Kanye West 10 Grammy Noms -- Oh yeah

[DariusNYC]

" . . . most imitated, Grammy-nominated, hotel-accomidated, cheerleader-prom-dated, barbershop playa-hated, ma & pop bootlegged . . . ." (KanYe, from "Two Words")

OK, sure, the Grammy's are kinda bs and all that other stuff I'm supposed to say as a proper music geek. But still, as long as some really popular artist is going to be the most nominated in a given year, I'm thrilled that this year it's someone as fresh, youthful, intelligent and talented as Kanye West. Who really is the popular artist of the year as far as his work as rapper, producer, songwriter and guest artist on so many great hits. As opposed to either an old fogey or another bland or ultra-safe artist getting all the nods. Nice to see Green Day and Loretta Lynn get nominated (before likely losing in their respective categories, unfortunately). And I have no problem seeing Alicia Keys up there; she's quite good.

[Davey]

But still, as long as some really popular artist is going to be the most nominated in a given year, I'm thrilled that this year it's someone as fresh, youthful, intelligent and talented as Kanye West.
Or Usher? He got almost as many, you know. It's actually kind of sad when they do this (and they do it almost every year), heaping tons of nominations on a very small group of artists, cross-nominating them for all the top awards.

The nominations for record of the year seem even tamer than normal. Green Day is the only one that has even a little tiny bit of an edge and it's only there because it topped the Billboard charts. That Black Eyed Peas song is total montonous repetitive crap. 14 minutes and counting. And that Los Lonely Boys song is such a shlock-fest. The rest is the duet from Norah Jones and Ray Charles (OK, but isn't a posthumus award for his best work better than a token nomination for something like this?) and more Usher bland pap.

Offense intended ;)

[-Jar-]

when you've never heard of the musician with the most grammy nominations..

:confused:

-jar

[DariusNYC]

Or Usher? He got almost as many, you know. It's actually kind of sad when they do this (and they do it almost every year), heaping tons of nominations on a very small group of artists, cross-nominating them for all the top awards.

The nominations for record of the year seem even tamer than normal. Green Day is the only one that has even a little tiny bit of an edge and it's only there because it topped the Billboard charts. That Black Eyed Peas song is total montonous repetitive crap. 14 minutes and counting. And that Los Lonely Boys song is such a shlock-fest. The rest is the duet from Norah Jones and Ray Charles (OK, but isn't a posthumus award for his best work better than a token nomination for something like this?) and more Usher bland pap.

Offense intended ;)

Some perfectly fine "on the other hand"-type points. I have no problems with Usher -- I think he's only good though, and only good shouldn't be enough to win you awards when there is so much great music out there. And I don't like The Black Eyed Peas. But that's normal Grammy crap. But I thought there was a lot of good stuff nominated, especially in the rap and r&b categories (where, let's face it, the popular side of the industry is in a lot better shape than popular rock. Hello, Hoobastank, anyone?) And a lot of bland stuff and a few crappy items (see aforementioned Hoobastank and their absolutely toxic "The Reason"), and then a bunch of stuff that I don't know so I won't comment on it. Nice to see Modest Mouse and Elvis Costello and Franz Ferdinand get mentioned on the geek rock side of things. And Green Day deserves everything they get -- hopefully they get something -- for making one of the best power pop albums I've heard in years. I just can't get too negatively excited about the whole thing, but then I've sold out to The Man long ago I guess.

[nobody]

I think 10 nominations may be a little over the top, but at least a record I like is getting some nominations, so I guess that's cool.

Then again, I must not be cool at all because I actually like Black Eyed Peas. Yeah, that song that gets played to death is repetitive, but if you take a listen to their whole last record, there's some really interesting stuff on there. Lots of musical variety.

Usher bugs me ever since I read on a web site that he waent to a restaurant and left his autograph for a tip. And, since it was on the internet, it is obviously true.

I still haven't heard the new Green Day. I like them, but it still rings a bit hollow to me when they get attention from the puiblic that none of the bands that inspired them and did work that in my eyes was better than what they've done never got. Just an old guy *****ing there though, the record's probably great and all.

And, I agree they should just give Ray a lifetime award. I hate when someone dies and they try to give their last efforts some awards, even though they did much better stuff that never got any awards.

Anyone else see Franz ferdinand on the MTV euro awards? Damn, talk about 80s flashbacks. Not just the sound, but the look and the whole package had me in 1983 all over again.

Overall, I just really don't give a crap about the Grammys so I'll stop rambling now.

