The Grammy Awards kick off in about eight hours or so – and while I can’t say I’m overly excited, it’s nonetheless a celebration of some great music (mixed in with a smothering showcase of the bad).
To celebrate the big night, here’s a look back at a personal favorite performance from last year’s show…

My Morning Jacket returns to touring after a year’s break. The band has announced a nine-city tour, kicking off on April 20 in Birmingham, Ala.

Nineties rock band The Wallflowers’ front man Jakob Dylan is scheduled to release his solo sophomore album on April 6 and he’s employing the voice of breakout country star Neko Case.

Refraining the Falsetto with Boy Genius
By: Jessica Cole
Boy Genius kind of sounds like a group of egotistical, waspy Vampire Weekend types, rocking the popped collar Polo’s and rambling on about Ayn Rand’s theory of objectivism.  But I digress, and correct any of those who are skeptical — Boy Genius is none of the above.  They are a foursome; two guys and two girls from Brooklyn, often compared to indie greats R.E.M. and Pavement — and even worked with legendary producer Mitch Easter (who has worked with the aforementioned bands).

There’s been a dull buzz in Athens’ musical air since 2004 when the Skirts released their debut album. By now, that buzz has progressed into a undeniable roar as they continue to build on their broadened success.

Knoxville’s Big Ears Festival has announced the schedule for their weekend of music, which will be held March 26-28.  Headliners include Vampire Weekend, Dirty Projectors, and The National.  Not too shabby for a mid-size fest.

Kudos to the organizers and bands in the Take Action Tour. This show marked it’s 10th year on the road, and between ticket sales and subsequent CD compilations, the Tour has raised over $2 million for various youth charities, this latest one being Driving for Donors (bone marrow donor drive).

In addition to playing the halftime show for the XLIV Super Bowl, The Who will debut “My Generation” as a remix. Will.i.am and Slash paired up to work on the classic song. The song will be for sale on iTunes, post-game, and all proceeds will be donated to Haiti earthquake relief funds.

Sir Elton & The Lady, The Lady & Sir Elton – get used to it.
Rumors are swirling that Elton John (whose “Sir” comes from the Queen) and Lady Gaga (whose “Lady” comes from …herself?) are working up a “showstopping” duet for the 52nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. According to a Grammy source, “Elton and Lady Gaga on the same stage is sure to create fireworks, it could be one of the most memorable Grammy performances of all time.”

It seems that to make it in contemporary music, one genre isn’t enough for a band to cover in order to be considered comprehensive. Bands that are taken seriously today tend to mix compatible genres with one another, comprising them into an uncharted audial terrain. This can be found in a mass of artists, both sophisticated and brash, and one of the more popular of these genre-benders on the charts today is Cage The Elephant.