56th Annual Grammy Awards

Music's biggest celebration is here! Tonight is the 56th Annual Grammy Awards and every genre from R&B to Pop to Country is showing up in hopes of winning that glittering, gold (heavy looking) Gramopone. Colored in red our BassLine's guess for who will win in each category, but live we will be highlighting in gold who actually took home the Grammy! Check my twitter page for live tweets during the night! Are you excited because we are!

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

Record of the Year
Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams – "Get Lucky"
Imagine Dragons – "Radioactive"
Lorde – "Royals"

Bruno Mars – "Locked Out of Heaven"
Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell Williams & T.I. – "Blurred Lines"

Song of the Year
Pink feat. Nate Reuss – "Just Give Me a Reason"
Bruno Mars – "Locked Out of Heaven"
Katy Perry – "Roar"
Lorde – "Royals"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Mary Lambert – "Same Love"

Best New Artist
James Blake
Kendrick Lamar
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Kacey Musgraves
Ed Sheeran

Best Pop Solo Performance 
Sara Bareilles – "Brave"
Lorde – "Royals"
Bruno Mars – "When I Was Your Man"
Katy Perry – "Roar"
Justin Timberlake "Mirrors"

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance 
Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams – "Get Lucky"
Pink feat. Nate Reuss – "Just Give Me a Reason"
Rihanna feat. Mikky Eiko – "Stay"
Robin Thicke feat. Pharrell Williams & T.I. – "Blurred Lines"
Justin Timberlake feat. Jay Z – "Suit & Tie"

Best Pop Vocal Album
Lana Del Rey – Paradise
Lorde – Pure Heroine
Bruno Mars – Unorthodox Jukebox
Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines
Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience – The Complete Experience

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album 
Tony Bennett & Various Artist – Viva Duets
Michael Buble – To Be Loved
Gloria Estefan – The Standards
Cee Lo Green – Cee Lo's Magic Moment
Dionne Warwick – Now

Best Country Solo Performance 
Lee Price – "I Drive Your Truck"
Hunter Hayes – "I Want Crazy"
Miranda Lambert – "Mama's Broken Heart"
Darius Rucker – "Wagon Wheel"
Blake Shelton – "Mine Would Be You"

Best Country Duo/Group Performance 
The Civil Wars – From This Valley
Kelly Clarkson feat. Vince Gill – "Don't Rush"
Little Big Town – "Your Side of the Bed"
Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban – "Highway Don't Care"
Kenny Rogers with Dolly Parton – "You Can't Make Old Friends"

Best Country Song
Taylor Swift – "Begin Again"
Lee Brice – "I Drive Your Truck"
Miranda Lambert – "Mama's Broken Heart"
Kacey Musgraves – "Merry Go Round"
Blake Shelton – "Mine Would Be You"

Best Country Album
Jason Aldean – Night Train
Tim McGraw – Two Lanes of Freedom
Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer, Different Park
Blake Shelton – Based on a True Story
Taylor Swift – Red

Best Dance Recording 
Duke Dumont feat. AME & MNEK – "Need U"
Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch – "Sweet Nothing"
Kaskade – "Atmosphere"
Armin Van Buuren feat. Trevor Guthrie – "This Is What It Feels Like"
Zedd feat. Foxes – "Clarity"

Best Dance Album
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Disclosure – Settle
Calvin Harris – 18 Months
Kaskade – Atmosphere
Pretty Lights – A Color Map of the Sun

Best Rock Performance 
Alabama Shakes – "Always Alright"
David Bowie – "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)"
Imagine Dragons – "Radioactive"
Led Zeppelin – "Kashmir"
Queens of the Stone Age – "My God is the Sun"
Jack White – "I'm Shakin'"

Best Rock Song
Gary Clark Jr – "Ain't Messin Round"
Paul McCartney – "Cut Me Some Slack"
The Rolling Stones – "Doom and Gloom"
Black Sabbath – "God Is Dead?"
Muse – "Panic Station"

Best Rock Album
Black Sabbath – 13
David Bowie – The Next Day
Kings of Leon – Mechanical Bull
Led Zeppelin – Celebration Day
Queens of the Stone Age – …Like Clockwork
Neil Young With Crazy Horse – Psychedelic Pill

