This year’s Grammy nomination ballot is a mix of familiar faces and some names new to the show, but it also manages to further demonstrate the award’s clueless criteria. Jay-Z led all artist, earning nine nominations. But, considering that even Jay-Z doesn’t think his latest album was all that great, it should tell you something about the questionable critical creditability of the Grammys. Breakout singer Lorde received four nods, including one for Song of the Year. Justin Timberlake, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell each received seven nominations across multiple categories. Oddly though, Macklemore and Kendrick Lamar were recognized in the Best New Artist category, despite the fact that they have both been releasing music for years, and Kendrick Lamar’s latest album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City came out back in 2012. But, hey, this is the Grammys, so it really only matters when they first heard of them. The “Alternative” (remember when people used to use that word to describe music?) category nominees include some pretty great albums from bands including The National, Vampire Weekend and Neko Case. You can go here to see a full list of nominees. The 56th Grammy Awards air nationwide Jan. 26 …
