Brit Award winners Florence and The Machine have released a new video for their track ‘Dog Days Are Over’, which is available for your viewing pleasure on their website. A strange mix of Barbarella and Jane Austen, seasoned with Monty Python animation and Ziggy Stardust makeup. The track is bearing up pretty well under the usual vampiric draining by pop radio stations that a Brit win usually entails – by the way, did anyone ever hear from that Speech Debelle girl again? I guess not all music awards are created equal… shame that talent needs so much money to swim against the tide of marketing.
Pop music did the predicatable thing at the Brit Awards last night, with Lady Gaga making three trips up to the stage, but then the Brits are more about patting industry winners and safe bets on the back than exposing new musical talent. A slight nod to creativity in the critics’ choice award (which went to vodcoder fan Ellie Goulding and not Laura Marling like it should have) and some of the old guard coming back for a cry and a reminisce. Favourite quote of the evening – Peter Kay introducing Lady Gaga as ‘New York’s answer to Sue Pollard’.
Here’s the list:
International Album – Lady Gaga ‘The Fame’
International Female Solo Artist – Lady Gaga
International Breakthrough Act – Lady Gaga
International Male Solo Artist – Jay-Z
British Album – Florence And The Machine ‘Lungs’
British Single – JLS Beat Again
British Female Solo Artist – Lily Allen
British Breakthrough Act – JLS
British Male Solo Artist – Dizzee Rascal
British Group – Kasabian
Brits Performance Of 30 Years – The Spice Girls ‘Wannabe / Who Do You Think You Are’ (1997)
Critics Choice – Ellie Goulding
British Album Of 30 Years – Oasis ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’
Outstanding Contribution To Music – Robbie Williams
Nominees for the 2010 Brit Awards are out an it looks like another year for the ladies.
Amongst others, Lady Ga-Ga and Lilly Allen have both been nominated for three awards each. Lilly has been nominated for the Best British Album and Best Single Awards. As well as Best female act up against Florence (and the machine), Bat for Lashes, Pixie Lot, Leona Lewis and Lady Ga-Ga. Lady Ga-Ga is a favourite for both best international breakthrough artist and best debut album.
Whilst, Calvin Harris, Dizzee Rascal, Mika, Paolo Nutini and Robbie Williams were all nominated for Best British Male. Florence And The Machine, Friendly Fires, JLS, La Roux and Pixie Lott are all up for British Breakthrough Act. And the nominees for Best British Group are Doves, Friendly Fires, JLS, Kasabian and Muse.
Pulp are one (were?) of the best live bands I’ve ever seen, second only to Glass Shark, who are also defunct now, so it’s nice to know Jarvis can still rock it live. He’s the only person who I’ve ever seen get a cheer from a festival crowd for his cardigan alone.
Here’s a fan submitted video (via Pitchfork) of him performing with Florence and the Machine in London’s Tabernacle.
The Mercury Prize, named for a now defunct telecoms company that tried to challenge British Telecom’s dominance back in the 90′s, is one of the highlights of the UK’s musical calendar. It’s the one high profile award that annually breaks away from the mainstream and run-of-the-mill fare that usually weighs down the pages of NME, and each year it plucks some more or less deserving soul out of the ranks of relative obscurity and rewards originality with fame and glory. The variety of the nominees is really encouraging, and musical flair abounds. This kind of flair and talent is something that really outshines production values, and live performance is the crucible in which all musicians and performers reveal their true ability. Although it’s difficult to compare the artists directly, as the performances range from the back room of a bar to Glastonbury via the Radio 1 Live Lounge, I’ve tried to pick videos with decent sound quality, and they’re of such different types of music that direct comparison is almost impossible anyway. I’ll season each video I post with my (very personal) opinion.
Florence and the Machine – To my ears, these guys sound much better stripped right down like this, a belting little performance from a band with a pleasantly unabashed pop sensibility. Strident.
Kasabian – The big kids in the playground at the moment, following in the well-worn indie footsteps of bands like Oasis, The Killers, The Kaiser Chiefs and so on. Stripped of their glamour and singing on a sofa, I think the infectious sing-along simplicity of their songs shines through. Swaggering.
