Rock returns to the Grammys

After many years of being dominated by the various types of R&B music we have nowadays, rock has returned to claim the Grammys. I do not know how this happened. Maybe the composition of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has changed or maybe those who voted for this year’s nominees have grown tired of soul or hip-hop or rap, etc. Maybe, it is because there were really a lot of great rock releases this year. It is hard to tell which or what, but it cannot be denied that rock music, in various persuasions, is the top gun in the 2013 Grammy Awards.

Just think, there is only one R&B album among the nominees for Album of the Year and it is the same thing in the Record of the Year and Song of the Year categories. That is quite a feat. Jay-Z, Kanye West and newcomer Frank Orange did get six nominations each. But so did Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys and fun. The Belgian phenomenon Gotye and Jack White of White Stripes, who is on a solo outing, also made very good showings. And take note, those are not the usual names to be found in Grammy nominations lists.

 It looks like the times are changing and I love it.  I have always believed that Filipino musicians fare better with rock music than with R&B. Can you name a Filipino R&B song that became a contemporary classic? I can’t but I can do a litany of rock tunes. Maybe this development will also put a stop or at least minimize the sight and of course, the sound of local artists on TV, turning hideous while straining to sound like those R&B stars, black which they will never be. 

But anyway, back to the rocking Grammys, which is now on its 55th year. The ceremonies will be held in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 2013. No venue has been announced but I suppose it will be at the Staples Center. And oh and by the way, Justin Bieber was not nominated for any category. Much is being made in the media about this lapse. But if you will take a look at the nominees list, you will surely agree that although he sold a lot of records, it will be very difficult for the Bieber to match the high quality of the music from these nominees.

So you can write off a Bieber performance in next year’s Grammys but I am sure that the evening will have lots of rocking to do.

Here now is part one of the list of nominees.

Album of the Year: El Camino, Black Keys; Some Nights by fun; Babel, Mumford & Sons; Channel Orange by Frank Ocean; Blunderbuss Jack White.

Record of the Year:  Lonely Boy, Black Keys; Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) Kelly Clarkson; We Are Young, fun; Somebody That I Used To Know, Gotye featuring Kimba; Thinking About You, Frank Ocean; We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, Taylor Swift.

Song of the Year: The A Team, Ed Sheeran; Adorn, Miguel; Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jensen; Stronger, Kelly Clarkson; We Are Young, fun.

Best New Artist: Alabama Shakes; fun; Hunter Hayes; The Lumineers; Frank Ocean.

Pop Solo Vocal Performance: Adele, Set Fire To The Rain; Kelly Clarkson, Stronger; Carly Rae Jepsen, Call Me Maybe; Katy Perry, Wide Awake; Rihanna, Where Have You Been?

Duo or Group Pop Vocal: Florence & The Machine, Shake It Out; fun, We Are Young; Gotye, Somebody That I Used To Know; LMFAO, Sexy And I Know It; Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa, Payphone.

Pop Vocal Album: Stronger, Kelly Clarkson; Ceremonials, Florence & The Machine; Some Nights, fun; Overexposed, Maroon 5; The Truth About Love, Pink.

Dance Recording: Levels, Avicil; Lets Go, Calvin Harris feat. Ne-yo; Bangarang, Skrillex feat. Sirah; Don’t You Worry Child, Swedish House Mafia feat.  John Martin; I Can’t Live Without You, Al Walser.

Electronic/Dance Album: Wonderland, Steve Aoki; Don’t Think, The Chemical Brothers; Album Title Goes Here, Dead Mau5; Fire And Ice, Kaskade; Bangarang, Skrillex.

Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Christmas, Michael Bublé; A Holiday Carole, Carole King; Kisses On The Bottom, Paul McCartney.

Rock Performance: Alabama Shakes, Hold On; The Black Keys, Lonely Boy; Coldplay, Charlie Brown; Mumford & Sons, I Will Wait; Bruce Springsteen, We Take Care Of Our Own.

Hard Rock Metal Performance: Anthrax, I’m Alive; Halestorm, Love Bites (So Do I); Iron Maiden, Blood Brothers; Lamb Of God, Ghost Walking; Marilyn Manson, No Reflection; Megadeth, Whose Life (Is It Anyway).

Rock Song: Freedom At 21, Jack White; I Will Wait, Mumford & Sons; Lonely Boy, The Black Keys; Madness, Muse; We Take Care Of Our Own, Bruce Springsteen.

Rock Album: El Camino, The Black Keys; Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay; The Second Law, Muse; Wrecking Ball, Bruce Springsteen; Blunderbuss, Jack White.

Alternative Music Album: The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw And Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do, Fiona Apple; Biophilia, Bjork; Making Mirrors, Gotye; Hurry Up We’re Dreaming, M8S; Bad As Me, Tom Waits.

Featured on Wednesday will be the R&B and rap nominees with top-notcher Kanye West and country music star Taylor Swift. We’ll see if they will finally meet again at the Grammys.