Grammy Nominations - Other Categories

Rock Album

• Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
• Kid Rock - Rock N Roll Jesus
• Kings of Leon - Only By The Night
  
• Metallica - Death Magnetic
• The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
  

Where does "Alternative" end and "Rock" begin? With your third album, if Coldplay is any lesson. The band won the Alternative Music Album award in 2002 for Parachutes and in 2003 for A Rush of Blood to the Head, but switched to being a Rock Album nominee for 2005's X&Y. They are 4 for 4 then on getting their albums nominated in a genre category as Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends snags them their fourth such nomination. The Raconteurs score their second nomination in this category for Consolers of the Lonely. Amazingly, this is Metallica's first nomination, although the award didn't yet exist when they released Metallica in 1991.

Alternative

• Beck - Modern Guilt
• Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
• Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple
• My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
• Radiohead - In Rainbows

I hope this is an easy win for Radiohead, as nothing else here excites me, although I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the list. Still--no MGMT? Black Kids? Ting Tings? Nine Inch Nails? Oh well. Radiohead's already won this award twice--in 1998 for OK Computer and 2001 for Kid A, both of which were also nominees for Album of the Year. They were also nominated for Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief, and their 1998 EP, Airbag/How Am I Driving?. Like Radiohead, this is also Beck's sixth nomination in this category. He won in 1997 for Odelay and in 2000 for Mutations, and was nominated for Midnite Vultures (also an AOTY nominee), Sea Change, and Guero. Gnarls Barkley won two years ago for St. Elsewhere; this is their second nomination. It's also Death Cab for Cutie's second nomination, after Plans. Only My Morning Jacket is a first-time nominee.

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

• Estelle Featuring Kanye West - American Boy
• Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain - Low
• John Legend & Andre 3000 - Green Light
• Lil Wayne Featuring T-Pain - Got Money
• Lupe Fiasco Featuring Matthew Santos - Superstar

Great line-up here, in the award's 8th year. I really hope Estelle and Kanye get it. Nice to see John Legend and Lupe Fiasco.

Dance Recording

• Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger
• Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor
• Lady Gaga Featuring Colby O'Donis - Just Dance
• Madonna - Give It 2 Me
• Rihanna - Disturbia
• Sam Sparro - Black and Gold

Daft Punk shows up with a live version of "Hard Better Faster Stronger," the song used to create Kanye West's big hit from last year, "Stronger." On the album, it's a mix with "Around the World," so I don't understand why it isn't credited as such. "Ready for the Floor" is probably the best song from Hot Chip's album, but I didn't really like it much. Of course Madonna is here and Rihanna, although "Disturbia" is really more a pop than dance song. Best surprise is that Sam Sparro got a nod with "Black and Gold." He's my pick to win. Isn't it great that Basshunter wasn't nominated? I don't think he's as popular in American as he is in Britain, where he's a massive superstar.

Electronic Album

• Brazilian Girls - New York City
• Daft Punk - Alive 2007
• Cyndi Lauper - Bring Ya To The Brink
• Kylie Minogue - X
• Moby - Last Night
• Robyn - Robyn

Isn't it great to see Robyn get a nomination? Sure her album is 3 years old now, but it deserves to be nominated, as it was one of last year's best dance pop albums. Nice to see Kylie in here too, although she doesn't deserve a win over Robyn.