Best R&B Performance 
Tamar Braxton – "Love and War"
Anthony Hamilton – "Best of Me"
Hiatus Kaiyote feat. Q-Tip – "Nakamarra"
Miguel feat. Kendrick Lamar – "How Many Drinks?"
Snark Puppy with Lalah Hathaway – "Something"

Best R&B Song
Anthony Hamilton – "Best of Me"
Tamar Braxton – "Love and War"
PJ Morton feat. Stevie Wonder – "Only One"
Justin Timberlake – "Pusher Love Girl"
Fantasia feat. Kelly Rowland and Missy Elliot – "Without Me"

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Tamar Braxton – Love and War
Fantasia – Side Effects of You
Salaam Remi – One: In the Chamber
Rihanna – Unapologetic
Mack Wilds – New York: A Love Story

Best R&B Album 
Faith Evans – R&B Divas
Alicia Keys – Girl on Fire
John Legend – Love in the Future
Chrisette Michele – Better
TGT – Three Kings

Best Rap Performance 
Drake – "Started From the Bottom"
Eminem – "Berzerk"
Jay Z – "Tom Ford"
Kendrick Lamar – "Swimming Pools (Drank)"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis feat. Wanz – "Thrift Shop"

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration 
J. Cole feat Miguel – "Power Trip"
Jay Z feat. Beyonce – "Part II (On the Run)"
Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake – "Holy Grail"
Kendrick Lamar feat. Mary J. Blige – "Now or Never"
Wiz Khalifa feat. The Weeknd – "Remember You"

Best Rap Song
ASAP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chainz, and Kendrick Lamar – "F***in' Problems"
Jay Z feat. Justin Timberlake – "Holy Grail"
Kanye West – "New Slaves"
Drake – "Started From the Bottom"
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – "Thrift Shop"

Best Rap Album 
Drake – Nothing Was the Same
Jay Z – Magna Carta… Holy Grail
Kendrick Lamar – Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist
Kanye West – Yeezus

Best Song Written For Visual Media 
Coldplay – "Atlas" from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Jessie J – "Silver Lining" from Silver Linings Playbook
Adele – "Skyfall" from Skyfall
Colbie Caillat feat. Gavin DeGraw – "We Both Know" from Safe Haven
Lana Del Rey – "Young and Beautiful" from The Great Gatsby
Regina Spektor – "You've Got Time" from Orange Is the New Black

For the full list of winners check The Grammy's official site and congratulations to all the winners and nominees! It's going to be a beautiful year for music!

On the Radar:

Charli XCX

When the Brit-pop star isn't posting strung out, grunge pics on Instagram she's touring around the world  promoting her 2013 hard-hitter True Romance. Anxious to put out her third studio album, due sometime this summer, she's released a fast-paced, anti-ballad cleverly titled "Allergic to Love". The intensity of the guitars and Charli nearly screaming on the track mirrors her on stage persona. If this track is featured on her upcoming album we can expect a stronger rock theme, straying away from the pop that colored True Romance.

Youth Lagoon

Trevor Powers, or better known as Youth Lagoon, has never been afraid to venture into intricate themes of disorder and the metaphysical. With his new, psychedelic-pop track "Worms", presumably on his upcoming third album, he takes a step into space and the unknown. On his Facebook page he writes introducing the song:

FYI: although there's no real sound in the vacuum of space, it's possible to translate the electromagnetic radiation fluctuations and charged particles of these celestial bodies into conventional sound. So now that you're no better of a person at all for knowing that,
A collection of artists have come together to take audio recordings of planets that were gathered by the Voyager 1 & 2 space probes and manipulate these frequencies in music. This is my piece.

The collection named The Space Project features Beach House as well with other contributing artists composing pieces for various planets and other astronomical beings of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Space Project's release is scheduled for mid-April this year.



Beck

Beck has been known to mash genres together making every album an eclectic, stand-out creation . For the follow-up to his award winning Modern Guilt, he decided to get back to his Californian folky roots (and even reunited with musicians he worked with for his 2002 album Sea Change). His latest single, "Blue Moon" reflects that upbeat, acoustic strumming we haven't heard in years from the artist. Morning Phase, his twelfth album, is scheduled for release February 25th this year.

