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This morning, we got an email from Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, upcoming cover stars of Blender’s February issue. Wentz puts a lot of miles on his Blackberry – we’re assuming he has an unlimited plan, and it wouldn’t be a shock if FOB had to cancel a tour because Wentz came down with a texting repetitive strain injury.
You can see the email he was sending out, below. For a guy who’s online so much, you would assume that Wentz knows enough email etiquette to hide his cc list, so that nosy people — like, say, Blender — aren’t able to see the names and email addresses in his Blackberry address book. So let’s have a close look and see who is a FOW (Friend of Wentz).
It’s no surprise that the other 224 people copied on the email include Wentz’s mom, in-laws Tina and Joe Simpson, plus wife Ashlee Simpson and Ashlee’s assistant. Pete also sent the email to L.A. Reid, chairman of Island Def Jam, FOB’s label, plus Ryan Seacrest, clothing designer Marc Ecko, a makeup artist, a record producer, a real-estate agent, Hell’s Kitchen runner-up (season three!) Bonnie Muirhead, and various allies at FUSE TV, Sirius satellite radio, MTV, CAA and Jimmy Kimmel Live. There’s a Grammy-podium worth of musician friends: Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, Nick Cannon, Mark Hoppus of blink-182, Chris Cornell, P. Diddy, Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship and Wentz’s besty, John Mayer. The email also went to Wentz’s FOB bandmate Patrick Stump (who uses AOL! OMG!), listed in Wentz’s address book under his birth name, “Patrick Stumph.” There’s also a FOW named David Cook, who may or may not be the American Idol winner and grunge balladeer.
We’ve already spent much of the day going over Wentz’s personal information, including Googling some of his friends. However, it would be highly unethical for us to tell you Ashlee Simpson’s Gmail address. (Hint: It’s not Ashlee.Simpson@gmail.com, or ASimpson@gmail.com, or MrsPeteWentz@gmail.com.) Besides, what have you really got to say to Ryan Seacrest?
Personal to Wentz: Sorry, can’t make it to the art opening tomorrow night. We won’t be in L.A. Double air kiss!
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 The nominations for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards are in! A celebratory concert was held in honor of the announcements, which included performances by John Mayer and Christina Aguilera. Lil Wayne received the most (eight), followed by Coldplay (seven). The blogosphere / glittersphere is aflutter over the fact that Mariah Carey wasn't nominated for anything. Personally, I'm offended that Paris Hilton didn't get a nod for her ground-breaking hit single "My BFF," but at least Amy Hanaiali`i got nominated for Best Hawaiian Album! Also (sincerely), I'm pleased that Adele got a nod for "Chasing Pavements" and that Flight Of The Conchords got nominated for Best Comedy Album!
Here are the nominees in all the mainstream categories - to get the complete list, go here. The awards ceremony will take place on February 8, 2009 in L.A.
Record Of The Year
Chasing Pavement - Adele
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
Paper Planes - M.I.A
Please Read The Letter - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Album Of The Year
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay
Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne
Year Of The Gentleman - Ne-Yo
Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
In Rainbows - Radiohead
Song Of The Year
American Boy - Estelle Featuring Kanye West
Chasing Pavements - Adele
I'm Yours - Sara Bareilles
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Best New Artist
Adele
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Chasing Pavements - Adele
Love Song - Sara Bareilles
Mercy - Duffy
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry
So What - Pink
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
All Summer Long - Kid Rock
Say - John Mayer
That Was Me - Paul McCartney
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
Closer - Ne-Yo
Wichita Lineman - James Taylor
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Waiting In The Weeds Eagles
Going On Gnarls Barkley
Won't Go Home Without You Maroon 5
Apologize OneRepublic
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
Lesson Learned - Alicia Keys & John Mayer
4 Minutes - Madonna, Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
Rich Woman - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
If I Never See Your Face Again - Rihanna & Maroon 5
No Air - Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
Best Pop Vocal Album
Detours - Sheryl Crow
Rockferry - Duffy
Long Road Out Of Eden - Eagles
Spirit - Leona Lewis
Covers - James Taylor
Best Dance Recording
Harder Better Faster Stronger - Daft Punk
Ready For The Floor - Hot Chip
Just Dance - Lady Gaga & Colby O'Donis
Give It 2 Me - Madonna
Disturbia - Rihanna
Black & Gold - Sam Sparro
Best Electronic/Dance Album
New York City - Brazilian Girls
Alive 2007 - Daft Punk
Bring Ya To The Brink - Cyndi Lauper
X - Kylie Minogue
Last Night - Moby
Robyn - Robyn
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
