Ten On Tuesdays: Ten Best TV Freshmen Classes

The fall network television season officially kicks off next week (although FOX and The CW are getting a bit of a headstart) and each new show will be under the microscope. The pressure is always higher for new shows since they have only 13 episodes or less to win viewers or produce a strong enough product that may win some favor from the network execs and allow a stay of execution. There is no telling which of this season's new shows will become the next sensation or even if there will be one, but it's always exciting to follow, at least to me.

In honor of the upcoming fall tv season (one of my favorite events of the year), I've decided to do a top ten list of what I feel are the seasons that had the best freshmen line-up. I based this on the ratings success of the show, longetivity, quality, importance to the history of television and its lasting impact on pop culture. This list is also not limited to just shows in the fall line-up, but shows that were midseason replacements as well. I also didn't include every new show for each particular season, mainly because they didn't fit the criteria. Any shows not on the fall line-up are noted with an asterisk (*).


10
1982-83

The A-Team*
Cheers
Family Ties
Knight Rider
Newhart
Remington Steele
Silver Spoons
Square Pegs
St. Elsewhere

The A-Team, Cheers, Family Ties and Knight Rider are cornerstones of 80's television and shows that people will often remain nostalgic for, but the enduring quality of St. Elsewhere and Newhart, not to mention Square Pegs' groundbreaking look at adolescent life is what earns the 1982-83 crop a spot on this list.


9
1996-97

7th Heaven
Buffy The Vampire Slayer*
Cosby
Everybody Loves Raymond
The Jamie Foxx Show
Just Shoot Me!*
King Of The Hill*
Millenium
The Practice*
Spin City
The Steve Harvey Show

Raymond went on to become one of the best sitcoms of all-time. Buffy revived a network and re-ignited serial storytelling in primetime. The Practice was definitely one of the best dramas on television for at least its first three or four seasons. King Of The Hill continues to remain consistent to this day. Those fours shows alone are impressive enough, but once you add the importance of the Jamie Foxx and Steve Harvey-led sitcoms in an era where FOX was slowly phasing out African-American centered programming from their schedule and 7th Heaven's longevity, you have one of the most well-rounded group of freshmen in this season.

Jordin Sparks - "Tattoo"

I am not afraid to admit my love for American Idol. Aside from the merits of pre-manufacturing the next superstar (which doesn't bother me if the music is good and it's not as if it isn't a decades-old practice), the show is genuinely entertaining as television and one of the few shows that hooks you from the first week to the last. I root for a lot of the contestants to have successful careers after the show, but let's face it, some never live up to the hype. The expectations have been even harder for the contestants that make up the final two to become successful ever since Ruben and Clay proved that more than one person from a season can achieve commercial success. The pressure has gained even more with the runner-ups getting more accolades than any of the actual winners (Jennifer Hudson? Chris Daughtry anybody?). The progress of the 2007 final duo of Blake Lewis and winner Jordin Sparks will be examined more closely than any final two before them. With both of the 2006 final two's albums flopping (Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee), people will be speculating whether the show is relevant any more if back-to-back winners have mediocre album sales and whether the title of American Idol would even matter any more since it's been proven that all you need to have is the talent, a spot in the final 12 and a little luck to have a good career. The first one up to the plate is Jordin Sparks, who has an album slated for release in November and a single, "Tattoo", that is already out at radio. What's really notable about "Tattoo" is that it's the not the usual sappy, ear destroying ballad that final two contestants are forced to release, but a straightforward pop song ready to get toes tapping instead of radio dials switched. It's also the perfect song for Jordin to be introduced with. There's no getting around the fact that she's still a teenager, but the bubbly personality that she displayed on the show will likely not translate in to good music. If likeable personalities translated into album sales, there would be at least one American Idol contestant in the top 20 of the Hot 100 for every year of the week. "Tattoo" has the perfect balance of youthful appeal and edge that Kelly Clarkson showed during her first album. The song itself is a response to a former lover that Jordin can't escape like a, um, tattoo and with its icy synths and "Irreplaceable"-like drum pattern is a surprising and welcome turn from the American Idol camp. Game on, Blake.

