Bullets Blog Music

Chris' Grammy Preview

2012-02-12T11:09:00.000-08:00

Record of the Year: Rolling In The Deep, Adele
It's a quality song, and how can anyone go against a song that allowed Haley Reinhart to do this cover?

Album of the Year: 21, Adele
Too much fire-power on this album. Takes you on an emotional roller-coaster starting with Rolling in the Deep and ending with Someone Like You. Few artists have the ability to hit home the way Adele does, and certainly none of them are in this field.

Best New Artist: Nicki Minaj
This sucks. Possibly worse than my predicament with the Super Bowl being a Jets fan. I hate Nicki Minaj with an absurd passion, but she's going to win. It pains me, but it's the truth. I've got to play for the win.

Best Dance Recording: Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, Skrillex
I cannot tolerate this music, but Skrillex is the favorite here, and if I'm not going to listen to the music I should at least pick something with a realistic chance to win.

Best Rock Performance: The Cave, Mumford & Sons
Marcus performed All Along the Watchtower with Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds at the Bridge School Charity Event over the fall. It was a pretty good performance. Listened to The Cave, decent song. Not my favorite band, but I don't mind them.

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: All of The Lights, Kanye & Co.
I tried so hard to not give this to them. Why, you ask? I don't like Kanye, not a Rihanna fan, whoever's idea it was to put Fergie on a song was an idiot, and I love both Eminem and Andre 3000. I think I Need A Doctor has a chance, but it's most likely going to be Kanye & Co. taking home the prize.

Best Rap Song: I Need A Doctor, Dr. Dre
I couldn't give Kanye both of these, so I had to give it to Dr. Dre simply because Eminem's on it.

Best Rap Album: Watch The Throne, Kanye West & Jay-Z
I love Jay-Z so he definitely makes Kanye more bearable.

Best Country Solo Performance: Dirt Road Anthem, Jason Aldean
As much as I love Taylor Swift, I really don't like Mean. It's just a really childish song and I put it in the same light as Dear John, where she just comes off immature. People say negative things Taylor, it happens. You have the last laugh. No need to make a song about it.

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: Black Swan
I'm an avid fan of Harry Potter, but there's one category Black Swan beats Harry Potter in: Mila Kunis.

Best Remixed Recording: Cinema, Skrillex
Skrillex is going to take home a lot of awards tonight for someone who doesn't make traditional music. Good for him pushing boundaries. I would never vote for him, but his effort is commendable.

Jay's Grammy Preview

2012-02-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

So Toph and I are going to do another round of awards show predictions, and this time he's going to abide by my rule and leave out every category that is irrelevant. And there are a lot of them: out of 78 categories, we whittled our competition down to 11. I need some redemption for my miserable showing in Fantasy Pick 'Em on Friday. Here goes:

Record of the Year: Katy Perry - Firework
If you don't love this song, you have no soul. If you don't love Katy Perry, you have no balls. I'd rather listen to this than Adele or Bruno Mars any day of the week. I know that's not what the category is about, but Firework was my favorite record of the year.

Album of the Year: Adele - 21
As much as I hate her sadness, there's no denying that an album with Rolling In The Deep, Someone Like You, and That Other Song That Adele Sings is probably going to win.

Best New Artist:
This one was tough for me. J. Cole is awesome. Skrillex is awesome. The Band Perry isn't bad. And folks I swear to God that if Nicki Minaj wins in a category she shouldn't even be nominated for (Weezy signed her to Young Money like four years ago) I will drown a cat. This is where I would like to throw in an "Anyone Except Nicki" but I can't so I'm going to go with Skrillex edging J. Cole by a hair. He's created his own style of music and made a creepy/annoying sound more mainstream than anyone thought it could go. And if they don't give it to him because he isn't a traditional musician, then I feel bad that whoever votes for the Grammy winners is stuck in the past with a flip phone and a non-automatic soap dispenser.

Best Dance Recording: Swedish House Mafia - Save The World
Two things. I'd love to see SHM win a Grammy. But REALLY, YOU DIDN'T INCLUDE LEVELS, WE FOUND LOVE, OR GIVE ME EVERYTHING?!??!!?!?!??!?!?!??!?!

Best Rock Song: Mumford & Sons - The Cave
It's a weird song, for sure. But they do their own thing, and none of the nominees really stick out in my mind as frontrunners.

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi, and Fergie - All of the Lights
This song epitomizes why I love Kanye - he has the ability to tell a story in his raps instead of just bragging about money/cars/clothes/hoes. He expresses his emotions in his music, and I love that about him.

