And the Nominees Are…

The Grammys are happening! On February 13! As usual – well, at least since the 1990s – there will be a CD compiling the highest-profile nominees. It now has a track list and cover art.

It’s a pretty solid cross-section of the best-known artists, songs and nominations. Of course, there are some hilarious questions to ask about the track list. Why are nine of these songs from 2009? (That’s probably due to eligibility requirements.) Did we really need to put the censored version of Cee-Lo’s catchy hit? (The original version also begins with an F-word; I think you know where this is going.) Where the heck is the live version of Train’s “Hey Soul Sister” from? Can we stop giving Taylor Swift featured credit on John Mayer’s “Half of My Heart,” a song she sings barely perceptible background vocals on?

In any case, this will be in your local store on January 25. Plenty of time to buy it and/or ignore it before the Grammys telecast! Order it here and read the track list and relevant nominations after the jump.

Friday Feature: “TRON”

One of the most-talked about film scores on the market right now is the score to TRON: Legacy, composed by French electronic act Daft Punk. Everything about it is delightfully unconventional: it’s a score for a Disney blockbuster – a sequel to a cult classic released nearly 30 years ago – composed by two killer musicians best known for making fresh music through technological, not organic means. But the hybrid electronic/orchestral score is a knockout, arguably a serious Oscar contender and one of the best things about the film.

Naturally, this warrants a discussion of the music to the original film, which set the template for Daft Punk’s success in the sequel. It hasn’t been talked about much – and, like the film itself, it’s stunningly expensive on the secondary market – so let’s go through the grid and rediscover the soundtrack to the original TRON in this week’s Friday Feature.

Ain’t That a Kick in the Head? Rat Pack Comp to Feature Unreleased Sinatra Track

The three core members of the superstar collective known as “The Rat Pack” – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. – have had their share of catalogue reissues and box sets, more than all the riches in Las Vegas. But together, there have only been a few compilations, thanks to the necessary wrangling between labels (Sinatra’s Rat Pack era material was captured between Capitol and his own Reprise label; both of which saw releases from Martin and Davis). The last such release was probably Eee-O 11: The Best of The Rat Pack (2001), which came from EMI.

Now, Rhino will be throwing their effort into the ring – apparently to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vegas-era Rat Pack (which is close enough; Ocean’s 11 was released 50 years ago in 2010) – with the forthcoming The Very Best of The Rat Pack. It’s a simple volume that compiles the most notable hits of each man, from “Come Fly with Me” in 1958 to Martin’s “Volare” in 1965. Their greatest tunes are all here – “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” “Witchcraft,” “Birth of the Blues,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Luck Be a Lady” and many, many more. There’s also one new track from the vaults: an alternate take of Sinatra singing “I’m Gonna Live Until I Die.”

Look for The Very Best of The Rat Pack on January 25. Order it here and check the track listing after the jump.