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Year in Music: 2006 - The Videos and the Producers

Best Video

It wasn't a very good year for the music video. Artist after artist gave us interesting but ultimately uninspiring, and unoriginal works. Everything reaked of "we've seen it before". However, these five videos did, in some way, manage to bring some wit and perspective to their songs while being visually inventive, and one of them, stood head and shoulders above the rest.


Crazy, Gnarls Barkley with Robert Hales (director)


Here It Goes Again, OK Go and Trish Sie (directors)


Let My Shoes Lead Me Forward, Jenny Wilson with Andreas Nilsson & Johannes Nyholm (directors)


Wolf Like Me, TV on the Radio with Jon Watts (director)


Young Folks, Peter Bjorn & John with Graham Samuels (director)

and the winner is: Here it Goes Again, OK Go and Trish Sie

Producer of the Year

Danger Mouse
Pieces of the People We Love, The Rapture (track)
St. Elsewhere, Gnarls Barkley (album)

Olof Dreijer
Silent Shout, The Knife (album)
What Else is There, Röyksopp (track)

Rick Rubin
12 Songs, Neil Diamond (album)
American V: A Hundred Highways, Johnny Cash (album)
Saints Are Coming, U2 and Green Day (track)
Stadium Arcadium, Red Hot Chili Peppers (album)
Taking the Long Way, Dixie Chicks (album)

David Andrew Sitek
Return to Cookie Mountain, TV on the Radio (album)
Show Your Bones, Yeah Yeah Yeahs (additional production/album)

Timbaland
Beg for It, Omarion (track)
FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake (album)
Get Down, Busta Rhymes (track)
Hey! (A Lil Gratitude), Bubba Sparxxx (track)
Ice Box, Omarion (track)
Let Me Luv U, Chingy (track)
Loose, Nelly Furtado (album)
Right Now, Danity Kane (track)
Wait a Minute, Pussycat Dolls (track)
Want It, Danity Kane (track)

The winner here seems obvious to me. No other producer did quite as much as Timbaland did. Sure, plenty of others were as ubiquitous (hell, if that were enough then Will.i.Am could win the whole damn thing) but no one created a marked sound like T. Mosely did. He not only resurrected Nelly Furtado's flagging career but did so for his own, rescuing him from simply being the best thing in 2003. Timbaland looked into his bag of tricks and pulled out the smoothest, funkiest tracks of the year that had you on the dancefloor all year long.

Tomorrow: Rock categories + the Hikka megapost

(Finally) Theena's Music Q

1. CD or Vinyl?
Is this really relevant anymore? I can't remember the last time I used the former and I've never had the pleasure of using the latter. Ultimately, I'm not much of a purist so I'll go with CD.

2. An Album You've Been Meaning to Listen To?
Far too many to count. Off the top of my head, Pink by Boris, Get Lonely by The Mountain Goats, Silent Shout by The Knife and Sign O'the Times by Prince

3. Grammys- Important or load of bollocks?
Load of bollocks. The only thing that keeps me coming back to them is that I am an awards addict. Otherwise, I am routinely in awe of just how profoundly bad some of their choices are.

4. Your Favourite Album is?
Tough question. It's probably between Abbey Road by The Beatles, To Bring You My Love by PJ Harvey, Kid A by Radiohead, Nevermind the Bollocks by the Sex Pistols, and Surfer Rosa by the Pixies

scratch that- it's Astral Weeks, Van Morrisson. Perfection.

5. Invite 10 Music People for Dinner. Who are they?
Ok, Lennon, Thom Yorke, PJ Harvey, Prince, Phil Spector, Lou Reed, Bjork, Brian Wilson, Brian Eno, and David Bowie. phew.

6. Appropriate punishment for those who play Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’ while pretending that its still 1998?
I'm gonna go with Asvi and say a patronizing pat on the back, but I would couple it with a stare that told them just how pathetic they are.

