• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Manhattan Digest

All you need to know about Manhattan culture and so much more...

  • LIFESTYLE
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • LGBT
  • OPINION
  • TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

Album Review: Darkstar – News From Nowhere

by Rio Toro

WARP225-Darkstar-News-From-Nowhere

Darkstar:          News From Nowhere

Score:          7.7

 

Similar Artists:          Radiohead, Animal Collective, Matthew Dear, John Talabot, Sigur Ros

Genre:          Experimental Pop

 

When I first heard Darkstar’s single “Aidy’s Girl Is a Computer” in 2009, it immediately became one of my favorite tracks from the unstoppable Hyperdub label. The glitchy robotic vocal samples and mutilated synth chords (which predetermined my obsession with co-Londoner James Blake), stood out as unique and intelligent compared to other so-called dubstep acts. I hesitate to say this group ever was dubstep, as within a few years they have progressed their sound to a point where calling them dub-anything would be absurd. Although I sure wouldn’t have minded it, this was a band that surely didn’t want to follow the success of their “Aidy’s Girl” single with another like minded track.

For their debut album “North”, which was released in 2010, the duo became a trio with vocalist James Buttery added to the mix. They focused on composing gloomy synth pop and learned to embrace more traditional pop song structures. It turned out they were damned good at it too, and it proved the group to be multi-talented. However, I kept waiting for them to jump off the deep end, so to speak, as they were absolutely capable of chartering uncovered terrain.

It seems my prayers have been answered because on “News from Nowhere”, their first album for Warp Records, Darkstar have dived in head first. The album is an eclectic overhaul to their previous sound that calls to mind some of the world’s best experimental pop acts. It now seems clear that “North” was a transitional album for this behemoth of sensory overload. Through the album you will be reminded of landmark acts such as Radiohead and Animal Collective, but the closest peer is pop-deconstructivist Matthew Dear, who also adapts new musical styles with the changes in the direction of the wind.

For a hint of the band’s eclecticism, the album goes from the blissfully ambient to the sublimely chill, to the paranoidly eccentric. “-“ is a take on King of Limbs era Radiohead and “A Day’s Pay for a Day’s Work”, has a chorus that is straight up Beach Boys in its a-capella vocal harmony. It’s all a technical marvel, especially on instances where the foreground pushes and pulls to cause tension before imploding into bits of crystalline fragments.

I previously mentioned Matthew Dear as a very like minded artist, and the match certainly fits. That artists’ last album ended with “Temptation”, which was a track that took his songwriting abilities to an unforeseen peak. The last track on this album, “Hold Me Down”, is similar in the fresh escapist pleasure in invokes. It is the perfect album closer that signifies there is much more to be heard from this act.

However, it did take me a while to see this album’s true potential, and it has some flaws that prevent it from being truly exceptional. For one, the vocals are superb in craft, but we hear far too much of them, and what James Buttery is singing about never truly shines through. On “Amplified Ease” I actually told him to stop singing (as if he could hear me). The top layers in general in this music are far less interesting than what lies beneath. Some of the best moments on the record are when the music has a chance to breathe, and we can hear just how much exquisite detail has been put into the production. The tracks where the vocals are used as an instrument, such as the final two, tend to be the most effective. Darkstar have the ability to wisk us away to far away worlds, but they often make it hard for us to get there as we have to sift through a layer of muck.

This is an album disguised as something it is not, or rather, it is disguised as something it is much more than. After a while, it is not the songs themselves that continue to grab our attention, but little snippets that are scattered throughout them. This is fine by me, because I have surely garnered a fair amount of pleasure from this album, but it makes me wonder if I would prefer an album from them that was entirely made up of the subtleties I adore finding in the crevices. For now, I am certainly on my toes as to what they will do next; I always seem to be with Darkstar.