Jordin Sparks - "Tattoo" (streaming)

If it's hard, try spellin' it phonetically

For those who lost faith in Talib Kweli after 2004's stale The Beautiful Struggle, you should definitely give his latest Ear Drum a try and you might find yourself being won over again. Around 2002, I would have still considered Talib one of the best 10 MCs in the game, but after The Beautiful Struggle was released, I couldn't even mention him as one of my current faves. The production wasn't the only downfall of that album, but Talib's quest for mainstream listeners resulted in rhymes that simply weren't exciting or inspiring. Kweli has managed to strike a better balance of mainstream pandering while holding on to his underground roots on his latest. "Country Cousins" shows Kweli using the Midwestern double time flow (which I didn't even know he had in his arsenal) over a laidback soulful beat with UGK contributing as well. If that isn't a recipe for success, I'm not sure what is. You have two of the best acts from the East and the South together on a track and the results make for one of the more beautiful hip-hop tracks of the year.

Talib Kweli feat. UGK - Country Cousins

To buy the album from Amazon, click here

Go Home Productions - "This Was Pop (2002-2007)"

So one of the greatest artists of this decade has just released a career retrospective on his website. For those of you that don't know, Go Home Productions, aka Mark Vidler, is the premeir mash-up artist of our time, and what he does cannot simply be described as putting two songs together. Of course, that's the best way to explain it to someone, but his eclectic song choices and flair for arrangement take 21st century pop to dizzying heights (great example: Flaming Lips' "The W.A.N.D. + Mary J. Blige's "Real Love," + Can's "Halleluwah" + Run DMC's "My Adidas" + Prince's "Sign O' The Times" = "Flaming Mary Can (Out) Run Prince", which didn't even make the cut!). Neither is he a one-trick pony who mashes up songs just for quirky kicks, but GHP has proven time and time again that not only can his songs be terrific ear candy to smile and dance along to, but can have surprising depth and emotion as well. See for yourself why each bootleg he releases is met with great expectation. His homepage, http://www.gohomeproductions.co.uk/ has the songs available for individual download right now, as well as the complete album.

The Latest in Singles

Nicole Scherzinger feat. T.I. - Whatever U Like

Does anyone even know any of the names of the other Pussycat Dolls? I mean seriously. This is probably the first of many times that you'll be hearing this slightly average club banger. Scherzinger has a good enough voice, but as in the case of another Polow Da Don production, "London Bridge", I feel that the beat is too much for the vocalist and Nicole is lacking the star power and charisma to do anything unique with it. This is practially the same song as "Blindfold Me", but listen carefully to Kelis for an example on how to attack a Polow beat. Rating: 6



Girls Aloud - Sexy! No No No...

Girls Aloud have made very few missteps in their short career. It's more complicated than just being consistent and churning out good music. They've been taking stylistic risks with their music from the beginning, fooling around with everything from surf rock to skiffle. Now comes their first major image overhaul to go along with their aggressive new song. It's awesome as expected and the new look and sound feel like a natural evolution. Dammit Spice Girls. This could have been you. Rating: 8



Common feat. Lily Allen - Drivin' Me Wild

The first verse is corny as hell (I wince everytime I hear those OK Go and "astronaut lady" references), but there's little else to fear afterwards. It's safe to say that this is probably the most pop thing that Common has ever done, but that's not a knock on the song, which thanks to Lily Allen, has a refreshing mixture of streetwise grit and sunshine. Here's hoping that Lily sells a few more units thanks to the video (if the video weren't so literal, the image of her in an astronaut suit could have been classic). Also, Jeremy Piven shows up just to look at the camera and not do much else, but hey, he's from Chicago too, so it's cool. Rating: 7



Art Brut - Direct Hit

This is the first video of theirs I've seen, and dammit, even those are hilarious too. No one just seems to find the time for humor in period pieces any more. Rating: 9



