The Major & Minor of the 87th Academy Awards

Welcome to the first edition of the Major & Minor. I'm trying this out as way to provide analysis to the many awards shows that are out there, while hopefully bringing something new to the table. I'll be looking at the highs and lows, best and worst, positives and negatives, or whatever you want to call it, of the 2015 Oscars, which is the biggest of all awards shows and not a bad place to start.




Major: Good Things Happen When Neil Patrick Harris Sings (and Jack Black & Anna Kendrick Cameo)

The opening show number written by Robert and Kristin-Anderson Lopez (Frozen's "Let It Go") provided the kind of pizazz and showbiz acumen most of us had hoped for when it was announced that Harris would be the host. His past stints doing the same duties for the Emmys and Tonys showed how apt he was and for four minutes, he lived up to the hype. Comedic timing and a solid voice should be all you need to do this thing successfully, right?

Major: #Cumberflask

Best "I'm A Big Star, But Don't Take Myself Too Seriously" moment since Meryl Streep stared down Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt.

Major: O to the N to the D to the Pearls Of Love

I'll leave the fashion analysis to the experts, but the eyes don't lie: stunning is stunning. Also, someone please include Lupita Nyong'o's smile in a romantic comedy.





Major/Minor: This Was More Of A Leading Role, But The Right Man Won

I'm a huge fan of  Whiplash and I'm happy to see J.K. Simmons get some recognition, but you can't convince me that he didn't have a leading role. There's no doubt that Miles Teller had the bigger transformational arc. He's the protagonist. I get that, but Simmons' is the force that pushes that movie. I understand studios submit actors and actresses in categories they have the best shot at winning (once upon a time, Harvey Weinsten tried to push off Kate Winslet as a supporting actress in The Reader), but it will always continue to rub me the wrong way. I could always just stop nitpicking and appreciate the fact he won an award for the role of the tyrannical Terence Fletcher, one of the scariest, most well-rounded, brimstone-spewing characters we've seen this decade. I'm not entirely sure that it's a given he would have lost if he had been submitted in Best Actor. Sure, the category was already loaded with major contenders like Keaton, Redmayne and Cumberbatch already, but neither one of them was as showy as Simmons' performance, which the Academy often leans towards. Let's say Best Actor ends up like this:

Best Films Of 2014

These are the movies from 2014 I loved the most. Anything from my top ten stayed with me hours, most cases days after my first viewing and even in the second month of 2015, I can recall them vividly. If you're wondering why this list is so late, I do not have the luxury of attending the festival circuit, nor do I live in New York or Los Angeles, so a lot of late 2014 prestige releases don't make their way to the rest of the country until January. To be able to put movies in the proper context of their respective years, it helps to see the films that have been lauded the most or were highly anticipated, hence the February arrival of this list. In my own world, it's still relevant as long as it's before the Oscars. So here it is.


1. Life Itself

Roger Ebert was a huge influence on me as a cinephile. If I hadn't started reading his reviews as a high school freshman, this very list you're reading may not even exist. I fought hard not to make Life Itself, my #1 movie of 2014 because of how much I adored its subject and for fear that I wasn't being objective, yet in the end, honesty won out. The emphasis on Ebert's love for movies alone would have still made this a memorable film, seeing as how his writing was filled with an observation, wit and insight that made him more accessible than some of his more sophisticated contemporaries at the time. The love he had for cinema was a very genuine and touching one, but in the spirit of objectivity, director Steve James (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters) delved into the man behind the reviews, warts and all. The documentary follows Ebert through the last months of his life as he battled cancer, an ordeal that is not skimmed over in the least and quite graphic at times, in addition to less flattering biographical nuggets mentioned throughout the film. It's the kind of portrayal Ebert himself likely would have championed.

#classicalbumtweets: Crazysexycool

The front page of Hectic But Eclectic was getting a little too #classicalbumtweets heavy, so I withheld posting and tried to space them out more. I still kept on with the tweets and now I do it every 2nd Saturday of the month instead. I'll be doing Discovery by Daft Punk this Saturday, actually.

