Grammy Nominations

So the Grammy nominations were released this week.

Unsurprisingly, they made me want to vomit.

What follows is going to be a whiny liberal kid complaining about mainstream music, so if that's not your jam, head for the exits.



I have so many problems with the Grammys every year, but for some reason this year feels especially bad. I'm not sure what exactly makes it that way, but let's look at some specific items on the docket. Commence rant.

I think the most egregious offense is that Florence + The Machine are not mentioned until "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance," and their only nominations are that one and "Best Pop Vocal Album." I mean, yeah, obviously Ceremonials deserves those nods, but if you are a music professional and don't think that that album should be in the "Album of the Year" category, or that half of its songs don't deserve to be up for "Record of the Year" (given that Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" was given that honor, and given the level of production and engineering genius that was required on Paul Epworth's part for Ceremonials to sound like it does), you don't know what you're talking about. These nominations are atrocious just only because of how actively they ignore FATM. But of course that's only the beginning.

The Black Keys received several very well-deserved nominations, but somehow nearly all of them are in categories for which Mumford & Sons's Babel is also nominated, meaning that they will almost certainly not receive the credit they are due. Also Coldplay is still fucking loitering around ruining everyone's lives with their fucking nonsense. I swear to god if Coldplay or Mumford win "Best Rock Performace" over The Black Keys, Springsteen, and Alabama Shakes, I will cut someone.

Not sure how we got to a place where The Smashing Pumpkins' Oceania, which is a masterpiece and ONE OF THE MOST TRIUMPHANT COMEBACKS OF ALL TIME EVER, receives no mention, but y'know.

Somehow every single nominee in the "Best Pop Solo Performance" category are leftovers from last year's show. Although they are all women, which is good. But still. Get some of this year's women please. AZEALIA BANKS, ANYONE? PINK, ANYONE?

CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE "BEST DANCE RECORDING" CATEGORY AND HOW 1) THERE IS NO GANGNAM STYLE AND 2) THIS FUCKING GUY NAMED AL WALSER AND HIS FUCKING RIDICULOUS SONG WITH A GODDAMN KEYTAR ARE NOMINATED.

Very glad to see Lamb of God get a nomination for a fantastic song in "Ghost Walking." Incensed that some of this year's other amazing metal releases (Autotheism by The Faceless comes to mind) get no love. Also that there's no dedicated metal album category, what's the deal?

I think the one category that they got mostly right is "Best New Artist." I hope Alabama Shakes or The Lumineers win that, although they have worse odds of beating Frank Ocean and fun. than Frosty the Snowman has of surviving a napalm raid.

I was actually pleasantly surprised to see Fiona Apple's new album get nominated for "Best Alternative Music Album," but of course it will not win because Gotye's Making Mirrors also is nominated, as are albums by Tom Waits and M83. Don't get me wrong, Making Mirrors is one of my favorite albums of the last two years, but it was released last year, in time for last year's Grammys, and I am not okay with the prospect of this year's best album (yeah I'm calling it now) being overshadowed by a release from last year.

This is actually one of my biggest Grammy gripes: I am really irritated that albums that were released in time for last year's awards, and which received awards in last year's ceremony, are up for the same awards again this year. It entirely undermines the purpose of having a yearly award show, and privileges a few artists who have huge popularity over new artists again and again. Mylo Xyloto should not be up against El Camino and The 2nd Law for "Best Rock Album." Nothing from Watch The Throne should ever have been nominated, especially not this year BECAUSE IT ALREADY WON A BUNCH OF THESE AWARDS. The fact that Mumford & Sons waited three years between releasing their two most recent albums, but have been nominated for several awards each of those years is absurd and offensive.

I also get mad when releases that were in time for last year's show but that weren't nominated receive nominations, not because they are undeserved, but because they take away from this year's artists. The Academy should have paid better attention when these albums were first submitted, and if they failed to nominate them the first time, then that's their fault.

Okay, I think that's most of my feelings. I'm really not a fan of the Grammys, and I actually get a little upset by how much I care about these nominations, but whatever. I'm starting to prepare my year-end lists, which I'll post December 31. I'll hopefully post once or twice more between now and then because I've been horrible about blogging this fall.

Aight, I'm out.

/endrant