For the first time since I became aware of them, I won’t be watching the Grammys. I made other plans weeks ago and forgot they were airing tonight. I’m fairly confident I won’t be missing anything. Last year Amrit, Brandon, and I enlisted Videogum for our annual Grammys liveblog and it did not make the seven hours go by any quicker. (The Grammys are seven hours long, right?) The MSM talking point this year is NARAS has turned a corner, determined to get relevant/populist/ratings by bestowing Beyoncé with ten nominations, Taylor Swift with eight, and Black Eyed Peas with six. That is six too many for Black Eyed Peas. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift’s and Beyoncé’s pop hits, while immune to overexposure, debuted in the fall of 2008. They might as well nominate Hall & Oates.
Oh, that’s right. They did. The 34-year-old ballad “Sara Smile” revisited the charts last year via Jimmy Wayne’s country cover. This is not the version that’s nominated! The record competing for Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals — against the Fray, Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, and MGMT (“Kids” is the category’s deserving dark horse) — comes from Live At The Troubadour via the duo’s U-Watch Records’ audio license of a Shout! Factory concert DVD. How many people had to vote for “Sara Smile” to be nominated? Two? Three? Are any of them under 60?
Not that I don’t love Hall & Oates’ greatest hits. I just wanted to illustrate how this decades old institution remains hampered by cronyism and reparations (e.g., Clapton Unplugged beating Nirvana/U2/etc. in ’93, Herbie Hancock’s soporific Joni Mitchell tribute taking top honors in ’08).
Here’s a curious lede from Associated Press yesterday (“Music World Preps For Sunday’s Grammys”):
LOS ANGELES – The music world is celebrating all over town this weekend with tributes, rehearsals, parties and, of course, a gift suite or two in anticipation of the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night at Staples Center
I am sure most of that is true. And gift suites are the best (gift suites are not the best), but when it comes to celebrating music, Stereogum and NARAS don’t live in the same “world.” This guy knows what I’m talking about.
So no, I won’t be watching live. But Amrit will (sorry Amrit!), so please feel free to shoot poison arrows along with him in the comments of this post.
These folks will be performing:
- Jamie Foxx, T-Pain, Slash & Doug E. Fresh
- Drake, Eminem, Lil Wayne & Travis Barker
- Jeff Beck & Imelda May
- Green Day & the Broadway cast of American Idiot
- Roberta Flack & Elton John
- Sugarland
- Beyoncé
- The Black Eyed Peas
- Bon Jovi
- Dave Matthews Band
- Lady Antebellum
- Lady Gaga
- Maxwell
- Pink
- Taylor Swift
- Zac Brown Band
- Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood & Usher in a 3D tribute to Michael Jackson
- Mary J. Blige & Andrea Bocelli covering “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
Ladies Gaga and Antebellbum? Worlds been had colliding!
Nineteen million viewers watched the Grammys on TV last year. By comparison, 51.7 million people tuned in to see Thriller dominate in ’84. Sure, network television’s weakening reach is mostly to blame. But either way, we’re gonna need a bigger FREE 3-D GLASSES.
UPDATE: Your “winners”:
Song of the Year: “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” – Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé)
Best Solo Rock Performance: “Working on a Dream” – Bruce Springsteen
Record of the Year: “Use Somebody” – Kings of Leon
Best Country Album: Fearless – Taylor Swift
Best Rock Album: 21st Century Breakdown – Green Day
Best Hard Rock Performance: “War Machine” – AC/DC
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: “Run This Town” – Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West
Best Dance Recording: “Poker Face” – Lady Gaga
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: “Halo” – Beyoncé
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “Use Somebody” – Kings of Leon
Best New Artist: Zac Brown Band
Best Electronic/Dance Album: The Fame – Lady Gaga
Best Alternative Music Album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – Phoenix
Best Contemporary R&B Album: I Am… Sasha Fierce – Beyoncé
Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” – Beyoncé
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “I Gotta Feeling” – The Black Eyed Peas
Best Rock Song: “Use Somebody” – Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
Best Pop Vocal Album: The E.N.D. – The Black Eyed Peas
Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: “Pretty Wings” – Maxwell
Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “Blame It” – Jamie Foxx & T-Pain
Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance: “At Last” – Beyoncé
Best Rock Instrumental Performance: “A Day in the Life” – Jeff Beck
Best Urban/Alternative Performance: “Pearls” – India.Arie & Dobet Gnahore
