Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon

These piano-based ballads should and could be the male version of Adele's drama ballads, though the songwriter here is primarily a bass player, not a piano player (he learned how to play the piano just a couple of years ago, what the odds?). "Goon" by Tobias Jesso Jr is not a great album, it is a heartfelt album, which makes it somewhat... great? Yes, indeed.

You could say that this debut has everything a new artist could wish for· production from Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), drums by Danielle Haim ("Without you"), plus some tweeting assistance by Adele and Haim (for "How Could You Babe", the first single). I mentioned that it is not a great album, just because it's a mellow, low-tempo, Norah Jones-esque album and that's something we have listened to a lot in the recent past. The significant thing here, that also makes it a good debut, is that Tobias sings his own life with the simplest possible way.

Even though "Goon" is a pop album, the storytelling is pretty country· everyday stories, breakups, family health issues and dreams. The sound is almost like being in a live or a rehearsal session, while his vocals are never too much or the first thing you can notice in the production. So if you are searching for a vocal triumph here, you won't find it, he just sings his songs.

Tobias Jesso Jr has every potential to be huge in 2015, because he is honest with his music and cute. Ed Sheeran is huge, Sam Smith is huge, so it's the perfect timing for him to be the next Best New Artist nominee at the Grammys of 2016.

AnArtCalled... 7,5/10

Top-47 albums of the 2014th year

It took me a while to finally focus on this countdown, just because I suffer from OCD and I changed my mind like 52,461 times. But I did it. And I am proud of it. Or am I? Bipolar, too.

I cannot understand why people still listen to Thom Yorke. I cannot understand why the Swans are still alive and not dead by their own boring music. I cannot understand why my beloved Beck has found himself critically acclaimed with the "Morning Phase". And, at the end of the day, why can't we all accept that Nicki Minaj and her asses have recorded a very good album? Here are the 47 albums of 2014 that I have listened to (horny) with pleasure and respect. Lykke Li #not, too.

47. Metronomy - Love Letters
46. Alt-J - This Is All Yours
45. Elbow - The Take Off and Landing of Everything
44. Kiesza - Sound of a Woman
43. La Roux - Trouble In Paradise
42. Damien Rice - My Favourite Faded Fantasy
41. Kimbra - The Golden Echo
40. Royksopp - The Inevitable End
39. Prince - Plectrumelectrum/Art Official Age
38. Various Artists - Begin Again (OST)
37. Kelis - Food
36. Jessie Ware - Tough Love
35. tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack
34. Iggy Azalea - The New Classic
33.Sam Smith - In The Lonely Hour
32.Young Fathers - Dead
31. Various Artists - The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 (OST)
30. Dum Dum Girls - Too True
29. Jack White - Lazaretto
28. The Roots - …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
27. TV on the Radio - Seeds
26. Banks - Goddess
25. Mary J Blige - The London Sessions
24. Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear
23.Kele - Trick
22. Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste
21. Joas As Police Woman - The Classic
20. Katy B - Little Red
19. You+Me - rose ave.
18. Ben Howard - I Forget Where We Were
17. Nicki Minaj - The Pinkprint
16. Taylor Swift - 1989
15. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
14. Hozier - Hozier
13. The Smashing Pumpkins - Monuments to an Elegy
12. Ed Sheeran - x
11. Kasabian - 48:13
10. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Give the People What They Want
9. Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
8. Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
7. Chet Faker - Built on Glass
6. Interpol - El Pintor
5. D'Angelo - Black Messiah
4. Charli XCX - Sucker
3. FKA twigs - LP1
2. Neneh Cherry - Blank Project
1. Tinashe - Aquarius

Grammy Predictions 2015: Who will/who should/who we want to win?

The Grammy Awards are actually the MTV Awards with real instruments and orchestras. During the Grammy ceremonies you always notice the same nominees and the same live appearances as the MTV ones, but the winners and the losers, they all show up. Just because they are Grammy Nominees. Well, winning a Grammy is a big thing... or is it? And if it is a big thing, why is Chris Brown even nominated for an actual, real award? Anyways, here are the 2015 nominations and my precise (not) predictions:

Album of the Year:
"Morning Phase" – Beck
"Beyoncé" – Beyoncé
"x" – Ed Sheeran
"In the Lonely Hour" – Sam Smith
"G I R L" – Pharrell Williams
Who will win? First of all, "GIRL"? Seriously? Well... This is the most important award of the show and yet the most boring one. Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran are about to win the big award. Sam Smith is more obvious, Ed Sheeran is more of a surprise.
Who should win? Beyonce, of course. She had a masterpiece album, a crazy and out of the blue release, killer collaborations, great videos, A-class production and a concept. Even Beck in this category can be jealous of Beyonce.
Who we want to win? Beyonce.