Vanessa Carlton - Nolita Fairytale

It's Murdaaaaa! Well, not quite. Yes, she's been signed to Irv Gotti's Tha Inc, but her sound is still the same. When you hear the funky drum break in the beginning, you immediately think that Carlton is gonna get crunk, but if you were hoping for Ja-Rule and Carlton to harmonize on the chorus, you'll have to wait for another song. As for the song itself, it doesn't do any disservice to her fans, but it's nothing special. Although, the first 30 seconds of the video contain a witty reference to the clip for her first and most successful single, "A Thousand Miles". Rating: 5




Lil Mo feat. Jim Jones - Sumtimes I

Um, yeah. She's not looking so lil' any more. Aside from the newfound confidence in showing off her cleavage, there won't be anything else memorable about the song. What's noticeable is that she has shown us a new side of her vocal range instead of the barely legal squeak that everyone has been accusomted to. Lil' Mo wants us to know that she has matured, but she's forgotten how to craft a good hook in the process. Rating :5





Swizz Beatz - Money In The Bank

I'm kinda confused. The video would have you believe that the song is intended to be funny, but upon listening, no such humor is to be found. Nobody's expecting a rapper of Swizz's caliber to add to the canon of classic fairer sex hip hop putdowns like Sporty Thievz' "No Pigeons" or Project Pat's "Chickenhead", but at least those songs delivered in both the song and the video. But hey, even though Swizz isn't the greatest comedian in the world, the song still bangs and is saved by the hook. Rating: 7



Eve feat. Sean Paul - Give It To You

Released a little too late in the summer, but here's hoping that this will still find an audience. The commercial success of the female MC has been on the decline for a few years now and it would be so envigorating for someone like Eve to have another big hit. Just listen to that sweet acoustc guitar and dancehall riddim together and tell me that this song doesn't deserve to be a hit? Rating: 8



Animal Collective - Peacebone

Call me weird, but I'm actually finding Animal Collective more and more accesible with each album. I went from not being able to get through Sung Tongs to loving Feels, to anxiously waiting for Strawberry Jam. Both the song and the video are pretty nightmarish. Enjoy! Rating: 8



M.I.A. - Jimmy

One of the early contenders for video of the year. Actually, while I'm at it, let me list the rest of the contenders before I forget: Like A Boy, D.A.N.C.E., Umbrella, What's A Girl To Do, Zach G version of Can't Tell Me Nothing. Alright, now that I've got that out of my system, the song itself is like Bollywood on mushrooms in the 23rd century. The video could be described as that as well. It's probably one seizure well worth having. Rating: 9



When I first saw the video, I couldn't help but think of the clip for Amii Stewart's "Knock On Wood". You'll see where I'm going with this. Oh God, do I love this. Just bananas.



Amerie - Gotta Work

Okay, this single has been out in the UK for over a month and it hasn't even seen release here in the States yet, but this fantastic song cannot go unnoticed. Yes, it's basically "1 Thing Pt. 2", but why act as if anything was wrong with that song to begin with? Rating: 9

Lollapalooza 2007 Rundown

Hey everyone. I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but what would this blog be like without month-long absences? I don't think I'm even going to promise to try and keep current this time. I've failed miserably everytime I try. But if there is anything that can get me to crawl out of my cybercave and post a new entry, it's Lollapalooza.






I went last year and tried to do a rundown then, but I waited too long and by the time I actually sat down and attempted to type it, I nearly forgot about everything I had seen. It was going to be a short and abbreviated recap, much like this one, but it had all escaped my mind. With it being Monday morning and Lollapalooza still fresh in my mind, things should go a lot better than last year.

As always, there were a bunch of bands that I wanted to see, so I tried to cover as much ground as possible. It's a little like being a kid locked inside a toy store overnight. You know you only have a limited amount of time before the store opens up and you're busted, so you want to play with as much stuff as possible

Day 1

The Fratellis



Got my Lollapalooza off to a disappointing start. It didn't help that the gates didn't open until around 11:30, so it didn't leave me with any time to catch Switches, but that didn't matter since I was looking forward to The Fratellis. Costello Music is one of my favorite albums of the year and I was expecting a raucous and lively set. Maybe these guys are such hard rockers that they're not used to playing so early in the day, but their set was ridiculously lazy and sloppy. "We usually wake up before the end," said lead singer Jon Fratelli. I couldn't bother to stick around and find out.

