Just for a bit of fun, here’s what I predict will make the nominations for the Choice Prize this year. Of course, it all depends on who the judges are in the end. The list is ordered from my most likely albums to be nominated with a couple of wildcards towards the end. Like Shane, there are about 10 other albums which could be in the running. If you feel like an educated guess, leave your predictions in the comments.
- Cathy Davey – Tales of Silversleeve
- Adrian Crowley – Long Distance Swimmer
- Roísín Murphy – Overpowered
- Delorentos – In Love with Detail
- The Flaws – Achieving Vagueness
- Super Extra Bonus Party – Super Extra Bonus Party LP
- Dry County – Unexpected Falls
- Hybrasil – The Monkey Pole
- Mumblin’ Deaf Ro – The Herring and the Brine
- Somadrone – Of Pattern and Purpose
The shortlist is announced tomorrow.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
Didn’t they change the rules this year to allow records released only at gigs? I think we can hope for a few real obscurities, like Ro’s album. Must call Paddy Power and see if they’re taking bets before the shortlist comes out
Cormac – that has always been the case from the very start of the Choice Music Prize. the judges could pick any album, even if it was just for sale at a gig or available as a download.
I’d pretty much agree with your selection Niall. I think Future Kings of Spain might get on there. Would a soundtrack make it? (I’m thinking of Once)
Each year the prize seems to go to established and respected songwriters, rather than innovative new music (like Si Schroeder last year).
I hope a new band gets it this year and sheds more of a media spotlight on some of the great music coming out of ireland at the mo
“Each year the prize seems to go to established and respected songwriters”
Julie Feeney came out of nowhere and her album was self-financed and self-released.
[quote post=”968″]I’d pretty much agree with your selection Niall. I think Future Kings of Spain might get on there. Would a soundtrack make it? (I’m thinking of Once)[/quote]
When I sat down to come up with a list there seemed to be 5 or 6 certainties (first 5 above) with the other 5 being variable (as it will depend on the judges).
I was also considering FKOS, Damien Dempsey, Dave Geraghty, Jenny Lindfors and A Lazarus Soul but I felt they didn’t get enough attention. I probably forgot some major label release that is off my radar also.
We will see tomorrow!
[quote post=”968″]Each year the prize seems to go to established and respected songwriters, rather than innovative new music (like Si Schroeder last year).[/quote]
Its only been going two years?!??!
still, awful pity si schroeder didn’t get it last year….
Cormac – that has always been the case from the very start of the Choice Music Prize. the judges could pick any album, even if it was just for sale at a gig or available as a download.
Oh! I didn’t realise that … it’s a good idea I think, though I suppose the smaller the release the less chance it has of getting noticed by the judges.
And never mind Si Schroeder, nice fella though he is, it’s Jinx Lennon who should have won it last year. Don’t think he was even on the shortlist though
though I suppose the smaller the release the less chance it has of getting noticed by the judges
not so cormac. as sinead pointed out above, julie feeeney’s debut album was self-released (she didn’t even have a conventional distribution deal – she sold the album at gigs and initially sold them herself on a sale-or-return basis into the shops) and self-promoted yet it was nominated and it went on to win.
it’d be nice to see Nina Hynes Really really do there too…
“Julie Feeney came out of nowhere and her album was self-financed and self-released.”
I stand corrected!
In the words of Stephen Shannon on John Hegarty’s Myspace page, “where is that guiding liiiieeeaayooooaiii?” is what I wanna know.
Surely “Guiding Light” should be in the running too.
How I forgot to include that in my list of best Irish albums of ’07 I’ll bleedin never know?!
If Paddy Casey gets a nomination I will not only shoot myself but I’ll take out some of the judges too SO BE WARNED ha ha!!
as sinead pointed out above, julie feeeney’s debut album was self-released
Hehe.
It wasn’t a criticism, Jim, just a general observation of human behaviour. It’s only natural for a judge to have albums they’ve heard about more often during the year foremost in their minds, so I’d expect smaller releases to have less chance of winning – that doesn’t mean they’ll never win, as we saw with JF, but more well-known records will have more tickets in the lottery, so to speak
Is it too late to predict that Super Extra Bonus Party will win?