Wednesday
Feb132008
Major Record Labels Hand Out Well-Deserved Awards, Or Something
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 8:37AM
I hesitate to blog about the Grammys for a couple reasons:
1) Saying the mainstream music industry is in deep trouble is kind of like beating a dead horse with a baby seal. This situation is never more obvious than during the annual Grammy telecast. Eventually they're gonna run out of ways to repackage the Beatles' back catalogue and then all you'll be left with is Herbie Hancock albums. Which brings me to...
2) It's doubtful that KSCR and associates really care about who wins these damn things. As a product of Strip Mall America, I'm probably one of the few who has a lingering emotional investment in the whole process. And despite their relatively unpredictability, major Grammy award winners are usually divided into two camps: the most broad, middle-of-the-road commercial successes (Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys) and the aging stars who are really being awarded for a whole body of work (Steely Dan over Beck, Radiohead, and Eminem for 2001 Album of the Year? Really?).
So where can timeliness and relevance be found in an institution that allows "Professor" will.i.am to rhyme "Grammys" with "jammies" and "slammies" while placating the indie crowd with Bright Eyes' award for, um, album packaging? The performances, obviously. The Time and Rihanna complemented each other unusually well and the Beyonce/Tina Turner diva-off was one for the ages, but the night belonged to Kanye West.
The RIAA clearly wasn't honored by his lateness enough to give him the big prize (for the third time in a row) but at least hooked him up with a few rap awards and some airtime in front of the old Aggro Crag set from GUTS. Oh, and they also let us enjoy Daft Punk's first. TV appearance. EVER. Take six and take this, haters.
1) Saying the mainstream music industry is in deep trouble is kind of like beating a dead horse with a baby seal. This situation is never more obvious than during the annual Grammy telecast. Eventually they're gonna run out of ways to repackage the Beatles' back catalogue and then all you'll be left with is Herbie Hancock albums. Which brings me to...
2) It's doubtful that KSCR and associates really care about who wins these damn things. As a product of Strip Mall America, I'm probably one of the few who has a lingering emotional investment in the whole process. And despite their relatively unpredictability, major Grammy award winners are usually divided into two camps: the most broad, middle-of-the-road commercial successes (Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys) and the aging stars who are really being awarded for a whole body of work (Steely Dan over Beck, Radiohead, and Eminem for 2001 Album of the Year? Really?).
So where can timeliness and relevance be found in an institution that allows "Professor" will.i.am to rhyme "Grammys" with "jammies" and "slammies" while placating the indie crowd with Bright Eyes' award for, um, album packaging? The performances, obviously. The Time and Rihanna complemented each other unusually well and the Beyonce/Tina Turner diva-off was one for the ages, but the night belonged to Kanye West.
The RIAA clearly wasn't honored by his lateness enough to give him the big prize (for the third time in a row) but at least hooked him up with a few rap awards and some airtime in front of the old Aggro Crag set from GUTS. Oh, and they also let us enjoy Daft Punk's first. TV appearance. EVER. Take six and take this, haters.
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