Best Rap Song: Kanye West - All of the Lights
See above. This song is phenomenal.

Best Rap Album: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
I picked this in the 2011 recap, and I'm picking it again. All of the Lights, Monster, Power, and the coolest/most creative music video I've ever seen to tie it all together. No way this doesn't win.

Best Country Solo Performance: Jason Aldean - Dirt Road Anthem
This song is also known as "the reason I listen to country music." I love it.

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The theme song alone is worthy of the Grammy win. Not to say that the best part of the Harry Potter movies is the music, but it definitely helps set the mood.

Best Remixed Recording: Cinema (Skrillex Remix)
To close it out, I think Skrillex will grab his second (possibly even third) award of the night and mothers, fathers, and grandparents everywhere will say, "Who is that? What's wrong with his hair? Why does his music sound like a firetruck running over a microwave with Siri installed in it?"

Bonus: More Katy Perry

Performance of the Day: KC & The Sunshine Band, Get Down Tonight

2012-02-01T17:06:00.000-08:00

If this doesn't make you want to go back to the 70's, or go there for the first time, I truly don't know what would. Between the dance moves, the wardrobes, and the hair, I don't know where anyone could come up with a single negative thing to say about this. The band clearly know how to have a damn good time.

Performance of the Day: Jimi Hendrix, Voodoo Child

2012-01-31T20:03:00.000-08:00

If anyone can make that shirt, pant, head piece work, it's Jimi Hendrix. Guy can flat out shred.

I can dig it.

Music Video of the Day: Eminem - The Real Slim Shady

2012-01-31T07:26:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, Billboard posted their poll results for the ten best music videos from each of the past three decades. Today, your MVotD comes from The 10 Best of the '00s (link here). I will never understand how this song was only #7. Especially when you consider that the following artists had higher-ranked music videos: Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Panic! At The Disco, and Michael Jackson (who was surprisingly not retired yet). Enjoy:

Performance of the Day: Billy Joel, Piano Man

2012-01-30T20:11:00.001-08:00

This is a classic. Brilliant song that I never really understood until a short while ago, which is relatively embarrassing.

Music Video of the Day: Creed - Higher

2012-01-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

I love Creed. Remember the last video I said was the best (drunk) singalong song ever? Well I lied. It's Creed. Anything by Creed. The #creedvoice is one of my favorites. I chose Higher because I want to ask my Bullet fans a question:

Fill in the blanks:

"Come on, let's go there

Let's make our escape

Come on, let's go there

___________________"

Because I have absolutely no idea what Scott Stapp is saying. Wesjuscanyeseah? That's the best I can do.

PS: one of the guys in Creed has a nipple piercing?

The "there's a hunger, longing to escape" line might be my favorite line to sing in the history of song.

Performance of the Day: Lee Dewyze: Dear Isabelle

2012-01-29T18:51:00.000-08:00

Despite my opinion of him when he was on the show, I love Lee Dewyze. This is my favorite song of his.

Music Video of the Day: Coldplay, Paradise

2012-01-29T18:39:00.000-08:00

Quite honestly, I have no idea if Jason's still alive. Hopefully, for everyone's sake, he is.

Anyway, I thought this video was certainly interesting, I mean who doesn't enjoy watching an elephant try to live the life of a human? And I give mad props to that elephant for riding the unicycle, something I've always wanted to do, although not necessarily as an elephant.

Not my favorite song, but it's up there as far as videos are concerned.

Performance of the Day: Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody

2012-01-28T19:38:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it took me this long to post this song. You can say what you want about Freddie Mercury, but Queen is one of the greatest bands of all time, and the man can flat out sing. Also, this is one of the best songs ever written. Do you realize how many people are there? They certainly put on a good show.

Music Video of the Day: Don Omar, Danza Kuduro

2012-01-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

I've definitely heard this before, although I don't know where. Jason didn't post a music video yesterday, and I passed out without a thought of posting one so my apologies for not getting one up. To make up for it, I'm posting this. Brilliant video, brilliant song.

I have no idea what any of it means, but if it doesn't get you up and dancing then you have no pulse.

