Imagine all the people...

So much to talk about, so little time.
I think I'll spend some time over the coming days and weeks looking at the Grammy nominations.
So here's today's "list of 5" in my musical mind.



Stop shooting stars
I mentioned the shooting of Darrell Abbott yesterday. It occurred right around the anniversary of John Lennon's death. It's simply crazy. The guy from this week was upset that there would be no Pantera reunion, so he shot Abbott five times in the head. Well, that only ensures that there's no reunion, dumbass.


Slipknot success
I was pretty amazed when the Grammy nominations came out. Not only for the previously mentioned domination by Kanye West, but also for the inclusion of Slipknot. They've got two nominations this year - Best Hard Rock Performance and Best Metal Performance. Granted, I'm not a big Slipknot fan, but the two nominated songs, "Duality" and "Vermillion" are two of the best songs I've heard all year. Pain, aggression, melody all combined to form two amazing tracks. "Vermillion Pt. 2" - an acoustic version of the song - is equally impressive and worth checking out if you haven't already.
And from the archives in my mind, I'll say that singer Corey Taylor is a helluva nice guy. I had the pleasure of doing a phone interview with him right before this album came out, and he was quite entertaining. Even shared a story about the ghosts in Rick Rubin's house.


I want my nickel back...
OK, I hate the band, and I don't like it even more that they were nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance. Is it just me, or do all of their songs sound the same. Maybe it's Chad's voice. Either way, it's generic rock that will hopefully get stomped by one of the other nominees. - Slipknot, Incubus, Metallica or Velvet Revolver.



It's almost time to Panic!
Fans of Jane's Addiction and Dave Navarro will be happy to know that Dave's new band The Panic Channel is slowly building momentum. He's in the band with former Jane's drummer Stephen Perkins and recent bassist Chris Chaney. Add in former Skycycle vocalist Steve Isaacs and it's a powerful punch. I've heard some early stuff through Navarro's Web site, and it's sure to win over longtime fans.


No Doubt it's not good
Gwen Stefani is doing her solo thing, and so far I'm not impressed. I'm a big fan of No Doubt, however I just can't get into this 80s vibe on her album. Granted, I've only heard the first single and some snippits on MTV, but I don't see the appeal yet. I sometimes get the feeling that big stars say, "I've got money, so I'm going to do some bizarre stuff. Hey, I'm famous, so people will buy it." Of course, the record execs sit in their comfy leather chairs and agree - "She's Gwen. It'll sell millions." Next thing you know it's put in the discount bin next to Lindsey Lohan. As previously stated, I will admit that I have not heard the entire album, and this is simply a judgement based on what I've heard so far. After all, the album did get nominated for a "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance" Grammy. And those Grammy's - they know what they're talking about. I mean, these are the people that gave an award to Milli Vanilli and a Best Metal performance to Jethro Tull!

Enough of the sarcasm.....for now.

Also, I have not yet decided if this will be a daily blog, or just an "as often as I can" blog. We'll just see how it goes.
Thanks for opening the lid, and seeing what's inside the can.