Record of the Year:
"Fancy" – Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX
"Chandelier" – Sia
"Stay with Me" (Darkchild Version) – Sam Smith
"Shake It Off" – Taylor Swift
"All About That Bass" – Meghan Trainor
Who will win? Taylor Swift, cause she has never won this category and the Academy voters should be ashamed of themselves (not). Also cause the track is a killer pop record.
Who should win? Meghan Trainor, cause she came out of nowhere, she made her own success story, the song is still a huge hit and she is an absolute inspiration for every female songwriter and producer out there.
Who we want to win? Oh well, Sia. Just because.

Song of the Year:
"All About That Bass", Kevin Kadish & Meghan Trainor, songwriters (Meghan Trainor)
"Chandelier", Sia Furler & Jesse Shatkin, songwriters (Sia)
"Shake It Off", Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
"Stay with Me" (Darkchild Version), James Napier, William Phillips & Sam Smith, songwriters (Sam Smith)
"Take Me to Church", Andrew Hozier-Byrne , songwriter (Hozier)
Who will win? Sia, cause not only she's the best songwriter out there, but she sings her heart out as well. Not to mention that she has penned half of the songs released in 2013-2014 for many other artists. Seriously, half of them.
Who should win? Sia, cause this is her year.
Who we want to win? Well, Hozier, cause "Take me to church" is an absolute masterpiece straight from Ireland.

Best New Artist:
Iggy Azalea
Bastille
Brandy Clark
HAIM
Sam Smith
Who will win? Sam Smith, cause Adele will sue the Academy. Plus, he is nominated in every other category, apart from the rap solo performance. Or is he?
Who should win? Haim, cause they had one of the best and fun albums of 2013. Yeap, last year's breaking news. ERROR.
Who we want to win? Haim, cause Bastille and Sam Smith, the only equally good ones here, are not that fun.

Best Pop Vocal Album:
Ghost Stories – Coldplay
Bangerz – Miley Cyrus
My Everything – Ariana Grande
Prism – Katy Perry
x – Ed Sheeran
In the Lonely Hour – Sam Smith
Who will win? Sam Smith, cause his album is not pop, but his image is. LOL
Who should win? Ed Sheeran, cause his songs are like drugs.
Who we want to win? Ed Sheeran, cause "x" is pop at its best. Second best? Miley. Seriously. Blame it on the weatherman.

Best Pop Solo Performance:
"All of Me" (Live) – John Legend
"Chandelier" – Sia
"Stay with Me" (Darkchild Version)– Sam Smith
"Shake It Off" – Taylor Swift
"Happy" (Live) – Pharrell Williams
Who will win? Sia, cause, as I already mentioned, 2014 was her year. Plus, that killer voice. God, that broken, crying voice.
Who should win? Sia (read above).
Who we want to win? Sia (read above and then above again).

Best Rock Song:
"Ain't It Fun", Hayley Williams & Taylor York, songwriters (Paramore)
"Blue Moon", Beck Hansen, songwriter (Beck)
"Fever", Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney & Brian Burton, songwriters (The Black Keys)
"Gimme Something Good", Ryan Adams, songwriter (Ryan Adams)
"Lazaretto", Jack White, songwriter (Jack White)
Who will win? Jack White, cause he is the Grammys favorite.
Who should win? Jack White, cause he had a crazy year and a dope album.
Who we want to win? Jack White, cause The Black Keys and Beck were not at their best this time.

Best Urban Contemporary Album:
Sail Out – Jhené Aiko
Beyoncé – Beyoncé
X – Chris Brown
Mali is... – Mali Music
G I R L – Pharrell Williams
Who will win? Beyonce, cause she wins a Grammy every time she opens her mouth (to sing).
Who should win? Beyonce, cause her album is a pasterpiece.
Who we want to win? Beyonce, cause she has no competition in this category.

Best Alternative Music Album:
This Is All Yours – alt-J
Reflektor – Arcade Fire
Melophobia – Cage the Elephant
St. Vincent – St. Vincent
Lazaretto – Jack White
Who will win? Arcade Fire, cause, let's be honest, "Reflektor" is the definition of a well-written and well-produced (alternative) album.
Who should win? Arcade Fire or St. Vincent. They should just both win.
Who we want to win? Arcade Fire, cause Jack White is not quite alternative. GRAMMY CATEGORY ERROR AGAIN.

Best Rap Album:
The New Classic - Iggy Azalea
Because the Internet - Childish Gambino
Nobody's Smiling - Common
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 - Eminem
Oxymoron - ScHoolboy Q
Blacc Hollywood - Wiz Khalifa
Who will win? Iggy Azalea, cause she had a great year and everybody is tired of Eminem's wins. Plus, she will be the first ever female winner in this category. Missy Elliott, that's called injustice.
Who should win? I haven't heard all of the albums.
Who we want to win? Iggy. Because she will be the first female winner in a man's rap world.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:
"Fancy" - Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX
"A Sky Full of Stars" - Coldplay
"Say Something" - A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera
"Bang Bang" - Jessie J, Ariana Grande, & Nicki Minaj
"Dark Horse" - Katy Perry feat. Juicy J
Who will win? That's a tough one. Iggy and Charli had a huge hit, but voters love Christina and breakup ballads. On the other hand, Katy Perry has never won a Grammy. Hmmm... I say Katy Perry for once.
Who should win? AGBW and Christina, cause it's all about a good vocal performance.
Who we want to win? Well... Jessie, Ariana and Nicki. Cause it's a great pop record, a great vocal performance and a fun song.

