with an award. This year, some surprising artists with multiple nominations will strike out and I am here to try and figure out who should win the Grammy's and who will win the Grammy's.
Let's begin...
Record of the Year
And the nominees are...
- "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor
- "Chandelier" by Sia
- "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
- "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
- "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)" by Sam Smith
Who should win? "Chandelier"
Who will win? "Chandelier"
A quote from my piece on the 2014 Grammy's... "The Grammy's would like to think that they're hip and current with the times". That quote could be the death of this prediction. If the Grammy's want to pretend they are hip, they will give all of the awards to Taylor Swift BUT, I think they are better than that and one of the two correct options ("Chandelier" and "Stay With Me") will end up winning the award because on a scale from Gilbert Gottfried to Adele in believable Grammy winners, Sia and Sam Smith are much closer to Adele than the generic styles of Swift and Trainor. If anything, this will be a sort of lifetime achievement award for Sia Furler after a career of writing Grammy-winning songs without achieving that goal as a solo artist.
Album of the Year
And the nominees are...
- Beyonce' by Beyonce'
- G I R L by Pharrell Williams
- In The Lonely Hour by Sam Smith
- Morning Phase by Beck
- x by Ed Sheeran
Who should win? Beck
Who will win? Ed Sheeran
I cannot wrap my mind around who will win this award since there is not a bad choice nominated. Personally, I think x is the weakest album of the five and I would be a tad disappointed if Sheeran won this award when the other four are in a whole other tier of being the memorably great albums of 2014. In my Top Albums of 2014 entry, I placed Yonce', Beck, and Sam Smith in my top 10 and I would not be upset if my personal favorite, Beck, ended up losing. Sheeran is a great artist and has grown a following larger than half of the Grammy nominees in less than five years. He has the momentum wave (a mythical thing) in his favor and I think he might just steal Album of the Year.
Song of the Year
And the nominees are...
- "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor
- "All About That Bass" by Meghan Trainor
- "Chandelier" by Sia
- "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
- "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)" by Sam Smith
- "Take Me To Church" by Hozier
Who should win? "Chandelier"
Who will win? "Chandelier"
"Chandelier" is the best mainstream song of 2014 lyrically, visually and sonically (not even a real word). Song of the Year is more about songwriting than the production and all the other bits and pieces that it takes to make a Record of the Year candidate (see "Fancy"). "Chandelier" is more of a lock in this category than in the former and I believe the Grammy's will give Sia another award. I'm not a fashion person but I am interested to see whether or not Sia conceals her face while accepting awards since, she's been doing that for a full year now.
Best New Artist
And the nominees are...
- Bastille
- Brandy Clark
- Haim
- Iggy Azalea
- Sam Smith
Who should win? Sam Smith
Who will win? Sam Smith
Sam Smith might not have the songwriting talent of last year's nominees but, his voice was a major revelation in the mass public during 2014. Lock it up, he will win this award with Iggy Azalea as the only real competition. (Shout-out to Haim!)
Best Pop Solo Performance
And the nominees are...
- "All Of Me (Live)" by John Legend
- "Chandelier" by Sia
- "Happy (Live)" by Pharrell Williams
- "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
- "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)" by Sam Smith
Who should win? "Chandelier"
Who will win? "Happy (Live)"
I have a hunch that the Grammy voters will give some gold to Pharrell as a carry-over from his 2014 Daft Punk co-winnings. Sia and Legend both have a legitimate shot.
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
And the nominees are...
- "A Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay
- "Bang Bang" by Ariana Grande, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj
- "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry ft. Juicy J
- "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
- "Say Something" by A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera
Who should win? "Say Something"
Who will win? "Fancy"
Only one song from this list is nominated for the big three awards (Record, Song, Album) and that is "Fancy". The song dominated the world's ears for three solid Summer months while no other song made the leap into Song of the Summer status. The rest of the nominees in Pop Duo/Group are generic songs that received nomination due to star-studded face value. "Say Something" is probably the best song of the five but, none are really great and that's a shame.
Best Pop Vocal Album
And the nominees are...
