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daft punk

Grammy Predictions 2015- Album Of The Year

by Ryan Shea

Manhattan Digest, Grammy, Beyonce

 

When it comes to the music industry, the Grammy Awards still remain the Gold Medal when it comes to award achievement  for artists and musicians alike.  Last year’s saw newcomers like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Lorde take the top spots in the New Artist and Song of the Year Category, whereas perennial EDM megastars Daft Punk shocked many a music fans by winning the coveted Album Of The Year Grammy with “Random Access Memories”.  Now with another year in music about to close, and the Grammy Nominations out in less than a month, Manhattan Digest digest’s what will be nominated and who might be left in the dust in a year that was less than stellar to say the least.  With no major artists with the exception of Coldplay, Beyonce, Jason Aldean and Eminem releasing albums this year, the music industry was run by throwaway pop tracks and one hit wonders in the making (Sorry Meghan Trainor).  That being said, there were some stellar exceptions that I hope that Grammy’s notice and crown this year- some who are overdue, some who are new, and some who have been here before and deserve it again.  Today, we look at the potential noms for Album Of The Year.

Beyonce, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: HipHopDX

Album Of The Year at the Grammy’s can be tricky.  Sometimes they get it right (Mumford & Sons, Daft Punk, Adele) and sometimes we don’t know where they are coming from (Steely Dan, Herbie Hancock).  Sometimes, they miss the ball completely, like last year when Justin Timberlake didn’t even get nominated in a category that many people thought he would’ve won.  This year, the inevitable nominee and winner is simple- Beyonce.  Beyonce has been in this category before, losing a couple of years ago to Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” over her insanely good effort “I Am… Sasha Fierce”.  However, with her self titled debut this year, she really doesn’t have any competition as this album was one of the biggest music stories of the year.  With no one knowing it was coming out, she quietly released this on a cold December night and drove the album to platinum status in less than two weeks, and outselling her previous effort “4” shortly after.  The album spawned several huge singles (some will be discussed later), has insatiable duets with artists like Drake, Frank Ocean and her hubby Jay-Z and received generally positive feedback from fans and critics alike.  No doubt the winner in my mind.

Frozen Soundtrack, Frozen, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Wikipedia

Others who could be huge contenders?  Obviously, The “Frozen” Soundtrack for many reasons.  Oscar winning, highest selling, songs parents and like minded people alike can’t get out of your head equal Grammy goodness.  This is the first soundtrack in several years though that really can be a strong contender in the main categories so be on the lookout for this to be nominated several times throughout the night.

Eminem, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Pretty Much Amazing

Hip-Hop this year wasn’t exactly stellar whatsoever.  Last year had so many memorable people come out of the wood works with fantastic first efforts (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kendrick Lamar) and icons who kept churning out some amazing tracks (Jay-Z, Kanye West).  The sad fact that the biggest star in hip hop this year may have been Iggy Azalea says a lot about that industry and hopefully there will be some recharge in 2015.  That being said, Eminem should no doubt be the 3rd nominee in this category with “The Marshall Mathers LP 2”.  As someone who grew up when Eminem was really at his peek in so many different ways, I find it fantastic that 15 years after we first heard “The Real Slim Shady” he is still incredibly relevant and hip with a younger crowd that is just discovering what an epic rapper and legend he is.  Whereas he had a better shot of winning this award years ago with “The Eminem Show” and the first Marshall Mathers LP” it would be a surprise if he was left out in this category.

Sam Smith, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Wikipedia

The other two could be difficult to choose.  One new artist who has gained quite a huge following this year is Sam Smith, who broke through with his gold selling “In The Lonely Hour”.  A powerhouse on his own, Sam blasted through the charts with his first single “Stay With Me” as well as working with other fantastic artists such as Disclosure (“Latch”) and one of my favorite artists and tracks of the year, “Lalala” by Naughty Boy.  He is this year’s big British import, sort of the male Adele when it comes to the impact that he has had on the industry.  His music style is very eclectic, with tinges of pop, R&B and adult contemporary all mixed in one.  He’s a surefire lock for Best New Artist without a shadow of a doubt, however don’t be surprised if he is able to seep his way into the pivotal Album Of The Year category at the Grammy’s.

