Last night, thanks to the power of my DVR, I was able to watch the full 3.5 hour Grammy broadcast in under 90 minutes. Truth be told, I could have saved myself the time altogether. Every year, I am stunned by how many obvious categories don't make it to the broadcast at all. Am I crazy, or did Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye not even get air time for winning Best Rap Collaboration (though Jigga certainly got enough face time on the CBS cameras from his particularly good seat)?
One set of categories that no one pays much attention to anymore is the Dance section, which was reduced to just Best Dance Song and Best Electronic/Dance Album this year after the Best Remix category was tossed aside. The winner of both Grammys was Lady Gaga, which obviously became a side note once she played that duet with Elton John. Perhaps the Grammys would gain a wider audience if a more diverse selection of artists were allowed to participate instead of the current nominee roster, which has been reduced to little more than a drinking game involving every time you hear the name Taylor Swift.
Here's a short list of Electronic/Dance artist that should have been at least been nominated for the Grammys this year. They're hardly obscure little acts--at least according to the readers of my cute little website--but in the world of the Grammys, it's go biggest or go home.
1. Major Lazer - Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do
Diplo and Switch both garnered actual Grammy nods last year for co-producing "Paper Planes" with M.I.A. But their dancehall inspired album from 2009 produced a string of dance floor hits with some of Jamaica's biggest talent.
2. Fever Ray - Fever Ray
For all the talk about how weird Lady Gaga is, Karin Dreijer Andersson showed up at the Swedish Grammys wearing a melting face mask--which was really gross. But this album of dark and brooding electronica was a serious winner.
3. Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve - Re-Animations Vol. 1
Ok, this one's a bit obscure, but Erol Alkan is pretty much a star in the UK, and this project between him and Richard Norris remixed some top-notch acts like Franz Ferdiand and Goldfrapp. Maybe they should remix Madonna, except there is no Remixer category these days.
4. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Remixed
Another remix compilation, this one with a bunch of artist remixing this French group's stellar 2009 album. Maybe it's the whole remix thing that confuses the Grammys. Who can you idolize when the same song gets redone three times?
5. Holy Ghost - "I Will Come Back"
Here's one for the Best Dance Song category. I'm not even sure it was eligible since the song was not released by a proper record label, but rather an internet-only imprint funded by Mountain Dew called Green Label. Is there a Grammy for Best Shot At Navigating A Career After the Collapse of CD Sales?