GRAMMY WATCH – General Music/Main Categories: My Picks and Predictions

Here are my picks and predictions for the General/Main music categories for The 58^th Annual Grammy Awards.

Record Of The Year

• Really Love
      D'Angelo And The Vanguard
      D'Angelo, producer; Russell Elevado & Ben Kane, engineers/mixers; Dave Collins, mastering engineer
      Track from: Black Messiah
      [RCA Records]

• Uptown Funk
      Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
      Jeff Bhasker, Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson, producers; Josh Blair, Serban Ghenea, Wayne Gordon, John Hanes, Inaam Haq, Boo Mitchell, Charles Moniz & Mark Ronson, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
      Track from: Uptown Special
      [RCA Records]

• Thinking Out Loud
      Ed Sheeran
      Jake Gosling, producer; Jake Gosling, Mark 'Spike' Stent & Geoff Swan, engineers/mixers; Stuart Hawkes, mastering engineer
      Track from: X
      [Atlantic]

• Blank Space
      Taylor Swift
      Max Martin & Shellback, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Sam Holland & Michael Ilbert, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
      Track from: 1989
      [Big Machine Records]

• Can't Feel My Face
      The Weeknd
      Max Martin & Ali Payami, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes & Sam Holland, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
      [Republic]

My Pick and Prediction: UPTOWN FUNK – total, infectious and pure fun funk!

~

Album Of The Year
• Sound & Color
      Alabama Shakes
      Alabama Shakes & Blake Mills, producers; Shawn Everett, engineer/mixer; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer

• To Pimp A Butterfly
      Kendrick Lamar
      Bilal, George Clinton, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley, Rapsody, Snoop Dogg, Thundercat & Anna Wise, featured artists; Taz Arnold, Boi-1Da, Ronald Colson, Larrance Dopson, Flying Lotus, Fredrik "Tommy Black" Halldin, Knxwledge, Koz, Lovedragon, Terrace Martin, Rahki, Sounwave, Tae Beast, Thundercat, Whoarei & Pharrell Williams, producers; Derek "Mixedbyali" Ali, Thomas Burns, James "The White Black Man" Hunt, 9th Wonder & Matt Schaeffer, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

• Traveller
      Chris Stapleton
      Dave Cobb & Chris Stapleton, producers; Vance Powell, engineer/mixer; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer
      [Mercury Nashville]

• 1989
      Taylor Swift
      Jack Antonoff, Nathan Chapman, Imogen Heap, Max Martin, Mattman & Robin, Ali Payami, Shellback, Taylor Swift, Ryan Tedder & Noel Zancanella, producers; Jack Antonoff, Mattias Bylund, Smith Carlson, Nathan Chapman, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Imogen Heap, Sam Holland, Michael Ilbert, Brendan Morawski, Laura Sisk & Ryan Tedder, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer
      [Big Machine Records]

• Beauty Behind The Madness
      The Weeknd
      Lana Del Rey, Labrinth & Ed Sheeran, featured artists; Dannyboystyles, Ben Diehl, Labrinth, Mano, Max Martin, Stephan Moccio, Carlo Montagnese, Ali Payami, The Pope, Jason Quenneville, Peter Svensson, Abel Tesfaye & Kanye West, producers; Jay Paul Bicknell, Mattias Bylund, Serban Ghenea, Noah Goldstein, John Hanes, Sam Holland, Jean Marie Horvat, Carlo Montagnese, Jason Quenneville & Dave Reitzas, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne & Dave Kutch, mastering engineers
      [Republic]

My Pick and Prediction: SOUND & COLOR – though 1989 may pull up.

~

Song Of The Year
• Alright
      Kendrick Duckworth, Mark Anthony Spears & Pharrell Williams, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar)
      Track from: To Pimp A Butterfly
      [TDE/Aftermath/Interscope; Publisher(s): WB Music Corp., TDE Music, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, EMI Music Inc., More Water From Nazareth, Sounwave TDE Productions, SonyATV]

• Blank Space
      Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
      Track from: 1989
      [Big Machine Records; Publisher(s): Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Taylor Swift Music/MXM admin. by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Inc.]