- Bangerz by Miley Cyrus
- Ghost Stories by Coldplay
- In The Lonely Hour by Sam Smith
- My Everything by Ariana Grande
- Prism by Katy Perry
- x by Ed Sheeran
Who should win? Sam Smith
Who will win? Sam Smith
Miley achieved super-duper-star status in 2013 but, as good of pop singles as "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball" are, the rest of Bangerz is a complete steaming pile of dog turd of an album. It should not even be nominated for anything except for the musical equivalent of a Razzie. Ghost Stories is the only album that I think is close to Smith's In The Lonely Hour but, it doesn't have the fanfare of the other nominees and is least likely to win the award. Katy Perry tore up the field during Super Bowl XLIX's halftime show but, was ultimately overshadowed by the real MVP of the game... Missy Elliott. Grande has a chance at this award, even though I do not think she has the voters respect as a really talented singer yet and x is the most likely to prove me wrong. x does feature Sheeran's greatest talent in songwriting and making catchy hooks via 2014 MVP (Most Valuable Producer) Pharrell and it could be him versus Smith in a few toss-ups Sunday night.
Best Rock Performance
And the nominees are...
- "Blue Moon" by Beck
- "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys
- "Fever" by The Black Keys
- "Gimme Something Good" by Ryan Adams
- "Lazaretto" by Jack White
Who should win? "Blue Moon"
Who will win? "Lazaretto"
The award for Best Rock Performance is completely up in the air for grabs. The only person I would consider "out" in this category is mayyyyyyybe Ryan Adams. Jack White is the most "in" right now among those nominated and "Lazaretto" is the most unique song of the bunch. "Blue Moon" is my personal favorite and considering Beck's nomination for Album of the Year, "Blue Moon" has a real chance of winning. The only problem with Beck's song is that it doesn't scream rock and roll as it mostly a soft folk track which, I believe will be it's undoing against powerhouses like White and The Black Keys. Arctic Monkeys had their first smash hit that I actually heard used in commercials in America with "Do I Wanna Know?" but, it's just plain outnumbered this year.
Best Rock Album
And the nominees are...
- Hypnotic Eye by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Morning Phase by Beck
- Ryan Adams by Ryan Adams
- Songs by Innocence by U2
- Turn Blue by The Black Keys
Who should win? Beck
Who will win? The Black Keys
Once again, Beck does not fit in the Rock category with Morning Phase as, if anything, it should be listed under the Best Alternative Album category. I think this award will be a coin-flip between U2 and The Black Keys IF (and only if) the voters voted on which album they thought epitomized the rock genre most efficiently.
Best Alternative Music Album
And the nominees are...
- Lazaretto by Jack White
- Melophobia by Cage the Elephant
- Reflektor by Arcade Fire
- St. Vincent by St. Vincent
- This Is All Yours by alt-J
Who should win? Arcade Fire or St. Vincent
Who will win? Probably Jack White
The most anti-climatic/predictable thing for the Grammy's to do (other than hand everything to Taylor Swift) is give this award to Jack White despite having two ELITE albums (Reflektor & St. Vincent) nominated for the same award. Jack White has enough Grammy's and Lazaretto is a Felix Hernandez in a field of Corey Kluber's for a baseball comparison. Hernandez is always fantastic and reliable just like White's music BUT St. Vincent and Arcade Fire are so dominant in how great they are on those albums that, just like with Corey Kluber's 2014 season, you have to give them the award. I don't care which one, just do it.
Best Urban Contemporary Album
And the nominees are...
- Beyonce' by Beyonce'
- G I R L by Pharrell Williams
- Mali is... by Mali Music
- Sail Out by Jhene' Aiko
- X by Chris Brown
Who should win? Beyonce'
Who will win? Beyonce'
Best Rap Performance
And the nominees are...
- "0 to 100/The Catch Up" by Drake
- "3005" by Childish Gambino
- "All I Need Is You" by Lecrae
- "i" by Kendrick Lamar
- "Rap God" by Eminem
Who should win? "3005"
Who will win? "All I Need Is You"
The Grammy's have to throw a curveball in our faces at some point Sunday evening. Compared to last year's field, the nominees for the entire genre of Rap are quite a bit weaker and with Lamar's mixed reviews to "i" and with Gambino's cult following there is not a clear favorite. Best Rap Performance will end up going to the deepest song in terms of meaning behind the song and with Lecrae having already won the Best Gospel Album in 2013, I like his chances of pulling off the biggest upset of the night.
Best Rap Song
And the nominees are...
