I think I have lost the thread of this argument. Is the point here that Justin Bieber, Metallica and Elvis Costello represent genuine, authentic "good" music, while Jethro Tull, Herbie Hancock and Starlight Vocal Band have in common that they are sell-out commercial artists?
I am not a musicologist, but this is not how I would organize these 6 groups (I would listen to Costello, Hancock and Tull, and ignore if not scorn Bieber, Metallica and SVB). There seems to be something flawed in the argument that Justin Bieber was overlooked for more commercially successful artists at the Grammys. On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 7:33 AM, Mark J. <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On Feb 21, 7:08 pm, David Bruggeman <[email protected]> wrote: > > Two appearances at the White House suggest Ms. Spaulding will make a > living for > > at least the near future. > > > > With the discussion focused on Bieber and Spaulding, there's the matter > of the > > other nominees, at least two of which (Drake, Mumford and Sons, Florence > and the > > Machine) have some combination of buzz and talent that could well have > siphoned > > enough votes from Bieber to allow Spaulding to get enough votes to win. > Sounds > > like that could well have happened in 1979. > > You have to remember that NARAS and the Grammys were started by the > major labels (which back in the 50s were just Columbia, RCA, Capitol > and Decca) to support "good music" against rock and roll, most of > which in the 50s came out on independent labels (you have to remember > that technically Elvis was based at RCA Nashville, which made him > technically a "hillbilly" act). In the 70s, a lot of these people > were still in the NARAS rank-and-file and would be more favorably > disposed towards four clean-cut-looking kids singing in harmony (even > if about having sex during the day) than some longhair who quit > Polaroid to put out pomp rock. Or by 1979, throwing their lots behind > disco as the last best hope for "good music" (played by full > orchestras, not rock bands, and you could sing standards to disco) > over a bunch of sneering guys from Boston in skinny ties and a > sneering bespectacled Brit in a skinny tie. (And I realize that Taste > of Honey's biggest hit was more rock band instrumentation than the > disco orchestra, but it was still disco.) > > Most of the fossils are long gone from NARAS, but the newer fossils > are the ones who would vote for Jethro Tull over Metallica in a hard > rock category because it fits their classic rock sensibilities. The > most ossified are in the jazz branch--it seems that to be a mainstream > (not "smooth jazz") jazz performer these days, unless your name is > Herbie Hancock or the Bad Plus, you have to reject all pop music made > since 1955 (thank you, Republican Uncle Tom Wynton Marsalis). When > there's no really strong candidate in Album of the Year or New Artist, > they can get one of their people nominated (helloooo, Esperanza > Spaulding) and perhaps even the winner. > > -- > TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "TV or Not TV" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en > -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