 

Track Listing:

1.)Light Body Clock Starter

2.) Timeaway

3.) Armonica

4.) –

5.) A Day’s Pay for a Day’s Work

6.) Young Heart’s

7.) Amplified Ease

8.) You Don’t Need a Weatherman

9.) Bed Music – North View

10.) Hold Me Down

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, REVIEWS Tagged With: Album Review, Darkstar, music, News From Nowhere

Zero Hour Is So Bad It’s Almost Good

by Michael Tyminski

Source Wikipedia
Source Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia

Zero Hour: 8 P.M. Thursdays, ABC

Normally when I’m reviewing a new show, if  I find that the show is uneven, or even if I’m displeased with it, I can find a reason that a show could grow into a solid sustainable B-tier show. This is one of those rare occasions where I wonder how exactly this pilot made it to television (especially since the show that it replaced, Last Resort seemed pretty decent).

Zero Hour follows a magazine editor named Hank Galliston (as played by Anthony Edwards of ER Fame) whose wife is kidnapped by international terrorist “White Vincent”. Laila was kidnapped because she bought a clock with an ancient treasure map hidden inside, but inexplicably when she’s kidnapped she has already left the clock in a different location. Everything changes when an FBI agent who lost a close family member due to the actions of White Vincent shows up and starts pestering Hank, leading Hank to believe that he is wrapped up in something way beyond the kidnapping of his wife.

The show is full of confusing incongruities. The introductory sequence sets us in 1938, and sets us up by not exposing anything about either the treasure or any of the characters in the story, only that clocks exist, they’re the closest thing to god, the Nazis created a devil baby, that there’s something buried in Germany that could bring about the apocalypse. 40 minutes later, we finally learn that the 12 new men were meant to be the apostles and stop the end of the world after two young journalists inexplicably acquire the funds to go to Germany to talk to the maker of these clocks.

The acting as a whole is hammy and overdone. Whether it’s the priest whose advocating baiting out a terrorist by giving him what he wants, Anthony Edwards desperately trying to convince you that his wife is not young enough to be his daughter, or the FBI agents’ rush talking, almost everything in the show seems well past the point of belief. They use heavy accents in monologues but a scene in Germany is full of characters who speak in perfect American and British accents. Even star Anthony Edwards is not immune to this, as he plays Hank as hyper-rational, even in the face of the events that have just occurred.

The writing seems excessively convoluted and contrived. Hank is written to be as smart as if not smarter than the FBI. The terrorist “White Vincent” is written to be omniscient since we are meant to believe that a sole actor can divert Hank across Brooklyn, while tracking down a diamond smaller than an earring hidden covertly in an Altoids Case while remaining two steps ahead of the federal government who is crawling all over Brooklyn looking for him. Similarly, we are led to believe that Laila is kidnapped from a clock shop, when she dropped the clock off at her house? Why follow Laila to a second spot when he could have just broken into the house and taken the clock after she left?

Zero Hour seems to want to take a lot from the The Da Vinci Code, but unlike the movie, at no point do you feel like the dots are connected as you lead to a big reveal. Instead Zero Hour expects to take wild leaps of faith in order to appreciate it’s mythos of clocks, crazy terrorists, devil babies, young journalists with never ending pocketbooks (spoiler: the day I can get $5,000 out of the Manhattan Digest budget to fly to Germany to chase down someone who seems old enough to be dead and browbeat him for information, I totally will), FBI agents who don’t look 40 taking 40 year old incidents personally, and omniscient terrorists who can do more to avoid triangulation with Skype than most hackers, and the possibility that Hank is a reincarnated version of himself from Nazi-era Germany.

The Final Verdict: Any show like this requires some degree of suspension of disbelief, and when a show manages to shake my ability to suspend disbelief not even 90 seconds into a show, that’s a bad sign. What then occurs over the next 40 minutes involves the most ridiculous and ludicrous set of plot twists that one can find. It might be worth a watch if you want to see how a B-movie conspiracy film makes it to TV, but otherwise you’re probably better off watching Community or Parks and Recreation in that 8 p.m. Thursday time slot. I can’t see this one going much longer than 13 episodes, if only because nothing here makes sense and it doesn’t bottom out enough to make it watchable if only for the train wreck factor.

Filed Under: BREAKING NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, OPINION, REVIEWS, TELEVISION Tagged With: ABC, Anthony Edwards, TV reviews, Zero Hour

Netflix’d: House of Cards Season 1

by Peter Foy

house of cards

Format: Hour-long Drama

Genre: Political Thriller, Drama

Cast: Kevin Spacey, Kate Mara, Robin Wright, Corey Stoll, Michael Kelly, Sakina Jaffrey, Sandrine Holt, Kristen Connolly, Constance Zimmer

Length: 13 Episodes

Similar Too: The West Wing, Homeland, Breaking Bad (or maybe it’s better called a combination of those shows?)

