Mumblin’ Deaf Ro

I had two favourite Irish Records last year – one was ‘These Truly Are End Times’ by So Cow (whose new album is due any day now) and the other one was ‘The Herring & The Brine’ by Mumblin Deaf Ro’. There, quite rightly, were many comments of disbelief when Mumblin Deaf Ro’s album failed to turn up on the Choice Music Prize Shortlist. I pretty much swerve to avoid singer/songwriters as much as possible. The last thing I need to hear is some heartbroken fool babble on about his soul and the sea and the stars in the sky while he strums his sad little acoustic guitar. Thankfully, Ro doesn’t go anywhere near that clichéd bollocks, instead writing literary songs about training priests and the president of El Salvador and drowning men. It also contains one of my favourite couplets from recent times:

“I’m a groom to be in a Community Hall

Confused, Trying to learn how to waltz

And even though the band gets tired

The giggly couple stay giddy-eyed”

That’s actually four lines which makes it a quadruplet or something, rather than a couplet. My reason for posting about Ro, long after the release of the album is because he has recently posted a new track on his Myspace Page - Cade Calf Call – recorded for a Radio Na Lifé session. Go hÍontach agus go hÁillinn. Agus Cácá Milis.

The Choice Music Prize 2008 Predictions

The ten nominees for the Choice Music Prize for the Best Irish album of 2007 are announced tomorrow (Wednesday Jan 9th) and take place on February 27th in Vicar Street. Personally, I think there were lots of great Irish tracks this year and some excellent EP’s but I don’t think there were many standout albums. But I’ve made a list of what I think may well be the shortlist. Last year, I made a list beforehand and guessed 8 out of the ten nominees (I didn’t have Snow Patrol and, the eventual winner, The Divine Comedy). Because there are fewer standout albums this year, I feel less sure about my chosen ten this time around. There are actually about 20 albums that could all easily be on the list. I left off some of the more mainstram acts (Paddy Casey, Sinead O’Connor, Damien O’Rourke, Damien Dempsey) because none of these releases seemed to garner much interest or hype. I haven’t even included one of my two favourite Irish albums of the year – ‘These Truly Are End Times’ by So Cow as I think it is probably a little too far off most people’s radar and I think Nina Hynes’ album should be on there but I have a hunch that it won’t be. And I have included records that I would not choose to have on my own personal list but no-one is going to like every record on the list anyway. Ultimately, it depends on who the judges are.

Anyway, here’s my possibly totally incorrect guess at the shortlist:

Cathy Davey – ‘Tales of Silversleeve’

Delorentos – ‘In Love with Detail’

 

Super Extra Bonus Party – ‘Super Extra Bonus Party’

Róisín Murphy – ‘Overpowered’

Mumblin’ Deaf Ro – ‘The Herring and the Brine’

Adrian Crowley – Long Distance Swimmer

Dry County – Unexpected Falls

Future Kings of Spain – Nervousystem

The Flaws – Achieving Vagueness

Hooray For Humans – Safekeeping