Coldplay, Manhattan Digest
Credit to: Wikipedia

Jack White’s “Lazaretto” seems poised to be the fifth and final nominee in this category.  Jack, mainly known for his epic band “The White Stripes” is no stranger to this category having being nominated two years ago for his effort “Blunderbuss”.  The 9 time Grammy Award winner’s Rock efforts paid off for him tend fold this past year, with “Lazaretto” receiving stellar reviews from the top publications and debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200 Chart.  If Jack doesn’t get the lock for Album Of The Year don’t be surprised if Coldplay takes the fifth spot for “Ghost Stories“, which is one of the highest selling albums of this past year.  the 7 time Grammy Award winners lit up the charts this year with “Sky Full Of Stars” amongst other hits, and have been Grammy favorites in the past with “Clocks” winning Record Of The Year over ten years ago.  Don’t expect Coldplay to take this award but expect multiple nominations for both “Stars” and “Ghost Stories” for sure.

Who do you think will be nominated Check out the Grammy official website for more info.

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC Tagged With: 2015 grammy nominations, adele, coldplay, daft punk, disclosure, eminem, grammy, grammy nominations, iggy azalea, Jack White, Jason Aldean, jay-z, kanye west, kendrick lamar, lazaretto, luke bryan, macklemore, meghan trainor, naughty boy, ryan lewis, sam smith

Grammy Award Predictions: Record Of The Year

by Ryan Shea

Manhattan, Manhattan Digest, Lorde, Grammy, Grammy Nominees
Manhattan, Manhattan Digest, Lorde, Grammy, Grammy Nominees
Credit to: Wikipedia

 

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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Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC Tagged With: 2014 Grammy Awards, blurred lines, bruno mars, daft punk, get lucky, grammy, Grammys, imagine dragons, lorde, Manhattan, manhattan digest, pharrell williams, radioactive

The Ten Most Awesome Songs of 2013… In My Opinion

by Ryan Shea

A$Ap Rocky, Manhattan Digest, Manhattan, Skrillex
A$Ap Rocky, Manhattan Digest, Manhattan, Skrillex
Credit to: MixMag

 

2013 was pretty much an amazing year when it came to the variety of songs that were provided by a bevy of artists in their own respective genre.  We had a couple of really good late in the game entries as well that really gave some of the bigger artists and songs this year a run for their money. From pop to alternative, to hip hop blending with EDM, these in my opinion were the ten best songs of 2013.  Billboard Magazine had a similar list to mine in what they were thinking as well.  They are in no particular order, but are all pure awesomeness.  Take a look.

A$AP Rocky Featuring Skrillex- Wild For The Night

A$AP is one of the best rappers out there right now in a field that seems to be lacking in original talent.  The only other guy out there right now that is on a similar level and new to a degree is Kendrick.  That being said, “Wild For The Night” charts on this list for me because it was the best club banger of 2013.  Masterfully collaborating with the biggest EDM producer out there right now, Grammy-Award winning Skrillex, A$AP spits lyrics at an elevated speed to compliment Skrillex’s mind numbing beats and what is the result?  Pure awesomness.

Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams- Get Lucky

Pharrell had two big songs this year, this being one of them and of course being featured in “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke as the other.  If I had to choose one of the two songs to be in my top ten, this would’ve been the better one.  The Niles Rogers assisted track catapulted Daft Punk back into the top of the charts stratosphere with “Random Access Memories” being one of the best reviewed and selling albums of 2013.  This is another one of those songs where two completely different acts came together and struck pure gold.  The beat to this song is incredibly infectious, and it also served its purpose for many Gay Americans as it proved to be somewhat of a theme song when Prop 8 was overturned in early Summer 2013.  Definitely one of the best songs of the year if not the best.

Lorde- Royals

Lorde in my opinion is the anti Miley Cyrus.  This song kind of proves that thought process.  The fresh faced 16 year old from New Zealand quietly made her way into being one of the biggest new artists of 2013, with a song that has a simple drum beat, backup singers and a message that speaks profoundly about the industry itself today.  With lyrics like “We don’t care, we aren’t caught up in your love affair”, she basically talks truthfully about how she was raised and why she refuses to conform in a somewhat “Bling Bling” society.  Expect big things for this girl in the new year, and beyond.