Ten On Tuesdays: Ten Great Non-Canonical Summer Songs

Hey everyone. In what has been typical of this blog, long stretches of time pass between posts, but today is a new era people. In order to keep some sort of consistency, I will be doing a new feature called on Ten on Tuesdays, which I want to start off as bi-weekly at first, but hopefully when I get in the swing of things, it will become weekly. Ten on Tuesdays is basically a top ten list where the category is different everytime and will try to be as inventive as possible. The inaguaral category for Ten on Tuesdays will be "Ten Great Non-Canonical Summer Song", where I try to delve a bit deeper than typical vaunted and legendary summer fare like "I Get Around" or "School's Out For Summer" which is used in montages or even contemporary faves like "Nuthin' Like A G Thang" or "Crazy In Love." Those are great songs, but here are ten that deserve another shot at summertime immortality.


"Another Summer" by 213 (can be found on The Hard Way, 2004, TVT)

Eddie Kendricks' "Intimate Friends" is one of those songs that gets sampled about a few times every decade, from Sweet Sable's "Old Time's Sake" to more recently, Alicia Keys' "Unbreakable," but it's Snoop, Nate Dogg and Warren G's take on it that sticks closest to the breezy laid back vibe of the original. We all know the members of 213 are in their comfort zone rapping over a soul sample, so it's given they're gonna sound good, but instead of reverting to their classic G-funk personas, we get a more positive and dare I say, joyful approach as they describe summer scenes filled with family and fun. Perfect for a backyard barbeque.



"Why Don't We Fall In Love" by Amerie, (can be found on All I Have, 2002, Columbia)

History will look back on Amerie's "1 Thing" as a breakthrough point and one of her artistic heights, but it's scary to think that the lead single from her debut may largely go unnoticed. While it did peak at #23 on the Hot 100, it failed to capture the attention of a nation the way that "1 Thing" did. A damn shame since "Why Don't We Fall In Love" is just as good. It's perfect block party music that harkens back to the days before Mary J. Blige discovered drama. Amerie's request in the song is simple enough: hey you, why don't we fall in love? Sure, she's gorgeous and the chorus soars, so the answer may be easier than you think at first, but it's really producer/songwriter's Rich Harrison edgy but radiant use of a Dave Grusin sample over a classic early 90's drum pattern that brings out the aural sun rays and convinces you to accept Amerie's plea.



"Girls Dem Sugar" by Beenie Man featuring Mya (Art Of Life, 2000, Virgin)

Before The Neptunes literally took over all of radio, they delivered this gem of a dancehall tune to Beenie Man, which became a modest hit. Dancehall and summer time go hand in hand with each other, but out of the dozens of songs from this genre that could have made the list, I think "Girls Dem Sugar" typifies the emotions of summer the best. Mya's delicate delivery of the chorus is like a soft refreshing breeze rolling against your face and provides the perfect complement to the blazing heat of the production and Beenie Man's flow.

New Amy and Kelis singles

Right now is an exciting time for two of my favorite artists, Amy Winehouse and Kelis. Their current singles are prime examples of why I consider them amongst my current faves. With Winehouse's second UK single, "You Know I'm No Good", produced by Mark Ronson, we see that Amy's still been a bad girl, but one who never lacks inner reflection. What has always separated Amy from most R&B singers is not only her hazy gin and tonic laced voice, but her content has always been unique and uncompromising. Where "I Heard Love Is Blind" from her debut, Frank, was a delicately crafted, but comical justification of her infidelity, "You Know I'm No Good" covers somewhat similar territory, but is all warning and regret over hard-hitting Golden Age breaks. While this version is great too, the remix with Ghostface is even more stellar, although Amy is only relegated to just the chorus. With the remix being the only time I've heard Amy's voice in small increments on a song, I never realized how classic it sounded before. If I had no idea who she was, you would swear that it was a sample of an old 70's record. It honestly made me appreciate her more, even though she's on the song less. And how can you not love a girl who has the freedom to drop a line like "Hand me your Stella and fly"?