Well, here it is. We’ve been talking about it for years, and now the time has finally come for web-based television. Analysts have been predicting that the state of the internet would eventually combine with that of television, allowing for TV shows to premiere, air, and be viewed entirely online. Netflix, perhaps America’s foremost distributor for on-demand streaming media, has certainly been an indication of how close we were coming to that day, but all their shows had aired on other channels previously. Now, however, Netflix has finally bridged the gap, with House of Cards, a new political drama that had it’s entire first season put on Netflix on February 1rst. House of Cards Season 1 has already become Netflix’s most watched program, and has been met with high critical acclaim. So in regards to popularity and it’s reported potential to change the television landscape, the only question is if the show really lives up to all the hype.

A remake of a British mini-series from the 90s, House of Cards Season 1 is set in contemporary America and focuses on main character Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), a South Carolinia congressman who can’t really be called a protagonist. The character is so ruthless and unquestionable in his methods that he can’t really be seen as an anti-hero either, he’s closer to being a straight up villain. The closest thing we have to a protagonist in this show is a young journalist (Kate Mara) who gets tied up with Frank after he’s denied a promotion to secretary of state. We then see how Frank has composed an elaborate plan to get what he wants in office, and needless to say plenty of bad shit goes down, from his involvement with a drug-abusing Pennsylvania congressman (Corey Stoll), to the tilting relationship he has with his wife (Robin Wright).

I have to admit, it’s funny that I was watching this show intermittently while viewing The West Wing. I couldn’t help but compare the two, as they’re both political dramas set amidst a fictional presidential administration, but the two shows don’t really have very much in common at all. If anything, House of  Cards is a more serialized version of The West Wing, that’s also R-rated, and happened to have really brushed up on it’s Shakespeare. Right from the start the show has really noticeable tension, from the music to the camera work. As the story goes on, and the twists become more regular, you start to realize that none of these characters are safe, and the show certainly doesn’t disappoint in regards to closure. For this reason the show really benefits from having it’s entire season released at once, as viewers can go through the show at a brisk pace without it ever losing any of its intended momentum.

The show certainly has quite a group of talented backers, with Beau Willimon (The Ides of March) as showrunner, and Eric Roth and David Fincher as producers. Fincher (The Social Network) definitely appears to be a driving force for the show, as he directed the first two episodes. Having an A-list director for the first two episodes could have actually hurt the show stylistically, similar to how people were complaining that Martin Scorsese’s direction of the pilot of Boardwalk Empire made the work of that series’ other directors seem inconsistent. Instead though, the show never outdoes itself, and it actually retains its unique style throughout. One of the most distinguishing features of this show is that they allow Frank Underwood to break-the-fourth-wall from time-to-time. Such a tactic could have proved gimmicky, especially for a show as serious as this, but instead it acts as a fascinating feature for us to get inside the mind of this cunning character, and eventually we realize that we the viewer are the only person that Frank tells the truth too.

With all it’s double-dealings and smoky room politics, the show sometimes feels like a 70s political thriller, but it’s undeniably ultra-modern. There’s a lot of usage of technology on the show, including internet usage (the show makes a reference to how satirical youtube videos can really harm a politician’s career), but most notably cell phones. Introducing another cool technique that plays with Fincher’s visual sensibilities, occasionally you will see character texting. Rather than have the camera zone in on the cell phone, the view will instead stay on the character and then a dialog box will pop up that shows what they are reading/saying. It’s used quite effectively in the start of the season, although it becomes less common in the second half. I really hope that the next season will find even more clever ways to use this technique.

So how’s the acting? Well, it excels here too. Kevin Spacey has always been one of our generation’s best screen actors, and he certainly indulges in this character. Speaking in a southern accent and using colorfully flamboyant language, Frank Underwood holds every scene he’s in, even if we’re aware of how evil he is. The supporting cast is all great too, with Kate Mara proving that acting ability runs in her family, as yes I will admit that I was under the impression that she was her sister Rooney for most of the series (I misread the credits I guess). Corey Stoll also gives a rather excellent performance as the womanizing and drug-addicted Peter Russo, as he gives the character the right amount of affability and cowardice that makes you really wish that he achieves redemption.

