Mike Brandow: BBP's Newest Artist

It’s been a while since we’ve posted, and what have we been up to in the meantime? Well, we’ll tell you! There’s been lots of behind-the-scenes going on: moving, mixing, ADR-ing, conference-attending, etc. The boring stuff, right? 

Buuuuut, there’s one thing we’ve been working hard on that is pretty exciting, and we couldn’t wait to share it with y’all. It’s time for us to welcome a new artist into the BentBeat family: Meet Mike Brandow! Mike hails from Eugene, Oregon and came to us with the goal of publishing a project “35 years in the making”- and we can’t wait to get into the studio to work on it! (In fact, we can’t wait to get into the studio to work with him on this project… and the next one… and the next one… and the next one…) 

We first met Mike in our songwriting class at Worship Northwest conference. His special combination of exceptional skills and unique sound caught our eye immediately.  After many conversations and considerations, we all decided it would be a fabulous idea to work together.  He’s in the middle of money matching fundraising for the album that we hope to see in an early summer release, and he’s doing great! To get a taste of Mike’s style, go check him out at his Kickstarter that can be found at mikebrandow.com. Welcome, Mike! We’re excited for the journey ahead! 

The BentBeat Team
bentbeat.com

follow us @bentbeat

Chris Voigt Releases Studio Album, “All I Need"

Portland, OR, June 10, 2016 -- (PR.com) -- 

“All I Need” is a collection of original songs performed by Salem-based worship leader and musician Chris Voigt (www.chrisvoigtworship.com). The album has 12 tracks with varying musical styles and will be released in tandem with a Spanish-language version by label partner BentBeat Productions. “These songs reflect several aspects of my perspective of worship,” said Voigt. “What worship means to me can’t be fully realized inside of just twelve songs, but anyone who listens to this album from beginning to end will come away with a fuller and more meaningful understanding of what worship really is.”

The project features Chris Voigt delivering all lead vocals, with guest musicians and vocalists appearing on every track. The Spanish-language sister project was also sung in its entirety by Voigt. “This project was really a foray into new territory for all involved,” said producer Dave Beatty. “The number of songwriters and musicians alone was more than we’ve ever had involved with a single project. Added to that was a multitude of consultants, advisors, and translators being that none of the songwriters speak fluent Spanish. It’s pretty amazing how the entire thing came together and created something that I consider both universally relevant and also incredibly personal to Chris and his ministry.”    

Voigt has been involved in leading worship for over 25 years, and this is the first full-length studio album. For this project, he teamed up with BentBeat Productions, a Portland-based boutique label. “I’ve always surrounded myself and my ministry with what I consider the best team of like-minded people I could put together to accomplish what needs to be done,” said Voigt about the partnership. “BentBeat had the ability to help shape the music into a really good album, but more importantly they respected our goals and message for this album. They just became part of the team.” 

The album was produced by BentBeat’s Dave Beatty, who was introduced to Voigt in 2015 after attending an event hosted by Chris Voigt Worship, a non-profit ministry dedicated to equipping and encouraging worship leaders around the world. “It was a very short time from inception to completion of the project on our end,” said Beatty. “Chris’s ministry has had this publication in mind for quite some time but we were partnered at just the right moment to make the music happen and happen well. There is such a stellar cast on this album that the final sound is pretty spectacular. We were even able to tap into Dayspring Fellowship’s [Voigt’s church in Keizer, Oregon] choir for some of the tracks and get a great ‘live’ sound.”

The Spanish-language version of this release was inspired by an upcoming trip to South America. Voigt and his team will be traveling to two different countries to facilitate their International Worship Conference. “Local churches in South America have access to far fewer resources than we do in the States,” said Voigt about the bilingual release. “We hope that having this music available will help them take their worship experiences and team members to a higher level of skill and understanding.” 

“All I Need” and its sister release, “Eres Todo Para Mi”, are both available on Amazon.com, iTunes, Spotify, and all major music sites. 

