In March, the Soundtrack Series will be having its March Madness Madonnathon–an evening of stories about you-know-who in celebration of the publication of this fantastic book.

And what do you know, just in time for the book, Madonna is popular again.

As everyone on this planet knows, Madonna, along with LMFAO, Cee Lo, Nicki Minaj and MIA, performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show last night. She was great, I had no doubt she would be. But even though I enjoyed Madonna’s performance, and thought she looked fantastic, and was tickled pink by how she unapologetically marched her beefy, homoerotic Roman soldiers onto the field at the “straightest” event of the year, I still watched the show feeling a tinge of sadness. I couldn’t figure out my long face–it’s not like she did “Promise to Try”–but then I got it. Because it was right there in front of me. I was watching Madonna. At the Super Bowl Halftime Show. A show that, since Janet Jackson’s boob performed in 2004, has gone above and beyond to book “safe” or “tame” or “older” acts to ensure that the Halftime Show would be family oriented and befitting an event as wholesome as…the Super Bowl. And in 2012, Madonna–the woman who was once considered the live wire of controversy that humped a stage in a wedding dress, and sang in front of a row of burning crosses, and published a book where she was photographed in sexual situations with Vanilla Ice, and influenced an entire generation to explore its sexuality in ways it hadn’t before had the courage to do–is now considered safe. Family friendly. Not a nip slip.

And if that’s not a goodbye to a more exciting time, I don’t know what is.

Pamela Grossman, and the heartbreak of January.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

I was looking for a store location on my phone today, and as I went to type the store name into Google, three recent searches came up:

What is witch hazel used for?
Where is Vanderbilt?
Difference between Record and Song of the Year?

These are the deep questions I have pondered on recent long bus rides.

But that third one is, of course, particularly timely. And at long last, I will head into this year’s Grammy Awards fully understanding the difference between Record and Song of the Year. Record of the Year celebrates the song’s performance/performer. Song of the Year celebrates its writer. Adele is up for both, of course, as is Bon Iver, Bruno Mars and Mumford & Sons. Everyone is pretty sure it’s gonna be Adele. Both times.

Except it might not be. Overall, the odds are not on her side. Or any of the other Record/Song noms, for that matter. But since the Grammys began, they’ve been getting better.

Let me explain. The first Grammy Awards were in 1959, and from then to last year, only 24 songs have won both Record and Song of the Year, which is less than half the number of Grammy Award ceremonies from then to now. But, within each decade, the number of times a song has won for both Record and Song have gone up (for the most part). So from 1959-1969, 2 songs won both; from 1970-1979, 4 songs won both; 1980-1989, 5 won both; 1990-1999, 7 won both, and from 2000-2010, 5 won both. And so far in the current decade, we have 1 that’s won both–thanks to last year’s win for Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now.”

In the name of improvement with each decade, it’s looking good (but for a small dip in momentum from the 90s to the aughts) that at least someone on those two lists will win both awards for one song.

I’m Team Adele. Because, just, wow. “Rolling in the Deep” is a pretty garsh darn spectacular, both in the writing and performance.

That, and she has great hair. A known deciding factor.

J. Holtham, the karaoke king, on Drops of Jupiter by Train. Don’t worry. The first thing he does is apologize for this song.

Photo by Spencer Ritenour

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Well, not nothing. A lot, I guess.

I actually can’t believe I haven’t posted this yet. This is comic Rob Paravonian, and his rant about hating Pachelbel’s Canon in D. He breaks it down, and then shows just how much this, his least favorite song, follows him around in modern popular music.

I wonder how much Hot Cross Buns appears in modern popular music. But I’m glad I don’t actually know. Because that would be my hell.

Lineup announcement day! We have our storyslingers and their songs for February 23rd, which, incidentally, is our two year anniversary show.

We’re a thing! Officially! For two years!

So on February 23rd, we’re gonna have a 2 year anniversary celebration. This will include a few rounds of trivia, prizes in “cotton” (the traditional two year anniversary gift), and the following fantastic storyslingers:

Dave Hill (This American Life, Tasteful Nudes)
Blaise Allysen Kearsley (How I Learned Series)
Ryan Andes (Kidnapped by Craigslist)
Jill Marino (Mortified)
Alex J. Mann (National Lampoon)

And me, dressed like a diner waitress I’m calling “Thunder Gulch” to talk about this song…and video.

Our two year anniversary. Special. So special.

Elna Baker on gathering the courage to come out to her parents as a non-virgin.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This is David Cote.

David is the theater editor and chief drama critic for Time Out New York and a contributing critic on NY1’s weekly theater show, OnStage. He teaches arts criticism at Brooklyn College and is an early-careerlibrettist and playwright.

Coming soon! On February 7th and 8th, HERE Arts Centerwill present a staged scene and a libretto reading of his opera-in-progress TheScarlet Ibis, with composer Stefan Weisman.

Be at it. And tonight, David is telling his story based on Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now.” It’s probably best for you to be at that, too.

8pm, The Gallery at LPR (Le Poisson Rouge). See you there, musicistas.

Franz Nicolay, and the reincarnation of a very special instrument.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This is Pamela Grossman.

Pamela is a Brooklyn-based journalist, editor, and creative writer. Her articles and essays have been published in the Village Voice, Ms., and Salon.com (to name a few), and her poems can be found in various national journals and in the anthology “Women. Period.” She has read her work in spaces such as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and the St. Marks Poetry Project in New York, and Beyond Baroque in Los Angeles. She is also making a documentary on lifelong friendship.

Wow. Whenever I read the credentials of people who do this much, I think, When do they watch TV?

Remind me to ask Pam this on Thursday.