House of Cards is certainly a great show, but it isn’t perfect. The plot is spread too thin at times, and there is a sense of filler every now-and-then that does give me the feeling that I’m watching a TV Show. I feel that the best television dramas (The Wire, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos) have a more organic feel, and really give you the sense that you’re viewing a great movie, or reading some sort of excellent novel. House of Cards Season 1 does feel a bit televised at time, but that shouldn’t distract that this is possibly the best freshman season of a show to come out in a fairly long time. Already you can feel the writers and film makers have found a voice for the show, and it results in a sublime series that really unravels the seedy side of politics. With a second season already in the works, as well as the much discussed revival season for Arrested Development nearly here, Netflix might very well become the best television breakout since AMC, and it’s not even on TV.

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, TELEVISION Tagged With: house of cards, house of cards season 1, netflix, netflix series, season 1

The Harlem Shake Phenomenon

by Ryan Shea

Harlem Shake

Have you heard about the craze taking over the viral world?  Well you must have, unless you live under a rock.  The Harlem Shake phenomenon has taken over the internet and I must say, I am amused.  I am a YouTube junkie and have come across this new video trend that is sweeping the blogosphere and  viral video world.

The Harlem Shake is a latin techno song by DJ Baauer.  It’s actually really sick and has an amazing beat.  The song alone has coaught my attention but the videos people have made to go along with this song are EPIC!

Each video is about 30 seconds long and involves one person “shaking,” usually in some form of a mask.  The “shaker” is surrounded by people going about their normal routine, when suddenly…the bass drops and the video skips to a room full of people dancing like crazies!  It is the most laugh out loud video’s I have seen in awhile!

There are so many good videos to mention, there are the fire fighters, the Norweigan Army, the old people, etc…  The list goes on.

I am tempted to make one for myself, maybe involving my dog (hmmm?) maybe not.  All I know is that if you have not seen some of these Harlem Shake posts you are seriously missing out!  You can search them on www.youtube.com or check some out here!

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, WORLD Tagged With: baauer, harlem, harlem shake, shake, the harlem shake, Video, viral, youtube

Album Review: Grouper – The Man Who Died in his Boat

by Rio Toro

 

images

Grouper:          The Man Who Died In His Boat

Score:          7.9/10

 

Similar Artists:          Tiny Vipers, Mirroring

Genre:          ambient, singer-songwriter

 

The best way to describe Liz Harris’ output as Grouper would be to reference one of her lyrics, in which she claims to be an “Alien observer in a world that isn’t mine”. This disconnect of environment comes up often in the music of Grouper, and is harrowing in its evocation of aloneness. A certain humane element is lacking in the music as the voices we hear are all lost ones, who are desperately seeking attachment to a like being. She creates this often horrifying mood through the tone of her voice, the strum of her guitar, effects pedals and little else. The minimalistic aesthetic gives the songs a raw feel that enhances the believability of the artist’s sorrowful anguish. There is no anger within these songs, as Liz Harris’ cry is not one of exasperation, but one of remorseful contemplation. Through her work, Liz Harris recollects her tainted childhood memories, and the crucial moments which shaped her views upon the world.

“The Man Who Died in His Boat”, Grouper’s 8th full length, was inspired by an event experienced by Liz at a young age where she peered inside a boat that washed up near her home. She found it brimming with trinkets and belongings, yet the owner had vanished never to reappear. Although the abandonment in this case was of an inanimate object, it is the kind of experience that becomes trapped within the confines of our conscious mind, and allows for endless provocation. Much like this memory, the subject matter in Grouper’s music is all highly personal, and much of the lyrics are un-decodable in meaning. Liz has stated in interviews of her fear towards enabling the listener to grasp too much of a song’s identity, and in turn revealing too much of her own. This is the reason her voice is so hidden on the majority of her releases. Despite her enigmatic personality, it can be discerned that these releases represent mournful memoirs from her life.

