Fridae

Random Thoughts About the Grammy Nominations

Some of you have written me about my thoughts about the 2006 Grammy nominations. There's not really so much to say about it. I'm glad Mary J Blige is getting some respect, and I'm sure she'll scoop up most of her 8 nominations. (Mary's photo above is a brand-new publicity shot by Markus Klinko and Indrani. Click on the photo to enlarge it. She looks stunning, don't you think?

Even though I respect James Blunt and Gnarls Barkley I'm not sure if they can move beyond their massive break out hits of this year. Blunt winning for Best New Artist might be his kiss of death.

The Grammy folks are getting the Dance and Electronica categories almost right this year. I was thrilled to see Goldfrapp getting their nods, and even the Pet Shop Boys are nominated for their underestimated "Fundamental." I'm surprised Paul Oakenfold's weak "A Lively Mind" made the final Grammy cut. Hot Chip would have been a more exciting pick. The Remix Of The Year category holds no surprises but I'd love to have seen an Alan Braxe & Fred Falke remix nominated. The mixes they did for Goldfrapp and Kelis are some of my favorites this year.

Imogen Heap should be awarded for truly binging something new to the table and receive the Best New Artist award. I hope Imogen also gets an Oscar nomination for "Can't Take It In" and hopefully she can perform during the live telecast. Imogen has had an amazing year, considering the fact that two years ago she had to get a second mortgage to finance the recording of her second album.

Biggest upset might be that Timbland was not nominated for the Producer Of The Year award. Also, congrats to Kelis and Indie.Arie for their nominations in the R&B categories.

Click here for the entire list of nominations.

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Pet Shop Boys to Remix The Killers
Brandon Flowers has never made a big secret of the fact that he has always been a huge fan of the Pet Shop Boys. In fact, in a Channel 4 television special, Flowers said that the Pet Shop Boys' "New York City Boy" was the first song he ever danced to.

The Pet Shop Boys reveal this week on their web site that they are currently in the studio remixing The Killers' new single "Read My Mind." The single and its mixes are expected to be released early next year. Neil and Chris both went to see The Killers in concert at Brixton Academy at the end of November which is when the remix was originally discussed. "Read My Mind" is one of the best tracks from "Sam's Town" that will fit a Pet Shop Boys revamp well. (Thanks for the heads up, Jordy.)

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Free Download: Amy Winehouse "Rehab" & "You Know I'm No Good"
Since Amy Winehouse's debut "Frank" came out in 2003, the British singer has received rave reviews for her jazz-tinged sound and powerful vocals. But over the last year, Winehouse has also become popular tabloid fodder with stories about her alcohol abuse and alleged eating disorder. In recent months, some of the rumours about her drunken diva antics were confirmed when she appeared drunk on a television show and had several nasty confrontations with fans.

But let's not forget that Amy Winehouse is first and foremost a phenomenal singer. She released her second album "Back To Black" in October. After her jazzy debut, the singer goes Northern soul on this sophomore effort. "I was bored of complicated chord structures and needed something more direct," Winehouse says in a press release. "I'd been listening to a lot of girl-groups from the fifties and sixties. I liked the simplicity of that stuff. It just gets to the point. So I started thinking about writing songs in that way."

She turned to man of the moment Mark Ronson to produce the album. She traveled to New York and managed to book Ronson for a spare moment between his work on the Lily Allen, Robbie Williams and Christina Aguilera albums. He took Winehouse's vision of '60s girl groups and gave it an edgy, contemporary spin.

Her first single "Rehab" is a churchey pop stomper on which Winehouse tackles her demons loud and clear. "Try to make me go to rehab," Winehouse sings, hinting at
her father's plea to get help for her alcohol abuse. Check out a guilt-free MP3 download of the song. Also, download Amy's upcoming bluesy new single "You Know I'm No Good" that will be released overseas in January. "Back To Black" will be released in the U.S. in March 2007
by Universal Republic.

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Download Amy Winehouse "Rehab" [MP3]



Download Amy Winehouse "You Know I'm No Good" [MP3]

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Stream Abercrombie & Fitch Radio
I never knew there was such a thing as Abercrombie & Fitch radio, but it is airing 24/7 on the clothing retailer's web site right here. It is a rotating mix of peppy gay favorites packed with red, hot diva vocals that will surely beat your post lunch dip. (Thanks for the heads up, Leah.)