As is always the case with a fresh slate of Grammy nominations, there are at least a dozen or so nods that are completely baffling. If you ask us, the biggest oddity at this year's Grammys is Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" nominated for Album of the Year, but there's plenty more that defy reason. You've already checked out the nominees in the biggest categories, now here's a look at this year's Grammy nominations that have us saying, "Huh!?":
• Nearly two decades after changing the face of alternative rock, the Pixies are finally being recognized by the Grammys... albeit in the Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package category for "Minotaur." Hey, it's something.
• "Helter Skelter" is no doubt one of the best tracks on the second LP of the Beatles' "The White Album," but over 40 years later, Paul McCartney is being honored for the song in the Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance thanks to Macca's live "Good Evening New York" rendition. You knew the Grammy voters would find some way to get a Fab Four nod in there. Is it too late to start a "Nominate 'Rocky Raccoon' " campaign?
• Three-time Oscar winner and legendary neurotic Woody Allen finds himself up for his first Grammy Award in the Best Spoken Word Album category.
• Two years after his altercation with Rihanna forced both singers to cancel performances at the 2009 Grammy ceremony, Chris Brown has apparently been forgiven by voters: He received nods in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals and Best Contemporary R&B Album categories.
• Soundgarden's "Black Rain," which was recorded in 1991 for inclusion on "Badmotorfinger" but ultimately held until the reunited rockers' new "Telephantasm" collection, scores a 2010 nod for Best Hard Rock Performance. Somewhere, Alice in Chains are digging through their vaults. (Just kidding! Alice In Chains are nominated in the category too, for "A Looking in View.")
• For the fourth straight year, actress Tia Carrere, or "Cassandra" to "Wayne's World" fans, has been nominated in the Best Hawaiian Music Album for "Huana Ke Aloha."
• Cyndi Lauper has successfully made the jump from "Time After Time" to B.B. King: Lauper's blues album "Memphis Blues" is up for Best Traditional Blues Album.
• Perhaps fearful of another Taylor Swift situation, Kanye West will likely be a Grammy no-show as he was only been nominated in one category: "Power" for Best Rap Solo Performance, where it will likely lose to Eminem's "Not Afraid" (Em's track is the only song in the category also nominated for Best Rap Song, a telling sign). Also not expected at the ceremony: T.I., for obvious reasons, despite nominations for both Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.
• Iron Maiden, Slayer and Megadeth all nominated for Best Metal Performance? What year is this?
• On a nice note, reggae great Gregory Isaacs, who passed away on October 25th, is up for a posthumous Grammy in the Best Reggae Album for he and King Isaac's "Isaacs Meets Isaac." Also nominated: Dub legend Lee "Scratch" Perry and Buju Banton.
• We never thought we'd see Austin, Texas rockers Okkervil River nominated for a Grammy, and even the band probably couldn't have anticipated that frontman Will Sheff would get a nod for Best Album Notes for the liner notes Sheff himself penned for Okkervil River and Roky Erickson's "True Love Cast Out All Evil."
Also, Cee Lo Green's "F--- You" is up for four (!) Grammys. When did the old-skewing Grammy voters get so cool?
[Photo: Foc Kan/WireImage.com]