Gravity - John Mayer
I Saw Her Standing There - Paul McCartney
Girls In Their Summer Clothes - Bruce Springsteen
Rise - Eddie Vedder
No Hidden Path - Neil Young
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Rock N Roll Train - AC/DC
Violet Hill - Coldplay
Long Road Out Of Eden - Eagles
Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon
House Of Cards - Radiohead
Best Hard Rock Performance
Inside The Fire - Disturbed
Visions - Judas Priest
Wax Simulacra - The Mars Volta
Saints Of Los Angeles - Mötley Crüe
Lords Of Salem - Rob Zombie
Best Metal Performance
Heroes Of Our Time - DragonForce
Nostradamus - Judas Priest
My Apocalypse - Metallica
Under My Thumb - Ministry
Psychosocial - Slipknot
Best Rock Instrumental Performance
Castellorizon - David Gilmour
Suicide & Redemption - Metallica
34 Ghosts I-IV - Nine Inch Nails
Hope (Live For The Art Of Peace) - Rush
Peaches En Regalia - Zappa Plays Zappa
Best Rock Song
Girls In Their Summer Clothes - Bruce Springsteen
House Of Cards - Radiohead
I Will Possess Your Heart - Death Cab For Cutie
Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon
Violet Hill - Coldplay
Best Rock Album
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends - Coldplay
Rock N Roll Jesus - Kid Rock
Only By The Night - Kings Of Leon
Death Magnetic - Metallica
Consolers Of The Lonely - The Raconteurs
Best Alternative Music Album
Modern Guilt - Beck
Narrow Stairs - Death Cab For Cutie
The Odd Couple - Gnarls Barkley
Evil Urges - My Morning Jacket
In Rainbows - Radiohead
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
Me, Myself And I - Beyoncé
Heaven Sent - Keyshia Cole
Spotlight - Jennifer Hudson
Superwoman - Alicia Keys
Need U Bad - Jazmine Sullivan
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
You're The Only One - Eric Benét
Take You Down - Chris Brown
Miss Independent - Ne-Yo
Can't Help But Wait - Trey Songz
Here I Stand - Usher
Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Ribbon In The Sky - Boyz II Men
Words - Anthony David Featuring India.Arie
Stay With Me (By The Sea) - Al Green Featuring John Legend
I'm His Only Woman - Jennifer Hudson Featuring Fantasia
Never Give You Up - Raphael Saadiq Featuring Stevie Wonder & CJ Hilton
Best Contemporary R&B Album
Growing Pains - Mary J. Blige
Back Of My Lac' - J. Holiday
First Love - Karina
Year Of The Gentleman - Ne-Yo
Fearless - Jazmine Sullivan
Best Rap Solo Performance
Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)... - Jay-Z
A Milli - Lil Wayne
Paris, Tokyo - Lupe Fiasco
N.i.*.*.e.r. (The Slave And The Master) - Nas
Sexual Eruption - Snoop Dogg
Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group
Royal Flush - Big Boi Featuring Raekwon And Andre 3000
Swagga Like Us - Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne
Mr. Carter - Lil Wayne Featuring Jay-Z
Wish You Would - Ludacris Featuring T.I.
Put On - Young Jeezy Featuring Kanye West
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
American Boy - Estelle Featuring Kanye West
Low - Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain
Green Light - John Legend & Andre 3000
Got Money - Lil Wayne Featuring T-Pain
Superstar - Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos
Best Rap Song
Lollipop - Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major
Low - Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain
Sexual Eruption - Snoop Dogg
Superstar - Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos
Swagga Like Us - Jay-Z & T.I. Featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne
Best Rap Album
American Gangster - Jay-Z
Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne
The Cool - Lupe Fiasco
Nas - Nas
Paper Trail - T.I.
Best Spoken Word Album
An Inconvenient Truth - Al Gore, Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon & Blair Underwood
Born Standing Up - Steve Martin
I Am America (And So Can You!) - Stephen Colbert (& Various Artists)
Life Beyond Measure - Sidney Poitier
When You Are Engulfed In Flames - David Sedaris
Best Comedy Album
Anticipation - Lewis Black
Flight Of The Conchords - Flight Of The Conchords
For Your Consideration - Kathy Griffin
It's Bad For Ya - George Carlin
Songs Of The Bushmen Harry Shearer
Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
Danger Mouse
Nigel Godrich
Johnny Karkazis (Johnny K)
Rick Rubin
will.i.am
Best Short Form Music Video
Honey - Erykah Badu
Who's Gonna Save My Soul - Gnarls Barkley
Another Way To Die - Alicia Keys & Jack White
House Of Cards - Radiohead
Pork And Beans - Weezer
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 Anyone who went to check out a band called Goonsquad in New York City last night was treated to a surprise headliner: John Mayer. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and paparazzi magnet performed a secret show at Mercury Lounge, a cozy Manhattan club approximately 1/200 the size of the venues he usually plays. In front of what he called a “subversive hipster crowd” of around a hundred, Mayer ambled onstage just after midnight and jammed for about an hour, without fanfare or even a band—just him and his Fender electric. He told some bad jokes; chatted with the crowd from the stage; did a little philosophizing. Jennifer Aniston was nowhere in sight. Super low-key.
