Digital Socket Awards: shortlist announced

The shortlist for the Digital Socket Awards (http://www.digitalsocketawards.com/), has been announced. 26 bloggers, including myself, chose from the publicly-nominated longlist in each of the fourteen categories, and the votes have been tallied up. Personally speaking I discovered lots of cool stuff that I hadn't been aware of before the public nominations, and ended up voting for some of it. When you look over the fourteen categories it's clear how much great music has been released domestically in the last year. I think it's great to see musicians/bands like Jogging, Angkorwat, Thread Pulls and Meljoann getting recognition because it's stuff that's relatively out on the fringes, even if it mightn't seem that way to fanatics who devour music 24/7. At the same time, excellent releases by the likes of Nouveaunoise, School Tour, Logikparty, Children Under Hoof, Laura Sheeran, and Strands were unlucky not to make the cut. There was some pretty fierce competition within the categories, in fairness. It's also fantastic to see record labels, photographers, artwork, video-directors and radio shows getting recognition.

1. Best Design (Website, Artwork, Posters)

Adebisi Shank – This is the Second Album
Cathy Davey – The Nameless
Halves – It Goes, It Goes (Forever and Ever)
O Emperor – Hither Thither
Villagers – Becoming a Jackal

2. Best Independent Label

Any Other City
Osaka Records
Out On A Limb
Popical Island
Richter Collective

3. Best Video

Ambience Affair – Devil in detail
BATS – Star Wormwood
Cathy Davey – Little Red
Patrick Kelleher & His Cold Dead Hands – Contact Sports
Rubberbandits – Horse Outside

4. Best Music Photography

Kieran Frost
kDamo
Ruth Medjber
Alessio Michelini
Loreana Rushe

5. Best Radio Show

Alison Curtis
Donal Dineen – The Small Hours
I-con Phanotm FM
Paul McLoone
Right Click Radio with Aoife Mc on 2XM

6. Best Pop

Cathy Davey – The Nameless
The Divine Comedy – Bang Goes the Knighthood
Fight Like Apes – The Body of Christ and the Legs of Tina Turner
So Cow – Meaningless Friendly
Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History

7. Best Folk

Simon Fagan – Outside Looking In
Halves – It Goes, It Goes (Forever and Ever)
James Vincent McMorrow – Early in the Morning
O Emperor – Hither Thither
Villagers – Becoming a Jackal

8. Best Rock and Alternative

Adebisi Shank – This Is The Second Album Of A Band Called…
Enemies – We’ve Been Talking
Jogging – Minutes
Redneck Manifesto – Friendship
Thread Pulls – New Thoughts

9. Best Electronic & Hip Hop

Meljoann – Squick
Not Squares – Yeah OK
R.S.A.G. – Be It Right or Wrong
Shit Robot – From The Cradle To The Rave
Solar Bears – She Was Coloured In

10. Best Indie

The Cast of Cheers – Chariot
Grand Pocket Orchestra – The Ice Cream
Groom – Marriage
Ham Sandwich – White Fox
Jogging – Minutes

11. Best EP

The Ambience Affair -Patterns
And So I Watch You From Afar – The Letters
Angkorwat- Early..
The Holy Roman Army – Desecrations
Sacred Animals – Welcome Home

12. Best Newcomer.

The Cast Of Cheers
Jennifer Evans
Hipster Youth
James Vincent McMorrow
Solar Bears

13. Song of the Year

Adebisi Shank – Genki Shank
The Cast Of Cheers – I Am Lion
Cathy Davey – Little Red
Squarehead – Fake Blood
Villagers – The Meaning of the Ritual

14. Album of the Year

Adebisi Shank - This is the Second Album
The Cast Of Cheers – Chariot
Cathy Davey – The Nameless
James Vincent McMorrow – Early in the Morning
Villagers – Becoming a Jackal

The live event will take place on February 3rd in The Grand Social, Dublin, where the winners in each category will be announced. Meljoann and Groom will be performing on the night, along with two special guests who are yet to be announced. Comedian/writer Gareth Stack will be overseeing the whole affair,and there'll be 'special DJ sets, delicious food and drinks along with a very special participating partner presenting a surprise award on the night'. A limited amount of tickets are on sale now from http://tickets.ie/ for 10 euro (plus 2 euro booking fee) and profits will go to Aware (http://www.aware.ie/).

The full shortlist complete with links can be seen here:

http://www.digitalsocketawards.com/2011/01/14/the-digital-socket-awards-2011-shortlist/

GROOM - THIS GOLDEN AGE - Radio Edit from Reasonably Shorts on Vimeo.

01 So Academic by meljoann