GENERAL FIELD

Record of the Year
WINNER “Rolling In The Deep” – Adele
“Holocene” – Bon Iver
“Grenade” – Bruno Mars
“The Cave” – Mumford & Sons
“Firework” – Katy Perry

Album of the Year
WINNER “21″ – Adele
“Wasting Light” – Foo Fighters
“Born This Way” – Lady Gaga
“Doo-Wops & Hooligans” – Bruno Mars
“Loud” – Rihanna

Song of the Year
“All Of The Lights” – Jeff Bhasker, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)
“The Cave” – Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
“Grenade” – Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Bruno Mars)
“Holocene” – Justin Vernon, songwriter (Bon Iver)
WINNER “Rolling in the Deep” – Adele Adkins & Paul Epworth, songwriters (Adele)

Best New Artist
The Band Perry
WINNER Bon Iver
J. Cole
Nicki Minaj
Skrillex

POP FIELD

Best Pop Solo Performance
WINNER “Someone Like You” – Adele
“Yoü And I” – Lady Gaga
“Grenade” – Bruno Bars
“Firework” – Katy Perry
“… Perfect” – Pink

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
WINNER “Body And Soul” – Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
“Dearest” – The Black Keys
“Paradise” – Coldplay
“Pumped Up Kicks” – Foster the People
“Moves Like Jagger” – Maroon 5 & Christina Aguilera

Best Pop Instrumental Album
“Wish Upon A Star” – Jenny Oaks Baker
“E Kahe Malie” – Daniel Ho
WINNER “The Road From Memphis” – Booker T. Jones
“Hello Tomorrow” – Dave Koz
“Setzer Goes Instru-Mental!” – Brian Setzer

Best Pop Vocal Album
WINNER “21″ – Adele
“The Lady Killer” – Cee Lo Green
“Born This Way” – Lady Gaga
“Doo-Wops & Hooligans” – Bruno Mars
“Loud” – Rihanna

DANCE/ELECTRONICA FIELD

Best Dance Recording
“Raise Your Weapon” – Deadmau5 & Greta Svabo Bech
“Barbra Streisand” – Duck Sauce
“Sunshine” – David Guetta & Avicii
“Call Your Girlfriend” – Robyn
WINNER “Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites” – Skrillex
“Save The World” – Swedish House Mafia

Best Dance/Electronica Album
“Zonoscope” – Cut/Copy
“4×4=12″ – Deadmau5
“Nothing But The Beat” – David Guetta
“Body Talk, Pt. 3″ – Robyn
WINNER “Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites” – Skrillex

TRADITIONAL POP FIELD
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
WINNER “Duets II” – Tony Bennett & Various Artists
“The Gift” – Susan Boyle
“In Concert On Broadway” – Harry Connick Jr.
“Music Is Better Than Words” – Seth MacFarlane
“What Matters Most – Barbra Streisand Sings The Lyrics Of Alan And Marilyn Bergman” – Barbra Streisand

ROCK FIELD

Best Rock Performance
“Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” – Coldplay
“Down By The Water” – The Decemberists
WINNER “Walk” – Foo Fighters
“The Cave” – Mumford & Sons
“Lotus Flower” – Radiohead

Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance
“On The Backs Of Angels” – Dream Theater
WINNER “White Limo” – Foo Fighters
“Curl Of The Burl” – Mastodon
“Public Enemy No. 1″ – Megadeth
“Blood In My Eyes” – Sum 41

Best Rock Song
“The Cave” – Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
“Down By The Water” – Colin Meloy, songwriter (The Decemberists)
“Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” – Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay)
“Lotus Flower” – Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, Phil Selway & Thom Yorke, songwriters (Radiohead)
WINNER “Walk” – Foo Fighters, songwriters (Foo Fighters)

Best Rock Album
“Rock ‘N’ Roll Party Honoring Les Paul” – Jeff Beck
WINNER “Wasting Light” – Foo Fighters
“Come Around Sundown” – Kings of Leon
“I’m With You” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
“The Whole Love” – Wilco

ALTERNATIVE FIELD

Best Alternative Music Album
WINNER “Bon Iver” – Bon Iver
“Codes And Keys” – Death Cab For Cutie
“Torches” – Foster The People
“Circuital” – My Morning Jacket
“The King of Limbs” – Radiohead

R&B FIELD

Best R&B Performance
“Far Away” – Marsha Ambrosius
“Pieces Of Me” – Ledisi
“Not My Daddy” – Kelly Price & Stokley
WINNER “Is This Love” – Corinne Bailey Rae
“You Are” – Charlie Wilson

Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Sometimes I Cry” – Eric Benét
WINNER “Fool For You” – Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona
“Radio Message” – R. Kelly
“Good Man” – Raphael Saadiq
“Surrender” – Betty Wright & The Roots

Best R&B Song
“Far Away” – Marsha Ambrosius, Sterling Simms & Justin Smith, songwriters (Marsha Ambrosius)
WINNER “Fool For You” – Cee Lo Green & Jack Splash, songwriters (Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona)
“Not My Daddy” – Kelly Price, songwriter (Kelly Price & Stokley)
“Pieces Of Me” – Charles Harmon, Claude Kelly & Ledisi Young, songwriters (Ledisi)
“You Are” – Dennis Bettis, Carl M. Days, Jr., Wirlie Morris, Charlie Wilson & Mahin Wilson, songwriters (Charlie Wilson)

Best R&B Album
WINNER “F.A.M.E.” – Chris Brown
“Second Chance” – El DeBarge
“Love Letter” – R. Kelly
“Pieces Of Me” – Ledisi
“Kelly” – Kelly Price

RAP FIELD

Best Rap Performance
“Look At Me Now” – Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes
WINNER “Otis” – Jay-Z & Kanye West
“The Show Goes On” – Lupe Fiasco
“Moment 4 Life” – Nicki Minaj & Drake
“Black And Yellow” – Wiz Khalifa

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
“Party” – Beyoncé & André 3000
“I’m On One” – DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne
“I Need A Doctor” – Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey
“What’s My Name?” – Rihanna & Drake
“Motivation” – Kelly Rowland & Lil Wayne
WINNER “All Of The Lights” – Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie

Best Rap Song
WINNER “All Of The Lights” – Jeff Bhasker, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi & Fergie)
“Black And Yellow” – Mikkel Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen & Cameron Thomaz, songwriters (Wiz Khalifa)
“I Need A Doctor” – Andre Young, Marshall Mathers III, Alexander Grant & Skylar Grey, songwriters (Dr. Dre, Eminem & Skylar Grey)
“Look At Me Now” – Jean Baptiste, Chris Brown, Ryan Buendia, Trevor Smith, Dwayne Carter, Jr. & Wesley Pentz, songwriters (Chris Brown, Lil Wayne & Busta Rhymes)
“Otis” – Shawn Carter & Kanye West, songwriters (James Brown, Jimmy Campbell, Reg Connelly, Roy Hammond, J. Roach, Kirk Robinson & Harry Woods, songwriters) (Jay-Z & Kanye West)
“The Show Goes On” – Dustin William Brower, Jonathon Keith Brown, Daniel Johnson, Kane & Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, songwriters (Isaac Brock, Dann Gallucci & Eric Judy, songwriters) (Lupe Fiasco)

Best Rap Album

“Watch The Throne” – Jay-Z & Kanye West
“Tha Carter IV” – Lil Wayne
“Lasers” – Lupe Fiasco
“Pink Friday” – Nicki Minaj
WINNER “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – Kanye West

COUNTRY FIELD

Best Country Solo Performance
“Dirt Road Anthem” – Jason Aldean
“I’m Gonna Love You Through It” – Martina McBride
“Honey Bee” – Blake Shelton
WINNER “Mean” – Taylor Swift
“Mama’s Song” – Carrie Underwood

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Don’t You Wanna Stay” – Jason Aldean With Kelly Clarkson
“You And Tequila” – Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter
WINNER “Barton Hollow” – The Civil Wars
“Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” – Thompson Square

Best Country Song
“Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not” – Jim Collins & David Lee Murphy, songwriters (Thompson Square)
“God Gave Me You” – Dave Barnes, songwriter (Blake Shelton)
“Just Fishin’” – Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell & Ed Hill, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
WINNER “Mean” – Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“Threaten Me With Heaven” – Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Will Owsley & Dillon O’Brian, songwriters (Vince Gill)
“You And Tequila” – Matraca Berg & Deana Carter, songwriters (Kenny Chesney Featuring Grace Potter)

Best Country Album
“My Kinda Party” – Jason Aldean
“Chief” – Eric Church
WINNER “Own The Night” – Lady Antebellum
“Red River Blue” – Blake Shelton
“Here For A Good Time” – George Strait
“Speak Now” – Taylor Swift

NEW AGE FIELD

Best New Age Album
“Northern Seas” – Al Conti
“Gaia” – Michael Brant DeMaria
“Wind, Rock, Sea & Flame” – Peter Kater
WINNER “What’s It All About” – Pat Metheny
“Instrumental Oasis, Vol. 6″ – Zamora

JAZZ FIELD

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
“All Or Nothing At All” – Randy Brecker, soloist
“You Are My Sunshine” – Ron Carter, soloist
WINNER “500 Miles High” – Chick Corea, soloist
“Work” – Fred Hersch, soloist
“Sonnymoon For Two” – Sonny Rollins, soloist

Best Jazz Vocal Album
“‘Round Midnight” – Karrin Allyson
WINNER “The Mosaic Project” – Terry Lyne Carrington & Various Artists
“The Gate” – Kurt Elling
“American Road” – Tierney Sutton (Band)
“The Music of Randy Newman” – Roseanna Vitro

Best Jazz Instrumental Album
“Bond: The Paris Sessions” – Gerald Clayton
WINNER “Forever” – Corea, Clarke & White
“Alone At The Vanguard” – Fred Hersch
“Bird Songs” – Joe Lovano/Us Five
“Road Shows Vol. 2″ – Sonny Rollins
“Timeline” – Yellowjackets

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
“The Jazz Ballad Song Book” – Randy Brecker With DR Big Band
WINNER “The Good Feeling” – Christian McBride Big Band
“40 Acres And A Burro” – Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
“Legacy” – Gerald Wilson Orchestra
“Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook” – Miguel Zenón

GOSPEL FIELD

Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
“Do Everything” – Steven Curtis Chapman
“Alive (Mary Magdalene)” – Natalie Grant
“Your Love” – Brandon Heath
WINNER “Jesus” – Le’Andria Johnson
“I Lift My Hands” – Chris Tomlin

Best Gospel Song
WINNER “Hello Fear” – Kirk Franklin, songwriter (Kirk Franklin)
“Sitting With Me” – Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell, Gerald Haddon & Tammi Haddon, songwriters (Mary Mary)
“Spiritual” – Donald Lawrence, songwriter (Donald Lawrence & Co. Featuring Blanche McAllister-Dykes)
“Trust Me” – Richard Smallwood, songwriter (Richard Smallwood & Vision)
“Window” – Canton Jones, songwriter (Canton Jones)

Best Contemporary Christian Music Song

WINNER “Blessings” – Laura Story, songwriter (Laura Story)
“Hold Me” – Jamie Grace Harper, Toby McKeehan & Christopher Stevens, songwriters (Jamie Grace Featuring Tobymac)
“I Lift My Hands” – Louie Giglio, Matt Maher & Chris Tomlin, songwriters (Chris Tomlin)
“Strong Enough” – Matthew West, songwriter (Matthew West)
“Your Love” – Brandon Heath & Jason Ingram, songwriters (Brandon Heath)

Best Gospel Album
“The Love Album” – Kim Burrell
“The Journey” – Andraé Crouch
WINNER “Hello Fear” – Kirk Franklin
“Something Big” – Mary Mary
“Angel & Chanelle Deluxe Edition” – Trin-I-Tee 5:7

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
“Ghosts Upon The Earth” – Gungor
“Leaving Eden” – Brandon Heath
“The Great Awakening” – Leeland
“What If We Were Real” – Mandisa
“Black & White” – Royal Tailor
WINNER “And If Our God Is For Us…” – Chris Tomlin

LATIN FIELD

Best Latin Pop, Rock or Urban Album
“Entren Los Que Quieran” – Calle 13
“Entre La Ciudad Y El Mar” – Gustavo Galindo
“Nuestra” – La Vida Bohème
“Not So Commercial” – Los Amigos Invisibles
WINNER “Drama Y Luz” – Maná

Best Regional Mexican or Tejano Album

WINNER “Bicentenario” – Pepe Aguilar
“Orale” – Mariachi Divas De Cindy Shea
“Amor A La Musica” – Mariachi Los Arrieros Del Valle
“Eres Un Farsante” – Paquita La Del Barrio
“Huevos Rancheros” – Joan Sebastian