I'm even more excited for Kelis since "Lil' Star" is the first time she's had a third single and video in the U.S., which shows that someone in charge still believes in her. "Lil' Star" is an odd choice for a single, considering that the first two, "Bossy" and "Blindfold Me" were straight bangers and were easily accessible for mainstream ears. Kelis Was Here still dabbled in some club courting, but in an infinitely better fashion than Tasty, but it was also a return to some of Kelis' more vibrant and diverse side, which Tasty also lacked as well. "Lil' Star" is remniscent of the potential that Kelis showed on her earlier albums, but this same adventurous apporach caused her first album to sell poorly and for her second album to not even get a domestic U.S. release, which is why its such an unusual choice for a single, given how difficult it is for songs that think outside the box to become hits in this current climate. But damn the fools who hear this soulful number or see its extraordinarily styled video and fail to fall in love with it. "Lil' Star" has to be one of the best odes to longing for stardom. Even more beautiful is when Cee-Lo appears on the chorus and lends some comforting vocal Kleenex to dry up Kelis' tears and to show some support. You'll want to console her too after the first line, "There is nothing special about me/I am just a lil' star" because you know in your heart it's not true.

Top 145 Singles of 2006

Better late than never, I suppose. I've had the top 100 done since early December, but I was trying to see if I could expand it to 200, like I did last year. No such luck.



1. Nelly Furtado-Maneater
2. Gnarls Barkley-Smiley Faces
3. Janelle Monae-Lettin' Go!
4. The Pipettes-Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me
5. T.I.-What You Know
6. Marit Larsen-Don't Save Me
7. Nelly Furtado F/ Timbaland-Promiscuous
8. Christina Aguilera-Ain't No Other Man
9. The Streets-When You Wasn't Famous
10. Asobi Seksu-Thursday

Top 100 Albums of 2006

Although 2006 may not have had the substantial amount of powerhouse classic albums that land years like 1967 or 1991 in the pop history books, it was still a good year for those who had ears, just like every other year. Something should be noted before you go on. In today's technologically advanced world, albums that are not yet available for sale in the U.S. can be easily attained and their initial overseas release date is even viewed as global, as seen by the placing of Lily Allen's Alright, Still on many critics' lists. Call me old-fashioned, but I'm not in a hurry to hear an album which I know is slated for a U.S. release. I still don't believe in downloading full albums because I am a sucker for liner notes and album art and all the other stuff that comes with the packaging. Also, something feels artifical and incomplete when I look at a CD labeled with my own handwriting in permanent marker. Moving back to the initial point, I go by whatever the American release date is, which is why you see such stars of last year like Art Brut and Saint Etienne on my 2006 list, and which is also why Lily Allen and K-Os may be on this list next year. The Pipettes are fine because they don't have an American release date that I'm yet aware of. On with the list, no?



1. Van Hunt-On The Jungle Floor
(Experimental soul, funk and rock remniscent of peak-era Prince.)

Grammy Predictions for 2006

Grammy nominations will be announced tomorrow morning. I know it's running a bit late, but hopefully you guys will see this in time. Grammy nominations will be up at www.grammy.com This is what I believe will be nominated.


Album Of The Year

Corinne Bailey Rae-Corinne Bailey Rae

In what will be a pattern during announcements tomorrow, Corinne Bailey Rae is a sure shot in this category, and in many others. She has all the ingredients that have been included in Grammy success in the past. She's an attractive new artist with a classic sound (see: Alicia Keys, Norah Jones), her music crosses many demographics, including boomers, soul enthusiasts and the Starbucks crowd, and she writes her own songs and plays an instrument. With increasing public visibility and a gold album, there is too much momentum for Bailey Rae to be denied.

Justin Timberlake-FutureSex/LoveSounds

Not only is Timberlake a past nominee in this category for Justified and the one pop star you're not afraid to admit to liking, but the album has only been out for three months and is still fresh in voters' minds. FutureSex/LoveSounds debuted impressively at #1 with 600,000+ and boasts one of the year's biggest catchphrases with "SexyBack". But what really edges Timberlake into one of the five slots is that not only is he a voter favorite and a commercial success, but the album itself is ambitious and actually pretty damn good.

