Phonte Coleman is one of several North Carolina Grammy nominees, and the only surprising thing is that he wasn't nominated as part of Little Brother. Instead, he scored with Foreign Exchange, nominated in the urban/alternative performance category. And heck yes, Coleman will be at tonight's ceremonies in Los Angeles to see if his name gets called.

"Oh yeah, we're goin'," he says. "It's my first time and I'm excited. But I'm also kinda ready for it to be over because it's a lot of preparation -- everything from parties to jam sessions to the right wardrobe. Finding just the right suit, youknowwhatI'msayin'? It's all a new experience for me, a lot to take in. God is good. I can't complain."

For more, including news about the end of Little Brother, see the story in Sunday's paper. Meantime, the Grammys air at 8 tonight. I'll be live-blogging the telecast, so do drop in.

The latest round of Grammy nominations are out, mostly offering the usual top-of-the-charts dreck in the major catagories. Further down, however, some of our North Carolina folks picked up nominations:

Anthony Hamilton -- The Charlotte native picked up nominations in three categories: R&B Album, Male R&B Vocal Performance and Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.

Calvin Richardson -- The Monroe-born Richardson earned a pair of nominations, for R&B Performance By a Duo or Group With Vocals (shared with Ann Nesby) and Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

Foreign Exchange -- Little Brother main man Phonte Coleman's side-project scored in the Urban/Alternative Performance category.

David Holt -- From the mountains of Western North Carolina, Holt is nominated for Traditional Folk Album.

Mamadou Diabate -- The Durham resident and kora master picks up his second nomination, for Traditional World Music Album.

Yep Roc Records -- Triangle-based label looks to capture its second Grammy, for Beausoleil's "Alligator Purse" in the category of Zydeco or Cajun Music Album.

This year has seen a ton of fantastic local records perfect for gift-giving -- just check the tags on this post for a few suggestions on acts to look for. And for further specifics, click here.

Meanwhile, the annual "alternative" musical gift guide is coming on Dec. 14. Check previous years' installments here.