CHEWING ON ROCK AND ALTERNATIVE

One thing is quite clear: While the nominations for the alternative and rock Grammys are usually on point, at the end of the day, the Grammys are mostly unpredictable and often head-scratching. Last year, boygenius and Paramore swept the Alternative and Rock Grammys, with both bands and Bridgers solo appearing on Album of the Year winner Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2023 and Paramore opening in both ’23 and ’24. Will the same Taylor magic anoint beabadoobee this year, since she also opened for Taylor in 2023? I believe YES, along with these other possible nominees (listed alphabetically because that’s how my brain works).

beabadoobee, Mk.gee (PC Bradley Calder), The Marías (PC Bethany Vargas)

Best Alternative Music Album

• beabadoobee, This Is How Tomorrow Moves (Dirty Hit)
• The Black Keys, Ohio Players (Warner)
• Clairo, Charm (Virgin)
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Wild God (PIAS)
• Foster the People, Paradise State of Mind (Atlantic)
• Future Islands, People Who Aren’t There Anymore (4AD)
• Glass Animals, I Love You So F***ing Much (Republic)
• Kim Gordon, The Collective (Matador)
• Brittany Howard, What Now (Island)
• The Last Dinner Party, Prelude to Ecstasy (Island)
• The Marías, Submarine (Nice Life/Atlantic)
• Mk.gee, Two Star & the Dream Police (R&R/Stem)
• The National, Laugh Track (4AD)
• Maggie Rogers, Don’t Forget Me (Capitol)
• Royel Otis, Pratts & Pain (Ourness)
• The Smile, Wall of Eyes (XL)
• St. Vincent, All Born Screaming (Virgin)
• Vampire Weekend, Only God Was Above Us (Columbia)
• Faye Webster, Underdressed at the Symphony (Secretly Canadian)

Radiohead has won this award three times, which bodes well for Thom Yorke’s side project, The Smile. Thom’s solo album, Anima, was also nominated in 2020. Both St. Vincent and Vampire Weekend have won this award twice, with each artist nominated three times. The National have also been nominated two times, winning once. Brittany Howard’s former band, Alabama Shakes, won best Alternative album in 2016. The Black Keys won this award in 2011 for Brothers. If this award doesn’t go to beabadoobee’s Rick Rubin-produced epic third album, it would be phenomenal to see Nick Cave, 40 years into his extraordinary career, finally be given the nod. This category has some of the past year’s best, most influential records; let’s see whether the Grammys fuck it up.

Vampire Weekend, The Smile (PC Frank Lebon) , Idles (PC Tom Ham)

Best Alternative Music Performance

• beabadoobee, “Coming Home” (Dirty Hit)
• Bleachers, “Alma Mater” (Dirty Hit)
• Fontaines D.C., “Starbuster” (XL)
• Foster the People, “Lost in Space” (Atlantic)
• Future Islands, “The Tower” (4AD)
• Glass Animals, “Creatures in Heaven” (Republic)
• Good Neighbours, “Home” (Capitol)
• Kim Gordon, “Bye Bye” (Matador)
• Hozier, “Nobody's Soldier” (Columbia)
• IDLES f/LCD Soundsystem, “Dancer” (Partisan)
• Noah Kahan (w/Sam Fender), “Homesick” (Mercury/Republic)
• The Last Dinner Party, “Nothing Matters” (Island)
• The Marías, “No One Noticed” (Nice Life/Atlantic)
• Mk.gee, “Are You Looking Up” (R&R/Stem)
• The National, “Deep End (Paul’s in Pieces)” (4AD)
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “Song of the Lake” (PIAS)
• Paris Paloma, “Labour” (Nettwerk)
• Maggie Rogers, “So Sick of Dreaming” (Capitol)
• Royel Otis, “Sofa King” (Ourness)
• The Smile, “Wall of Eyes” (XL)
• St. Vincent, “Broken Man” (Virgin)
• Vampire Weekend, “Capricorn” (Columbia)

This is the third year of this category, first won by Wet Leg in 2023 and Paramore in 2024, and each of these picks for 2025 is exceptional. I would love to see IDLES be nominated—the assist from LCD Soundsystem should make this a lock. Radio matters not a bit to the Grammys, so our valiant efforts to make some of these songs radio hits will completely go unnoticed. HOWEVER, the inclusion of debut releases by Royel Otis, The Last Dinner Party, Paris Paloma and Good Neighbours should be duly noted. If the Grammys wanted to truly reflect what is going on with alternative these days, I would suggest the following artists for Best Alternative Performance (although this will never happen): Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, beabadoobee, Charli xcx, Paris Paloma and the Spanish version of “Broken Man” by St. Vincent (“Hombre Roto”).

