If you care, the Grammy Award nominations came out this morning (along with some of my comments)

The Grammys have long lost any credibility with hardcore music fans, but the annual nominations are still a story that should be covered. If you want the full list, you can go here. But if you’re a reader of this site, chances are that you’re only interested in these categories because of their alt-rock content (which, in some cases, in minimal. VERY minimal, as you shall see).

• Most nominations: Lizzo (8)
• Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X got six each.
• Ariana Grande, H.E.R. and Finneas O’Connel have five each.
• Tool got a couple but in my opinion are woefully underrepresented.
• Alicia Keys will host the program January 26 at 7pm ET from the Staples Centre in LA. CBS will carry it as usual.

Best Rock Performance:
Bones UK – “Pretty Waste”
Gary Clark Jr. – “This Land”
Brittany Howard – “History Repeats”
Karen O and Danger Mouse – “Woman”
Rival Sons – “Too Bad”

Comment: What? Weak. Seriously weak.

Best Rock Song:
Tool – “Fear Inoculum”
The 1975 – “Give Yourself a Try”
Vampire Weekend – “Harmony Hall”
Brittany Howard – “History Repeats”
Gary Clark Jr. – “This Land”

Comment: Just give it to Tool. Everyone else doesn’t even have to show up.

Best Rock Album:
Bring Me the Horizon – amo
Cage the Elephant – Social Cues
The Cranberries – In the End
I Prevail – Trauma
Rival Sons – Feral Roots

Comment: The Cranberries? A fine album to be sure. But better than Fear Inoculum?

Best Metal Performance:
Candlemass feat. Tony Iommi – “Astorolus – The Great Octopus”
Death Angel – “Humanicide”
I Prevail – “Bow Down”
Killswitch Engage – “Unleashed”
Tool – “7empest”

Comment: Is this why Tool was snubbed in a couple of other categories? Because they were slotted as metal?

Album of the Year
Bon Iver – i,i
Lana Del Rey – Norman F*cking Rockwell
Billie Eilish – When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Ariana Grande – thank u, next
H.E.R – I Used to Know Her
Lil Nas X – 7
Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
Vampire Weekend – Father of the Bride

Comment: Vampire Weekend definitely deserves to be here. That’s an excellent record.

Record of the Year:
Bon Iver – “Hey, Ma”
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy”
Ariana Grande – “7 rings”
H.E.R. – “Hard Place”
Khalid – “Talk”
Lil Nas X – “Old Town Road”
Lizzo – “Truth Hearts”
Post Malone feat. Swae Lee – “Sunflower”

Comment: Note that “Old Town Road” is now officially a co-write with Trent Reznor. It could mean another Grammy for him.

Song of the Year:
Lady Gaga – “Always Remember Us This Way”
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy”
Brandi Carlie – “Bring My Flowers Now”
H.E.R. – “Hard Place”
Taylor Swift – “Lover”
Lana Del Rey – “Norman F*cking Rockwell”
Lewis Capaldi – “Someone You Loved”
Lizzo – “Truth Hurts”

Comment: Explain to me why “Old Town Road” isn’t nominated. IT WAS A NUMBER ONE SINGLE FOR 17 STRAIGHT WEEKS, LONGER THAN ANY OTHER SONG IN THE HISTORY OF THE BILLBOARD CHARTS!

Best New Artist:
Black Pumas
Billie Eilish
Lil Nas X
Lizzo
Maggie Rogers
Rosalía
Tank and the Bangas
Yola

Comment: You just knew that Billie was gonna be here.

Best Solo Pop Performance:
Beyoncé – “Spirit”
Billie Eilish – “Bad Guy”
Ariana Grande – “7 rings”
Lizzo – “Truth Hurts”
Taylor Swift – “You Need to Calm Down”

Best Dance/Electronic Album:
Apparat – LP5
The Chemical Brothers – No Geography
Flume – Hi This Is Flume
Rüfüs Du Sol – Solace
Tycho – Weather

Again, get all the nominees here.