Grammys Aftermath: The Four Must-Have Artists

Somehow, the Grammys weren't absolute shit this year! Yes, this post may be a week (or two) late, but the biggest night for the music industry was actually something to remember for once - surprising underdog wins, electric performances, Gaga in an egg, Cee-Lo and Gwyneth Paltrow proving (again) to be an unstoppably giddy duo, Ricky Martin wearing scary silver pants, Christinia Aguilera falling down, etc. With lots of post-telecast Arcade Fire buzz (including the creation of this hilarious blog), I decided it was time to scream and shout about my favorite band, as well as others that hit the mark.

For starters, Arcade Fire probably had the worst performance of the night... unless you're a big fan of having a seizure while riding a bicycle. With a camera on your head. I mean, really, Arcade Fire? You might be Canadian, but that shit doesn't fly on American television. I was disappointed with this madcap performance - turn down those damn strobe lights and rock out. "Month of May" is also the most superficial track on The Suburbs ("We Used to Wait" would have been a better choice), but at least the band got to put out a confident "Ready to Start" as the credits rolled.

If you don't own The Suburbs, go buy it. Right now. While Funeral is still my favorite album from the band, they're an incredibly smart group of incredibly talented musicians that still remember the art of putting together a fully realized album; all of their stuff presents a theme, and works through its nuanced layers. I couldn't have been happier with their big win, and hope the new exposure works wonders.

Three other performers proved why you should be downloading - Florence + the Machine, Mumford & Sons, and the Avett Brothers. While Esperanza Spalding won Best New Artist (and was the most searched name on Google the next day, as no one had a fucking clue what was going on), Flo and Mumford & Sons should have been vying for the award; I've gushed about Lungs on the blog before, while Mumford & Sons' Sigh No More is one of my most played albums. The Avett Brothers have been around for a long time (their first full album was released in 2000), but paired with Mumford & Sons and Bob Dylan (who has definitely sold his soul to the Devil), they showed why they're still worth the buzz they've slowly built up through the years. Meanwhile, Flo's part in the opening Aretha Franklin tribute proved to everyone that this fire-haired Brit can sing the roof off (did I make up that expression...?). All three of these bands present different facets of what's truly hitting the mark in the more folky scene right now.

Next year, get ready for some heavy competition from the likes of Kanye West and Adele; My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is hands down the best "hip-hop" album in years, and proves the genius behind Kanye's outrageous public antics... while Adele's 21 (which is posied to debut at #1 on Billboard this week) is one of the most beautifully emotive albums ever put together, let alone by a 21-year-old woman.