Welcome to Katie Watson’s 1st Annual The Grammys, I’m your host. This blog will take you through my music journey this year, cataloguing the best albums, artists, and records of the year. Thanks to my friends and family, I’ve found a lot of new artists and genres to explore while also getting to hear new music from some of my favorite bands. Our live music will be performing for you tonight from the comfort of their past performances as documented on YouTube. I hope you enjoy!
Kicking off the evening, we have LANY performing their track “Bad News” from their album Mama’s Boy.
And now moving to our first awards of the night, we have our nominations for Album of the Year. These albums have each had a profound influence on my life in their own ways, and each carry their own unique and exquisite vibe that caters to a specific mood.
Fine Line: My friend introduced me to Harry and this album forcibly on a car ride, and ever since that day this album has been a reminder of the happy and fun moments right before quarantine. Each song on the album has a different mood, but together they make one complex, artistic, and incredible vibe.
Heartbreak Weather: I remembered the existence of other 1D members following Fine Line, so when Niall Horan released a preview of his album on Twitter, I decided to check it out. This album became the anthem to my at-home workouts and runs, and brings me memories of sunny skies and the anticipation you feel in spring.
The New Abnormal: I’ve been a huge Strokes fan since freshman year, mostly thanks to encouragement by my dad and sometimes my brother. When this album came out following a few single releases, I was immediately obsessed and shared it with my family. My intense love for The New Abnormal was validated last week when it won the Best Rock Album Grammy.
Mama’s Boy: LANY has been a favorite band of mine since 8th grade, and I’ve been waiting for this album since 2018. Every song really hits the spot and satisfies my need to hear more. Listening makes me feel so hard, walking the line between a song to blast in the car with elation to sob on my bed in the dark.
Vampire Weekend (self-titled album): This is an older album, but I discovered it just last month. I’ve heard a few of their songs before but never really got into their kind of sound until my brother reintroduced me to a song on this album. I quickly fell in love with all the songs – they have such a simple, happy mood that it’s hard not to enjoy.
Winner is…
Mama’s Boy
Before we get into the artists featured this year, we have Wallows performing a live version of their hit “Are You Bored Yet,” which originally featured Clairo.
Next up are the nominations for Artist of the Year:
The Strokes: The first song I heard by the Strokes, like everyone, was Last Nite. From there, I borrowed my dad’s CD for their album Is This It, loving every song and each other random song that came up on Spotify. The CD for Room on Fire came next, and I quickly found favorites in there as well. CDs have helped me develop my love for Strokes and better appreciate their unique sound. Their style of music is both a product of my musical journey and a major influencer in the type of music I enjoy today.
Arctic Monkeys: Of course I knew of them for a while, but I really started listening to Arctic Monkeys after I found some of their songs on a random alt rock playlist and kept getting them stuck in my head. Although they aren’t pivotal to my musical journey, they had a good impact on my music this year and I wanted to honor them for that.
The Vaccines: Ironically, I first discovered the Vaccines on a playlist made by another favorite band of mine, Wallows. Once I heard that first song (A Lack of Understanding), I eventually delved into that album (their first) and loved every single track. The voice of the singer and the build up of the melody paints a pretty good picture of the general indie rock sound I love.
The Lumineers: Lumineers get an easy spot here, as they remain one of my most listened-to artists if only because my dad loves them possibly more than I do. It all started when I saw them at a music festival in summer 2019, and from there spiralled into a deep dive into their older music during music nights with my dad. Their sound is so comforting and emotional that it’s hard not to love.
Winner is…
The Strokes
And for our last performance of the night, please enjoy “Golden Dream” by Snail Mail, life from KEXP radio.
And finally, we have nominations for Single of the Year:
Say It by girl in red: I found this song mentioned online, and decided to give it a try. I loved it right away, but it took a couple days for my true appreciation to sink in. Her voice carries so much weight and the song has a lovely story and beautiful melody to bounce your head along to.
The Kids Don’t Wanna Come Home by Declan McKenna: After being recommended Brazil by this artist by a friend, I found this song on a random playlist on Spotify. It opened me up to the album as a whole, but this song continued to stand out in its creative structure and the chorus that’s great to sing along to.
Calm Down by Pete Yorn: I was introduced to Pete Yorn by my parents, who have been fans of his for a while. This song was released in 2019, but it still played a major role in my life over the last year as one of those songs to blast in the car. It’s a combination of ecstatic and melancholy, but it really helps smooth out dark moods and elevate the good ones. A musical masterpiece.
I’m Not Having Any Fun by Bad Suns: This song is the definition of summer. When the first drumbeat rings out, I know to turn the volume all the way up and take a deep breath before singing along at the top of my lungs. Pure joyous vibes and a fun song to listen to.
rangerover by Porches: This song was also found in a playlist by Wallows, and it’s easy to underestimate at first until you catch on to the wonderful chorus. It’s definitely more on the pop end of the indie spectrum, but it’s a nice chill song that carries you through homework and car rides alike. It reminds me of a day at the dunes and long car rides.
Winner is…
Calm Down
That’s all for tonight folks. Please feel free to listen to any of these songs, albums, or artists yourself! They come highly recommended, and honestly were a major factor in helping me get through this mess of a year. Please let me know what you think of them in the comments, and let me know about your own favorites! I’m always on the lookout for new music. Thanks for reading!