Grammy Kvetching Thread

[bloop]

Bunk again!  Much more so than last year, where at least a deserving album won (and the nominated albums were generally deserving).  This year, I don't even see a deserving album nominated.  

Anyone surprised?

[Wildcatblue7]

Wow, that is pretty much unabashed terribleness.

[bloop]

It does contrast heavily with any list featuring people with, um, taste.

NPR has a bit of fun at their expense.

[chrisnu]

Ashley Cleveland is going to win another Grammy. 

[murlough23]

Today was the day for all of the artists I follow on Facebook who actually got Grammy nods to post about them. I actually left a comment on Jars of Clay's posting saying "Not that you guys aren't deserving, but the Grammys are a joke. You deserve better."

[bloop]

I'm kind of with NPR's commentator that said they have this very small cadre of "gateway music" that they relentlessly award.  Jars of Clay might actually be one of those artists, but I don't follow the Christian categories too closely.

[murlough23]

I'm kind of with NPR's commentator that said they have this very small cadre of "gateway music" that they relentlessly award.  Jars of Clay might actually be one of those artists, but I don't follow the Christian categories too closely.

My take is that some of the artists they nominate might be quite worthy within their categories (Jars of Clay within Christian/Gospel being a good example), but that the merit of their art is not the reason for their nomination. Jars of Clay could be awesome or they could suck; either way, they get nominated because they're a recognizable name.

Weird Al got nominated for best comedy album and he didn't even release a full-length album - just six tracks worth of internet downloads. The damn thing's even called Internet Leaks. (And it's actually not that funny, but that's irrelevant.)

[bloop]

I think their genre choices are more or less obvious, and only sporadically deserving.

Money quote from the article:

"I wish I loved the blues. Say, this Bonnie Raitt record is pretty good!"

Weird Al got nominated for best comedy album and he didn't even release a full-length album - just six tracks worth of internet downloads. The damn thing's even called Internet Leaks. (And it's actually not that funny, but that's irrelevant.)

I guess I'm pulling for Oswalt.

[bloop]

Oh, for goodness sake.  A person who doesn't get it complaining about the Grammys not getting it for all the wrong reasons.

Let me spell it out.  It should be about good A-R-T.  It isn't.

Of the four major awards (EGOT, if you will), G is the least respected, I would argue, for good reason.

[murlough23]

I guess I'm pulling for Oswalt.

His album was pretty funny. It's not music, but I'm not sure if that matters.

I was surprised to see Oswalt crop up on an episode of Community recently.

[ajyouthguy]

Despite not releasing a new studio album since mid 2008, Third Day earned three Grammy nominations last week—for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album (Live Revelations), for Best Gospel Song ("Born Again"), and for Best Gospel Performance ("Born Again"). "Born Again" is from their 2008 album, Revelation.

that speaks volumes, eh?

[murlough23]

I suppose the live album that came out this year might have put Third Day back into the Grammy voter's consciousness... but then again, they're a recognizable name, who really cares if they did anything new this year? I'm surprised dc Talk didn't get another nomination.

[bloop]

Another year, another wasted opportunity for the Grammys.

The nominees

[ewok20t3]

Another year, another wasted opportunity for the Grammys.

The nominees

A joke again, as usual. Man, I hate the Grammys.

I'll be hoping for Arcade Fire to win, although it won't happen.

The metal performance award continues to be almost hilarious. Not that the nominees aren't good, but that only the really popular metal bands get nominated. I'm pretty sure it's just a name recognition thing going on. At least Jethro Tull isn't nominated for the award again.

[murlough23]

Katy Perry for album of the year? You have got to be frakking kidding me.

[Ian]

To be fair Teenage Dream did have 3 good songs.

I hope Arcade Fire wins everything so that the hipster fan base turns on them once and for all.

Also Black Keys >:D

[murlough23]

To be fair Teenage Dream did have 3 good songs.

"3 good songs" does not equate to "Album of the Year" in even the loosest definition of the term. That's when you nominate one or more of the songs. Assuming they're more than just "good", anyway.

I hope Arcade Fire wins everything so that the hipster fan base turns on them once and for all.

