Last night at Super Bowl 50, we saw some pretty incredible and amazing moments, both from the sports and music field. Peyton Manning and The Denver Broncos triumphantly won over the favored Carolina Panthers, which is a pretty great punctuation mark for Peyton’s amazing long sentence of a career. Millions of people were ecstatically waiting for the halftime show, in which superstars Beyonce, Bruno Mars and Coldplay rocked the house to commemorate the 50th year of this legendary game being played. Upon closer look, you would have noticed that Chris Martin was wearing a Global Citizen armband, an organization that has a goal of ending extreme poverty by the year 2030. There is, however, a Manhattan connection to this story.
[Read more…] about Coldplay’s Chris Martin Rocks Global Citizen Armband at SB50
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Grammy Nominations 2016- Who Will Win & Who Should Win?
A month from tomorrow will be “Music’s Biggest Night”, in other words the 2016 Grammy Awards. The award show will be taking place in its usual location, The Staples Center in Los Angeles, with its usual host of the festivities, rap legend LL Cool J, to hold it down for over three hours of music, madness, pandemonium, winners and Kanye acting a fool. Question is though, who is going to win, and who should win in the four main categories of the night? (Record, Album, Song, New Artist). We here at Manhattan Digest break down the will and the should come Grammy night. Who do you think will take home Grammy gold?
[Read more…] about Grammy Nominations 2016- Who Will Win & Who Should Win?
Jason Schneidman- The Men’s Groomer on Dove & More!
Jason Schneidman on The Oscars, Superbowl and Dove!
Nothing gets bigger for someone when they are invited to work on two of the biggest events of the year- The Superbowl and The Oscars. For Jason Schneidman, this is just another day in the life of one of the top men’s hairstylists in the world. Jason has had quite the year in 2014, from styling Oscar nominee Jonah Hill (Wolf Of Wall Street) to Superbowl show stopper Bruno Mars and so much more. Now he sits down with Manhattan Digest to discuss his crazy year that he has had and also his involvement in my personal favorite for men’s haircare and grooming Dove Men + Care. Take a look!
So how have things been since I spoke to you last, what have you been up to in 2014?
Everything has been great – can’t complain! 2014 started off with a bang between styling Bruno Mars for the Superbowl and Jonah Hill for the Oscars. It has been a real blessing.
You did Jonah Hill at the Oscars this year, which is huge seeing as he was Oscar nominated for “Wolf of Wall Street”. How was that experience?
It was a great experience. Jonah is an awesome dude, and a pleasure to work with. It was just so exciting to be a part of the journey with him.
On top of the Oscars, you did Bruno Mars at the Superbowl, which is gigantic beyond anything. How did you get that gig and what was the experience like? Was it hectic?
Bruno Mars is one of my frequent clients. I am so grateful to work with such talent. He is so down to earth and cool. I was honored he asked me to go out to New York with him. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. The energy was just high and it was such a rush being backstage. My main concern was to make sure every hair on his head laid perfectly to last the whole performance.
What is your favorite style for men this coming summer?
I am a huge fan of guys growing out their hair for the summer. Men with long hair are finally starting to stand out and I love it. I have always had long hair and felt different, but it is starting to trend. I think it creates some mystery and a little bit of edge. Shoulder length or longer hair is amazing on guys right now because it allows you to put your hair up in a top knot or a man bun. I wear the man bun myself and get a lot of compliments from both men and women. My celebrity inspiration is Jared Leto. One of my homies, Chase Kusero gave Jared his fresh summer look with the ombre.
What do you think men do wrong when it comes to style that you think could be improved?
I think one of the biggest things men are doing wrong when it comes to styling their hair, is using products that makes their hair look stiff. I recommend style pastes instead of hard gels to avoid this look. Personally, I love pastes because they’re versatile—and they can make a cut look edgy and nonchalant or cool and sophisticated. They’re perfect for the messy look, such as the style I did for Rob Lowe at the Golden Globes this year, but can also be used to create a very sleek style, like the style I did for Hugh Jackman at the Academy Awards last year. Plus, you can easily re-apply the product to refresh your look, which is crucial for the guy on the go. Gels and sprays, become crispy and flakey when re-applied, which is definitely a “don’t”.
