2012 Grammy Nominees

Recently, the Grammys have surprised its viewers by putting new artists on the radar. Last year, they brought us Arcade Fire. This year, Mumford & Sons and Bon Iver both grace the nominee list for Record of the Year.

We at Sound Images like to experiment musically. Seeing the same names on the list year after year really bums us out, especially when there is so much incredible music out there that gets no recognition. Luckily for us, the Grammy nominators are using their far-reaching powers to direct the public’s attention to otherwise little-known artists by adding their names to the list.

Adele, Bruno Mars, and Katy Perry have become household names because of their radio domination, so it will be no surprise to see these folks win. Hopefully, this year will bring another big win to someone whom a lot of people have never heard, like Arcade Fire last year.

Challenge: before the Grammys air February 12, 2012, listen to some artists on the nomination list. Not only will you broaden your musical horizons, but we bet you’ll find an artist that you love who you’ve never considered before.

I Am T-Pain

A new toy has hit stores across America: the I Am T-Pain microphone. This toy, intended mostly for children who don’t have access to the I Am T-Pain iPhone app, transforms the speaker’s voice into an auto-tuned song. Users can “sing” to provided beats and even upload the tracks to their computers.

The new auto-tune craze has swept the music industry very forcefully. In fact, you can find auto-tuning in almost every song in every dance club across the country.

Although auto-tuning adds a great effect to songs and allows an artist to have very fluid, automated vocals, it corrects every aspect of a voice, allowing anyone to sound like a professional singer. The beauty of singing still lies in the rawness and uniqueness of an individual’s voice.

Next time you listen to the radio try to distinguish the pure voices from the auto-tuning.