About BentBeat Productions: BentBeat is based in Portland, Oregon. BBP’s focus is on partnering with musicians to produce, record, and release high quality broadcast-level music through both social media and mainstream distribution. BentBeat’s portfolio is available on Amazon.com, iTunes, Spotify, and all major music sites. Please join in supporting musicians.

Grammy 2016: Four Big Predictions

Yep, we get it.  There are worse jobs to have.  We get to sit and listen to music every day, all day long.  We are going to take that into account and not feign a "poor poor us" moment where we complain about the inconvenience of working all day in the medium that we love. However, as our spouses can attest, it could be argued that listening to “music” and listening to “one note” over and over again for 15 minutes might not be exactly the same thing. 

"I know exactly what you mean."

Not the most fun. And not everybody can do that. Some people can't take more than 5 minutes of the same note over and over again. This brings us to the Grammys-  the time of year when everyone’s finally done watching football and the band geeks get to shine for a week. 

What if I told you that marching band was a sport?

On Monday night this year (because apparently even the lovely Taylor Swift can’t compete with Valentine’s Day), we will be privy to a red carpet full of people who CAN (and do) listen to one note over and over again for 15 minutes. Well, they probably listen for 45 minutes or so. But hopefully in the end, they created some music.  

"Tada!"

In our last entry, we asked you, our faithful followers, to vote for your favorite “non Taylor Swift” nominees in a handful of categories.  Here’s what came of the top four categories and who we are calling out for the big night at the Staples Center.

No, not you, Kobe.

The “Big Four”

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color
Kendrick Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly
Chris Stapleton, Traveller
Taylor Swift, 1989
The Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness

This is the big one.  The Top Prize.  The whole CAH Deck.  Will Kendrick Lamar or Taylor Swift win?  Wait – déjà vu:  Don’t we recall them both being up for the exact same award in 2014? Who won that last, very close race to the finish line?

Oh, yes, now I remember.

We know.  You don’t like rap and you switch stations when you hear country. Let's get over that right now: Taylor has obviously made herself a full-blown pop album while Kendrick is on the hipper side of hop.  Lamar’s album is definitely the underdog here, but certainly is the rooting favorite (especially after getting “Macklemore’d” in 2014).  Which obviously brings us to…

BBP Winner: Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color

Ok, that's who we WANT to win. But we'll actually predict this one goes to Taylor Swift, 1989


RECORD OF THE YEAR
D’Angelo & The Vanguard, “Really Love”
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk”
Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud”
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”
The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face”

So, here’s a fun fact:  We’ve already covered that Max Martin and Shellback are on our fruit basket list for the rest of our lives.  If, and we do mean if, “Blank Space” and “Can’t Feel My Face” both end up duking this one out, our beloved producer pair will be competing with (drumroll) THEMSELVES. 

"I'll take Swedes in Pop Music for $100, Alex."

So, since the academy tends to spread the love around a bit, it is entirely possible that they will strip the dynamic duo of this prize in favor of the ear-bliss that is Bruno Mars and the 70’s-o-licious sounds of Mark Ronson.  However...

BBP Winner: Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"

Sigh. Again, we wish.  It would be nice to throw a Grammy next to Ed Sheeran's name especially after, especially after the Great Snub of 2015. But as this is a production award, we really think it goes to: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, “Uptown Funk”


SONG OF THE YEAR 
Kendrick Lamar, “Alright” (songwriters: Kendrick Lamar, Mark Anthony Spears and Pharrell Williams)
Taylor Swift, “Blank Space” (songwriters: Max Martin, Shellback and Taylor Swift)
Little Big Town, “Girl Crush” (songwriters: Hilary Lindsey, LorWeMcKenna and Liz Rose)
Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth, “See You Again” (songwriters: Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa, songwriters)
Ed Sheeran, “Thinking Out Loud” (songwriters: Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge)

Ah, yes – Song.  This is the award for the 300 level.  Here’s a secret: The Staples Center isn’t a quiet room.  In fact, when you’re watching it on Monday, listen carefully after about the first 30 minutes.  Any time there’s a pause between presenters, you will be able to hear the “hum” of the room. That’s everyone talking to each other about who they saw at the pre-show, which artist just got robbed, or what dress Lady Gaga is wearing tonight.