Dixie Chicks-Taking The Long Way

It's been four years since a country album was nominated for Album Of The Year. Guess who it was. The original DC3 are no stranger to this category with past nominations for Fly and Home. The Dixie Chicks released one of the few albums that created headlines this year and will not be too easily forgotten.

The last two slots are where things get a bit sketchy. There is usually a slot reserved for "old fogeys" in this category (Springsteen, Santana, Dylan, Steely Dan, U2), but none of this year's eligible fogeys stand a terribly strong chance. Johnny Cash's American Recordings V comes at the end of Cashmania, which reached its zenith between his death and the release of the motion picture, Walk The Line. Bruce Springsteen's We Shall Overcome was a strong record, but it wil probably get relegated to the traditional rock or folk categories. Out of all the old guys, Bob Dylan's Modern Times stands the best chance of cashing in on the old fogey vote, but while it is still a loved album, it has not received the gushing stratospheric praise of his two previous efforts, which also garnered Album Of The Year nods.

The Grammys have shown that they're ready to embrace rock again in this category in recent years (U2, Green Day, White Stripes), but only if it is an event album. The biggest selling rock album of the year belongs to Nickelback, but the fact that it's Nickelback, I won't even mention the title or further entertain the thought. The Red Hot Chili Peppers' numbers for Stadium Arcadium are impressive, but it didn't have even half the cultural impact as the White Stripes' Elephant, which sold considerably less. John Mayer's Contiuum appears to be generally well-liked, but it's fallen from out the public eye since its release. Snow Patrol's Eyes Open stands a good shot of getting a nod, but that's only on the basis of one song, their smash hit "Chasing Cars". As it stands now, rock music may get left out this year.

Another possibility includes Madonna's Confessions On A Dancefloor, but it was released right at the beginning of eligibility for this year way back in October of 2005 and might be too club-oriented to reach a wide range of voters. Christina Aguilera's Back To Basics stands another fantastic chance at getting nominated since voters will appreciate her more classier approach and remind themselves of why she was voted Best New Artist in the first place. Like Timberlake, they might warm up to a pop act experimenting with their sound and getting agreeable results. I really don't have a reason why it can't be nominated, but I'm just going with my gut at this point.

R&B and hip hop music has been on a roll this decade. Depending on how Corinne Bailey Rae is defined, we may see another urban act in this category. T.I.'s King boasted one of the biggest songs of the year and cemented his status as a universal MC that appeals to both the roughest street corners and top 40 radio stations, but Grammy voters have yet to embrace the "hardcore" rapper, unless their name is Eminem. Mary J. Blige's The Breakthrough got some of the best reviews of her career, but past R&B and hip hop nominees in this category have been event albums, and The Breakthrough, while a commercial and artistic success, does not have the reach of say a College Dropout, a Confessions, or a Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. She is one of the most respected and well-loved artists that we have, but she stands a better chance in the other two general categories. Another artist whose nomination depends on how their genre is defined is Gnarls Barkley. If the voters think they are urban enough, St. Elsehwhere will get the nod. Like I said, it honestly depends on where Bailey Rae's other nominations will land (pop? R&B?). I don't see all three of them getting the nod.

And now we come to the last slot, which will be a battle of the newcomers: James Blunt vs. KT Tunstall. I will make this simple. Blunt will get plenty of nominations for "You're Beautiful", but Back To Bedlam was one of the worst albums I've heard this year. Eye To The Telescope gets the last slot by default, but mainly since she shares the same Grammy bait qualites that Corinne Bailey Rae has (universally loved, writes own songs, plays own instrument, new artist).

Record Of The Year

Gnarls Barkley-Crazy

Sing this on the train platform. Watch as the masses flock around you and sing along.

Nelly Furtado F/ Timbaland-Promiscous

With Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds sure to get some love, the Timbaland coronation will continue in this category (and may also garner him a Producer Of The Year nod). Last year's nomination of "Hollaback Girl" in this category shows that the Grammys aren't afraid to honor quirky rap-lite, pop. "Promiscous" was a #1 single and is about 17 times better than "Hollaback Girl."

Christina Aguilera-Ain't No Other Man

Grammy voters will show their appreciation for Xtina's new look and sound with a nomination in this category.