P!nk & Nate Ruess- Just Give Me A Reason

I for one am always a big fan of when a man and woman duet with each other.  From “Endless Love” to “Almost Paradise” it always seems to be a formula that works well.  P!nk, who is not really known for her duets as her voice is powerful enough on its own, struck a huge chord with millions of people with the number one single “Just Give Me A Reason”.  Side by side with Fun! frontman Nate Ruess, the breakup to makeup song became one of her biggest hits of her career and scored her a Grammy nomination for Song Of The Year.  P!nk proves why she is still one of the best out there after being in the business for over 15 years.

Beyonce Featuring Jay-Z- Drunk In Love

Beyonce had the best music story of this year, and the funny thing is that it happened less than 2 weeks ago.  it’s insane how she was able to pull all of this off and practically NO ONE knew what she was doing.  On December 7th at 12am, she released her self titled new album to the world exclusively on iTunes, and just like many Stans out there, we all ate it up.  There were plenty of songs on her album that I could’ve included on this list (XO and Flawless as examples) but I am always a sucker for whenever she duets with Jay.  This duet with him is the best one yet, and she proves why everyone else needs to bown down and respect the Kween.

Miley Cyrus- We Can’t Stop

Say what you want about Miley, but she really took the fuck over this year for sure.  You can take her two different ways- annoying slut or marketing genius.  I prefer the latter, because as much as people want to say she is a terrible influence and all this other stuff she is just doing the same thing that other pop divas like Madonna and Britney have done before.  She is just a more modernized version of it. “We Can’t Stop” is another club banger and a completely different side of the re-upped Miley.  With risque talks of partying, to that one video of her naked on a Wrecking Ball, this really was the year of Miley and I myself am looking forward to seeing what she has in store for 2014 and beyond.

Justin Timberlake- Mirrors

Facts are facts- Justin had the biggest comeback of a year.  Without a doubt.  Keeping his return to music a bit hush hush like Beyonce did, he came roaring back in early 2013 with “The 20/20 Experience”.  “Suit & Tie” wasn’t exactly a very loved track, but the follow up “Mirrors” was much more well received and worth the 7 minute listen.  Just a beautiful song and his crooning voice blends beautifully with the orchestra like music in the background.  Here’s to hoping he keeps with this music thing for a while, because it is what he is best at.

Drake Featuring Majid Jordan- Hold On We’re Going Home

For me, Drake is at his best when he is singing, not when he is rapping.  “Hold On We’re Going Home” is a great example of this.  Billed as the second single off his platinum selling “Nothing Was The Same”, “Hold” was a softer approach from his first choice “Started From The Bottom” and really showcased his vocal abilities.  Set to an 80’s type throwback, the song jumped to the top of the charts and further solidified the dude as a pop/R&B/hip-hop crossover and further away from his mixtape/DeGrassi persona that we all knew about him.  Keep it going…

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Mary Lambert- Same Love

Macklemore is a guy that has been in the game for a lot longer than people realize, he just happened to jump off at the end of 2012 with a sick saxophone beat to the song “Thrift Shop”.  His unique approach to his rapping along with helping other undiscovered artists from Ray Dalton to Wanz.  He is the first guy to really tackle the issue of gay marriage in a rap song like no other has before. The song beautifully states the society that we are in, where saying the word gay has become the norm, and ultimately how we shouldn’t treat people differently just because they don’t fit the mold that we have created.   Featuring the great vocals of Mary Lambert, the song boldly goes where hip-hop never has before, and has earned him respect from millions gay or not.  Well done Macklemore, well done.

Passenger- Let Her Go

This song is light, touching and amazing.  Already big overseas, the band Passenger quietly hit the airwaves with this passionate song about love lost and the realization of wanting something only when you need it.  Kind of Adult Contemporary with an edge.  Definitely should be ones to look out for in 2014.