7. Choose your favourite instrument and its best player in your point of view.
This is a hard one. I don't play an instrument, see, so I don't feel like I could give an educated answer. I guess its between guitar and the voice. If its guitar it's Jonny Greenwood. If its voice, its either Tom Waits or Bjork.

8. One Piece of Music That Can Move You to Tears?
'Adagio for Strings' by Samuel Barber or 'Atlantic City' by Bruce Springsteen

9. You are an executive at a major label and have the power to green light one album a year. What would you do?
Fuck.

I would sit David Sitek and Thom Yorke down and try to get their heads together. Certainly ban any artist that tarnishes the good name of hip-hop (That's you 50 Cent/Black Eyed Peas/Busta Rhymes/Akon/etc.), get Jay-Z to record an entire album with Just Blaze. Get PJ
Harvey to pull out another awesome record. Slap the fuck out of Liz Phair until she realises that this 'pop exercise' is not working and try to get another Guyville out of her. Get Bjork and Timbaland to hurry the fuck up with that new album. AND FINALLY, get Lauryn Hill out of whatever fucking funk she is in and finally record a follow-up to that masterpiece of a debut.

Also, the Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, [insert any random rock band that British rock critics have hailed as the 'second coming'], Jamie Foxx and other random boring R&B artists will be banned from making new albums until they can craft anything that is remotely original, doesn't sound like a 1000 other fucking bands and/or fun.

2006: Year in Music - R&B

Best R&B Album
3121, Prince
B'Day, Beyoncé
The Breakthrough, Mary J. Blige
On the Jungle Floor, Van Hunt
Testimony, Vol. 1: Life and Relationships, India.Arie

the winner: B'Day, Beyoncé
This album really surprised me, a tremendous improvement on the scattered, overrated and only sporadically good Dangerously in Love. B'Day pulsates with big beats and one anthemic club track after another. But the moment you realise just how good the album is, is when 'Irreplaceable', one of only two slow tracks on the album, plays and it dawns that even the ballads are awesome.

Best R&B Song
Be Without You, Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan Michael-Cox and Jason Perry (Mary J. Blige) watch
Black Sweat, Prince (Prince) watch
Crazy, Brian Burton, Thomas Callaway, Gianfranco Reverberi and Gianpiero Reverberi (Gnarls Barkley) watch
Déjà Vu, Shawn Carter, Rodney Jerkins, Beyoncé Knowles, Makeba, Keli Nicole Price and Delisha Thomas (Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z) watch
Irreplaceable, A. Bjørklund, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Beyoncé Knowles, E. Lind, and S. Smith (Beyoncé) watch

Best R&B Male Vocal Performance
Being a Girl, Van Hunt
Black Sweat, Prince watch
King of the Game, Cody ChesnuTT watch
Save Room, John Legend watch
So Sick, Ne-Yo watch

Best R&B Female Vocal Performance
Alarm, Namie Amuro watch
Be Without You, Mary J. Blige watch
Beware of the Dog, Jamelia watch
Don't Forget About Us, Mariah Carey watch
Irreplaceable, Beyoncé watch

Best R&B Group or Duo Vocal Performance
Beautiful, Loved and Blessed; Prince and Tamar
Cruise Control, Teena Marie featuring Smokey Robinson
I Found My Everything, Mary J. Blige featuring Rapahel Saadiq
Love Changes, Jamie Foxx featuring Mary J. Blige watch
S.E.X., Lyfe Jennings featuring Lala Brown watch

Best Urban Alternative Music Performance
Bossy, Kelis featuring Too $hort watch
Crazy, Gnarls Barkley watch
Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry About Me), Outkast watch
SupaStar, Floetry featuring Common watch
That Heat, Sergio Mendes featuring Erykah Badu and Will.I.Am watch

Tomorrow: Music videos, songs written for films and producer of the year

2006: Year in Music - Country

and so it begins...one genre a day. winners in bold.

