#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.

#classicalbumtweets: Blood Sugar Sex Magik

August edition of #classicalbumtweets coming up tonight. I play it and tweet it. This month is Red Hot Chili Peppers. pic.twitter.com/mgS9yPM5Cu

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) August 22, 2014

And away we go... #classicalbumtweets pic.twitter.com/h2eEylPl9c

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) August 22, 2014

I love how the first thing you hear on Blood Sugar Sex Magik is the riff at an FM radio quality. Everything else is in your face.

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) August 22, 2014

I was late coming to BSSM. Didn't get it until about nine years after release. Used my birthday money to finally take the plunge.

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) August 22, 2014

When "The Power Of Equality" came on, I was like "Ooh, new Peppers songs!" almost a full decade after the fact.

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) August 22, 2014

#classicalbumtweets: The Score

This month's edition of #classicalbumtweets will be coming up soon. Tonight is Fugees' The Score. I simply press play and tweet about it.
— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) July 10, 2014

My #classicalbumtweets for July will be starting shortly. Got my copy of The Score ready. pic.twitter.com/f6M1IjqmYR

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) July 10, 2014

Just a heads up, I won't be dealing with the bonus tracks from The Score. The vision of an album ends when they start. Still enjoyable tho.

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) July 10, 2014

Late Registration officially ends with "Gone," not "Late." You can hear it...

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) July 10, 2014

Pushing play...now! #classicalbumtweets

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) July 10, 2014

First time I heard "Red Intro," I immediately felt like I was going to be taken on a journey. So dramatic and felt like a sermon. Uncommon.

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) July 10, 2014

Go Home Productions - "Prototype (USSR) (The Beatles vs. Outkast)"

Mark Vidler, AKA Go Home Productions, has been in the mash-up game for so long that he's pretty much outgrown the genre that had its boon in the early 2000s. What I've always loved about his work is how he forgoes the novelty factor that can be so tempting in mash-ups in exchange for something with more depth and emotion. Not to say that his stuff can't reach joy-inducing heights, but the appeal lies in more than just the comfort that comes with the familiarity of certain songs, but in the execution of it all. It's all so fluid that once you've gotten over the initial curiosity of songs from two separate genres being mixed together, it holds as something that could organically come about in a world where time machines existed. "Prototype (USSR)", which combines Outkast and The Beatles is another great example of how Go Home Productions operates, turning Paul McCartney's vocals--vocals which are forever associated with a rollicking background--into something refreshing and surprisingly tender with the help of "Prototype"'s syrupy funk. McCartney's cadence fits into a sort of double-time delivery that has been the norm in R&B for the past 15 years, providing us with something that's unquestionably modern with the most traditional of parts.



Go Home Productions: Prototype (USSR) (The... by gohomeproductions

You can download Go Home Productions' latest album, Spliced Krispies Vol. 2 from his website and also check out the videos for each song on his YouTube account.

#classicalbumtweets: Voodoo

Every 2nd Wednesday of the month, I go on Twitter and listen to a classic album. I tweet about the experience and whatever thoughts come to my mind. I try to make sure it's an album that I haven't played to in a while, but one that I'm very familiar with and that others are as well. For June, I did D'Angelo's Voodoo. Come back next month for Fugees' The Score.

Every 2nd Wed. of the month, I put on a classic album and tweet about the experience. Tonight is D'Angelo's Voodoo. http://t.co/Nnv5lZLdx5

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) June 11, 2014

Gearing up for another edition of #classicalbumtweets. Voodoo by D'Angelo. Get your CDs/playlists queued up. pic.twitter.com/fXf4b49Zb8

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) June 12, 2014

Used to hate the thickness of Voodoo's booklet b/c it was always difficult sliding it back in the case. That corner! pic.twitter.com/Wf4ERVGkS4

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) June 12, 2014

Would have loved to see the look on those expecting Brown Sugar 2 when those chants started on "Playa Playa." #classicalbumtweets

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) June 12, 2014

Such a big difference in starting off with "Playa Playa." Lyrics are sometimes indiscernible. D'Angelo is basically kissing mainstream g'bye

— Ivan Mitchell (@hecticivan) June 12, 2014

An early preview of the 2015 Grammys

Although Grammy nominations won't be announced until December and the ceremony itself doesn't take place until February 2015, it's always fun to take an early look at the current standings of who's likely to get nominated. At this point we're already 3/4 of the way through the eligibility period, so we have possibly already heard most of the nominees, but there is still a lot of time left, so don't take these predictions as definite. Once it gets closer to nomination time, I'll post my final guesses, so make sure to check back for that. For this post, I'm only examining the general field categories: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. Here are the current contenders for the 57th Grammy Awards, as I see it.

Album of the Year

1. Beyoncé - Beyoncé
What's in its favor: The world was turned upside down when Bey released her fifth album unannounced without any promotion and a music video created for each track. It became one of the biggest musical events of the decade. It also doesn't hurt that sales have been robust and it got not only some of the best reviews of her career, but for the year in general.
What might work against it: Albums by superstars in this category tend to have more than one big hit. So far it's only been "Drunk In Love."

2. Pharrell Williams - G I R L
What's in its favor: The momentum from all the goodwill he received during the summer of 2013 has carried over thanks to a little song called "Happy." The album has also been well-received by critics and yet to fall below #20 of the Billboard Top 200 nearly three months after its release.
What might work against it: Unless the critical reception has been absolutely astronomical, nominees here don't make it off the basis of just one song. Its chances hinge mainly on the chart performance of new single "Come Get It Bae" at this point.

3. Arcade Fire - Reflektor
What's in its favor: I've talked before about how the Grammys are trying to slowly regain credibility by rewarding acts that are seen as hip and purveyors of quality music. Arcade Fire has one of the strongest combinations of hip and mainstream going for them, which will continue to make them perennial contenders in AOTY. Reflektor was highly lauded upon release and in case you forgot, they actually beat out Eminem and Lady Gaga in this category a few years ago.
What might work against: The Suburbs, their past AOTY winner, was released during the summer and the surprise at its #1 debut shot them up in the eyes of the mainstream. By the time the eligibility period concluded at the end of September, the album was still relatively fresh. Reflektor was practically released at the beginning of the eligibility period, so there's a strong case it might already be forgotten.