8:13 p.m. Some guy dressed like a frat boy on laundry day is singing a song about beer pong. COLLEGE!!!!!

8:17 p.m. Cool Kids are performing a crowd pleasing "SCREEAAAM!" type song and laundry frat boy is crowd surfing. I'm trying to figure out how blogs work so things might be a bit bumpy for a few minutes...

8:23 p.m. Best Video award goes to Motion City Soundtrack. They didn't say which song! Oh well, the video director just yelled Texas A&M at the end of her speech, I think. What?

8:26 p.m. Just looked it up—that fratty guy's name is Asher Roth. He was saying something on the red carpet about bringing back good times hip-hop. Are you confused yet? Don't worry, we're in this together. Also, I should mention that I'm publishing without an editor so it might get a little ugly.

8:33 p.m. Ok, I may have figured out how this works. Let's go. The girl who played the rebel character in the movie Saved! just introduced Lykke Li.

8:37 p.m. Lykke Li is beating the shit out of a cymbal and playing a kazoo. COLLEGGEEE MUUUUSIIIIC! But seriously she sounds good live. If you like suspiciously adept Scandinavian pop artists she's a good bet.

8:44 p.m. Some guy has joined Lykke Li on stage. Who is it? I feel as if I should know. Shit, everyone is waving their hands and they know who he is! It's a kind of funky song.

8:50 p.m. You know, this event is a lot like college actually. Right now I feel just like I felt during my Natural Science midterm a few weeks ago: I didn't study hard enough, and everyone else seems to know more than I do. It was Q-Tip who came out during Lykke Li's song, by the way. See? Just like in Science I get a C+ in music blogging.

8:55 p.m. Chromeo just won the Left Field Woodie.

8:59 p.m. Haha I'm looking at Drake from Drake and Josh (a Nickelodeon show). He looks bored. The DJ just put on "Paper Planes" and the crowd is loving it. Rest assured that will be the go-to party song of the next three years. I'm eating some french fries that I stole and put in my jacket pocket.

9:05 p.m. Oh, shit, the DJ just Rickrolled us (there's a big screen projecting music videos during the breaks).

9:08 p.m. Moby went to UConn

9:11 p.m. Best Music on Campus Woodie goes to...The Bride Who Wore Black. Emo-types who go to NYU, actually.

9:13 p.m. Mark Fucking Hoppus is on stage, man. I walked very close to him in the free food room and 13-year-old me was very pleased. He's hot these days, I have to say. He's being obnoxious, as usual. Introducing All Time Low. But he's making fun of asymmetrical haircuts, so OK.

9:18 p.m. All Time Low: a decent pop-punk band seven years too late. Ohhh my, they have dancing girls in sparkly bikinis! Things just got a whole lot more like a pro football cheerleading session in here.

9:24 p.m. Ok, they gave away a Breaking Woodie award to There for Tomorrow, whoever they may be.

9:30 p.m. We're in a commercial break, so let's take a minute to reflect on the red carpet. One of my favorite moments was when I talked to the dudes from the All American Rejects about the documentary Okie Noodling (the band is from Oklahoma). I was telling this to my friend on AIM just now and she said something that I think more or less defines my career in music blogging: "You do realize you're the exact person 14-year-olds want to kill. Like that ungrateful, smart ass person that gets to meet emo celebrities and talk bullshit with them."

9:34 p.m. Debbie Harry wearing a heinous wig (oh God, does she have cancer?) introducing Santogold. Santogold lives up to hype—give her a listen. She's currently wearing what looks like an LSU marching band uniform from 1985. It's purple and gold lemme, matching eye shadow. She sounds good live. Everyone so far has been surprisingly up to snuff live and the sound is not half bad in here.

9:41 p.m. Spank Rock is here now in Santogold's set. Do the Woodies just keep him around to terrorize the award show? He was outta hand last year, if I remember correctly.

9:44 p.m. An "internet comedian" is presenting the Good Woodie award (for bands that are charitable or something). The Guy from Jack's Mannequin aka The Guy from Something Corporate won. Ok, ok I admit that I thought he was cute on the red carpet. Weird, squirrely, mustache-having, but endearing. He said he was afraid of the internet, and I respected him for that.

