Monday, January 2, 2006

SGN's Grammy Central: Alternative Music Album


Hi, it's Albert from the SGN. Hope you all had a fun, safe New Year! Welcome to 2006!

As mentioned, the Seattle Gay News is kicking off our blog feature called "Grammy Central" this week with a look at the nominees in the Rock field, starting with Best Alternative Music Album. Feel free to post any comments regarding this category or any of the nominees. My colleague, the fabulous Lorelei Quenzer, will begin an "Oscar Central" blog feature in the coming weeks too.

Here are the Grammy nominees for Best Alternative Music Album with my prediction and personal pick for the award.

Funeral - The Arcade Fire
Guero - Beck
Plans - Death Cab for Cutie
You Could Have It So Much Better - Franz Ferdinand
Get Behind Me Satan - The White Stripes

Personally, I'm thrilled with this lineup. They're all terrific choices and I won't be disappointed with whomever walks away with the award. It's great to see a Seattle act, Death Cab for Cutie, in the mix and I'm very excited that Franz Ferdinand made the cut. Beck and The White Stripes didn't release their best work in 05, but they were still good enough to make the list and both artists have consistently put out solid recordings in previous years. The Arcade Fire is the greatest thing to come from Canada in a long, long time.

My prediction is that The Arcade Fire will win because veteran acts Beck and The White Stripes will cancel each other out and rising stars Death Cab for Cutie and Franz Ferdinand will do the same. Plus, The Arcade Fire go into the Grammys as a heavy critical favorite. But honestly, any of these nominees could get it.

My personal pick is a split between Death Cab for Cutie and Franz Ferdinand, two bands with incredible staying power and the ability to substantiate all the hype surrounding them. Death Cab's "Plans" and Franz's "You're the Reason..." both landed inside my top ten album picks of the year and I'll be bouncing up and down for hours if one of them wins their first Grammy.

Pictured: Beck, photo courtesy of Interscope Records

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