...or not wearing

When this award (finally) comes up, listen again.  The room will be SILENT.  The cheap seats are finally on the edge of their composition book to see which “song” will win. Because, yes – it is all about the song. 

Kendrick – great job asking for help from Mr. Happy.  Little Big Town – a perfectly delivered, patient vocal hook.  But, let’s be real…

BBP Winner and Prediction: Taylor Swift, “Blank Space”

"I'll write your name."

BEST NEW ARTIST
Courtney Barnett
James Bay
Sam Hunt
TorWeKelly
Meghan Trainor

For those of you playing along at home, Trainor’s “All About That Bass” was up for record and song of the year last year, Meghan wasn’t eligible because the full album wasn’t released before the deadline.  Meghan, you took a good song and added a gutsy image to it (yourself). We can’t NOT like you for that.  Good showing, James, but... 

BBP Winner and Prediction: Meghan Trainor (WE REALLY WANT HER TO WIN BECAUSE SHE'S SO COOL EVEN THOUGH THIS AWARD SEEMS TO BE THE CAREER KISS OF DEATH)

Hopefully she won't meet the same fate.

Now, if you’re my teenage daughter, the only question left is: “Father, do you believe that these nominees truly reflect the mastery and skill of all the works released from the last year in contemporary music?"  Yeah, not really...  Her real question is: "What about Adele?!?”  

Hello.

So, I will answer the same way I answered last year when Taylor wasn’t up for more awards: The Grammy eligibility period covers commercial releases from October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015, so Adele’s eligible for next year.  I guess we’ll just have to go to L.A. again next winter. 

Poor, poor, us.

Stay tuned, our flight leaves Portland at no-o'clock Saturday morning. Antics to ensue. Next stop: The Red Carpet.

The BentBeat Team
bentbeat.com
follow us on facebook instagram and twitter

What if Taylor Swift Didn’t Win?

Editor's Note: We want to know who YOU would choose for second place in each of her six Grammy categories. Cast your votes at the end - J+D

It’s awards season again, and we’ve dusted off the garb that we hopefully will fit into come red-carpet time.  So, let’s get this over with:  Taylor’s "1989" album will sweep the 2016 Grammy's.  

Pictured here preparing for her contribution on the next "Fifty Shades" Soundtrack

Answers to your FAQ’s:

• Yes, it is that good.
• No, it’s not just because she’s popular.
• Yes, it is really good.
• Everyone likes her music (or can at least objectively appreciate why "someone else" likes it).
• Why haven’t you bought it yet?
• Max Martin and Shellback are pure producer genius.  We wonder if either of them needs a job…

Like we needed an excuse to add this picture to this post.

This is an amazing album.  We could throw around comparisons like “Thriller,” “Pet Sounds” or “Sgt. Pepper,” but only time will really tell if it lives up to that level of respect. Having said that:  Tell me exactly, when was the last time you listened to an entire album start to finish more than one time?

That's what I thought.

Now that that’s all over with, let play a game.  Let’s all suspend reality for a minute and pretend that Ms. Swift’s most recent brilliance came out LAST year.  Wait… didn’t it?  I seem to remember stuffing a child’s stocking last Christmas…  Oh yes, now I remember. 1989 was released in October (not to be confused with "Shake It Off," which was only a single the summer of 2014).  Why is that important?  That is JUST AFTER the September 30th Grammy cut-off to allow for a whole year plus of ear-worm bliss.

Did I miss the deadline?  Whoopsie, my bad.

So, here’s your challenge.  Rather than us going on and on about TS1989 (which, may remind you, deserves to win), we want to give “the other guys” some airtime.  We would love to know who YOU would vote for in each of the six categories where TS will take home the golden idol.  Plus, we added in a bonus question for “best new artist” for a total of seven questions.  Take a minute to put your votes in (it's just seven, people), and we will tally up the results on our next entry.