- "0 to 100/The Catch Up" by Drake
- "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj
- "Bound 2" by Kanye West ft. Charlie Wilson
- "i" by Kendrick Lamar
- "We Dem Boyz" by Wiz Khalifa
Who should win? "Bound 2"
Who will win? "0 to 100/The Catch Up"
Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up... How does Yeezy not get a Grammy when he's performing at their show?! You don't have the answers, Andy! You don't have the answers!
Best Rap Album
And the nominees are...
- Because the Internet by Childish Gambino
- Blacc Hollywood by Wiz Khalifa
- Nobody's Smiling by Common
- Oxymoron by Schoolboy Q
- The Marshall Mathers LP 2 by Eminem
- The New Classic by Iggy Azalea
Who should win? Childish Gambino
Who will win? Common
Common has become an actor and entrepreneur of sorts so, his chances of winning are decent and this is mostly a random choice because the genre was so absent this past year. Azalea probably has the best odds at winning and there's nothing wrong with that. The New Classic isn't a classic but it's not a bad album, it's just sort of out there in the wide world of music. Don't even get me started on Eminem's nomination.
Some final predictions: Frozen sweeps the Visual Media category because people refuse to let it go. Pharrell wins Best Music Video for "Happy" over Sia's "Chandelier". Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor get shut out because come on, America... we're better than that. It's called the Grammy's, not the Tacky's.
The Grammy Awards show will broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/P
- "Take Me To Church" by Hozier
Who should win? "Chandelier"
Who will win? "Chandelier"
"Chandelier" is the best mainstream song of 2014 lyrically, visually and sonically (not even a real word). Song of the Year is more about songwriting than the production and all the other bits and pieces that it takes to make a Record of the Year candidate (see "Fancy"). "Chandelier" is more of a lock in this category than in the former and I believe the Grammy's will give Sia another award. I'm not a fashion person but I am interested to see whether or not Sia conceals her face while accepting awards since, she's been doing that for a full year now.
Best New Artist
And the nominees are...
- Bastille
- Brandy Clark
- Haim
- Iggy Azalea
- Sam Smith
Who should win? Sam Smith
Who will win? Sam Smith
 |
| Sam Smith might not like being called the "Male Adele" but if he wins a bunch of awards, it's an unavoidable consequence. |
Best Pop Solo Performance
And the nominees are...
- "All Of Me (Live)" by John Legend
- "Chandelier" by Sia
- "Happy (Live)" by Pharrell Williams
- "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift
- "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)" by Sam Smith
Who should win? "Chandelier"
Who will win? "Happy (Live)"
I have a hunch that the Grammy voters will give some gold to Pharrell as a carry-over from his 2014 Daft Punk co-winnings. Sia and Legend both have a legitimate shot.
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
And the nominees are...
- "A Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay
- "Bang Bang" by Ariana Grande, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj
- "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry ft. Juicy J
- "Fancy" by Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX
- "Say Something" by A Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera
Who should win? "Say Something"
Who will win? "Fancy"
Only one song from this list is nominated for the big three awards (Record, Song, Album) and that is "Fancy". The song dominated the world's ears for three solid Summer months while no other song made the leap into Song of the Summer status. The rest of the nominees in Pop Duo/Group are generic songs that received nomination due to star-studded face value. "Say Something" is probably the best song of the five but, none are really great and that's a shame.
Best Pop Vocal Album
And the nominees are...
- Bangerz by Miley Cyrus
- Ghost Stories by Coldplay
- In The Lonely Hour by Sam Smith
- My Everything by Ariana Grande
- Prism by Katy Perry
- x by Ed Sheeran
Who should win? Sam Smith
Who will win? Sam Smith
Miley achieved super-duper-star status in 2013 but, as good of pop singles as "We Can't Stop" and "Wrecking Ball" are, the rest of Bangerz is a complete steaming pile of dog turd of an album. It should not even be nominated for anything except for the musical equivalent of a Razzie. Ghost Stories is the only album that I think is close to Smith's In The Lonely Hour but, it doesn't have the fanfare of the other nominees and is least likely to win the award. Katy Perry tore up the field during Super Bowl XLIX's halftime show but, was ultimately overshadowed by the real MVP of the game... Missy Elliott. Grande has a chance at this award, even though I do not think she has the voters respect as a really talented singer yet and x is the most likely to prove me wrong. x does feature Sheeran's greatest talent in songwriting and making catchy hooks via 2014 MVP (Most Valuable Producer) Pharrell and it could be him versus Smith in a few toss-ups Sunday night.