Performance of the Day: Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Say Goodbye

2012-01-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

This may be my favorite Dave and Tim song, its quiet but that accentuates the beauty in the lyrics. It's a song about two good friends who are attracted to each other enough to make an attempt to push their relationship to the next level despite the fact they know it won't last. Hence, "Tomorrow we'll go back to being friends." I'm pretty sure everyone has experienced that, and some of the greatest relationships and experiences can form between two people who were extremely close prior to physical attraction. Throw in the fact that Tim Reynolds is fantastic, and you've got a really powerful song.

Some of the lines I love:

"When we make our passion pictures,

you and me twist up secret creatures."

"We kiss and sweat,

we'll turn this better thing to the best."

"Just a rogue kiss, tangled tongues and lips."

"Tonight lets do this thing,

all we are is wasting hours

until the sun comes up and it's all ours."

Performance of the Day: Nat King Cole, Nature Boy

2012-01-26T20:16:00.000-08:00

Here's a little switch from what tends to be an award dominated by pop/rock artists. I love this song and the message it sends, and you really can never go wrong with a little jazz.

"The greatest thing that you'll ever learn

is just to love, and be loved in return."

Music Video of the Day: Tyga - Rack City

2012-01-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

Never have I ever liked a song this much while simultaneously admitting that it is a horrible song. Lyrically, one of the best Young Money songs out there - so you know it can't be good. The beat/melody is so simply - another Young Money trait. But I can't stop listening to Rack City. You could say I have Rack City Fever.

The question I have for you, Bullet fans, is this: who is on the beat? Mugga? Mustard? Muhhhhh?

Performance of the Day: Taylor Swift, Innocent

2012-01-25T18:53:00.000-08:00

Alright so it's been a pretty crappy week, and for whatever reason listening to Taylor Swift makes things slightly better. She's virtually all I've listened to this week, which means that yes, when I posted last night's video I hadn't even watched it then. That was one of those videos I put in my back pocket to use on a night exactly like last night.

Anyway, this is a slightly better vocal performance than the last video of hers I posted. She's not a particularly great live singer, although I'm sure many people will disagree with that. It's not a big deal, I'd still love to see her in concert, as Jay has stated, if I wasn't surrounded by a bunch of 12 year old girls.

This is certainly a Top 5 Taylor Swift song for me, it captures the feeling of admitting you were wronged and hurt by someone, yet being able to forgive them. As referenced by the beginning of the video, it's rumored to be about forgiving Kanye for what happened at the VMA awards in 2009. Coincidentally, the other possibility is that it's about John Mayer, who she was apparently involved with at some point. That relationship obviously didn't end particularly well, which is quite disappointing because John Mayer's the definition of the man, and I love Taylor Swift. Don't worry, I had to look all this gossip up. I have a paper to write for class and clearly went to extreme lengths to avoid doing it.

And by the way, with Valentine's Day coming up, my goal is to find a way to seduce women with my uncanny knowledge of Taylor Swift music. What the hell, nothing else seems to be working.

Since I still don't want to write my paper, here's my Taylor Swift Top 5 for anyone that cares:

1. Back To December (Speak Now)
2. Mary's Song (Taylor Swift)
3. The Way I Loved You (Fearless)
4. Innocent (Speak Now)
5. Tim McGray (Taylor Swift)
Sentimental Honorable Mention - Long Live (Speak Now)

That was one of the most difficult lists I've ever forced myself to make.

Music Video of the Day: Curren$y - Hold On

2012-01-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

I love the $ instead of the s, and I like Curren$y. He's just really easy to listen to in just about any situation. The reason I like this video in particular is the featuring of the '69 Chevy Camaro - one of my favorite cars in the history of cars. If you didn't catch it, here it is:

Beauty in automobile form. Throw some creamsicle paint on there and cut the roof off and damn, you could really base an entire rap video around driving around in said Camaro.

Performance of the Day: Adele, Someone Like You

2012-01-24T20:56:00.000-08:00

Cutting this one a little close, living life on the edge. Nothing like beating that 12 AM deadline by just minutes.

Say what you want, Adele's voice is haunting. I feel as though if I'm to die and go to hell, her voice will be playing to brace me for the pain that's about to come. It's scary, it's like a choir of ghosts singing while simultaneously mocking you for what they know will soon be. Anyway, I really wish she was cute, because her voice really is enchanting. That's probably not politically correct. Fortunately, I don't give a damn, sue me.

Although I find it quite interesting, I figure most people reading won't care about the beginning. For your sake, the song starts at 1:08.

