The only performance worth watching last night....or this year.

Pop & Hiss
The L.A. Times music blog

Parting thoughts: Another Grammys, another year without any surprises. When it comes to album of the year, always pick old over innovative. With "Raising Sand," Robert Plant and Alison Krauss crafted an engrossing and timeless country-influenced album, one that certainly deserved to be rewarded for best contemporary folk album.

But album of the year? Not against Radiohead's "In Rainbows," an album that took more chances, pairing Radiohead's electronic and studio experimentations with some of the group's warmest songs to date.

A year after awarding Herbie Hancock's "River: The Joni Letters" album of the year over Kanye West's "Graduation," the Grammys had the opportunity to show a little more relevancy. But they missed it. Instead of awarding record of the year to M.I.A.'s arresting "Paper Planes," the trophy again went to Plant & Krauss for "Please Read the Letter." But give them a point for giving best new artist to Adele over the Jonas Brothers.