Well the Grammy nominations were announced recently, and I'm sure I can guess the attitude many of us probably share, but anyway...discuss. You can view the list of nominees here...

http://www.grammy.com/awards/grammy/48Awards.aspx

That's the worst stuff at the top I've seen in recent memory.

Nice to see Arcade Fire got two nods. Although Beck or White Stripes will most likely win best alternative album, even though both were disappointing.

Random Thoughts on the Grammy Noms:

I guess I'm rooting for Kanye on Album and Record of the year, although I wouldn't mind seeing "Hollaback Girl" win for record. It's always funny if they have to bleep out the lyrics of the winning song.

Song of the Year? I don't think I've heard any of them.

Best New Artist: as always is a joke. Ciara, Fall Out Boy, Keane, John Legend, or Sugarland? I pass. Remember when Milli Vanilli won this award? Those were the days.

Seal and Stevie Wonder released music this year?

Best Pop Group: The White Stripes and The Killers duke it out with Maroon Five, Black Eyed Peas, and Los Lonely Boys? Talk about strange bedfellows.

Glad to see LCD Soundsystem got some nods.

Best solo rock performance: The ever-present Rob Thomas (Is he the new Sting?) and a bunch of geezers I didn't know released albums this year. I'm going with Robert Plant, because I think he's the coolest of the bunch.

Best Rock Album: They couldn't even find a good rock album to nominate. I'm saying the Stones win it.

Alternative Music Album: Finally a catagory with some decent nominees-- Arcade Fire, White Stripes, Beck, Death Cab, and Franz Ferdinand. I'd like to see the Arcade Fire win, but I'm saying Death Cab wins, since historically the crappiest album wins this catagory.

What the heck is Urban/Alternative? Is this new? I'll go with the Gorillaz.

Best Rap Song: I hope "Hate it or Love it" wins. I wonder why "Gold Digger" didn't get nominated here. Can you not be nominated in two catagories?

Hmm...the ones I'm rooting for? The one that doesn't suck in each category.

The Grammies are pretty meaningless. Jethro Tull, best heavy metal anyone? They're quintessentially 'safe', and always come off as if they were voted on by record company tools.

The Grammys would be funny if they weren't such a stark reminder of the state of popular/major label music. I don't know who picks them but I'm guessing the 'Fork doesn't have a vote. I love every aspect of pop culture, at least in an ironic sense, except for the music that soundtracks it. Hip hop is a joke now, pop is exclusively targeted at the 14 and under crowd, and the guy from Nickelback is rich beyond his wildest dreams. I honestly had to stop looking at the nominations because I felt ill. I hope Death Cab wins because I can't stand them, and I don't want a band I love getting dragged into a four hour advertisement for Mariah Carey and the impossibly odious Black Eyed Peas. I'll really cringe if I ever have to hear "Two-time Grammy award winner" precede "Beck." But I guess if I were a major record executive I'd be pretty thrilled if I could put on a commercial that drew millions of adoring viewers.

Well its quite a sad bunch of nominees really isnt it. lets look at Album of the Year.

Mariah Carey - Please this whole album is an exercise in showing off what she can do with her voice there is really nothing of any substance at all on it.

U2 - Such a boring album U2 seem to have found a formula for making commercially succesful music and utilize that and loose all artistic credibility with it. It all sounds the same and there is nothing to get excited about on this CD.

Gwen Steffani - One of the most painfull albums ive ever listened to and I wanted to like it so much, frankly i dont see the need to bring back 80's dance music and this album is just plain bad

Kanye West - Finally a decent album on the list, im not a big hip hop or Kanye fan but you cant deny that this is a damn good album, although it seems to go on forever and "Golddigger" makes me sad, someone needs to remind Jamie Foxx that he ISNT Ray Charles.

and my choice in the category

Paul McCartney - Obviously the man is a legend but on this CD he reclaims that status. Im sure many of you will disagree after all he is 63 and its not "cool" to like him. But this album is beutiful the vulnerability Paul shows on this album especially in songs like Jenny Wren is awesome. Bringing Nigel Godrich on was a great idea, plus he plays all the instruments on it so surely he deserves over the rest of them.

None of the Major Mainstream Awards are the best judge of quality, but the Grammies are consistently second-to-none when it comes to the lameness of their choices.

To answer Bobthespirit, these awards are voted on by Record Industry Tools, most who value longevity, earnings, and radio play far more than artistic quality.

In a word Worthless. Almost the equivalent of Film's Razzies...Artists are better off citing how they weren't nominated...a better indication of quality.

I went through the list and a thought occured, isn't Grammy for best Album notes taking it bit far? What's next Grammy for the roundest CD?

quote:

Originally posted by Eccles:
I went through the list and a thought occured, isn't Grammy for best Album notes taking it bit far?

No. If the music industry is criticized as being largely devoid of musicianship, a similar complaint can be leveled of music journalism. The album notes category actually represents some of the better music scholarship you'll see over the course of a year outside of academic journals.

In short, they're not handing out the award for thanking Mum, Da, and the family dog. It may be one of the last, small worthwhile awards left in the whole steaming mess. Though we're not likely to see Henry Sapoznik on stage accepting the accolades he so richly deserves whether he wins or not.

Now Playing: NPR's Morning Edition

quote:

Originally posted by manisland:
U2 - Such a boring album U2 seem to have found a formula for making commercially succesful music and utilize that and loose all artistic credibility with it. It all sounds the same and there is nothing to get excited about on this CD.

The sad thing about U2 is that they've been routinely getting Grammy nominations the past few years for what most people consider their worst albums. However, they were ignored by the academy for "Achtung Baby", which most fans would argue is their crowning achievement.

The Grammys have a history of handing out awards based on past achievements and not the album that was actually nominated. It happened to Ray Charles last year, and Steely Dan a few years ago.

And of all the great music that the Rolling Stones have released in the past 40 years, how sad is it that their sole Grammy is for the abismal "Voodoo Lounge" album?

Here's what I'd pick if I were a Grammy judge:

Record of the Year: Gorillaz - Feel Good Inc. (Barring that, I'd go for Gold Digger).

Album of the Year: Kanye West or Macca.

Song of the Year: Devils & Dust - Bruce Springsteen.

Best New Artist: John Legend.

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Bonnie Raitt.

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: Jack Johnson.

Best Pop Duo Vocal Performance: White Stripes - My Doorbell.

Best Pop Vocal Collaboration: Gorillaz.

Best Pop Vocal Album: Fiona Apple.

Best Dance Record: LCD Soundsystem.

Best Dance Album: LCD Soundsystem.

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Robert Plant.

Best Rock Duo Vocal Performance: Franz Ferdinand.

Best Alternative Album: Either the Stripes, FF or the Arcade Fire.