#classicalbumtweets is about a few minutes away. pic.twitter.com/OzEvoWflun
— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) October 8, 2014

The intro to CrazySexyCool only reminds how closely R&B and hip hop camps circled around each other back in the day. Was the norm back then.
— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) October 8, 2014

Me and my friends were not ready for all the maturity and sexiness TLC had when the "Creep" video dropped. #classicalbumtweets
— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) October 8, 2014

I enjoyed the brattiness and color of the first album, but didn't feel betrayed when they decided to dress alike. "Creep" was perfect intro.
— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) October 8, 2014

"Kick Your Game" was the track to remind you that TLC were still down and had attitude, in case those horns on "Creep" made you think other.
— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) October 8, 2014

Bass lines from Jermaine Dupri productions from 1992-1995 are God's gift to us. #classicalbumtweets
— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) October 8, 2014

Live Blogging The 2015 Grammys

7:00 Back here to live blog the Grammys again another year. I'll be providing running analysis on who might win and the overall spectacle of the show.

7:02 AC/DC are kicking off the show. LL Cool J makes it a point to tell everyone that this is their first performance at the ceremony. I'm totally happy for them and all, especially with Malcolm Young having to leave the band, but it doesn't scream current. My only guess is that the NARAS noticed there was an alarming lack of guitars on the show, so they had to dig into the vault to balance things out.

7:08 LL Cool J is back onstage the show officially begins. He just announced that there were will be 23 performances tonight. 23. Oof.

7:11 Sam Smith takes home Best New Artist in a win that shocks absolutely no one. I'm still recovering from the shell shock that we're going to have to sit through 23 performances. It appears as if the awards have truly become secondary, which is a shame. You look at the Oscars, Tonys, Emmys and even the Golden Globes, there is buzz and importance surrounding who will win. For the Grammys, it's as if Album of the Year is the only thing anyone is waiting for. The collaborative performances have always felt desperate and forced. It's great that veterans can still get a rub from being on a nationally televised appearance because I think it's important that younger viewers know about previous generations, but it's done in a way that's very insincere and not entertaining in the least. I love music, so naturally I look forward to the Grammys, but it's frustrating when you know it could be so much more.

7:24 Ariana Grande performs "Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart" and does a solid job, because well, she's Ariana. I would have preferred to see her do a more uptempo song, but I like that she went opposite of what her singles have been. If she still feels like she has something to prove, I think everyone is much better off for it. Jessie J and Tom Jones also perform "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" in honor of its songwriters, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Neither were bad choices to perform, seeing as how Jones' baritone is not a half-bad match for what Bill Medley did on the original, but it's incredibly stiff. I dislike it whenever they have performances on that small stage in the middle of the audience that isn't minimal. It feels too overstuffed for such an intimate and the entire sequence felt like it could have been on telethon instead of the biggest night in music. Pharrell beats out Sam Smith and Sia for Best Pop Solo Vocal Performance with a live version of "Happy." This is the first sign of vulnerability for Smith I've seen tonight and I like Beyonce's chances for AOTY better now. We'll have to see how Record and Song of the Year pan out.

Grammy Winner Predictions for 2015

The 57th Grammy Awards will take place this Sunday, Feb. 8 on CBS. As I do every year, I took my hand at predicting who will walk away with a miniature gramophone on the big night. I'll also be live blogging the event, so make sure to come back during the show for up-to-date analysis and comments.

