For a change, the winners aren’t already preordained.
Last year, anyone with the slightest sense of how the Grammys tend to go down knew on nomination night that Adele would dominate come ceremony time, including an easy sweep of three of the so-called Big Four categories: album, song and record of the year. (She’d already won best new artist in 2009.)
This year, however, the field is wide open – and what seems like an obvious favorite at the moment might not be come Feb. 10, when the 55th Grammy Awards are handed out at Staples Center.
Six acts came away with a leading six nominations apiece when noms were revealed Wednesday night at the annual hour-long, performance-filled unveiling. It was hosted by LL Cool J and Taylor Swift, featured turns from the Who and Ne-Yo and Maroon 5, and was held for the first time at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, a rare Recording Academy foray away from the industry’s epicenters, Los Angeles and New York.
Breakthrough soul star Frank Ocean, blues-rocker Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, English neo-folk quartet Mumford & Sons, indie-pop outfit fun. and rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z all pulled in a half-dozen nods, including album of the year honors for all but the last two.
Jack White’s Blunderbuss is the fifth choice, joining Channel Orange, El Camino, Babel and Some Nights in the competition for top disc. The only other mention for that first proper solo effort from the former White Stripes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather shaker came in the best rock album category.
Jazz legend Chick Corea, R&B newcomer Miguel and the Black Keys as a unit scored five nominations each. Auerbach has an extra one for producer of the year, non-classical, in part for his work on Dr. John’s excellent Locked Down. That heady batch of retro-modern grooves is also up for best blues album – and would have been a much better (if woefully under-heard) choice to take fun.’s place in the overall album race.
It’s ironic how the tide has turned in that supposedly rarefied field, from the Grammys being too stodgy and in thrall to legends to now being so eager to seem au courant that they’ve started overlooking high-quality work from the sort of geezers who used to be shoo-ins.
Yes, it’s very heartening that this latest batch comprise relevant acts who by and large are responsible for some of the finer albums in recent memory. Ocean’s superb Channel Orange is justifiably the runaway candidate to top this year’s Pazz & Jop poll of critics. The Black Keys’ El Camino was widely hailed Top 10 material when it dropped last December. Blunderbuss is primo Jack, a hodgepodge that hangs together loosely with much the same feel as the White Stripes’ Get Behind Me Satan.
And the Mumfords’ Babel is an enriched second helping of their equally inspired debut, Sigh No More. The Grammys are understandably in love with the foot-stompin’ Brits, so I’ll take your bets now that it handily wins the chief trophy. It has two things going for it that make voters drool: a smartly retrofitted old-timey sound paired with respectable sales, which in this case means going platinum the fastest. (Took longer for El Camino and Some Nights, while Channel Orange and Blunderbuss are still a long ways from that mark.)
But fun.’s breakthrough second album – which is plenty, you know, fun – doesn’t merit such an honor, one that’s become increasingly meaningful as nominees grow stronger and winners become genuine standouts: Arcade Fire, Adele, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.
It’s a trend that has improved in fits and starts since 1999, when The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill finally shattered the glass ceiling hovering over hip-hop.
Since then, the top prize has bounced from upstarts to legends and back again, often with results even music snobs can abide. It’s that same Steely-Dan-over-Eminem-in-2000 argument that persists in new versions most every year. That is: Unquestionably The Marshall Mathers LP was more important culturally, as was Radiohead’s also nominated Kid A, you’ll recall – but that doesn’t mean Two Against Nature wasn’t a great record. Just a different great record.
Rich creative maturity from the old guard typically shares space in the album of the year race alongside whatever lightning in a bottle has been captured by the era’s new heroes. But that isn’t the case in 2013’s competition. Noticeably absent is Bruce Springsteen’s Wrecking Ball, one of his freshest-sounding and most profound albums, relegated instead to best rock album, where in addition to Blunderbuss and El Camino it squares off against Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto and Muse’s The 2nd Law.
Other worthy titles from the over-50 crowd that were pushed over to genre matches include Bonnie Raitt’s Slipstream and Tom Waits’ Bad as Me, while Leonard Cohen’s excellent Old Ideas is nowhere to be found. I also find it curious that Little Broken Hearts, the quite wonderful step forward from 2003 Grammy darling Norah Jones, couldn’t curry enough favor for a single nomination.