BentBeat's Pretend 2016 Ballot (VOTE HERE)

Till then,

The BentBeat Team
bentbeat.com
Follow us on facebook twitter and instagram

That "Are You Serious?" Moment

I almost deleted the email.  Then I looked a second time.  No, really, someone said we didn't suck so much.  

We are humbled to let you know that we received the 2015 award for "#1 Audio And Music Producer in Portland"   Well, look at that.  I guess that means that we have a lot to live up to.  

Cool your jets, Kanye

We appreciate everyone who made this award possible:  A great team of engineers, songwriters, musicians, and interns here at BBP.  Our cast of artist talent ranging from the casual musician to the world touring acts.  Lastly, to the internet reviewers (google, thumbtack, etc.) who thought kindly about the music we produce here. 

Looking forward to continuing to make artistic ideas become a reality.  Now, back to that album I should be working on right about now (sorry, Katrina!)...

The BentBeat Team
bentbeat.com
Follow us on facebook twitter and instagram

Jesse Lee Falls Releases Studio Album, “Play My Guitar”

Portland, OR, May 05, 2015 --(PR.com)-- “Play My Guitar” is a collection of original songs written and performed by Astoria-based blues rock guitarist Jesse Lee Falls (www.jesseleefalls.com). The album has 10 tracks that reflect the artist’s musical journey over the last four years. “Many of the songs I’ve been playing for years for different audiences,” said Falls. “Those songs became a part of my identity as a musician and performer. But others were written very recently, even after we started the recording process. The cool thing about the album is that they all work together to sound seamless and show off what my music is about.”

The project features Jesse Lee Falls performing all lead vocals and guitars, with guest musicians and vocalists appearing on every track. “The great thing about this project is how diverse it is,” said producer Dave Beatty. “But even with such a wide array of musicians and artists stepping in to join, it’s still a really accurate picture of Jesse’s live feel. On top of Jesse’s signature lead guitar work, we added rock organs, harmonicas, and female vocalists, all of which are a part of his regular live performance but none of which he does on his own. It’s great to have all of those outside pieces in one spot and have the album still really sound like Jesse.”

Falls has been performing and recording original music since 2007, but this is the first full-length release he has created with label BentBeat Productions. “I’ve played as a solo artist and also with a specific band, but by the time I met up with BentBeat I was pretty much on my own. The label and I worked together to create an entire project that was true to my personal sound even with the presence of all the guest artists. This album really gives a better accurate representation of my music than past projects.”

Jesse Lee Falls’ album was produced by BentBeat’s Dave Beatty, who was introduced Falls in 2011 after he had just begun exploring the idea of recording a project. “It may seem like a long time to make an album,” said Beatty. “(Falls) lives in Astoria and our base of operations is just outside of Portland, so recording sessions were tricky to schedule. But Jesse is extremely talented and it was worth it to everyone to take our time on the project until we’d gotten everything to the place where we loved it. It also gave us a chance to really search around for the perfect guests artists, like Erin (Atkinson) and Jeff (Dotter),” who recorded featured vocals and mouth harp on the album respectively. “The extra time for the music to evolve and the collaborations to fall into place made for a great final product.”

“Play My Guitar” is available on Amazon.com, iTunes, Spotify, and all major music sites. A public release party will be held in conjunction with the Ground Zero 20th Anniversary Party at 8pm on Friday, May 8, 2015, at Star Theater, 13 NW 6th Avenue, Portland, OR. Jesse Lee Falls will be performing and BentBeat Productions will be present to speak with attending fans and musicians who are interested in collaborating to release their own music. Portions of Jesse’s performance will be broadcast live on FM News 101 KXL in Portland as well as radio, podcasting, and affiliates nationwide.

About BentBeat Productions: BentBeat is based in Portland, Oregon. BBP’s focus is on partnering with musicians to produce, record, and release high quality broadcast-level music through social media and mainstream distribution. BentBeat’s portfolio is available on Amazon.com, iTunes, Spotify, and all major music sites. Please join in supporting musicians.

Contact Information:
BentBeat Productions
Dave Beatty
503.489.8275info@bentbeat.com
www.bentbeat.com

Robins and Mouses and Lawsuits! Oh, My!