Best Country Album

American V: A Hundred Highways, Johnny Cash
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, Neko Case
Some Hearts, Carrie Underwood
Taking the Long Way, Dixie Chicks
You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker, Willie Nelson

Best Country Song (songwriting category)
8th of November, Big Kenny and John Rich (Big and Rich)
Goodbye to My Mama, Garrison Keillor (Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin)
A Love That Will Never Grow Old, Gustavo Santaolalla and Bernie Taupin (Emmylou Harris)
Not Ready to Make Nice, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robinson and Dan Wilson (Dixie Chicks) watch
Travelin' Thru, Dolly Parton (Dolly Parton)

Best Country Male Vocal Performance
Better Life, Keith Urban watch
He Was a Friend of Mine, Willie Nelson watch
Give It Away, Geogre Strait watch
God's Gonna Cut You Down, Johnny Cash watch
Settle for a Slowdown, Dierks Bentley watch

Best Country Female Vocal Performance
Before He Cheats, Carrie Underwood watch
Kerosene, Miranda Lambert watch
John Saw That Number, Neko Case
A Love That Will Never Grow Old, Emmylou Harris watch
Travelin' Thru, Dolly Parton watch

Best Country Group or Duo Vocal Performance
8th of November, Big and Rich watch
Boondocks, Little Big Town watch
Leave the Pieces, The Wreckers watch
Not Ready to Make Nice, Dixie Chicks watch
What Hurts the Most, Rascal Flatts watch

Best Country Vocal Collaboration
Jackson, Jaoquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon watch
Love Will Always Win, Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks watch
My Minnesota Home (The Old Folks at Home), Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin watch
The Reason Why, Vince Gill featuring Allison Krauss watch
When I Get Where I'm Going, Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton watch

Tomorrow: R&B

Grammy Nominations

So the Grammy noms came out last night and...they weren't that bad? Yes, the Bob Dylan snub is unwarranted and the love for John Mayer, James Blunt and Stadium Arcadium is gross but I expected that, and the noms for the Dixie Chicks, Imogen Heap and Justin kinda make up for it? It's almost boring...

The noms in the big 4 categories are so:

Album of the Year
Taking the Long Way, Dixie Chicks
St. Elsewhere, Gnarls Barkley
Continuum, John Mayer
Stadium Arcadium, Red Hot Chili Peppers
FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake

The biggest shock here is that the supposed mortal-lock, Bob Dylan, didn't make it for Modern Times-the best reviewed album of the year. The Mary J. Blige snub is also odd, considering her great year, the album's huge success and the love she got in other categories. I cannot begin to express my happiness that FutureSex/LoveSounds made it into the lineup. As I've said before, the album is an absolute must-have. THRILLED that the Dixie Chicks received representation, not just here (where it was expected), but in all 3 of the major categories. The Chili Peppers gain their first grammy nomination in one of the major categories and, in true Grammy style, its for a boring and bloated album that no one should care about and pales in comparison to their previous LPs. The St. Elsewhere nom is nice but dull and VOMIT on the John Mayer nom. Anyways, its between him and the Chicks to grab the gold.

Record of the Year
Be Without You, Mary J. Blige
You're Beautiful, James Blunt
Not Ready to Make Nice, Dixie Chicks
Crazy, Gnarls Barkley
Put Your Records On, Corrine Bailey Rae

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....A strangely chart-free line-up. Its like they went out of their way to ignore the major hits of the year: Hips Don't Lie, Sexyback, Promiscuous, etc. 'Crazy' deserves to win this, hands down: It stands head and shoulders above the rest. The Dixie Chicks' nomination is nice to see, especially considering the way it had trouble charting because of country radio's refusal to give it airplay. The James Blunt nomination is completely predictable and disgusting. That man needs to die. I'm 'ok' with the other two- nice songs, but nothing much else, certainly not among the best of the year. Winner? They always go safe here so it's between Rae and Blunt, I guess.