Best Rock Performance
And the nominees are...
- "Blue Moon" by Beck
- "Do I Wanna Know?" by Arctic Monkeys
- "Fever" by The Black Keys
- "Gimme Something Good" by Ryan Adams
- "Lazaretto" by Jack White
Who should win? "Blue Moon"
Who will win? "Lazaretto"
The award for Best Rock Performance is completely up in the air for grabs. The only person I would consider "out" in this category is mayyyyyyybe Ryan Adams. Jack White is the most "in" right now among those nominated and "Lazaretto" is the most unique song of the bunch. "Blue Moon" is my personal favorite and considering Beck's nomination for Album of the Year, "Blue Moon" has a real chance of winning. The only problem with Beck's song is that it doesn't scream rock and roll as it mostly a soft folk track which, I believe will be it's undoing against powerhouses like White and The Black Keys. Arctic Monkeys had their first smash hit that I actually heard used in commercials in America with "Do I Wanna Know?" but, it's just plain outnumbered this year.
Best Rock Album
And the nominees are...
- Hypnotic Eye by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Morning Phase by Beck
- Ryan Adams by Ryan Adams
- Songs by Innocence by U2
- Turn Blue by The Black Keys
Who should win? Beck
Who will win? The Black Keys
Once again, Beck does not fit in the Rock category with Morning Phase as, if anything, it should be listed under the Best Alternative Album category. I think this award will be a coin-flip between U2 and The Black Keys IF (and only if) the voters voted on which album they thought epitomized the rock genre most efficiently.
Best Alternative Music Album
And the nominees are...
- Lazaretto by Jack White
- Melophobia by Cage the Elephant
- Reflektor by Arcade Fire
- St. Vincent by St. Vincent
- This Is All Yours by alt-J
Who should win? Arcade Fire or St. Vincent
Who will win? Probably Jack White
The most anti-climatic/predictable thing for the Grammy's to do (other than hand everything to Taylor Swift) is give this award to Jack White despite having two ELITE albums (Reflektor & St. Vincent) nominated for the same award. Jack White has enough Grammy's and Lazaretto is a Felix Hernandez in a field of Corey Kluber's for a baseball comparison. Hernandez is always fantastic and reliable just like White's music BUT St. Vincent and Arcade Fire are so dominant in how great they are on those albums that, just like with Corey Kluber's 2014 season, you have to give them the award. I don't care which one, just do it.
Best Urban Contemporary Album
And the nominees are...
- Beyonce' by Beyonce'
- G I R L by Pharrell Williams
- Mali is... by Mali Music
- Sail Out by Jhene' Aiko
- X by Chris Brown
Who should win? Beyonce'
Who will win? Beyonce'
Best Rap Performance
And the nominees are...
- "0 to 100/The Catch Up" by Drake
- "3005" by Childish Gambino
- "All I Need Is You" by Lecrae
- "i" by Kendrick Lamar
- "Rap God" by Eminem
Who should win? "3005"
Who will win? "All I Need Is You"
The Grammy's have to throw a curveball in our faces at some point Sunday evening. Compared to last year's field, the nominees for the entire genre of Rap are quite a bit weaker and with Lamar's mixed reviews to "i" and with Gambino's cult following there is not a clear favorite. Best Rap Performance will end up going to the deepest song in terms of meaning behind the song and with Lecrae having already won the Best Gospel Album in 2013, I like his chances of pulling off the biggest upset of the night.
Best Rap Song
And the nominees are...
- "0 to 100/The Catch Up" by Drake
- "Anaconda" by Nicki Minaj
- "Bound 2" by Kanye West ft. Charlie Wilson
- "i" by Kendrick Lamar
- "We Dem Boyz" by Wiz Khalifa
Who should win? "Bound 2"
Who will win? "0 to 100/The Catch Up"
Hol' up, hol' up, hol' up... How does Yeezy not get a Grammy when he's performing at their show?! You don't have the answers, Andy! You don't have the answers!
Best Rap Album
And the nominees are...
