Jerry Seinfeld is well past the point in his career where he can do whatever he wants, but he still needs to get on the horse to promote his latest work. Thursday he did a Reddit Ama in support of the latest season of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and a new short series called Single Shot, cobbled together from other footage during his comedian interviews.
Seinfeld managed to answer 101 questions before signing off, supposedly beating his record for his previous Ama. Here are just a few of the gems.
What’s the Worst advice you hear being given to aspiring comedians?
Oh. The worst advice is, you know, you have to do more to promote yourself. That’s the worst advice. The best advice is to do your work, and you won’t have to worry about anything else.
Who is your dream guest for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (living or dead)?
Hm.
Seinfeld managed to answer 101 questions before signing off, supposedly beating his record for his previous Ama. Here are just a few of the gems.
What’s the Worst advice you hear being given to aspiring comedians?
Oh. The worst advice is, you know, you have to do more to promote yourself. That’s the worst advice. The best advice is to do your work, and you won’t have to worry about anything else.
Who is your dream guest for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (living or dead)?
Hm.
- 7/25/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
None of this year's nominees for Best Pop Vocal Album are nominated for Album of the Year this year. Therefore there is no clear frontrunner. Last year, Kelly Clarkson made Grammy history becoming the first artist to win twice in this category's nineteen-year history for her album "Stronger." She previously won for "Breakaway" in 2005. Justin Timberlake is the only previous winner nominated in this category this year. He won for his debut solo album "Justified" in 2003. Timberlake was first nominated in this category as a member of 'N Sync for their second album "No Strings Attached" in 2000. They lost to Steely Dan's "Two Against Nature." As a solo artist, he contended for his second solo album "Future Sex/Love Sounds" in 2006; he lost to John Mayer's "Continuum." This year, Timberlake has a total of seven nominations, including a bid in this race. "Th...
- 1/6/2014
- Gold Derby
Here it is; Sound On Sight’s list of our favourite soundtracks released this year. Usually we post a list of 10 to 15 picks, but this time, we decided to only publish five. With that said, we also recorded a bonus Sound On Sight podcast to complement this very article. In it, Simon Howell and I chose 10 of the best tracks from 10 of the best soundtracks for your listening pleasure. You can listen to the podcast here.
Soundtracks that make an appearance on the podcast include Her, The Bling Ring, Afternoon Delight, Sightseers, Frances Ha, Spring Breakers, The World’s End, and Drinking Buddies.
Last year, the soundtrack to Rick Alverson’s cheekily titled The Comedy topped our list. This year, another hipster-indie gem does the same. Here is our list of the top 5 soundtracks of 2013.
****
5. American Hustle
While Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” was used in the first...
Soundtracks that make an appearance on the podcast include Her, The Bling Ring, Afternoon Delight, Sightseers, Frances Ha, Spring Breakers, The World’s End, and Drinking Buddies.
Last year, the soundtrack to Rick Alverson’s cheekily titled The Comedy topped our list. This year, another hipster-indie gem does the same. Here is our list of the top 5 soundtracks of 2013.
****
5. American Hustle
While Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” was used in the first...
- 12/21/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
After the wild finish in the Auburn-Alabama Iron Bowl 2013, Twitter went crazy. "Modern Family" star Eric Stonestreet posted our favorite thing -- the above video of the end of the game, where the camera was panning sad Alabama fans. He captioned it merely, "Emotions." Hee.
Down below is the radio call of the Auburn radio announcers during the missed field goal return that handed the Tigers the game -- "They're Not Gonna Keep 'Em Off The Field Tonight." Double hee.
Here are a few more great celebrity reactions:
"Walked away from the #AlabamaAuburn game for a minute. Did I miss anything?-- Joel McHale
"Wow.. Great game! #BAMAvsAUB #WarEagle #IronBowl" -- Mario Lopez
"At least I don't have to worry about Orange Bowl tickets. #badgers" -- "Once Upon a Time" creator Adam Horowitz
"That is one of The Best football games I've ever seen. What a wild ending!! #IronBowl" --...
Down below is the radio call of the Auburn radio announcers during the missed field goal return that handed the Tigers the game -- "They're Not Gonna Keep 'Em Off The Field Tonight." Double hee.