Best Banda or Norteño Album
“Estare Mejor” – El Güero Y Su Banda Centenario
“Intocable 2011″ – Intocable
WINNER “Los Tigres Del Norte And Friends” – Los Tigres Del Norte
“El Árbol” – Los Tucanes De Tijuana
“No Vengo A Ver Si Puedo… Si Por Que Puedo Vengo” – Michael Salgado

Best Tropical Latin Album
“Homenaje A Los Rumberos” – Edwin Bonilla
WINNER “The Last Mambo” – Cachao
“Mongorama” – José Rizo’s Mongorama

AMERICAN ROOTS FIELD

Best Americana Album
“Emotional Jukebox” – Linda Chorney
“Pull Up Some Dust And Sit Down” – Ry Cooder
“Hard Bargain” – Emmylou Harris
WINNER “Ramble At The Ryman” – Levon Helm
“Blessed” – Lucinda Williams

Best Bluegrass Album
WINNER “Paper Airplane” – Alison Krauss & Union Station
“Reason And Rhyme: Bluegrass Songs By Robert Hunter & Jim Lauderdale” – Jim Lauderdale
“Rare Bird Alert” – Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
“Old Memories: The Songs Of Bill Monroe” – The Del McCoury Band
“A Mother’s Prayer” – Ralph Stanley
“Sleep With One Eye Open” – Chris Thile & Michael Daves

Best Blues Album
“Low Country Blues” – Gregg Allman
“Roadside Attractions” – Marcia Ball
“Man In Motion” – Warren Haynes
“The Reflection” – Keb Mo
WINNER “Revelator” – Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best Folk Album
WINNER “Barton Hollow” – The Civil Wars
“I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive” – Steve Earle
“Helplessness Blues” – Fleet Foxes
“Ukulele Songs” – Eddie Vedder
“The Harrow & The Harvest” – Gillian Welch

Best Regional Roots Music Album
“Can’t Sit Down” – C.J. Chenier
“Wao Akua” – The Forest Of The Gods
WINNER “Rebirth Of New Orleans” – Rebirth Brass Band
“Grand Isle” – Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys
“Not Just Another Polka” – Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra

REGGAE FIELD

Best Reggae Album
“Harlem-Kingston Express Live!” – Monty Alexander
“Reggae Knights” – Israel Vibration
WINNER “Revelation Pt 1: The Root Of Life” – Stephen Marley
“Wild And Free” – Ziggy Marley
“Summer In Kingston” – Shaggy

WORLD MUSIC FIELD

Best World Music Album
“AfroCubism” – AfroCubism
“Africa For Africa” – Femi Kuti
“Songs From A Zulu Farm” – Ladysmith Black Mambazo
WINNER “Tassili” – Tinariwen

CHILDREN’S FIELD

Best Children’s Album
WINNER “All About Bullies… Big And Small” – (Various Artists) James Cravero, Gloria Domina, Kevin Mackie, Steve Pullara & Patrick Robinson, producers
“Are We There Yet?” – The Papa Hugs Band
“Fitness Rock & Roll” – Miss Amy
“GulfAlive” – The Banana Plant
“I Love: Tom T. Hall’s Songs Of Fox Hollow” – (Various Artists) Eric Brace & Peter Cooper, producers

SPOKEN WORD FIELD

Best Spoken Word Album
“Bossypants” – Tina Fey
“Fab Fan Memories – The Beatles Bond” – (Various Artists) – Nathan Burbank, Bryan Cumming, Dennis Scott & David Toledo, producers
“Hamlet (William Shakespeare)” – Dan Donohue & Various Artists – Orgeon Shakespeare Festival
WINNER “If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t)” – Betty White
“The Mark Of Zorro” – Val Kilmer & Cast

COMEDY FIELD

Best Comedy Album
“Alpocalypse” – “Weird Al” Yankovic
“Finest Hour” – Patton Oswalt
WINNER “Hilarious” – Louis C.K.
“Kathy Griffin: 50 & Not Pregnant” – Kathy Griffin
“Turtleneck & Chain” – The Lonely Island

MUSICAL THEATER FIELD

Best Musical Theater Album
“Anything Goes” – Sutton Foster & Joel Grey, principal soloists; Rob Fisher, James Lowe & Joel Moss, producers (Cole Porter, composer/lyricist) (New Broadway Cast Recording)
WINNER “The Book Of Mormon” – Josh Gad & Andrew Rannells, principal soloists; Anne Garefino, Robert Lopez, Stephen Oremus, Trey Parker, Scott Rudin & Matt Stone, producers; Robert Lopez, Trey Parker & Matt Stone, composers/lyricists (Original Broadway Cast)
“How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” – John Larroquette & Daniel Radcliffe, principal soloists; Robert Sher, producer (Frank Loesser, composer/lyricist) (The 2011 Broadway Cast Recording)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA FIELD

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
WINNER “Boardwalk Empire: Volume 1″ – (Various Artists)
“Burlesque” – Christina Aguilera
“Glee: The Music, Volume 4″ – (Glee Cast)
“Tangled” – (Various Artists)
“True Blood: Volume 3″ – (Various Artists)

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
“Black Swan” – Clint Mansell, composer
“Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2″ – Alexandre Desplat, composer
WINNER “The King’s Speech” – Alexandre Desplat, composer
“The Shrine” – Ryan Shore, composer
“Tron Legacy” – Daft Punk, composers

Best Song Written For Visual Media
“Born To Be Somebody” (From “Never Say Never”) – Diane Warren, songwriter (Justin Bieber)
“Christmastime Is Killing Us” (From “Family Guy”) – Ron Jones, Seth MacFarlane & Danny Smith, songwriters (Danny Smith, Ron Jones & Seth MacFarlane)
WINNER “I See The Light” (From “Tangled”) – Alan Menken & Glenn Slater, songwriters (Mandy Moore & Zachary Levi)
“So Long” (From “Winnie The Pooh”) – Zooey Deschanel, songwriter (Zooey Deschanel & M. Ward)
“Where The River Goes” (From “Footloose”) – Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Drew Pearson & Anne Preven, songwriters (Zac Brown)
“You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me” (From “Burlesque”) – Diane Warren, songwriter (Cher)

