GRAMMY WATCH: SADE

Sade's 2010 album Soldier Of Love didn't seem to get too much attention from the media this year. but Sade's fans don't really need the media to sell them on records.  It was their first album in a decade, and the fans were ready for some new music.  But it did hit #1 on the charts, and it was one of the top ten selling albums of the year.

I'm glad that Sade got two Grammy nominations: "Soldier Of Love" is up for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals and "Babyfather" is up for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals (Sade is a band, it doesn't just refer to the singer, Sade Adu, but also guitarist Stuart Colin Matthewman, bassist Paul Spencer Denman and keyboardist Andrew Hale).

I actually thought that the album might have gotten a ton of nominations, but I believe that that didn't happen because it came out so early in the year, and also that it didn't much media hype.  That may change next year when Sade hits the road with John Legend opening.

SADE IS #1

Ten years after their last album, Sade's latest, Soldier Of Love, debuted at #1 on the charts this week, selling over 500,000 copies.  In one week! The lesson here, I think, is: you don't have to pander. You don't have to put out albums until you are ready to. You don't have to be a part of a trend or a scene. You don't have to "tell all" in "exclusive" interviews. You don't even (necessarily) have to "engage" your fans on "multiple platforms." You just have to be great, and don't betray the trust of your fans.  And yes, I referred to Sade as "they," not "she." The band is fronted by Sade - aka Helen Folasade Adu - but also three other musicians, Stuart Matthewman, Paul Spencer Denman and Andrew Hale.  Helen Folasade doesn't do many interviews, but you can read one here.

TOMORROW ON OUTQ (WEATHER PERMITTING): SADE, RAE, AND MORE

For those of you who are new to No Expiration, every Wednesday morning at 9 am ET I go on the SIRIUS XM channel OutQ. I am a weekly contributor to The Morning Jolt with Larry Flick. We talk about - surprise! - music. Given that our area is supposed to be snowed in tomorrow, I may or may not make it in, stay tuned!

But if I do, I'll be talking about albums from some very talented ladies. First off is what might be the most anticipated album of 2010: Sade's latest, Soldier Of Love, which came out today. I only have the single, the title track, which I love. Sade is like Peter Gabriel, she's practically her own genre. Anyway, Larry has the whole album, so I'll be hearing some of it for the first time.

Corinne Bailey Rae's The Sea is just so, so sad. It is about her late husband, who died of an accidental overdose. I guess it is kind of like Lou Reed's Magic & Loss, about the death of a friend, or Sting's The Soul Cages about the death of his father or Neil Young's Sleeps With Angels, which was inspired by the death of Kurt Cobain. It's a hard album to listen to over and over, but it is a really good album at the same time. There are some beautiful sentiments, like "I Would Like To Call It Beauty" (inspired by a conversation Corinne had with her husband's brother), and "I'd Do It All Again." She had a hard time getting back into music, and then Questlove, a great guy by all accounts, gave her a live DVD of a Nina Simeone concert, and that helped her. I don't know how long I can really talk about this album for.

Patty Griffin's latest album, Downtown Church, is very gospel-inspried, and was in fact recorded in a church. Produced by the great Buddy Miller, it features guest appearances by Buddy, Julie Miller and Emmylou Harris. It's interesting: she could have made a much more "pop" album... especially since more people are finding out about her (she has been covered by Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson, Susan Boyle, The Dixie Chicks, Ben Harper and Emmylou Harris, among others). This would seem to be the right time to just go for it, and try and make the breakthrough album. Clearly not her m.o., and good for her. It's a really, really good album. I love her writing and her singing.

Once again, I am going to try and get Larry to accept Jack White's greatness. Actually, this proably won't work. As I've written about before, Jack is producing Wanda Jackson's new album, and the first single is out now. The A-side is a cover of Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good," and the B-side is a cover of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates' "Shakin' All Over." The thing is, even five decades after she started making music, her voice still sounds really abrasive. I'm not sure the Amy cover works.

Then there is The Black Belles, an all-female rock band who I am sort of enjoying, the way you enjoy your first taste of a strong whiskey before you are old enough to drink. You're not actually sure you liked it at all, but you're going to try it again next weekend. Jack produced them, they have a cool sound, a cool look and I'm giving this one some time.

Well, I think it started snowing, so I don't know if I will make it in. If I don't, I'll be talking about all of this music next week. If I do, next week will be all about David Bowie!

SADE TO RETURN IN FEBRUARY

Back in May, I wrote that Sade will be returning with her first new album in nine years in November. November only has a few days left, and her album isn't coming out this Tuesday. Billboard reports that the album will be called Soldier Of Love and will be out on February 10. Hey, it's been nine years, what's another few months?