First off, let’s put it out there that we are fans of the music of both Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams.  We’ve had the pleasure of seeing each of them perform a couple of times. Thicke’s performance with Chicago at last year’s Grammys was worth the trip.  Pharrell has had a great run most recently with the likes of Daft Punk, the Voice, and Hans Zimmer.

 

For anyone who thought we were kidding about Hans

Being that you clicked on this article, you’re probably aware by now that a jury decided the Thicke/Williams/T.I. collaboration of their hit “Blurred Lines” had, and I quote, “too many similarities to Marvin Gaye’s ‘Gotta Give It Up.’”  Apparently, “similarities” equate to $7.3 million awarded to the late great's estate. ("Estate" means "there's nobody left alive who had anything to do with writing the original song.")

Okay.  Let that sink in for a minute.  The writers freely admit to being inspired by Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye.  This is not a Vanilla Ice rip-off where Mr. Ice (or his lawyers) tried to convince everyone that he didn’t outright steal the hook from David Bowie/Queen’s “Under Pressure” (Like this).  This is a style.  A muse.  An idea. 

It's possible that dad had just seen 'Flashdance' here.

When it comes to composition copyright infringement, the legal system has repeatedly found that stealing is about the “math” of the notes.  Either the notes are the same, or they aren’t.  It's a simple equation with very little room for interpretation.

Let’s take this new precedent further.  Moving on to the obvious next step, it wouldn't be unheard of to have the following lawsuits immediately filed against the “Blurred Lines” writers:

• Michael Jackson's Estate for using a similar “Ooh” sound to his signature hook
• Bee Gees because he sang in falsetto
• Roland Corporation for use of their 808 Drum Machine
• James Brown for letting T.I. rap during the middle eight
• Christopher Walken for grotesque overuse of a cowbell

"I've got a fever... for a lawyer."

This ruling comes within the same few weeks that Tom Petty’s people “mentioned” to Sam Smith’s people that “Stay With Me” sounded awfully close to “I Won’t Back Down” (Example of why this is absurd).  Smith said “oops” and gave up 12.5% of the writing credit to Petty (Tom’s last name is really unfortunate in this example).  It's definitely no coincidence that Smith’s song was queued up to sweep the Grammys that same week, and Tom was up for an award in his category as well.  Nope, no stunt here at all. No sarcasm either.  Move along.

If, and I repeat IF, we the jury conclude (at the upcoming appeal) that a song “sounds like,” “has the feel,” “reminds me of” another song, then let’s all just go back to painting pictures on cave walls.  

"Egyptians, I'll see you and your hieroglyphics in court."

A standard question we ask when we start working with one of our artists is, “which artists inspire you?”   We follow that up with “Who would you say that you sound like?”  And even more audaciously, “who would you LIKE to sound like?”

So, where does that leave us?  What is the solution?  Who would have the most to lose out of this “similarity” case going against Thicke, Pharrell and T.I.?  The easy answer is “the record labels.”  OK.  True.  It’s possible that all of us production companies and record labels could be in a bind to the point that we’re having to build instruments that have never been used, make up notes that have never been heard, and write with words that have never been said. After all, if every formula has already been used, it's up to us to create new ones. But hey, let’s call that impractical.

"Hey, hey, hey!  $7.3 million, please"

So, let's brainstorm for a minute here:  Which single company has the most to lose on past and future projects, intentionally mimics song styling, and has the biggest pile of cash at stake?  Walt Disney Studios.  Yes, The Mouse.  If you have ever spent any time in front of The Disney Channel, spent a long day at a Disney theme park, or went to see “Frozen” for the 6th time with your children, you are well aware that they freely capitalize on music that “sounds like” other pop music.  If all of the sudden that was *poof* gone, you might as well lock the doors to the kingdom.

You don't get to see a sequel

-The BentBeat Team
BentBeat Productions
bentbeat.com 

Hobbit Grammy Wrap-Up

All right, I've had time to decompress, process, and gather my thoughts. There was a week of bottomless lows, stratospheric highs, and nothing really in between. There were performances all about that bass low, that wailing guitar high, and lots of in between. I know everybody’s dying to hear The Girl’s summary of Music’s Biggest Night (and even if you aren't, here you are reading it, right?) so heeeeeere we go. 