9:50 p.m. Break time at the Roseland Ballroom. Let's talk red carpet. Yes, I did discuss the song "Konstantine" with the guy from Something Corporate (he was a good sport), Santi White of Santogold was really pretty up close, and apparently asymmetrical haircuts are still a thing. I think that's about all you'd need or want to know, really.

10:00 p.m. All American Rejects making boner jokes, promoting their new album, being flippant about this awards show (the nerve!). They're presenting Woodie of the Year. Lil Wayne, MGMT, Paramore, Santogold, and it goes to...Paramore. The dudes in AAR just mooned the audience with Paramore written on their asses. At least I think that's what happened. I looked up and I saw ass. Anyway, Paramore won. The lead singer of AAR made a lurid thrusting motion. You know how it goes.

10:06 p.m. Vampire Weekend performing with Chromeo. Sounds like Vampire Weekend performing without Chromeo at this point. Oh wait, the heavier guy in Chromeo is doing some vocoder action.

10:10 p.m. Vampire Weekend is cute. Maybe that's just my WASP roots talking, but I can't help it. They sound a lot better than they did on SNL. Aaaaand now they're playing A-Punk. Wise choice. The kids are loving it. Music for privileged white people in New York by privileged white people in New York.

10:16 p.m.: It's done. Final thoughts when I get home.

FInal thoughts: This year's show was about the same experience as last year's, though perhaps a little more smoothly run, and with free food! Santogold was my favorite performance, but really everyone sounded decent to genuinely entertaining. It was not a half bad show, though the question remains: who cares? A few people flipping through the channels in dorm rooms will catch it, and I suppose a few who get mtvU on fancy cable, but beyond that the Woodies are relegated to live-blogs and internet photo galleries. And it's almost a shame, too. Despite any crankiness, when I think about it the Woodies are short, reasonably relevant, not too self-serious, and an excuse for shameless erection humor, which is more than any other televised award show can say for itself.

Harcourt took over the Morning Becomes Eclectic post from Chris Douridas in 2000 and since has been credited with bringing a number of adult alternative acts—among them Dido, David Gray, Travis and Norah Jones—to the American mainstream. My personal suspicion was always that Harcourt had a unique ability to be in the right place at the right time more than an exceptional ear for talent (he's frequently given credit for the success of Franz Ferdinand and Coldplay, but I'm pretty sure both acts would have broken here eventually). Still, the fact that in 2008, any radio show host in America has as much influence over music-consumption habits as Harcourt is amazing—one of his recommendations will send discs flying off record store shelves and quickly sell out showcases and concerts.

Vampire Weekend, "Ladies of Cambridge" (live on Morning Becomes Eclectic)

Ryan Adams, "Come Pick Me Up" (live on Morning Becomes Eclectic)

A successor to Harcourt's position has not yet been announced, but in true KCRW fashion, the job will be given to the seventh subscriber to call in, as long as they have not won a prize from the station in the last ninety days.

KCRW's Harcourt To Step Down [FMQB]

Radio Person 1: "Right then, shall we playlist this new Alphabeat single?"
Radio Person 2: "I fucking hate Alphabeat."
Radio Person 1: "I fucking love Alphabeat."
Radio Person 2: "Yeah they're a classic Marmite band. I suppose a lot of people do fucking love them so even though I do not like them myself I fully understand why they deserve a place on our radio station."
Radio Person 1: "Oh hang on, the new Snow Patrol single's arrived."
Radio Person 2: "Let's just play that then."