COMPOSING/ARRANGING FIELD

Best Instrumental Composition
“Falling Men” – John Hollenbeck, composer (John Hollenbeck, Daniel Yvinec & Orchestre National de Jazz (ONJ))
“Hunting Wabbits 3 (Get Off My Lawn)” – Gordon Goodwin, composer (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)
“I Talk To The Trees” – Randy Brecker, composer (Randy Brecker With DR Big Band)
WINNER “Life In Eleven” – Béla Fleck & Howard Levy, composers (Béla Fleck & The Flecktones)
“Timeline” – Russell Ferrante, composer (Yellowjackets)

Best Instrumental Arrangement
“All Or Nothing At All” – Peter Jensen, arranger (Randy Brecker With DR Big Band)
“In The Beginning” – Clare Fischer, arranger (The Clare Fischer Big Band)
“Nasty Dance” – Bob Brookmeyer, arranger (The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra)
WINNER “Rhapsody In Blue” – Gordon Goodwin, arranger (Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band)
“Song Without Words” – Carlos Franzetti, arranger (Carlos Franzetti & Allison Brewster Franzetti)

Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
“Ao Mar” – Vince Mendoza, arranger (Vince Mendoza)
“Moon Over Bourbon Street” – Rob Mathes, arranger (Sting & The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra)
“On Broadway” – Kevin Axt, Ray Brinker, Trey Henry, Christian Jacob & Tierney Sutton, arrangers (The Tierney Sutton Band)
WINNER “Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)” – Jorge Calandrelli, arranger (Tony Bennett & Queen Latifah)
“The Windmills Of Your Mind” – William A. Ross, arranger (Barbra Streisand)

PACKAGE FIELD

Best Recording Package
“Chickenfoot III” – Todd Gallopo, art director (Chickenfoot)
“Good Luck & True Love” – Sarah Dodds & Shauna Dodds, art directors (Reckless Kelly)
“Rivers And Homes” – Jonathan Dagan, art director (J.Viewz)
WINNER “Scenes From The Suburbs” – Vincent Morisset, art director (Arcade Fire)
“Watch The Throne” – Virgil Abloh, art director (Jay-Z & Kanye West)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
“The King Of Limbs” – Donald Twain & Zachariah Wildwood, art directors (Radiohead)
WINNER “The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story” – Dave Bett & Michelle Holme, art directors (Bruce Springsteen)
“25th Anniversary Music Box” – Matt Taylor & Ellen Wakayama, art directors (Danny Elfman & Tim Burton)
“25 Years” – James Spindler, art director (Sting)
“Wingless Angels – Deluxe Edition” – David Gorman, art director (Wingless Angels)

ALBUM NOTES

Best Album Notes
“The Bang Years 1966-1968″ – Neil Diamond, album notes writer (Neil Diamond)
“The Bristol Sessions, 1927-1928: The Big Bang Of Country Music” – Ted Olson & Tony Russell, album notes writers (Various Artists)
“Complete Mythology” – Ken Shipley, album notes writer (Syl Johnson)
WINNER “Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond As Recorded By The San Francisco Bay By Chris Strachwitz In The 1960s” – Adam Machado, album notes writer (Various Artists)
“The Music City Story: Street Corner Doo Wop, Raw R&B And Soulful Sounds From Berkeley, California 1950-75″ – Alec Palao, album notes writer (Various Artists)

HISTORICAL FIELD

Best Historical Album
WINNER “Band On The Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection – Deluxe Edition)” – Paul McCartney, compilation producer; Sam Okell & Steve Rooke, mastering engineers (Paul McCartney & Wings)
“The Bristol Sessions, 1927-1928: The Big Bang Of Country Music” – Christopher C. King & Ted Olson, compilation producers; Christopher C. King & Chris Zwarg, mastering engineers (Various Artists)
“Complete Mythology” – Tom Lunt, Rob Sevier & Ken Shipley, compilation producers; Jeff Lipton, mastering engineer (Syl Johnson)
“Hear Me Howling!: Blues, Ballads & Beyond As Recorded By The San Francisco Bay By Chris Strachwitz In The 1960s” – Chris Strachwitz, compilation producer; Mike Cogan, mastering engineer (Various Artists)
“Young Man With The Big Beat: The Complete ’56 Elvis Presley Masters” – Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, compilation producer; Vic Anesini, mastering engineer (Elvis Presley)

PRODUCTION, NON CLASSICAL FIELD

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
“Follow Me Down” – Brandon Bell & Gary Paczosa, engineers; Sangwook “Sunny” Nam & Doug Sax, mastering engineers (Sarah Jarosz)
“The Harrow & The Harvest” – Matt Andrews, engineer; Stephen Marcussen, mastering engineer (Gillian Welch)
“Music Is Better Than Words” – Rich Breen & Frank Filipetti, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Seth MacFarlane)
“The Next Right Thing” – Kevin Killen, Brendan Muldowney & John Shyloski, engineers; John Shyloski, mastering engineer (Seth Glier)
WINNER “Paper Airplane” – Mike Shipley, engineer; Brad Blackwood, mastering engineer (Alison Krauss & Union Station)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical
Danger Mouse – “Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi Present Rome” (Gilda Buttá, Luciano Ciccaglioni, Gegé Munari, Dario Rosciglione, Antonello Vannucchi et al) (A); “Meyrin Fields EP” (Broken Bells) (S)
WINNER Paul Epworth – “Call It What You Want” (Foster The People) (T); “I Would Do Anything For You” (Foster The People) (T); “I’ll Be Waiting” (Adele) (T); “Life On The Nickel” (Foster The People) (T); “No One’s Gonna Love You” (Cee-Lo Green) (S); “Rolling In The Deep” (Adele) (T)
The Smeezingtons – “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” (Bruno Mars) (A); “If I Was You (OMG)” (Far East Movement Featuring Snoop Dogg) (T); “Lighters” (Bad Meets Evil Featuring Bruno Mars) (T); “Mirror” (Lil Wayne Featuring Bruno Mars) (T); “Rocketeer” (Far East Movement Featuring Ryan Tedder of One Republic) (T)
Ryan Tedder – “Brighter Than The Sun” (Colbie Caillat) (T); “Favorite Song” (Colbie Caillat Featuring Common) (T); “I Remember Me” (Jennifer Hudson) (T); “I Was Here” (Beyoncé) (T); “Not Over You” (Gavin DeGraw) (S); “#1Nite” (One Night) (Cobra Starship) (S); “Rumour Has It” (Adele) (T); “Sweeter” (Gavin DeGraw) (T); “Who’s That Boy” (Demi Lovato Featuring Dev) (T)
Butch Vig – “Wasting Light” (Foo Fighters) (A)