Best R&B Song: “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” – Thaddis Harrell, Beyoncé Knowles, Terius Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Beyoncé)
Best Rap Solo Performance: “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)” – Jay-Z
Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group: “Crack a Bottle” – Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent
Best Rap Song: “Run This Town” – Jeff Bhasker, Shawn Carter, Robyn Fenty, Kanye West & Ernest Wilson, songwriters (Athanasios Alatas, songwriter) (Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West)
Best Rap Album: Relapse – Eminem
Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: “Make It Mine” – Jason Mraz
Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: “Lucky” – Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
Best Female Country Vocal Performance: “White Horse” – Taylor Swift
Best Male Country Vocal Performance: “Sweet Thing” – Keith Urban
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album – Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden – Michael Bublé
Best Metal Performance: “Dissident Aggressor” – Judas Priest
Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “I Run to You” – Lady Antebellum
Best Country Collaboration With Vocals: “I Told You So” – Carrie Underwood & Randy Travis
Best Country Song: “White Horse” – Liz Rose & Taylor Swift, songwriters (Taylor Swift)
Best Americana Album: Electric Dirt – Levon Helm
Best Contemporary Blues Album: Already Free – The Derek Trucks Band
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: Slumdog Millionaire – Various Artists, A.R. Rahman, producer
Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media: “Jai Ho” (From Slumdog Millionaire) – Gulzar, A.R. Rahman & Tanvi Shah, songwriters (A.R. Rahman, Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, Mahalaxmi Iyer & Vijay Prakash)
Best Recording Package: Everything That Happens Will Happen Today – Stefan Sagmeister, art director (David Byrne & Brian Eno)
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: Neil Young Archives Vol. I (1963-1972) – Gary Burden, Jenice Heo & Neil Young, art directors (Neil Young)
Best Short Form Music Video: “Boom Boom Pow” – The Black Eyed Peas
Best Long Form Music Video: “The Beatles Love – All Together Now” – (Various Artists)
Best Comedy Album: A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All! – Stephen Colbert
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h8 grammys yall.
The Grammy award people might indeed be the worst. I do anticipate their PSA on “downloading” though.
What you’ve missed: MGMT on the red carpet responding to human bobblehead Giuliana Rancic’s question about the success of the “Kids” fan video: “That’s probably more people than saw the actual video we made, the one where we tortured a baby.” ? “The baby is fine ? you should check it out, Joanna Newsom is in it. Monsters are in it.” Joanna Newsom’s name mentioned on E! = not quite the worlds been had colliding it would’ve been three years ago.
I’m taking this Grammys watching seriously! (I am taking this getting drunk very seriously.) If you’re doing something else with your night (smart), we’ll update with video and a full list of statue recipients.
i really loved reading this post until i watched the will.i.am video and now i’m angry, where is the warning disclaimer
Think I might liveblog Stereogum’s liveblog of the Grammys. You guys better be cleverer than I am cos I’m gonna hold back no punches.
Stephen Colbert’s daughter is Amy Adams?
I TOTALLY thought that Colbet’s daughter was that supermegacreepstergirl from those nightmare-inducing Palm-Pre commercials. Also, I’m still bleeding out of every orifice of my body from Taylor Swift’s big win. Lady Gaga could have KILLED her with her laser-vision. I almost wish she would have…
It an award show that has Celine Dion performing, enough said.
…and in 3D
I wish I knew if Keith Urban had a chest tattoo. #gross
Shout out: My good friend Brandon Dailey of the Mudhoney Salon in NYC cut all the hair for this Green Day performance (and supplied that photo). Nice work, B!
does B also refer to “American Idiot” as a rock masterpiece or is that just Jennifer Lopez?
I would only watch the Grammy’s if MGMT was performing. but they’re not, so I won’t be watching. (I wish I knew exactly what point in the show they would be giving that award out too, I really want to see MGMT win, even if I’m pretty sure they won’t… how sad).
Yea to Amrit drunk-blogging! Is it wrong that I’m tempted to watch this just for Maxwell?
I care so much about the Grammys that I realized it was airing it today thanks to Twitter.
J-Lo’s dress is hilariously hideous.
‘Don’t be fooled by the rocks that i got…i found my stylist at Wet Seal’
Info you might actually care about: Phoenix beat Byrne & Eno, Death Cab, Depeche Mode, and YYYs for Best Alternative Album. But let’s get back to talking about KE$HA.
