Grammy Predictions: Part 3

February 13th is creeping up on us, and in no time the Grammy Awards will be knockin' on our front door, with all of music's heavy hitters rubbing their miniature Snooki look alike troll for good luck.

This week's category that More Than Musiq will be looking at is Best New Artist. Here are the nominees:

Justin Bieber

Drake

Florence & The Machine

Mumford & Sons

Esperanza Spalding

Who Will Win: My money's on the new prince of hip hop, Drake. Not only is he well respected in the rap world and on the pop charts, but he's had 2 HUGE years, racking up a number of hit singles and a chart topping debut album.

Who Should Win: While I wouldn't be opposed to Drake taking home the trophy, I think both Florence & The Machine and Mumford & Sons should be recognized for bringing some originality and actual talent to a year in which auto-tune became the new vocal coach.

Unfortunately for Esperanza Spalding, NO ONE actually knows who she is. And for our boy Biebs I think that he's still got a couple more years to earn respect from his elders, but I wouldn't put it past the Grammys to simply hand the kid the prize for sheer ratings gold.

We'll just have to wait until February 13 to find out!!!

(Image courtesy of http://www.inquisitr.com/)

'Make Me Wanna Die' Surprisingly Doesn't Make Me Wanna die

Gossip Girl's Taylor Momsen has always gotten on my nerves ever since she began dressing super goth and acting as if she were the spawn of Satan in a mini-dress. I always laugh at actors who's 'real passion' is music, start a shitty ass band, and then act as if they're rock gods. It makes me wanna hurl.

But...and I can't believe I'm saying this, I LOVE The Pretty Reckless, the band that Momsen fronts, which has scored with their single "Make Me Wanna Die". I laughed when I heard the title, but Momsen actually has a great voice, even if the lyrics are PG-13 death metal.

If you combined Evanescence, Courtney Love, and a punch if pop, you'd get The Pretty Reckless. "Make Me Wanna Die" topped the rock charts in the UK, and it's only a matter of time before it catches on here.

Watch the video for "Make Me Wanna Die" and try not to enjoy it!

(Image courtesy of monstersandcritics.com)

Old Guys are Still Raking in the Dough

Forbes has released their annual list of the top earning acts in music, and it's no surprise that veteran rock band U2 top the list. Because of their massive 2009 tour the band was able to pull in a whopping $130 million over the past year.

Right behind the Irish supergroup is another old-guy's-past-their-prime band AC/DC, who earned $114 million from their Black Ice tour. And yet another old dude comes in at #4 this year, as Bruce Springsteen earned $70 million.

There was some fresh young blood in the top 5, however, as Beyonce came in at #3 with a reported $87 million. The Beyonce empire continues to grow with new music, fashion, and sponsorship deals that earn the diva more than her hubby Jay-Z.

And our girl BRITNEY SPEARS rounds out the top 5, earning $64 million over the past year, thanks in part to her sold out comeback tour and a #1 album, Circus.

(Image courtesy of boncherry.com)

Vampires Have The #1 Album in the USA

No, it's no the soundtrack to New Moon. New York rock band Vampire Weekend earn their first chart topper with their sophomore album "Contra" which sold 124,000 last week, good enough for a #1 debut.

The bands debut record has sold almost 500,000 copies in the U.S., not bad for an album released off an independent label.

The #1 debut marks only 12th independently distributed album to claim the top spot on the Billboard 200. so well done boys!

Susan Boyle's monster hit album "I Dreamed a Dream" continues to hold down the #2 spot, and may even return to #1 after her interview on Oprah this week.

The charts are pretty quiet this week, with only one other debut in the top 20, and very little change in the top 10:

1. Vampire Weekend "Contra" (124,000)

2. Susan Boyle "I Dreamed a Dream" (77,000)

3. Ke$ha "Animal" (67,000)

4. Lady Gaga "The Fame" (64,000)

5. Alicia Keys "The Element of Freedom" (48,000)

6. Lady Gaga "The Fame Monster" (36,000)

7. Mary J. Blige "Stronger With Each Tear" (35,000)

8. Taylor Swift "Fearless" (33,000)

9. Soundtrack "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel" (33,000)

10. Black Eyed Peas "The E.N.D." (32,000)

(Image courtesy of Billboard.com)

Rolling Stone Magazine Releases "Best Of the Decade"

This is my favorite time of year, when every media outlet releases their "best of" editions, and since it's the end of the decade, the lists are even better!

Rolling Stone has named Radiohead's Kid A, as the best album of the 2000's, and Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" the best song of the decade.

Good choices on both counts! "Crazy" was one of the funkiest, quirkiest, most entertaining songs that has ever graced the Top 40, and is deserving of the top spot.

Coming in behind Kid A for albums is Is This It by the Strokes and Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

The #2 and #3 best singles of the decade were "99 Problems" by Jay-Z and "Crazy in Love" by, coincidentally his wife Beyonce.

What do you think of these choices?

If you want to check out the lists follow these links over to Rollingstone.com!