• Girl Crush
      Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna & Liz Rose, songwriters (Little Big Town)
      Track from: Pain Killer
      [Capitol Records Nashville; Publisher(s): Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Songs Of Crazy Girl Music, Songs of Universal, Inc., Hoodie Songs, HillarodyRathbone Music admin. by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC]

• See You Again
      Andrew Cedar, Justin Franks, Charles Puth & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth)
      Track from: Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
      [Atlantic; Publisher(s): Artist Publishing Group West/J Franks Publishing/Andrew Cedar Publishing admin. by WB Music Corp./Wiz Khalifa Publishing admin. by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./Charlie Puth Music Publishing/Artist 101 Publishing Group admin. by Warner Chappell Music, Universal Pictures Music, UPG Music Publishing]

• Thinking Out Loud
      Ed Sheeran & Amy Wadge, songwriters (Ed Sheeran)
      Track from: X
      [Atlantic; Publisher(s): Sony/ATV Music Publishing/BDi Music Limited]

My Pick: SEE YOU AGAIN – I really hope this wonderful tribute wins.

My Prediction: THINKING OUT LOUD

~

Best New Artist

• Courtney Barnett

• James Bay

• Sam Hunt

• Tori Kelly

• Meghan Trainor

My Pick: TORI KELLY

My Prediction: MEGHAN TRAINOR

THE 58^TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be telecast live on CBS, Monday February 15, 2016 at 8PM/EST – PM/PST.  For everything GRAMMY, including a Full List of this year’s Nominees visit their website at http://www.grammy.com/

Check us out on YouTube – Please Subscribe (It’s Free!)
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Thank YOU!

GRAMMY WATCH – Pop Music Categories: My Picks and Predictions

Here are my picks and predictions in the Pop music categories for The 58^th Annual Grammy Awards.

Best Pop Solo Performance
• Heartbeat Song
      Kelly Clarkson
      Track from: Piece By Piece
      [RCA Records/19 Recordings Limited]

• Love Me Like You Do
     Ellie Goulding
      Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
      [Republic]

• Thinking Out Loud
      Ed Sheeran
      Track from: X
      [Atlantic]

• Blank Space
      Taylor Swift
      Track from: 1989
      [Big Machine Records]

• Can't Feel My Face
      The Weeknd
      Track from: Beauty Behind The Madness
      [Republic]

My Pick: CAN’T FEEL MY FACE

My Prediction: THINKING OUT LOUD

~

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
• Ship To Wreck
      Florence + The Machine
      Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
      [Republic]

• Sugar
      Maroon 5
      Track from: V
      [222 Records/Interscope]

• Uptown Funk
      Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars
      Track from: Uptown Special
      [RCA Records]

• Bad Blood
      Taylor Swift Featuring Kendrick Lamar
      [Big Machine Records]

• See You Again
      Wiz Khalifa Featuring Charlie Puth
      Track from: Furious 7: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
      [Atlantic]

My Pick and Prediction: UPTOWN FUNK – Tough and tight category though.

~

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
• The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern
      Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap
      [RPM Records/Columbia Records]

• Shadows In The Night
      Bob Dylan
      [Columbia]

• Stages
     Josh Groban
      [Reprise]

• No One Ever Tells You
     Seth MacFarlane
      [Republic]

• My Dream Duets
      Barry Manilow (& Various Artists)
      [Verve Music Group]

My Pick: NO ONE EVER TELLS YOU – Seth MacFarlane delivers the goods here and I hope he wins, but it is very competitive.

My Prediction: THE SILVER LINING: THE SONGS OF JEROME KERN – though Manilow could pull it off (duets means everybody on that album will probably throw support his way).

~

Best Pop Vocal Album
• Piece By Piece
      Kelly Clarkson
      [19/RCA]

• How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
      Florence + The Machine
      [Republic]

• Uptown Special
      Mark Ronson
      [RCA Records]

• 1989
      Taylor Swift
      [Big Machine Records]

• Before This World
      James Taylor
      [Concord Records]

My Pick and Prediction: 1989 – Swift should have no problem getting the win here, but don’t count out James Taylor.

