OK. Grammy nominations.
-Huge battle between Beyonce and Rihanna for Record of the Year. Both of their songs were massive this year with just insane amounts of radio play.
-I rolled my eyes at the Album of the Year category. The Foo Fighters have no place there since the album just dropped. Kanye West and/or Amy Winehouse giving a speech at the Grammy's would be great fodder, but please don't give the award to people who have no sense of musical ethics. Herbie Hancock and Vince Gill are the only two musicians who are... musicians.
-Song of the Year fares much better in my head. Amy could walk away with this one, but I'm secretly pulling for Corinne Bailey Rae. "Like A Star" is just too innocent and playful to not win a Grammy.
-I'm with a lot of others in their criticism for the Best New Artist category. Feist is not new, neither is Amy Winehouse (although, OK fine, she's new to America). Taylor Swift is a cute blond country singer... sound familiar? Paramore is a great band with a girl (yes, girl, she's quite young) lead singer. I would so want them to win, but knowing the Grammy's...
-Christina's got competition this year (thank God!) for female pop vocal performance. Amy or Feist could train wreck Christina's chances. Although, she won it enough times... I'm routing for Feist on this one folks.
-Male pop vocal performance is a crap shoot! You've got Michael Buble (super smooth standards), Seal (best album of his since the Batman days), John Mayer (Grammy fave), Justin Timberlake (hottest album of the year), and Paul McCartney (Beatle!). I say, No comment.
-Please allow Daughtry or Maroon 5 to win a Grammy! It's not because I love them so very much, but because I don't like U2 being nominated for every category possible.
-I really hope Tony Bennett and Christina Aguilera win for Pop Collab w/Vocals. Although, Gwen did kinda start this category all on her lonesome (alongside Eve), so it would be totally OK if she won too.
-When did the Beastie Boys make an instrumental album? And how did they get nominated?
-Pop Album? I say it should go to Feist, but Amy will probably win this one too. I feel a sweep coming on... please prove me wrong.
-I absolutely love that Justice and Mika are nominated in the Dance category. Justice had by far the biggest downloadability due to their insanely cool video to go with the song "D.A.N.C.E."
-More awesomeness comes in the form of Shiny Toy Guns being nominated for Electronic Album!
-C'est tres cool that Queen Latifah is nominated in the same genre as Bette Midler and Barbara Streisand. Beat those two drags down with your mighty breasts, oh Queen!
-How did Beck get into the same category as Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and John Mellencamp? Just to be stubborn: Lucinda Williams needs to win Solo Rock Vocal.
-Rock Performance by Duo or Group is all over the place: "Icky Thump" with its quirky, seventies-infused rhythm. "It's Not Over" with its saccharin lyrics and freakish similarities to "If Everyone Cared", which is WAY too nice, but right up Grammy's alley. "Instant Karma", which I haven't heard, but must be good because it's U2. Snark. And last, but not least "Working Class Hero"...
-Foo Fighters in the Hard Rock category? OK, they're not allowed to win. But it's totally OK for Tool or Queens of the Stone Age to win.
-I personally want "Icky Thump" to win Rock Song. Screw the Foo Fighters and Chris Daughtry! Jack White comes up with all his own shit!
-I love that Lily Allen, The Shins, The White Stripes, and Arcade Fire are the same genre. Add Bjork to that race and it's anyone's game. Seriously.
-I foresee Alicia Keys winning Female RandB for "No One". Just an all-around great song!
-I don't know any of the Male RandB nominees, other than Prince. So, he may win.
-If Alice Smith would win for Urban/Alternative, I would be happy this Christmas.
-Kanye can win for his song "Stronger" because it was super infectious and just plain cool to listen to.
-Wouldn't it be fun if Soulja Boy won for his ridiculously everywhere song "Crank That"? Yeah, I didn't think so.
-I fully agree with April, Miranda Lambert is a gem and we must praise Lord Jesus Almighty (or whatever they say) that she took a chance on Nashville Star. She's a born songwriter and throws down the gauntlet.
-How sucky is it that the nominees for Best Country Album are men? Shame on you, Grammy's.
-For the lesser known Grammy's.... how unbelievable is it that Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci are nominated for Best Spoken Word Album for Children? I think they should win just because I love "The Devil Wears Prada" so much.
-Also, please let Flight of the Conchords win for Best Comedy Album! That show was the only thing that made me laugh this year... and I mean... LAUGH!
-Spring Awakening should win for Best Musical Album since it won all those Tony's. Plus, it's based on a early German expressionist stage play - how can it not be the best thing since PBandJ?
-"Once" should win for best compilation soundtrack for a movie. The movie is all about music. Hello?
-Big toss-up for me between Glen Hansard ("Falling Slowly") and Eddie Vedder ("Guaranteed") for Best Song from a Movie. Both capture the sense of the film really well, but I loved the use of music and the sense of humility and awe from Eddie Vedder. I'm gonna go with him to win.
-Producer, Non-Classical is also a fight. Mark Ronson and Timbaland are major heavyweights.
-Music video goes to Justice. That video made their song.
You are welcome...
Please feel free to go about your day.