The return of the Choice Music Prize for the fourth year
Jim Carroll
Yes, it is happening again so here are the relevant dates for your diary.
The shortlist for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year 2008 will be announced on Wednesday January 14th and the live event will take place in Vicar Street, Dublin on Wednesday March 4th.
The winning act will go home with a cheque for €10,000 (courtesy of the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO)) and a smashing piece of glassware (courtesy of industry body, Recorded Artists & Performers (RAAP)).
The shortlist is selected by a panel of 12 men and women, good and true, drawn from the ranks of those who write about and/or talk about music for a living. They are currently hard at work working out which of the 180+ Irish albums released in 2008 will get on the shortlist. You’ll find out who the judges are when the shortlist is announced in January.
Interestingly, when we announced this here last year, most of comments had Jape as the winner from the get-go. Wonder will people be on the money again this year?
Declaration of interest: I’m the co-founder of this and am also the non-voting chairman of the judging panel.
I really hope JAPE wins this. What a fabulous album
If we’re in declaring interest mode, then that rules me out from bigging up albums by the Spook, Michael Knight, Dudley Corporation (although I think the Spook stand a pretty good chance of being nominated).
Jape would also be good.
Actually the best Irish album I heard this year (and album I listened to most from anywhere) was Yellowback by captain a. I met captain a once or twice and he sent me a free copy (it’s free to upload from his website so anyone can google him to find it).
I would describe it as like japanese folk music with Rowley Birkin QC (the drunken barrister from the Fast Show) singing along from inside a well. It has absolutely zero chance of being nominated but worth a mention all the same.
Captain A’s website and album page below
http://www.myspace.com/captainspace
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=D01LMZMI
Thanks Jim
I hope Mjex get nominated. I honestly believe it’s a fantastic album and they would deserve at least that!
Others I think deserve a nod would be Jape, Chequerboard and Barry Lynn aka Boxcutter’s album Balancing Lakes.
Jape, MJEX, FLApes, RSAG and Lisa Hannigan are pretty much a given to be on the shortlist I reckon..all quality albums..As for the rest of the list God only knows who’ll get a nod..will shams like The Coronas and The Blizzards be thrown a bone?
Blackbird by One Day International would be a worth a cheeky punt
if my vote counted id make sure
halves
japes
sweet jane
fight like apes
Katie-Kim
Adebisi Shank
got some kind of recognition for fantastic releases this year……
Eleanor – Neither Sweet Jane nor Halves have actually released an album in 2008 – Choice Music Prize is for albums only, I’m afraid
Surely its between Jape and MJ&E…. I’m going for the latter.
i have possibly listened to less irish albums this year than many of you… however, i think we sometimes get rose tinted glasses looking at how good some of those albums actually are…
jape, however, released an album that could / should have been a surefire hit on shores other than our own…
My favourite so far this year is the mind-bending debut album by Sunken Foal. Mixing neo-classical piano, Savath and Savalas-ish layered vocals, intricate eastern acoustic guitar and Aphex-y beats on some tracks, it caught me by surprise and offers something new on every listen. It’s a real work of art. I have no idea why so few people that I’ve talked to have even heard of him. Love the Halfset and RSAG albums too. It’s been a great year for Irish albums in a pretty average one for albums overall.
Jape
R.S.A.G.
Chequreboard
MJEX
Ham Sandwich
FLApes
Lisa Hannigan
Halfset
Oppenheimer
I would include all of the above. But Jape really should get it.
crayonsmith album hasto be in with a shout great album.
tbh i dont really care who wins just once its not a re run of the joke that was super extra bonus party
Jape, Halfset and the brilliant Katie-Kim spring to mind immediately. Will the judges throw another curveball in 2009 by awarding the prize to an album that doesn’t deserve the accolade?
Last year it went to the ridiculous Super Extra Bonus Party who have since sunk without trace.
“sunk without trace”
Sunk without trace?
A remix album which came out in October
Gigs in Barcelona and London. Barn-storming launch gig for the remix album in Dublin
New album nearly recorded for 2009
Not what I call “sunk without trace”. You just bitter cos you were in the one of the bands who didn’t win?
RSAG and MJEX are the only bands that created something really groundbreaking this year. Jape is very good on his day but was a disappointment on record so he should not get in
Yeah that Sunken Foal album is amazing. I’d love to see Katie Kim win it but realistically, I’d put my money on Jape.
2008 was a notably bad year for Irish music and new music in general, imho… particularly bad since the spring actually.
So Cow So Cow So Cow So Cow So Cow.
This should definitely go to So Cow but it won’t. He won’t be given the respect he deserves until he’s dead, and that’ll probably be 60 or so years.
I’d be really happy if some of the following made the cut.
The Spook of the 13th Lock
The Gorgeous Colours
Fred
Michael Knight
Dublin Duck Dispensary
Now that would be progress.
Completely unrelated to this thread, but has anyone heard Cedric Daniels’s album, Contemplations & Remembrances, on his official website, http://www.lancereddick.com. Bloody hilarious. Stick with the acting, lad. I like the wanky title, however.