Here are a few more great celebrity reactions:
"Walked away from the #AlabamaAuburn game for a minute. Did I miss anything?-- Joel McHale
"Wow.. Great game! #BAMAvsAUB #WarEagle #IronBowl" -- Mario Lopez
"At least I don't have to worry about Orange Bowl tickets. #badgers" -- "Once Upon a Time" creator Adam Horowitz
"That is one of The Best football games I've ever seen. What a wild ending!! #IronBowl" --...
- 12/1/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Msg says that the Forum, which it bought in 2012, will reopen January 15, 2014 with a performance by The Eagles following the upgrade. “Since we first explored the opportunity to acquire the Forum and expand The Madison Square Garden Company’s presence on the West Coast, our vision has been clear: return the venue to its celebrated position as one of the most beloved and well-known venues in the country for the benefit of the community, fans and performers for generations to come,” says Msg Executive Chairman James Dolan. He thanked his pal Irving Azoff for bringing the Forum to his attention and says that the long time manager of groups including The Eagles and Steely Dan “will play an important role in helping us meet our ambitious goals.” Azoff called the Forum “an iconic Southern California landmark” that is “sure to become the world’s quintessential music-focused venue.” Bbb Architects, which...
- 7/30/2013
- by DAVID LIEBERMAN, Financial Editor
- Deadline TV
An hour with music producer Pharrell Williams at Jungle City Studios, up above the High Line and a wide array of new construction, feels like a minor form of time travel: He can connect an mp3 player to the console, turn the monitors up to jaw-rattling volumes, and play you pop music from the near future. These are the tracks he’s written for (or co-written with) various singers, beats he’s made for various rappers, a selection of sounds he’s crafted that could become radio fodder over the coming months. When we meet, he’s making adjustments to “Atm Jam,” a track for Azealia Banks’s upcoming album, and there’s plenty more of his work to follow. A tough-as-nails Jennifer Hudson song with a Rick James feel. A not-dissimilar piece for Miley Cyrus. A cut for Mayer Hawthorne that would sound like seventies smooth-rock kings Steely Dan...
- 5/27/2013
- by Nitsuh Abebe
- Vulture
Los Angeles — It's tempting to say Daft Punk has gone Hollywood.
The influential French electronic duo crafted its first film score, for "Tron: Legacy," three years ago and are now releasing a well-financed, smartly hyped pop album featuring what they call an ensemble cast of contemporary singers and veteran musicians.
There's long been a show-biz bent to the work of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, who for the last 13 years have hidden their faces in public appearances by wearing robot helmets and costumes. Bangalter compares the mystique-building masks – echoed by musicians including Deadmau5 and Mf Doom – to an ever-evolving comic book superhero who starts as a side story "then maybe 50 years later it becomes like a big franchise movie in Hollywood."
Yet Daft Punk's new album "Random Access Memories" isn't the special effects-filled summer blockbuster you might expect. The group that helped popularize electronic dance music in the...
The influential French electronic duo crafted its first film score, for "Tron: Legacy," three years ago and are now releasing a well-financed, smartly hyped pop album featuring what they call an ensemble cast of contemporary singers and veteran musicians.
There's long been a show-biz bent to the work of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, who for the last 13 years have hidden their faces in public appearances by wearing robot helmets and costumes. Bangalter compares the mystique-building masks – echoed by musicians including Deadmau5 and Mf Doom – to an ever-evolving comic book superhero who starts as a side story "then maybe 50 years later it becomes like a big franchise movie in Hollywood."
Yet Daft Punk's new album "Random Access Memories" isn't the special effects-filled summer blockbuster you might expect. The group that helped popularize electronic dance music in the...
- 5/20/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Trend-setter, impresario, phenomenon: David Bowie has shaped entire subcultures. Jon Savage traces the star's talent for reinvention and his catalytic encounter with William Burroughs
William Burroughs: The weapon of the Wild Boys is a bowie knife, an 18in bowie knife, did you know that?
David Bowie: An 18in bowie knife … you don't do things by halves do you? No, I didn't know that was their weapon. The name Bowie just appealed to me when I was younger. I was into a kind of heavy philosophy thing when I was 16 years old, and I wanted a truism about cutting through the lies and all that.
