Git Award 2013 Shortlisted Artists Revealed Ahead Of Showcase Evening At Leaf, Liverpool – Friday April 19th
Liverpool’s premier music prize, The GIT Award has today revealed the 12 shortlisted artists for the 2013 edition.
The GIT (Getintothis) Award, dubbed ‘the Scouse Mercury Prize’ enjoyed a hugely successful inaugural year in 2012 (hosted by LTW boss John Robb) and the stakes will be even higher when the 2013 winner of this now established award – chosen from the carefully selected shortlist of exciting emerging acts – is revealed on Friday April 19 at Leaf on Bold Street.
The GIT Award 2013 shortlist is:
Baltic Fleet
Barberos
By The Sea
Nadine Carina
Clinic
Conan
Dan Croll
John Heckle
Jetta
Tyler Mensah
Stealing Sheep
Wave Machines
GIT Award founder and chair of judges, Peter Guy, said: “This year’s shortlist represents a city at the height of its musical powers few could hope to match. Finalising this year’s 12 artists was a colossal task as new Liverpool music is at a creative zenith, however, the judges feel the nominees provide a definitive picture of the diversity, profound musicianship and rich talent emanating out of Merseyside. April 19 at Leaf is going to be a hugely special night showing Liverpool music at its finest.”
Since its relaunch in November 2012 up until the closing date at the end of February 2013, the GIT Award received more than 380 entries.
The shortlist was then decided by a 12-strong judging panel comprising respected music industry figures including BBC 6 Music presenter and son of John Peel Tom Ravenscroft, the editor of rock and pop music bible Q Magazine, Liverpool-born Andrew Harrison , Matt Wilkinson, NME’s new music editor, leading UK music website, The Quietus’ editor, John Doran plus the cornerstones of Liverpool’s music and arts scene.
The overall winner will receive a cash prize of £1000 and a special Inspiration Award, recognising services to Liverpool’s music industry (won last year by the team behind city venue The Kazimier), will also be presented.
In addition a ‘People’s Choice’ online poll consisting of the 12 nominees will be hosted on Bido Lito!, Getintothis, Juice FM and Seven Streets allowing the public the opportunity to have their say on Liverpool’s finest music of 2012-2013.
A good few of these artists have previously been featured here at LTW, in particular Baltic Fleet who released ‘Towers‘ back in early July 2012, the album was listed within the LTW 2012 Top 100, and Stealing Sheep who released the album ‘Into The Diamond Sun’ in August (LTW review)
Baltic Fleet
Baltic Fleet is the work of multi-instrumentalist Paul Fleming. Channelling motorik beats and dark instrumental hooks, Rough Trade called his music ‘faultless pieces which capture the spirit of Brian Eno and NEU!’ His 2012 critically-acclaimed second album, Towers, was the culmination of touring the world as keyboardist for Echo & The Bunnymen. Last year Fleming proved one of the highlights at the inaugural Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia.
Barberos
Barberos are Joel Murray, Joshua Jones and Giacomos Fazi, an electronic noise band from Liverpool. Renowned for their visceral live performances, which combine duel poly-rhythmic assaults, synth roars and silver spandex full body suits, the trio have been endlessly touring Europe for the last four years while gaining a ferocious fanbase on Merseyside. They released their finest record to date ‘OOO’ in September 2012.
By The Sea
Joe Edwards, Mark Jackson, Daniel O’Connell, Liam Power and Andy Royden are Wirral quartet By The Sea. Melding dream pop rhythms with evocative textured guitar swells, By The Sea have become one of Liverpool’s most exciting new bands. Their 2012 eponymous debut LP, produced by GIT Award nominee Bill Ryder-Jones, gained mass praise from the UK music press with the NME calling them ‘burgeoning kitchen-sink dramatists for the 4G generation.’