Song of the Year (the songwriting award)
Be Without You, Johnta Austin, Mary J. Blige, Bryan-Michael Cox & Jason Perry (Mary J. Blige)
Jesus, Take the Wheel; Brett James, Hillary Lindsey & Gordie Sampson (Carrie Underwood)
Not Ready to Make Nice, Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison & Dan Wilson (Dixie Chicks)
Put Your Records On, John Beck, Steve Chrisanthou & Corinne Bailey Rae (Corinne Bailey Rae)
You're Beautiful, James Blunt, Amanda Ghost & Sacha Skarbek (James Blunt)

'Not Ready to Make Nice' is the only one that really deserves to be here and even it is a little obvious. American Idol Carrie Underwood had a great single in 'Before He Cheats' but 'Jesus, Take the Wheel' is laughable dreck, so of course it gets nominated. Rae's song is tepid and uninspiring, while Blunt's ubiquitous hit is just asinine. Alright it wasn't a great year for songwriting but if you can honour 'Crazy' in Record of the Year, why not recognize that its the best written song of the year, by far? I couldn't give a fuck who wins (unless its the Dixie Chicks, of course).

Best New Artist
James Blunt
Chris Brown
Imogen Heap
Corrine Bailey Rae
Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood becomes the first Idol to be nominated in one of the majors, I expect she'll join Kelly and become the only two to win (but not here, her success will come in the genre categories). FUCK YEAH!! on Imogen Heap's nomination. I don't even care that she's actually been around since 1998, I'm way too happy about this out-of-the-blue nomination. The rest is crap.

Some "highlights" from the rest of the nominations:

• Sexyback in Dance Recording is unexpected but nice. Also great to see Justin honoured in 4 categories and the Dixie Chicks in 5.
  
• Good to see Madonna nominated. Also glad her Dance Recording nom is for the underrated 'Get Together' rather than 'Sorry' or 'Jump'. The snub for 'Hung Up' in Pop Female is odd though.
  
• NO TIMBALAND FOR PRODUCER OF THE YEAR!?!? Bullshit.
  
• WTF? Only one nom for Nelly Furtado?
• 'Not Ready to Make Nice' makes the lineup for Song of the Year but not Best Country Song? Also, Corrine Bailey Rae is nominated in 3 major categories but they couldn't fit her in the pop categories where she was submitted?
• Pink is nominated? WHY!!!!!!!!! That idiotic 'Stupid Girls' video coupled with the completely hypocritical video to 'U and Ur Hand' should be enough to banish her forever. On the other hand, nice to see Natasha Bedingfield get her first nom.
  
• Can we go through one year without noms for Sheryl Crow and Paul McCartney?
• Daniel Powter should die.
• LMAO about the Pussycat Dolls being Grammy nominees! For 'Stickwitchu' as well!
• The rock nominees are, as always, laughable. Coldplay? The Fray? U2 and Green Day? 'Dani California'? 'Chasing Cars'? VOMIT. At least the Raconteurs and Wolfmother get much deserved attention. Still, it isn't enough.
• Yay for Thom Yorke and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs but the Alternative Music Album category is in serious need of a shakeup. Arctic Monkeys? Don't be fucking silly.
• Can't believe I'm saying this but Beyonce didn't get nearly enough love. B'Day is a solid album and miles better than it's overrated predecessor.
  
• Lionel Ritchie? You've gotta be fucking kidding me
• Happy to see Prince copiously mentioned in the R&B categories and thrilled to see Mary J. Blige and Raphael Saadiq's 'I Found My Everything' get nominated.
• Glad to see noms for the criminally underrated Lupe Fiasco and, also for, T.I. and Chamillionaire.
• Eminem getting two nominations is just plain silly
• They had better right Oscar's wrong and give Dolly a Grammy for the wonderful 'Travelin' Thru' which, btw, is miles better than 'It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp'. Even Chuck D thought so.
  
• YES!! YES!! YES!! on OK Go's Best Video nomination for the brilliant 'Here It Goes Again'. My absolute favourite nomination.

The full list can be found here.