First, let’s get that dress issue out of the way. Overconfident as I was from six months of boot camp, I waited til 48 hours before takeoff to slip into it before I packed it into the suitcase. Let’s sum up: “Slip into it” became “squeeze, squoosh, jiggle, pinch, wiggle, suck, and exhale buckets of air into it” and I still looked like three or four pigs fighting under a blanket.

"Didn't she use us in an earlier bit?"  "Yes, but it's still funny."

Yep. Fail. Big ol’ fail. Nope, didn’t fit. So the short story is after a few hours at the mall and lots of consults from lots of professionals, I was presentable enough to sidle down the red carpet hiding behind the Elf. God bless the Elf and her long legs that are tall enough to hide hobbits! I feel like BBP made a decent showing thanks to her and the Boys. Nice job, BBP Team! 

Hey! We made it to the red carpet! Sophomore Year goal=in the bag.

There are no words

Now I’m not really a carpet kinda gal, so the rest of this post is me diving into what I consider the meat of the evening: the performances. I’ll warn you right now- if you don’t really care for a quick recap of the evening’s highlights, stop right here. I’ve been mulling over this spectacle for two weeks now, and I have strong opinions. It’s possible that I may suffer a full body snark implosion if I don’t get some of this out, so here goes, from Miranda Lambert’s top to Beyonce’s bottom:

"I'm just glad I'm getting more press than Madonna's bottom."

AC/DC: Let me just admit that when this band was in its prime, they weren't really my cup of tea. I was a little young for rebellion rock, and I thought they were probably trying to suck my soul out through my ears and send me to hell (I said I was young).  I knew only two things about them: 1. their singer screamed really high notes and 2. their song talked about Hell and if I listened to it I’d probably go there (I said I was young).  When they handed out plastic light-up devil horns at the show’s opening, I giggled a little and thought it would be pretty funny. 

Spoiler alert: The wall-o-guitar amps weren't actually plugged in.

At the last minute LL Cool J told us they’d be opening the show and I prepared myself for a world of disappointment. And I was never been so WRONG in my life. These guys ROCKED. Dudes can still bring it. Their staging, performance, and pyro were perfect. The audience was eating out of their hands and the energy and excitement in the room shot up to a level that it never fully returned to. Even though I was pretty much an AC/DC virgin, at the proper time I enthusiastically donned my devil horns with the rest of the crowd (except for Sam Smith, we saw your smug little side-eye shade buddy) and rocked. out. And it was fabulous. FABULOUS, I tell you.

Apparently Sam Smith's hair stylist texted him: "Don't you DARE mess up my masterpiece."

Right after this, Sam Smith won Best New Artist. I’m going to keep my mouth shut and opinions off on all awards. Just 'cuz I don’t wanna.

Then Ariana Grande sang something about pieces of something? I admit to not knowing the song or even really much about the artist...but wow, that chick can sing. And kudos to her for doing what every single person who is on that stage SHOULD do: finishing the performance with a completely overwhelmed moment that clearly albeit silently said “I can NOT believe I’m on this stage.” I appreciate you appreciating it, Ariana.

Humbleness.  An appreciated quality.

And then Tom Jones walked out on stage...I’m sorry, Jessie Who? Who cares, it’s Tom Jones! Let’s go on record here: He’s no Angus Young, but hey, I feel like I just saw a little bit of music history.

So Pharrell won best vocal performance for the live version of “Happy”- and pretty much everybody was happy.

Even the minions were surprised that the song debuted on their soundtrack.

Then Miranda Lambert. Ladies and gents, this was amazing. Even though I lived in Nashville, I’m not a huge country fan (let’s not delve too deeply into BBP's history and make me expand on that statement, eh?).  Actually, it’s one of my least favorite genres, so I’m not terrible familiar with her work. I have always been aware that she writes and performs some pretty fun music, so I was looking forward to it. I wasn't disappointed.  This lady rocked the entire house. An unofficial poll afterwards asked attendees if there was any song that they heard for the first time that night that they still remembered, and “Little Red Wagon” was the sole answer. 