Look Who's Coming:

Iron and Wine

Tour Logo:

Source: ironandwine.com

Supporting 2013's album Ghost On Ghost, indie-folk band Iron and Wine has announced a late winter/spring tour coexisting with some festival appearances. This tour will mainly support Ghost On Ghost, a upbeat, jazz inspired album that features jazz drummer Brian Blade. Ghost On Ghost is Iron and Wine's more experimental dabbling in R&B beats infused with his go-to use of eclectic bluegrass instrumentals. Tracks like "Grace for Saints and Ramblers" and "Singers and the Endless Song" take notes from the iconic sounds of some of the 60's greatest bands and the genre blends of the folk and rock from the era.



Baths

If you haven't heard the electronic creations of Will Wiesenfeld, known by his stage name Baths, then don't get too wound up in the light pen-like clicks and early 90's video game samplings used in his tracks--behind the pulsing bass are the hauntingly sinister lyrics Baths uses to color the dark undertones for his 2013 album Obsidian. Just yesterday Baths announced on social media that he would be headlining a spring tour, supporting acts haven't yet been released. For similar artists to Baths try Toro Y Moi and Fuck Buttons, both are new-wave, electronica inspired.

Bastille

Ever since the 2013 release of their debut album Bad Blood, British pop-alternative band Bastille has dominated the charts worldwide. Popular singles include catchy "Pompeii" and heartfelt "Overjoyed". Bastille then put out All This Bad Blood, which featured  the tracks from Bad Blood and previously released B-Sides as a double feature later that fall. Just announced was a small spring tour with Wolf Gang, titled "The Good. The Bad Blood. And The Ugly Tour. Part II" and tickets are expected to go fast due to vast popularity.

Foals

Last year, Foals beat out Arctic Monkeys and Queens of the Stone Age for NME's fan favorite album and track of the year. Not only did their 2013 album Holy Fire set records, but the band itself was one of the longest touring musical acts of the year--touring almost nonstop around the world. In the process of writing Holy Fire's predecessor this year they have also announced another European and North American tour for the late winter/early summer alongside alternative rock band Cage the Elephant. If you haven't already experienced the high energy, crowd surfing antics then this is one show you don't want to miss this year.

ICYMI:

The Californian alternative group The Neighbourhood recently hit 100k followers on Twitter and as a reward to their fans the artwork for their upcoming album #000000 & #FFFFFF was released. 

source: thenbhd.tumblr.com

Back in April 2013 the hip-hop influenced rockers put out their debut LP I Love You, with their hit singles "Sweater Weather" and "Afraid". Then sadly, last week The Neighbourhood announced that drummer and co-founder Bryan Sammis would be leaving the band for personal reason, and that the break off wasn't harmful to the band's future:

We wanted to let you all know that The Neighbourhood & Bryan “Olivver” Sammis are parting ways. We’ll miss playing music together but wish him the best on his musical journey ahead. We see all the good (via social networks) that the band and the individual members bring into people’s lives. We hope this doesn’t change any of that for you guys.
We thank you guys for all the support you’ve given us.”

Love, the nbhd (via The Neighbourhood's blog)

 The band has posted dates for a short headlining tour with supporting acts Kitten and Born Casual.

On the Radar:

Bombay Bicycle Club

Late 2013, London natives and indie folk group Bombay Bicycle Club released two singles from their 2014 February album So Long, See You Tomorrow. They also announced a headlining tour across the US and Europe starting in early Spring. Taking a step towards catchy-pop jives with the help of singer Rae Morris--the layered percussion weaves through jubilant verses cluttered of what seems like newfound love, compared to the eccentric jerks of "Carry Me". Bombay Bicycle Club's new album proves to dabble in many different experimental sounds bringing in the new year in strong creating the perfect soundtrack of 2014.




