Grammy Nominations

[UGG]

Katy Perry and Rhianna can probably sing 4 notes very well but that is it. Taylor Swift is the same. They are all very mediocre singers.

[BigB08822]

Rihanna used to be down right ATROCIOUS as a singer. She has actually come a very long way. I think the improvement in her vocals is probably better than anyone I have ever seen on the Pop music scene. It is easier to improve when you are so bad but it is also easy to not worry about it when you are making hits anyway and auto-tune is an easy fix and a current fad. I give her a lot of credit.

[Andora]

Rihanna used to be down right ATROCIOUS as a singer. She has actually come a very long way. I think the improvement in her vocals is probably better than anyone I have ever seen on the Pop music scene. It is easier to improve when you are so bad but it is also easy to not worry about it when you are making hits anyway and auto-tune is an easy fix and a current fad. I give her a lot of credit.

I completely agree with this. I remember coming across her terrible "Unfaithful" song. She's not a belter, and the song was meant for someone with a much better voice. Now her voice has really take off, it seems, though maybe she's just very good about finding the right songs to showcase it. I still love Only Girl In The World.

[BigB08822]

I completely agree with this. I remember coming across her terrible "Unfaithful" song. She's not a belter, and the song was meant for someone with a much better voice. Now her voice has really take off, it seems, though maybe she's just very good about finding the right songs to showcase it. I still love Only Girl In The World.

I heard this song on the radio the other day (which was so random) and all I could think was "dear God, this is HORRIBLE." I didn't realize it at the time it was released because I was used to hearing Rihanna sound like that but you can really hear the improvements she has made when you hear that song.

[Cyn]

10. Best Dance/Electronica Album

I'm worried the shitty David Guetta is going to win, though, because the muppets voting wouldn't have even heard of of the other nominees.

The world is going to spin off it's axis - for once, Ziggy and I agree on something!!

I agree with Cyn's points on David Guetta (looks like a rat, imho), but I really love Commander. Can I chalk that up to Kelly Rowlegend?

re: looking like a rat -

As for Commander, anything good about that song would be attributed to Kelly R.

[Wyliefan]

I think they were smoking crack when they did most of the country nominations. I like Carrie Underwood for the most part, but "Mama's Song" is probably the most maudlin, mediocre thing I've heard all year. (With the possible exception of "Remind Me," her duet with Brad Paisley.)

[BigB08822]

Mama's Song is easily Carrie Underwood's worst single of her career. She evens knows it. She just wanted it released because it coincided with her wedding and she convinced the label to let her have one single. It still performed well because it was a Carrie single but it broke a few of her streaks.

[Ziggy]

There's a great number of excellent artists who the Grammys never recognize, and this is especially true for indie artists like Sufjan Stevens. Other than obscure genre or deep genre categories (like the traditional R&B or Bluegrass or jazz or classical categories), the Recording Academy seems to only recognize what has made the industry money and has awareness in the mainstream, and I guess why shouldn't they since the Recording Academy is made up of those who made it in the music industry who are not necessarily music critics or aficionados who actively seek to listen to music that isn't noticed outside college stations, indie music blogs, and NPR (and even then, good luck).

Then stop the pretence and just award the Grammys to the highest selling acts in each of the categories.

They shouldn't have got my hopes up with "The Suburbs" and Esperanza Spalding winning last year.

And "alternative" artists aside, my point is that there is commercially successful music that is much better than what has been nominated.

Why isn't Kanye West nominated for Record of the Year, to give one example?

He is a very recognizable, controversial star, he sells well and he released an album that is an incredible, widely acclaimed masterpiece.

My comment about being "needlessly snobby" is that I haven't heard a real criticism regarding Rihanna's voice other than simply lumping her with the whole "talentless music generation" I was reading throughout this thread until a poster mentioned her difficultly singing on pitch.

Her voice is ok, it's what is being done with it that is the problem. It's being engineered to the point where it has no character left whatsoever.

I guess it goes into the subjective part because I thought Loud was an excellent CD and the material more interesting than Adele's generic piano ballads that are all about love despite Adele having the best voice in popular music at the moment.

Please. Loud is very uninspired, unoriginal cookie cutter mush. There's a simple dancey track and a cliche ballad, etc. And loads of filler.

I'm a huge Beyonce fan, but her last album was shite.

It's definitely her least catchy/immediate album. But that definitely isn't the same as shite.

Ziggy, I respect your musical tastes, but I find many of them boring.

You're confusing having to put minimum effort into something in order to appreciate it with boring.

[kylet3]

I think they were smoking crack when they did most of the country nominations. I like Carrie Underwood for the most part, but "Mama's Song" is probably the most maudlin, mediocre thing I've heard all year. (With the possible exception of "Remind Me," her duet with Brad Paisley.)

Not a big fan of Mama's Song, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Carrie Underwood but not that particular single, that being said, I quite enjoyed the duet with Brad Paisley...

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Then stop the pretence and just award the Grammys to the highest selling acts in each of the categories.

They shouldn't have got my hopes up with "The Suburbs" and Esperanza Spalding winning last year.

And "alternative" artists aside, my point is that there is commercially successful music that is much better than what has been nominated.

Why isn't Kanye West nominated for Record of the Year, to give one example?

He is a very recognizable, controversial star, he sells well and he released an album that is an incredible, widely acclaimed masterpiece.



Her voice is ok, it's what is being done with it that is the problem. It's being engineered to the point where it has no character left whatsoever.



Please. Loud is very uninspired, unoriginal cookie cutter mush. There's a simple dancey track and a cliche ballad, etc. And loads of filler.



It's definitely her least catchy/immediate album. But that definitely isn't the same as shite.



You're confusing having to put minimum effort into something in order to appreciate it with boring.

This just shows how subjective it all is, isn't it? We all get defensive over what clicks with us. I find awards regarding film and television to be a bit more tangible because they're visual and there are more things you can analyze while music is so personal.

[cailuj365]

You're confusing having to put minimum effort into something in order to appreciate it with boring.

I didn't say that I didn't appreciate what kind of music you're interested in. I'm just not interested in it myself, but I'm glad it's doing something for you.

ETA: FWIW, I love Robyn. I understand why she's not popular here, but her music is awesome.

[BigB08822]

I don't think we have a general music thread so this will suffice. The 2012 New Orleans Jazz Fest lineup has been announced and it is worthy! I think I have to go, if at all possible.

http://www.nola.com/jazzfest/index.s..._fest_lin.html

There are a ton of people I like but the ones that really stand out are Givers, Florence and the Machine, Bonnie Raitt, The Eagles, and...and...and...

[rjblue]

and...and...and...

Bon Iver!

Iron and Wine!

Feist!

Can I come too? (wishful thinking)

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I have to go this year, since this might be my last opportunity for a while.

[BigB08822]

Bon Iver!

Iron and Wine!

Feist!

Can I come too? (wishful thinking)

How about an FSU meet-up that weekend. lol