Let's use... a big, freaking red fan.  No one will expect that.

Great performance, great hook, great memory to keep the tail of your shirt-dress down (looking at you, Madonna), and great job all around. My favorite bit of trivia about this performance was how everyone asked me “what on earth she was saying” that got censored by the TV station. I was perplexed by this question because I couldn't remember any "bad" words so I went back and watched her song.  The answer is “nothing.” The stations censored a full two seconds of her song for absolutely no reason.  She thought about saying a bad word but used her mic to censor her single offending syllable herself. I’ll call it classy. 

Here’s where Sam Smith won best pop album. Fine.

"Oh, where shall I put all these?"

Then I’m pretty sure Kanye sang something. My notes tell me so, but I can’t remember it.

Because then Madonna sang something. It was called an Illuminati Orgy by many media outlets.  I call it pretty freakin’ MADONNA and I sorta didn't care if she ripped the rest of her dress off a’la Janet and played a thumb war with one of her little four-legged minions. It was MADONNA and I GOT TO SEE HER. My eight-year-old self checked something off her bucket list and y’all can form your own opinions. IT WAS MADONNA. AND WORTH IT.

Not too shabby for 56

Beck won best rock album. Not Beyoncé. And the world apparently turned backwards for a few minutes to try to rectify this travesty of injustice, but hey, Beck still won. INTERNET: SHUT UP. IT WAS A BETTER ALBUM.

Whoops, I wasn't going to insert my own opinions about awards. That last opinion wasn't about the award but about Beyoncé,  who should probably get a refresher on Hooked on Phonics before she complains about not getting an award. Jeez. 

Oh look, and now Beyoncé won best R&B performance. You’d think this would satisfy the internet, but alas,they continue to ride their surfborts into the waters of hatred of all things good music.

So, Ed Sheeran and John Mayer appeared to save the day. They did a respectable job of turning things around but probably only because they pulled ELO out of their back pockets and the room, at least, forgave the rest of the music “lovers” for their Bey worship and enjoyed a lovely moment. This was pretty great, people.

John: "For all of the Taylor Swift songwriting fans: You're welcome."

Gwen Stefani and Adam Levine. This is one performance that I personally was just a little bummed by. I suppose it was a decent performance but I didn’t really love their vocals, and call me crazy but I sorta thought it was all fairly unnecessary. Grammy watchers love to see the great duets the Academy cooks up for this special night, and correct me if I’m wrong but don’t these two hang out on a TV set once a week or so for the whole world to see? I might be wrong. I don’t watch reality singing TV but I could have sworn I saw them push each other’s buttons on NBC. I feel like we could have watched this one any old time.

"Want to sing at the Grammys?"  "Sure, why not?"

There’s this dude named Hozier who walked out then, but he was basically just a hoser compared to Annie Lennox who came out of nowhere and absolutely put a spell on the entire room. This woman was and is amazing. Hey Academy: next year we want to see Annie and Angus sing together! That’s the only way we’ll be able to top this. She was great.

This is getting long, eh? I think I should throw down some quick one-word reactions for the next few bits:

Miranda Lambert winning best country album- sure!

Pharrell and that piano dude and Hans Zimmer and the Bellhops Tour de Feet o’ Flames- happy!

Domestic violence PSA- uhhhh…

Katy Perry- wow.

Tony Bennett and his overdressed Personal Health Aide, I mean, Lady Gaga. Underwhelming, but amazing. In reverse order, and I know I said one word summaries but I really feel like I should give each of them their own word. Because I don’t want anyone thinking I’m giving Lady G an “amazing” rating, but Tony deserves it.

"I love my job."

Usher and Stevie Wonder- ahhhhhhhh. (That’s “satisfying”, in case you wondered)

Eric Church/Brandy Clark/Dwight Yoakum- (sorry everyone) forgettable. Literally. I can’t remember anything about any of them… But, I did sorta have to pee by this time so I was a little distracted.

