Totally blown away by Feist – Juno Awards

I’m watching the Juno Awards – that’s Canada’s music awards which are our equivalent to the Grammy’s and Feist is taking a lot of awards.

The Juno’s are held over two days. There was a private dinner ceremony on Saturday night where the bulk of the awards were handed out. Feist pretty much took the big awards – Artist of the year and Song writer of the year.

Other than seeing her perform her song 1234 for the itunes/ ipod commercial on TV I’ve never really seen Feist perform.

I can’t say that anymore! She performed at the Juno’s and totally blew me away. In some ways she reminded me a little bit of Bjork but with a much more mainstream sound. I’d love to go to one of her concerts. I’m sure she’d be a performer worth seeing.

Avril Lavigne also performed at the Junos. She sang Girlfriend. Her backup dancers where sturdy looking girls. It a way it was nice to see more “every woman” type dancers highlighted in an area where usually only the thin and skeletal get to play.

Other big winners at the Juno’s were Finger Eleven for Rock Album of the Year – Them Vs. You Vs. Me.

Here’s the list of Saturday Nights winners. I’ll add the official Sunday night telecasts winners shortly.

• International Album of the Year — Good Girl Gone Bad — Rihanna

• Artist of the Year — Feist

• New Artist of the Year — Serena Ryder

• Songwriter of the Year — Feist

• Adult Alternative Album of the Year — Small Miracles — Blue Rodeo

• Alternative Album of the Year — Neon Bible — Arcade Fired

• Rock Album of the Year — Them Vs You Vs Me — Finger Eleven

• Vocal Jazz Album of the Year — Make Someone Happy — Sophie Milman

• Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year – Almost Certainly Dreaming – The Chris Tarry Group

• Traditional Jazz Album of the Year — Debut – Brandi Disterheft

• Instrumental Album of the Year — The Utmost — Jayme Stone

• Francophone Album of the Year — L’echec du material — Daniel Belanger

• Children’s Album of the Year — Music Soup — Jen Gould

• Classical Album of the Year: Solo or Chamber Ensemble — Alkan Concerto for Solo Piano — Marc-Andre Hamelin

• Classical Album of the Year: Large Ensemble or Soloist(s) With Large Ensemble Accompaniment — Korngold, Barber and • Walton Violin Concertos — James Ehnes, Bramwell Tovey, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

• Classical Album of the Year: Vocal or Choral Performance — Surprise — Measha Bruggergosman

• Classical Composition of the Year — Constantinople — Christos Hatzis

• Rap Recording of the Year — The Revolution — Belly

• Dance Recording of the Year — All U Ever Want — Billy Newton-Davis Vs. Deadmau5

• R&B/Soul Recording of the Year — Revival — Jully Black

• Reggae Recording of the Year — Don’t Go Pretending — Mikey Dangerous

• Aboriginal Recording of the Year — The Dirty Looks — Derek Miller

• Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo — Right of Passage — David Francey

• Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Group — Key Principles — Nathan

• Blues Album of the Year — Building Full of Blues — FATHEAD

• Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year — Holy God — Brian Doerksen

• World Music Album of the Year — Agua Del Pozo — Alex Cuba

• Jack Richardson Producer of the Year — Joni Mitchell — Hana/Bad Dreams — Shine

• Recording Engineer of the Year — Kevin Churko — I Don’t Wanna Stop/God Bless The Almighty Dollar — Black Rain — Ozzy Osbourne

• CD/DVD Artwork Design of the Year — Tracy Maurice (Director/Designer) and Francois Miron (Photographer) — Neon Bible — Arcade Fire

• Video of the Year — C’mon — Christopher Mills (Director) — Blue Rodeo

• Music DVD of the Year — 666 Live — Pierre & Francois Lamoureux, Billy Talent, Pierre Tremblay, Steve Blair — Billy Talent





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Stars go glam at the Grammy’s

The 50th Grammy Awards were held yesterday evening and the music industries elite stepped out in their finest attire.

While stars like Kanye West and Amy Winehouse were winning all the awards others were winning reviews on the red carpet for their fashion choices.

Here’s the scoop:

So which glamorous outfit was your favorite?

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New York bid Fairwell to James Brown

James Brown On Thursday, thousands of fans lined up to pay their respects and bid farewell to the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, at the Apollo Theater where the singer first made his mark 40 years ago.

Brown was 73 when he passed away early Christmas morning of congestive heart failure in Atlanta.

His body traveled on a horse-drawn carriage through New Yorks Harlem streets to the famous theater – The Apollo, on Thursday. “James Brown means everything to the black community,” said Brenda Baskin, 50, from Brooklyn, as she stood outside.

“Brown’s lyrics ‘Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud,’ opened up the doors for black people to have more pride,” she said. “He told his people to hold their heads up and that there was something for them to be prideful in — themselves.”

Browns body was taken back to his hometown of Augusta, Georgia after the New York viewing. A private service was to be held today, and an additional public viewing will be held on Saturday prior to Browns burial.

Brown was a Grammy Award winner who stood out as one of America’s greatest showmen and band leaders. His revolutionary mix of funky rhythms and staccato horns will not soon be forgotten.

The line to view James Brown’s body was the length of three city blocks. People slowly proceeding to the theater were given an inpromptu street performance by a Brown impersonator, while others sold T-Shirts and photos of Brown to those in the line.

“I came out for soul brother No. 1. That’s who he is — James ‘Butane’ Brown, the man who set the stage on fire,” said fan Fred Chinnery, 50, from New Rochelle, New York. “This man was the baddest man who ever put on a pair of dancing shoes and slid across the stage.”

Brown had been scheduled to perform in New Yorks Time square on New Years Eve. He had more than 119 singles on the charts and recorded over 50 albums, as well as performing live at events at least 100 times a year. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, and had received a lifetime Grammy achievement award.

James you will be missed.

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