100 Best Singles of the Decade

100 Best Albums of the Decade

(Image courtesy of deadline.3x.ro)

Pearl Jam to Hit the European Road

Pearl Jam has just announced that they will be touring Europe starting in the summer of 2010, taking them to Ireland, Belgium and Portugal, just to name a few destinations.

According to Billboard Magazine, only 7 official dates have been announced, but it's expected that the band will add some more as they get closer to hitting the road.

Since breaking onto the grunge scene in the mid 90's, Pearl Jam has been able to maintain a loyal following, releasing an album every couple of years to critical praise and commercial success. Their last effort Backspacer, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart earlier this year.

(Image courtesy of Billboard.com)

Evanescence Return to the Stage

Goth Rockers Evanescence performed in New York City this weekend, giving an intimate performance to a small crowd of fans eager to see the band, who hasn't released a new album since 2006.

According to Rolling Stone, lead singer Amy Lee sounded as strong as ever, and the band (which has gone through countless lineup changes) sounded crisp!

This good news to fans, who were afraid that the band were on a hiatus indefinitely, but here's hoping the band will release some new material soon!

Amy Lee has one of the strongest voices in pop/rock, and although some may feel otherwise, there really is no Evanescence without Amy Lee.

Check out their performance of My Immortal from this weekend!

(Image courtesy of www.popcrunch.com)

No Misery Business for Paramore at #1

Tennessee rockers Paramore score their first number one album on the UK Charts this week, as their sophomore set Brand New Eyes debuted at the top.

Their first album Riot! was certified gold in the UK for sales of over 100,000, while the band topped a million here in the USA and earned a platinum record.

This week Paramore will be battling Mariah Carey for the #1 spot on the Billboard 200, as both albums are expected to sell more than 150,000 each.

I'm kind of hoping Paramore will be the underdog upset, and beat Carey. Mariah's last album sold over 400,000 copies in its first week, so this album pales in comparison in terms of sales. Plus, Mariah has already had 6 #1 albums, let someone else have some fun for a change!

(Image courtesy of three65.files.wordpress.com

Pearl Return to #1 After 13 Years

Veteran rock band Pearl Jam score their first #1 album in 13 years, as their new disc Backspacer debuts at the top of the Billboard 200 this week selling 189,000 copies sold.

It's the band's first chart topper since 1996, when their album No Code opened at #1 with 367,000 copies moved in its first week.

Last week's top album, Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, falls to #2 this week, and has already sold a hefty 908,000 copies in only three weeks.

New albums from Three Days Grace, Brand New, Five Finger Death Punch, and Harry Connick Jr. all break in to the top 10 this week as well.

Here is a run down of the 10 best selling albums of the week:

1. Pearl Jam Backspacer (189,000)

2. Jay-Z The Blueprint 3 (134,000)

3. Three Days Grace Life Starts Now (79,000)

4. Whitney Houston I Look to You (66,000)

5. Miley Cyrus The Time of Our Lives (61,000)

6. Brand New Daisy (46,000)

7. Five Finger Death Punch War is the Answer (44,000)

8. Harry Connick Jr. Your Songs (37,000)

9. Drake So Far Gone (36,000)

10. Muse The Resistance (36,000)

(Image courtesy of www.earyago.com)

Jay-Z Still #1, Muse, Whitney, Not Far Behind

Jay-Z retains the #1 position on the Billboard 200 this week, as "The Blueprint 3" sold another 298,000 copies, only a 37% decline from last week. This is a relatively small dip for Jay, since most albums that debut big drop over 50% in the second week.
Whitney Houston's comeback album "I Look To You" move back up to the #2 spot, thanks in part to her two-day stint on the Oprah Winfrey Show. The album saw a whopping 77% increase as it sold 156,000 copies. It's interesting that the album is fairing so well considering that no singles off the disc have become hits!

Debuting at #3 is UK group Muse, who scores their best debut yet in the USA. "The Resistance" sold 128,000 copies, and was helped by their stellar performance at the MTV VMA's.

Two new Hip-Hop/R&B acts debut in the top 10, as Kid Cudi's "Man on the Moon: The End of Day" comes in at #4, and Drake's first EP bows at #6 selling 73,000.

Here's a rundown of the Top 10 albums this week:

1. Jay-Z "The Blueprint 3" (298,000)

2. Whitney Houston "I Look to You" (156,000)

3. Muse "The Resistance" (128,000)

4. Kid Cudi "Man on the Moon: The End of Day" (104,000)

5. Miley Cyrus "The Time of Our Lives" (75,000)

6. Drake "So Far Gone" (73,000)

7. Lil Boosie "Superbad" (49,000)

8. Taylor Swift "Fearless" (46,000)

9. Megadeth "Endgame" (45,000)

10. Black Eyed Peas "The E.N.D." (40,000)

(Image courtesy of 1.bp.blogspot.com/_)

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Rock Queen Joan Jett, who turns 49-years-old today! If anything, Jett is known for one of most definitive female rock tracks of all time, with "I Love Rock N Roll", which has been remade countless times (Britney Spears in Crossroads anyone?) and featured in a ridiculous amounts of movies since it was released way back in 1981. Although she didn't write it or wasn't even the first to record it, the track is all Jett.