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
WINNER “Cinema” (Skrillex Remix) – Sonny Moore, remixer (Benny Benassi)
“Collide” (Afrojack Remix) – Afrojack, remixer (Leona Lewis)
“End Of Line” (Photek Remix) – Photek, remixer (Daft Punk)
“Only Girl (In The World)” (Rosabel Club Mix) – Abel Aguilera & Ralphi Rosario, remixers (Rihanna)
“Rope” (Deadmau5 Mix) – Deadmau5, remixer (Foo Fighters)

SURROUND SOUND FIELD

Best Surround Sound Album
“An Evening With Dave Grusin” – Frank Filipetti & Eric Schilling, surround mix engineers; Frank Filipetti, surround mastering engineer; Phil Ramone, surround producer (Various Artists)
“Grace For Drowning” – Steven Wilson, surround mix engineer; Paschal Byrne, surround mastering engineer; Steven Wilson, surround producer (Steven Wilson)
“Kind” – Morten Lindberg, surround mix engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, surround producer (Kjetil Almenning, Ensemble 96 & Nidaros String Quartet)
WINNER “Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (Super Deluxe Edition)” – Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Bill Levenson & Elliot Scheiner, surround producers (Derek & The Dominos)
“Spohr: String Sextet In C Major, Op. 140 & Nonet In F Major, Op. 31″ – Andreas Spreer, surround mix engineer; Andreas Spreer, surround mastering engineer; Andreas Spreer, surround producer (Camerata Freden)

PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL FIELD

Best Engineered Album, Classical
WINNER “Aldridge: Elmer Gantry” – Byeong-Joon Hwang & John Newton, engineers; Jesse Lewis, mastering engineer (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra)
“Glazunov: Complete Concertos” – Richard King, engineer (José Serebrier, Alexey Serov, Wen-Sinn Yang, Alexander Romanovsky, Rachel Barton Pine, Marc Chisson & Russian National Orchestra)
“Mackey: Lonely Motel – Music From Slide” – Tom Lazarus & Bill Maylone, engineers; Joe Lambert, mastering engineer (Rinde Eckert, Steven Mackey & Eighth Blackbird)
“Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4″ – Arne Akselberg, engineer (Leif Ove Andsnes, Antonio Pappano & London Symphony Orchestra)
“Weinberg: Symphony No. 3 & Suite No. 4 From ‘The Golden Key’” – Torbjörn Samuelsson, engineer (Thord Svedlund & Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra)

Producer Of The Year, Classical
Blanton Alspaugh – “Aldridge: Elmer Gantry” (William Boggs, Keith Phares, Patricia Risley, Vale Rideout, Frank Kelley, Heather Buck, Florentine Opera Chorus & Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra); “Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas” (Peter Takács); “Osterfield: Rocky Streams” (Paul Osterfield, Todd Waldecker & Various Artists)
Manfred Eicher – “Bach: Concertos & Sinfonias For Oboe; Ich Hatte Viel Bekümmernis” (Heinz Holliger, Eric Höbarth & Camerata Bern); “Hymns & Prayers” (Gidon Kremer & Kremerata Baltica); “Manto & Madrigals” (Thomas Zehetmair & Ruth Killius); “Songs Of Ascension” (Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble, Todd Reynolds Quartet, The M6 & Montclair State University Singers); “Tchaikovsky/Kissine: Piano Trios” (Gidon Kremer, Giedre Dirvanauskaite & Khatia Buniatishvili); “A Worcester Ladymass” (Trio Mediaeval)
David Frost – “Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass Live” (Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass); “Mackey: Lonely Motel – Music From Slide” (Rinde Eckert, Steven Mackey & Eighth Blackbird); “Prayers & Alleluias” (Kenneth Dake); “Sharon Isbin & Friends” – Guitar Passions (Sharon Isbin & Various Artists)
Peter Rutenberg – “Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45″ (Patrick Dupré Quigley, James K. Bass, Seraphic Fire & Professional Choral Institute); “The Vanishing Nordic Chorale” (Philip Spray & Musik Ekklesia)
WINNER Judith Sherman – “Adams: Son Of Chamber Symphony; String Quartet” (John Adams, St. Lawrence String Quartet & International Contemporary Ensemble); “Capricho Latino” (Rachel Barton Pine); “85th Birthday Celebration” (Claude Frank); “Insects & Paper Airplanes – Chamber Music Of Lawrence Dillon” (Daedalus Quartet & Benjamin Hochman); “Midnight Frolic – The Broadway Theater Music Of Louis A. Hirsch” (Rick Benjamin & Paragon Ragtime Orchestra); “Notable Women – Trios By Today’s Female Composers” (Lincoln Trio); “The Soviet Experience, Vol. 1 – String Quartets By Dmitri Shostakovich & His Contemporaries” (Pacifica Quartet); “Speak!” (Anthony De Mare); “State Of The Art” – The American Brass Quintet At 50 (The American Brass Quintet); “Steve Reich: WTC 9/11; Mallet Quartet; Dance Patterns (Kronos Quartet, Steve Reich Musicians & So Percussion); “Winging It – Piano Music Of John Corigliano” (Ursula Oppens)

CLASSICAL FIELD

Best Orchestral Performance
“Bowen: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 2″ – Andrew Davis, conductor (BBC Philharmonic)
WINNER “Brahms: Symphony No. 4″ – Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)
“Haydn: Symphonies 104, 88 & 101″ – Nicholas McGegan, conductor (Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra)
“Henze: Symphonies Nos. 3-5″ – Marek Janowski, conductor (Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin)
“Martinu: The 6 Symphonies” – Jirí Belohlávek, conductor (BBC Symphony Orchestra)

Best Opera Recording
WINNER “Adams: Doctor Atomic” – Alan Gilbert, conductor; Meredith Arwady, Sasha Cooke, Richard Paul Fink, Gerald Finley, Thomas Glenn & Eric Owens; Jay David Saks, producer (Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Metropolitan Opera Chorus)
“Britten: Billy Budd” – Mark Elder, conductor; John Mark Ainsley, Phillip Ens, Jacques Imbrailo, Darren Jeffery, Iain Paterson & Matthew Rose; James Whitbourn, producer (London Philharmonic Orchestra; Glyndebourne Chorus)
“Rautavaara: Kaivos” – Hannu Lintu, conductor; Jaakko Kortekangas, Hannu Niemelä, Johanna Rusanen-Kartano & Mati Turi; Seppo Siirala, producer (Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra; Kaivos Chorus)
“Verdi: La Traviata” – Antonio Pappano, conductor; Joseph Calleja, Renée Fleming & Thomas Hampson; James Whitbourn, producer (Orchestra of the Royal Opera House; Royal Opera Chorus)
“Vivaldi: Ercole Sul Termodonte” – Fabio Biondi, conductor; Romina Basso, Patrizia Ciofi, Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, Vivica Genaux, Philippe Jaroussky, Topi Lehtipuu & Rolando Villazón; Daniel Zalay, producer (Europa Galante; Coro Da Camera Santa Cecilia Di Borgo San Lorenzo)