Hey now. Not all of their fans are hipsters.

[bloop]

I would be pretty happy for them, but I'm mystified by the company they keep with those nominees.

[murlough23]

I would be pretty happy for them, but I'm mystified by the company they keep with those nominees.

That's why the Grammys feel like a bit of a back-handed compliment at times. "Wow! The industry big-wigs think we're as important and vital to the industry as John Mayer! And... Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. That's... not that flattering after all."

[Ian]

dont be hating on the biebs now, who you think the teenies are sposed to cheer for

p sure next year will be kanye vs taylor swift, with radiohead playing the underdog no one wants to win

[bloop]

p sure next year will be kanye vs taylor swift, with radiohead playing the underdog no one wants to win

Kanye would be deserving next year, I think. Taylor Swift's album was enjoyable enough, but I wouldn't put it up there. Depending on what Radiohead put out, though, there is a reasonable likelihood that I would want them to win.

[Ian]

Well I mean lots of people would want Radiohead to win but most people would be interested in a Kanye vs Taylor situation.  Obviously Taylor would win though.  Whether an album is deserving has nothing to with it.

[bloop]

Hmm...I don't know how I'd handicap it. Radiohead, even when they are the most deserving of the bunch, are on the outside looking in for the AOTY popularity contest (but to be fair, in the years they lost, I thought the winning album was strong, too - Dylan, Steely Dan, Plant/Krauss). Swift and Kanye would be favorites, but I think Kanye might just take it.

[ajyouthguy]

Wow...Arcade Fire won Album of the Year, and ripped it live with 2 performances.  And the Mumford and Sons, Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan segment was cool, as was Mumford and Sons being nominated for New Artist and Ray Lamontagne having a song up for Song of the Year.  Muse's performance and win was pretty cool too.  Some hope restored for and relevance in a show i haven't watched much or paid much attention to in years.

[Aaron]

Wow...Arcade Fire won Album of the Year, and ripped it live with 2 performances.  And the Mumford and Sons, Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan segment was cool, as was Mumford and Sons being nominated for New Artist and Ray Lamontagne having a song up for Song of the Year.  Muse's performance and win was pretty cool too.  Some hope restored for and relevance in a show i haven't watched much or paid much attention to in years.

Good for Arcade Fire!  I hate award shows but I did look at the nominee list.  I figured Bieber or Drake would win best new artist and that Mumford & Sons/Florence & The Machine had no chance.  I am totally surprised that Esperanza Spalding beat out all 4 of them. 

Switchfoot wins best rock/rap gospel album
Patty Griffin wins for best traditional gospel album

Mavis Staples  and The Black Keys. Good for them.


Must have been a bad year in female R&B performance if Fantasia won.  That album is not very good whatsoever.

[bloop]

LOL - I didn't watch this year's Grammys for fear of impending nausea. They've gotten it wrong on a near-annual basis since the 60s, and though I don't think of The Suburbs as the year's best album, I can respect it as this year's choice.

[ajyouthguy]

This was the first time i watched it in a LONG time...mostly b/c i knew about the Avetts/Mumford/Dylan performance, but then i found out that AF was playing so i kept it on to see that...which wound up at the very end.   Anyways, all things considered, there were a few nice surprises that were a little out of the typical box and gave a little bit of hope.

[murlough23]

LOL - I didn't watch this year's Grammys for fear of impending nausea. They've gotten it wrong on a near-annual basis since the 60s, and though I don't think of The Suburbs as the year's best album, I can respect it as this year's choice.

It was the best out of what was nominated in the category. And quite an upset, considering.

[RedcoatJones]

And it's funny seeing this huge backlash of hate from folks who have no idea who Arcade Fire is. I', thrilled they won, and I'm still not sure that second song was "sanctioned." I think they just decided to launch into it once they won because they could.

[ewok20t3]

Who is Arcade Fire? http://whoisarcadefire.tumblr.com/page/2 (Beware of bad language).

[murlough23]

And it's funny seeing this huge backlash of hate from folks who have no idea who Arcade Fire is. I', thrilled they won, and I'm still not sure that second song was "sanctioned." I think they just decided to launch into it once they won because they could.

