Music of the 2014 Grammy's

I love music and always have.  I do not however, possess the talent to have made my professional career one in music. 

Music has always been a part of my life and growing up I was involved with music at home, church and school both singing and piano playing.  Besides these genres of music, I was also listening to classical, some country and the Adult Contemporary my parents listened to. When I was around 10, I became interested in listening to popular music.  My Daddy snuck in my room and plugged in a clock radio set to go off at 7 am and all of a sudden, I had music I could listen to in the privacy of my room.  To this day, my two favorite songs are Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greebaum and Little Green Bag by the George Baker Selection.
Spirit in the Sky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZQxH_8raCI
Little Green Bag http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L1hD5OlPtw

One of the few things I packed in the back of my SUV for my drive from Seattle to Alaska was my keyboard but despite my love for music, I am hopelessly far behind the curve of what is currently popular.  I don’t necessarily keep up with what is current but keep abreast of it via my favorite magazine, Entertainment Weekly (EW), (http://www.ew.com/ew/) which I have been reading since their beginning in 1990 (KD Lang, one of my favorite singers, was on the first cover).  If their description of a song or album appealed to me, I would give it a listen and the majority of the time, I end up liking their recommendation.  My iTunes is a definite eclectic cornucopia of music.   

I have also been made aware of popular music from my daughter who among many great musical suggestions, showed me that no one does pop dance music better than Britney Spears.  She has to be Britney’s number one and most faithful fan.  I do download songs I like from watching singing and dancing competition shows.  I recently found out to my personal embarrassment, some of the songs I liked on The Voice and X Factor, are actually recent chart topping songs that I never heard.  If I listen to Pandora, I am normally not listening to what is out now.  If I hear something I like, it always seems as if everyone else was listening to it a year or two before I found it.

This year before the annual Grammy Show, I wanted to at take a listen to some of what is nominated and actually found some things I liked and downloaded.  Even though I thought I would never say there was music I didn't like... There is a lot of music current and from the past few years that I don't like and don't understand.  Trust me, it was a sad day to admit this because of all of the negative feedback from adults for the music I liked growing up, I swore I would never hate or feel to old for certain types of music. 

I love award shows and fashion so for those reasons, the Grammy is always on my awards show watching list.  Grammy fashion is a step or two above the MTV award shows and a step or two below fashion at The Oscars.  My favorite dress from last year’s Grammy show is the gorgeous red gown worn by Rhianna. 

However, the real reason I watch the Grammys is because it is always the best concert of the year on TV.  The musical pairings the producers put together to perform are like musical manna. Sometimes they are unconventional but they always work and are nothing short of genius music making. 

I don’t really have any predictions on who might win but I do have some recommendations on what songs I liked that you might consider giving a listen to if you haven’t already heard them.   That being said, I ran across a song that I didn’t see nominated even though the duo who sing it are nominated for their album The Heist.   Another song I like from this album is Same Love.  I recently watched the video and though it was cool because he is on a dog sled near the beginning.

Hands down and up in the air and shake it to the left and back around again, the best song I have heard in years is Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.  It appeals to my love of layered music and innovation as it is layer upon layer with twists and turns to a glorious beat which all put together is nothing short of everlasting gobsmacking brilliant.  Sometimes the mark of a great song for me is if it would still be good with no lyrics and this is one of those, even though the words are astounding.  I recently watched the video and really liked that near the beginning, he was on a dog sled.   I also like the song opening with the words “Return of the Mack” because Return of the Mack by Mark Morrison is one of my favorite songs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zNSgSzhBfM

For as much as I love the crafted masterpiece of Can’t Hold Us, I love the stripped down simplicity of a song like Royals by Lordes.  Great lyrics and several things in the music reminded me of T. Bone Burnett’s work on the O’ Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. Another song on her Pure Heroine album I liked was Swinging Party.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcIKh6sBtc

Speaking of a party, so glad to see Alabama Shakes nominated for their song Always Alright. I have been a fan since their Boys and Girls album from 2012 which was a EW recommendation. One of my favorite songs from that album is Goin’ To The Party. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjQ9m5xc33g

Rhianna is someone who I have liked from her first releases and once again, she kills it with her song, Stay.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF8BRvqGCNs

I have been a Bruno Mars fan since his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans.  I loved his nominated song this year, Locked Out of Heaven, the first time I heard the opening riffs which remind me of the early work of Sting and The Police.  This is a song that with no words would still be good.  I am certainly not a prude but even Bruno Mars said in an interview, it is a little uncomfortable to see little kids singing along to Locked Out of Heaven because of the adult themed lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-fA-gBCkj0

I am also liking Lana Del Rey’s album Paradise as well as the dance songs Get Lucky by Daft Punk, Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke, Clarity by Zedd and since I am already a fan of Calvin Harris’s music as well as Florence Welch (Florence & The Machine) I am dancing to their song, Sweet Nothing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5EofwRzit0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyDUC1LUXSU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxxstCcJlsc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17ozSeGw-fY

I didn’t get as far as I wanted to get with listening to the 2014 Grammy nominees but am looking forward to listening to the Rock category which includes a few of my favorites artists, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and Jack White.  

I will however be planted on my sofa, 30 minutes after the 2014 Grammy show starts so I can whizz through the commercials on my DVR to watch this year’s show.