Why is Dove Men+Care the best of all the products out there?
I recommend Dove Men+Care to my clients because I use it, it’s proven to make hair 3X stronger…and it’s made specifically for men. That means it is really effective at combatting common hair concerns from dandruff or oily hair—and adds moisture but doesn’t way the hair down. The product formulas are infused with caffeine, too, to help make men’s hair thicker looking—which pretty much every guy benefits from. My favorite is the new Aqua Impact Fortifying Shampoo. It’s enriched with ocean minerals and it makes every shower feel like a day at the beach, which keeps me centered even when I travel.
What are you hopeful for in the future?
Such a difficult question! I have so many exciting moving pieces in my life with my clients that I wish I could share. I am hopeful for new opportunities and look forward to continued collaboration with Dove Men+Care.
Want to know more about Jason and his fantastic business? Log on to his official site & twitter for more info.
Long Island’s Matthew Zeiss- Get to Know Him
Four years ago when I started blogging I wanted to make sure that even though I had my hopes set on interviewing legends in the music industry (something that came to fruition a year or two into it) I also wanted to interview local talent as many Long Island natives have gone from being obscure to some of the biggest people the industry has ever seen (Billy Joel, Mariah Carey, LL Cool J to name a few). One artist in particular who has the ability to become the next big thing is Long Island native Matthew Zeiss, an up and coming singer/songwriter who hit me up a couple of months ago about working together on a piece or two. I listened to some of his music and it drew inspiration from my point of view on so many different musical directions that I had to meet this guy and see what he was all about.
Driving from so many musical phases such as the beginning of Rock N Roll with Elvis Presley to the 90’s Ska movement with No Doubt and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Matthew Zeiss truly has set his heart on making music something he wants to do the rest of his life and holds no apologies for it. Recently being featured in the Long Island Newsday, and with an album coming out very soon, Matthew sat down with Manhattan Digest recently to discuss his music life growing up, who inspires him and what he is ultimately looking forward to in the future (besides his dream duet with Billy Joel). Take a look.
So tell me how you got into music in the first place?
Since I was about five years old actually. My dad would play a lot of Elvis Presley music & his videos as well, and I would try to act like that in a way to impress my parents because when you are at that age it tends to be what you try to do. Not to mention my dad was a singer/songwriter, not publicly but to himself so I would always hear him playing guitar and the music that he recorded on his cassette player in the 80’s. I grew up on that type of vibe. I also got into poetry a lot around the 3rd grade and started writing quite a bit of it around that time. Then in middle and high school I started taking these very long poems and turned them into songs, figuring out the structure of the songs and that I could actually sing. When puberty came in and smacked me in the face I would practice two hours a day, everyday for about four years. I would practice until I could sing really good. I would emulate legends like Tom Jones, Billy Joel and Elvis to name a few and in that process I developed a voice of my own. In doing so that had powers including the ability to sustain and it just went from there. Over twenty years ago all I wanted in this world was to be a singer and that still rings true to this day.
Who would you say are some of your biggest musical inspirations?
Aside from Elvis and Billy Joel, I don’t really know. I would say they are my two biggest ones, however if I were to trickle off from there I would say people like Lenny Kravitz, Luciano Pavarotti, Ray Charles, Muddy Waters, Chuck Barry, Little Richard… the list goes on. I would say Paolo Nutini, a bit of a left field choice but I like what he does style wise. My father too of course, I sound just like him. We are both inspired by Elvis and come from the same gene pool so my vocal chords developed the exact same way, so we have that on top of many other things in common and is someone who I truly look up to.
As someone who knows your music but some of my readers don’t, how would you describe the sound and style of it?
I use the word “alternative” just because it fits a large genre, but honestly I would say Rock N Roll. Billy Joel’s music for instance is considered Rock N Roll but it is more songwriter based. My previous album was more aggressive but my new album is going to be more in line with how artists like Billy & Bruno Mars are doing. Just much more organized, more orchestrated, a lot of different instrumentations. I don’t even know how you would classify it but I would consider it as singer/songwriter/Rock N Roll.