It's funny but it's also sad. Not so much that people haven't heard of Arcade Fire (I'm fine with them being well-known within the indie/rock music world, but not having the teenybopper and crunk rap crowds, etc., ragging on them for not having a streamlined radio sound), but that people expect Grammies to always go to artists that everyone has heard of. This isn't the People's Choice Awards. I generally don't like the people whose choices do determine the outcome of the Grammies, but I think it would be far worse if they just gave out the award based on who was the most "heard of".

But then, we're talking about the kind of people who will run to the defense of Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber because "X million fans can't be wrong". Oh yes. Yes, they can.

[bloop]

Hmm . . . I honestly don't think Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber are all that bad. The latter isn't really for me, granted, but I get the appeal, and I can find some enjoyment in the former's music. I'll just read your statement as "run to the defense of Black Eyed Peas and Nickelback" - artists who really are indefensible.

[murlough23]

Hmm . . . I honestly don't think Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber are all that bad. The latter isn't really for me, granted, but I get the appeal, and I can find some enjoyment in the former's music. I'll just read your statement as "run to the defense of Black Eyed Peas and Nickelback" - artists who really are indefensible.

The issue isn't that the other artists' work is inherently terrible (though having such a degree of insipidness to it can be considered its own distinct crime from just making outright terrible, unlistenable "music") - it's that people seem to inherently believe more fans = better music. That fallacy is why the Arcade Fires of the world have to do a disproportionate amount of hard work just to get a tenth the recognition that Swift and Bieber get simply by being young and pretty.

[ewok20t3]

Hmm . . . I honestly don't think Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber are all that bad. The latter isn't really for me, granted, but I get the appeal, and I can find some enjoyment in the former's music. I'll just read your statement as "run to the defense of Black Eyed Peas and Nickelback" - artists who really are indefensible.

I agree. I enjoy Taylor Swift's new album a whole lot. Nickelback and Black Eyed Peas are at the top of my non-existent "indefensible artists" list, but Ke$ha is quickly working her way to the top of that list.

That fallacy is why the Arcade Fires of the world have to do a disproportionate amount of hard work just to get a tenth the recognition that Swift and Bieber get simply by being young and pretty.

I'm sure there's a small percentage of people who only like Taylor Swift because she's young and pretty, but I think she just knows how to write songs that are easily relatable, and I think they are charmed by her personality and the way she's handled her fame. Heck, I find Taylor Swift relatable and I'm nowhere near her target demographic.

[bloop]

Next year, the Grammy will go to either Radiohead (who just announced their album will be out later this week), Kanye, or Taylor (albums released after the deadline for this year's show), if I'm guessing right now.

[murlough23]

I'm sure there's a small percentage of people who only like Taylor Swift because she's young and pretty

I think that percentage is larger than you think it is. However, I believe you when you say you are not part of it.

but I think she just knows how to write songs that are easily relatable, and I think they are charmed by her personality and the way she's handled her fame. Heck, I find Taylor Swift relatable and I'm nowhere near her target demographic.

I can accept that she's got some talent. Again, I'm not trying to say that all mega-popular artists are undeserving of Grammys. I'm just trying to point out that having less of an audience shouldn't make you less deserving of an award for making good music. I get that how many people it impacted will usually be taken into consideration, which is why truly obscure bands don't get nominated unless it's a shallow field to begin with. But there isn't, and shouldn't be a direct correlation between more fans and better music.

Not that the Grammies recognizing it always means it's better music, either, but that goes back to my original complaint. My belief still holds that when an artist I like actually wins the Grammy, it's probably a freak accident.

[murlough23]

Next year, the Grammy will be between Radiohead (who just announced their album will be out later this week)

WAIT WHAT.

[bloop]

http://kingoflimbs.com/

[Aaron]

Next year, the Grammy will go to either Radiohead (who just announced their album will be out later this week), Kanye, or Taylor (albums released after the deadline for this year's show), if I'm guessing right now.

Taylor swift and kanye - two people whose live singing is so off pitch.  It's frustrating

[murlough23]

Taylor swift and kanye - two people whose live singing is so off pitch.  It's frustrating

To be fair, so is Arcade Fire's.