I’m less surprised that a true masterpiece of crazy genius – Fiona Apple’s The Idler Wheel …, better than everything but maybe Channel Orange in the album of the year batch – would have to linger in the impossible, indefinable best alternative music album category, alongside Waits (who always winds up here), Björk (ditto), M83 (ok, that’s good) and Gotye (for alternative? huh?).
That Aussie star’s Making Mirrors actually would have been a better pick than Some Nights. And inescapable though it was all year, it’s undeniable that the much-parodied but cleverly crafted ditty “Somebody That I Used to Know” should be up for record of the year.
Why it isn’t also vying for song of the year is baffling, considering enough fools marked their ballots for Carly Rae Jepsen’s equally hooky but certifiably annoying “Call Me Maybe.” Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” managed to land in both categories, fair enough. Taylor Swift got a token nod in the record race for “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
Fun. is the only name to turn up in all top categories, including best new artist plus spots in the record and song of the year face-offs, for the trio’s exultant anthem “We Are Young,” which easily could take one or the other or both statuettes home.
Ocean, most deserving this year of all the fresh faces in the mix, almost achieved the same sweeping feat, missing out only for song of the year. I don’t think he stands to win much outside of best urban contemporary album (a somewhat restored but technically new category this year) and maybe best rap/sung collaboration, for the Kanye & Jay-Z track “No Church in the Wild.”
But six nominations are significant for this untested newcomer, the best thing to emerge from the Odd Future posse. Not only does his music merit the accolades – Channel Orange is as up-to-the-minute as Drake’s Take Care (another overlooked choice for top album) yet deeply steeped in the ways of vintage Stevie Wonder – but it marks the first time an openly gay artist has garnered such Grammy attention, not to mention have a viable shot at the big prize. (George Michael’s Faith won in ’89, true, but he wasn’t fully out of the closet at that point in his career.)
Then there are the random notices worth cheering, above all the five nods for Prince-ly rising favorite Miguel and the two nominations for red-hot rock ’n’ soul band Alabama Shakes. The latter must be pretty stunned to be competing for best new artist alongside Ocean, fun., folkies the Lumineers and country guy Hunter Hayes – and even more flummoxed to find their tune “Hold On” facing off against cuts from Springsteen, Coldplay, Mumford and the Black Keys for best rock performance.
The Grammys will air on CBS/2 at 8 p.m., tape delayed by three hours – which is especially dumb in an age when the Oscars, Golden Globes and Emmys all start at 5 on the West Coast.
SELECT CATEGORIES (click here for a complete list of nominees)
Album of the Year
El Camino – The Black Keys
Some Nights – fun.
Babel – Mumford & Sons
Channel Orange – Frank Ocean
Blunderbuss – Jack White
Record of the Year
“Lonely Boy” – The Black Keys
“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Kelly Clarkson
“We Are Young” – fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
“Somebody That I Used To Know” – Gotye featuring Kimbra
“Thinkin Bout You” – Frank Ocean
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” – Taylor Swift
Best New Artist
Alabama Shakes
fun.
Hunter Hayes
The Lumineers
Frank Ocean
Song of the Year
“The A Team” – Ed Sheeran, songwriter and artist
“Adorn” – Miguel Pimentel, songwriter and artist
“Call Me Maybe” – Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen & Josh Ramsay, songwriters (Jepsen artist)
“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Jörgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin & Ali Tamposi, songwriters (Kelly Clarkson artist)
“We Are Young” – Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost & Nate Ruess, songwriters (fun. featuring Janelle Monáe artists)
Best Pop Solo Performance
“Set Fire to the Rain (Live)” – Adele
“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Kelly Clarkson
“Call Me Maybe” – Carly Rae Jepsen
“Wide Awake” – Katy Perry
“Where Have You Been” – Rihanna
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Shake It Out” – Florence & The Machine
