Grammy Awards 2011: Who Won, Who Should Have Won, and More.

This year's Grammy awards was one that struck musician fans and critics alike as one of the most shocking ones in it's 54-year history. Some of the winners were as many people expected; some made the mainstream music population raise an eyebrow and say "who is that?" when some of the winners were announced.  One of these particular winners are Arcade Fire, a Montreal-based indie rock band who won the Album of the Year award for The Suburbs, which was released last August. The 16-track album received positive reviews from many professional sources. The Suburbs won over Eminem's Recovery, Lady Antebellum's Need You Now, Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster, and Katy Perry's Teenage Dream.

Lady Antebellum, however, won awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year, for the song the same title as the album, "Need You Now". Bruno Mars beat out John Mayer in Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, which I wasn't too happy about. Sure, John Mayer may not exactly be the nicest celebrity in the world, but many people don't know Mayer's real talent because they let his personality mask it. Oh well, their loss.

Anyways, Justin Bieber won nothing, which I suppose makes up for John Mayer not winning that last award. This made me extremely happy, almost as happy as I was when I found out Muse won the Best Rock Album award for their work The Resistance. Muse is an English band that has influenced me for many years. I'm so glad they won a Grammy, even if they won it on their worst album. You probably hear so many times, "that band's old stuff is so much better", and in this case, it's very true. Absolution by them was one of the best albums of the past decade; but because they weren't in the mainstream rock music scene in America, it was not recognized by those who made the nominees. Once again, their loss.

But those are my most interesting winners from this year's Grammy Awards. Who did you want to win? Which winners did you find interesting or shocking? Who didn't win that you wanted to see?

Pete Wentz & Ashlee Simpson Split!?!

In almost every blog, there is room for some sort of celebrity gossip. This time, it's my turn.

Ashlee Simpson, pop artist and actress, had filed for divorce from Pete Wentz, musician who was a bass player in Fall Out Boy, on Wednesday, February 9. They were together for 3 years when they announced the divorce.

Simpson claims that she and Wentz remain friends and that raising their 2-year old son, Bronx Mowgli, will still be their top priority. Simpson also states that she wants joint legal custody for Bronx, so that he can spend a good amount of time with each parent.

MTV provided some details "behind the divorce", as the article's title says. The two are on speaking terms, yet claiming that they have just merely "grown apart" from each other as of recently. Wentz's constant touring and new musical project, called Black Cards, has played a role in the split as well. "After Bronx was born, Ashlee made a conscious decision to get out of the business, but Pete's heart was in music so he kept touring and that became a big issue in their relationship,"says an unnamed source who knows Simpson and Wentz personally.

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This, thankfully, isn't the typical Hollywood break-up that you see on magazines and front pages of internet news sources. Though there are people who thrive on the downfall of certain celebrities, it's good to see that they are still on talking terms and good friends.

The White Stripes Break-Up

That's right, one of alternative rock's best duo's have separated. The White Stripes, from Detroit, MI, consisted of Jack and Meg White, and began their success in the music industry in 1999, with the release of their self-titled album. The two were married at one point in time, but divorced in 2000 before they achieved mainstream success. They claim to be brother and sister to the public to have the media focus on the music rather than their relationship.

The White Stripes have had their slew of singles in their 12 years of success. I remember hearing Seven Nation Army all the time on the radio when I was in 6th grade, in 2003, when it was released. That catchy bass line was one of the first I've ever learned when I began playing. Then in 2005, Blue Orchid and My Doorbell were released, which both climbed the music charts all over the world. One of their most recent singles, Icky Thump, released in 2007, reached the number one spot on the U.S. Alternative Songs list that same year.

                                                                                             Courtesy of Google Images

The Third Man Records website states that the break-up "is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health. It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way."In other words, they were satisfied in what they have accomplished in their many years of success and want to leave it at that. The band also stated that The White Stripes belong to the fans now, saying that they "can do with it whatever [they] want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to."

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The White Stripes have been a huge influence on alternative, indie, and most rock music throughout the world. Their legacy on music as a whole will always live on due to their mainstream success and chart-topping albums and singles. The Detroit duo will continue to influence rock bands for many, many years to come.

Architects- The Here And Now: Album Review

For a few decades now, the U.K. has had many world-renowned rock bands that have released records that top the charts in almost every major country. Architects, a lesser-known metalcore band from Brighton, England, may not be at the top of the charts, but their most recent album The Here And Now, gives critics of the scene a run for their money.

I had the opportunity to meet Architects' vocalist Sam Carter at a show they played back in November 2010. One key thing he told me as we were talking was to "get excited" for the new album because "it's some of the best stuff [they've] written". Needless to say, Carter's little words of advise (since I don't know what else it could be considered) gave me a good idea of what to expect from the album: the album that this band has been working towards since their origination.

The album starts off with "Day In Day Out", which is a track any metalcore fan can enjoy: a heavy main riff with a powerful chorus that Carter's vocals shine in. The third track, "Delete, Rewind", which they actually played at the show back in November, has a breakdown that makes those avid rock show-goers want to dance, headbang, or whatever you may want to do to jam to this song.

There are two main differences between this album and previous Architects albums. One of these is that there are two slower-paced, mellow songs on this album, which is two more than they have on any other album. "An Open Letter to Myself" is like this, until the last minute, until the pace picks up and Carter screams in the song a couple times. "Heartburn" gives us a calming melody on the acoustic guitar, then the drums explode, yet keep that calm melody given by the acoustic guitar. These songs are two main highlights on the album, for those looking for something different from this band.

The other main difference on this album is Sam Carter's vocals. His singing and screaming on this are what I'd consider less aggressive than previous albums, such as Hollow Crown or Ruin. I'm not one for changing one's singing style, but this may be my only exception. He does very well on The Here And Now regardless of his newer vocal style.

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This album is very good, despite the changes in vocal style. Any metalcore fan could enjoy this album. 4 out of 5 stars. If I ever meet Sam Carter again, I'll have to show him this. He'll definitely enjoy it, or at least I hope he will.