grammy nominations: the definitive being ryan byrd picks

By Ryan Byrd

reviews, recommendations, t.v., music
2 Comments

there’s several reasons to love december: christmas, time off work, football bowl season begins…and, of course, year-end music reviews. i’m a list freak (in fact, on a funny blog note, when i started this blog, i decided i would do at least 1 list a week…i think i’ve done 2 or 3 ever…oh well…). i love making lists, reading lists, everything to do with lists. so, at this time of the year, everyone (in the music criticism business) releases their albums and songs and movies and everything of the year. in the next week or two, i’ll be posting my lists of albums and songs (and maybe movies, etc.) for 2008. until that time, i thought, on the heels of the announcement of the grammy nominations last week, i would offer a small preview of my lists by giving my grammy predictions.

for this, i’ll put who i would vote for (in bold) and who i think will actually win (double asterisk). here we go:

(by the way, i’m just doing a hand full of categories that i’m moderately interested in, so many other categories are missing. to see a full list, go here.)

1. Record Of The Year

Chasing Pavements: Adele
Viva La Vida: Coldplay
Bleeding Love: Leona Lewis
Paper Planes: M.I.A
Please Read The Letter: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss**

2. Album Of The Year
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends: Coldplay
Tha Carter III: Lil Wayne (please, god, no…)
Year Of The Gentleman: Ne-Yo
Raising Sand: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss**
In Rainbows: Radiohead

3. Song Of The Year
American Boy: Estelle ft. Kanye West
Chasing Pavements: Adele **
I’m Yours: Jason Mraz (although i really love this song)
Love Song: Sara Bareilles
Viva La Vida: Coldplay

4. Best New Artist
Adele**
Duffy
Jonas Brothers
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan

5. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Chasing Pavements: Adele
Love Song: Sara Bareilles
Mercy: Duffy
Bleeding Love: Leona Lewis**
I Kissed A Girl: Katy Perry
So What: Pink

6. Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
All Summer Long: Kid Rock (he embarrasses me to be an american…)
Say: John Mayer
That Was Me: Paul McCartney**
I’m Yours: Jason Mraz
Closer: Ne-Yo
Wichita Lineman: James Taylor

7. Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Viva La Vida: Coldplay
Waiting In The Weeds: Eagles** (the grammy’s notoriously love this kind of crap)
Going On: Gnarls Barkley
Won’t Go Home Without You: Maroon 5
Apologize: OneRepublic

8. Best Pop Vocal Album
Detours: Sheryl Crow
Rockferry: Duffy
Long Road Out Of Eden: Eagles
Spirit: Leona Lewis
Covers: James Taylor**

9. Best Rock Song
Girls In Their Summer Clothes: Bruce Springsteen**
House Of Cards: Radiohead
I Will Possess Your Heart: Death Cab For Cutie
Sex On Fire: Kings Of Leon
Violet Hill: Coldplay

10. Best Rock Album
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends: Coldplay**
Rock N Roll Jesus: Kid Rock
Only By The Night: Kings Of Leon (although this is really good, also)
Death Magnetic: Metallica
Consolers Of The Lonely: The Raconteurs

11. Best Alternative Music Album
Modern Guilt: Beck**
Narrow Stairs: Death Cab For Cutie (this is a toss up with gnarls barkley, for me)
The Odd Couple: Gnarls Barkley
Evil Urges: My Morning Jacket
In Rainbows: Radiohead

alright, there you have it. we’ll see how smart i actually am. i’m predicting a big night for adele, whose album was really amazing. don’t be fooled with your presuppositions about female britpop…this transcends that and is beautifully delivered, produced and arranged. i’m also predicting some big wins for robert plant/alison krauss. their album was so strangely amazing and the grammy folks reward albums like this.

so, tune in february 3 (?) and get your scorecard ready.