This might be one of the more interesting Grammys yet. With the embrace of EDM and the dominance of such artists as Adele and Bon Iver, there seems to be a shakeup in the works for the music industry’s largest night. Honestly 2012 will go much like 2011 with traditional artists being favorited over more pop acts. Obviously Adele is going to be the big winner here, while acts like Bruno Mars and Bon Iver have a great shot. Skrillex is most likely going to go home empty handed while Lady Gaga will continue to be shut out.

Honestly, I’m more interested in next years Grammys as I feel like there is a huge shakeup in the music industry coming. The dominance of large pop acts seems to be fading in favor of those who would be considered “indie” only a few years ago. Very interesting indeed.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
21- Adele
Wasting Light- Foo Fighters
Born This Way- Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans – Bruno Mars
Loud – Rihanna

If Adele doesn’t win this, there will be riots in the streets. Not only is she the biggest pop star of 2012, but her music is right up the alley of what the Recording Academy likes. The only upset I see here is Bruno Mars coming close with Doo-Wops. WINNER: Adele.

BEST NEW ARTIST:
The Band Perry
Bon Iver
J.Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex

Wait, Nicki Minaj is a “new artist?” Enough of that. This is a two way race between Skrillex and Bon Iver in my opinion. Honestly, they have been pushing Skrillex hard over the past few months, but again, Bon Iver appeals more to the Grammy voter’s sensibilites. Look for The Band Perry as an upset. WINNER: Bon Iver or The Band Perry.

SONG OF THE YEAR:
“All of the Lights”
“The Cave”
“Grenade”
“Holocene”
“Rolling in the Deep”

Don’t expect Kanye’s “All of the Lights” to win here. I forsee a two way tie between “Grenade” and “Rolling In The Deep.” WINNER: Bruno Mars.

RECORD OF THE YEAR:
Rolling in the Deep – Adele
Holocene – Bon Iver
Grenade – Bruno Mars
The Cave – Mumford & Sons
Firework – Katy Perry

Just like Song and Record of the Year are repetitive categories, I see this again being a two way tie between Adele and Bruno Mars, with Adele winning. WINNER: Adele

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM:
21 -Adele
The Lady Killer – Cee Lo Green
Born This Way – Lady Gaga
Doo-Wops & Hooligans – Bruno Mars
Loud- Rihanna

Again, Adele will most likely take this one with Lady Gaga a close second. Gaga again will get shut out this time around, leading to negative tweets and boycotts from her “Monsters.” But Adele made a better album, nuff said. WINNER: Adele

BEST ROCK ALBUM:
Rock ‘N’ Roll Party Honoring Les Paul – Jeff Beck
Wasting Light – Foo Fighters
Come Around Sundown – Kings of Leon
I’m With You – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
The Whole Love – Wilco

Such a random category this year, which obviously signals rock’s decline in the mainstream. Unfortunately, Jeff Beck is the favorite here, but I really hope that Foo Fighters or Wilco can make an upset. WINNER: Jeff Beck.

BEST RAP ALBUM
Watch The Throne – Jay-Z and Kanye West
Tha Carter IV – Lil Wayne
Lasers – Lupe Fiasco
Pink Friday – Nicki Minaj
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West

My only question…if Kanye West wins over himself will he storm the stage? If Throne wins over MBDTF will he declare the latter the “best album of all time?” Personally, I wish that Fantasy will take this after getting snubbed in the Best Album category, but I have a feeling that Lupe Fiasco will come out the victor in this one. Kanye and Wayne prove too controversial and Nicki is slightly to pop to take this category. WINNER: Lupe Fiasco.

BEST R&B ALBUM
F.A.M.E. – Chris Brown
Second Chance – El DeBarge
Love Letter – R. Kelly
Pieces of Me – Ledisi
Kelly – Kelly Price

This might actually be the most interesting category of them all. Since the Grammys have gutted all of the R&B categories you now have a mishmash of pop, traditional, and alternative categories in one mixed bag (no release really stands out here). The result? I see this as being a tie between Chris Brown and El DeBarge. Brown has the name recognition (but baggage) and DeBarge is a Grammy voter favorite. WINNER: Too Close To Call.

BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA ALBUM

Cut/Copy – Zonoscope
Deadmau5 – 4×4=12
David Guetta – Nothing But The Beat
Robyn – Body Talk, Pt. 3
Skrillex – Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites

You have to appreciate the industry’s new found appreciation of EDM (or at least the money it makes). For a group claiming to be out of touch, this is a rather progressive and inclusive list of artists that have made a dent of the US Electronic music scene. (I know DJs will disagree with that statement). Honestly, I don’t think Skrillex is a runaway winner here. David Guetta is definitely more popular and familiar with Grammy voters, and Swedish House Mafia has made a stake in the US Market. WINNER: David Guetta.

Thanks to the fine people at Zinio, we’re giving away a digital copy of the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards Program Book! For the first time the program guide (at first only available to Grammy attendees and members of the Academy). The digital copy is over 200 pages long and can be viewed on your computer, iPad, Android and other devices.

In addition, we’re giving away 1 copy of your favorite music magazine. You can choose from such mags as Vibe, Spin, Rolling Stone and more!

Enter below:

Last year I got the opportunity to cover the MTVu Woodie Awards. Not going to lie, it was really amazing. As someone who deals with emerging music, I’m always happy to see an international platform Having the opportunity to chop it up with Skrillex (before he was Skrillex). And with the shift now to EDM, it seems the awards are taking an even larger scope, with a full day of programming before the show taping.

The nominees, include Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, The Black Keys, Lana Del Rey, A$AP Rocky, Wallpaper, Kendrick Lamar,  Tune-Yards, and more. Basically every artist that has gotten love on the blogs for the past year. The ceremony goes down March 15th in Austin.

Woodie of the Year (Artist of the Year)

The Black Keys (Nonesuch Records / Warner Bros Records)
Foster the People (Columbia Records)
Frank Ocean (Island Def Jam)
Mac Miller (Rostrum Records)
Skrillex (Atlantic Records / Big Beat Records)
J Cole (Columbia Records)

The Breaking Woodie (Best Emerging Artist)

Porter Robinson (OWSLA)
Electric Guest (Downtown Records)
Lana Del Rey (Interscope Records)
Childish Gambino (Glassnote Records)
fun. (Fueled by Ramen / Atlantic Records)
Walk the Moon (RCA Records)
Cults (Columbia Records)
Tune-Yards (4AD)
A$AP Rocky (RCA Records)
Iggy Azalea (Interscope Records)
Azealia Banks (Universal Music)
The Weeknd (Self Released)
Fake Problems (SideOneDummy Records)
Cloud Nothings (Carpark Records)
Charli XCX (Atlantic Records UK)
Wallpaper (Epic Records)
Sleeper Agent (Mom + Pop Music)
Machine Gun Kelly (Interscope Records)
Kendrick Lamar (Interscope Records)
Meek Mill (Maybach Music Group / Warner Bros Records)
Future (Epic Records)
T. Mills (Columbia Records)

 Best Video Woodie (Best Video of the Year) 

Duck Sauce “Big Bad Wolf” (Big Beat / Fool’s Gold)
Major Lazer “Original Don” (Interscope Records)
Battles “My Machine” (Warp)
M83 “Midnight City” (Mute)
Best Coast “Our Deal” (Mexican Summer)
Gotye “Somebody That I Used to Know” (Universal Records)

 Performing Woodie (Best Live Act) 

Mac Miller (Rostrum Records)
The Throne (Island Def Jam)
Alabama Shakes (ATO Records)
The Black Keys (Warner Bros Records / Nonesuch Records)
Swedish House Mafia (Astralwerks Records)
Skrillex (Big Beat Records / Atlantic Records)

 EDM Effect Woodie (For Bringing EDM to a new fan-base)

Avicii for “Good Feeling” (Flo Rida) – (Interscope Records / Atlantic
Records)
Benny Benassi for “Beautiful People” (Chris Brown feat Benny Benassi) –
(Ultra Records/ RCA Records)
Calvin Harris for “We Found Love” (Rihanna feat Calvin Harris) – (Ultra
Records / Island Def Jam)
Flux Pavilion for “Who Gon Stop Me” (The Throne) – (Circus / Island Def Jam)
Martin Solveig for “Ready 2 Go” (Martin Solveig featuring Kele) – (Big Beat
Records / Atlantic Records)
Steve Aoki & Laidback Luke for “Turbulence” (Steve Aoki & Laidback Luke
featuring Lil Jon) – (Ultra Records)

College Radio Woodie – (Best Campus Radio Station) 

All good things must come to an end, and we have now reached that of season 3. The ghost of old characters have returned in the finale to handle some unfinished business. Tony, the very first probation worker to bite the dust, returns to apologize for trying to kill the gang. Sally, who was an old love interest with Simon during his awkward phase, has returned to profess her love for him.