Music Video of the Day: Vanessa Carlton - Thousand Miles

2012-01-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

If you don't know all the words to this song, either learn them or please don't ever talk to me. The single best (drunken) sing-along song in the history of the world. Maybe that's extreme. An awesome sing-along song that everyone should be able to appreciate. Everybody should have someone they'd walk a thousand miles to see. You don't? The one that got away? Your boys from high school? Your boys from college? Your mom?

PS: Vanessa Carlton.. damn.

Live Performance of the Day: Drake & Lil' Wayne in New Jersey

2012-01-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

So maybe this isn't technically what you would call a performance but it's a very well-known performance and I just want to point out two things:

I am not a huge fan of Drake, but I wouldn't wish this embarrassment/injury on anybody. So get that out of your heads.
Lil' Wayne showed in the end of this clip why he deserves to be as famous as he is. The man is a showman, to the bone. His protege just seriously injured himself, and he still has the poise to work the crowd and get cheers out of them. And he was legitimately funny, too. I'd love to see him as a Comedy Central Roaster. No doubt he'd be better than the Situation. But no way he'd be as good as Mike Tyson.

Music Video of the Day: Guy Harrison & Cartier Sims - Piff & Orangemen

2012-01-23T14:42:00.000-08:00

If you are sleeping on Guy Harrison, please wake up. The kid can spit. He starts at about 1:20 in the above video.

He represents every kid's dream - he's currently a freshman at Syracuse, and he releases mixtapes in addition to going to class and studying. Granted, a Syracuse education doesn't require a lot of effort or intelligence, but it's an impressive feat nonetheless. It'd be like if, instead of blogging, Toph and I were two of the best young rappers in the game. Obviously I'd be Guy and he'd be Cartier (no question about that one).

Also, any rapper that reps Philly is fine by me. And one of the girls dancing in the dorm room scenes is a good friend.

Download guy's mixtapes for free here

Music Video of the Day: Taylor Swift, Back To December

2012-01-22T20:30:00.000-08:00

Again, Jay decided not to do his Music Video of the Day. Clearly we're slacking here at Bullets Blog, my apologies. This is my favorite Taylor Swift song. I love her, and to any girl who's ever broken a guy's heart and want to get him back, do something related to this song. Beautiful, heartfelt apology.

Performance of the Day: Maroon 5, Sunday Morning

2012-01-22T20:26:00.001-08:00

I know, it's Sunday night, but after a shitty day, this will do nothing but cheer you up. Unless of course you're a Mets and Jets fan. In which case, you're destined for pain, misery, and just an overall depressing life.

Still doesn't make up for my teams..

Music Video of the Day: Men Without Hats, Safety Dance

2012-01-21T20:12:00.000-08:00

This is what Jay gets for not posting anything today. By far my favorite video ever created. Genius.

1. That's some serious flow.
2. Every music video should be required to include a midget.
3. It's set in the middle ages.
4. The expression on the guy's face when he says "Doing it from wall to wall" is priceless.
5. He must have learned his dance moves at around 1:15 from this:

Oh wait, after further review, they're making an "S" with their hands, which clearly doesn't pass the vertical line test. This means it's not a function, and would full under the "crap" category. That's what you get for picking a stupid letter that doesn't represent a function.

6. At 1:55 the midget's shirt is exposed, showing it's a Men Without Hats shirt. I was unaware they had screen printing in the middle ages.

7. His dancing at the end resembles one who is trying to swat a fly that's flying around them but they cannot see. Just swinging their arms aimlessly, hoping to make contact. He looks relatively similar to Mike Pelfrey trying to hit. Or Mike Pelfrey trying to pitch. Completely lost.

8. Also, to quote one of the comments on the video, "The middle ages were awesome. They even had mailboxes and power lines."

So many entertaining things about this video. But this is the summation of all of it:

We can dance if we want to, we can leave your friends behind.

Cause if your friends don't dance, and if they don't dance, well they're no friends of mine.

Ain't that the truth.

Performance of the Day: Keith Urban, You'll Think of Me

2012-01-21T19:53:00.000-08:00

Not a big fan of country at all, but this song hits right where it hurts. For anyone who's ever been in this situation, Keith couldn't have put things any better.

while you're sleeping with your pride

wishing I could hold you tight

I'll be over you

and on with my life

He's basically saying that the girl is being an idiot for leaving him, and eventually it will hit her and she'll realize that she made a mistake. I'm pretty sure everyone can relate to that feeling. That last minute was purely fantastic, so much emotion and honesty.

Performance of the Day - Phish, Simple

2012-01-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

honestly now, what is a band without a saxophone?