On 28 February 1974, Rolling Stone magazine published a remarkable encounter between David Bowie and William Burroughs. Entitled "Beat Godfather Meets Glitter Mainman", the event had been hosted in November 1973 by the American journalist A Craig Copetas. As published it took the form of a Q...
William Burroughs: The weapon of the Wild Boys is a bowie knife, an 18in bowie knife, did you know that?
David Bowie: An 18in bowie knife … you don't do things by halves do you? No, I didn't know that was their weapon. The name Bowie just appealed to me when I was younger. I was into a kind of heavy philosophy thing when I was 16 years old, and I wanted a truism about cutting through the lies and all that.
On 28 February 1974, Rolling Stone magazine published a remarkable encounter between David Bowie and William Burroughs. Entitled "Beat Godfather Meets Glitter Mainman", the event had been hosted in November 1973 by the American journalist A Craig Copetas. As published it took the form of a Q...
- 3/9/2013
- by Jon Savage
- The Guardian - Film News
Ravinia, the summer-long music festival in north suburban Chicago, has rolled out its 2013 season schedule with plenty of fanfare — and a few surprises.
Predictably, the most popular bold-face names on the bill are dominated by veteran performers like Sting, Tony Bennett, Sheryl Crow, Journey and Brian Wilson (who, for legal reasons/a spat with Mike Love, can't officially perform with his old band mates as "The Beach Boys").
(See the major acts announced for Ravinia's 2013 festival lineup below.)
Younger acts like Josh Groban and St. Vincent, playing with David Byrne, mix with the more long-in-the-tooth artists, while hip acts like Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings add freshness to a (usually very white) lineup that skews heavily toward the contemporary crowd.
There's also a small crush of alt-rock and pop bands, mostly from the '90s, many of whom would be considered past their sell-by date, that have been jammed together...
Predictably, the most popular bold-face names on the bill are dominated by veteran performers like Sting, Tony Bennett, Sheryl Crow, Journey and Brian Wilson (who, for legal reasons/a spat with Mike Love, can't officially perform with his old band mates as "The Beach Boys").
(See the major acts announced for Ravinia's 2013 festival lineup below.)
Younger acts like Josh Groban and St. Vincent, playing with David Byrne, mix with the more long-in-the-tooth artists, while hip acts like Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings add freshness to a (usually very white) lineup that skews heavily toward the contemporary crowd.
There's also a small crush of alt-rock and pop bands, mostly from the '90s, many of whom would be considered past their sell-by date, that have been jammed together...
- 3/7/2013
- by Kim Bellware
- Huffington Post
Now that the 55th Annual Grammy Awards are hours instead of days away, here are a few last-minute tidbits and predictions…
* Who will open the show? Taylor Swift will open the show and she’ll be singing ”We Are Never Ever Getting Together,” which is nominated for record of the year. There was a lot of debate about the coveted show-opening spot this year. Justin Timberlake, a favorite of Grammys executive producer Ken Ehrlich, almost usurped the spot in recent weeks, but Swift’s popularity and the less-than-torrid public response to the new Timberlake music tilted the decision back toward the 23-year-old country-pop singer,...
* Who will open the show? Taylor Swift will open the show and she’ll be singing ”We Are Never Ever Getting Together,” which is nominated for record of the year. There was a lot of debate about the coveted show-opening spot this year. Justin Timberlake, a favorite of Grammys executive producer Ken Ehrlich, almost usurped the spot in recent weeks, but Swift’s popularity and the less-than-torrid public response to the new Timberlake music tilted the decision back toward the 23-year-old country-pop singer,...
- 2/10/2013
- by Geoff Boucher
- EW.com - PopWatch
In recent years, one Grammy contest that has been misunderstood is Album of the Year in 2000, when '70s jam-band Steely Dan's "Two Against Nature" upset the heavily favored and extremely controversial Eminem for "The Marshall Mathers LP." Their victory is usually thought of as simply the Recording Academy rewarding a veteran performer, as they are wont to do in that category (Santana in 1999, Ray Charles in 2004, Herbie Hancock in 2007). But a closer look at the circumstances surrounding the album show there was more to it than that. -Insertgroups:12- It is important to understand the history of the band. Steely Dan, the brain child of vocalist/keyboardist Donald Fagen and guitarist Walter Becker, debuted in 1972 with the album "Can't Buy a Thrill." The album was an instant success, with a conventional sound for a pop/rock album in the early 1970’s. Subsequent efforts didn’t always fare as well commercially,...