This album is a return to the style developed on her revelatory 2008 LP, “Dragging a Dead Deer up a Hill”. The comparisons are not in album title alone as this is, for better or for worse, a carbon copy of that album. Both albums were actually written and recorded during the same time period, but Liz has waited all these years to actually release it; perhaps in fear of it being too personal. These are her, for lack of a better word, folk records. Unlike some of Grouper’s other releases, of which there are many, these could actually be considered songs. With the album’s prominent use of acoustic guitar, Liz walks the line of being called a singer songwriter at certain moments.

There is certainly a new found accessibility that has been issued to her music in the last few years and “The Man Who Died…” is most representative of this. Up until now, “Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping” on her previously mentioned 2008 album, was the closest we got to peering inside Liz’s heart. While it could be argued that none of the songs here match the sheer beauty of that song, many follow it in theme. “Towers” and “Living Room” both stand out in a way that is unusual for an artist who is so non-attention seeking, and there are even some bright spots to be found if you look deep enough. Thankfully, the atmosphere is not entirely opaque, and there is the occasional glimmer of hope. Whether it stems from a brighter guitar chord or a tenderly sung lyric, we are hinted at some ray of light that is guiding the protagonist towards a nestled home.

Listening to Grouper for hours on end becomes a heartache. Grouper’s music had never really sunk in with me before, but after now challenging myself with dissecting one of her albums I realize it is because I didn’t let it. The music can become disturbing in its subtleties to the point where listening to it on repeat is painful. This is especially true when going to sleep or other reflective moments in the day. She has crafted a sound that is audacious, but not always listenable. So in terms of emotional effectiveness this album gets top honors, but personally I think I am going to let it collect some dust on the shelf for a while, and save it for a day where I am feeling particularly masochistic.

 

Track Listing:

1.) 6

2.) Vital*

3.) Cloud in Places

4.) Being her Shadow

5.) Cover the Long Way

6.) Difference (Voices)

7.) Vanishing Point

8.) The Man Who Died In His Boat*

9.) Towers*

10.) STS

11.) Living Room*

* – Album Highlight

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, REVIEWS Tagged With: Album Review, Grouper, The Man Who Died In His Boat

Dance Moms Recap: No Crying in Dance

by David Baxter

abbyleemillerdance80371Welcome back to Pittsburgh, folks! Everyone’s here and we’re ready for more Dance Moms after the jump! [Read more…] about Dance Moms Recap: No Crying in Dance

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, TELEVISION Tagged With: dance moms, television recaps

Country Class from the 2013 Grammy Country Nominees

by Pamela Gordon

Courtesy of http://blog.newsok.com
Courtesy of http://blog.newsok.com

Sunday night was a night that I was proud to be representing the country genre on Manhattan Digest as America noticed the Country Class exuding from the 2013 Grammy Country Nominees.  From the wardrobe choices, to the performances, the individuals and groups were able to hold their heads high. My predictions were almost spot on, and every winner truly deserved their Grammy.

Move over Beyonce and Jay-Z, because Tim McGraw and Faith Hill stole that red carpet spotlight. Tim looked so dapper in his classy cowboy hat, while Faith was stunning in her sleek black dress. They were not only polite and friendly, but were seemingly genuine and happy to be attending the ceremony.

Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert’s duet of “Home” and “Over You” was a medley not to be reckoned with. The composition was a hybrid of southern belle meets southern comfort with Lambert’s bedazzled white cocktail dress and sweet lyrics, while Bentley’s performance was heartfelt yet edgy.

Lets not forget Hunter Hayes’ interlude of “Wanted”. Although short, he demonstrated his vocal and musical talents in this minute and a half introduction. He managed to shine and woo the audience right before introducing the women of the night.

From the moment she stepped foot onto the carpet, to her exceptional performance, Carrie Underwood glistened throughout the night. She wowed the red carpet without even having to bear any excess skin in a sleek black Roberto Cavalli dress. During her acceptance speech for best Solo Performance, she not only seemed surprised but also humbled, a sight rarely seen. Lastly, her performance of “Blown Away,” literally did what the title says. As spectacular as the light show was, my attention was not taken away from her powerful vocals. She has a command over her voice that should be praised and elegance to her performance that was not gaudy but impressive and creative.

