It's that time again. Grammy season officially gets underway this week, as Tuesday is the final day to release an album in time for Grammy consideration.
That means Jennifer Hudson and Robin Thicke, who both release new albums that day, have made the cut. As did Mercury Rev, who are releasing the spacey sonic exploration of "Snowflake Midnight" this week. But new albums from Kanye West and Taylor Swift will have to wait until 2010 to get Grammy consideration. The Grammys of 2009 may, in fact, may look a little like what the Grammys of 2008 could have been
With the Grammy deadline looming, this is a relatively quiet release week, at least in terms of big, Grammy-loving albums. Last year, for instance, had a new Bruce Springsteen effort, as the Boss put out a vinyl edition of his "Magic" to make the Grammy cut. That's not to say that September has been lacking in blockbuster efforts, as the latest from Metallica and Ne-Yo are both receiving positive reviews and will surely rack up some Grammy noms.
Metallica, mind you, already has seven Grammy wins, but they're all confined to the rock field. It might be a long shot to put "Death Magnetic" in contention for album of the year, even though it comes with the magic touch of producer Rick Rubin (six Grammy wins). So though it was composed a little more than two months ago, The Envelope's midyear Grammy preview probably still holds up, give or take a couple albums.
It wouldn't be shocking to see a host of 2007 releases in the album of the year field for 2009, as releases from Alica Keys, Radiohead, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Jay-Z and the Eagles all missed the 2008 deadline of Sept. 30, 2007, and all hold appeal to Grammy voters. But having just two (or even one?) of the aforementioned artists in the running for an album of the year would be damaging to the Grammys. At a time when an album is out the moment it leaks, the Grammys wouldn't be doing anything to change their behind-the-times image.
It would be nice to see Grammy voters truly surprise everyone and nominate albums from the likes of veteran rocker Nick Cave and folksy upstarts the Fleet Foxes, as there's plenty of good music to go around, but one step at a time. In this increasing volatile market, the music biz is relying on fourth-quarter holiday-timed releases more than ever.
Therefore, the Grammys will not only miss aforementioned releases from West and Swift, but albums from Fall Out Boy, Beyonce, Pink, David Cook, the Killers, Nickelback and Lucinda Williams are all due after the Sept. 30 deadline. Additionally, one of the biggest music stories of the year may be a new, Best Buy-approved Guns 'n' Roses album, but the Grammys will miss it.
Granted, not all of the artists in the above paragraph are Grammy-worthy, but it's time the Recording Academy extended the deadline from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31. Increasingly, the music that's being discussed as the year comes to an end is the music that the Grammys have to wait another 12 months to honor.
Photo: Taylor Swift at the 2008 Grammy Awards. Credit: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times
This is not a true mid-year Top 10 list. The Grammy Awards, as noted last week, are ending the year a little early, with the eligibility period for next year's awards coming to a close Sept. 30.
What follows is a look at some of the more notable releases of late 2007 and the first half of 2008, and how they may fare come Grammy time. Some are major efforts from established artists and others, while Grammy long shots, are simply albums deserving of more recognition.
Ten albums are discussed in this post, and five were mentioned last week. Any favorites you want to highlight? Please share in the comments below.
And click here for a look at some of the notable new artists of 2008 ... thus far. It should be noted that some of the newcomers, such as Duffy, may also figure into the album of the year discussion, but in the interest of spreading the wealth, repeats from last week will not be discussed here.
Mariah Carey, "E=MC2." The pop diva's follow-up to the Grammy-adored "Emancipation of Mimi."
Grammy possibilities: Carey's "Mimi" marked a huge comeback for the artist, a much-needed return to form after the commercial/critical disappointments that were "Glitter" and "Charmbracelet." Recording Academy voters were apparently delighted that the megastar rebounded, and responded by awarding Carey 8 Grammy nominations, including album of the year. "E=MC2" closely follows the "Mimi" template, and at times feels like a track-by-track response (substitute "It's Like That" for "Migrate"), but audiences don't seem to mind. The album is still in the top 25 on U.S. pop charts two months after its release, and the album has already spawned two hit singles in "Touch My Body" and "Bye Bye." Carey will undoubtedly be awarded with a bevy of Grammy nominations, but don't bet on "E=MC2" scoring as many as "Mimi," and it likely won't be a favorite for an album of the year nod. It too closely sticks to the "Mimi" template.