- 2/8/2013
- Gold Derby
Michelangelo Matos's list of the the 10 worst Grammy wins of all time includes the Black Eyed Peas, Steely Dan, and Phil Collins. New York Post Elton John and Mumford and Sons will lead a tribute to late musician Levon Helm at the Grammys. Rolling Stone Will Fun. follow in the footsteps of Christopher Cross by winning all four general field categories? Oakland Tribune -Addprediction:76:134:Click to predict New Artist Grammy:addprediction- Nas thinks hip-hop deserves more recognition from the Grammys: "'It's cool. I feel it could be a little bit more loved, though,' Nas replied. 'Hip-hop is making a lot of noise, it should get some more spotlight.'" Rolling Stone Approximately 70 categories will be announced live during the Grammy pre-telecast, which will stream live at Grammy.com on Sunday, February 10, from 1pm to 3:30pm. Pre-telecast will be hosted by David Alan Grier. Michael Musto wonders if Adele will bec.
- 2/6/2013
- Gold Derby
Live Nation Entertainment stock was up slightly after Irving Azoff's surprise New Year's Eve announcement that he would step down as its chairman to manage top acts like The Eagles and Steely Dan. The slight rise came as stocks surged overall on news of a deal to prevent the country from plunging off a fiscal cliff. As of noon Et Wednesday, shares were up 3.22 percent to $9.61. The stock may also have gotten a boost from Azoff's announcement that he would sell 1.7 million Live Nation shares to Liberty Media Corp.,...
- 1/2/2013
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
Yes, I have too much time on my hands. Here's a new feature that was fun to put together (though quite time-consuming, which makes me worry about my ability to do this every month). I look back at rock, pop, and R&B albums that came out five years ago, ten years ago, etc.
1967
Buffalo Springfield: Again (Atco)
There was much chaos surrounding the creation of this quintet 's second album. Bassist Bruce Palmer, in some ways the soul of the band, was unavailable due to a drug charge deportation, and a string of session players took his place. Stephen Stills, who saw himself as the leader of the group, was feuding with Neil Young, who considered himself an equal, and Young actually quit -- but returned. And that's without getting into the fiasco that was the band's management team.
Nonetheless, it was a quantum leap forward from their debut,...
1967
Buffalo Springfield: Again (Atco)
There was much chaos surrounding the creation of this quintet 's second album. Bassist Bruce Palmer, in some ways the soul of the band, was unavailable due to a drug charge deportation, and a string of session players took his place. Stephen Stills, who saw himself as the leader of the group, was feuding with Neil Young, who considered himself an equal, and Young actually quit -- but returned. And that's without getting into the fiasco that was the band's management team.
Nonetheless, it was a quantum leap forward from their debut,...
- 10/30/2012
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
AfterElton Briefs: David and Nph Clean Up Nicely, G4 Self-Destructs, and Lunacy From Across The Pond
Here is last week's caption pic winner. This week's caption pic is at the bottom of the page.
Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is ...
"Something something tragic circumcision accident something.... "
Thanks to Fred for this week's winning caption!
Weekend Birthdays! (Note: Birthday shoutouts are for out entertainers, allies, or for any celeb that seems to have a following on Ae). Matt Smith (above) is 30, Frank Ocean is 25, Jaclyn Smith is 65, Hilary Clinton is 65, Dylan McDermott is 51, Patrick Breen is 52, Natalie Mechant is 49, Keith Urban is 45, Kelly Osbourne is 28, Annie Potts is 60, Jami Gertz is 47, and Julia Roberts is 45. Proving the U.S. doesn't have a monopoly on bigoted asshats ...presenting Nick Griffin G4 has canceled the two shows that put it on the map, Attack Of The Show and X-Play. Catching up with Alicia Silverstone. "I’ve had so many crushes on gay boys. My first love was so gay,...
Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is ...
"Something something tragic circumcision accident something.... "
Thanks to Fred for this week's winning caption!