“We Are Young” – fun. featuring Janelle Monáe
“Somebody That I Used To Know” – Gotye featuring Kimbra
“Sexy and I Know It” – LMFAO
“Payphone” – Maroon 5 & Wiz Khalifa
Best Dance/Electronica Album
Wonderland – Steve Aoki
Don’t Think – The Chemical Brothers
> Album Title Goes Here < – Deadmau5
Fire & Ice – Kaskade
Bangarang – Skrillex
Best Rock Performance
“Hold On” – Alabama Shakes
“Lonely Boy” – The Black Keys
“Charlie Brown” – Coldplay
“I Will Wait” – Mumford & Sons
“We Take Care of Our Own” – Bruce Springsteen
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
“I’m Alive” – Anthrax
“Love Bites (So Do I)” – Halestorm
“Blood Brothers” – Iron Maiden
“Ghost Walking” – Lamb of God
“No Reflection” – Marilyn Manson
“Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)” – Megadeth
Best Rock Album
El Camino – The Black Keys
Mylo Xyloto – Coldplay
The 2nd Law – Muse
Wrecking Ball – Bruce Springsteen
Blunderbuss – Jack White
Best Alternative Music Album
The Idler Wheel … – Fiona Apple
Biophilia – Björk
Making Mirrors – Gotye
Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming – M83
Bad as Me – Tom Waits
Best R&B Performance
“Thank You” – Estelle
“Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)” – Robert Glasper Experiment featuring Ledisi
“I Want You” – Luke James
“Adorn” – Miguel
“Climax” – Usher
Best Urban Contemporary Album
Fortune – Chris Brown
Kaleidoscope Dream – Miguel
Channel Orange – Frank Ocean
Best R&B Album
Black Radio – Robert Glasper Experiment
Back to Love – Anthony Hamilton
Write Me Back – R. Kelly
Beautiful Surprise – Tamia
Open Invitation – Tyrese
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“Wild Ones” – Flo Rida featuring Sia
“No Church in the Wild” – Jay-Z & Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean & The-Dream
“Tonight (Best You Ever Had)” – John Legend featuring Ludacris
“Cherry Wine” – Nas featuring Amy Winehouse
“Talk That Talk” – Rihanna feautring Jay-Z
Best Rap Performance
“HYFR (Hell Ya F***ing Right)” – Drake featuring Lil Wayne
“N****s in Paris” – Jay-Z & Kanye West
“Daughters” – Nas
“Mercy” – Kanye West featuring Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz
“I Do” – Young Jeezy featuring Jay-Z & André 3000
Best Rap Album
Take Care – Drake
Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album, Pt. 1 – Lupe Fiasco
Life Is Good – Nas
Undun – The Roots
God Forgives, I Don’t – Rick Ross
Based on a T.R.U. Story – 2 Chainz
Best Country Solo Performance
“Home” – Dierks Bentley
“Springsteen” – Eric Church
“Cost of Livin’” – Ronnie Dunn
“Wanted” – Hunter Hayes
“Over” – Blake Shelton
“Blown Away” – Carrie Underwood
Best Country Album
Uncaged – Zac Brown Band
Hunter Hayes – Hunter Hayes
Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran – Jamey Johnson
Four the Record – Miranda Lambert
The Time Jumpers – The Time Jumpers
Best Americana Album
The Carpenter – The Avett Brothers
From the Ground Up – John Fullbright
The Lumineers – The Lumineers
Babel – Mumford & Sons
Slipstream – Bonnie Raitt
Best Blues Album
33 1/3 – Shemekia Copeland
Locked Down – Dr. John
Let It Burn – Ruthie Foster
And Still I Rise – Heritage Blues Orchestra
Bring It on Home – Joan Osborne
Best Comedy Album
Blow Your Pants Off – Jimmy Fallon
Cho Dependent (Live in Concert) – Margaret Cho
In God We Rust – Lewis Black
Kathy Griffin: Seaman 1st Class – Kathy Griffin
Mr. Universe – Jim Gaffigan
Rize of the Fenix – Tenacious D
Best Short Form Music Video
“Houdini” – Foster the People
“No Church in the Wild” – Jay-Z & Kanye West featuring Frank Ocean & The-Dream
“Bad Girls” – M.I.A
“We Found Love” – Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris
“Run Boy Run” – Woodkid
Best Long Form Music Video
Big Easy Express – Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros & Old Crow Medicine Show
Bring Me Home – Live 2011 – Sade
Radio Music Society – Esperanza Spalding
Get Along – Tegan & Sara
From the Sky Down – U2
Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys, Dr. John, Hacienda)
Jeff Bhasker (fun.)
Diplo (Usher, Santigold, No Doubt, Justin Bieber Alex Clare)
Markus Dravs (Mumford & Sons, Coldplay)
Salaam Remi (Anthony Hamilton, Amy Winehouse, Miguel, Nas)
Grammy noms: Mumford & Sons, the Black Keys, Frank Ocean and fun. poised for big nights is a post from: Soundcheck