Grammy deserving: Does it really matter? One of the best-selling artists of all time, Carey is more than critic-proof, and "E=MC2" likely didn't do anything to change anyone's mind about the singer. It's finely-produced dance-pop crafted by an assortment of the industry's highest-paid producers, and the strongest tracks are worthy representations of mainstream trends. But as a whole, "E=MC2" is responding to pop fashions rather than defining them.
This is not a true midyear Top 10 list. The Grammy Awards, as noted last week, is ending its year a little early, with the eligibility period for next year's awards coming to a close on Sept. 30.
What follows is a look at some of the more notable releases of late 2007 and the first half of 2008, and how they may fare come Grammy time. Some are major efforts from established artists, and others, while Grammy long shots, are simply albums deserving of more recognition.
Five albums are discussed in this post, and five more will be discussed later in the week. Any favorites you want to highlight? Please share in the comments below.
And click here for a look at some of the notable new artists of 2008 ... thus far. It should be noted that some of the newcomers, such as Duffy, may also figure into the album-of-the-year discussion, but in the interest of spreading the wealth, repeats from last week will not be discussed here.
Gnarls Barkley, "The Odd Couple": Sophomore effort from the duo of Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo, and the follow-up to the album-of-the-year-nominated "St. Elsewhere." Grammy potential: Any act that's already released one album-of-the-year-nominated album would certainly figure into the Grammy conversation. However, "St. Elsewhere" was a bit of a phenomena, and was driven largely by the success of crossover smash "Crazy." "St. Elsewhere" has lacked such a hit, and while certainly a success -- the album is still in the top 200 of the U.S. pop chart more than two months after its release -- "The Odd Couple" is an album that showcases Gnarls Barkley's weirdness ahead of its mainstream appeal.
Grammy deserving: Without "Crazy," "St. Elsewhere" was a spooked, R&B-flavored psychedelic headtrip. "The Odd Couple" is even more out there, filtering '70s soul through an assortment of out-of-this-world effects, and coming off like a gleefully cartoonish nightmare. But it's also a wonderful showcase for Cee-Lo, and his growth as a soul vocalist (Check out the scorching album-opener "Who's Gonna Save My Soul"). It's one of the finest albums released this year.
The year may be at its midpoint, but when it comes to the Grammys,
that mark has long since passed. With the eligibility period for next
year’s awards ending on Sept. 30, there’s little more than three months
left in the world of Grammy.
One of Grammy's most confounding -- and most debated --
categories is the best new artist field. So with Grammy season only
weeks away, this week Extended Play is taking a look at some
of 2008's notable new artists, and how they may fare come Grammy time.
Next week, the same treatment will be given to the top
albums at midyear. Click here to read the first installment.
Santogold: Real name Santi White, the producer/artist released a genre-hopping self-titled debut this spring, mixing reggae, new wave and hip-hop into a dance-friendly mix.
Grammy potential: There's been no shortage of attention on Santogold, and she's been a licensing fiend. That's Santogold you heard selling some bad beer, and she's also recorded a song for a shoe company, facts of which have inspired a bit of an online debate. But all this means she'll be heard by the voting contingent, and she's also a respected writer/producer, which should help her (she's written for Ashlee Simpson, and produced the debut from under-appreciated R&B singer Res). Critically, Santogold's been well received, and her debut won comparisons to globe-trotting electronic artist M.I.A. While not a completely accurate reference -- Santogold is far more rock 'n' roll -- it hints at Santogold's ambitions. Ultimately, Santogold may prove to be a bit too ambitious for a best new artist nod. Working in her favor, however, will be some high-profile gigs opening for Coldplay.
Grammy deserving: For all the hype surrounding Santogold's debut, the artist's recycling of dub and '80s sounds has resulted in a debut that's starting to sound dated only a few weeks after its release. But it's an inventive enough debut that it'd be worthy of more recognition.
The year may be at its midpoint, but when it comes to the Grammys, that mark has long since passed. With the eligibility period for next year’s awards ending on Sept. 30, there’s little more than three months left in the world of Grammy.
Though it's admirable that the Recording Academy coincides the end of its year with the conclusion of baseball's regular season, new artists are at a disadvantage. There isn't much time left in the Grammy year to establish a "public identity," the vaguely written criteria that determines who is eligible for a best new artist nomination.
Indeed, it's rare that a best new artist nominee is actually a new artist. Even last year's winner, the troubled Amy Winehouse, had been nominated for a Brit Award back in 2004 (she lost to Dido). And rarer still does a best new artist nominee come from outside the major label system. It took signing with a major for Recording Academy voters to notice R&B singer Ledisi, a veteran of the independent world.