Weekend Birthdays! (Note: Birthday shoutouts are for out entertainers, allies, or for any celeb that seems to have a following on Ae). Matt Smith (above) is 30, Frank Ocean is 25, Jaclyn Smith is 65, Hilary Clinton is 65, Dylan McDermott is 51, Patrick Breen is 52, Natalie Mechant is 49, Keith Urban is 45, Kelly Osbourne is 28, Annie Potts is 60, Jami Gertz is 47, and Julia Roberts is 45. Proving the U.S. doesn't have a monopoly on bigoted asshats ...presenting Nick Griffin G4 has canceled the two shows that put it on the map, Attack Of The Show and X-Play. Catching up with Alicia Silverstone. "I’ve had so many crushes on gay boys. My first love was so gay,...
- 10/26/2012
- by snicks
- The Backlot
But startup stresses that it's not just trying to become a movie marketing tool for its parent company
Ptch is guaranteed to get app-sceptics hot under the collar. It's missing a vowel, launching on iPhone alone, and is the kind of social videos'n'photos app that generates talk of "Instagram meets Viddy meets Animoto meets a mashup contest" before it even launches.
Yet Ptch, which launches in the Us today, is interesting. Not least because it's a startup incubated within film studio DreamWorks Animation, its sole financial backer.
Alongside the two obvious questions for any new social app – is it good, and will it be successful? – there's a third question about why a Hollywood studio is incubating an app startup.
Is it good? Yes. The free app aims to get its users sharing animated slideshows of up to 60 seconds in length, pulling in photos, videos, music and comments from social networks including Facebook,...
Ptch is guaranteed to get app-sceptics hot under the collar. It's missing a vowel, launching on iPhone alone, and is the kind of social videos'n'photos app that generates talk of "Instagram meets Viddy meets Animoto meets a mashup contest" before it even launches.
Yet Ptch, which launches in the Us today, is interesting. Not least because it's a startup incubated within film studio DreamWorks Animation, its sole financial backer.
Alongside the two obvious questions for any new social app – is it good, and will it be successful? – there's a third question about why a Hollywood studio is incubating an app startup.
Is it good? Yes. The free app aims to get its users sharing animated slideshows of up to 60 seconds in length, pulling in photos, videos, music and comments from social networks including Facebook,...
- 7/19/2012
- by Stuart Dredge
- The Guardian - Film News
Critics are mostly positive about the new release, with one calling it, 'at its best, a truly next-level soul album.'
By Kara Warner
Usher's <i>Looking 4 Myself</i> cover art
Photo: RCA
Given the incredibly fast-paced, blink-and-you-miss-it, flash-in-the-pan, hit-singles-or-bust state of the music industry these days, career longevity is almost as difficult for an artist to achieve as fame and recognition itself. R&B superstar Usher is clearly an exception, as Tuesday (June 12) marks the release of the seventh studio album in his 18-year career. Usher has said that Looking 4 Myself represents an "evolution" for him in several ways, and judging from the positive reviews, critics seem to agree. Without further ado, let's take a tour through the Looking 4 Myself reviews.
The Story of "Myself"
"To the list of people who've had mind-altering experiences at Coachella, you can add Usher. In April he was a surprise guest at the music festival,...
By Kara Warner
Usher's <i>Looking 4 Myself</i> cover art
Photo: RCA
Given the incredibly fast-paced, blink-and-you-miss-it, flash-in-the-pan, hit-singles-or-bust state of the music industry these days, career longevity is almost as difficult for an artist to achieve as fame and recognition itself. R&B superstar Usher is clearly an exception, as Tuesday (June 12) marks the release of the seventh studio album in his 18-year career. Usher has said that Looking 4 Myself represents an "evolution" for him in several ways, and judging from the positive reviews, critics seem to agree. Without further ado, let's take a tour through the Looking 4 Myself reviews.
The Story of "Myself"
"To the list of people who've had mind-altering experiences at Coachella, you can add Usher. In April he was a surprise guest at the music festival,...
