"Some Things Are Pure, and Some Things are Right": Arcade Fire Wins the Grammy for "Album of the Year" and some other Grammy Thoughts

February 14, 2011

That was the reaction from Arcade Fire’s twitter after taking home the Grammy for Best Album and man, was this award deserved.  I apologize if I’m a little all over the place, but I’m honestly too excited to write.  I screamed when they announced the award.  I’ve only ever screamed while watching TV one other time in my life (that came when Zach Parise of Team USA scored with 24 seconds left in the Gold Medal game in the 2010 Winter Olympics to tie it up against Canada, however, let’s not talk about how that ended…).  Not only did I scream at the top of my lungs, but I also jumped on top of my friend, and paraded through my room.  I actually missed the English portion of the victory speech thanks to my excitement.

Yes.

God, I’m happy. So many times I thought to myself while watching artist after artist getting rewarded for mediocrity that there was no way The Suburbs would pull through.  I lost more and more faith after seeing the band lose the “Best Alternative Music Album” and “Best Rock Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals” to the Black Keys.  Now, I love the Black Keys, but Suburbs absolutely deserved to come away with some hardware.  If you’ve read my review of the album then you know that I adored The Suburbs. It’s just beautiful.  To quote myself, ”The Suburbs is much more emotionally-wrenching than any of Arcade Fire’s previous albums.  The lyrics are those of a band at its strongest, showing more emotional meaning than Funeral while being less overtly political than Neon Bible.”  Seeing them live at the front of the pit at Madison Square Garden August 2nd certainly helped them cement their reputation in my book. Not only can they compose beautiful music, but they have a knack for unbridled performances.  This was especially true tonight; for all the hate “Month of May” seems to get, it is still a great song that’s even better live. Tonight’s performance of the rocker was simply superb and the encore of “Ready To Start” was also pretty fantastic.  Just purely emotional, almost cathartic, performances. 

Now who expected this outcome when the nominees were announced?  How did Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, or Katy Petty not end up winning? No, I don’t think they deserved it, but this is the Grammys after all and indie bands, even indie mega-stars like Arcade Fire, aren’t expected to win. I just can’t help but feel like justice was served tonight in Los Angeles. 

For all that is said about the death of the album, what does The Suburbs mean? Is this the revival of the album? Is this what contemporary music needs or am I just getting ahead of myself?

Congratulations Arcade Fire. You deserved it.

- Lucien Flores

 

While Michela also vocally rejoiced in the unprecedented, but proper and fitting, win of Arcade Fire, to avoid repetition with her reaction, here is a summary of the rest of the awards:

Other winners included Lady Antebellum who snatched up both “Record of the Year”, “Country Album of the Year” and “Song of the Year” through her success of “Need You Now”, a pop-country mix that has dominated Top 40 radio. While Cee Lo Green won for "Best Urban/Alternative Performance", Justin Beiber was  surprisingly shut out, despite being one of the most advertised acts of the night. 

The Black Keys: Lookin' Sharp Boys

Mirroring their fortunately astute appreciation for quality music that honored Arcade Fire, the Recording Academy donned The Black Keys with “Best Alternative Music Album” for Brothers and with “Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocals” for “Tighten Up” off the same record. Neil Young won “Best Rock Song” with “Angry World” and Them Crooked Vultures, the latest project by Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, won “Best Hard Rock Performance” with “New Fang”.

Cee Lo and Paltrow.

Besides for Arcade Fire, the night’s performances were mixed. Muse delivered a solid performance of “Resistance”, the title track of the album that won them “Best Rock Album.” While the novelty of the Bob Dylan, Mumford & Sons, and The Avett Brothers trio held promise and the latter two delivered in their solo sets, Dylan’s incomprehensible aged grumbles spoiled their collaborative “Maggie’s Farm”. Miranda Lambert’s “The House That Built Me” was surprisingly moving and secured her win of “Best Female Country Vocal Performance”. The performances by Bieber, Usher, Rihanna, and Eminem were predictably derivative (save for Dr. Dre’s appearance). Yet, the fun from the colorful Lady Gaga and the Elton-John-esque jaunt by Cee Lo Green and Gwyneth Paltrow did manage to recover mainstream’s Grammy effort.

- Michela Smith


The Grammy's are an annual opportunity to yell "YES!" and REALLY?!" at the television set out of passion for the music that connects to our human experiences and speaks to our very souls. The Grammy's honored that tradition tonight and in the Recording Academy's recognition of those not always heard on radio airwaves, several underdog artists were given the chance to sing directly to us. 


- Common Ground Consortium 

Perplexing Popularity: A Look at Cee Lo Green

By: Michela Smith

January 13, 2011

The fickle nature of popular music never ceases to amaze me. Most recently, I have been stunned by the worldwide celebration of Cee Lo Green’s “Fuck You” (“Forget You” is the radio edit). 

First leaked on the web, the piece was released as a single in August 2010 to promote his November album The Lady Killer. The single peaked at #9 on the U.S. Billboard Charts, currently holds #1 on the U.K. Billboard Charts, and dominates radio stations throughout the U.S, Europe, Japan, and Australia. “Fuck You” has additionally been named TIME Magazine’s “Song of the Year” and has garnered a Grammy Nomination for the same category, helping The Lady Killer acquire four additional Grammy nominations.

He's everywhere...

In the midst of this popularity, I find myself unable to escape Cee Lo. Toggling between radio stations has succumbed to frustrated channel surfing to escape incessant repetitions of the piece. Innumerable album covers featuring an aviator-clad Cee Lo sprawl across entire shelves at music stores. One can’t even sit down to enjoy a relaxing, simple, episode of Glee without hearing a “Fuck You” remix. Emerging lightheaded from this dizzying Cee Lo domination, I am here now to ask: “Why?”

 Granted, Cee Lo has produced some quality music in the past. Partnered with the fantastic producer, Danger Mouse, Green released St. Elsewhere and the single “Crazy” in 2006 under the pseudonym “Gnarls Barkley”. Green’s silky voice paired with the flowing and shapeless backing strings was an innovative combination that earned the duo two Grammys and Rolling Stone’s prestigious “Song of the Decade” award.

Cee Lo, what has happened? While catchy, this new piece is terribly uninspired. While innumerable critics and teenage fans alike have been praising “Fuck You” as cutting edge, it is completely derivative. Have we forgotten the 1960s and the 1970s? The opening piano on Green’s track sounds strikingly similar to that on The Foundation’s “Build Me Up Buttercup” and the female backing vocals on “Fuck You” could have been lifted from any Supremes record. Cee Lo has clearly listened to Motown his entire life – why don’t most recognize it too?                                                                                                                                                                       

This is how I feel

The lyrics fail to compensate when the music falls short. There is a complete lack of poetry; instead of utilizing animated adjectives to articulate his emotions, he unimaginatively confronts his gold-digger heartbreaker by simply swearing at her. Additionally, in trying to maintain a cool and biting cadence, Green doesn’t even sound distraught.

Song of the year – really? Is this the best music can do? There are multiple groundbreaking artists who are continually snubbed in attention, sales, and awards. If this kind of imitative and lyrically-pedestrian music continues to capture listeners in rapture, I fear the demise of creativity.

Jog your memory with these hits, music that combines catchy hooks with actual emotion and inventive poetry. Hopefully it will bring you back to a time when the christening title of “music” was a little more sacred.  

"Do You Love Me? (Now That I Can Dance)" - The Contours

"Dancing in the Street" - Martha & The Vandellas 

"These Arms of Mine" - Otis Redding