Here’s the clip of Colbert showing off his new iPad at the Grammys:
http://www.gotchamediablog.com/2010/01/grammys-colbert-shows-off-his-new-ipad.html
so…Pink is doing acrobatics hanging from the ceiling and dripping water…I’m confused; this is a show about music, right??
Pink dripping water on the crowd = The SPinkler?
Welcome back, Pink.
this thread better pick up. i bet the actual awards are more entertaining than this.
F5, pause. F5, pause. F5, pause. F5, pause
How ’bout that Best New Artist Award?! So timely and appropriate. All those artists that haven’t been around for years and JUST released albums THIS year! They’re doing it real big. Right?
i just learned how to refresh my browser with one key…thanks!
p.s. the show is not more entertaining than this…it’s that bad.
p.p.s. that jonas bro all the way to the right is defininitely gay…not that there’s anything wrong with that…well, unless you’re a god-fearing christian with a sqeaky clean disney-propelled image like him
How many times did everyone vote for “Livin’ on a Prayer” on CBS.com?
Yes, my efforts were rewarded! I got a half-assed performance of a song I’ve never listened to sober (including tonight).
sterogum also out of touch since buzz media buy you.
no point of view you have. suck face out of touch u are.
1. Slash i love you…but what are you doing?!
2. jamie fox’s sister is the bomb. like kabooom, shun!
3. oh hey Ke$ha- don’t try so hard to make sassy faces while talking…you’re a twunt.
Actually, I’m pretty sure they do have a (very plainly stated…) point of view here. It starts with “Grammys” and ends in “suck.”
is it me or does Myle Cyrus’ face look like i didnt slap my cock against it hard enough? maybe it’s just me…
Kings of Leon, only slightly less annoying than RDJ’s crooked glasses.
hi im justi bieber and im kesha. and even if you know who we are, you wont by this time next year…
true story:
i once saw taylor swift eat. once.
wow…taylor swift has serious pitch issues…this duet with Stevie is embarrassing…i feel b ad for the kid
Shame that Mos Def or Q-Tip didn’t win, but I bet they could care less. Someone wake me up when Herbie Hancock hits the stage
Who else finds Lionel Richie to be the most hilarious person alive?
Who else thinks another Jackson should’ve accepted that award instead of his poor kids? there’s something wrong about it, considering he tried so hard to keep them out of the spotlight and BS…
they were obviously uncomfortable
have maxwell or lady gaga preformed yet? they’re the only ones i want to see…
gaga was in the beginning, doing somethin awful with elton john…maxwell’s upcoming
you still there, amrit?
Sorry, the comment liveblogging was sort of impromptu decision and then true to my word I wound up taking getting drunk very seriously. Pretty sure everything I would’ve postedfor the final two hours would’ve been more wordy spellings of the word “fail.”
Adam Sandler KILLED it with the DMB jokes.
dave matthews is such a great dancer.
can’t wait for maxwell to kill it…
who the eff does ricky martin think he is?
Next year Vampire Weekend and Christina Aguilara are going to duet Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” Hopefully Chevy Chase is on stage with them.
Plausible. Considering that Vampire Weekend will be up for Best New Artist next year!
Vampire Weeekend will probably get nominated for best alternative album too. Or in other words “Solange’s favorite five albums of 2010 catagory”
Im not counting out Vampire Weekend and Miley getting together for next year.
Who the fuck is Lady Antebellum?
My grandpa and I were watching the Pro Bowl on TV tonight. It was kind of boring so we switched over to this for a second. He yells out “These shows are such a joke!” Not sure which one he was talking about, but I think it applies to both. Perhaps they can change their name t the “Grampy Awards.”
damn right maxwell. show em how its done.
hmmm. i wouldnt have picked jeff becks performance to be the most blatant use of backing tracks of the night.
This sucks… Dave Matthews fanbase is becoming more and more Vampire Weekend’s fanbase. They are truely becoming the most hated band
I didn’t even watch this. Growing up, I never felt the need to watch any of the Grammys, either. It just did not interest me. But the Phoenix news is pretty good. It’s the only Grammy-related thing I almost ever cared about. Oh, and that time Cassadaga won a Grammy award for Best Recording Package. That was kinda interesting because I adored all the “hidden” messages and stuff on it. Perhaps that’s too obscure a category…
Hah, I babbled on and on about some program I don’t even watch.
I can’t explain it, but I feel embarrassed, as in personally embarrassed, when people in the audience bob their heads and get all into the music. The whole thing is just such bullshit.