- 6/12/2012
- MTV Music News
We haven’t done a random ‘music argument’ list in a while, so here’s a topic for discussion: Really lame bands with really intense band names. As in, bands whose actual music doesn’t live up to the aggressiveness, violence, or intensity implied by their band name, often to hilarious degrees. A Crucial Distinction: “Lame” does not necessarily mean “Bad”. I enjoy many of the bands on this list – I enjoy Billy Joel too, for example, but Billy Joel is overwhelmingly lame, and these things are not mutually exclusive. Here are The 15 Lamest Bands With Intense Names, ordered by increasing discrepancy between “Name Intensity” and “Music Lameness”, using official science: 15. Five For Fighting The band name connotes “Five Minutes” for a fighting penalty in ice hockey, or just five people who are “for” fighting, two concepts that are both slightly incongruous with the ever-so-whinily delivered lyric “Only a man...
- 5/18/2012
- by Dan Hopper
- BestWeekEver
Maxwell will hit the road, in a very limited way, for the first time in two years this summer when stops in three cities to perform his four albums in their entirety. Taking a page from acts like Steely Dan and Bruce Springsteen, the R&B superstar will devote the evening’s performance to “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite” and “Embrya” or the combo of “Now” and “Blacksummers’night.” The mini-tour comprises two shows in Los Angeles, two in Atlanta and two in Newark, N.J. Yep, that’s it. Each show will feature two of the albums including tracks from the sets that have not been...
- 4/17/2012
- Hitfix
This is your big debut
It sure looks good on you.
So when you smile for the camera,
I know you're gonna love it.
- Steely Dan, "Peg"
For the past decade or so Dan Savage and Steely Dan's "Peg" have been permanently intermingled in my brain, married in my subconscious like chocolate and peanut butter, vodka and cranberry juice, Rick Santorum and, well... you know.
Read more on Dan Savage on his new talk show on MTV: “18 And Not Pregnant”...
It sure looks good on you.
So when you smile for the camera,
I know you're gonna love it.
- Steely Dan, "Peg"
For the past decade or so Dan Savage and Steely Dan's "Peg" have been permanently intermingled in my brain, married in my subconscious like chocolate and peanut butter, vodka and cranberry juice, Rick Santorum and, well... you know.
Read more on Dan Savage on his new talk show on MTV: “18 And Not Pregnant”...
- 4/3/2012
- by Rachel Fox
- GordonandtheWhale
Chris Rock and Bette Midler will be among the presenters at this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Midler has been chosen to honor the late singer-songwriter Laura Nyro, who has been cited as an influence on Elton John, Joni Mitchell and Steely Dan. Comedian Rock will pay tribute to Red Hot Chili Peppers, while John Mellencamp will induct 'Season of the Witch' popstar Donovan. Public Enemy's Chuck D will salute The Beastie Boys and E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt will discuss the legacy of The Small Faces/The (more)...
- 3/20/2012
- by By Justin Harp
- Digital Spy
Comedy has lost one of its great innovators -- Firesign Theatre founding member Peter Bergman died Friday, March 9, 2012 due to complications from leukemia. He and his cohorts reinvented comedy with surreal, multi-layered socio-political critiques and wild wordplay. Phil Austin, Bergman, David Ossman, and Philip Proctor debuted as the Firesign Theatre in 1966 and became cult heroes by breaking or ignoring boundaries with their surreal, complexly layered material. Their work forms an ongoing critique of modern society, media saturation, and technological alienation, but they are far from overly intellectual, lacing their routines with crazy puns, twisted pop-culture references, and warped -- or invented -- folk sayings and catchphrases. To appreciate their Dadaist comedy requires a long attention span, willingness to follow free associations, and attention to detail.
The prolific quartet dissolved in the '80s, though a 1985 album reunited three members. Proctor and Bergman also worked as a duo for a while.
The prolific quartet dissolved in the '80s, though a 1985 album reunited three members. Proctor and Bergman also worked as a duo for a while.
- 3/9/2012
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
MTV News looks back on Mother Monster's huge year and her genre-busting, Grammy-nominated album.
By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Kara Warner and Vanessa White Wolf
Lady Gaga
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images
Some artists, like Adele, release albums that are pure Grammy catnip thanks to instant-classic sounds that resonate with the Recording Academy's way-back contingent. Then there's Lady Gaga.
She's been a bridesmaid twice for Album of the Year at the Grammys, losing out on her first two releases. But with her third bid on Sunday, for Born This Way, Gaga appears to have made the kind of career-defining, big-idea album that Grammy voters could not deny.