Best Choral Performance
“Beyond All Mortal Dreams – American A Cappella” – Stephen Layton, conductor (Choir Of Trinity College Cambridge)
“Brahms: Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45″ – Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor; James K. Bass, chorus master (Justin Blackwell, Scott Allen Jarrett, Paul Max Tipton & Teresa Wakim; Professional Choral Institute & Seraphic Fire)
“Kind” – Kjetil Almenning, conductor (Nidaros String Quartet; Ensemble 96)
WINNER “Light & Gold” – Eric Whitacre, conductor (Christopher Glynn & Hila Plitmann; The King’s Singers, Laudibus, Pavão Quartet & The Eric Whitacre Singers)
“The Natural World Of Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen” – Paul Hillier, conductor (Ars Nova Copenhagen)

Best Small Ensemble Performance
“Frank: Hilos” – Gabriela Lena Frank; ALIAS Chamber Ensemble
“The Kingdoms Of Castille” – Richard Savino, conductor; El Mundo
WINNER “Mackey: Lonely Motel – Music From Slide” – Rinde Eckert & Steven Mackey; Eighth Blackbird
“A Seraphic Fire Christmas” – Patrick Dupré Quigley, conductor; Seraphic Fire
“Sound The Bells!” – The Bay Brass

Best Classical Instrumental Solo
“Chinese Recorder Concertos – East Meets West” – Lan Shui, conductor; Michala Petri (Copenhagen Philharmonic)
“Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No. 2 In C Minor, Op. 18; Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini” – Yuja Wang (Claudio Abbado; Mahler Chamber Orchestra)
“Rachmaninov: Piano Concertos Nos. 3 & 4″ – Leif Ove Andsnes (Antonio Pappano; London Symphony Orchestra)
WINNER “Schwantner: Concerto For Percussion & Orchestra” – Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Christopher Lamb (Nashville Symphony); Track from: “Schwantner: Chasing Light…”
“Winging It – Piano Music Of John Corigliano” – Ursula Oppens

Best Classical Vocal Solo
WINNER “Diva Divo” – Joyce DiDonato (Kazushi Ono; Orchestre De L’Opéra National De Lyon; Choeur De L’Opéra National De Lyon)
“Grieg/Thommessen: Veslemøy Synsk” – Marianne Beate Kielland (Nils Anders Mortensen)
“Handel: Cleopatra” – Natalie Dessay (Emmanuelle Haïm; Le Concert D’Astrée)
“Purcell: O Solitude” – Andreas Scholl (Stefano Montanari; Christophe Dumaux; Accademia Bizantina)
“Three Baroque Tenors” – Ian Bostridge (Bernard Labadie; Mark Bennett, Andrew Clarke, Sophie Daneman, Alberto Grazzi, Jonathan Gunthorpe, Benjamin Hulett & Madeline Shaw; The English Concert)

Best Contemporary Classical Composition
WINNER “Aldridge, Robert: Elmer Gantry” – Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein
“Crumb, George: The Ghosts Of Alhambra” – George Crumb; Track from: “Complete Crumb Edition, Vol. 15″
“Friedman, Jefferson: String Quartet No. 3″ – Jefferson Friedman; Track from: “Jefferson Friedman: Quartets”
“Mackey, Steven: Lonely Motel – Music From Slide” – Steven Mackey
“Ruders, Poul: Piano Concerto No. 2″ – Poul Ruders; Track from: “Music Of Poul Ruders, Vol. 6″

MUSIC VIDEO FIELD

Best Short Form Music Video
WINNER “Rolling In The Deep” – Adele; Sam Brown, video director; Hannah Chandler, video producer
“Yes I Know” – Memory Tapes; Eric Epstein, video director; Eric Epstein, video producer
“All Is Not Lost” – OK Go; Itamar Kubovy, Damian Kulash Jr & Trish Sie, video directors; Shirley Moyers, video producer
“Lotus Flower” – Radiohead; Garth Jennings, video director; Garth Jennings, video producer
“First Of The Year (Equinox)” – Skrillex; Tony Truand, video director; Noah Klein, video producer
“Perform This Way” – “Weird Al” Yankovic; “Weird Al” Yankovic, video director; Cisco Newman, video producer

Best Long Form Music Video
“I Am…World Tour” – Beyoncé; Ed Burke, Frank Gatson Jr. & Beyoncé Knowles, video directors; Beyoncé Knowles & Camille Yorrick, video producers

WINNER “Foo Fighters: Back And Forth” – Foo Fighters; James Moll, video director; James Moll & Nigel Sinclair, video producers

“Talihina Sky: The Story Of Kings Of Leon” – Kings Of Leon; Stephen C. Mitchell, video director; Casey McGrath, video producer

“Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest” – A Tribe Called Quest; Michael Rapaport, video director; Robert Benavides, Debra Koffler, Eric Matthies, Frank Mele, Edward Parks & A Tribe Called Quest, video producers

“Nine Types Of Light” – TV On The Radio; Tunde Adebimpe, video director; Michelle An & Braj, video producers

The awesome musical team of Thievery Corporation have reunited with an old collaborator Mr. Lif for “Unified Tribes,” a new single inspired by the Occupy movement.

“Occupiers have come together in an attempt to bring about better conditions for the many as opposed to the few,” says Mr. Lif. “This song, ‘Unified Tribes’ is our attempt to offer inspiration, energy and hopefully a morale boost to the movement as it will take persistence and resilience to bring about change to the collective consciousness of our culture.”

The track is available in the iTunes store now, but you can download it for free here.

According to the Roots drummer, Questlove, NBC now requires clearance of all songs the band plays on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, after the band Tweeted about the song they played when guest Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) appeared on the show. The song was Fishbone’s “Lyin Ass Bitch.”

When NBC discovered the thinly veiled insult, it apologized to Bachmann, as did Fallon. Now, The Roots must clear the titles and meaning of songs they play with NBC executives before the show.

