Venus Zine picks our Grammy® winners

By Venus Zine Staff
Published: January 29th, 2010 | 2:30pm

Unsurprisingly, many Venus Zine favorites were nominated for 2009 Grammys® Awards for their impressive work released in the last year. But before you tune in to CBS this Sunday, January 31 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, read who our staff picked to nab the top awards.

Album of the Year: Lady Gaga – The Fame
Lady Gaga is the best thing to happen to mainstream pop music in years. Not only are her songs catchy as hell, but she writes them herself, plays the piano, and actually sings live. She claims to be a performance artist and truly is, as is evident by her outrageous wardrobe and carefully thought out videos and live performances. She’s also in total control of her image and an outspoken feminist who has made it okay to be an artistic oddball — refreshing after being bombarded in the ‘90s with pop stars manufactured by bigwigs (i.e.: men) at major labels.

Best New Artist: The Ting Tings
When Katie White and Jules DeMartino woke up a sleepy Saturday morning crowd at Lollapalooza 2008 with their heavy drumming and powerful anthems, they made more than a few new fans and instantly became critical darlings. Riding high on the success of singles “That’s Not My Name” and “Shut Up and Let Me Go” that appeared just about everywhere in 2009, this duo proves there’s no stopping the heights of their success — especially after enlisting Jay-Z as a guest collaborator on their 2010 follow-up.

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: Adele – “Hometown Glory”
You heard about her here first! When Venus Zine gave Adele one of her first pieces of American press in early 2008, we had no doubt this soulful sister was going places far beyond her London upbringing — and she proved us right, snagging the “Best New Artist” category at last year’s Grammys. She’s up again this year for best pop vocal performance and judging by the heavy melodies and emotional cooing of nominated track, “Hometown Glory,” we put our bets on a repeat victory.

Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals: MGMT – “Kids”
MGMT’s ode to Mother Nature was first released on the duo’s 2004 EP and sounds just as fresh six years later. It’s one of those tracks that works its way into your head and refuses to leave, which would be annoying if it wasn’t so good.

Best Pop Instrumental Performance: Imogen Heap – “The Fire”
“The Fire” is merely an interlude but it’s a truly beautiful one, comprised of just piano and a crackling fireplace. It adds an interesting air of mystery to Heap’s third album, Ellipse, and deserves accolades for its instrumental power.

Best Alternative Music Album: Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
From the garage punk of Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ debut to the synth-driven dance of It’s Blitz!, the New York City trio has proven to be one of the most consistent bands around. The sound on their third album is bigger, yet maintains everything that made you fall in love with YYYs to begin with. With Blitz!, Karen O and co. showed they have what it takes to be around for years to come.

Best Americana Album: TIE! Lucinda Williams – Little Honey and Wilco — Wilco (The Album)
With both Lucinda Williams and Wilco nominated for Best Americana album, we just couldn’t choose one! Offering a cover of AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top” and a duet with Elvis Costello rated as one of the greatest pairings of all-time, Williams continues to impress nearly 30 years after her debut. In a sad year marked by former member Jay Bennett’s death, Wilco remained spirited with their self-titled release, the band’s seventh album, which features a guest appearance from Feist on lead track “You and I” which led the album to a top ten spot on the charts.

Best Contemporary Folk Album: Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Ms. Case took three years to come out with Middle Cyclone, but it was well worth the wait. The fire-haired songstress is at her all-time best both vocally and lyrically, and “This Tornado Loves You” is arguably the best love song ever written featuring a tornado.

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media: Twilight
In our opinion, the soundtrack has been the only good thing to come out of the Twilight craze. Somehow, a movie about a creepy, controlling, sparkly vampire not only managed to nab Death Cab, St. Vincent/Bon Iver, Lykke Li, Grizzly Bear, and more — but we also got brand new material from all of them, a rarity for soundtracks.

Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media: Karen O & the Kids – “All is Love”
Karen O and a choir of kids woo, hey, clap and whistle their way through “All is Love,” a joyous anthem for the film adaptation of the children’s classic Where the Wild Things Are that nails the magic of the story and innocence of childhood

Best Recording Package: Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Have you seen the cover? She looks like a total badass! Clad in a black minidress, Case is crouched on the hood of a muscle car, brandishing a sword in one hand and an expression that dares anyone to mess with her. The seemingly bizarre artwork suits the album perfectly, showing that Case is ready to fight — even her own insecurities.