Who do you think should make this list?  Check out more music artists on Manhattan Digest and let us know who was your favorite in 2013.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: ENTERTAINMENT Tagged With: a$ap rocky, Beyonce, daft punk, Manhattan, manhattan digest, miley cyrus, music, nate ruess, passenger, pink, skrillex, songs

2014 Grammy Nominations- Shockers, Delights and Kendrick!

by Ryan Shea

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.

Credit to: Mademonoire
Credit to: Mademonoire

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.

Credit to: Word Press
Credit to: Word Press

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.

Credit to: Replay The Track
Credit to: Replay The Track

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.

Credit to: Fansided
Credit to: Fansided

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! 🙂

 

Filed Under: BREAKING NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC Tagged With: 2014 grammys, bon iver, bruno mars, daft punk, esperanza spalding, Fun., grammy, grammy nominations, imagine dragons, jay-z, justin bieber, justin timberlake, kacey musgraves, Katy Perry, kendrick lamar, lorde, macklemore, miley cyrus, nate ruess, nicki minaj, pharrell williams, pink, radioactive, robin thicke, royals, ryan lewis, t.i., Taylor Swift

Summer 2013- Best gym songs

by Ryan Shea

robin-thicke-blurred-lines-video

As summer is already here, and the winter days are gone for now, we all have a lot to look forward to while basking in the glory of the sun and being with our friends and family.  It also gives us initiative to get our fat asses to the gym and make sure we look good at the beach, walking in the city, and just being more in public as the winter time can force us to get under the covers and watch “True Blood” repeats.  I have come up with 10 essentials that will keep you jamming throughout the gym session and make the overall experience there more fun and satisfying! Take a look.

 

La Bouche- “Be My Lover”

If you were a GIGANTIC fan of the Jock Jams movement in the late 90’s, there was no denying this chart topping hit by this EDM duo.  With a fast paced rhythm to go along with what i like to call “melodic rapping”, this song is designed for the avid cardio-lover and help you get to that next mile.

Robin Thicke Featuring Pharell Williams- “Blurred Lines”

Thicke, more notably known for his slow paced songs like his chart-topper “Lost Without You”, has the number one song in the country with this funky dance anthem that is sure to be one of the biggest songs of the summer.

Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams- “Get Lucky”

Daft Punk have sort of become synonymous with creating insanely great dance music and the adoration of fans worldwide.  “Get Lucky” is the first track off of their new album which easily debuted at number one on The Billboard 200.

Icona Pop- “I Don’t Care”

This song has been out for a couple of months now and has been heard everywhere, even in “Shoedazzle” commercials.  It is another great cardio anthem to jam out to when sweating it out on the elliptical.

Papa Roach- “Last Resort”

Are you mad? Want to get that aggression out when you are at the gym? Blast this hit from 1999 and keep it on repeat and the aggression will be released in the masses.

Bauuer- “Harlem Shake”

This year’s “Gangham Style” became quite the internet sensation back in February with its endless parody videos of mainly the first 30 seconds of the song, yet the entire song itself is pretty dope and definitely a gym jam.

Chris Brown- “Beautiful People”

I hate Chris Brown as a person, but I love this song.  Enough said.

Kanye West- “Stronger”

This was ranked a couple of years ago as the best song to listen to at the gym, and I agree to a certain extent.  Kanye could have a couple of records on this list (Monster, Mercy) but this one suits the bill. Daft Punk on this track as well.  Yeezus.

LL Cool J- “Mama Said Knock You Out”

At a boxing gym? This will have you covered.

Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz- “Get Low”

Inescapable in 2003, and the song that quite frankly put Lil Jon on the music map, “Get Low” is hands down a beat spectacle and one that will be sure to get your heart racing when working out.