It makes for one of Grammy's most confounding -- and most debated -- categories. So with the year at it's midpoint, and Grammy season only weeks away, all this week Extended Play will be taking a look at some of 2008's notable new artists, and how they may fare come Grammy time. Next week, the same treatment will be given to the mid-year's top albums.
Leona Lewis: The British R&B/pop singer won the U.K's "The X-Factor" (think "American Idol"), and then won the support of Oprah in the states. She had a No. 1 album soon after, driven by the inescapable Whitney Houston-influenced "Bleeding Love."
Grammy potential: Absolutely. Lewis is a lock for a number of nominations, and her Grammy campaigning actually began at last year's awards, as Lewis was the showcase act at Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party. Davis may no longer head J Records, but there's plenty of goodwill toward the exec, and Lewis has proven to have staying power, as her album, "Spirit," is still in the Top 20 more than two months after it was released.
Grammy deserving: Not so much. On its own, "Bleeding Love," a slow-building throwback of a tune, is worthy of a nod or two, but "Spirit" is little more than a showcase for a pretty voice, failing to establish much of a personality for the budding star.
Soon to be added to the nominees for best historical music institution: The Recording Academy has set Dec. 3 as the grand opening for its Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles. The museum, part of the L.A. Live complex across the street from the Staples Center, will first host a string of invite-only and fundraising events, and will officially open its doors to the public on Dec. 6.
The opening of the four-floor complex will come one day before the nominations are announced for the 2009 Grammy Awards, to be held on Feb. 8 at the Staples Center. The museum will house a 200-seat theater and a rooftop terrace for private/fundraising events and will be home to permanent and traveling exhibits.
The Grammy Museum Web site has a run-down of some of the permanent exhibits. The site lists one of the first rotating exhibits as "Songs of Conscience, Sounds of Freedom," which will attempt to explore a 200-year history of music and politics in America.
The third floor of the museum is slated to provide a detailed history of the Grammy Awards and the process behind them, as well a step-by-step look at the evolution of a record, from the studio to the sessions musicians to the producers. The fourth floor houses one of the most promising-sounding exhibits, an interactive look at the development of music in various American cities, which visitors can explore with touch screens (a screen shot of the museums fourth floor is above, clipped direct from here).
The Recording Academy will host a media day and VIP reception on Dec. 3, a fundraising concert on Dec. 4, visits from schools and education facilities on Dec. 5, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 6. Live music will be performed at the museum throughout the weekend of Dec. 6 and 7. Ticket information will be released this summer.
The Grammy Museum has currently teamed with the Skirball Center in Los Angeles to present "Bob Dylan's American Journey: 1956 - 1966." The exhibit will close in three days on June 8.
With the 2009 Grammy nominations set to be announced Dec. 4, the Grammy Museum would seem to be an ideal location for the event. A spokeswoman for the Recording Academy, however, says a venue is still to be determined. The past few years have seen the press conference held in Hollywood at the Henry Fonda Theater.
The Recording Academy has set Feb. 8, 2009, as the date the 51st Annual Grammy Awards, to be held once again from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Grammys have been telecast live from the Staples Center since 2000, with one exception coming in 2003, when the awards were held in New York.
The 2009 awards will once again fall on a Sunday, where, overall, the show has enjoyed solid TV ratings. In 2006, the Grammys aired on a Wednesday and lost its night to "American Idol," but bounced back in 2007. This year's telecast, which featured performances from Alicia Keys, Kanye West and Amy Winehouse, scored 17.5 million total viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, about a 12% dip from the 2007 broadcast.
With today's announcement from the Recording Academy, the eligibility period for the 2009 Grammy Awards has also been confirmed. Once again, the Grammys will recognize albums released between Oct. 1, 2007, and Sept. 30, 2008. While allowing more time for votes to be tabulated, the eligibility period forces the Grammys to recognize some of the year's blockbuster releases a year late, as October and November tend to be two of the music industry's busiest months.
Set to open prior to next year's Grammy telecast will be the 30,000-square-foot Grammy Museum, located next to the Staples Center at the L.A. Live entertainment complex (home to the Nokia Theatre). The four-floor museum, with a small theater and a rooftop terrace for private events, is slated to open in late 2008, according to a Grammy spokeswoman.
Nominations for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards will be announced on Dec. 4 from Los Angeles. The Feb. 9, 2009, awards will once again be broadcast live on CBS, airing on a tape delay for West Coast viewers.