- Because the Internet by Childish Gambino
- Blacc Hollywood by Wiz Khalifa
- Nobody's Smiling by Common
- Oxymoron by Schoolboy Q
- The Marshall Mathers LP 2 by Eminem
- The New Classic by Iggy Azalea
Who should win? Childish Gambino
Who will win? Common
Common has become an actor and entrepreneur of sorts so, his chances of winning are decent and this is mostly a random choice because the genre was so absent this past year. Azalea probably has the best odds at winning and there's nothing wrong with that. The New Classic isn't a classic but it's not a bad album, it's just sort of out there in the wide world of music. Don't even get me started on Eminem's nomination.
Some final predictions: Frozen sweeps the Visual Media category because people refuse to let it go. Pharrell wins Best Music Video for "Happy" over Sia's "Chandelier". Taylor Swift and Meghan Trainor get shut out because come on, America... we're better than that. It's called the Grammy's, not the Tacky's.
The Grammy Awards show will broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/P
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Super Bowl XLIX to be... Super
Tom Brady, Darrelle Revis, LeGarrette Blount, Rob Gronkowski, Chandler Jones, Vince Wilfork. That's nice and all but (due to time restraints, I literally had two weeks to write this but was too focused on basketball and the Grammy Awards) I'm taking Seattle with little thought put into my pick. The moment I knew Seattle would repeat was when I watched their America's Game special on their Super Bowl run last season and Russell Wilson said something during their Super Bowl parade, to his teammates, that I had not heard from any previous Super Bowl winner. It was something to the extent of "This is fun. How fun would it be to do this again?". Wilson was dead-set convinced they were going to win next year and in his mind, convinced himself that they were going to repeat. I have a feeling we're in for a bigger surprise than last year's 43-8 win over Denver & Peyton Manning. Granted, the game should be closer but considering last year's was a 35-point deficit, that should not be a difficult task. Besides, the worst NFL season ever needs to have some sort of not-completely-unsatisfying result.
My pick: Seattle wins 34-0. That's right! BOLD CALL!
My pick: Seattle wins 34-0. That's right! BOLD CALL!
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| If I'm right on 34-0, I'm buying the whole neighborhood skittles. |
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
It's Time To Re-Hype Ourselves for the NBA's All-Star Weekend
Last year's All-Star weekend was such a travesty for the NBA that I completely abandoned the idea of a blog post with the sole focus of this 3-day event. As it turns out, I made the right decision since it was filled with confusion and an underwhelmed audience. The Dunk Contest had a team winner instead of the annual individual winner (John Wall was voted Dunker of the Night but, there was only one trophy for his 3-man team), the Shooting Stars Challenge was quicker with less racks to shoot from and the Skills Competition had four pairings instead of the typical four players dribbling up and down the court. All things considered, the night was a failure of epic proportions and we as NBA fans had no clear person to blame with David Stern on the way out and Adam Silver on the way in as commissioner.
Thankfully, the NBA has gotten the wake-up call they needed after last year's harsh reaction to the woeful 2014 All-Star Weekend festivities and they really stepped up their game with some big names and some future big names participating in Saturday night's events that you should be getting pretty hyped about. They also re-structured the layout of the dunk contest back to it's two-round format.
Rising Stars Challenge
Format change! It's USA v. World in the annual Rookie-Sophomore game and this should be a fun game to get everyone excited about the league's future.
I'm definitely picking the International team for victory but how might these lineups look? Let me take a guess...
USA
Aaron Gordon
Marcus Smart
Elfrid Payton
Doug McDermott
Zach LaVine
K.J. McDaniels
Victor Oladipo
Nerlens Noel
Michael Carter-Williams
Shabazz Muhammad
Mason Plumlee
Tim Hardaway Jr.
International
Andrew Wiggins
Dante Exum
Nik Stauskas
Jusuf Nurkic'
Anthony Bennett
Alex Len
Steven Adams
Kelly Olynyk
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Dennis Schroder
Gorgui Dieng
Rudy Gobert
Note: The event hasn't had twelve-man rosters in the past so, imagine some of these names (1-3) will be cut from the lineup.
