Tampa Calling

For the last few months I’ve been thinking about ways I could utilize my twitter account to capture my immediate feelings about things before they have the ability to be filtered and clouded by time and/or sobriety. Then along came the Katy Perry show and I decided I wanted to go, not because I am a fan of her music (though I know her two hits), but because I thought it would be a fun show. More on that later. Somewhere along the timeline from finding out I had a press pass for the show to actually getting to the show, I decided it would be the perfect candidate for testing the “live blogging via twitter” idea out at the show. Here are those tweets:

Tweets, Review & Video after the jump

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In answer to Stephen’s earlier question, no, I don’t really care about the Grammys. I probably haven’t watched that particular music awards show (or really, any of the current music awards shows) in who knows how long. But I figure this year, I’ll tune in just to see if I actually know or care about the nominees. I’m also kinda curious about this year’s performances, there being a huge amount of them. A few are possibly bailing out already according to E!’s live red carpet coverage — Chris Brown probably, Rihanna definitely; the rumors are that Al Green or Justin Timberlake will replace them. And Boys II Men are up for two Grammys. I didn’t even know they made a comeback! My bad.

8 p.m. U2, uninspired. Bono looks fat.

8:05 And here’s Whitney Houston looking good, looking real real good. Best R&B Album: Jennifer Hudson. She is in awe of Whitney, obviously.

8:09 Dwayne Johnson = The Rock. In case you had no idea who the fuck they were talking about. And how is he a credible music presenter?

8:13 Justin Timberlake introduces and joins Al Green with Keith Urban and Boys II Men (who lost Best R&B Album to Hudson) for “Let’s Stay Together.” Was this performance on the Grammys performance schedule? NO. Pretty nice for an impromtu.

NEWS FLASH: Chris Brown’s in trouble, sought in connection with a felony battery. Maybe that’s why he wasn’t available for tonight’s performance? And Rihanna isn’t there from embarassment? On a side note, Rihanna was supposed to sing “Live Your Life/Disturbia” as the second performance of the night, Brown was supposed to sing “Forever” later on. Brown and Rihanna were both nominated in the pop collaboration with vocals category, Brown for “No Air” with American Idol champion Jordin Sparks; and Rihanna for “If I Never See Your Face Again” with Maroon 5. Brown was also nominated for male R&B vocal performance for “Take You Down.” Read the rest of this entry »

• 12/19 Update: Top 10 albums of 2008.

• 12/17 Update: Check out “Honorable mentions: More best songs of 2008.”

OK, here’s my list. Look for the CL music team’s Top 10 album lists to be posted Dec. 22-24, to coincide with our Top 10 issue that streets Christmas Eve.

Also, I’ve been seeing M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” popping up on other best-of lists. The song topped my 2007 tally, so I decided to leave her off this year’s – or else the Sri Lankan sensation would have definitely given Weezy a run for his cash money.

1. “Mr. Carter,” Lil’ Wayne (pictured) w/Jay-Z
Lil’ Wayne, the self-proclaimed greatest rapper on earth, lives up to the claim on this amazing free-word association with a world-class hook. Weezy’s distinctive Nawlins locution is wonderfully raspy as he bounces from brilliantly wacky pop-culture references (”Hector Camacho Man Randy Savage”) to outstanding boasts like: “Two words you never hear, ‘Wayne Quit?’/ ‘Cause Wayne win, and they lose/ I call them April babies, ’cause they fools.” Jay-Z’s guest verse is boss, but it’s Weezy’s dramatic delivery and mad genius lyrics that make this song my top pick for ‘08.

2. “Highly Suspicious,” My Morning Jacket
Genre-hopping rockers My Morning Jacket’s foray into funk is a stone-cold winner. Frontman Jim James pulls a Prince, singing falsetto about sexy mysteries like “peanut butter pudding surprise” – without a discernible hint of irony. Oh, yeah, and the thumping, make-you-wanna-hump backbeat is irrepressible.

3. “Slapped Actress,” The Hold Steady
This isn’t the first song in which the indie rank’s fiercest bar band name-checks Ybor City, but it is The Hold Steady’s finest. And that’s saying something considering the gutter glory of “Killer Parties.” On “Slapped Actress,” the band has concocted a guitar-centric, articulate rush of adrenaline that rises and falls like a first-rate arena-rock offering – minus the gloss and lyrical goofiness.

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