THE 58^TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be telecast live on CBS, Monday February 15, 2016 at 8PM/EST – PM/PST.  For everything GRAMMY, including a Full List of this year’s Nominees visit their website at http://www.grammy.com/

Check us out on YouTube – Please Subscribe (It’s Free!)
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Thank YOU!

GRAMMY WATCH – Dance/Electronic Music Categories: My Picks and Predictions

Here are my picks and predictions for the Dance/Electronic and Contemporary Instrumental categories for The 58^th Annual Grammy Awards.

Best Dance Recording
• We're All We Need
      Above & Beyond Featuring Zoë Johnston
      Andrew Bayer, Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness & Paavo Siljamäki, producers; Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness & Paavo Siljamäki, mixers
      [Ultra/Anjunabeats]

• Go
      The Chemical Brothers
      Tom Rowlands & Ed Simons, producers; Steve Dub Jones & Tom Rowlands, mixers
      [Astralwerks]

• Never Catch Me
      Flying Lotus Featuring Kendrick Lamar
      Steven Ellison, producer; Kevin Marques Moo, mixer
      Track from: You're Dead!
      [Warp Records]

• Runaway (U & I)
      Galantis
      Linus Eklöw, Christian Karlsson & Svidden, producers; Linus Eklöw, Niklas Flyckt & Christian Karlsson, mixers
      Track from: Pharmacy
      [Big Beat/Atlantic]

• Where Are Ü Now
      Skrillex And Diplo With Justin Bieber
      Sonny Moore & Thomas Pentz, producers; Sonny Moore & Thomas Pentz, mixers
      Track from: Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü
      [Owsla/Mad Decent/Atlantic]

My Pick & Prediction: WHERE ARE U NOW… yes, I know.  I thought I would never root for a Bieber song, but it’s pretty damn good.

~

Best Dance/Electronic Album
• Our Love
      Caribou
      [Merge Records]

• Born In The Echoes
      The Chemical Brothers
      [Astralwerks]

• Caracal
      Disclosure
      [Capitol Records]

• In Colour
      Jamie XX
      [Young Turks Recordings]

• Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü
      Skrillex And Diplo
      [Owsla/Mad Decent/Atlantic]

My Pick & Prediction: SKRILLEX AND DIPLO PRESENT JACK U

~
 

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
• Guitar In The Space Age!
      Bill Frisell
      Bill Frisell
      [Okeh]

• Love Language
      Wouter Kellerman
      Wouter Kellerman
      [Listen 2 Entertainment Group]

• Afrodeezia
      Marcus Miller
      Marcus Miller
      [Blue Note Records]

• Sylva
      Snarky Puppy & Metropole Orkest
      Snarky Puppy & Metropole Orkest
      [Impulse!]

• The Gospel According To Jazz, Chapter IV
     Kirk Whalum
      Kirk Whalum
      [Mack Avenue Records]

My Pick: AFRODEEZIA

My Prediction: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JAZZ, CHAPTER IV

THE 58^TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be telecast live on CBS, Monday February 15, 2016 at 8PM/EST – PM/PST.  For everything GRAMMY, including a Full List of this year’s Nominees visit their website at http://www.grammy.com/

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Time (from TEARS AND THUNDER) (1996 - Audio)

Get the FREE audio downloads from this album at http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/1752068 -
from my spoken-word/audio-play "Tears and Thunder," TIME visits how precious it is indeed.  Become a fan of Cassone on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Antonio-Cassone-Books-Photography-Videos/146268915387723 and also visit http://www.reverbnation.com/antoniocassone to see and hear more works by Cassone - Thanks!

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GRAMMY WATCH – Rock Music Categories: My Picks and Predictions

Here are my picks and predictions for the Rock music categories for The 58^th Annual Grammy Awards.

Best Rock Performance
• Don't Wanna Fight
      Alabama Shakes
      [ATO Records]

• What Kind Of Man
      Florence + The Machine
      Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
      [Republic]

• Something From Nothing
      Foo Fighters
      Track from: Sonic Highways
      [RCA Records]

• Ex's & Oh's
      Elle King
      Track from: Love Stuff
      [RCA Records]

• Moaning Lisa Smile
      Wolf Alice
      Track from: My Love Is Cool
      [RCA Records/Dirty Hit]

My Pick: EX’S & OH’S

My Prediction: DON’T WANNA FIGHT…though, this is a really tough one to call.

