Last night saw some excellent live performances from many of the nominees for the Choice Music Prize 2009 (don't worry, you are looking at the ceremony held in 2010, it's just for the best Irish album of 2009), but by far the best were Dark Room Notes and And So I Watch You From Afar. Both bands are on their debut albums, so who knows what the future may hold awards-wise.
CODES opened the night strongly, before Julie Feeney toned it down a notch. Feeney had been the darkhorse when nominees were announced, but crept up to become favourite with PaddyPower heading into last night's show. Her outfit last night was definitely note worthy, probably moreso than her performance. (Check it out here.)
Dark Room Notes were next up and impressed many people who may have missed them first time around, or else wrote them off. Their live show is so much better than the album. Duckworth Lewis Method released one of my favourite summer albums of 2009, but with Neil Hannon already having a gong in his possession, it was always a longshot to see them winning. Their live stint last night was fantastically entertaining though.
Valerie Francis was also very impressive. It was a nice, subtle nuanced performance which contrasted well with the all-out rock of CODES and the jangly pop of Duckworth Lewis Method. Her live take on 'Punches' was especially great. It was a real treat to see so many wonderful Irish acts performing a variety of genres. I suggest you grab a ticket for the Choice Music Prize 2010 Award Show as soon as possible next year.
When I saw the nominees, I didn't actually expect The Swell Season would play, but play they did and gave a fine performance. It's just a pity for Glen that his second album with Marketa wasn't a patch on the first. Last night, they were joined on 'Paper Cup' by Leonard Cohen's guitarist, unfortunately not Leonard himself, but it'll do for now.
Adrian Crowley was second last on stage, but would return later to pick up his gong. He's a damn fine performer, and definitely a worthy winner. And So I Watch You From Afar closed the night with a stonking set, infused with marvellous instrumental rock. Some people had definitely written them off before, but I'm sure they converted many last night. If I had to guess, I'd say they were probably in the running but narrowly missed out.
Laura Izibor couldn't make it last night, due to something or other, nor could Bell x1 (touring commitments) but so many other great acts played, it didn't make too much difference. It would've been nice to have them all there though. Maybe next year...
Watch the Duckworth Lewis Method at last night's show:
Showing posts with label Choice Music Prize 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Choice Music Prize 2009. Show all posts
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Awards: Choice Music Prize 2009 Winner Adrian Crowley
Congratulations to Adrian Crowley who won the fifth annual Choice Music Award last night at Vicar Street. The award is given to the best Irish album of the year (thus Choice Music Prize 2009). His album Season of the Sparks was pronounced the winner by Jim Carroll of the Irish Times, who was the non-voting chair of an extensive judging panel, made up of luminaries from the entire Irish music scene.
Jim asked for predictions yesterday on his On the Record blog, and guess who picked the winner correctly. That's right, yours truly.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Live: Swell Season, DLM, ASIWYFA at Vicar Street
Great news comes my way from Jim Carroll and his On the Record blog. He announced this morning that eight out of ten cats acts nominated for this year's Choice Music Award will be performing on the night.
The show takes place in Vicar Street on March 3rd. Tickets are €27, and for that bargain price, you'll get approximately ten minutes each from all of the following:
And So I Watch You From Afar, Codes, Adrian Crowley, Dark Room Notes, The Duckworth Lewis Method, Julie Feeney, Valerie Francis, and The Swell Season.
Bell x1 and Laura Izibor are the two absentees as they're touring elsewhere. But for €27, how can you argue with a lineup like that?
Get your tickets here.
Here's 2007 winners Super Extra Bonus Party performing at that year's event:
(Video courtesy of Nialler9)
The show takes place in Vicar Street on March 3rd. Tickets are €27, and for that bargain price, you'll get approximately ten minutes each from all of the following:
And So I Watch You From Afar, Codes, Adrian Crowley, Dark Room Notes, The Duckworth Lewis Method, Julie Feeney, Valerie Francis, and The Swell Season.
Bell x1 and Laura Izibor are the two absentees as they're touring elsewhere. But for €27, how can you argue with a lineup like that?
Get your tickets here.
Here's 2007 winners Super Extra Bonus Party performing at that year's event:
(Video courtesy of Nialler9)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Awards: Choice Music Prize 2010 Odds
I'm not sure whether I should be calling this the Choice Music Prize 2010 or 2009, so I've hedged my bets and gone for both! PaddyPower.com has posted the odds for the award, so get your bets in now!