Clinic
Ade Blackburn, Brian Campbell, Jonathan Hartley and Carl Turney make up legendary Liverpool alt-pop outfit Clinic. Formed in 1997, and signed to Domino Records, the band have toured the world with the likes of Radiohead, The Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire. Fusing post-punk grooves, Ade’s uniquely disquieting vocal and their surgical masks live visual motifs, they’re perhaps Liverpool’s most overlooked musical exponent in the last two decades. They released seventh studio album, Free Reign in 2012, once again to mass critical acclaim.
Nadine Carina
Half Italian, half Croatian, born in Switzerland yet based in Liverpool, songwriter Nadine Carina is a magical box of delights. Mixing guitar, MIDI keyboards, piano and an assortment of folkish voodoo her music showcases a montage of found sounds, textured percussion and purring vocals which carefully weave deep into your being. Her prolific output culminated in 2012 EP Little Bits which garnered national blog buzz including the BBC’s Tom Robinson.
Conan
Jon Davies, Phil Coumbe and Paul O’Neil are Conan – Liverpool’s most celebrated heavy outfit in decades. Combining interplanetary guitar thunder, duel-warrior roaring vocals and psychedelic imagery, Conan are one of UK rock’s most respected bands. Their 2012 album Monnos, out via Burning World Records, was championed by heavy metal bible Metal Hammer as the definitive stoner doom album ‘guaranteed to rattle your teeth right out of your gums’.
Dan Croll
Despite his tender age, one man pop machine, Dan Croll, has been a key player on the Liverpool scene for several years. Emerging through LIPA’s ranks as a talented songwriter, Dan has collaborated with a raft of Merseyside musician’s before embarking on his debut single From Nowhere which has garnered praise from 6Music, The Guardian and most recently scooping Amazing Radio’s Best British Male Solo Artist. He has just embarked on his debut tour of the United States.
John Heckle
Merseyside DJ and producer John Heckle has been playing established club nights since he was 15. Having DJ-ed at Liverpool’s Bugged Out and Voodoo he then went on to tour Europe and sign a deal with pioneering dance label Mathematics Recordings. A string of releases, including his seminal debut album Second Son, combined with his exceptional live shows, culminated with John collecting a 2012 Qwartz Electronic Music Award in Paris for his Life On Titan EP.
Jetta
Jetta is the moniker of one of Liverpool’s most exciting rising pop stars, Jetta John-Hartley. A former backing vocalist for Paloma Faith and Cee-Lo Green, this evocative young woman has invited comparisons to Solange and The xx. Her debut single Start A Riot released late last year, showcases her stunning vocal ability, and has already notched up nearly 100,000 plays on YouTube.
Tyler Mensah
Fifteen-year-old Tyler Mensah is the youngest GIT Award nominee to date. Blending outrageous vocal ability with a confidence beyond his years, Tyler has already accrued a mass following. With UK industry showcases under his belt, Tyler, who cites Frank Ocean, Michael Jackson and Usher as influences, has recently supported ex-GIT Award nominee Esco Williams at Liverpool’s O2 Academy.
Stealing Sheep
Rebecca Hawley, Emily Lansley and Lucy Mercer met while working on Lark Lane and together formed Stealing Sheep. Through a combined love of krautrock, 70s psych, gypsy jazz and electronica, the trio have hypnotized audiences across the land with their sepulchral lo-fi sonics and lyrical alchemy. Their critically-acclaimed 2012 debut album Into The Diamond sun out via Heavenly Records featured heavily in the national music press’ best albums lists leading to national tours with Mercury Prize winners Alt-J and US indie legends The Postal Service.
Wave Machines
Timothy Bruzon, Carl Brown, Vidar Norheim and James Walsh are electronic pop collective Wave Machines. Formed in 2007, the quartet released their stunning genre-straddling debut Wave If You’re Really There in 2009. Having toured the globe, playing alongside the likes of The Flaming Lips, they returned in 2013 with second album, Pollen, once again showcasing their electro-pop nous.
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