At the Grammys, the jammys, the Grammy jammy jammys, vote for Obama, I like Denny’s Grand Slammys, strangers in the night …
Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood & Usher in a 3D tribute to Michael Jackson
that about sums it up.
Good luck, America.
Airing a five minute Lil Wayne medley, with two minutes of sound edited out for profanity, is a great way to follow a tribute to Les Paul, probably the most important figure in ALL of western music?
You stay classy, Grammy Awards.
I haven’t watched the Grammys for years. I’m currently suffering through the broadcast. 99% of it is pure crap. Too many horrible medleys and all-star jams. Imelda May and Adam Sandler have been the only things worth watching so far. Where is the rock music? My tastes are out of sync with what’s popular and I like it that way.
I can’t believe GaGa didn’t win anything major here. I mean Taylor Swift? Okay Fame Monster was essentially a re-release. But really how many wins do Beyonce and Taylor Swift need? The major award shows neglect to notice the impact this woman is having on music right now, and that she actually knows the craft, rather than many pop stars out there.
Ah well. She did win two.
MGMT should have won… last year
Of course they had to pair Lady Gaga with Elton John! He’s the only one who could compete head to head in diva-ness.
Also, Beyonce did a bit of Alanis Morissette. Huh?
(I just watched a neat 2m recap.)
We were in touch with you back in ’83, where did it all go wrong?
The Simpsons taught me everything I need to know about The Grammys
The Simpsons taught me everything I need to know about The Grammys
If Bon Jovi were singing in the woods, and there was nothing around to hear them, would they make sound?
Look at all the old white people in this video. Throwin’ hands up.
Also was anyone else entertained by the cheap thrill attempt with the seeds blown at you while you were supposed to be wearing 3-D glasses? We’re fucked.
Best rap album was eminem
Correction: Best Rap album, Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II
Rae will probably get nominated for next year. His album came out in October and that is way too late for the Grammy committee to hear it. They are still catching up to music from 1997. Rae, Ghostface, Cappadonna, Black Keys, and Miley get put together for a performance next year. Miley is going to branch out this year. Expect her most innovated stuff to be on Pitchfork’s Best Of List this year. Taylor Swift got put on, why not Hannah M.
I must say, reading this post (including the comments) is waaaayyyyyy more entertaining then the Grammy’s.
I Dvr’d it so that i could just fast forward through most of it and just check out the bits and peices that seemed pseudo-interesting. What a train wreck. Oh, and i’m pretty sure my eyesight has been forever ruined from looking at the TV during the MJ tribute without the 3-D glasses that the “audience” was magically equipped with. Guess i missed that memo.
Remember in the 80′s when they wouldn’t even air the Rap category on TV? Now its basically all urban/rap music. I mean, they went from giving out grammy’s for timeless songs like “Lady In Red” to giving them out for songs no one will remember, like basically anything Beyonce has ever done. Beyonce = symbol for everything wrong about mainstream music from 1997 – 2010.
Sure, but Sahsa Fierce is the symbol of feriocity
I Think it had alot to do with who we idolize and are passing off as musicians now days. In the 1970′s, people like Jimi Hendrix where the music icons, now its Hanna Montana, something seriously went wrong. And its not just the grammy’s, its MTV, the radio, everything.
Main Stream music sucks cause it appeals to people that shop and live in the mall, no one wants to hear “My girls” while they’re picking out theyre favorite GAP shirts. On a lighter note, i’m really glad Phoneix got some credit, great album
Listening to My Girls sounds like the only way to shop, but I think the kids are shopping at Urban Outfitters these days, which is also interesting because I think they might play AC as part of their “hip, unique, funky” manufactured vibe.
I was only giving an example, but i can see what your saying. I went to the grocery store and heard “oh no” by andrew Bird. Sat their in the frozen food section just chillin listening to the music, funny that the next song after that was Green Day.
Oh I liked your example, I just wanted to make a crack at Urban Outfitters, because in my opinion it is the antitheses of the DIY, thrifting counter culture whatever movement they’re trying to copy. I think that’s why everyone gets uppity when the lemmings that like typical top 40 music start listening to albums like Contra, because eventually it seems like the commercialism waters down and bastardizes what was once unique and thoughtful art form.
I waitress at one of those corporate, lame restaurants (think Office Space) and for the most part the music they play is so terrible I think I might be in purgatory, but they also play MGMT, Cat Power, Phoenix and today I heard Sufjan Stevens. It just doesn’t happen often enough to make up for that “Steal My Sunshine” late 90s bullshit.