It had all the things the Academy loves in an Album of the Year nominee: ambition, deeply personal tracks that provide a glimpse at the artist's psyche, bold musical explorations, strong sales and chance to prove that they're hip enough to...
By Gil Kaufman, with additional reporting by Kara Warner and Vanessa White Wolf
Lady Gaga
Photo: Stephen Lovekin/ Getty Images
Some artists, like Adele, release albums that are pure Grammy catnip thanks to instant-classic sounds that resonate with the Recording Academy's way-back contingent. Then there's Lady Gaga.
She's been a bridesmaid twice for Album of the Year at the Grammys, losing out on her first two releases. But with her third bid on Sunday, for Born This Way, Gaga appears to have made the kind of career-defining, big-idea album that Grammy voters could not deny.
It had all the things the Academy loves in an Album of the Year nominee: ambition, deeply personal tracks that provide a glimpse at the artist's psyche, bold musical explorations, strong sales and chance to prove that they're hip enough to...
- 2/10/2012
- MTV Music News
Rapper's critically acclaimed My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy didn't make the cut for Sunday's top prize, and it's in good company.
By Gil Kaufman
Kanye West
Photo: Getty Images
One of the favorite parlor games the morning after the Grammy Awards is the predictable bellyaching about which artists got robbed during the big show. And the category that typically draws the most Monday-morning quarterbacking is the biggest one of the night: Album of the Year.
Long before the 54th annual ceremony Sunday night, the drumbeat had already begun about an album that failed to make the list despite its wide critical acclaim and deep musicality. Though he's the leading nominee at this year's ceremony with seven nods, Kanye West's career-defining My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy failed to make the cut for the night's top prize.
Take a closer look at this year's Grammy nominees through photos!
Hip-hop heads grumbled...
By Gil Kaufman
Kanye West
Photo: Getty Images
One of the favorite parlor games the morning after the Grammy Awards is the predictable bellyaching about which artists got robbed during the big show. And the category that typically draws the most Monday-morning quarterbacking is the biggest one of the night: Album of the Year.
Long before the 54th annual ceremony Sunday night, the drumbeat had already begun about an album that failed to make the list despite its wide critical acclaim and deep musicality. Though he's the leading nominee at this year's ceremony with seven nods, Kanye West's career-defining My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy failed to make the cut for the night's top prize.
Take a closer look at this year's Grammy nominees through photos!
Hip-hop heads grumbled...
- 2/10/2012
- MTV Music News
of Montreal have prepped their eighth album in 10 years, "Paralytic Stalks," and now a month out from its release have another taste from the set. "Dour Percentage" is at least 50 percent Steely Dan, though the band has never shied away from those 7ths and 9ths and unabashed '70s pop sound. Kevin Barnes' bouncy voice remains strong as always. Stream and download of Montreal's "Dour Percentage" below. You can also check out "Wintered Debts" on the band's website. "Stalks" will be out on Feb. 7 through Polyvinyl, and for you supernerds, 500 cassettes through Joyful Noise/Polyvinyl will also be available. Below...
- 1/6/2012
- Hitfix
The year 1984 gave the world popular movies like "Ghostbusters," "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "Beverly Hills Cop."
It also introduced "This Is Spinal Tap," a mockumentary about an unsuccessful American tour by the fictional British band Spinal Tap featuring actors Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean, who played guitarist Nigel Tufnel, bassist Derek Smalls and lead singer David St. Hubbins, respectively.
The other films made a lot more money than "Spinal Tap," but the band that would be a heavy metal legend lives on as a cult movie classic.
Now, 27 years later, Spinal Tap is being honored with its own holiday: "Nigel Tufnel Day," which takes place one day only: Nov. 11, 2011 -- or 11/11/11.
Not familiar with the film or the reference to 11? Well, at one moment of the movie, the very dimwitted Tufnel shows off his amps and their dials that are numbered up to 11, a...
It also introduced "This Is Spinal Tap," a mockumentary about an unsuccessful American tour by the fictional British band Spinal Tap featuring actors Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean, who played guitarist Nigel Tufnel, bassist Derek Smalls and lead singer David St. Hubbins, respectively.