Country has a reason to be proud; embodying class, style and talent at an evening where musicians come together to have their night to shine. If I hadn’t convinced you in my first article to check out some of these talented artists, hopefully now with the show stopping performances, you take a look into what country really has to offer the music industry.

Pamela Erin Gordon

Filed Under: BREAKING NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, OPINION, REVIEWS, TELEVISION Tagged With: Carrie Underwood, Country, Dierks Bentley, Faith Hill, Grammys, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Time McGraw, Winners

RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: I Love You, You Love Me

by David Baxter

Rupauls Drag Race Season 5
Rupauls Drag Race Season 5
Credit to- www.homorazzi.com

Last time on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Lineysha channeled her inner Tyra and Serena went home, to everyone’s relief. Join us after the jump. [Read more…] about RuPaul’s Drag Race Recap: I Love You, You Love Me

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, TELEVISION Tagged With: drag queens, rupauls drag race, television recaps

Skrillex Takes it All: DUMBstep!

by Ryan Shea

Skrillex Grammy awards
Skrillex Grammy awards
Skrillex wins Dance Music categories at the 2013 Grammy Awards

So, unfortunately, my predictions for the winners in the Dance music category at the Grammy’s this year were off.  I must admit I had a feeling the outcome would be this way but I hoped that the Grammy board would step away from the commercial front runner and actually give it to someone with talent.

So Skrillex’s single Bangarang took home the Grammy for Best Dance Recording.  Yawn!  Dubstep is so 2011!  But I guess the Grammy awards didn’t get the memo.  Although I wanted SHM to take it I would’ve been happier to see Avicii win then Skrillex.

He also won Best Dance/Electronica Album.  I listened to Bangarang, the album, and was totally unaffected.  It was the same mechanical beats over and over.  Kaskade was definitely robbed, but I think this is just the beginning for Dance Music.  Hopefully in the years to come dance artists will be recognized for their talent and of their commercial appeal.

I am so tired of DUMBstep and Skrillex!  I’m sure everyone agrees!  First off, that hair!  Last night he looked like he hadn’t showered in months.  I get it, you’re a DJ and you’re so unique and special, but it’s the Grammy Awards!  Show some respect and wash your hair.

I am really angry with the outcome last night and hope that other dance music fans were as well.  Feel free to let me know how you feel!

Filed Under: BREAKING NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, OPINION, TELEVISION Tagged With: 2013 grammy awards, dance music, grammy, grammy awards, grammy winner, skrillex, skrillex house music, winner

Boobs or Snooze; The 2013 Grammy Awards

by Ryan Shea

Katy Perry Grammys

This year’s Grammy awards brought out an array of fashion.  Despite CBS’s comical dress code, the stars still looked hot this year.  CBS sent a notice that the attendees of the Grammy awards should not wear anything revealing; no plunging necklines, side boobs, or butt views.  Although CBS tried to control the fashion, many artists clearly disregarded the networks warnings. This is the 2013 Grammy Fashion review.

One artist who visibly paid no attention to the dress code was Katy Perry.  Perry’s revealing mint green Gucci dress was skin tight and the peep hole at her chest was anything but censored.  Her cleavage was fully exposed!  The dress was unattractive and Katy Perry looked a little undone.  Not her best.

 

Katy Perry Grammys
Katy Perry at the 2013 Grammys

Another artist who ignored the no “bare skin’ rule was Kelly Rowland in Georges Chakra.  The fitted black gown was beautiful and had many, many revealing lines.  If she moved the wrong way all of her naughty parts would have been on display.  Thankfully there were no slips, but it was obvious Rowland was unfazed by the clothing regulations this year.

 

Kelly Rowland Grammys
Kelly Rowland at the 2013 Grammy’s

I have to admit I was slightly let down by the fashion at the Grammy’s this year.  Nothing really astounded me.  That being said, there were a few celebrities whose choice of dress was beautiful and warrants mentioning.

My best dressed this year goes to; Rihanna!

