Two Door Cinema Club win Choice Music Prize Album of the Year 2010



Two Door Cinema Club celebrate winning the Choice Music Prize Album of the Year 2010



Massive kudos to Two Door Cinema Club who were last night announced as the winner of the Choice Music Prize – Irish Album of the Year 2010 for the album Tourist History (Kitsune). 

There, I said it. Although quite shocked at the event in Vicar Street, I have had some time to reflect on the outcome, and would not bedrudge the lads their success one bit. And a great gesture by donating the 10,000 cash prize to charity. Impressive.

We saw Two Door play in Dolan's early last year, before Tourist History had ever been released or even included on an ad for a mobile phone company, and they were amazing. A crowd full of revved up teenagers brandishing glow-sticks danced their socks off through the electric set, and it seemed that the lads were definitely not destined for flash in the pan status.

Sure, the album is not as delicate as Villagers/McMorrow, as completely jaw dropping as Halves or as woozily rocky as O Emperor - but it is a complete package, a sugar-rush of effective tunes that have marked TDCC out from the start as ones to watch.

The usual naysaying has begun already after the event - and I feel for the likely runners-up Villagers and James Vincent McMorrow (by all accounts in the final three along with the Bangor electro-poppers), but then this award has NEVER been predictable, has always kept people guessing, and in recent years has already rewarded the ever-so-slightly left of centre of the Irish music scene (Adrian Crowley, Jape and Super Extra Bonus Party spring to mind). I think this award is likely to propell TDCC to bigger and better things, and their acoustic set last night was a joy to behold, showing the young trio to be real musicians.

That said, Conor J. O'Brien must be gutted. After missing out on the Mercury Music Prize (which insiders believed he had a great chance of winning), many felt (this writer included) that the Choice was a formality, a done deal. Not so. Conor is gracious enough and talented enough to take it on the chin, and is clearly destined for great things himself. If there was an award for best performance on the night, Villagers would have strolled out the door and down the street with it. Not to be, however.

Another great night at Vicar Street, with great performances all round, showing the current healthy state of the Irish music scene - if it was a little reliant on the Dublin music scene. Waterford's O Emperor very  nearly stole the show on the night, and the lads enjoyed themselves afterward, but were very gracious in defeat too.

Look forward to next year.





Choice Music Prize shortlist for Irish Album of 2010 announced

The shortlist for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of 2010 has just been announced, and here it is:

Adebesi Shank - This is the Second Album of a band called Adebisi Shank (Richter Collective)
The Cast of Cheers - Chariot
Cathy Davey - The Nameless (Hammer Toe Records)
Fight Like Apes - The Body of Christ & The Legs of Tina Turner (Model Citizen)
Halves - It Goes, It Goes (Forever & Ever) (Hate is The Enemy)
Imelda May – Mayhem (Universal)
James Vincent McMorrow – Early in The Morning (Universal)
O Emperor - Hither Thither (Universal)
Two Door Cinema Club - Tourist History (Kitsune)
Villagers - Becoming a Jackal (Domino)

No major shocks outside of the Cast of Cheers, whose album were are unfamiliar with, a situation we will be shortly rectifying. Hard to look beyond the Villagers album as a winner, but there are certainly some very deserving names on the list, including two of our favourite albums last year, O Emperor's Hither Thither and Halves' It Goes, It Goes (Forver and Ever). That said, all of the names on the list are deserving, but no shout for Limerick bands Windings and Brad Pitt Light Orchestra is a bit disappointing..

The event itself takes place in Vicar Street on Thursday, March 3 and the winning act will receive 10,000, a prize fund provided by IMRO and IRMA. We will be there as usual to cast out eye over the acts and await the winner with interest. Tickets are now available from Ticketmaster and more information is available here.

Choice Music Prize live acts announced

The acts set to play live at the Choice Music Prize live event, which takes place on Wednesday March 3 in Vicar Street, have been announced and are:

And So I Watch You From Afar
Codes
Adrian Crowley
Dark Room Notes
The Duckworth Lewis Method
Julie Feeney
Valerie Francis
The Swell Season (full band)

Due to prior live commitments in the United States, Bell X1 and Laura Izibor will be unable to attend.
The event will be broadcast live on Paul McLoone’s show on Today FM.

Tickets available here. For more see here.

The latest odds are available on Paddy Power. ASIWYFA and Valerie Francis are the current favourites - but you literally never know who it might be...

Choice Music Prize shortlist for Irish Album of 2009 announced

The Choice Music Prize shortlist for Irish Album of the Year 2009 has been released - few surprises, both inclusions and non-inclusions. Kind of surprised to see Laura Izibor and Swell Season, and not to see Holy Roman Army and David Kitt (in particular), but overall it is a good list, indicative of another strong year for Irish music. Let's hope 2010 is as good..

In alphabetical order, the list is:

And So I Watch You From Afar “And So I Watch You From Afar” (Small Town America)
Bell X1 “Blue Lights On The Runway” (BellyUp)
Codes “Trees Dream in Algebra” (EMI)
Adrian Crowley “Season of the Sparks” (Chemikal Underground)
Dark Room Notes “We Love You Dark Matter” (Gonzo)
The Duckworth Lewis Method “The Duckworth Lewis Method” (1969/Divine ComedyRecords)Julie Feeney “Pages” (Mittens)
Valerie Francis “Slow Dynamo” (VF)
Laura Izibor “Let The Truth Be Told” (Atlantic)
The Swell Season “Strict Joy” (Plateau)

Five of these albums appeared in On The Beat's ten best Irish albums of 2009, which you can read here.
Big fan of Mr Crowley and Ms Francis, but have a feeling that Duckworth Lewis/ASIWYFA will win.. Bell X1 would not be undeserving of the accolade either, given that Blue Lights is (we feel) their strongest offering to date.
The Choice Music Prize takes place in Vicar Street on Wednesday March 3 and tickets will be available on Ticketmaster from Monday, January 18. On The Beat will be there to bring you a report from the night, as we were last year.