It seems as if since the new millennium that pop and hip-hop has dominated the music industry. How does an artist like you who is a bit more obscure make your name in this type of a music world?
I think I would do it with flair, the same way how Bruno Mars does it. He’s a good looking dude, he has his own style, he can move, younger girls love that kinds of stuff. Billy Joel happens to draw an older crowd, 25 and up I would say. I feel I could blend in with both the younger crowds and make my name because every album is going to have its pop tunes and steer in a direction that could go younger. Sure I have that, but I also have songs that whether it be something you are listening to on a pair of headphones or at a live concert it will draw a crowd that any age can really like. So I think I can make my mark as my music doesn’t have a particular generation geared towards it, it is timeless.
Couple of random questions I want to ask you. Dead or alive, what two artists would you love to see perform together that never would in a millions years?
Oh man, that’s a good one. I think Tom Jones and Elvis would be the two. I feel people underrate Tom Jones because the first thing that pops into your head when you think of him is the song “It’s Not Unusual”, which is somewhat of a novelty song. His vocals are fantastic and is an opera singer which is surprising to most people. He can hit notes on songs of his like one called “Till” that is just phenomenal. I feel the both of them would be an insanely dope concert.
What is your favorite album of all time?
“The Stranger” by Billy Joel. That was his breakthrough album and had so many hits come off of that such as “Moving Out”, “Scenes From An Italian Restaurant” and so much more. That is an album I could listen to endlessly.
Do you have a favorite song as well?
All time favorite song would be “Burning Love” by Elvis but now I would actually say “Fragments Of Time” by Daft Punk. “Random Access Memories” is a fantastic album and that song is just incredible.
So you are in stage, your doing a set. All of a sudden one of your crew members comes on with an additional microphone set and says “Someone wants to join you on stage”. Who do you want that someone to be?
Billy Joel. Duh. However, I probably wouldn’t have the ability to perform as I would be doing a combination of throwing up and crying all at the same time.
What are you really hopeful for going forward now?
Success. That’s it. By success I don’t just mean fame or stuff. I would love that of course, I’m a public dude. Success means that I can sustain a family life doing what I love. I do want a family in the future with kids and the whole deal, but I want to provide for them doing all of this and not struggle day in and day out at a job that I hate. This is a job that I genuinely love doing and never get tired of, so from here forward I am looking to write music that people can love and connect to. I’m looking for that one moment that I am on stage and there is 100,000 people singing the songs that I wrote. That is success for me.
Want to hear more about Matthew Zeiss, including his awesome music and upcoming shows? Check out his official Facebook and iTunes pages for more info.
Grammy Award Predictions: Record Of The Year
Music’s biggest night is only three weeks away now, where the 2014 Grammy Awards will take place live on CBS at 8PM Eastern, 7 Central. The Grammy Committee released its nomination list in early December to much fanfare and shock. One of the biggest awards of the night, if not the biggest, is “Record Of The Year”, an award that is recent years has gone to Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep”, Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now”, and most recently Gotye & Kimbra’s “Somebody That I Used To Know”. This year’s category is interesting as it really isn’t that cut and dry as it was in previous years, which makes this category amongst others that much more interesting. Let’s break down the nominees, and see who was left out, who should win and ultimately who will win.
Record Of The Year Nominees-
Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams- “Get Lucky”
Lorde- “Royals”
Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell Williams- “Blurred Lines”
Bruno Mars- “Locked Outta Heaven”
Imagine Dragons- “Radioactive”
Who Got Snubbed Yo-
There were a couple of people that I thought could’ve definitely been in the running for this category, but above all I think the Grammy Award Nomination Committee got this one right. Justin Timberlake was the biggest snub in my opinion for his song “Mirrors” as I thought he was kind of a shoo in for this and the other two main categories (Song, Album of the Year). Other hopefuls for this were Drake’s “Hold On We’re Going Home” and Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” as they tend to love both artists in their perspective categories (Rap, Country).