[DariusNYC]

Well, that wasn't really my intent. It was more like, who cares? For everything good about the Grammy's, there's about ten things wrong. But yeah, I'd probably be jazzed too if I was a big Kayne West fan and cared what a bunch of music celebrities thought were the best records this year ;)

Where's Arcade Fire? Or Mark Lanegan? Or Nick Cave? Or the Futureheads? Why is Velvet Revolver nominated for so many awards? Fun to watch sometimes, but really, who cares other than the people that buy this stuff? Not Troy and me :)

Millions of people buy these albums. So lots and lots of people care. I'm a communitarian and I believe public space and public activities and the public sphere are really important. Stuff that brings people together helps people understand each other and realize they're in this together, that they need each other to thrive and survive. And so it promotes the progress of the species. Just another reason why people in denser communities tend to support more humane social policies, but that's a side note. Being of this belief, you can sort of see why I could live in a city, or a college town, or another town with a real downtown and community life and sidewalks, but would have a hard time living in an ex-urb. I'm looking for community space, a public sphere. Back to music, so to me it's very important when vital popular culture can be acheived, and I believe it should be championed and supported. That's why Kanye West is important to me -- not just 'cause I like him, which of course I really do. And that's why to me, although it's minor, it's a plus when he wins Grammys. Because more people will listen to him and he'll be more popular. But I also approve of him because I disagree with the whole "keeping it real" myth of American "indie rock" and find it quite refreshing and much more healthy the attitude of those in the hip hop field that they just want to be the biggest and the best and the most popular (the British bands are also better at that (compare Blur vs. Pavement for example)). That's maybe a reason why popularity and quality have in the last few years been much more closely aligned in the world of rap music than they are in American rock music -- because the best talents are out there trying to make music that the kids really like. And that's why my ears have pricked up with certain recent new-rock bands that seem to be forging a sound that more and more people are digging and that has the potential to continue to explode and take over from post-Pearl Jam sincerity metal and get more young white males and their girlfriends listening to some decent stuff again. Every time that Franz Ferdinand or The Strokes or Interpol or whoever are out there in a big awards show playing intelligent, catchy, distinctive rock music that's less room for schlock rock like Hoobastank and Nickelback and Evanescence. And I know it's weird but for me that's a political victory of sorts. Something favoring intelligence and freshness and vitality against sentimentality and anti-rationalism and over-machoism and whatever. I'm absolutely imagining this probably, but to me the battelground of good vs. bad popular culture is a small part of the larger battleground against close mindedness, irrationalism, bullying, anti-intellectualism, and herd thinking. So I know what you mean when you say who cares, and I don't care a lot, but that's why I care a little. I'm going to push this out there without editing and trimming because I gotta go now, so this should be fun!

Edit: Hey, Davey deleted his earlier post. Probably thought it came out a little harsh. That's okay, buddy; check out my reply. It's good stuff.

[Davey]

Edit: Hey, Davey deleted his earlier post. Probably thought it came out a little harsh. That's okay, buddy; check out my reply. It's good stuff.
Hehehe, you are pretty long winded. Sorry, wasn't so much that I thought my deleted reply harsh as that I thought it seemed a little disingenious of me to continue talking about something just to say that I don't care about it. I realize that pop culture means a lot to you and I can appreciate why you think these awards have some importance in your world, but to me when an awards show chooses to honor Hoobastank and Usher and others of that ilk, or to heap almost all the major awards on a tiny handful of artists, any awards they "accidently" give to someone I think is deserving is really next to meaningless to me. Just no credibility. It's just an opportunity for the music industry to promote itself in front of a huge audience, for the most part. But the Grammy's show isn't about entertaining me or celebrating the music I like and I know that. It never has been and that's also why I decided to go back and delete the post - it would be silly for anyone to get at all angry about something like that and didn't want you to think I was.

But YMMV and I did enjoy your response. Thanks :)

[audiobill]

" . . . most imitated, Grammy-nominated, hotel-accomidated, cheerleader-prom-dated, barbershop playa-hated, ma & pop bootlegged . . . ." (KanYe, from "Two Words")

OK, sure, the Grammy's are kinda bs and all that other stuff I'm supposed to say as a proper music geek. But still, as long as some really popular artist is going to be the most nominated in a given year, I'm thrilled that this year it's someone as fresh, youthful, intelligent and talented as Kanye West. Who really is the popular artist of the year as far as his work as rapper, producer, songwriter and guest artist on so many great hits. As opposed to either an old fogey or another bland or ultra-safe artist getting all the nods. Nice to see Green Day and Loretta Lynn get nominated (before likely losing in their respective categories, unfortunately). And I have no problem seeing Alicia Keys up there; she's quite good.

Hey, Darius.

Nice to see Kanye getting the recognition he so, deservedly, had earned. I can't wait to hear his next CD. "College Dropout" is definitely making the top ten on my year-end list. Curiously enough, it was one of the earlier releases of 2004. As you and I have, both, posted earlier in the year on this artist: ...suffice to say, he is talented, multi-faceted, and wise beyond his years. Kudos to him.

Thanks for the update,
audiobill