Corinne Bailey Rae-Put Your Records On

India Arie's "Video" seemed like an unlikey nominee for Record Of The Year back in 2002 and so does "Put Your Records On", especially with this categories focus on pop, R&B and rock in the past few years. "Put Your Records On" was not an event record, but this is Bailey Rae's year and this song is the kind of sunny and safe material that goes over well with voters.

James Blunt-You're Beautiful

As much as it disguts me to admit it, this has a pretty good chance of getting a nod, especially with the lack of strong rock contenders for this year. And no, I don't really consider Blunt "rawk", but he will have to do for this year.

Here are some other possibilities:
Shakira-Hips Don't Lie (If Aguilera doesn't make it, watch out for this one. Another song that you couldn't escape. )
KT Tunstall-Black Horse And The Cherry Tree (Not a typical nominee in this category, a lot of people are crazy about this song.)
T.I.-What You Know (Too rough for the Grammys. Will get more nominations in the Rap categories.)
Mary J. Blige-Be Without You (Would stand a better chance if The Breakthrough was a bigger album.)
Justin Timberlake-SexyBack (I for one think that the melody for this song is a bit lazy and as far as dancefloor starters, it's not in the league of past nominees such as "Yeah!" or "Gold Digger".)
Cassie-Me & U
Rihanna-S.O.S (Rescue Me)
Pussycat Dolls-Buttons

Song Of The Year

I always do horribly in this category, but I think I can net one or two this year. It's hard to explain the logic sometimes in this category. It's often a mishmash of sentimental favorites, ballads, uplifting songs and doesn't depend as much on commercial success as Record Of The Year

Corinne Bailey Rae-Put Your Records On
James Blunt-You're Beautifuly
Mary J. Blige-Be Without You
Snow Patrol-Chasing Cars
Dainel Powter-Bad Day

other possibilities

Gnarls Barkley-Crazy
KT Tunstall-Black Horse And The Cherry Tree
Mariah Carey-Don't Forget About Us
John Mayer-Waiting For The World To Change

Best New Artist

The obvious ones here of course are Corinne Bailey Rae, James Blunt and KT Tunstall. That leaves us with two slots that could go to a number of people. One person who might be a surprise is Lupe Fiasco. "Kick Push" is the kind of hip hop song that folks that aren't fans of hip hop can enjoy. Plus, he's another Kanye West protege, the same as last year's winner, John Legend. But the only rappers that are ever nominated in this category are those who have a substantial amount of mainstream success. Daniel Powter possesses one of the biggest hits of the year, but his album has been absent from the charts. Same thing with Fort Minor. As far as rock goes, Panic! At The Disco stands the best chance, but if eligibility counts for anything, their record was released during last year's period. Wolfmother had some moderate modern rock radio success, but they can't be taken too seriously in this category. Often times, there will be a country artist that I've never heard of nominated in this category. I've heard of Carrie Underwood, and she was the biggest new artist in country this year, which is why I'm going with her. The only main genre left is R&B, and we are left we three major contenders: Ne-Yo, Cassie and Chris Brown. Ne-Yo has the album sales behind him, but I don't think he has much appeal outside of the R&B realm and who knows how many Grammy voters are even aware that he is one of the hottes songwriters around right now. Cassie had one great single, but not much has been heard from her otherwise. That leaves us with the teenage phenom, Chris Brown. His album has been out for well over a year and has spawned multiple hit singles, plus the fact that he is still in his teens and has become such a huge success will not be lost on voters.

I believe that Corinne Bailey Rae will get the most nominations, along with these people in descending order:

James Blunt
Mary J. Blige
KT Tunstall
Justin Timberlake
Gnarls Barkley

Khari Lemeul

It's long been a running joke that myspace is full of crappy bands trying to be your friend. After being on myspace for a little over a year, I can attest that this is no joke my friends, but pure reality. Gems from unsigned or undiscovered artists are very hard to discover on myspace and it is very rare that one of those artist profiles sticks out. I want to share with you one of the profiles that do stick out.