The seven-song set include one cover (Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire”), one snippet of a cover (Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up”), one BlackBerry shoutout (wink!), and one uncannily good a cappella rendition of the beat from Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” (boop-boop-boop-boop boop-boop-boop-boop…). He also tried out two new songs: “Taking on Water,” a ship-lost-in-a-storm allegory he wrote about being 30 (lucky for us it wasn’t about this), and “All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye,” which elicited many an _awwwww_. Not played: any songs about high schools or wonderlands.
Mayer stuck around for a few minutes afterwards to mingle with the crowd and fend off forays by quite a few interested ladies. (The most action we saw any of them get was a very chaste high-five.) He did the same thing last year, a couple of days before his birthday, but apparently that show was _so_ secret  that only about 30 people showed up. There wasn’t any special occasion this time: Word is Mayer just wanted to get onstage, and the guys who run the club are awesome goodtimes.
Here’s the full setlist:
I'm On Fire
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
Taking on Water
Who Did You Think I Was?
Vultures
All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye
Gravity |
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In celebration of Hump Day, please give us your 2 cents on the following...
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 John Mayer
"Free Fallin'"
We
want to like John Mayer. He seems like a funny guy. But — considering we're grown males and all —
it's tough for us to, you know, enjoy his music. While his easy listening wail makes the ladies swoon
with the quickness, it's the ultimate lightweight warble to our ears.
Not to say his voice is unpleasant. It's quite pleasant. If anything,
it's too pleasant. And that's the main problem with his take on Tom Petty's
"Free Fallin '," from his recent CD/DVD set, Where the Light Is.
The live version is all you'd expect from Mayer — careful acoustic
strumming, well-placed falsetto, plenty of embarrassing singing and/or
guitar faces. But without Petty's grit, the song's central "bad boy" sounds
like a poseur who really wouldn't mind checking out The Sisterhood of the
Traveling Pants 2 the day it comes out. He's free fallin' onto a pile of plump pillows — cue the teenage screams. 
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 << Finally, the epic, kitten-themed Yeah Yeah Yeahs album we've been waiting for is on the horizon! [NME]
+ M.I.A. is screwing up our sellout radar (sell-dar?)
by getting paid $100,000 to play a private, Target-sponsored gig ... only
to announce she's going to use the cash to build schools in Liberia.
[The Daily Swarm]
+ Is John Mayer's recent run-in with the cops right outside TMZ's office another part of his ingenious pap-punking pyramid scheme? [TMZ]
+ T-minus two and a half days until the controversial cover of Nas's new album is replaced by this. [Sit Down Stand Up]
[Photo Credit: Nick Zinner/yeahyeahyeahs.com]
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 << If John Mayer loves Pete Wentz so much why doesn't he just marry him, huh? Huh?! [John Mayer Blog]
+ Usher discovers the cell phone. [The Daily Swarm]
+ Known George W. Bush advocate Ricky Martin does what Obama couldn't — by endorsing Hillary Clinton, the former boy bander effectively ends her run at the White House. [CBS News]
+ Britney might play piano on her new album, due as early as this Christmas. [Pretty Much Amazing] |
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 << Is John Mayer really the only celebrity smart enough to goof on the paparazzi on a regular basis? [TMZ]
+ Genius scientists talk about a new breakthrough called "geometrical
music theory," which sounds like a high-tech version of the visualizers
that make your computer screen look like it's on acid when you play
that new Weezer song. [Brooklyn Vegan]
+ Carrie Underwood and 50 Cent look like a couple of hotel-robed newlyweds on their honeymoon in this picture taken at a recent Vitamin Water commercial shoot. [Pop Crunch]
+ The new Aerosmith-themed Guitar Hero game will give all children under the age of 14 nightmares according to this preview. [Vulture] |
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We want to feature your music-related photos on Blender.com. Not a professional photographer? Doesn't matter! If you have great live shots or any music-related photos, submit them at photos at blender.com, and include any Web site or link that you’d like to run with your photo. There’s no limit to how many you can submit, so keep 'em coming as you take 'em!
This photo of John Mayer was taken by 24-year-old stylist Vanessa Hernandez. “For this particular show I was in the seventh row, and even scored his guitar pick after he performed 'Gravity.'" See other photos Vanessa has taken on her MySpace page.
See past Photo's of the Day here.
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 As we get ready for all the bands, beer and, um, beer at Austin's SXSW festival next week, we'd like to take a fond look back to some of Blender.com's greatest moments from past festivals. SXSW has been showcasing emerging bands for a long time now, and — surprise! — sometimes these emerging bands actually, you know, emerge. Take John Mayer, who in 2001 still required a nametag to showcase the ballad that launched a thousand sororities, "Your Body Is a Wonderland." This year, fluorescent-lit conference rooms will once again be filled with dudes with guitars and nametags, and we'll once again take bets on which nerdy singer-songwriter will be next on Jessica Simpson's list:
John Mayer: "Your Body Is a Wonderland" (Live @ SXSW 2001)
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