Friday
December 09, 2005
SGN.org
Volume 33
Issue 49
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Monday, Jan 05, 2009
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the Music Lounge by Albert Rodriguez - SGN A & E Writer |
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| Grammy nominations mix surprises with familiars; SGN's year-end music picks set for next week; Madonna CD review | |
| Death Cab for Cutie, Franz Ferdinand, Fiona Apple,
Kelly Clarkson and Rob Thomas among list of Grammy
nominees It's become an annual tradition. Waking up early on the morning Grammy nominations are announced and finding out who got nominated, and oddly who didn't. In the snubbed department, I'm totally shocked and disappointed Coldplay was omitted from the general field. While X & Y isn't the band's best work, it is a better effort than Gwen Stefani's sassy, but sugary Love.Angel.Music.Baby and Paul McCartney's mediocre Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, both of which landed Album of the Year nominations. Another oddity was Green Day receiving a well-deserved Record of the Year mention, but shut out entirely in the rock field. I simply can't imagine why Lee Ann Womack was left off the Best Country Album list for There's More Where That Came From. And completely turned away this year were Madeleine Peyroux, Jason Mraz, Antony and the Johnsons, M.I.A., James Blunt and Sufjan Stevens. But there were wonderful surprises throughout the record-high 107 categories. First and foremost, Seattle-based Death Cab for Cutie scored their first-ever nomination in the Best Alternative Music Album category for their remarkable CD Plans. In fact, that category is one of the finest with a stunning roster that also includes Franz Ferdinand, Beck, The Arcade Fire and The White Stripes. Franz Ferdinand earned a second nomination in the rock duo or group vocal category for their single Do You Want To". Fiona Apple interestingly enough wound up getting noticed in the Best Pop Vocal Album field, where she'll compete with Kelly Clarkson, who received two nods but was brushed aside for Record and Song of the Year. Rob Thomas, a Gay favorite who played a sold out concert at the Paramount Theatre last month, was nominated in the pop and rock fields for his hits "Lonely No More" and "This is How a Heart Breaks". The Seattle Gay News sent congratulatory messages to record labels and management representing several nominated Grammy artists, including Rob Thomas, Franz Ferdinand, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Nickel Creek, Gorillaz, Beck, Fiona Apple and The White Stripes. At press time, the Seattle Gay News staff was signing a card for Death Cab for Cutie that I planned to deliver in person before the group's performance at The Showbox. Mariah Carey, Kanye West and John Legend led all Grammy nominees this year. The awards ceremony takes place February 8 in Los Angeles. Look for a preview and predictions here in "The Music Lounge" closer to that date. SGN's picks for best albums, songs and concerts of 2005 announced next week Once again, I have the privilege of choosing the Seattle Gay News best albums and singles of the year. It's my fourth time doing so and I'm very excited about it. It's a difficult thing to do. There were a lot of incredible CDs and songs released in 2005, yet I'm confident that I listened well and selected some great music for the list. Aside from choosing the best albums and singles of 2005, I'm also selecting one third of the best concerts. My co-writers Richard Kennedy and Lorelei Quenzer are submitting their lists of the best shows they saw in 2005 too. The SGN's previous choices for Album/CD of the Year were Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand (2004), Elephant by The White Stripes (2003) and Sea Change by Beck (2002). Singles/Tracks of the Year selections include "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand (2004), "Hey Ya!" by OutKast (2003) and "Lose Yourself" by Eminem (2002). Next week's "Best of Music 2005" issue features a special interview with Grammy-nominated artists Death Cab for Cutie. It's a fun interview in which they share their own music favorites of the year and personal plans for the holidays. I've gotta tell ya, Death Cab for Cutie are amazingly sweet and the coolest guys around. You'll enjoy getting to know them a little better. So make sure to check out next week's Seattle Gay News for the "Best of Music 2005". CD Review: Confessions on a Dance Floor by Madonna If you're having a tough time deciding which CD to buy for that picky music listener on your list, Madonna's long-awaited boogie-athon Confessions on a Dance Floor should do the trick. The Material Girl's follow-up to 2003's not so good "American Life" is the must-have party album this holiday season, and the perfect last-minute stocking stuffer for Gay colleagues and club-minded friends. Much like boxed desserts in today's supermarkets, 'Confessions' comes pre-mixed and requires only an electronic device to heat up the ingredients for one hell of a delicious treat. While the entire record is sensational, with the exception of the dorky-icky "I Love New York," the tracks guaranteed to keep you occupied under the disco ball are "Hung Up," "Get Together," "Like It or Not" and the CD's true standouts, "Sorry," "Jump" and the dramatic "Let It Will Be." "Forbidden Love" stands alone as 'Confession's slow-tempo number. If you considered Madonna a has-been, repent now and get this album. It'll make you a believer all over again. |
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International Readers |
 
It's new!A blog created by the SGN staff so you can be heard |
"Putting on the Ritz |
The Beauty of Freedom artist's reception |
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copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2005