9/2 - And So I Watch You From Afar, The Duckworth Lewis Method
5/1 - Valerie Francis
11/2 - Bell x1
6/1 - Adrian Crowley, Dark Room Notes
8/1 - The Swell Season
9/1 - CODES
14/1 - Julie Feeney, Laura Izibor
My money is on Codes or Adrian Crowley by the way.
There's also a heated debate going on over at Jim Carroll's blog (he's the chairman of this thing), so feel free to join in here:
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2010/01/13/its-the-one-you-have-been-waiting-for-the-choice-music-prize-shortlist/
9/2 - And So I Watch You From Afar, The Duckworth Lewis Method
5/1 - Valerie Francis
11/2 - Bell x1
6/1 - Adrian Crowley, Dark Room Notes
8/1 - The Swell Season
9/1 - CODES
14/1 - Julie Feeney, Laura Izibor
My money is on Codes or Adrian Crowley by the way.
There's also a heated debate going on over at Jim Carroll's blog (he's the chairman of this thing), so feel free to join in here:
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/ontherecord/2010/01/13/its-the-one-you-have-been-waiting-for-the-choice-music-prize-shortlist/
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Awards: Choice Music Prize 2009 Shortlist
The nominees for the 2009 Choice Music Prize have been announced. (I say 2009 Choice Music Prize, as they're for the Best Album of 2009 even though the awards are in 2010) They are as follows...
Duckworth Lewis Method - DLM
Bell X1 - Blue Lights on the Runway
The Swell Season - Strict Joy
Julie Feeney - Pages
Valerie Francis - Slow Dynamo
Dark Room Notes - We Love You Dark Matter
CODES - Trees Dream in Algebra
And So I Watch You From Afar - ASIWYFA
Adrian Crowley - Season of Sparks
Laura Izibor - Let the Truth Be Told
The award for Best Album of 2009 will be given on the night of March 3, 2010 in Vicar Street.
These were the judges who picked the nominees:
Martin Burns (News of the World)
Josh Clarke (i105-i107, Galway)
Roisin Dwyer (Hot Press)
Tony Fenton (Today FM)
Cathal Funge (Phantom 105.2, Dublin)
Padraic Halpin (Ragged Words)
Sophie Gorman (Irish Independent)
John McMahon (2fm)
Rob O’Connor (Beat 102-103, Waterford)
Eva Staic (Spin 1038, Dublin)
Chris Wasser (Evening Herald)
Aoife Woodlock (Other Voices)
And Jim Carroll from On the Record runs it all.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Choice Mercury Music Prize 2009 Nominations Announced
The 12 album shortlist for the Mercury Prize 2009 was announced earlier today. The lucky 12 are:
● Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
● Florence and the Machine - Lungs
● Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
● Glasvegas - Glasvegas
● The Horrors - Primary Colours
● The Invisible - The Invisible
● Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Aslyum
● La Roux - La Roux
● Led Bib - Sensible Shoes
● Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew
● Speech Debelle - Speech Therapy
● Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Twice Born Man
I'd love to see our own Lisa Hannigan take it away, but it's good to see no huge acts on it this year (like Radiohead in other years). Also, Sweet Billy Pilgrim Led Bib, and Speech Deblle will no doubt appreciate the publicity. Apart from Lisa the best album there, for me, is Bat for Lashes. Incredible record.
● Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
● Florence and the Machine - Lungs
● Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
● Glasvegas - Glasvegas
● The Horrors - Primary Colours
● The Invisible - The Invisible
● Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Aslyum
● La Roux - La Roux
● Led Bib - Sensible Shoes
● Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew
● Speech Debelle - Speech Therapy
● Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Twice Born Man
I'd love to see our own Lisa Hannigan take it away, but it's good to see no huge acts on it this year (like Radiohead in other years). Also, Sweet Billy Pilgrim Led Bib, and Speech Deblle will no doubt appreciate the publicity. Apart from Lisa the best album there, for me, is Bat for Lashes. Incredible record.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Live Review: Choice Music Prize 2009, Vicar Street Dublin, 4 March 2009
The official Choice Website hasn't been updated yet, but by now you should all know that Jape and Richie Egan took home the ten grand prize. Hopefully it'll put him back into the album charts too.
Last night's show was an extravaganza of music. Four of the ten acts did not perform due to other commitments (not sure why soundtrack maestro David Holmes didn't play, he was in attendance. I'm sure it was him I spotted!), but the six who did play showed while Ireland's music scene is so great in 2009.
Eventual winner Jape opened proceedings with 'Christopher and Anthony', the song with the truly infectious chorus that just won't leave your head. 'Graveyard' works so well in a live setting, and shows that he was a worthy winner of the award. Let's just hope he spends the money on musical equipment and nothing culinary!
