Page 29 - Aruba Today
P. 29
PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Friday 29 January 2016
Women, youngsters dominate in rock field at Grammy Awards
MESFIN FEKADU category at the Grammys, rock song with “Ain’t It Alabama Shakes, Florence up of 30-year-old twins
AP Music Writer for me and my heart, it’s Fun,” the anthemic groove + the Machine and Wolf Ryan and Rich Meyer and
NEW YORK (AP) — For like, ‘(Expletive) yes, that is that gave the band its Alice, whose lead vocalist Johnny Stevens, 29.
years, men — and legacy so rad!’ That made me ex- first Top 10 hit on the Bill- is 23-year-old Ellie Rowsell. It’s a sea change from
acts — have dominated in tremely happy.” board Hot 100 chart. A The fifth nominee is the Foo 2014, when nominees for
the rock category at the Alabama Shakes’ nomina- year before that, Imagine Fighters. best rock album included
Grammy Awards, leav- tions include album of the Dragons took home best The best rock song nomi- David Bowie, Black Sab-
ing little room for female year and best alternative rock performance for their nees are made up exclu- bath, Queens of the Stone
stars who rock as loud music album for “Sound & breakthrough track, “Ra- sively of women and new Age, Neil Young with Crazy
and hard as the guys and Color” as well as rock per- dioactive”; Halestorm, with acts with King, Alabama Horse, Kings of Leon and
young bands hoping to formance and rock song frontwoman Lzzy Hale, won Shakes, Florence + the winners Led Zeppelin. Best
breakthrough on the music for “Don’t Wanna Fight.” best hard rock/metal per- Machine, Bay — the ac- rock song nominees that
scene. Florence + the Machine formance in 2013. claimed 25-year-old British year included The Rolling
But at this year’s Grammys, are also up for the latter Also in recent years, sea- singer-guitarist — and High- Stones, Black Sabbath,
ly Suspect, the trio made Paul McCartney.q
Brittany Howard, lead singer of Alabama Shakes, performs at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
in Manchester, Tenn. Howard is nominated for several Grammy Awards including album of the
year, best rock performance, best rock song and best alternative music album.
(Wade Payne/Invision/AP)
there is a shift with women two rock honors with the soned acts like Foo Fight-
and budding acts domi- single “What Kind of Man,” ers, Black Keys, Jack White
nating in the rock field, along with best pop vocal and Beck have won rock
thanks to the Brittany How- album for “How Big, How Grammys, though the
ard-led Alabama Shakes Blue, How Beautiful” and awards have usually been
and Florence Welch of pop duo/group perfor- reserved for veterans in the
Florence + the Machine — mance for “Ship to Wreck.” vein of U2, Neil Young and
with four nominations each The Grammys, which are Bruce Springsteen. And in
— to promising performers being held at the Staples the past women have had
such as James Bay and Center in Los Angeles on an even tougher road than
Highly Suspect, both up for Feb. 15, could bring the the young acts: Before Par-
best rock album and rock often-praised Howard, 27, amore’s win, Alanis Moris-
song. and Welch, 29, their first sette was the last woman
Elle King, the 26-year-old gramophones after earn- to win best rock song in
carefree, raspy-voiced ing multiple nominations in 1999. It was the same year
newcomer, earned nomi- the past. Sheryl Crow won best rock
nations for best rock song “I feel like women have album; a woman hasn’t
and rock performance for always written incredible won the honor since.
the platinum single “Ex’s songs, but I feel like right “I think it’s time that they’re
and Oh’s,” which topped now what’s so rad is we’re back in the mix as far as the
the Billboard rock and al- all taking back the con- Grammys goes, in a larger
ternative charts last year. versation and supporting way because it’s undeni-
“There’s been space for each other and holding able that women rock,”
people to make different each other up,” said Hay- said Bill Freimuth, the Re-
music that’s not so pop- ley Williams, the 27-year- cording Academy’s senior
driven ... that’s why we old frontwoman of Para- vice president of awards.
went with alternative be- more. “We’re taking notice This year, nominees for
cause I didn’t think I was of each other earlier on in best rock performance
another Katy Perry of this each other’s careers.” include four women, or
world,” King said in an inter- Paramore won its first female-led acts, with King,
view. “But to be in the rock Grammy last year for best