The Long Shot-
The Long Shot here in my opinion is Bruno Mars, as when you look at his track record at the Grammy’s he always seems to be the bridesmaid and never the bride in terms of the big categories. The Grammy Award committee always nominates him for these particular awards, yet he never seems to win them. Granted he has won one, but he also has been nominated about 10 times in the past couple of years. So this will come and go for him again as he is always up against bigger fish.
Who Will Win-
There can definitely be an argument for each of the nominees for who will win this, minus Bruno Mars. I feel like Pharrell might be the thorn in both nominees sides because each song came out at the same time over the summer, and received similar fanfare in terms of chart positions, airplay and overall sales. I get the feeling that the Grammy Award committee that votes for this won’t really be able to differentiate between the two, and they will cancel themselves out. So this leaves “Radioactive” and “Royals”. Alternative has definitely had its moments for “Record Of The Year” over the past decade, with acts like Gotye, Kings Of Leon, Green Day and Amy Winehouse winning. That being said, my money is on “Radioactive” to win, as it seems to go with how the Grammy’s have voted on in the past. An upset for Lorde would be great, but I’m not counting on it that much.
Who Should Win-
I have a hard time breaking this down as for me it is between two songs- “Royals” and “Get Lucky”. “Blurred Lines” was great but I felt like it was overplayed and redundant after a while. I do feel as though “Blurred Lines” in the grand scheme of things could be considered the ROTY as it was the highest selling song on iTunes and stayed number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for such a long time, but personally I don’t feel that it is. Neither do I feel this way about “Locked Outta Heaven” and “Radioactive”. “Royals” has a simple beat with some simple backup singers, yet Lorde’s amazing falsetto and message of an anti bling society that she wants to be the queen of really rang true for me. In a world of Miley/One Direction mania, she really comes in to counteract something like those two and bring a more authentic sound to what she is doing. “Royals” would be a great winner. As for “Get Lucky”, two words- Nile Rodgers. Anytime you hook him up on a song it is going to be dope. “Get Lucky” is one of those songs that is just as good instrumentally as it is with Pharrell’s smooth vocals. It was the best dance track of 2013 in my opinion, and I would just love to see this win off the sheer fun of Daft Punk getting on the Grammy Award stage with those helmets to accept. Tee hee.
Who do you think should win? Take a listen to a Grammy podcast that I did with my good friend John Campanario last month after the nominations were released to hear our perspective on who should and will win. Best of luck to The Grammy Award nominees!
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2014 Grammy Nominations- Shockers, Delights and Kendrick!
The 2014 Grammy Nominations were announced live last night in Los Angeles at the annual “Grammy Nominations Special” they do each year, hosted by LL Cool J. They had some pretty off the chain concerts from some of the biggest artists in the world, and it truly set the stage for a great night to come in February. When I read the list of nominees this year, some I expected, some I was somewhat surprised on, and some I was insanely baffled that got left out. Let’s break each category down and see what went right and what went really wrong.
Record Of They Year-
Lorde- “Royals”
Imagine Dragons- “Radioactive”
Robin Thicke Featuring TI & Pharrell Williams- “Blurred Lines”
Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams- “Get Lucky”
Bruno Mars- “Locked Outta Heaven”
In my original prediction blog, I had four out of five right (Hooray for me) with Imagine Dragons as an “Honorable Mention” but definitely a contender. Not surprised by any of these as they were all great nominees. Justin could’ve made this category, but I will delve much further into that on the next one. These five songs were really some of the biggest of the year, each of them representing a different genre of music in my opinion. Lorde on that pop/alternative tip, Imagine Dragons are pure alternative, Robin Thicke as the R&B crooner, Daft Punk bringing in the EDM and Bruno Mars giving us straight soul. This is going to be an interesting category of sorts because I don’t think there really is a clear cut winner here. Moving along.