So, after describing the whole "marmite" ideal to Dan, we got down to business. What other artists are officially yeasty to a point of being utterly unpalatable to some, yet beloved by others?

danielgibson77: wait, there are people who don't like alphabeat?
mauraatidolator: i KNOW!
mauraatidolator: but who else could qualify for this distinction? who is so divisive that they rend internet message boards in two?
danielgibson77: my morning jacket?
mauraatidolator: hmmm.
mauraatidolator: no, they're just shitty.
danielgibson77: people like them, maura
mauraatidolator: well they're wrong.
mauraatidolator: vampire weekend!
danielgibson77: i think the same shitty argument could be made

See, the Popjustice folks say that "there's no value judgment involved," but I dunno, it feels like that could never, ever be the case, if only because the people on the "nay" side may never be convinced that the bands are not just 100% intractably awful. However, after doing some research—which mainly involves looking at the comment threads on past Idolator posts—I think I've come up with a handful of Officially Marmite Artists:

Pink Floyd.
Fall Out Boy. (Whose new Elvis Costello-aided single is quite good, btw. Oh noes, here come even more fights!)
Oasis. (Paging Jay-Z!)

And maybe The Doors? Those posts a few months back sure got a lot of attention. Anyway, add your own!

Marmite Music: A study [Popjustice]

Things obviously haven't going so well for last year's winner, Amy Winehouse. But the award has turned a bit of a corner after a rough run in the '90s, with recent winners including Carrie Underwood, John Legend, and Maroon 5. Still, the winner often seems to be a little predictable once the nominees are announced (did anyone think Ledisi was going to win in February?), so take your best guess (Duffy) of who will win (Duffy) from this list (Duffy) compiled by Martens.

Leona Lewis

The Ting Tings
Katy Perry
Vampire Weekend
Estelle

Santogold

She & Him

MGMT
Lil Mama
Duffy

From that list, I think you can immediately forget about She & Him; Merge probably doesn't carry the clout to pull of a win in a major category, even if the voters are taken in by what Martens describes as "a '50s-influenced sound, evidenced by Disneyana in songs like 'Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?' " Leona Lewis is generally the sort of act that does well at the Grammys, but without Clive Davis around to work the system in her favor, her pretty girl/good singer act might not be enough. MGMT, the Ting Tings, and Vampire Weekend are unlikely to stand too much of a chance besides a token nomination between them since one "rock" act usually grabs a nod (2008 example: Paramore).

Perhaps most intriguing is Santogold. Santi White been around the business for awhile and is doing an excellent job of turning her album into this year's version of Moby's Play, which can't hurt executives who are wondering where their next revenue stream might come from. Although Santogold's record itself seems on the verge of being too edgy for the notoriously stogy Grammy-voting bloc, she might be in the right place at the right time to pick up a few votes from those who want the Grammys to look hip.

Still, Martens hits the mark perfectly when describing Duffy's chances of taking home the award.

Duffy's vintage soul should be Grammy gold, if voters don't shy away from lauding a U.K. soul star two years running. On her debut, "Rockferry,"...Also working in Duffy's favor is her early success. Nearly two months after the album was released, it's still in the top 20, which is an impressive feat for a newcomer....

She's a perfectly inoffensive choice. Like Winehouse, Duffy's retro-themed tunes recall an era more than stand on their own. There's a bit more of a vagueness to an act like She & Him, a sense of familiarity that one can't quite place, but Duffy's appealingly sweet sense of song-craft works to her advantage.

Familiarity, vagueness, inoffensive appeal? Sounds like someone should clear a place on her mantel back in Wales.

Grammys midway Part 1: Estelle, Katy Perry and an early look at 2008's notable new artists [LA Times]
Grammys midway Part 2: Duffy, Zooey, Santogold and more [LA Times]

Nerds had their own heroes (Stan Lee of comic book fame), their own vocations (Dungeons & Dragons), their own religion (supplied by George Lucas and "Star Wars") and their own skill sets (tech support). But even as "Revenge of the Nerds" was gracing the nation's movie screens, a different version of nerd-dom was percolating through popular culture. Elvis Costello and The Talking Heads's David Byrne popularized a cool geek style that's led to Moby, Weezer, Vampire Weekend and even self-styled "nerdcore" rock and geeksta rappers.

