Grammy Nods (if you still care)

[NewDimension]

Most of the Grammy's are over-rated. Half of the artists/bands nominated usually shouldn't be to begin with. And then, the other half that actually should be nominated usually aren't. Who should be nominated though, is really based on the definition each individual gives it.

[murlough23]

I don't really expect them to nominate my subjective favorites (even though, in this case, I got lucky with one of 'em).

I just wish I could look at the list of nominees and see that they were looking for quality work instead of nominating big names who sold a bazillion albums. Popularity is not a good barometer for quality, so it means that the Grammys really just exist to give additional rewards to those who are already huge sellers and whose record labels know how to shove the artists down the public's throat with the most force.

Radiohead is an obvious anomaly, though. I hope that's a harbinger for what's to come, but I won't hold my breath.

[Ian]

Radiohead still "sold" a pretty considerable number of albums though.

[murlough23]

Radiohead still "sold" a pretty considerable number of albums though.

I guess so. Even with the ability to legally try it out for free, I wasn't sure if that made a dent compared to the sales of the retail store-friendly, mall-friendly major label heavyweights (which includes Coldplay). Plus I don't know what the Grammy people measure or care about in terms of "sales".

[spacebrat311]

Well it was #1 for a few weeks in January, I remember that much.

[bloop]

Grammy is nothing more or less than another marketing tool.  Wake me when you see a list of nominees that pits TV on the Radio against Sufjan and, sure, Radiohead - for the big award, or something like that.  That might change my mind.  (I've always wished they would celebrate actual quality and go a little more arty).

[Ian]

And who knows -- considering many of the people nominated are mostly in the music business for the money and recognition anyways, it might encourage them to put forth a little more effort.

[murlough23]

Normally, I'm as apathetic about the Grammys as bloop, but since Radiohead went rather anti-commercial (at least in terms of distribution) and Coldplay, though a mainstream sales juggernaut, also subverted listener expectations in some ways, I think it's worth paying attention to see if either artist gets their dues. I tend to not care about the Grammys unless someone unconventional whose music I'm familiar with is nominated - then I think it could actually mean something significant if they win.

[bloop]

I should say that I'm apathetic about the awards themselves, but I always watch because there's usually a few performances worth catching.

[ajyouthguy]

So is Brandon Heath being up against all those Gospel singers who, y'know, actually sing Gospel. (Well, except for Kirk Franklin. He shouts Gospel.)

or this one...one of these things is not like the other department part II, Gospel Grammy nods version...

Best Gospel Performance


 I Understand
Kim Burrell, Rance Allen, Bebe Winans & Mariah Carey
Track from: Randy Jackson's Music Club, Volume One
[Concord Records/Dream Merchant 21 Ent.]
 
 East To West
Casting Crowns
Track from: The Altar And The Door Live
[Beach Street/Reunion Records]
 
 Get Up
Mary Mary
Track from: The Sound
[Columbia]
 
 Shall We Gather At The River
Take 6
Track from: The Standard
[Heads Up International]

 Waging War
CeCe Winans
Track from: Thy Kingdom Come
[PureSprings Gospel/EMI Gospel] 

reallllllly...Casting Crowns up against Take 6, Cece, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, etc.?!  seriously?  how does that even remotely work, although to be fair it DID say 'any genre is eligible,' but still...one of that list is VERY VERY different from the others, no?  just glad they didn't win.

PS...i also saw that Hawk Nelson got nominated in the Best Recorded Packaging category, that's kinda interesting.

[bloop]

At least the crass commercial gaudy spectacle that is the Grammy Awards is over.

To their credit, while I wouldn't have chosen it, and it's clearly the "old people" choice, the Plant/Krauss collaboration was very good.

About the performances - way more collaborations than was necessary.  Coldplay/Jay-Z, Smokey Robinson/Jamie Foxx, Ne-Yo, One half of Radiohead/some college marching band.  I really would have preferred the artists just play their music, even though the performances weren't bad.

[murlough23]

I just watched the Radiohead performance of "15 Step" with the USC Marching Band on YouTube. Pretty cool. (Where was the rest of the band? I only saw Thom and Johnny.) Very funny that Gwyneth Paltrow got to intro it. "Here's the band that people keep accusing my husband's band of ripping off!"

Nice to see "Viva la Vida" pick up a couple awards, but not go overboard and sweep all categories that Coldplay got nominated in. I think that was deserved.

A Toby Mac live album wins the Rock or Rap Gospel category over albums containing actual new material? Frak you, Grammy voters.

[bloop]

Yeah, they weren't there.  I'd personally prefer they nixed USC and just have the band, but it was pretty cool anyway.

[murlough23]

Yeah, they weren't there.  I'd personally prefer they nixed USC and just have the band, but it was pretty cool anyway.

That must have been pretty cool if you were a band geek studying at USC who also happened to be a Radiohead fan, which is quite likely.

[Josh]

About as good as the Grammys have been in a good long while. U2 was good, Thom and Johnny were good, Coldplay/Jay-Z were decent, Macca was good, and the Plant-Krauss album is entirely deserving-- maybe not the MOST deserving, and certainly a safe choice, but, technically, a nearly faultless album and a tasteful, mature choice.

[murlough23]

Coldplay's performances on live TV haven't exactly been the stuff of legend, so I can see why their performance on the Grammys would be less than inspired. (And I still contend that Jay-Z feels dropped into "Lost+" from another universe. It's not the type of song that screams for a rap break.)

[Josh]

Coldplay doesn't look nearly as good when they have to follow a performance from U2; they may have the energy, but they don't quite have the showmanship.

[murlough23]

Coldplay doesn't look nearly as good when they have to follow a performance from U2; they may have the energy, but they don't quite have the showmanship.

Yeah, I sometimes wonder if Chris Martin suffers from stage fright despite fronting one of the world's biggest bands for many years.

NP: "Slow Motion", Blindside

[bloop]

the Plant-Krauss album is entirely deserving-- maybe not the MOST deserving, and certainly a safe choice, but, technically, a nearly faultless album and a tasteful, mature choice.

I agree, but that does very little to ease the prevailing notion that the Grammys tend to award artists when they are "due" rather than when they are brilliant.

(in that case, M.I.A. should have taken home a boatload of awards last night.   )

[murlough23]

(in that case, M.I.A. should have taken home a boatload of awards last night.   )

I was expecting you to deliver some sort of a wisecrack about M.I.A.'s pregnancy.

[bloop]

Forgive my predictability.  I just had to.

[Josh]

Well, these jokes are well-timed, but the actual pregnancy, it seems, is not.

[bloop]

Well, just know that I really enjoy and respect her as an artist, and I wish her and the baby all the best.

[Josh]

I like her too. I actually bought a used copy of Kala on Saturday. (I'd heard it before, of course.)