Filed Under: BREAKING NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, HEALTH, LIFESTYLE Tagged With: Bauuer, cardio, Chris Brown, daft punk, gym, harlem shake, Icona Pop, kanye west, la bouche, lil jon, LL Cool J, papa roach, pharrell, robin thicke, summer, summer 2013, workout

Album Review: Daft Punk – Random Access Memories

by Rio Toro

 

4e6c6fb2

 

Daft Punk: Random Access Memories

Similar Artists: Giorgio Moroder, Nile Rodgers

Genre: Disco, House, Pop, Dance

Label: Columbia

 

With Random Access Memories, Guy-Manuel and Thomas Bangalter have created an album that is so meticulously detailed and expensively produced that it is essentially critic proof. At 320 kps, RAM is simply one of the best sounding records of our time, and it makes all other factors such as songwriting and originality seem far less important than they should be. It is not an exaggeration to say this is the new go to album when testing out the quality of a new set of speakers/headphones. Still, while critical reception has been, for the most part, very positive, this has to do with it being undeniably solid and pleasing to the senses rather than it being groundbreaking.

On first listen, it is easy to be disappointed – I for one was expecting something much more progressive. After the resounding amount of hype surrounding this release, it is slightly disheartening that 2/3rds of the record is made up of slow jams. As a whole, this is a record that is neither as fun as Homework, nor as revolutionary as Discovery. Instead, RAM stands on its own within the group’s discography, and in its own way, it ends up being just as impressive as the duo’s previous landmarks.

Obviously, this is a record that looks to the past for inspiration, and here we get to see the duo wear their long time influences on their sleeves in spectacular fashion. Many of the duo’s long time influences even take part in songwriting credits and vocal duties. The concept of the album is about living in the sounds of the past to arrive at a new destination that encapsulates the spirit and energy of a time long gone. This is most present in the Todd Edwards sung title track “Fragments of Time”, where he repeatedly sings /I’ll just keep playing back, these fragments of time, everywhere I go, these moments will shine/ during the chorus. Unfortunately, that song ends with a Peter Frampton like vocoder guitar solo that is one of the few instances where the sound comes off as being nearly pastiche. Most of the time, the album plays true to this theme of reinventing the past while still sounding modern and fresh.

The list of collaborators that took part in the construction of RAM is sprawling, and representative of an array of genres spanning multiple decades. A whole lot of talent, such as Nile Rodgers’ disco infused guitar work and Paul Williams’ emotive, almost broadway vocals, is showcased throughout the hour plus running time. Some of the most interesting collaborations come with newer artist’s such an Noah Lennox and Julian Casablancas lending their gifts to the sounds of 70’s and 80’s house music. While a look at the production credits would leave one to believe the album would be a clusterfuck of auto-tuned vocals and incongruous harmonies, it is to the producers credit that the opposite is true. In fact, the pairings are often so smooth and nuanced that the results seem far too natural and human for a group as robotic and mechanized as Daft Punk.

While Daft Punk has always been cheesy in their own delightful way, here they have taken more than a few steps into adulthood. After all, these are two grown men who are pushing their mid 40’s; so it is no wonder why they have thrown out many of their less mature charades. However, some of the cheesiness that fueled their earlier work still has a lingering presence – it is during these moments where the album occasionally falters, as we feel they aren’t in on the joke of how silly some of this music is. One such instance that calls to mind is the album’s miraculous and spectacle worthy “Touch”, which is almost ruined when Paul Williams sing’s /Touch sweet touch, you’ve given me too much to feel, sweet touch, you’ve almost convinced me i’m real/ in a disastrous cry of self pity that proves way too broadway for this reviewer.

Above all else, this is an album in the truest sense of the word. It is meant to be listened to in unison, and after it sinks in, you could easily live with this music for weeks on end. Best represented by Giorgio’s voiceover on “Giorgio by Moroder”, RAM is an album about disco rather than a disco album – not unlike how DJ Sprinkles fantastic “Midtown 120 Blues” was an album about the classic deep house scene. Daft Punk have perhaps created the most expensive music history lesson of all time. Although the effect it will have on the future of music is uncertain, as of now it is an absolute essential to any music lovers catalogue.

 

Track Listing:

1.) Give Life Back To Music

2.) The Game of Love

3.) Giorgio by Moroder*

4.) Within

5.) Instant Crush

6.) Lose Yourself to Dance

7.) Touch*

8.) Get Lucky*

9.) Beyond

10.) Motherboard

11.) Fragments of Time

12.) Doin’ in Right*

13.) Contact*

* – Album highlight

Filed Under: BREAKING NEWS, ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, REVIEWS Tagged With: album, daft punk, music review, random access memories

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