Messiah J and the Expert were next up and came on early. Now I'm not usually a lover of hip-hop, but I must say I was really impressed by their performance. What makes them special for an Irish act is that they don't sound like a bunch of Irish yokels trying to rap, they actually sound like accomplished rappers. A real hip-hop group, which will no doubt be an inspiration for kids in the future. They've opened Ireland up to hip-hop.
One of the real highlights for me was the first chance to see Mick Flannery live. I wondered how his stripped back material would work in a live setting, and it was much better than I could have imagined. 'Wait Here' was so much darker live, and shows what a great storyteller Mick is. 'Tomorrow's Paper' was probably my favourite song of the evening. It was a stark contrast to 'Wait Here', and really makes me want to see him perform a full set.
I missed the start of Halfset due to bathroom commitments (if Oppenheimer can have commitments, why can't I be allowed to pee?). Their live set reminded me of the Postal Service, who I really adore. They're a proper band which I liked, none of this press play on the laptop nonsense that you get from some of those dancier artists.
R.S.A.G. was different to what I expected. Forget the new Bell x1 record, Jeremy Hickey is the man who really embodies Talking Heads. Well a Talking Heads with a lot more drumming. It was a great spectacle of a show, the full-on sights and sounds things you don't expect from a smaller less accomplished artist. He should be massive.
The night ended with a set from Fight Like Apes. As usual, it was a great set from one of Ireland's best young bands. I'm really excited to hear some new material from them and see where they go next, because at the moment it looks like they're really starting to take off. Thus it was great to see them in a venue like this before they move on to the Olympia and maybe even the O2.
It didn't take long for the winner to be announced, none of the dramatic pregnant pausing after "The winner is". Not begrudging Jape for winning (because the album is excellent), but it is a clever choice from the judges after the alienation some people felt with Super Extra Bonus Party last year. They were dead right.
And the winner is:
Last night's show was an extravaganza of music. Four of the ten acts did not perform due to other commitments (not sure why soundtrack maestro David Holmes didn't play, he was in attendance. I'm sure it was him I spotted!), but the six who did play showed while Ireland's music scene is so great in 2009.
Eventual winner Jape opened proceedings with 'Christopher and Anthony', the song with the truly infectious chorus that just won't leave your head. 'Graveyard' works so well in a live setting, and shows that he was a worthy winner of the award. Let's just hope he spends the money on musical equipment and nothing culinary!
Messiah J and the Expert were next up and came on early. Now I'm not usually a lover of hip-hop, but I must say I was really impressed by their performance. What makes them special for an Irish act is that they don't sound like a bunch of Irish yokels trying to rap, they actually sound like accomplished rappers. A real hip-hop group, which will no doubt be an inspiration for kids in the future. They've opened Ireland up to hip-hop.
One of the real highlights for me was the first chance to see Mick Flannery live. I wondered how his stripped back material would work in a live setting, and it was much better than I could have imagined. 'Wait Here' was so much darker live, and shows what a great storyteller Mick is. 'Tomorrow's Paper' was probably my favourite song of the evening. It was a stark contrast to 'Wait Here', and really makes me want to see him perform a full set.
I missed the start of Halfset due to bathroom commitments (if Oppenheimer can have commitments, why can't I be allowed to pee?). Their live set reminded me of the Postal Service, who I really adore. They're a proper band which I liked, none of this press play on the laptop nonsense that you get from some of those dancier artists.
R.S.A.G. was different to what I expected. Forget the new Bell x1 record, Jeremy Hickey is the man who really embodies Talking Heads. Well a Talking Heads with a lot more drumming. It was a great spectacle of a show, the full-on sights and sounds things you don't expect from a smaller less accomplished artist. He should be massive.
The night ended with a set from Fight Like Apes. As usual, it was a great set from one of Ireland's best young bands. I'm really excited to hear some new material from them and see where they go next, because at the moment it looks like they're really starting to take off. Thus it was great to see them in a venue like this before they move on to the Olympia and maybe even the O2.
It didn't take long for the winner to be announced, none of the dramatic pregnant pausing after "The winner is". Not begrudging Jape for winning (because the album is excellent), but it is a clever choice from the judges after the alienation some people felt with Super Extra Bonus Party last year. They were dead right.
And the winner is:
Setlist: Choice Music Prize 2009, Vicar Street, Dublin, 4 March 2009
MC for the night was Allison Curtis, Jim Carroll and someone whose name I've forgotten in the haze presented the award. Our own Hugh Jackman!
Setlists for all the acts (I'm not sure of the Halfset songs, so could someone please leave a comment or email them in please?)
