Justin Vernon, frontman for indie folk group "Bon Iver," accepted the Grammy for best new band tonight. Not only was it a big win for the band, it was a big loss for the Grammys themselves.
Bon Iver released their first album in 2007. In case you need a hand with this, the current year is 2012.
That's five years.
Maybe the people who make such decisions define "New Artist" as "the band you heard your grandson talking about." Or maybe you aren't considered new until you are a No. 2 Billboard success. Much like the Academy Awards, this is outing the Grammys as nothing more than a commercial reach-around for the people who keep them rich.
I want to make one thing clear: I enjoy Bon Iver. This isn't a matter of me hating on the band; it's simply an amazing showing of where modern entertainment stands: the best movies, music, etc. doesn't matter to the industry. It all boils down to who does the best job of keeping them in business.
While people are Occupying Wall Street, maybe we should have an Occupy Universal movement and try to give art back to the people who enjoy it more than money.
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