11th Amp shortlist announced, Rollins confirmed as guest speaker
PRESS RELEASE:
March 9 will see the 11th AMP winner announced at ‘Amped Up In Conversation’, and in the lead up to the event today sees the announcement of the 10 albums to have made the coveted Shortlist.
Chosen by the expert 16-member industry-judging panel from the already announced Longlist of 56 albums, the 11th AMP Shortlist in alphabetical order is:
Courtney Barnett’Sometimes I Sit And Think, Sometimes I Just Sit’
Dan Kelly’Leisure Panic’
Dick Diver’Melbourne, Florida’
Gold Class’It’s You’
Jess Ribeiro’Kill It Yourself’
Methyl Ethel’Oh Inhuman Spectacle’
My Disco’Severe’
Royal Headache’High’
Sarah Blasko ‘Eternal Return’
Tame Impala’Currents’
In a step away from tradition, the 11th AMP Shortlist contains 10 albums, rather than nine, a decision explained by Chairperson of the Judging Panel, Dave Faulkner who said, “As Chairman of the Judging panel I am proud to say that all the AMP judges felt that this was one of the strongest years we’ve ever had in Australian music. Artists like Tame Impala and Courtney Barnett have won recognition around the world for their work but there were countless other excellent albums released across a whole range of genres last year. As a result, the AMP’s judges decided to increase the Shortlist to ten albums this year instead of the usual nine. This is only the second time this has happened since the Australian Music Prize began eleven years ago.
“No list of ten albums could ever capture the diversity of music that was produced in the country over the last year and many great albums only narrowly missed making the Shortlist, breaking some AMP judges’ hearts in the process, however these were the ten albums that the sixteen judges agreed were the best of the year. Any one of them will make a worthy winner.”
Outspoken American musician, journalist and radio host Henry Rollins will be the special guest speaker at ‘Amped Up In Conversation’, to be held in Sydney on March 9, where the 11th AMP winner will be announced. In addition to being a regular columnist for Australia’s Rolling Stone, Rollins hosts a weekly radio show on LA’s KCRW and is a regular columnist for LA Weekly.
Rollins’ music career began with hard-core punk bands State of Alert and Black Flag, before setting up the record label and publishing company 2.13.61 to release his spoken word albums, and forming the Rollins Band.
Henry Rollins said, “In my opinion, there are so many great bands making great albums in Australia, you would be spoiled for choice to pick out a single best album but it will be interesting to see what happens. A large part of my listening comes from Australia. This has been the case for many years and of course being such a fan, I’m quite honored and excited to be a part of the Australian Music Prize.”
The 11th AMP winner will receive $30,000 in prize money, courtesy of PPCA.
ABOUT THE 11TH AMP SHORTLISTED ARTISTS:
Courtney Barnett – ‘Sometimes I Sit And Think, Sometimes I Just Sit.
Melbourne based singer/songwriter Courtney Barnett released her first full-length album ‘Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit’ in March 2015. It follows the release of her EPs ‘I’ve Got a Friend Called Emily Ferris’, ‘How to Carve a Carrot into a Rose’ and ‘A Pair of Pears (With Shadows)’, which first showcased her conversational garage rock-infused folk-pop style.
Dan Kelly – ‘Leisure Panic’
‘Leisure Panic’ is Dan Kelly’s sixth album – including three solo albums and three albums released as Dan Kelly and the Alpha Males – and follows the release of four EPs. Released in October 2015, Dan has described ‘Leisure Panic’ as “like an interactive travelogue of my life over the last few years…It’s a mixture of solo stuff, band stuff and stuff I’ve done with Aaron Cupples, my old sonic enforcer from Dalston”.
Dick Diver – ‘Melbourne, Florida’
Released in March 2015, ‘Melbourne, Florida’ is the third album from Melbourne’s deep pop thinkers Dick Diver. Formed in 2008, their debut EP ‘Arks Up’ was released in 2009 showing their combination of widescreen Australian warmth with their irreverent punk edge.
Gold Class – ‘It’s You’
Guitarist Evan James Purdey recruited fellow creative-writing students Mark Hewitt (drums) and Adam Curley (vocals) to form Gold Class in 2014. ‘It’s You’ is Gold Class’ debut album, recorded in 2015 with producer Simon Grounds (GOD, Twerps).
Jess Ribeiro – ‘Kill It Yourself’
Jess Ribeiro’s second album ‘Kill It Yourself’ came after a three-year hiatus spent travelling, and she credits the beginning of her musical kinship with producer and collaborator Mick Harvey as the catalyst for rediscovering her muse. ‘Kill It Yourself’ marks a shift from the alt-country and folk stylings of her acclaimed 2011 debut ‘My Little River’.
Methyl Ethel – ‘Oh Inhuman Spectacle’
Methyl Ethel is the uninhibited alt-pop project from Perth musician Jake Webb. Constructed in various bedrooms, friends’ studios and quiet caverns, Methyl Ethel’s early reverb-soaked home recordings explore themes of anxiety, disillusionment and stasis. The debut album ‘Oh Inhuman Spectacle’ masterfully blends pop and esotericism to create an undeniable piece of work.
My Disco – ’Severe’
Melbourne’s post-punk trio My Disco formed in 2003, and specialised in angular, cerebral indie rock that over time developed into a more minimal sound. Their fourth album ‘Severe’ was recorded entirely with digital equipment with producer/film composer Cornel Wilczek.
Royal Headache – ‘High’
Sydney’s Royal Headache burst into view in 2011 upon the release of their self-titled album. Their second album ‘High’ was released in August 2015 and injects even more soul and passion into the breakneck formula that became synonymous with Royal Headache. If their first album was akin to a courtship, think of ‘High’ as the romance.
Sarah Blasko – ‘Eternal Return’
‘Eternal Return’ is Sarah Blasko’s fifth solo album, and is an unabashed paean to love. Synthesisers punctuated by a minimal snare drum have replaced strings, and the album has a retro-electronic vibe.
Tame Impala – ‘Currents’
Tame Impala’s third album ‘Currents’ was written, performed, recorded, produced and mixed by Kevin Parker. Featuring heady lyrical introspection, ‘Currents’ is musically the most bold Tame Impala recording since the West Australian’s first EP release in 2008.