Pop Goes the Buzzzzz!

I am a HUGE movie fan.

Once upon a time, I was going to move to Hollywood and become a filmmaker. Luckily for me, I found writing... Anyway, I still love sitting in the dark and being wisked away to another time and place.

And the popcorn. I love popcorn....mmm...

Anyway, this year I’ve seen a ton of flicks, including most of the ones nominated for Oscars. It’s actually hard to know who and what’s going to win – with the exception of Jennifer Hudson (Best Supporting Actress, duh!) and Helen Mirren (Best Actress) and Forrest Whittaker (Best Actor). Okay, so maybe I do know who's going to win, but they are shoe-ins, people! How could you not know this. BTW, I would love for Eddie Murphy to win Best Supporting Actor – he was amazing in Dreamgirls...

But in the midst of all the Oscar fever, there are these little awards called Grammys being given out on Sunday (tomorrow) night! I am soooo excited to watch the show. THE POLICE are reuniting for the Grammys! Dude, that rocks!

So like everyone else this last year, I shook my booty to the Black Eyed Peas’ song “My Humps", I grooved to JT’s “Sexy Back” and even cried with the American Idol castoffs sent packing to the tune of Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day” – but this was also a great year for music you didn’t hear so much you wanted to stab your eardrums with pencils...

There are some amazing up and coming bands nominated this year. Take the following category for example:

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals:

My Humps -- The Black Eyed Peas
I Will Follow You Into The Dark -- Death Cab For Cutie
Over My Head (Cable Car) -- The Fray
Is It Any Wonder? -- Keane
Stickwitu -- The Pussycat Dolls

Only two of my FAVORITE bands in this category!!

Keane, from England, are freaking amazing. I just saw them play live two weeks ago, after listening to their CDs as sort of a soundtrack to my new life in the city all last fall. It was what I'll call "transformational" -- is that even a word? Anyway, these guys sounded even better at their concert then their awesome CD Under the Iron Sea. It was truly one of the best concerts I have ever, ever, ever been to. Ever. Did I say that already?

My favorite part of their performance was when Tom, the lead singer, introduced one of their songs, “Bad Dream” with a clip of a Yeats poem called “An Irish Airman Foresees his Death”.

When have you gone to a show and heard the poem that inspired the song read aloud? Genius, people.

This nominated song, “Is it Any Wonder?” is all about the confusion in the world that people are living through. It’s catchy, yet filled with a message. Like pretty much all of Keane's music is.

Death Cab For Cutie, a Seattle band, have a great song in this category, too -- “I Will Follow You into the Dark.” If you haven’t heard it, it’s an acoustic song with pure vocals and an eternal love letter message.

My sister used to know the lead singer (went to college with him) and she still can’t get over the fact that the dude is a rising star. He’s also part of the group The Postal Service – which does an electronic version of “Such Great Heights” another fab song.

Look for good bands in the Best Rock Song category. The Killers (another fave of mine) and the Irish band Snow Patrol are both nominated.

Snow Patrol’s song “Chasing Cars” did get a little overplayed, but I still love the lyrics...

“Forget what we’re told,
Before we get too old,
Show me a garden bursting into life.”

Isn’t that simple, yet cool?

In the Best Alternative Album category, there’s an NYC group called the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. This is their second nomination in this category. They’ve got an indie rock sound (remind me a little of The White Stripes) and a cool girl singer.

So, there’s a lot to get excited about in music this year. And yes, Justin Timberlake is nominated all over the freaking place. The guy has talent. I can admit that. I’ll be dancing in my living room when he throws down on Sunday night at the Grammys.

But, I hope you’ve checked out some of the other cool artists on the Grammy nom list. All of these bands have myspace pages -- so check their music out before the big show!

Heather Davis is the author of
Never Cry Werewolf
Coming in 2008 from HarperCollins.