Current Music Blog

Photo: Justin Mitchell

Deep down in this Los Angeles Times story about the Recording Academy (aka the Grammys) NOT changing its eligibility to allow Lady Gaga a possible nomination as Best New Artist is some clarification on that category—and a surprising-slash-intriguing nugget.

There is a chance that veteran artists, as well as those who released records in 2008, will be nominated. Rock acts MGMT, the Ting Tings and the Silversun Pickups are all on the ballots for the 2010 ceremony. Los Angeles’ Silversun Pickups have their sophomore effort in “Swoon,” released this year on Dangerbird Records, and MGMT and the Ting Tings are still promoting albums that were released in 2008.

The best new artist field is generally one of the most debated of the Grammy categories. Recording Academy rules define the parameters this way: “A new artist is defined as any performing artist who releases, during the eligibility year, the recording that first establishes the public identity of that artist as a performer.”

There’s no question this was Silversun’s breakout year, or (to our ears) that “Swoon” is Grammy-worthy. And it’s clear the Academy has been aiming for a cooler, hipper audience (and that can’t mean only the Jonas Brothers, right?).

Nominations will be announced December 2 as part of a live concert special. Get more news, music and videos with Silversun Pickups at Current.com.

From the bargain bin:

+ Silversun Pickups back at KROQ

+ Notes from the field: Embedded with Silversun Pickups

+ Silversun Pickups singalong with “Panic Switch”

Today on Current Music:

+ I always thought something was missing when I was conquering Space Invaders down at my local arcade. If only I had my very own symphony orchestra to lay down an inspiring soundtrack. Now, I might not get these guys over to the Chuck E. Cheese, but they may be coming to a city near you as part of their 60-show tour.

+ Sick of the Jonas Brothers and bad hip hop? So are Kings of Leon: Drummer Nathan Followill calls out the U. S. of A. and its passion for awful music.

+ MGMT + Lady Gaga + Weezer = Crazy delicious.

Got more great music stories for Current? Submit them here and be sure to tag Music for consideration to be featured!

—Josh Middleton

I was on cnn.com/live again this morning talking about new releases and trying not to dissolve into a fit of cuss words and obscene gestures when we talked about the Jonas Brothers.

Here’s a quick run down of the new albums we covered:

Jonas Brothers “Lines, Vines, and Trying Times”

Seriously? I mean, really. Another f@ckin’ Jonas album?!? I’m so damn sick of 14 year-old girls running the entertainment industry with their allowance money. We all know Hughie, Dewey and Louie suck, so I’ll keep this short by rebutting the three main arguments adults with the minds of children make for the Jonas Brothers.

1). They write their own lyrics. F@ck you they shouldn’t! These lyrics sound like they just copy and pasted from your little sister’s Twitter account. One song compares a teenage breakup to World War III and another compares it to a NASCAR race. Well which is it—the largest and most deadly war this world has ever seen leading to the annihilation of the Earth, or a series of high speed left turns? They don’t write their own lyrics, they wrong their own lyrics. At least the Monkees hired Neil Diamond to write a few great songs for them.

2). They play their own instruments. F@ck you they don’t. They hold their own instruments while about 25 of the world’s most skilled studio musicians play behind them.

3). But they’re like little Stevie Wonder or the early Beatles! That’s it. [I stab this person in the neck.]

Street Sweeper Social Club “Street Sweeper Social Club”

Badass! This is Tom Morello, Boots Riley, and Stanton Moore knocking you on your ass with skull shattering guitar riffs, smooth, sly and satirical verses, and spot-on, tight ass drumming.

If you’ve been waiting for Morello to return to his monstrous guitar licks and political agenda in the same album, your time has come. This album rages against the machine that built the machine, but is a bit more lyrically subtle about it than Zach de la Rocha generally was. One second you think you’re listening to a song about a party, then the next second you realize that Boots just called for the beheading of a Wall Street exec. Listen to it for free here, read the lyrics here, and then buy it here.

Get more about Tom Morello at Current.com.

Old Man Pie “Old Man Pie”

Old Man Pie describe themselves as “anti-folk, Americana, and pie music.” Pie music? Yes, please. British Americana? Why the hell not. We’ve churned out enough pseudo punk pop bands with fake British accents, so why not have an English Americana band?

In addition to making really unique and catchy music, these guys made some cool flash animation videos and a couple of video games to promote their songs. Check them out here and here, then once you realize you’ve got their songs stuck in your head, buy their album here. Old Man Pie!