Record of the Year

Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX - "Fancy"
Sia - "Chandelier"
Sam Smith - "Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)"
Taylor Swift - "Shake It Off"
Meghan Trainor - "All About That Bass"

Will win: It'll likely be between Sia and Sam Smith, with "Chandelier" taking the edge due to it feeling like more of an event song.
Should win: "Chandelier," because it cracked my top ten singles of 2014.
Overlooked: Arctic Monkeys - "Do I Wanna Know"; Paramore - "Ain't It Fun"


Album of the Year

Beck - Morning Phase
Beyoncé - Beyoncé
Ed Sheeran - x
Sam Smith - In the Lonely Hour
Pharrell Williams - G I R L

Will win: Beyoncé delivered an album worthy of her superstardom and she will be rewarded for it.
Should win: I was pretty fond of the Beyoncé album as well.
Overlooked: Miley Cyrus - Bangerz; Haim - Days Are Gone; St. Vincent - St. Vincent

#classicalbumtweets: Tapestry

This month's edition of #classicalbumtweets will be taking place in an hour. Carole King's Tapestry will be getting the treatment.

— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) September 10, 2014

If you've never heard Tapestry, you're kind of missing out. It was like the 21 of its time, except better.

— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) September 10, 2014

Time to get started on #classicalbumtweets. Join me when I press play on Carole King's Tapestry. pic.twitter.com/azzNPK0mXw

— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) September 11, 2014

Pushing play on Tapestry...now. #classicalbumtweets

— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) September 11, 2014

That opening to "I Feel The Earth Move" feels so much like 70s AM. I literally started seeing things from filter of photographs back then.

— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) September 11, 2014

It's pretty much the closest Tapestry comes to rocking. Sign of the times and possible nod to acts she used to write for #classicalbumtweets

— Eloquent 2-Year Old (@hecticivan) September 11, 2014

Top 250 Singles of 2014

As the years go on, this list has become more agonizing to sift through because of the amount of great stuff that's out there. I won't complain though. The time and effort that goes into this makes me feel good about songs even in the lower reaches of the list, and that's a feeling that increases with each year. So yes, it's definitely worth it. As usual, I've included a Spotify playlist and for the tracks that weren't available there, I used Soundcloud to compile them (those songs will have a * next to them). Both playlists are also embedded at the bottom. For songs that couldn't be found on either, I just simply included a hyperlink to where you can listen (designated with a ^). If you haven't yet, check out my albums list as well. Hope you find something new that you'll enjoy!

1. FKA twigs - Two Weeks

The past couple of years in music have seen an increasing fascination with the spaced-out, drum heavy sounds of mid to late-90s R&B to much acclaim. One has to wonder where the critical adoration has been all this time and why it took a touch of the fringe to make it palatable and hip (i.e. Banks, The Weeknd, How To Dress Well, etc.). FKA twigs' career has definitely benefited from this growing trend, but with all the comparisons to experimental artists like Björk and James Blake, make no mistake about it; "Two Weeks" is a pure R&B record. Once upon a time, turntable scratches and Auto-Tune were alien to rhythm and blues, so don't let the screwed vocals that pop up throughout deter from classifying it as such. If anything, they add to the atmosphere, which is probably one of the most sensual to come down the pipeline in a year or two. That uneasy tension is likely what twigs wants. For the audience to be kept off guard, to be lulled away from their equilibrium leaving themselves susceptible, until finally, she coos in a voice dripping with confidence and candle wax, "Give me two weeks/you won't recognize her." You're left helpless, she's in full control and more than likely, you're regretfully enjoying every minute of it. What genre besides R&B is more notorious for moves like that?

Best 50 Albums of 2014

At first I thought 2014 was kind of an off year for music, but doing lists like this remind me that there can't possibly be such a thing. I made a Spotify playlist, which you can also listen to at the bottom and make sure to check back soon for my top 250 singles list.