Jape
Christopher and Anthony
Graveyard
Strike Me Down
Messiah J and the Expert
Megaphone Man
Turn the Magic On
Jean is Planning an Escape
Mick Flannery
Safety Rope
Wait Here
Tomorrow's Paper
Halfset
?
Another Way of Being There
Salmon
R.S.A.G.
Stick to Your Line
Talk Back Crawl Back
Moon Movin' the Oceans
Fight Like Apes
Jake Summers
I'm Beginning to Think You Prefer Beverley Hills 90210 to Me
Battlestations
I'll try and get some videos as soon as they're uploaded.
Setlists for all the acts (I'm not sure of the Halfset songs, so could someone please leave a comment or email them in please?)
Jape
Christopher and Anthony
Graveyard
Strike Me Down
Messiah J and the Expert
Megaphone Man
Turn the Magic On
Jean is Planning an Escape
Mick Flannery
Safety Rope
Wait Here
Tomorrow's Paper
Halfset
?
Another Way of Being There
Salmon
R.S.A.G.
Stick to Your Line
Talk Back Crawl Back
Moon Movin' the Oceans
Fight Like Apes
Jake Summers
I'm Beginning to Think You Prefer Beverley Hills 90210 to Me
Battlestations
I'll try and get some videos as soon as they're uploaded.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Live: Choice Music Prize 2009
It's on tonight, but there are still tickets on sale at €27. But good news to everyone who can't afford it, the whole thing will be on Today FM.
Here's the ten acts nominated:
Fight Like Apes - Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion (Model Citizen)
Mick Flannery - White Lies (EMI)
Halfset - Another Way of Being There (Casino Gravity Records)
Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew (Self published)
David Holmes - The Holy Pictures (Canderblinks)
Jape - Ritual (Co-Op)
Messiah J & The Expert - From The Word Go (Inaudible)
Oppenheimer - Take The Whole Mid-Range And Boost It (Fantastic Plastic)
R.S.A.G. - Organic Sampler (Psychonavigation)
The Script - The Script (Sony Music)
My money is on either Fight Like Apes or R.S.A.G. I'd love to see the latter win.
R.S.A.G. live at 'Dinner's Ready':
Here's the ten acts nominated:
Fight Like Apes - Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion (Model Citizen)
Mick Flannery - White Lies (EMI)
Halfset - Another Way of Being There (Casino Gravity Records)
Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew (Self published)
David Holmes - The Holy Pictures (Canderblinks)
Jape - Ritual (Co-Op)
Messiah J & The Expert - From The Word Go (Inaudible)
Oppenheimer - Take The Whole Mid-Range And Boost It (Fantastic Plastic)
R.S.A.G. - Organic Sampler (Psychonavigation)
The Script - The Script (Sony Music)
My money is on either Fight Like Apes or R.S.A.G. I'd love to see the latter win.
R.S.A.G. live at 'Dinner's Ready':
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
News: Choice Music Prize 2009 Odds
From Paddy Power:
3/1 The Script - The Script
9/2 Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew
9/2 Fight Like Apes - Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden
Medallion
5/1 Jape - Ritual
7/1 David Holmes - The Holy Pictures
8/1 Mick Flannery - White Lies
10/1 Halfset - Another Way of Being There
12/1 Messiah J & The Expert - From The Word Go
12/1 Oppenheimer - Take The Whole Mid-Range And Boost It
16/1 R.S.A.G. - Organic Sampler
3/1 The Script - The Script
9/2 Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew
9/2 Fight Like Apes - Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden
Medallion
5/1 Jape - Ritual
7/1 David Holmes - The Holy Pictures
8/1 Mick Flannery - White Lies
10/1 Halfset - Another Way of Being There
12/1 Messiah J & The Expert - From The Word Go
12/1 Oppenheimer - Take The Whole Mid-Range And Boost It
16/1 R.S.A.G. - Organic Sampler
News: Choice Music Prize 2009 Nominations announced
Here's the full shortlist for the 2009 Choice Music Prize (great news, no Snow Patrol!):
Fight Like Apes - Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion
Mick Flannery - White Lies
Halfset - Another Way of Being There
Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew
David Holmes - The Holy Pictures
Jape - Ritual
Messiah J & The Expert - From The Word Go
Oppenheimer - Take The Whole Mid-Range And Boost It
RSAG (Rarely Seen Above Ground) - Organic Sampler
The Script - The Script
But the Script? What the...? I hope Mick Flannery, David Holmes, RSAG or Fight Like Apes win it. Please please please. Winner to be announced March 4th at Vicar Street. And if any free tickets are going, I'd love to report from it!
Official site:
http://www.choicemusicprize.com/
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