After years of mediocrity, it seems that the Grammy Awards are finally getting their act together. Long abandoned by most serious music listeners as a legitimate source for the best music of the year, they had become more of an awards show for your parents’ favorite music of the year. “How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb,” the craptastic latest U2 disc won best album in 2005, and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” a mediocre Green Day track won best record. The Dixie Chicks had the best album honor in 2006–get where I’m coming from?

When the 2008 Grammy nominations came out it was like the Recording Academy finally saw the light of day. M.I.A. – Paper Planes is up for best record (and her baby is due on Grammy night!). Radiohead, Lil’ Wayne, and Coldplay are going to be duking it out for the album of the year award along with Ne-Yo and Robert Plant. The awesome “American Boy” by Estelle Feat. Kanye West is up for song of the year. Overall, the nominees seem to actually reflect some of the best music of the year–not that there aren’t some glaring omissions (no Fleet Foxes?).

The show itself should also be extremely entertaining. Previously announced performers include Lil’ Wayne, Katy Perry–who hopefully will kiss lots of girls on stage (and like it)–and Carrie Underwood. Just yesterday, however, the academy dropped the bomb. Radiohead will be giving their first Grammy performance at this year’s show, a spectacle which is surely going to be worth seeing.

All in all, this looks like an awards show not to miss. Hopefully this is the start of a new direction for the Grammys.

The 51st Grammy Awards air on Feb 8th at 8pm on CBS (Ch. 7)