Questlove told the Associated Press. “It was kind of wrong for me to throw [NBC] under the bus without telling them what it was, so I understand from a business standpoint.”

The full article can be read here in the new edition of Rolling Stone. A brief video clip appears below.

News sources are reporting that numerous Grammy-award winning performers, including Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Usher and 50 Cent, earned millions of dollars from the Qaddafi family in the last several years by playing at private parties in St. Barts, Venice, and other exotic locations. For example, Carey was allegedly paid $1 million to play a private concert for Muatassim Qaddafi on the island of St. Barts in 2008.

Music critics and political activists are now calling for that money to be donated to humanitarian causes, particularly ones that might benefit Libyan people displaced or harmed by Qadddafi’s violent suppression of political protest in that country. Agents of the various artists have so far refused comment, but as international pressure builds to isolate the Qaddafi family and oust them from power, these artists will surely have to answer to fans and critics alike whether they have accepted money now tainted with the blood of Libyans.

fuck you, scalpers. terminal 5 shows added.

holy shit
this here is just to say that we were more than taken aback and surprised about the speed of ticket sales for the april 2nd msg gig, as well as the effectiveness of scalper pieces of fucking shit at getting their hands on said tickets before fans could, and it’s knocked us on our asses.
no—we didn’t have a smart paperless ticketing system in place, and no—we didn’t have the pre-sale worked out very well, but this is simply because we’ve never sold anything out so quickly in our lives, and certainly never sold out anything as big as msg. i personally thought i was being bold in suggesting to our manager that we might sell it out “in 10 days”. that was my bold claim. everyone laughed at me. it’s us and liquid liquid. that’s it. we had meetings and meetings about the “other band” we needed to “fill the place”, as we were definitely considered to be nowhere near big enough (most of these bands were, like, way bigger than us, by the way).
we didn’t sell out hollywood bowl, and that was with both hot chip and sleigh bells. there was, i repeat, no expectation of our selling this out either. my main concerns at the time were things like ticketmaster charges—how they were going to make the tickets ridiculously costly… we never dreamed some shitbags would try to get thousands for our show. it’s insane.
but it happened. we all looked at each other in horror and sat there. i mean, aren’t you supposed to be psyched? your band sold out madison square garden! i live in nyc, and that’s the place. i saw the jackson’s victory tour there when i was a kid.
but there it was—the shit was gone, and people—not just people, but fucking proper fans—were pissed. nancy from the band tried to buy tickets. failed. i tried. failed. our best friends—not wanting to hassle us for guestlist spots tried—failed. i bought 2 tickets to my own show for 3 times the value like an idiot to see if real tickets showed up. my family got burned.
it was, to say the least, weird.
we tried getting another day at msg. i’d mentioned this before and most everyone kind of rolled their eyes at me. “2 madison square garden shows, dude? really?” i thought, well, just in case, you know? maybe some people would fly from other places or something. but msg, being one of the most popular venues on the planet, was unsurprisingly booked. (for the record: just because it doesn’t look booked on the internet, doesn’t mean it’s available. just saying.)
we tried calling our lawyer about the ticket scalping. “it’s legal”. no joke. it’s fucking legal. i tramped around with friends and band getting insane. i wanted to buy some expensive tickets and then track the seller down to beat him. i acted stupid. i did some classic, shakespearean vain “fist shaking”, etc. i made angry tweets. (i’m wondering now what on earth could be less effective and more of a first-world spoiled idiotic move than “angry tweets”? jesus.) i read conspiracy theories about how this was some cash-grab i orchestrated. i read that there are 50,000 seats at msg (i think our show will have 13k). i read that people had already bought flights, hotels. wanted to bring their kids. waited in the cold. i read that some people thought this was one of the reasons we were calling it quits (check). i read that this was a media stunt we planned. i read very funny comments from my friend aziz, one of which was taken seriously (that msg had given me 30,000 tickets personally for guest list). i read that i was giving all the tickets to my “new celebrity friends” (aziz is about the closest thing i have to a “celebrity friend”, and we met at terminal 5 watching hot chip when we were, well, not very “celebrated”). i read that we should cancel the show and put the tickets up on sale in a better fashion. i read that we should not do that, for fuck’s sake. i read that we should go fuck ourselves.
i read a lot of stuff, waiting to hear if we could get another night at msg, which seemed like the only option. but it failed. then i kind of sat in my house, trying not to worry for 20 minutes, and made a very, very good coffee.
i don’t know what people think about us, really. i’d love to say i don’t care, but i do. these people in my band—they are my very good friends. i love them very much. i love this band very much. everything about it. i’m very proud of it—of us, and i get defensive when people talk shit about us. i feel like we’ve been able to do something sort of special for 9 years: making music we like the way we like it. going on tour and playing, no computers or bullshit. no in-ears. a bunch of weird substitute teachers just trying to play something like the bands we loved growing up. whenever anyone said shit about us being sellouts or something, it stung, because i consider this entire thing—the band, everything—to be a communication between us and whoever is listening, and not just a thing unto itself. i remember being a fan and seeing bands, thinking “this is us. this is you playing and me/us watching” and how real that connection was, and i always wanted to honor that strange relationship with our band. so when someone felt wronged or hurt or outraged, it stung. it stung because, on some level, regardless of the “you can’t please everyone” stuff that gets rationally said to you when this shit happens, it meant that i’d failed. i’d failed to communicate. on the other hand, i’ve had my world turned upside down by a lot of amazing things people have said about us, or to us. i’ve met fans and made friends, and felt very strongly how that relationship actually works—and how we brought ourselves, each other, finally here, to where we play our last show—and biggest show ever—together, at this amazing place.
and then, this fucking ticket thing happened.
so to the point. you can’t make everyone happy, and i’m sure this will wind someone up somewhere (“but i paid $600 for one seat at msg!!!) or seem like some shitty “plan” to someone else (“they were gonna do it all along!!! it’s all a big retirement money plan to bilk the fans!!!”) or something else that someone who theoretically likes our band thinks (why are you trying to buy a ticket?? how could you even listen to a band that you think is capable of some of this shit!??) but we’ve come up with the best solution i can think of, as quickly as possible so as to deflate the market for those scalping scumfucks.
we’re going to play 4 shows at terminal 5 in nyc leading up to the msg show, and they will include most if not all of the songs we play at msg. the farewell run-up to the last dance. it’ll be the 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st of march. obviously we’re going to look seriously at the way we sell these tickets. not “paperless, (i’ve been advised that the “paperless” thing is apparently now illegal in ny… seriously—don’t ask me) but there are some ideas floating around that could be just as effective (though it’ll take a minute to get folks in the door.)
we’ll announce the shows officially early in the week, and tickets will be on sale soon after. we’re announcing all the shows at once, and if they don’t sell out, i don’t care. i just want to give people who actually want to see us a chance to see us. for a reasonable ticket price. and i want to drop the price of the msg tickets being sold by piece of shit scalpers.
oh—and a small thing to scalpers: “it’s legal” is what people say when they don’t have ethics. the law is there to set the limit of what is punishable (aka where the state needs to intervene) but we are supposed to have ethics, and that should be the primary guiding force in our actions, you fucking fuck.
and to everyone else: thank you. you rule. don’t let the shitbags win.
i feel like conan o’brien.
james

The LA Times is reporting that the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission may be backing out of support for the Electric Daisy Carnival Festival, a giant rave and carnival that has been held every year at the Coliseum since 1998.