Album Of The Year-
Sara Bareilles- “The Blessed Unrest”
Daft Punk- “Random Access Memories”
Kendrick Lamar- “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis- “The Heist”
Taylor Swift- “Red”
No Justin Timberlake in this category, I am beyond shocked about that. I pegged “The 20/20 Experience” as winning this award beyond easily and I truthfully believe he was the biggest snub of the night. Kind of sad when you have the biggest album of the year and you are left off such a crucial list. I think Sara and Kendrick are the surprising nominees here, in a good way. I thought Bruno Mars was a shoo in as well for “Unorthodox Jukebox” but I am somewhat glad to see him left off this list as I think Sara and Kendrick had stronger showings. Not shocked by Macklemore, Taylor or Kendrick but for the sake of my sanity I pray that Taylor doesn’t win AOTY again because “Red” wasn’t really a strong showing. It was a continuation of her last album, and I hope when she releases her new effort it has a bit of maturity to it. This is a tough one to call right now, but if I had to be personal on this- KENDRICK. Please.
Song Of The Year-
Pink & Nate Ruess- “Just Give Me A Reason”
Bruno Mars- “Locked Outta Heaven”
Katy Perry- “Roar”
Lorde- “Royals”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert- “Same Love”
In my original article, I had three out of five right (Pink, Macklemore, Lorde). Katy Perry wasn’t really on my radar, and this was the category I thought Sara Bareilles had a chance at with “Brave”, which Katy insanely ripped off for “Roar”. I actually had Drake in this category for “Hold On We’re Going Home”, a song he didn’t even get nominated for this year. That to me is frustrating, as it is one of the best tracks of 2013, and its the same sentiment I felt two years ago when his song with Rihanna “Take Care” got snubbed as well. This is a pretty standard list, so nothing too surprising. They could’ve given Miley something in the main categories, especially for the teen voters, and “Wrecking Ball” is in fact a very well written song. That being said, “Same Love” has got my vote. The lyrics are incredible and if there is one award Macklemore & Ryan Lewis should win it is this one folks.
Best New Artist-
James Blake
Kacey Musgraves
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Ed Sheeran
Kendrick Lamar
Two out of five in my original predictions, with Macklemore and Kendrick easily getting nominated. The others, I don’t really know how I feel about it. First off, where the heck is Imagine Dragons and Lorde on this? Ed Sheeran has been around for a while, so I don’t get why he is nominated this year and not last year. I am beyond floored that Florida Georgia Line didn’t get ANY nominations, and I thought that they would be the perennial country nominee as well over Kacey, but I am glad to see she got in here. The shocker here is EDM producer James Blake, who is following similar pathways with EDM being recognized in the main categories as Skrillex earned a Best New Artist nod last year. Fun! won this last year, something that I thought was completely shit as it should’ve been Frank Ocean, but this is a pretty strong group across the board. Best New Artist has proven to be an award that is never really cut and dry, and many artists that have won in recent years are the one you least expect (Bon Iver over Nicki Minaj, Esperanza Spalding over Justin Bieber). So James Blake really is the odd one out in this. Macklemore really isn’t a new artist in my opinion because he has been around a lot longer than people think, so once again I would love for Kendrick to take this one home. Country nominees never win this award, so it really comes down to Kendrick and Macklemore in my opinion.
Check out the official Grammy website for all the nominees and keep checking on Manhattan Digest for our official prediction blogs in all the categories for months to come. Congrats to all the nominees, especially Kendrick and my homegirl Kathy Griffin who got a sixth nomination for Best Comedy Album! 🙂
Grammy Award Predictions 2014- Record Of The Year
Awards season is upon us! 2013 had to have been one of the greatest years in music in my honest opinion, with so many diverse artists coming out with some fantastic songs that really took the world by storm and put some of them on the map for the first time (Lorde) and on it again (Justin Timberlake). Now with the Grammy Awards rapidly approaching in February and nominations being announced in shortly a month, now is the time to look at who are the most viable choices to be nominated. Here is a good list of six contenders looking to take the top prize at the 2014 Grammy Awards-
Justin Timberlake- “Mirrors”
I personally think he has the Album Of The Year category on lock, but needless to say this has been the year of J Tim. After taking a near seven year break from the music industry to focus on his acting career, he roared back into the music scene with not one but two records. After releasing the first track of “The 20/20 Experience” called “Suit & Tie” with Jay-Z, many critics felt as if that track in particular wasn’t a strong enough showing especially coming from his other two efforts, “Like I Love You” off of “Justified” and “SexyBack” from “Future Sex Love Sounds”. Although that song was a top ten hit, it failed to make a huge impression on fans as well. Then “Mirrors” was released, and all was forgotten. The song made it all the way to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling three million units and ultimately winning a prize that has alluded him at the Video Music Awards- Video Of The Year. A strong contender indeed to win this.
Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams- “Get Lucky”
Adored by fans worldwide, millions of them were eagerly awaiting the release of “Random Access Memories” which was the first release from the group since they made the soundtrack to the uber successful film “Tron: Legacy”. The lead off single featured the man of the summer Pharrell Williams, who was also featured on another little track called “Blurred Lines”. With his smooth vocals mixed with Daft Punk’s gymnastic type rhythms, the song became one of the three biggest tracks of the summer, and scored a number 2 slot on the Billboard Hot 100. Having Nile Rogers appear on the track isn’t too shabby as well. They could be a top contender for this as well, but I do feel like they will win all of the EDM awards. Yet, I do wonder how they would accept this award with those helmets on. Interesting!
Taylor Swift- “I Knew You Were Trouble”
This is not a personal choice, so please don’t jump down my throats for this. The Grammy’s love Taylor. They love her so much that they gave her album of the year award back in 2009 for “Fearless” over some insanely strong competition (DMB, Beyonce, Gaga & Black Eyed Peas). The former Best New Artist contender should definitely expect at least one nomination in the main categories as her “Red” album was released too late in 2012 to be considered for last year’s award. My personal favorite track off this album is either the title one or “Everything Has Changed” with Ed Sheeran, but this song was huge for Taylor and really brought her more into the pop-rock mainstream than ever before. A much better effort than last year’s ROTY nominee, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, Taylor will be a sure fire lock for this song to at least be nominated in the pop categories as she has in a way ditched the country ones a long time ago.
Lorde- “Royals”
Said this in the last article, but she truly defines the whole late in the game thing. The fresh faced 16 year old from New Zealand quietly made her U.S. debut with this song which was played on heavy rotation on MTV Hits and a couple other channels. When airplay got ahold of it, it brought the track to another level and put her on the market as an artist to watch. A true shoo in to be nominated for Best New Artist, this talented songstress will be the perennial Alternative track nominee, unless Imagine Dragons come in with “Radioactive”. Still I am pulling for this girl 100 percent for at least this nod.
Robin Thicke Featuring Pharrell Williams & T.I.- “Blurred Lines”
Ah yes, Robin Thicke. Jesus you couldn’t escape this song and to be honest you really didn’t want to. This song came to life back in late May of 2013 when they all performed it on “Ellen”. The song itself was a true hit but it also was accompanied by a very racy video which included semi naked models parading around a set. Robin has earned quite some notoriety for this song, in particular his Beetle Juice inspired outfit at the 2013 Video Music Awards with the foam finger loving Miley Cyrus, to which they both performed this song. Needless to say, after being in the industry for multiple years with only one big song to his name before this (“Lost Without You”) this is the true time for Robin and his silky vocals to get his recognition.
Bruno Mars- “Locked Outta Heaven”
Here is the thing with Bruno Mars, you either love his music or you can’t stand it. Just like Taylor, Bruno is loved by the Grammy’s. The first song off of his album “Unorthodox Jukebox” was received very well both by fans and radio alike. He took a dirtier approach to this album, as his first album tended to be more about love and adoration for love for women. This track in particular talks frankly about what it feels like to be locked outta sex (Keep it real) as well as other songs of his like “Gorilla”. 2014 should be a huge year for him as he has been tapped to be the halftime show at the upcoming SuperBowl being held at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. Strong contender indeed to win this category.
Honorable Mentions (And possible contenders)-
Pink & Nate Ruess- “Just Give Me A Reason”
Imagine Dragons- “Radioactive”
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert- “Same Love”
Drake- Hold On We’re Going Home”
Who do you think will be nominated? Check out The Grammy’s official website for more information.