~

Best Metal Performance
• Identity
     August Burns Red
      [Fearless Records]

• Cirice
      Ghost
      [Loma Vista Recordings]

• 512
      Lamb Of God
      Track from: VII: Sturm Und Drang
      [Epic Records]

• Thank You
      Sevendust
      [7Bros Records]

• Custer
      Slipknot
      Track from: .5: The Gray Chapter
      [Roadrunner Records]

My Pick and Prediction: CUSTER

~

Best Rock Song
• Don't Wanna Fight
      Alabama Shakes, songwriters (Alabama Shakes)
      [ATO Records; Publisher(s): Alabama Shakes Publishing/Break Mirrors Music]

• Ex's & Oh's
      Dave Bassett & Elle King, songwriters (Elle King)
      Track from: Love Stuff
      [RCA Records; Publisher(s): Elle King Music/EMI Music Publishing, Inc./Bassett Songs/EMI April Music, Inc.]

• Hold Back The River
      Iain Archer & James Bay, songwriters (James Bay)
      Track from: Chaos And The Calm
      [Republic; Publisher(s): B-Unique/Kobalt/Iain Archer/Kobalt]

• Lydia
      Richard Meyer, Ryan Meyer & Johnny Stevens, songwriters (Highly Suspect)
      Track from: Mister Asylum
      [300 Entertainment; Publisher(s): MCID]

• What Kind Of Man
      John Hill, Tom Hull & Florence Welch, songwriters (Florence + The Machine)
      Track from: How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
      [Republic; Publisher(s): Rodeoman Music/EMI April Music/Universal Music Publishing]

My Pick: EX’S & OH’S

My Prediction: DON’T WANNA FIGHT

~

Best Rock Album
• Chaos And The Calm
      James Bay
      [Republic]

• Kintsugi
      Death Cab For Cutie
      [Atlantic]

• Mister Asylum
      Highly Suspect
      [300 Entertainment]

• Drones
      Muse
      [Warner Bros. Records]

• .5: The Gray Chapter
      Slipknot
      [Roadrunner Records]

My Pick & Prediction: .5: THE GRAY CHAPTER

~

Best Alternative Music Album
• Sound & Color
      Alabama Shakes
      [ATO Records]

• Vulnicura
      Björk
      [One Little Indian]

• The Waterfall
      My Morning Jacket
      [Capitol Records]

• Currents
      Tame Impala
      [Interscope]

• Star Wars
      Wilco
      [Anti/Dbpm]

My Pick & Prediction: SOUND & COLOR

THE 58^TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be telecast live on CBS, Monday February 15, 2016 at 8PM/EST – PM/PST.  For everything GRAMMY, including a Full List of this year’s Nominees visit their website at http://www.grammy.com/

Check us out on YouTube – Please Subscribe (It’s Free!)
http://www.youtube.com/cassone2007
Check out Antonio Cassone’s Author Page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003OC3MME
Thank YOU!

GRAMMY WATCH – R&B Music Categories: My Picks and Predictions

Here are my picks and predictions in the R&B Music categories for The 58^th Annual Grammy Awards.

Best R&B Performance
• If I Don't Have You
      Tamar Braxton
      Track from: Calling All Lovers
      [Epic Records]

• Rise Up
      Andra Day
      Track from: Cheers To The Fall
      [Warner Bros. Records]

• Breathing Underwater
      Hiatus Kaiyote
      Track from: Choose Your Weapon
      [Flying Buddha / Sony Masterworks]

• Planes
      Jeremih Featuring J. Cole
      [Def Jam Recordings]

• Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
      The Weeknd
      Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
      [Universal Studios/Republic Records]

My Pick and Prediction: EARNED IT (FIFTY SHADES OF GREY) – The Weeknd has had quite a freshman year and he will be rewarded greatly.

~

Best Traditional R&B Performance
• He Is
      Faith Evans
      Track from: Incomparable
      [Prolific Music Group/BMG]

• Little Ghetto Boy
      Lalah Hathaway
      [Entertainment One/8Th Floor]

• Let It Burn
      Jazmine Sullivan
      Track from: Reality Show
      [RCA Records]

• Shame
      Tyrese
      [Voltron Recordz]

• My Favorite Part Of You
      Charlie Wilson
      Track from: Forever Charlie
      [RCA Records]

My Pick and Prediction: MY FAVORITE PART OF YOU – Charlie Wilson is like fine wine; he just gets better with each album. Though, Tyrese may give him a run.

~

Best R&B Song
• Coffee
      Brook Davis & Miguel Pimentel, songwriters (Miguel)
      Track from: Wildheart
      [RCA Records/ByStorm Entertainment; Publisher(s): Art Dealer Chic, Pop Killer/Dleaurean]

• Earned It (Fifty Shades Of Grey)
      Ahmad Balshe, Stephan Moccio, Jason Quenneville & Abel Tesfaye, songwriters (The Weeknd)
      Track from: Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
      [Universal Studios/Republic Records; Publisher(s): SONGS Music Publishing, LLC, o/b/o Songs Of SMP, Songs Of Universal, Inc. and Sing Little Penguin, Universal Music Corp, CP Music Group, Inc., Universal Pictures Music and UPG Music Publishing]

• Let It Burn
      Kenny B. Edmonds, Jazmine Sullivan & Dwane M. Weir II, songwriters (Jazmine Sullivan)
      Track from: Reality Show
      [RCA Records; Publisher(s): JazLady Publishing, Dwane M. Weir II/Sean Michael Anderson Music LLC/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Sony/ATV Songs LLC]

• Really Love
      D'Angelo & Kendra Foster, songwriters (D'Angelo And The Vanguard)
      Track from: Black Messiah
      [RCA Records; Publisher(s): Ah Choo Music Publishing/12:00 AM Music admin. by Universal Polygram International Publishing, Ear Kandy Music, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.]

• Shame
      Warryn Campbell, Tyrese Gibson & DJ Rogers Jr, songwriters (Tyrese)
      [Voltron Recordz; Publisher(s): Peer Music/Sounds From The Soul/Campbell Kids Music/Warner Chappell/@PenTorious D.J. Rogers Jr. Sounds From The Soul/Gibson & Gibson Music Publishing]

My Pick and Prediction: EARNED IT (FIFTY SHADES OF GREY) – for me, it is between this one and REALLY LOVE, but this one is nominated in a few more cats and has an Oscar nod to boot.  It just seems that the momentum should go this way.

~

Best Urban Contemporary Album
• Ego Death
      The Internet
      [Odd Future/Columbia]

• You Should Be Here
      Kehlani
      [Tsunami Mob/Atlantic]

• Blood
     Lianne La Havas
      [Nonesuch]

• Wildheart
      Miguel
      [RCA Records/ByStorm Entertainment]

• Beauty Behind The Madness
      The Weeknd
      [Republic]

My Pick: WILDHEART – I REALLY want Miguel to win.

My Prediction: BEAUTY BEHIND THE MADNESS – Again, The Weeknd had a very strong year and will rise to the top here as well, though I hope Miguel pulls it out.

~

Best R&B Album
• Coming Home
      Leon Bridges
      [Columbia Records]

• Black Messiah
      D'Angelo And The Vanguard
      [RCA Records]

• Cheers To The Fall
      Andra Day
      [Warner Bros. Records]

• Reality Show
      Jazmine Sullivan
      [RCA Records]

• Forever Charlie
      Charlie Wilson
      [RCA Records]

My Pick: FOREVER CHARLIE – Awesome showcase and very deserving.

My Prediction: BLACK MESSIAH – D’Angelo’s masterpiece.

THE 58^TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be telecast live on CBS, Monday February 15, 2016 at 8PM/EST – PM/PST.  For everything GRAMMY, including a Full List of this year’s Nominees visit their website at http://www.grammy.com/

Check us out on YouTube – Please Subscribe (It’s Free!)
http://www.youtube.com/cassone2007
Check out Antonio Cassone’s Author Page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003OC3MME
Thank YOU!