Even though EDC is one of the biggest sources of revenue for the Coliseum, last year’s crowd of 185,000 over two days led to traffic jams, gate crashing, 120 drug and alcohol related injuries, and one death. As a result of these problems LA officials vowed to prohibit the promoter, Insomniac Inc. from hosting future raves at this venue.

However, the real problem now is disclosure by the Times recently that an official of the Coliseum Commission was also on the payroll of the promoter, raising the specter that there is a conflict of interest because administrator Todd DeStefano apparently was collecting two paychecks from the venue and the promoter.

EDC is now in real danger of being canceled because the perception that the commission’s decision making process has been tampered with. In the background, a closely contested political election over City District 8, where the Coliseum is located, pits the incumbent Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks against an anti-rave, pro-temperance challenger who believes that all raves should be canceled at the Coliseum until promoters can ensure that no illegal drugs will find their way into the venue. Good luck. In that case, all college and professional sports events should be canceled as well, not to mention the hundreds of concerts that take place throughout LA every year.

The politics of the rave has always been subject to the vagaries of America’s longest and most stupid war, the “war on drugs.” Forty years after this war was officially launched by Nixon during the Vietnam War, America is still fighting this lost cause because of unrealistic expectations about the role of government in straightening the “crooked timber of humanity.” Instead of fighting a lost cause, LA officials have the opportunity to do something better:  Contain the problem by focusing it, throwing huge raves in public venues where thousands of people can congregate peacefully and enjoy the music. Otherwise, they risk forcing the rave back underground where there is little or no accountability for promoters to throw safe and secure parties.

Let them rave!

After forming a band in New York, fusing punk and dance into an electronic schmorgasboard of highly danceable beats, James Murphy,  the crooning, erstwhile-fratboy-cum-poet of the band is calling it quits. LCD Soundsystem has announced its last show, scheduled for its home turf of New York City at Madison Square Garden on April 2, 2011. This time the show has a theme, and it’s black and white. How nostalgic.

LCD’s accomplishments include three albums of critical acclaim (LCD Soundsystem, Sounds of Silver, This is Happening), the most recent one reaching America’s Top 40 Billboard, creating a sensational buzz that led to major performances at Coachella 2010 and the Hollywood Bowl last fall, as well as a dozen memorable singles, including “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House,” “All My Friends,” “Losing My Edge,” and, of course, the unstoppable sonic force that is “Someone Great.” The new album also features some great tracks like “Dance Yrself Clean” and the alarmingly nostalgic but uber-catchy “I Can Change.”

I was at the Hollywood Bowl performance where Hot Chip opened by getting the crowd hot, and then LCD finished by destroying the place. If the Bowl had a roof, LCD would have blown it off as they turned 10,000 drunken fans into dance machines for the duration of the night. Check this recent article my Spin honoring LCD with “Artist of the Year.” I also once caught Jamed Murphy’s opening DJ set for Tiga at Avalon in LA a few years ago. It was memorably disco, a little dirty, and Murphy himself was real drunk. Good times.

I may have to catch this special farewell performance at the Garden, before Murphy moves on to other projects. LCD at the Bowl was a concert not to be missed, and one to be remembered. Let’s see if they can do it one more time….

Groove Armada, Superstylin’ (Live Video)

Performed March 21, 2010 at the Henry Fonda Music Box, Hollywood CA.

Here is a great review piece in the new Rolling Stone about the rise (and fall) of Jack White and The White Stripes. Coverage includes many past pieces, interviews, and photos from the Stone’s coverage of this awesome band.

I never got the chance to see the White Stripes, but I did catch Jack White’s most recent reincarnation band, the Dead Weather. Jamming good guitar work, that guy!

 

Exactly 1 week after announcing its line-up (one of the earliest announcements in recent memory), Coachella 2011 has sold out. Click here for the Huffington Post story.

A story in Rolling Stone claims that the cause of this record sell out can be traced to the popularity of the bands as well as the strength of the bill, but goes further in asserting:

“That said, the artists on the festival bill may not be as big of a draw as the festival itself. Over the past decade Coachella has built its reputation to the point that many music fans plan on attending no matter who is booked. Also, Coachella is simply very convenient to fans in the southwestern United States, an area of the country that is generally under-served by major tours. When put up against the option of making numerous treks to Los Angeles and other large cities in the region, spending a single weekend in the desert with dozens of bands is an attractive alternative.”

Nowhere does this investigate piece of journalism discuss the controversies of ticket sales and secondary markets associated with monolithic promoters such as Goldenvoice and Ticketmaster, and the stranglehold they pose on fair access. Fans of Coachella will be sad to learn, if they truly care about music for the masses, that secondary promoters and online ticket clearinghouses buy up tickets electronically to resell them later for exorbitant prices. The attractiveness of this particular festival for this kind of electronic scalping has simply grown with the popularity of the festival. A friend from Berkeley already reports tickets online fo

r sale going for over $1000. So sad.

The festival has become a mainstream revenue generator for Goldenvoice, the country’s largest music and concert promoter, but fans are suffering at the hands of intermediate actors profiting from their great musical tradition. Fans who attend this year’s event can expect great music but even larger crowds most of whom paid way too much for the 3-day pass to scalpers, promoters, and other profiteers who benefit from the hype. Coachella fans have been bummed since the promoter decided to stop selling day passes in 2010, citing the 3-day pass is better for true fans. Yea, whatever you greedy fucks.

Good luck fans! Coachella is a great event, and I have been several times, but I’m not going back any time soon. How’s that for brand loyalty?