 

Rihanna Grammy's
Rihanna at the 2013 Grammy’s

I must admit I fully expected Rihanna to completely go against the dress code and shock us all, but she decided to keep it tasteful.  The singer rocked a dazzling red Azzedine Alaia gown, sheer panels’ criss-crossed over the chest and haltered on the neck.  The skirt was full and flowing chiffon.  She looked elegant and still made a statement.

Carrie Underwood looked striking last night.  She was put together from head to toe.  The strapless Roberto Cavalli gown hugged her curves and accentuated her toned arms.  The pattern on the dress was elegant and the beading on the skirt was breath taking.

 

Carrie Underwood Grammy's
Carrie Underwood at the 2013 Grammy awards

Faith Hill really surprised me this year.  The knee length frock she wore fit her perfectly and the sheer, embroidered top was lovely.  The lace jacquard on the skirt was so subtle you could barely see it.  This J. Mendel dress looked stunning on Faith Hill.

 

Faith Hill
Faith Hill at the Grammy Awards

And now for my favorite part of the Grammy’s… the WORST DRESSED.  The Grammy’s always brings out some of the most outrageously heinous fashions.  And, oh, they did not disappoint me this year!  I’ll try and narrow it down to my top 5 this year.

#5 – Jennifer Lopez

 

Jennifer Lopez Grammy
Jennifer Lopez at the Grammy’s

 

J.Lo’s dress looked like a hefty bag.  The cut out for her leg to stick through made no sense!

#4 – Nicole Kidman

 

Nicole Kidman Grammy's
Nicole Kidman at the 55th annual Grammy awards

Her dress aged her and the muted colors washed her out.

#3 – Adele

 

Adele Grammy's
Singer Adele at the 55th annual Grammy’s

I feel wretched naming Adele as one of my worst dressed, but the pregnant Grammy winner looked like she was wearing curtains!

#2 – Solange Knowles

 

Solange Knowles Grammy's
Beyonce’s little sister Solange

Beyonce’s younger sister looked like a cracked out Diana Ross.  The sparkly green dress was cheap looking and the orange heels were horrible.

#1 – Ashanti

 

Ashanti Grammy
Ashanti at the 2013 Grammy Awards

Ashanti’s floral dress was too revealing and looked cheap.

Lastly, I want to shout out a few of the men who rocked it last night…

 

Hunter Hayes
Country Cutie Hunter Hayes

Country cutie Hunter Hayes looked handsome in his Hugo Boss black suit.

Justin Timberlake in Tom Ford at the 2013 Grammy awards

 

Justin Timberlake rocked his Tom Ford suit and had all of us ladies swooning.

 

The fashion at the Grammy’s this year was toned down compared to previous years.  No one really amazed me.  I remember tuning into the Grammy’s and being dazzled by the unique costumes the musicians would adorn.  I look forward to the outrageous red carpet and can only hope that next year will be more eventful.

Filed Under: BREAKING NEWS, FASHION, MUSIC, OPINION, REVIEWS, STYLE, TELEVISION, U.S. Tagged With: 2013 grammy awards, 55th annual grammy awards, adele, Annual Grammy Awards, ashanti, best and worst dressed, Carrie Underwood, CBS, dress code, fashion, Fashion Reviews, grammy, grammy awards, Grammy Fashion, Grammy Winners, Grammys, Hunter Hayes, j.lo, Jennifer Lopez, justin timberlake, Katy Perry, kelly, Kelly Rowland, music, nicole kidman, red carpet, Rihanna, solange, solange knowles, television, The Grammy Awards, worst dressed

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Go to page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 160
  • Go to page 161
  • Go to page 162
  • Go to page 163
  • Go to page 164
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 168
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Navigation

  • HOME
  • OPINION
    • REVIEWS
  • BUSINESS
  • LGBT
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • ARTS
    • MOVIES
    • MUSIC
    • TELEVISION
    • THEATRE
  • LIFESTYLE
    • TRAVEL
    • FASHION
    • HEALTH
    • FOODIE
    • STYLE
  • POLITICS
  • SCIENCE
  • SPORTS
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • U.S.
    • NEW YORK

Footer

  • ADVERTISE
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • CAREERS
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Legal

Copyright © 2023 · ManhattanDigest.com is run by Fun & Joy, LLC an Ohio company · Log in

 

Loading Comments...