There was a major blast from the past last week when this year’s Grammy nominees were announced. Daryl Hall and John Oates (Hall & Oats) ended up with a nomination (for pop performance by a duo or group with vocals) for “Sara Smile,” a 34-year-old track from their self-titled fourth album. They were nominated for a live performance of the song from the 2008 album Live at the Troubadour. This nomination for Hall & Oates that puts them alongside fellow nominees Bon Jovi, Black Eyed Peas, the Fray, and MGMT was a big surprise to many, including Hall. If they do win, it will actually be their first Grammy. In an interview with the Times where he was asked for his reaction to the news, he explained that the song “defines me as a songwriter, on my own. I’ve sung that song thousands of times, and I’ve never sung it the same twice. It’s a song that in its simplicity has a lot of flexibility built into it. It evolves, and it remains timeless. I use it as the centerpiece of any show that we do.” I mean it’s a good song and all but listen here and see for yourself if it resonates with you in 2009.
Another Grammy nominee this year, Bon Jovi just announced that the opening act for their February, 2010 tour will be Florida’s own Dashboard Confessional. For Dashboard Confessional’s new album Alter the Ending, front-man Christopher Carraba is joined by a full band, a departure from some of the more earnest singer-songwriter tunes he has been known for. Dashboard Confessional is playing tomorrow night at the Middle East is Boston and this Friday at the Highline Ballroom but the shows are sold out so you’ll have to check them out when they open for the Bon Jovi tour this February. Check out the first single off of the album, “Belle of the Boulevard,” below.
Dashboard Confessional – Belle of the Boulevard:
-Melissa
East Village to Brooklyn 