The Couch Sessions

So the last time I watched the Grammy's was in high school, and that probably won't change this year. Very few of the artists and bands that I love are even remotely close to being nominated for a Grammy and I've made my peace with that fact, mostly by naively undermining the relevance of the whole event. That said, I'm glad to see that Groove Armada made the list for Best Electronic/Dance Album. I guess that's because when a great dance album like "Black Light" is released, it should be shared with the masses.

Collaborating with a number of stellar artists, including SaintSaviour and Will Young, combining great vocals with relentless synth blasts and palpitating beats, Andy Cato and Tom Findlay, hailing from England, produce a wonderfully-orchestrated dance marathon of electronic melodies.

It's not entirely unexpected, however, as the Grammy-nominated album is also their 9th studio full-length album. With ten years as Groove Armada behind them and two lifetimes of musical development, the duo have generated quite the resume. From Cato's beginnings as a young award-winning jazz musician to his induction into the acid house scene in Britain, to Findlay's exploration of jazz, house music, punk and soul and love affair with musical history of Black America, Groove Armada are fine-tuned aficionados of dance and well-deserved of the award in this musical category, despite how narrowly the Grammy categories are drawn (wink, wink).

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Best Electronic/Dance Album Nominees

These Hopeful Machines by BT
Further by The Chemical Brothers
Head First by Goldfrapp
Black Light by Groove Armada
La Roux by La Roux