Happy Birthday!!

(Image courtesy of 2.bp.blogspot.com)

Muse Still Big in the UK, Not So Much in the USA

Muse scores their third #1 album on the UK charts, as their album The Resistance debuts at the top of the charts this week.

The band has sold over 8 million records worldwide, but still remain relatively unknown here in the states. I think that's about to change however, after their performance at last week's MTV VMA's, not to mention that they were also feature on the soundtrack to Twilight.

Their latest single, "The Uprising" is a great track that has potential to break through in a big way!

(Image courtesy of powerlinead.files.wordpress.com)

Madonna = Still Relevant

Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour finishes its run today in Tel Aviv, becoming the second highest grossing tour in HISTORY.

The outing, which began in August of 2008, grossed a reported $408 million, second only to the $558 million the Rolling Stones took in during their Bigger Bang tour in 2005-2007.

Considering that Madonna's last studio album Hard Candy, only sold a minuscule 714,000 copies in the U.S. she should probably stick to touring to bring in the big bucks.


(Image courtesy of cm1.theinsider.com)

Noel Gallagher Quits Oasis

Noel Gallagher, lead guitarist and songwriter for one of Britain's biggest bands, Oasis, has quit the group.

On his band's website he posted a note saying "It's with some sadness and great relief to tell you that I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer."

Intense! Considering that Liam is his brother! The two have always been known to butt heads over their long career, but who'd have thought it would end the group!

Oasis had one of the best albums of the 90's with What's the Story Morning Glory?, which became a massive success all over the world. Although they continue to be very successful in Europe they have not had a hit in the USA for quite some time.

Looks like they won't have one in the upcoming future either...

(Image courtesy of blogs.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)

Aerosmith Cancels Tour

Due to the crazy injuries lead singer Steven Tyler suffered last week after falling off a stage in South Dakota, the Aerosmith has made the tough decision to cancel the remaining dates on their summer tour.

That sucks, but we understand. Tyler received a broken shoulder and a bunch of stitches on his head after the fall, and since he's about 113 year-old, that's pretty serious.

Let's hope for a speedy recovery!

Rant of the Day: Why Do People Like These Guys

This has probably been one of the biggest mysteries for me of the past 10 years, but I still don't know why people like Nickelback!

This band is so generic and every single song of theirs sounds exactly the same. People have even played their songs on top of one another, and the only slight difference is the lyrics! It boggles my mind that they have sold 20 million records in the U.S.

Please, if someone is a fan, explain to me their appeal?

And one more thing. Chad Kroeger may be the UGLIEST lead singer of a band I have ever seen.

I'm finished.

U2 Tour Continues to be Massive

U2 takes the #1 spot on the Hot Tours List, that follows the top grossing tours around the world. The band grossed $41.4 million over 13 dates in Europe, good enough to beat the likes of fellow tour giants Madonna and Bruce Springsteen.

Although the band's latest album "No Line on the Horizon" debut at #1 all over the world, it was a commercial failure in the states, not even selling a million copies.

Even if they don't sell what they used to, U2 is one of the best live bands of all time. I have been fortunate enough to see them perform twice, and both times were unbelievable! I strongly recommend you to check them out at least once!!

Dylan to Release Christmas Album

It has been confirmed that Bob Dylan will be releasing his first Christmas album, according to Billboard. The legendary artist has already recorded versions of "I'll Be Home For Christmas," as well as "Here Comes Santa Claus."

I don't know about you guys, but I don't think I'd enjoy a Bob Dylan Christmas album. I usually think holiday CD's are for people with um, good voices, who cover these cheesy songs and make them somewhat enjoyable by belting the crap out of them.

Our boy Robert Zimmerman does not quite have the pipes to carry this baby out. The world's best songwriter of all time should not be doing Christmas covers!

Red Hot Reunion

Chad Smith, the drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers told Billboard today that he is hoping that the band will be back in action by October of this year. Smith has been touring as the drummer of super group Chickenfoot, but hopes to have the Peppers back in the swing of things soon.

Great news! The last studio album by the RHCP was Stadium Arcadium, and was one of the best albums of 2006, and sold nearly 7 million copies worldwide. High expectations are now set to top it!

More Paramore

Platinum Rockers Paramore have released their first single off of their upcoming second album. The track's called "Ignorance," and I have to say I'm a little underwhelmed.

It's a decent pop-rock track, but not as catchy as "Misery Business" or "CrushCrushCrush," two of their hits from their debut album Riot!

Maybe it will grow on me...maybe not.

You can download the song on Itunes or go to Youtube to see some live performances of the song. Let's hope that their upcoming album has some better tracks on it.

They were awesome live, though, I'll give them that.