All of the anti-Arcade Fire sentiment is HILARIOUS. Seriously, you’re all mad because a musical act that isn’t Katy Perry or Justin Bieber won an award for creative excellence? It’s not their fault that you’ve never heard of them because the radio only plays corporate schlock.
The band’s not even that obscure. If Solar Bears or Mater Suspiria Vision won the award, I would understand, but then again obscurity doesn’t even matter when the award is supposed to recognize artistic achievement, not commercial success. If anything, I’m glad that the Grammys finally got their heads out of their asses and have acknowledged good music. It would be understandable if the album wasn’t that good— then it would be along the lines of giving Best Metal to Jethro Tull over Metallica and the other various faux pas that the recording academy has committed— but that’s not the case in this situation. I’m not saying that ‘The Suburbs’ was the definitive best album of last year, but it was pretty close to being so and certainly a lot better than most of the other stuff that came out in 2010.
Admittedly, I had the same problem when Esperanza Spalding won Best New Artist. I couldn’t help but think to myself, ‘Who the hell is she?’ Then I listened to her stuff, and realized how pretty good it was for the Grammy selection committee to realize it.
Overall, among the nominees, it may have been the most deserving. ’The Suburbs’ is an album in the truest sense of the word: it has a central concept and is meant for listening all the way through, unlike some other ‘albums’ which are basically compilations of top-40 singles.