Best Dance Recording:
"Never Say Never" - Basement Jaxx
"Rather Be" - Clean Bandit Featuring Jess Glynne
"F For You" - Disclosure Featuring Mary J. Blige
"I Got U" - Duke Dumont Featuring Jax Jones
"Faded" - Zhu
Who will win? Disclosure, cause Mary J is a big American asset and the voters will support the unexpected collaboration.
Who should win? Disclosure and Mary J, a breath of fresh air in dance music.
Who we want to win? Disclosure, duh.

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album:
"Cheek To Cheek" - Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga
"Nostalgia" - Annie Lennox
"Night Songs" - Barry Manilow
"Sending You A Little Christmas" - Johnny Mathis
"Partners" - Barbra Streisand With Various Artists
Who will win? Tony/Gaga or Barbra. No comments.
Who should win? Annie Lennox, cause, to me, she has no competition in this. She owns the category with her new album, as simple as that.
Who we want to win? Annie Lennox, hands down. Second best? Barbra. Just in case.

Best RnB Album:
"Islander" - Bernhoft
"Lift Your Spirit" - Aloe Blacc
"Love, Marriage & Divorce" - Toni Braxton & Babyface
"Black Radio 2" - Robert Glasper Experiment
"Give The People What They Want" - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Who will win? Toni Braxton and Babyface, cause Grammy voters are the same age with those two and extremely old-fashioned when it comes to some baby-making r'n'b.
Who should win? Aloe Blacc or Sharon Jones.
Who we want to win? Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, cause it's a shame that this is their first ever nomination.

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media:
"Frozen", Christophe Beck
"Gone Girl" - Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
"The Grand Budapest Hotel" - Alexandre Desplat
"Gravity" - Steven Price
"Saving Mr. Banks" - Thomas Newman
Who will win? Steven Price, cause the Oscar buzz is always something in order to vote for.
Who should win? Alexandre Desplat, cause he has done miracles in this film.
Who we want to win? Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, cause they have surpassed every expectation. Plus, they rule.

Best Song Written for Visual Media:
"Everything Is Awesome!!!" - Tegan And Sara Featuring The Lonely Island, "The Lego Movie"
"I See Fire" - Ed Sheeran, "The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug"
"I'm Not Gonna Miss You" - Glen Campbell, "Glen Campbell, I’ll Be Me"
"Let It Go" - Idina Menzel, "Frozen"
"The Moon Song" - Karen O, "Her"
Who will win? "Let it go", cause there is no hope for other songs in here.
Who should win? Karen O, cause the song is like puppies cuddling on a velvet cloud, eating candy.
Who we want to win? Karen "fucking" O.

Producer of The Year, non-classical:
Paul Epworth
John Hill
Jay Joyce
Greg Kurstin
Max Martin
Who will win? Greg Kurstin, cause it's his time, they owe him.
Who should win? Greg Kurstin, cause he made some A-class productions and collaborations in 2014.
Who we want to win? Greg Kurstin.

Mary J Blige - The London Sessions

The Queen of hip-hop/soul visited London earlier in 2014, in order to record maybe her best album to date since the release of "No More Drama" in 2001. I have no clue if the producers in the UK believed in her and just knew what she is capable of or if Mary J Blige just trusted her gut feelings and collaborated with a bunch of young and super-talented songwriters. Well, probably both. Anyhow, the results are simply extraordinary.

Anyone can assume that a new project by Mary J would be a list of uptempo soulful tracks combined with killer vocals. Well, you can count only on the second part. Because most of the songs here are written and produced by the house duo of Disclosure, the male version of Adele, Sam Smith, the person that has produced records for Florence and Adele, Eg White, and the UK's sweetheart, Emeli Sande. So, actually, the sound in "The London Sessions" is far from a Diddy or a Dre or even a Neptunes piece of work.

Everyone can relate to some drama songs, especially when they are sung by miss Mary J. No woman in the music industry can "hurt" her vocal chords like her, so that she makes you feel her pain. Thus, songs like "Therapy", "Not Loving You" and "Whole Damn Year" are all about breakups, crying, pianos and heavy songwriting by Sam Smith and Emeli Sande. The thing with this album, though, is that it's also a lot of fun. Disclosure and Rodney Jerkins have contributed their talents in tracks like "Follow", "Right Now" and "My Loving", creating an electronic, deep house profile for the singer, which is so unexpected and fascinating at the same time.

If you are a long time fan of Mary J Blige, then it's possible that you won't appreciate this effort. Or, at least, you won't cry that much. Smart move, you have to admit it. She recorded a great album with a european touch for a change, so that she can come back in a couple of years with some big drama songs, expanding this way her drama legacy. Kudos.

AnArtCalled... 8/10