Bat for Lashes – A more upscale performance on ‘Later’ here from BFL, but one that shows off how tight and together they are. They kind of remind me of a mix between Bjork and the Cocteau Twins, with New York Pony Club doing the production, the kind of thing you have to be in a particular mood for, but nonetheless pretty original. Lilting.
La Roux – Synthpop played live can sound a little sterile, but these guys pull it off; something about the flat, school classroom neon lighting setup here appeals to me too. Am I alone in thinking the lead vocal sounds a bit like Jimmy Somerville? Quiffs abound.
Glasvegas – The Elvis Costello haircuts belie the raucous nature of this band, swaggering, black-leather-clad rock that is obviously meant to be played live, in front of a bouncing audience rather than on your Macbook speakers. Unapologetic.
Speech Debelle – This year’s Mercury Prize winner, very urban sounding, in the vein of Mike Skinner’s Streets, and (don’t hate me for this) Just Jack. The mixing on the BBC’s ‘Introducing’ stage at Glastonbury leaves a little to be desired but you can get the idea. My favourite things about her are 1. She’s a girl 2. Simon Cowell wouldn’t give her the time of day. Innit.
Friendly Fires – More rocky stuff here, great setup on ‘Later’ once more. A band so young and ‘fresh’ that I don’t feel like criticising them. Current.
The Horrors – It’s a toss up between these guys and Led Bib for the least mainstream band in the nominees list this year; they blast out a kind of psych-out trance rock wall-of-noise thing that is definitely unique, and would probably get a disapproving tut noise from your granny. Challenging.
Lisa Hannigan – Much more to granny’s taste, Damien Rice’s old band mate is now making pretty, elfin folk tunes by herself. She usually has a little light up plastic mushroom on top of her hand powered bellows organ/keyboard thing and looks wistful most of the time. Charming.
The Invisible – The only band for whom I couldn’t find a live performance. This is obviously cheating, and you should dock at least a point as you listen to their heavy bass (check out that beard!) leading a thumping, funky, intricate sound. Sexy.
Led Bib – Jangling, broken up, super complex jazz that’s so out there it’s come back and is looking over your shoulder at what you’re eating, making you feel a bit nervous and wondering if you’ve missed something. They’re clearly all phenomenally good musicians, and they’re trying to do something really different, and there are moments and sections that really flow together, but then they’re smashed apart by a confrontation between the instruments that sounds like a pack of dogs are chasing a one man band through a clown convention. Barking.
Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Gentle guitar strains over the keyboard line from Castlevania on the Megadrive, at least on this track from the Punkt festival. Americana updated, like the Eagles bumping into Crystal Castles in a pub and getting on really well until a vampire spills their drinks. Lilting, darkly.
Last nights mercury prize winner Speech Debelle snatched the award of the back of her album, “Speech Therapy”, which sold no more than 3000 copies.
Other Competitors for the music prize were, Kasabian, Glasvegas, The Horrors, La Roux and bookies favorites Florence and The Machine. Her debut album was released last may and was voted the best of this years short list, credited by a panel of respected executives, journalists and musicians including last years winners Elbow. Debelle has won herself a dowry of £20,000 and has hinted at going to the US for some some live dates. Dates and downloads are available at tourdates.co.uk.
Debell is the first act to win the Mercury Music Award who is not considered “indy” for the last 6 years after Dizzie Rascal won it in 2003. She looks well on her way to being able to fill the void left by Ninah Cherry and Miss Dynamite for fans of the genre. Below is her post-victory moments. Her music is currently free for download here.
Brit Award winners Florence and The Machine have released a new video for their track ‘Dog Days Are Over’, which is available for your viewing pleasure on their website. A strange mix of Barbarella and Jane Austen, seasoned with Monty Python animation and Ziggy Stardust makeup. The track is bearing up pretty well under the usual vampiric draining by pop radio stations that a Brit win usually entails – by the way, did anyone ever hear from that Speech Debelle girl again? I guess not all music awards are created equal… shame that talent needs so much money to swim against the tide of marketing.