Rihanna, Kanye, and Paul McCartney- it’s almost like someone took a musician lottery, threw the names in a Yahtzee cup, and created this collaboration. But it worked. Really, it did. It was honestly really great.

Here’s where I really had to pee so the next bits were a blur of things that included: 

Somebody I don’t remember

Beck.

Weird dancers and some white-haired chick singing in the corner.

I can't make this up, people.

Sam Smith.

Beck.

Chris Martin?

Oh look, Sam Smith again.

A dude who had a lot to say and I’m sure it was important but my potty dance is starting to get funny looks.

The "In Memoriam"- UM, WHERE WAS JOAN RIVERS, WHO PREVIOUSLY IN THE AFTERNOON ACTUALLY WON A GRAMMY?!?!?!

And literally the most over-hyped, underwhelming, disappointing close to an awards show ever. And not just because I had to pee, but because it just...was. Sorry, John. Shouldn’t have hitched your wagon to Beyonce’s bum, er...star (see above, shoulda asked Miranda if she’d make an exception for you to hop on her little red wagon. The show would have ended with a lot fewer raised eyebrows).

So, you want to know what I really thought of the whole thing? 

Loved it. 

It was great. 

No question, it was an amazing night, an amazing lineup, and it absolutely delivered. Personal preferences aside, some really talented people got together and put on a pretty fabulous show. I have been asked many times over the last two weeks what I thought “the best part” was, and I have a hands-down opinion on that one that I alluded to earlier: AC/DC wins. No one over the course of the evening was able to bring the audience back to the level that they opened the show with. Annie Lennox was a close second, but the night was for the Young. Angus Young, that is. And despite some controversy that surrounded this performance, as a musician and a music lover I’m giving this one to the old dudes. I hope the batteries in my horns hold out til next year, and I can’t wait to see what 2016 brings to try to top this show!

...And now, I think I’ll go eat a salad. Have to fit into another dress in 11 months, after all. 

The BentBeat Team

bentbeat.com

Follow us @bentbeat

The Grammys 2015

Well, that was awesome.  A great long weekend at L.A. Live, topped off by music’s biggest night. Fun was had by all.  Here are some of the highlights (from The Boy's point of view):

No apples were hurt taking this photo

A tribute to our freshman experience last year

Yes, the BentBeat ladies had their day on the carpet.  Everyone was honored to be walking over (*cough*) I mean, PAST Ryan Seacrest, John Legend, Pharrell and the like.  I think our gals rocked it.

Then there were some other people on the carpet too...

No doubt it's Gwen Stafani

LL Cool J hitting a perfect pitch near Anna Kendrick

Pentatonix harmonizing about their win earlier

And then, there's stuff like this:

We knew we liked him

Before John Mayer, aka, the best guitar alive who didn’t have an album recorded sometime in the 60’s (haters, begin) took the stage with Ed Sheeran, John stopped to sign an autograph for a wheelchair-bound fan.  You will only see this picture from Team BentBeat (let’s just say that cameras were discouraged from where this was taken…shhhh).

The main event:

Right?

We made some predictions (really, just our votes) in a few categories on this blog on Dec 15th.  The ones we’re most “Happy” about (get it?) were:

The Band Perry, Paramore, Pentatonix, Tenacious D (yes, Jack Black’s metal duo), and Weird Al.  Nicely done, everyone.  

An honorable mention to Max Martin (Producer of the year) for working with Katy Perry on both “Unconditionally” and “Dark Horse, plus that other gal he produced…

"Do these shoes match the color of the envelope I'm opening later?"

Yes, Taylor was there.  Thank goodness I didn’t see Macklemore anywhere. We would have had words.

And to top the trip off – a little reward on our way back to PDX:

Oh, believe it.  There's a shuttle.

Let's do this again soon, shall we?

The BentBeat Team

bentbeat.com

Follow us @bentbeat

PS: Thanks to our PhotoGal, a great addition to our team on the carpet this year!

We couldn't have done it without you