How I hate those who are dedicated to quantifying individuality. We’re all miserable little conformists in our own miserable little ways. Counter culture is a fancy, descriptive term for a group of people conforming to a much smaller idea.
I would love to hear My Girls while chopping for jeans. Everything you said I completely agree. But I think Kid Cudi was on time for best rap album. He shoulda won that…
The Grammys happened? Oh, that’s right I dont give a shit.
I just regained consciousness after that stupifying spectacle by Pink. WTF???????????
Phoenix looks annoyed as hell.
‘specially when the guy comments on his accent- no one likes that
Jammies @ the Grammys. Is he wearing the new Pajama Pants Pants? With how lazy everything has gotten in mainstream music, I think everyone is wearing their Jammies at the Grammys….
This same phenomenon existed 20 years ago. There were mainstream Grammy’s and snarky, sheltered, middle-class, educated white people who made fun of them. You just weren’t around for it, and instead of online communities, you had “zines” and “record stores.”
You are not “better,” or “smarter,” or “more relevant” than anyone on the Grammy’s. You may have slightly better taste, but it’s only slightly better, because you have a weakness for noise and poor songwriting. Where this pop world has a weakness for cheese, you revel in mediocre compositions disguised as “art.”
You don’t even realize you are in a genre. It’s not that your taste is better, it’s different. Akin to country music listeners who don’t like hip-hop trying to deconstruct hip-hop for it’s merits in country music. It’s just a fucking genre. It’s called “college music” or “indie rock” or “music for people who use music to make themselves feel superior.”
You existed 20 years ago. You will exist 20 years from now. You are always the same people: sheep who are sheeplike in their fear of being sheep.
OMG, the internet is soooooo cool. and sooooo hard to understand. and everyone is sooooo dumb.
You sound like a bunch of fucking 12 year olds.
How does it feel to be a genius? I bet it gets lonely.
digital.dominorecordco.com/coupon Enter: MXM3H4WR your welcome. FUCK A GRAMMY!
I was shocked when I discovered that the Black Eyed Peas were nominated for album of the year. …Really?
I was thinking the same thing watching the Grammys. Why are songs & albums from 2007 & 2008 up in 2010? Black Eyed Peas got way too many nominations! I mean I Gotta Feeling is an okay song but the rest of their songs are terrible. My mom & dad & friends were all confused when I was talking to them about the Grammys. They don’t understand why they don’t have more music from 2009 up for more awards either. Also another thing why did MGMT or Silversun Pickups or Ting Tings not win for best new artist even though they are not new artists? I mean who is the Zac Brown Band? Their music sounded so bad when they were performing I had to turn the channel & wait for them to be over. What is up with all the country music with the Grammys! That’s what the Country Music Awards are for. I mean does everyone love country music except me?
anybody complaining is pretty naive
i do not listen to country music (at all) but it is in fact the most popular genre in the U.S.
MGMT didn’t win because they fucking suck.
In 2010, I think it’s safe to say that the Grammy Awards are irrelevant. An award show where the most commonplace, generic music ever produced is given awards and the “cutting edge” bands closely resemble something every high school student would have one his/her iPod… I’ll pass. It’s basically the only thing the baby-boomers have left and it would be cruel to take it from them.
This year I did not watch the Grammys at all. Not ten minutes. For me, music lost its artistry when hip hop squeezed out R&B and installed in its place–Beyonce. I dare you to sing a Beyonce song. She claims she writes her own music, she boasts it. What kind of song is “Crazy in Love.” That isn’t music, it’s Gypsy Rose Lee. Commercialism has robbed us of so much integrity. And what in the heck is Lady Gaga? Not music. What’s on my ipod? 75-80% of the music is from the 60s,70s, 80s. I still listen to the Stones, the Drifters, Paul Simon, Michael Jackson, Stop Making Sense. I watched “The Last Waltz” recently–heaven. The Band simply ripped my heart open.
you all can just shut up because the grammys are where its at can i get a hell yeah
The WILL.I.AM performance was SO awful! Wow.
you sound like a scowling anus. I know tell us how were all fucktards who don’t understand what it is to be a fat unemployed fuck who suckles his mother’s sweat teet to the last drop. CUZ YOUR MOTHERS BASEMENT IS YOUR LIFES PINNACLE.