Bleachers (PC Alex Lockett), blink-182, Bon Jovi

Best Rock Album

• The Black Crowes, Happiness Bastards (Silver Arrow Records)
• Black Pumas, Chronicles of a Diamond (ATO Records)
• Bleachers, Bleachers (Dirty Hit)
• blink-182, One More Time (Columbia)
• Bon Jovi, Forever (Island)
• Cage the Elephant, Neon Pill (RCA)
• Cigarettes After Sex, X’s (Partisan)
• Gary Clark Jr., JPEG Raw (Warner)
• Fontaines D.C., Romance (XL)
• Peter Gabriel, i/o (Real World)
• Green Day, Saviors (Warners)
• HARDY, Quit!! (Big Loud)
• IDLES, Tangk (Partisan)
• Imagine Dragons, Loom (Interscope)
• Lenny Kravitz, Blue Electric Light (Roxie/BMG)
• My Morning Jacket, My Morning Jacket (ATO)
• Dolly Parton, Rockstar (BMLG)
• Pearl Jam, Dark Matter (Republic)
• Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, South of Here (Stax)
• The Rolling Stones, Hackney Diamonds (Interscope)

Last year Paramore won the Best Rock Album, making it the first time a female-fronted band had won this award. Who’s next? Dolly Parton? This category is where ’90s bands like Green Day, Pearl Jam and blink-182 can hang out with legends like The Rolling Stones and Bon Jovi, while previous nominees IDLES and Fontaines D.C. inject some excitement into this category. The best example of all of these acts combined is The Black Crowes, whose Happiness Bastards certainly deserves a nomination. Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter should be hailed as a highlight of their prodigious catalog. I hope a Grammy nomination is given to Peter Gabriel for i/o, his 10th solo album, an extraordinary piece of work from one of my favorites.

Green Day (PC Alice Baxley), The Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam

Best Rock Song

• James Bay w/Noah Kahan and The Lumineers, “Up All Night” (Mercury)
• beabadoobee, “Take a Bite” (Dirty Hit)
• The Beatles, “Now and Then” (Capitol)
• The Black Crowes, “Wanting and Waiting” (Silver Arrow)
• Bleachers, “Modern Girl” (Dirty Hit)
• blink-182, “Dance With Me” (Columbia)
• Catfish and the Bottlemen, “Showtime” (Capitol)
• Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, “Wild God” (PIAS)
• Coldplay, “feelslikeimfallinginlove” (Parlophone)
• Good Neighbours, “Home” (Capitol)
• Green Day, “Dilemma” (Warners)
• HARDY, “Psycho” (Big Loud)
• Brittany Howard, “What Now” (Island)
• Hozier, “Nobody's Soldier” (Columbia)
• IDLES, “Gift Horse” (Partisan)
• Imagine Dragons, “Eyes Closed” (Interscope)
• Jelly Roll, “Dead End Road” from Twisters OST (Atlantic)
• Pearl Jam, “Dark Matter” (Republic)
• The Red Clay Stays, “Devil in My Ear” (RCA)
• Maggie Rogers, “The Kill” (Capitol)
• The Rolling Stones f/Lady Gaga, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” (Interscope)
• Royel Otis, “Heading for the Door” (Ourness)
• U2, “Atomic City” (Interscope)
• Vampire Weekend, “Gen-X Cops” (Columbia)

This category covers a wide spectrum of what can be considered “rock,” from The Beatles (although there is some controversy regarding whether or not “Now and Then” is eligible) to IDLES and Nick Cave to the classic rock of The Rolling Stones (with Lady Gaga!) and U2. It’s also hard to resist the collaboration of James Bay/Noah Kahan and The Lumineers—which reminds me of the “Grammy moment” when The Lumineers and Mumford & Sons shared a stage in 2013, which was also the year when Fun (which featured Bleachers front man Jack Antonoff) won the Grammy for Best New Artist. I think “Up All Night” has a good shot.

James Bay (Caity Krone), Black Crowes, Royel Otis (PC Daniyel Lowden)

Best Rock Performance

• James Bay w/Noah Kahan and The Lumineers, “Up All Night” (Mercury)
• Beabadoobee, “Take a Bite” (Dirty Hit)
• Beatles, “Now and Then” (Capitol)
• Black Crowes, “Wanting and Waiting” (Silver Arrow)
• Black Pumas, “Ice Cream (Pay Phone)” (ATO)
• Bleachers, “Modern Girl” (Dirty Hit)
• blink-182, “Dance With Me” (Columbia)
• Coldplay, “feelslikeimfallinginlove” (Parlophone)
• Fontaines D.C., “Favourite” (XL)
• Green Day, “Dilemma” (Warners)
• HARDY, “Psycho” (Big Loud)
• Brittany Howard, “What Now” (Island)
• IDLES, “Gift Horse” (Partisan)
• Imagine Dragons, “Eyes Closed” (Interscope)
• Jelly Roll, “Dead End Road” from Twisters OST (Atlantic)
• The National, “Smoke Detector” (4AD)
• Dolly Parton f/Chris Stapleton, “Night Moves” (Big Machine)
• Pearl Jam, “Dark Matter” (Republic)
• Maggie Rogers, “The Kill” (Capitol)
• The Rolling Stones f/Lady Gaga, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” (Interscope)
• Royel Otis, “Linger” (Ourness)
• U2, “Atomic City” (Interscope)

Every song on this list feels like a classic. Royel Otis’ cover of The Cranberries’ “Linger” is a favorite, reinforced by the band sweeping this year’s Aria nominations in EIGHT categories. Still, I feel like Brittany Howard has a fantastic shot in this category—she’s won before. I thought Bleachers’ “Modern Girl” captured what it was like to grow up in that part of the country (New Jersey, for the uninitiated), and on a performance level it’s flawless. Still, the Grammys are going to do what the Grammys are going to do…