I've met Khari Lemeul. I've seen him perform at an open mic. Hell, one of his bands even opened up for my band at the Hothouse. I've always known that he was very talented and a capable multi-instrumentalist, but when performing live, one can only play one instrument at a time. Lemuel's talent is immensely magnified when one is listening to the recorded songs at www.myspace.com/lemuelism. The sound quality and production values are definitely more sophisticated than your average artist profile on myspace, but beyond the technical and studio wizardry lies an earthy vibe that transcends you back to the days when Sam Cooke and Otis Redding ruled the charts. Sam Cooke is the most apparent connection when listening to "My Soul Is Happy."It could have easily been the B-side to "A Change Is Gone Come" with its somber string arrangements and Lemuel's soulful tenor. Although Lemeul is recreating a sound that was popular over 40 years ago, it is a sound that has rarely been revisited since then. After listening to the impressive songs on his myspace page, you'll wonder why it isn't revisited more often.

Extra Ivan points for being from Chicago.

Who Should Sing The Next Bond Theme

The release of the next James Bond film, Casino Royale, will be here before you know it. I'm not much of a Bond bluff though. Sure, I enjoyed the first few Connery films and any person with eyes and ears can see that Brosnan was born to play that role, but what I'm most excited about is who will sing the next theme song. For the most part, the Bond songs have been killer. I mean seriously killer. "Goldfinger." "You Only Live Twice." "Diamonds Are Forever." "License To Kill." Even A-Ha managed to squeak out a quality Bond tune. The history of these songs is what makes the themes so anticipated. As of now, no one has been named, but I figured I would give my opinion before it's too late. If the producers of Casino Royale were smart, they would choose one of these five options, instead of say Beyonce or Coldplay. While the more recent Bond songs have been solid, they will less than likely be immortalized like the aforementioned songs. These people have the potential to add proudly to the Bond legacy.


Fiona Apple
The next Bond theme is expected to be darker than the previous installments of the franchise. Bond songs have long been heavy on sex appeal and sorrow, which Apple could deliver without straying too far from the grittier tone of the film. It's no question that Apple knows how to do sorrow, but the movie would still retain some of its sex appeal through Apple's husky voice without having her sing about lust and martinis.

Bjork
What may seem like an odd choice at first is actually quite perfect for the Bond series. Bond songs are heavy on bombast and dynamics, which Bjork can deliver greatly. Just imagine a Bond theme song that has the ambient feeling of being washed calmly under the sea one minute and a soaring vocal that blasts you into the galaxies the next minute.

Franz Ferdinand
They're one of the hippest bands going right now to have reached a wide audience. There's no telling if Franz Ferdinand will still be relevant by the time the second Craig film rolls around which makes it even more important to capitalize on someone who's still popular and is still critically acclaimed. Franz Ferdinand have proven countless times that they have enough suave to handle the task of a Bond theme, and if chosen, they would be the first rock band to do so since A-Ha performed the theme for The Living Daylights.

Goldfrapp
Probably the least commercially viable out of all the hopefuls here, only because a lot of people have heard the songs, but probably don't know who they are. "Ooh La La" has been inescapable for the past year and landing the Bond theme song could push Goldfrapp into the mainstream, where they've seemed to be on the verge of since the days of "Strict Machine" and "Train." If the producers want to keep the sound of Bond futuristic, as seen by Madonna's synth heavy "Die Another Day," then you could not do any wrong with Goldfrapp as a choice.

Prince
It's been a while since someone's done a classy, soulful Bond theme. There are plenty of talented singers available, but few can match the songwriting skill and the coolness of the Purple One. Imagine Prince doing a slow, scorching stab at a Bond song. The anticipation for that song would be crazy.


And a few other artists who have no chance in hell in being asked to do the Bond theme, but would still make a pretty kick ass one:

Air
Could take the Bond song darker than its ever been before, but still palatable for the ordinary consumer.

Van Hunt
Knows all about being one of the coolest men on Earth.

Pulp/Jarvis Cocker
The 90's are over and it's been 4 years since their last album. They've already been bumped from one Bond song by Sheryl Crow, but whenever Jarvis Cocker opens his mouth and lets his wit shine, you couldn't imagine the perfect soundtrack to the opening credits.