Live Blogging the Grammys

So I'm getting a late jump on this -- and my fellow Discordant recovers from a bizarre mishap. I missed AC/DC but was amused that they needed a Teleprompter for their own song. Also, happy to see Pharrell win, even if "Happy" is - what - three years old by now? Seeing Beck win was nice. Also, Tom Jones can still sing -- unlike his duet-mate Jessie J (she missed a few notes in "You've Lost That Loving Feeling.") And I'm surprisingly impressed with Madonna -- she didn't pull the drunk Colonel Sanders act of last year.

Let's get to the blogging.

9:10
So what's the big deal about Ed Sheeran? Was he really the best unsigned act in Britain four years ago (he was introduced that way). Please explain what makes him so great -- I'm hearing very little from his performance tonight that sounds innovative in any way. Is it that he actually sings and plays in a world where most people can't play an instrument and are Auto-Tuned? (I'm talking to you, Kanye)

9:14
ELO -- I can't help but think of a kid named Jeff Eberting every time I hear these guys.

9:15
Adam Levine and Gwen Stefani are introduced as "two of our finest." Finest what?

9:21
Wow - Johnny Cash in a Whirlpool commercial singing "You Are My Sunshine"

 9:30
Why is Annie Lennox doing some sort of hand thing with her nose? Would that be permitted in church? Oh, and I'm buying the idea that Hozier is the new Gotye.

9:32
I have to say that if I never heard "All About that Bass" again I'd be a happy man.

9:33
Big surprise that Miranda Lambert wins in the best country album category. She was pretty much made for awards shows, with her just slightly on the edge lyrics that got her bleeped earlier in the night. Personally, I was rooting for Lee Ann Womack on the strength of her theme song for the Berenstain Bears.

9:36
How much mileage can one singer get out of one song? Surely not more than Pharrell Williams has gotten from "Happy". I mean, it's a fine song and all, but it was released in 2013.

9:45
President Obama makes a plea to stop violence against women. Oh, and Chris Brown is up for three Grammys.

9:50
I respect Katy Perry for what she's doing here. She's the biggest pop star in the world right now and she's using that platform for good. That said, it's just a week since she sang at the Super Bowl -- and it's not like the NFL has such a good track record with violence against women.

9:53
Wait! We want to play the Grammys too! We're Imagine Dragons, and Target is paying us huge money to make it look like we're at the Grammys. I'm not sure how I feel about this. This is going on for - what - two minutes? Three? They're getting paid to play in a giant Target logo. Folks, I don't think selling out gets better than this.

9:59
Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga may be in heaven but the rest of us are in hell.

10:07
Lifetime achievement award to the Louvin Brothers. For this song alone.

10:31

Sam Smith takes the stage for "I Won't Back Down" -- err, "Stay with Me". How long until the cutaway shot of Tom Petty?

10:34

Mary J Blige just destroyed Sam Smith. I realize she has years of experience and he's the new kid on the block but it really showed in this performance.

10:36

This: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dbthpgqksA

10:40

Good for Beck taking home Album of the Year. And Prince for introducing the category.

10:55

Looks like it's a Sam Smith kind of night. At least he seems like a nice guy.

Ripoff City: Strokes Edition

One thing I love about music is stumbling upon the obvious influences of bands and artists. Take, for example, The Strokes. Before they burst onto the scene in 2001 I'm quite sure they were listening to The Buzzcocks' 1979 track "Everybody's Happy Nowadays." I hadn't played it in years but I picked up the fabulous collection Singles Going Steady on vinyl the other day and I couldn't believe the similarity. I mean, it's less an influence and more a straight steal. Listen for yourself: