Around the end of November, the fine music selectors at KCRW always start looking back on the year in music and recognizing our favorites; and it’s exciting to see so many of them listed among the 2018 Grammy nominees announced today.
The National and Father John Misty will go head to head for Best Alternative Album (alongside LCD Soundsystem, Gorillaz and Arcade Fire), while Queens of the Stone Age and The War On Drugs will do the same from Best Rock Album.
Bonobo’s excellent Migrations is nominated for best dance album, alongside Sylvan Esso.
Iron & Wine, who just popped by our studio recently, is up for Best Americana album, while Laura Marling is up for Best Folk Album.
Our Tuareg friends in Tinariwen got a best World Music Album nomination, as did Ladysmith Black Mambazo, while Natalia Lafourcade is recognized in the Latin Pop Album category.
As expected, Portugal. The Man got a nod for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for their breakout hit “Feel it Still”.
Last but not least, Perfume Genius‘ album No Shape is up for Best Engineered Album and the producer of that album, Blake Mills, is up for Producer of the Year (Non-Classical)!
A great excuse to catch up on these live sessions if you missed them and explore some of the best of ’17!
RR
*Check out all of the nominees here (including big hauls for both Kendrick Lamar and JAY-Z; Leonard Cohen, Lorde and Childish Gambino also received nominations)
(QOTSA photo c/o Brian Lowe, Perfume Genius c/o Lori Paulson)