1. Beyoncé - Beyoncé

Of course this album should be under 2014 consideration. How else to explain all the widespread adoration but only so few appearances on critics' year-end lists in 2013? It was released late last December, which was much too close to the end of the year for me and a lot of people to put into proper context of what it meant at the end of the calendar. Twelve months have passed since then and I can confidently say it's still the best thing I've heard in that span. One of the more intriguing developments of the pop world within the past few years was how her previous album, 4, felt like more than just an attempt to put together a radio-ready collection of songs and strove to keep up with some of her more adventurous contemporaries. This was surprising in that it felt like the first LP where we got a glimpse at Beyoncé The Artist and not just simply Beyoncé The Ridiculously Talented & Fierce Superwoman, which we had seen time and time again. The seeds of that experimentation fully blossomed on Beyoncé, her most challenging work yet. The usual Beyoncé trademarks were there, but instead of embracing their more commercial aspects, we were treated with more details that gave everything a personal feel. Girls still ran the world, but novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adicihe was there to explain why. You could still get her bodied, but you had to solve the riddle, and so on. It's a very rare thing when artists of Beyoncé's talent and stature make such bold moves while at the top of their game. That they pay off and in result in an amazing piece of work that's as dark and sexy as this is even rarer.

Ten Years of Singles, Ten Years of Spotify Playlists: 2004 - 2013

While we're in the midst of year-end list season (and as I'm preparing my own, so check back soon), I got to thinking about the history of this blog, which started back in 2004 as a project for an English Comp. course. Ten years is a long time to be doing anything and if anything, my past best-of lists have been a reliable snapshot of the culture at the time which I often use as a reference, along with how I've grown as a person (some of my earliest Lollapalooza recaps were so cruel, they embarrass me now). I've only started employing Spotify into my year-end singles posts the past few years and thought it would be a great idea to go back and give the others the same treatment. If you ever need a good idea of what went on in music from 2004-2013 and you have a few weeks to spare, I think this post would be a good place to start. Click on a year for the full list.


2004



Song that should have been higher in hindsight: Alicia Keys - "If I Ain't Got You" (original rank: #84)
Most guilt-wracked omissions: McFly - "Room On The 3rd Floor"; Mousse T feat. Emma Lanford - "Is It 'Cos I'm Cool"; Teddybears STLHM - "Hey Boy"

2005



Song that should have been higher in hindsight: Out Hud - "It's For You" (#188)
Most guilt-wracked omission: Fefe Dobson - "Don't Let It Go To Your Head"

2006



Song that should have been higher in hindsight: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Cheated Hearts" (#113)
Most guilt-wracked omission: The Long Blondes - "Once And Never Again"

2015 Grammy Nomination Predictions: Album of the Year & Song of the Year

The nominees for the 57th Grammy Awards will be announced this Friday, Dec. 5, during a concert special airing on CBS. The actual hardware will be handed out on Feb. 8, 2015. Back in May, I took a look at the early contenders in the general field and just yesterday, I gave my final predictions for Record of the Year and Best New Artist. I'll be referring to a few of my choices, so make sure to read that post if you haven't yet. For today, I'm providing a breakdown for Album of the Year and Song of the Year, along with my final guesses as to who will be nominated.

I'll go ahead and get this out the way: Beyoncé. She's an obvious choice. If you've been in a coma or have been stuck in a time travel stasis, I'll briefly list why: the album crashed the iTunes website upon its stealth release, said album was accompanied with music videos for each track (unheard of for an artist of her stature), and it still sold over 800,000 in a shortened sales week without any promotion. And she's also Beyoncé, one of the most adored pop stars in the world and a perennial Grammy favorite. Last year, I had Justin Timberlake pegged as a sure shot, but I didn't take into account that him submitting both 20/20 Experience albums would go against him (I still believe he would've gotten the nod if only Pt. 1 was included). But make no mistake; this is Beyoncé's award to lose.

The rest of the field is more up for grabs, but smart money says to go with Sam Smith's In The Lonely Hour. His music is the kind that is endearing across multiple demographics and he has an authentic, soulful voice. While he hasn't had any major solo hits beyond "Stay With Me," his talent is not in doubt and already is a recognized name. That makes him a lock for Best New Artist, but the album itself, while a solid effort, may be deemed too ordinary for a revitalized blue ribbon panel (the secret group of voters that selects nominees for the general field from the top votes) that's trying to show that they can be hip (in the past five years alone, they've nominated Frank Ocean, Jack White, Arcade Fire, The Black Keys and Daft Punk). If their criteria is indeed tougher, In The Lonely Hour could be on the outs, but there are so few albums that have had the same impact both commercially and with critics.

