Folk from Bon Iver. Edgy indie-rock from Death Cab for Cutie. Dance-happy pop from Foster the People. Psychedelic rock from My Morning Jacket. Experimental melancholy from Radiohead.
Alternative music doesn’t necessarily mean what it used to at the Grammys, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Support our coverage of
West Michigan's music scene
This year’s all-inclusive best alternative music category at the Grammys could be renamed the critics’ darlings division, tossing together some of the most highly acclaimed albums of 2011 – a strong, eclectic bunch to be sure. There’s much to like in all five nominees, even if the Grammys are still excluding some compelling alternative artists from contention.
I’m guessing the winner of this category will be announced Sunday during the “pre-ceremony” that precedes the evening hoopla on CBS, so fans can tap into the Grammy.com website in early evening to see who snags the shiny bauble.
Check out samples of this year’s nominees for best alternative music album:
— Bon Iver, Bon Iver – Justin Vernon’s second album as Bon Iver band “frontman” has the somewhat dubious distinction of being named Pitchfork.com’s 2011 album of the year. On the other hand, it made tons of other “best of” lists for its lush and dreamy comingling of folk, ambient strains and electronica – a boundary-pushing mix that hypnotizes as well as informs.
— Death Cab for Cutie, Codes And Keys – The latest from Ben Gibbard and crew may actually represent the band’s most expansive and diverse collection of indie-rock yet, combining catchy hooks on tunes such as “Doors Unlocked and Open” and “You Are a Tourist” with pretty piano interludes and moody effects. (The band plays Calvin College on April 14 with the Magic*Magic Orchestra. Details here.)
— Foster the People, Torches – The polar opposite of Bon Iver (above), with happy dance beats amid an electro-rock groove that made this L.A. indie-pop outfit’s “Pumped Up Kicks” one of the songs of the year.
— My Morning Jacket, Circuital – My Morning Jacket helps define psychedelic rock these days. Jim James and the band from Kentucky which has embraced elements of Southern rock and country in the past now gear up as space cadets on “Circuital” in a rootsy sort of way … and it works.
— Radiohead, The King Of Limbs – I must admit I’ve been ever less impressed by Radiohead in recent years, finding some of Thom Yorke’s repetitive, electronic moodiness rather sleep-inducing. But I remain solidly behind the “idea” of Radiohead and the early-Floyd-like experimental innovation that the band continues to unfurl on “The King of Limbs.”
My pick: A real toss-up, but I’ll go with My Morning Jacket mostly because this album has really grown on me (though I think Bon Iver will probably win).
Email: jsinkevics@gmail.com