Shooting Stars Challenge
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| Photo Credit: Jesse D. Garrabrant Can Dominique Wilkins, Chris Bosh and Swin Cash pull off the first ever three-peat? |
Skills Competition
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| Kyrie is my pick even if he hasn't put his name in yet |
3-Point Shootout
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| In a lineup where Wesley Matthews is the worst shooter, that's a damn good lineup. |
My guess is that the unknown participant is definitely Marco Belinelli if he is healthy enough to go. If not, I expect Ray Allen to come out of the stands and audition for the Cavaliers. This is easily the best 3-point lineup the NBA has had since the original Larry Bird years. Curry & Thompson are tearing up the league nightly and are must-watch material every time they touch a basketball. Kyle Korver is right on the verge of being an All-Star for the first time in his career because, nobody fills the long-distance-shooter-and-nothing-else role quite as efficiently as Korver has this season. Redick and Matthews are tremendous shooters as well with Redick being a cult-legend at Duke for his shooting sessions in practice.
My pick: Korver.
Slam Dunk Contest
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| David Manning-USA TODAY Sports Magic 2nd-year pro Victor Oladipo should put on quite a show win or lose. |
Thank god we don't have to deal with the mess that was last year's competition again. Granted, the names could be better as there aren't any current All-Stars participating but, we have some very intriguing, so-far so-good talent in the contest. Andrew Wiggins was rumored to be participating but, I'd take Oladipo, the Greek Freak, LaVine's vertical, and a Plumlee borther over anything this contest had from 2011-2013. I think the contest will win us back a little bit with (hopefully) more props. PS: If you're an anti-prop person, just get away from anything All-Star related because you are a person who does not appreciate fun and the fact that the target audience for events like this are the kids. Also, I find people who are anti-props in the Dunk Contest to be the Pete Prisco's of the NBA. What do I mean by that? Pete Prisco is an NFL analyst for CBS who is strictly all about the prototypical pocket-passer. He would rather have Andy Dalton than Russell Wilson despite Wilson's two Super Bowl appearances and is quite frankly, a doofus.
My pick: LaVine.
The Actual All-Star Game
The All-Star Game isn't super competitive anymore but, it gives fans a chance to see the best players in the league play together and get the Twitterverse all excited about possibly recruiting each other behind closed doors. The game is filled with some of the smoothest in-game play you'll ever see with flawless, effortless alley-oops and players like Kyrie Irving crossing over some of the league's best.
Here are this year's Starting Lineups
East - John Wall, Kyle Lowry, Lebron James, Pau Gasol, Carmelo Anthony
West - Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant (to be replaced due to season-ending injury), Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, Blake Griffin
I agree with 7/10 picks for the starting lineups and that's better than most years. I would have personally liked to see James Harden over Kobe and both Blake and Melo could have sat on the bench but, it's an All-Star Game, nothing important.
Here are my choices for the benches to be revealed at 7 PM ET on TNT...
East - Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, Al Horford, Chris Bosh, Jimmy Butler, Kyle Korver, Nikola Vucevic'
West - Klay Thompson (will replace Kobe in lineup because the team is coached by Steve Kerr), James Harden, Dwight Howard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, DeMarcus Cousins, Damian Lillard (Going with five Guards? Steve Kerr can make it work!)
These aren't "predictions", these are my personal preferences on who deserves to be an All-Star this season.
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| Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports It's unlikely that Nikola Vucevic' actually makes the Eastern Conference's roster but, there are very few deserving players in the East. |
Saturday, January 17, 2015
NFL's Conference Championships To Be.... Confrontational?
This week the NFL announced a new off-season program called the Veteran's Combine. At first, I thought this had something to do with veterans of war because I am not a bright individual. After reading an article on this combine, I was sold on the whole thing. The event is basically another show for football fans to watch in the off-season that the NFL can bank in more cash from viewers and we, the audience, get a chance to see players like Ben Tate and maybe (hopefully because everyone would totally watch if it did happen) Tim Tebow. The participants get a $400 check at the end of the day and potentially a real NFL contract with a real NFL team if they impress in the same drills that the rookie classes cooperate in ahead of being drafted annually.
Here are my Conference Championship predictions and mini-previews...
Seahawks 27 - Packers 17
What has changed since week one? Seattle lost Defensive Tackle Brandon Mebane and Tight End Zach Miller for the season but, Tony McDaniel/Kevin Williams and Luke Willson have stepped up and the team has not missed a beat at those two positions. Seattle also traded away Percy Harvin, who was a huge player for one game this season and that game was in week one against the Packers. Green Bay has not changed much. They won't lose Tackle Bryan Bulaga (hopefully for entertainment's sake) for the second half and the team has guaranteed we won't see Derek Sherrod, who was one of the worst offensive linemen in football whenever he stepped onto the field. Green Bay's odds are quite better without Sherrod, with Clay Matthews moving to Inside Linebacker and without Percy Harvin being the ultimate wildcard.