I, personally, would have name-dropped one of those Nintendo cover bands instead of Moby, but I guess going to all those Bobo-ish Play-playing wine bars in the early '00s really had a long-lasting effect on Brooksie. Also: When I searched for "Geeksta" on YouTube, this piece of NSFW garbage came up:

People, people. This is yet more evidence as to why the rise of the geeks is not a good thing for music. At least if you're going to write a "dirty" rap about robots, at least have decent flow.

The Alpha Geeks [NYT; HT MC]
Vampire Weekend - A-Punk [YouTube]

1. Having been shrunk to microscopic size, I am accidentally inhaled by Antony and must cling to his moist uvula during a concert tribute to Lou Reed's Mistrial at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music. I dare not let go, lest I fall down his esophagus. Despite the deafening warbling that surrounds me, I can still hear Vampire Weekend's sprightly rendition of "The Original Wrapper." Occasionally, Antony's mouth opens wide enough that I can see Brian Eno (in full Roxy uniform), blowing into a melodica as a big-suited David Byrne shouts about "Video Violence." Rufus Wainwright and Elton John see how many notes they can fit into "Don't Hurt A Woman," while Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson lock tongues backstage. During the closing all-star performance of "Tell It To Your Heart," Antony hits a high C and I am finally flung from his trembling uvula, falling into the chasm below.

2. Brian Baker, Jeff Nelson and Lyle Preslar force Ian MacKaye to rejoin Minor Threat for the 2008 Warped Tour, in order to pay back royalties that MacKaye does not believe he owes. MacKaye is legally enjoined from stopping songs to call out moshers, or to announce that the festival, the advertisers or anything else, is "bullshit." I am working for Getback.com, handing out fliers to the parents of festival attendees. I have been told that if I can't get Ian to sign over the rights to "Salad Days" for the company's TV ad campaign ("Do you remember when? Yeah, well so do we!") my family will be killed.

3. I'm stuck in a world where indie rock has slowly transformed from amateurish, enthusiastic rock with zine-fueled anticonsumerist, small-community leanings, to anonymous art-folk twaddle by musicians who can think of no greater accomplishment than getting their song into a phone ad or winning a PLUG Award. And I can't wake up.

In The NME Office: Indie Dreaming... [NME]

Well, to be totally honest, this guy is smarter, better-looking, richer, more successful and more fun than I'll ever be. So maybe this is what well-educated, skinny, popular kids wear when they're somehow fooling the world that they deserve to be much more than our generation's Camper Van Beethoven. But something doesn't sit right with me. I'd ask one of my friends that go to Columbia, but if I had a ton of friends who went to Columbia, I probably wouldn't be trying to pay my rent by writing 400-word blurbs on Hydra Head bands. I feel lost, confused,,,,,,,[sic—that's how little I care about an Oxford comma] and really old.

Seriously, do people wear this shit? Is there some uptown hipster keffiyeh community I've somehow missed? Is this some kind of Seinfeld-ian puffy shirt fiasco? Or is he trying to protect his neck from real vampires?!

4. Describing its sound as "Upper West Side Soweto"... OK, OK, I know that this is old. But any readers out there who thought that the above construction was courtesy of some hacky rock critic on a Robitussin bender, take note: They describe themselves this way. At least let Robert Christgau do the christening for you, dudes!

3. Mr. Koenig, who recently quit his day job as an English teacher, went on to explain that the place was formerly known as the Mill Luncheonette. "That's why they call it the Mill Korean," Mr. Batmanglij said. Such intellectual showmanship shouldn't be surprising to anyone familiar with Vampire Weekend — and is anyone not these days? Sigh. Sigh. But wait, there's more:

2. Mr. Koenig: "Did you know that New Jersey is the capital of the flavor industry?" Translation: Did you know that I finally finished Fast Food Nation this week?

1. Hardly keeping vampire hours, Mr. Koenig, the only member who still lives uptown, bade farewell to his Brooklyn-bound mates around 10 p.m. But not before reminding them of their plans for the following day: a field trip to Lacoste. But don't get too used to seeing them in your store, Lacosties—once those Best New Music bucks start rolling in, they're going to be all-Polo, all the time!

Know-It-Alls on a Riff [NYT]
Vampire Weekend - A-Punk [YouTube]