Lily Allen

British pop star Lily Allen took a hiatus from the music world and returned in late 2013 with a new, hard-hitting, girl power jam titled "Hard Out Here." Of course she received a great amount of media slander for featuring only women of color in her twerk-filled video, in what critics took as hypocrisy to Allen's attempt at outing society's double standard for women. Allen took to twitter, and responded to the backlash of her video and stood her ground against sexism and racism that was meant to be satirically portrayed in "Hard Out Here". 

Then earlier today Lily Allen released yet another track to be featured on her upcoming album. "Air Balloon"--the pop infused, mocking verses familiar to Lily Allen fans made a bold appearance all across social media. The song name drops infamous artists Kurt Cobain and Elvis Presley while giving modern day society the middle finger as she takes flight to a place where she is less "bored" and maybe shattering that looming glass ceiling along the way. Though the song lacks creative depth and and leans towards a watered-down take on feminism, the essence of all Allen hates in this world still stands true and her outspoken, catchy lyrics spark revolution as they always have.

Sidenote: for all the fans of HBO hit "GIRLS" keep your ears open for another new track from Allen this season.

"Air Balloon"

"Hard Out Here"

ICYMI:

Congratulations to Alexander Ebert, commonly known from folk group Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, on his Golden Globe win for Best Original Score tonight!

Survival themed and dialogue-absent film All Is Lost stars a shipwrecked, unnamed sailor (Robert Redford) abandoned somewhere in the Indian Ocean. Eleven beautifully crafted compositions tell the sailor's story of desolate isolation and a fearsome fight for survival. Alex uses every instrument to its peaks to create idiosyncratic pieces of such depth and passion that no other composer would be likely of with this picture.

All Is Lost is scheduled for DVD release in February.

Check out the full score here:

ICYMI:

Yeah, it's official. Coachella has announced their 2014 lineup and it is...epic!

On the Radar:

Barely two weeks into the new year and artists are dropping singles for their 2014 albums, what seems like, daily. Groups we haven't heard new music from in years and hard-hitting breakout stars alike stream their new jams via Soundcloud and YouTube for fans worldwide awaiting their highly-anticipated LP's.

Common

Last year, rapper Common teased that his 10th LP "Nobody Smiling" will be released sometime in 2014. The rapper collaborated with producer and longtime friend No I. D. in what seems to be a politically driven battle-cry, based off the artist's newly released single "War." On Twitter, Common posted a link for the first single off his upcoming album, where he speaks out against the violence that plagues his hometown Chicago.

"We came up with this concept; Nobody's Smiling was really a thought that came about because of all the violence that was going on in Chicago. It happens in Chicago, but it's happening around the world in many ways. It may not be to the numbers that's happening in Chicago, but it's happening in the inner-cities all over America. It's really a call to action." Common speaks during an interview segment towards the song's closing.

Chromeo and Toro Y Moi

The grooves and bops created by the Canadian duo Chromeo have collided with the funk that is Chaz Bundick of Toro Y Moi--giving a disco-inspired, toe-tapping hit to kick us out of our frozen January. "Come Alive" is Chromeo's newest single from their upcoming album "White Women", dropping sometime this year. In conjunction with the single, Chromeo also announced a North America spring tour:

01-09 Miami, FL – Holy Ship (DJ Set)
03-21-22 New Orleans, LA - BUKU Music + Art Project
04-06 Houston, TX – House of Blues #
04-07 Austin, TX – Stubbs #
04-08 Dallas, TX – House of Blues #
04-12 San Francisco, CA – Independent #
04-14 Portland, OR – Roseland #
04-15 Vancouver, British Columbia – Commodore #
04-16 Seattle, WA – Showbox Market #
04-19 Phoenix, AZ – Marquee #
04-30 Boston, MA – House of Blues *
05-01 Montreal, Quebec – Corona *
05-02 Toronto, Ontario – Danforth Music Hall *
05-05 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall *
05-06 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue *
05-07 St. Louis, MO – The Pageant *
05-09 Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Hall *
05-12 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse *
05-13 Richmond, VA – The National *
05-14 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer *
05-16 New York, NY – Terminal 5 *
06-03 Paris, France – La Cigale
06-04 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
06-06 London, England – Roundhouse

# with Tokimonsta
* with Oliver

Look Who's Coming:

Bombay Bicycle Club

"So Long, See You Tomorrow" tour to support their album coming out in the very near future. Here are the North American stops:

04/11 Sacramento, CA - Assembly *
04/13 Las Vegas, NV - Vinyl *
04/14 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent *
04/18 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress *
04/20 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore *
04/22 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom *
04/23 Seattle, WA - Neptune *
04/24 Vancouver, BC - Commodore *
04/26 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
04/27 Denver, CO - Gothic *
04/29 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater *
04/30 Chicago, IL - House of Blues *
05/01 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall *
05/03 Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall *
05/04 Montreal, QC - Corona *
05/06 Boston, MA - Royale *
05/07 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer *
05/08 New York City, NY - Webster Hall *
05/12 Chapel Hill, NC - Cats Cradle *
05/13 Atlanta, GA - Terminal West *
05/14 Nashville, TN - Exit / In *
05/17 Dallas, TX - Granada *
05/18 Austin, TX - Emo's Austin *
05/19 Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's *

*opening with Royal Canoe 

Also, here's the first single, they released yesterday, for the the album coming out in February.

Childish Gambino

"The Deep Web" spring tour and it's North American tour dates:

02/27 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
02/28 Santa Barbara, CA @ UC Santa Barbara
03/03 San Diego, CA @ Soma
03/04 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
03/07 Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
03/08 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
03/17 Kansas City, MO @ The Midland by AMC
03/18 St. Paul, MN @ Myth
03/19 Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
03/21 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
03/22 Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
03/24 Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
03/26 Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
03/28 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
03/29 New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
03/30 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
04/01 Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
04/03 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Music Park
04/29 Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
04/30 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
05/02 Las Vegas, NV @ The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan
05/03 Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Auditorium

St. Vincent

In support for her upcoming, self-titled album--here are the European and North American tour dates:

2/13 Berlin, Germany – Postbahnhof 
2/15 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso 
2/17 Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique 
2/18 Paris, France – La Cigale 
2/20 London, England – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire 
2/21 Manchester, England – Manchester Cathedral 
2/22 Dublin, Ireland – Olympia Theatre 
2/26 New York, NY – Terminal 5 
2/27 Boston, MA – House of Blues 
2/28 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer 
3/1 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club 
3/4 Saxapahaw, NC – The Haw River Ballroom 
3/5 Asheville, NC – Orange Peel 
3/7 Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works 
3/8 Atlanta, GA – The Tabernacle 
3/10 Houston, TX – House of Blues 
3/14 Dallas, TX – House of Blues 
3/18 Phoenix, AZ – Orpheum Theatre 
3/19 San Diego, CA – House of Blues 
3/21 Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern 
3/22 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater 
3/24 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom 
3/25 Vancouver, BC – The Commodore Ballroom 
3/26 Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre 
3/28 Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot 
3/29 Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre 
3/31 Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall 
4/1 Omaha, NE – Sokol Auditorium 
4/3 Minneapolis, MN – State Theatre 
4/4 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall 
4/5 Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre 
4/6 Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre 
4/8 Cincinnati, OH – Bogart's 
4/9 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall 
4/10 Cleveland, OH – House of Blues 
4/11 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE 
4/12 Buffalo, NY – Ashbury Hall 
6/20 Toronto, ON – NXNE

Ed Sheeran

The singer hasn't released a lot of information for his upcoming album except he may rap a bit more and his extreme excitement for everyone to hear it, maybe in late February. He's only announced a UK and Ireland tour, for the time being:

Saturday 11th October - Leeds First Direct Arena
Sunday 12th October - O2 Arena, London
Monday 13th October - O2 Arena, London
Sunday 19th October - LG Arena, Birmingham
Monday 20th October - LG Arena, Birmingham
Thursday 23rd October - Capital FM Arena, Nottingham
Saturday 25th October - Newcastle Arena
Monday 27th October - Phones 4U Arena, Manchester
Tuesday 28th October - Phones 4U Arena, Manchester
Thursday 30th October - The SSE Hydro, Glasgow

Monday 6th October - Dublin, 02 Arena
Wednesday 8th October - Belfast, Odyssey Arena