Reality show-bred girl groupDanity Kane lands atop this week's U.S.
pop chart, and gives the graduates of MTV's "Making the Band" its
second No. 1 album. Meanwhile, rap newcomer Flo Rida finds that even a
pair of hot-selling singles doesn't guarantee a six-figure entry.
Danity Kane's "Welcome to the Dollhouse" bows atop the chart, selling
236,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's on par with the
234,000 first-week figure for the act's 2006 debut, which went on to
sell about 922,000 copies.
Entering at a distant No. 4 is Flo Rida, whose "Mail on Sunday" follows
his Top-30 singles "Low," featuring T-Pain, and "Elevator," featuring
Timbaland. "Mail on Sunday" sold 86,000 copies, but the release feels a
bit anti-climactic after the digital sales posted by his singles.
"Low," for instance, has sold 3.4 million digital downloads to date,
which, according to Billboard, makes it the top-selling digital track
of all time. "Elevator" is no slouch, either, having sold 373,000
digital downloads.
Gnarls Barkley's rush-released "The Odd Couple" arrives at No. 18. It
sold 31,000 copies after being released to digital retailers on March
18. The CD had originally been pegged for an April 8 release, but was
bumped up after leaking online.
Of the 31,000 copies sold, 26,000 were
from digital retailers. No surprise, as physical retailers began
selling the album as it arrived throughout the week.
Grammy watch: Gnarls Barkley's debut, "St. Elsewhere," scored an album of the year nod, but its success was driven largely by the runaway hit "Crazy." Thus far, "Run (I'm A Natural Disaster)," the first single off of "The Odd Couple," hasn't taken hold, despite "The Odd Couple" being a fascinatingly weird listen. Reviews on "The Odd Couple" have been positive, but if the album doesn't spawn a breakaway single, it'll be curious if Recording Academy voters are just as kind to the electro-soul duo a second time around. For what it's worth, they should be, as it's an album worthy of being added to the below list.
2009 Grammy album of the year contenders:
Gnarls Barkley, "The Odd Couple" Radiohead, "In Rainbows" Lupe Fiasco,"The Cool" Sheryl Crow,"Detours" Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand" Mary J. Blige, "Growing Pains"
Picture: Danity Kane, by Richard Hartog / Los Angeles Times
The Grammy brand extends into the world of touring next week, with an April 3 date in Chicago. It's the first of five Grammy-sponsored shows (a cell phone provider is also involved, and getting into the gigs requires one to navigate around the company's Web site).
The Chicago show features singer/songwriter Cat Power and R&B singer John Legend. Legend's nice, but expected, as he may as well be a Grammy spokesman these days, but Cat Power? Maybe someone in Grammy Land confused her with Grammy singer/songwriter of the moment Feist, but Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) is a far more inspired choice. She'll be performing to support her recently released "Jukebox," its nicotine-scarred soul worthy of some Grammy recognition in 2009.
But what's even more curious about the lining about of Cat Power is the fact that she's never actually won a Grammy. No matter, Grammy could do wonders for its brand if it stopped paying attention to the artists who won the things. Yet even more perplexing is the fact that Cat Power records for an independent label, and independent labels accounted for a grand total of zero nominations in this year's pop field.
The Grammy shows will hit New York, Miami, Dallas and Los Angeles throughout April, but thus far artists have only been announced for the Chicago date.
Winning a Grammy Award still means quite a bit, at least when it comes to record sales. This week's chart sees a number of Grammy winners/performers zooming up the U.S. pop chart.
-- Herbie Hancock's album of the year-winning "River: The Joni Letters" enters the top 10 this week, soaring up to No. 5 after being docked at No. 159 last week. "River" sold 54,000 copies this week, and had previously peaked at No. 118, according to Billboard.
-- Further down, Kanye West jumps up the chart from 64 to 40, and the Foo Fighters move to 22 from 65, according to Billboard. Elsewhere, Alicia Keys, John Legend and Rihanna all see sales increase of at least 30% due to the Grammys.
-- But the artist who was long-rumored to appear on the Grammys but didn't make it, Michael Jackson, also makes a major impact on this week's charts. The 25th anniversary of his "Thriller" sold 166,000 copies, according to Billboard, and would have kept Winehouse out of the No. 2 post, except it only qualifies for the catalog charts. The "Thriller" re-issue would have fallen second to Jack Johnson, whose "Sleep Through the Static" sold 180,000 copies to hold at No. 1 for a second week. But the Jackson family will be well-represented on the U.S. pop charts soon enough, as Janet will release her "Discipline" on Feb. 26.
The Recording Academy has set Feb. 8, 2009, as the date the 51st Annual 
