Dave Grohl Clarifies Supposed Anti-EDM Grammy Speech

'Never has a 33-second acceptance rant evoked such caps-lock postboard rage,' Grohl writes on the Foo Fighters' Facebook page.
By James Montgomery


Foo Fighters onstage at the 2012 Grammy Awards
Photo: Getty Images

Midway through his MVP-like performance at Sunday's 54th Grammy Awards — a tour de force that included wearing a Slayer T-shirt, engaging in a lengthy guitar duel with Bruce Springsteen and inadvertently standing in Paul McCartney's spotlight for, like, 45 seconds — Foo Fighters' frontman Dave Grohl strode to the stage to deliver a delightfully long-running acceptance speech, one that some thought took a few none-too-subtle jabs at the burgeoning EDM movement.

Surrounded by his bandmates and Wasting Light producer Butch Vig, Grohl held the band's Best Rock Performance award and spoke about the back-to-basics approach the Foos employed while making the album, which included eschewing computers and recording directly to 2-inch tape, saying in part:

"To me, this award means a lot, because it shows that the human element of music is what's important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that's the most important thing for people to do. ... It's not about being perfect, it's not about sounding absolutely correct, it's not about what goes on in a computer. It's about what goes on in here [your heart] and what goes on in here [your head]."

Of course, most in the crowd cheered wildly at the statement, though there were those who thought Grohl's comments also slighted electronic artists like Skrillex (who won three Grammys that night) and deadmau5, whom the Foos were set to perform with later in the telecast. So on Friday (February 17), Grohl took to the Foo Fighters' Facebook page to clarify his comments.

"Never has a 33-second acceptance rant evoked such caps-lock postboard rage as my lil' ode to analog recording has," Grohl wrote. "I love music. I love all kinds of music. From Kyuss to Kraftwerk, Pinetop Perkins to Prodigy, Dead Kennedys to deadmau5. ... Electronic or acoustic, it doesn't matter to me. The simple act of creating music is a beautiful gift that all human beings are blessed with. And the diversity of one musician's personality to the next is what makes music so exciting and human.

"That's exactly what I was referring to. The 'human element.' That thing that happens when a song speeds up slightly, or a vocal goes a little sharp. That thing that makes people sound like people," he continued. "Somewhere along the line those things became 'bad' things, and with the great advances in digital recording technology over the years they became easily 'fixed.' The end result? In my humble opinion, a lot of music that sounds perfect, but lacks personality. The one thing that makes music so exciting in the first place."

Grohl added that, while he felt those technological advances in recording have also taken the focus off "the actual craft of performance," he in no way meant to suggest that artists like Skrillex or deadmau5 aren't actual musicians. In fact, it's the way they use that technology that makes them unique.

"Look, I am not Yngwie Malmsteen. I am not John Bonham. Hell, I'm not even Josh Groban, for that matter. But ... I do the best that I possibly can within my limitations, and accept that it sounds like me. Because that's what I think is most important. It should be real, right? Everybody wants something real," he wrote. "I don't know how to do what Skrillex does (though I f---ing love it) but I do know that the reason he is so loved is because he sounds like Skrillex, and that's badass. We have a different process and a different set of tools, but the 'craft' is equally as important, I'm sure. I mean.....if it were that easy, anyone could do it, right?"

Grohl concluded by poking fun at the supposed controversy, joking, "Now, I think have to go scream at some kids to get off my lawn" and signing his post "Davemau5." And then he probably went back to being awesome — since, you know, aside from acceptance speeches, it's what he tends to do best.

Did you think Grohl's acceptance speech was targeted at EDM? Let us know in the comments!

Related Photos Related Artists

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679498/foo-fighters-dave-grohl-grammy_speech-edm-electronic-dance-music.jhtml

Victoria Pratt Danica Patrick Aisha Tyler Rachel Perry Kelly Brook

Tournament of THG Couples Edition: Last Chance to Vote in All First Round Matchups!


Welcome to the Tournament of THG: Couples Edition, where you decide the best celebrity couple EVER! The concept is simple: Pick your favorite pair in each poll. Done.

The quarterfinal round begins Monday, so this is your last chance to cast virtual ballots for all eight first round contests. So far, some are a lot closer than others.

Robsten, the royals, the President and First Lady, and Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez are all sitting pretty. In every other showdown, the results are still very tight.

Who will advance to the quarterfinals? We'll update the official bracket and begin the next round next week. Until then, VOTE below (and after the jump)!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/02/tournament-of-thg-couples-edition-last-chance-to-vote-in-all-fir/

Rozonda Thomas Ashley Scott Christina Milian Samantha Mumba Roselyn Sanchez

'This Means War' Stars Debate Love Triangles

'They make life more exciting,' Chris Pine tells MTV News at premiere.
By Kara Warner


Tom Hardy, Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine in "This Means War"
Photo: 20th Century Fox

Woe is the woman entangled in a complicated, messy love triangle — particularly one that involves easy-on-the-eyes actors Chris Pine ("Star Trek") and Tom Hardy ("Warrior," "Inception"). This is the dilemma Reese Witherspoon faces as lucky lady in love with two very-eligible CIA operatives in "This Means War," released Friday (February 17). Hopefully, you can read our sarcasm, because we don't feel any ounce of sympathy for Witherspoon, as she had the best of both worlds working on the film.

There are, of course, pitfalls to real-life love triangles, so when MTV News hit up the premiere of the new action-filled romantic comedy, we asked the stars to debate the pros and cons of being caught between two eligible romantic interests.

"I guess the pros of a love triangle is that they make life more exciting," Pine offered.

Abigail Spencer, who plays Hardy's character's ex-wife, said, "I think there's only cons," adding "I think the only pro is that you might discover who you actually like by having a distraction but it forces you to make a decision."

"I can't even answer that question," Hardy admitted. "I'm trying to think of too many literal answers."

Chelsea Handler, meanwhile, provided a thoughtful answer to our poll: "You get to have sex with two people simultaneously, but at some point, you have to tell the truth to both people so they're OK with it, and then you have to pick one," she said. "It should only happen for a myopic period of time."

"I wouldn't know from any personal experiences," Witherspoon chimed in. "But from the movie, I think it's very complicated dating best friends."

The film's director, McG, admitted to speaking from personal experience: "That's difficult to ask because I've only been on the losing end of any love triangle I've been a part of because all of my friends are super good-looking."

Check out everything we've got on "This Means War."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Videos

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679541/this-means-war-love-triangles.jhtml

Eva Green Anna Faris Shakara Ledard Monica Keena Janet Jackson