The other films made a lot more money than "Spinal Tap," but the band that would be a heavy metal legend lives on as a cult movie classic.
Now, 27 years later, Spinal Tap is being honored with its own holiday: "Nigel Tufnel Day," which takes place one day only: Nov. 11, 2011 -- or 11/11/11.
Not familiar with the film or the reference to 11? Well, at one moment of the movie, the very dimwitted Tufnel shows off his amps and their dials that are numbered up to 11, a...
- 11/10/2011
- by David Moye
- Huffington Post
It’s understandable that lots of folks like to draw parallels between the music of Jens Lekman and, say, Morrissey or Belle & Sebastian. Why? Because there are a whole lot of similarities there, to be sure. But more than either of those two indie mainstays, the artist that Lekman most reminds this writer of is Steely Dan. This is not because Lekman’s voice is reminiscent of Donald Fagen’s, or that his arrangements evoke fern-bar coke binges in the same way that Steely Dan’s does. No, it’s because, more than anything else, Jens Lekman’s music is uncannily precise. His lyrics (florid,...
- 9/20/2011
- Pastemagazine.com
HollywoodNews.com: Wind, rain, sudden autumn, cold weather–nothing kept people away from Andrea Bocelli’s big Central Park concert last night. But in the confusion of seating celebs, Ivana Trump and a pal were put in the front row. Imagine the surprise of Donald Trump and latest wife, Melania. Those seats were meant for them! Two more chairs were rustled up immediately, and the foursome now sat together. The tension could be cut with an 18 karat gold knife. Also in the celeb section right up front, Alec Baldwin with yoga instructor gf Hilaria, Katie Couric with youngish boyfriend Brooks Perlin, comic Caroline Rhea, and Sting with buddy Richard Sachs and singer Lisa Fisher.
On stage, Bocelli was joined by guest artists Tony Bennett, Celine Dion, David Foster, and Chris Botti. Out in the VIP tent we were startled to see Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries–they are real, after all,...
On stage, Bocelli was joined by guest artists Tony Bennett, Celine Dion, David Foster, and Chris Botti. Out in the VIP tent we were startled to see Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries–they are real, after all,...
- 9/17/2011
- by Roger Friedman
- Hollywoodnews.com
It’s been three years since Lenny Kravitz’s last album. In that time, he’s switched record labels, made his acting debut in “Precious,” filmed a role for the forthcoming “Hunger Games,” opened for U2 and celebrated the 20th anniversary of his first album, 1989’s “Let Love Rule.” In other words, it’s good to be him. So it’s small wonder that there’s an air of gratitude and joy that surrounds the overwhelmingly positive “Black And White America,” out today.Though album deals with race relations — the Steely Dan-redolent title track speaks directly to some of the issues his parents’ interracial marriage faced—the messages...
- 8/30/2011
- Hitfix
By Zachary Swickey
The classic rock sounds of The Eagles and Steely Dan are what I grew up on. Other than the occasional Enya or Kenny G album (help me!), my dad was constantly playing me songs from his youth. I recall him putting on “Be True to Your School” by the Beach Boys and commenting that his parents must’ve loved that. I even argued that Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett’s solo in “Fade to Black” was the greatest of all time … until my father proved me wrong by playing Eric Clapton’s guest guitar-work on the Stephen Stills solo tune “Come Back Home,” which remains my favorite solo to this day.
This had me wondering, in 40 year’s time what music from today will be considered classic rock? Here are five rock acts that I think won’t be leaving the radio anytime soon.
Red Hot Chili Peppers...
The classic rock sounds of The Eagles and Steely Dan are what I grew up on. Other than the occasional Enya or Kenny G album (help me!), my dad was constantly playing me songs from his youth. I recall him putting on “Be True to Your School” by the Beach Boys and commenting that his parents must’ve loved that. I even argued that Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett’s solo in “Fade to Black” was the greatest of all time … until my father proved me wrong by playing Eric Clapton’s guest guitar-work on the Stephen Stills solo tune “Come Back Home,” which remains my favorite solo to this day.
This had me wondering, in 40 year’s time what music from today will be considered classic rock? Here are five rock acts that I think won’t be leaving the radio anytime soon.
Red Hot Chili Peppers...
- 8/8/2011
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
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