And finally Rachel, the brainwashing religious-nut who was killed by Nathan, denounces her faith and enjoys the pleasures of sex, drugs and alcohol.

But all the ghosts’ intentions aren’t completely genuine. Sally tries to destroy one relationship as a way of seeking revenge for the heartache and death of her boyfriend, Tony, and Rachel realizes denouncing her faith isn’t what it’s all cracked out to be. Never straying away from the norm, the ending of this episode will leave you shocked and full of mixed emotions. There are so many questions left unanswered and multiple rumors surfacing about who will and will not return for a fourth season.

Misfits has delivered one hell of a finale with much anticipation for next year. Hats off to you Misfits/E4 for another brilliant season.

Lia Ices is an artist that I completely fell in love with last year. I remember seeing her at Joe’s Pub and being enthralled in her voice. Thankfully, she’s coming back in 2012, however her label, Jagjaguwar decided to drop a video for a track from her last album, Grown Unknown. “Little Marriage” is a gem that you must hear live. Check it. (via TMC)

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Music made with love. Honoring the spirit of the great musician, J Dilla. Listen with your heart. Enjoy all you hear!”

If you are a fan of the Couch Sessions then you know that Florida’s Brandon* is one of my favorite producers. The dude is responsible for some of the best beats you will hear this side of the Atlantic. His Anime Buffet EP drops in March, but he decided to give us a preview of what’s in store with this special sneak peak. Check it.

Tracklisting

1. Anime Buffet
2. Eye of Tomorrow
3. Gummi Bear Scare
4. Made In China
5. Julia In June
6. Peculiar Places
7. Tokyo Streets: 7:22 p.m.

Sam Sparro’s Black and Gold was a banger back in the day. Unfortunately his label didn’t know how to promote him in the States and he became a UK phenomenon. His follow up, “The Shallow End,” dosen’t have the punch of “Black and Gold,” unfortunately but I’m glad to see this dude back on the scene. Check it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Since the culture of music has changed, would Apparatjik be considered a supergroup? It does contain Guy Berryman from Coldplay, guitarist/keyboardist Magne Furuholmen from A-ha, singer/guitarist Jonas Bjerre of Mew.

Anyway, the group has been around since 2008, but it’s their collabo with Pharrell that has caught my ear. Unlike some Skateboard P collabos, this one actually compliments his vocal stylings to a tee. Check it.

Download: Jonti – Shine and Moon

We’ve been following rising Stone’s Throw artist Jonti for a while now. The South African/Australian signee has been making some rather amazing atmospheric music of late, and this free album is just a collection of some tracks he made before his debut Twirligig. I’m loving what I’m hearing here, but my favorite is the rework of Nightshift in Blue. Check it. (via Dipped)

01. Saturday Night Songs
02. Red On Green
03. Confused Birds
04. Nagoya Train Station 3AM
05. Nightshift in Blue (Alternate Version)
06. Koi Moon’s Daughter Pt II
07. By This Shore
08. Flesh Of Morning
09. Lost Machines
10. Young Wildebeest
11. Nagoya Interlude
12. Moon Goddess
13. Sugar High
14. Lovers Stone (Alternate Passaros)
15. Vendas Newly Won Dream (Bonus Track)

I remember hanging out with Sonnymoon two years ago. Then, they were ambitious college students who had suddenly stumbled into Internet fame with their rendition of Drake’s Houstonlantavegas. Fast-forward to the present, and it looks like the group is ready to take on the world. With a tour set for the spring and a new album in May via Plug Research. Their track “Just Before Dawn,” was just released today and it’s a banger. But I’m enjoying the re-work by Miguel Atwood Ferguson even more. Check it.

With Gary Clark Jr, Alabama Shakes, and now Willis Earl Beal, roots, blues and R&B music are making a comeback in a huge way. The under-30 crowd has taken a shine to the long-forgotten artform in a big way. With an XL signing we’re sure to hear more from Beal in 2012. Check it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’ve been fans of Kevin Smith on the couch for such a long time. It seems like his movies Clerks and Mallrats were staples of our High School and College viewing habits. As a director, Smith has been very engaging with his fans, so I’m actually kind of excited to see this one man show, Kevin Smith – Burn In Hell which drops on EPIX on February 11th. The show is part biography, part Q&A, and part standup and it looks like a must for fans of the director. Check it.

Groupies

Click here to view the embedded video.

Batman Movie

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