2015 Grammy Nomination Predictions: Record of the Year & Best New Artist

Nominations for the the 57th Annual Grammy Awards will be announced this Friday, Dec. 5, on a live concert special airing on CBS. The award ceremony itself will be taking place on Feb. 8th, 2015. Back in May, I took an early look at possible contenders in the Big Four categories, but these predictions right here before you are definite and I'm ready to commit to them. I think. For this post, I'll be taking guesses for Record of the Year and Best New Artist and come back tomorrow when I'll examine the field for Album of the Year and Song of the Year.


Record of the Year

As always, I like to start off with my locks. Despite what I consider a pretty lackluster year as far as the quality of top 40 hits are concerned (2013 alone gave us "Royals," "Get Lucky," and "Wrecking Ball" just to name a few), there are always definite contenders. I'm a bit shakier this year than most, but overall, I feel like Beyoncé will be the one to beat this night. While "Drunk In Love" featuring Jay-Z was not the monstrous, axis-shifting hit like some of her other past general field nominations ("Crazy In Love," "Irreplaceable," "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)"), it had a two-month stay within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and could certainly be classified as one of the most meme-worthy songs of the year.

I really like Sam Smith's "Stay With Me" in this category as well. I'm a bit confused as to why the Darkchild version with Mary J. Blige was submitted instead of just the solo version since the song is already well-liked enough in its original incarnation. The only theory I have is that Smith's people might view Beyoncé as the biggest threat and deduced that Blige's inclusion might help be able to draw away some votes from the R&B voting contingent or probably those who would love to see Mary J. Blige rewarded in the general field after a 22-year career. There's also the risk that some voters might just be plain puzzled at having to vote for only a version with Blige, which is just a small portion of why I feel shaky about this year. Nonetheless, with or without Blige's vocals, it's still a very heartfelt song with a lot of emotional power behind it.

Pharrell Williams - "It Girl" music video

I gave a spin recently to Pharrell Williams' G I R L album after not playing it for a few months. When it got to the final track, "It Girl," the imagery for the recently released video couldn't escape my mind, which is pretty rare for me. I love the language of music videos and all of the life-altering moments that they have brought me, but I think that it is more truer and organic when you can connect with a song and create your own imagery, thus strengthening that thing we are sometimes forced to make weaker as we get older called imagination. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the video for "It Girl," but I can't stop looking at it. It's a digital rainbow amalgamation of anime and 16-bit video games that flirts with overkill, all set to the unlikely sounds of relaxing funk and R&B, but is eye-catching nonetheless (and I'm all for Genki Rockets' "Heavenly Star" being referenced to American viewers). There have been dalliances between mainstream artists and video games before (some examples are Redman's "Da Goodness" and Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Californication"), yet I feel like "It Girl" is one of the first from someone with a high profile to embrace gamer and anime culture in a way that feels authentic and respectful to its core audience (for what it's worth, I consider Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet" the apex of music and video games). After this video and Kanye West's "Good Morning," I would love to see Takashi Murakami (who produced "It Girl," Mr. and Fantasia Utamaro directed) add his distinct style to more videos for hip hop and R&B artists and not just those that are afraid to embrace their inner nerd. The nods to Tecmo cutscenes, blinking credits and extended shots of "gameplay" may only excite a select few, which makes it pretty notable that someone with a hit album on a major label went as hardcore as this video did.

One Direction - "Steal My Girl"

With school gymnasiums and slumber parties already proven as certified venues for songs of adolescent longing and buoyant dance beats, One Direction has turned a slightly unexpected eye toward the arena with this latest song. It seems like a logical step after their flirtations with power pop on Midnight Memories, but considering where they started, it might be a bit hard to swallow for casual followers. Complete with reverberating drums and classic "na na na na's", "Steal My Girl" is the heavy, anthemic sound of smalltown teenage dreams that existed in a time where getting a car with a cassette player was a rite of passage.