Gimpy Aaron Rodgers is better than no Aaron Rodgers (AKA: Matt Flynn) and the Seahawks will still have to cover the pass despite Eddie Lacy running probably being the more effective game-plan for Mike McCarthy. Speaking of defense, Green Bay's has not allowed more than 21 points (outside of the fluky Atlanta Monday night game) since week eight. It's not like Green Bay's defense is made out of the same material as their hats....
I don't expect this game to be wildly different from week one except it should be closer as a result of Seattle's loss of Percy Harvin and Green Bay's emergence of Davante Adams.
Patriots 45 - Colts 27
Patriots' Center Bryan Stork is OUT with a knee injury because, someone has to deliver the babies. Realistically, this could hamper New England's offense a little bit but, expect the team to have already thought three steps ahead of everyone else and look perfectly fine (as they always do). This is the Belichick/Brady combo's ninth conference championship game in fifteen years together and those two know what they're doing and have faced more worthy opponents than this year's Colts squad.
Andrew Luck has been one unlucky Quarterback against the Patriots so far in his three years in the NFL.
November 18th, 2012: Lost 24-59
January 11th, 2014 (Divisional Playoffs): Lost 22-43
November 16th, 2014: Lost 20-42
While Indianapolis's defense has slowly gotten better, they have to get over the hump that is New England's offense. After giving up the second-best rushing performance in 2014 to now-hardly active RB Jonas Gray, the Colts defense is likely to try defending the run when they should be defending the pass as it is still Tom Brady on the other side and he will torch your defense if you show up unprepared. Two major changes on both sides since their week 11 battle are at the Running Back position. LeGarrette Blount has replaced Jonas Gray (not really an upgrade or a downgrade) and the Colts' combination (Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw) that went for three yards on fourteen carries is now OUT for Daniel "Boom" Herron and Zurlon Tipton (an upgrade but still... yuck). Don't expect anything to have changed between these two teams yet, New England is still miles ahead.
So, enjoy the Conference Championships even if they turn into blowouts and don't blame me for picking against your team and that result becoming true.
Here are my Conference Championship predictions and mini-previews...
Seahawks 27 - Packers 17
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| Al Bello/Getty Images If Green Bay wins, it'll be a result of Davante Adams uprising since not being a factor in their first match-up versus Seattle. |
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| Live look-in at Percy Harvin. |
Gimpy Aaron Rodgers is better than no Aaron Rodgers (AKA: Matt Flynn) and the Seahawks will still have to cover the pass despite Eddie Lacy running probably being the more effective game-plan for Mike McCarthy. Speaking of defense, Green Bay's has not allowed more than 21 points (outside of the fluky Atlanta Monday night game) since week eight. It's not like Green Bay's defense is made out of the same material as their hats....
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| Cheese. I'm talking about cheese. |
Patriots 45 - Colts 27
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| AP Photo/Elise Amendola "Super Bowl Media Day should be a blast." stated Bill Belichick... probably. |
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| AP Photo "Thanks for the torch of losing to New England in the playoffs, horsebro." |
November 18th, 2012: Lost 24-59
January 11th, 2014 (Divisional Playoffs): Lost 22-43
November 16th, 2014: Lost 20-42
While Indianapolis's defense has slowly gotten better, they have to get over the hump that is New England's offense. After giving up the second-best rushing performance in 2014 to now-hardly active RB Jonas Gray, the Colts defense is likely to try defending the run when they should be defending the pass as it is still Tom Brady on the other side and he will torch your defense if you show up unprepared. Two major changes on both sides since their week 11 battle are at the Running Back position. LeGarrette Blount has replaced Jonas Gray (not really an upgrade or a downgrade) and the Colts' combination (Trent Richardson and Ahmad Bradshaw) that went for three yards on fourteen carries is now OUT for Daniel "Boom" Herron and Zurlon Tipton (an upgrade but still... yuck). Don't expect anything to have changed between these two teams yet, New England is still miles ahead.
So, enjoy the Conference Championships even if they turn into blowouts and don't blame me for picking against your team and that result becoming true.
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