Best lyric: “Walking like a zombie slave / through the little hole of my lonely cave / Where I fall with my head facing down in the bay [I think]…
I suspect MJEX might get a make-up call since they (in my opinion) totally deserved the honour in ’06, but the new one is probably the better of the two if I’m to be honest so I’d be delighted to see them get. Lovely blokes too.
Elsewhere, I’d be delighted to see Adebisi Shank (my fave Irish album of 2008), RSAG and a bit of Infomatics in there. That Mark Geary album wouldn’t usually be my cup of tea, but I have to say I was blown away when I heard it and really should give it another blast.
David Holmes ‘The Holy Pictures’.
“2008 was a notably bad year for Irish music and new music in general, imho… particularly bad since the spring actually.”
- I hate this kind of shit.
There were some awesome Irish albums released this year.
I have to say I agree with Una on this one.
It’s the first year doing the Choice yoke that a cynical fuck like me finds it hard to limit my Irish album list to 10 – it has been a hell of a year for Irish album releases.
Beyond Ireland, there’s enough great new music to have a champion new band for every single day of the year.
But, as the internet proves every single minute of every single hour of every single day, it’s much easier to be negative than actually head off and find new music you might like.
Lovely blokes too.
That may be the case, I’ve never met them but whenever I’m out and I see Messiah J such is his icey cold stare I always feel like he’s 5 seconds away from stomping me into the ground.
“That may be the case, I’ve never met them but whenever I’m out and I see Messiah J such is his icey cold stare I always feel like he’s 5 seconds away from stomping me into the ground.”
You must get past the stare Ian..he is a gentleman really:)
I think the standard of Irish releases in 2008 surpasses the past couple of years and it will make the Choice Awards a lot more interesting to say the least.
I like the Adebisi record; would be cool to see something like that get a nomination…The jape one is decent and will get a nomination and I’d imagine RSAG will too.
I haven’t liked any of the albums that have won the award yet, so hopefully, this year will be different.
There are one or two other things I’d love to see nominated, but it would be a complete conflict of interest to start hyping them up too much here!!
People will always bitch about the winner regardless of who wins.
I like the Jape album but wouldn’t be as excited about it as others.
I’d give it to RSAG for pure inventivness sake
Adebisi Shank
Jape
David Holmes
R.S.A.G
FLApes
Lisa Hannigan
Sunken Foal
Spook of the 13th Lock
Chequerboard
The Vinny Club
Let them all win.
I agree, it’s been a great year for Irish albums.
In terms of the winner, it has to Chequerboard or Jape.
Would also be happy to see Jimmy Cake, RSAG, Halfset, Colm Mac an Iomaire, Katie Kim, Crayonsmith, Adebisi Shank and MJEX on there.
Also liked the Hulk, Armoured Bear and Story of Hair albums.
Lovely blokes too
When I see a band described as such, I always remember what the head of a label I used to work with would say when I pitched a band to him and said they were also lovely fellas. He’d go over to a window in the office, point to a pub below and say “that boozer is full of lovely fellas, but I’m not going to fucking spend a couple of grand recording their album”. Record Business 1.0 never had much use for lovely blokes
Oh, and David Holmes really surprised me too after putting out some disappointing stuff over the last few years…
…. and Heathers
… and Jimmy cake.
I’ve just read all the above posts – I’ve not heard half of the acts mentioned but, hey, I’m willing to give them all a spin.
QED – result straight away for the Choice Music Awards. It’s spreading music which is, officially, A Good Thing.
It is my patriotic duty to now splash the cash and buy lots of these CDs …..
“Record Business 1.0 never had much use for lovely blokes”
Well thankfully in this instance the Mjex lads have the tunes to back up their lovely blokes tag:)
24. “2008 was a notably bad year for Irish music and new music in general, imho… particularly bad since the spring actually.”
“- I hate this kind of shit. ”
What, the kind of shit where some people have a different opinion to yours? Life must be a constant chore…
I too would like to see the Adebisi Shank and Crayonsmith albums get a nod.
Both fantastic and very individual.
What i’ve heard of Sunken Foal sounds great but have yet to hear the album.
I love Jape but was honestly disappointed in the album.
So Cow is my Barack Obama for the Choice. If anyone else wins, it’s a McCain/Palin victory and I’m fucking off to Canada.
I almost forgot, Burning Codes from Belfast released an amazing album a couple of months back. Above everything else I hope that makes the cut.
Enya is going to win.
*grumbles* Too many good EPs I want to mention. Can you not accomodate these and call it the Second Choice Prize?
Naomi – Nialler9 is the man who rounds up the EPs every year.
http://www.nialler9.com/blog/2007/12/04/vote-top-irish-albums-eps-2007/
Oh, deadly blog, thanks!
Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill – Welcome Here Again. Should win, but won’t cos it’s trad.
will throw my vote (if I had one) in for Jape. Also liking Fight Like Apes and One Day International.
My favourites have been by The Spook of the 13th Lock, So Cow and Michael Knight. I wasn’t particularly impressed by the Jape album, I think it lacks a bit of substance, though it does have the odd gem.
I dont think the winner will be obvious. Thats what these ceremonies are about.It gets peoples reactions which in turn makes it bigger than it actually is.
Ham Sandwich, Flapes or Jape. One of these should win it. Each having a brilliant year from 3 well created albums.
The new God Is An Astronaut album, just released, is incredible.