The Britannia Awards, as they were once known, are here once again. This year, The BRIT Awards, one of the most sought after musical award ceremonies to grace our Island, is due to be held at Earls Court on February 16th. I’m finally excited by British music again, and the BRITs, to me, are a celebration of some of our most talented artists. We like to play favorites here at The Ruckus, and this time is no different. Read on to see which of the very talented nominees we've tapped as most deserving.
I’m impressed with some of the British Female Solo Artist nominees, but I’m torn - Florence and the Machine and Bat for Lashes in the same category? Both were nominated for the 2009 Barclaycard Mercury Music Award, although I was rather shocked that neither won.
Florence and the Machine currently holds the number one spot in the UK album chart with the astounding Lungs. In December 2008, Florence and the Machine were named the Critics’ Choice Award for the BRIT Awards 2009. Lungs is haunting, it is beautiful, and I could wax lyrical about it forever. I adore Florence’s voice and how it comes together so beautifully with the instruments. Florence and the Machine are also nominated for British Breakthrough Act, alongside another Ruckus favourite; Friendly Fires (who are also nominated in the British Group category).
So Bat for Lashes, one you either love or you hate. And yes, I love her too. "Siren Song," from her album Two Suns, was one of my picks for best tracks of 2009. Bat for Lashes has been nominated twice for a Mercury Music Prize and unjustifiably never won. Londoner Natasha Khan is an extremely talented musician; her voice is perfection, lingering and incredibly moving. As well as being a talented vocalist, Khan plays the guitar, harp and piano. The ghostly Two Suns soothes me like no other album from 2009, and for that reason alone I lend my vote to the lesser known, underdog, Bat for Lashes.
Florence and the Machine’s third nomination is for the Mastercard British Album award. This is a fairly decent category, with nominations for Lily Allen’s It’s Not Me, It’s You, and Kasabian’s West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. I may shock you here, but I feel strongly inclined to vote for grime artist Dizzee Rascal’s Tongue ‘N Cheek. Back at Reading Festival 2004, I dragged my friends to see Dizzee perform tracks from Boy in da Corner and had a fantastic time; his stage presence is colossal and he knows how to work the crowd. "Bonkers" from Tongue ‘N Cheek was one of fellow Ruckus kid Sheena’s picks for best tracks of 2009, and I completely agree with her choice. I can recite all the lyrics off by heart and I have seen the way the crowd goes wild on the dance floor when that song comes blaring through the speakers. The success of "Holiday" and "Dance Wiv Me" only proves to me that this Londoner deserves that award.
Moving on to the Best British Single Award, and I can’t really be too excited by this one to be honest. This award proves to me the power of television - half of the nominees are from reality television shows. Lily Allen’s "The Fear" is the winner for me; the lyrics are entertaining: ‘I want loads of clothes and fuckloads of diamonds’, and then she sings them with a careful softness to her voice. Allen has worked hard to produce a witty yet poignant track; ‘And I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless/ ‘Coz everyone knows that’s how you get famous’.
The international categories are filled with a few exciting (if predictable) nominees; I particularly like the nod that Ladyhawke has received for International Female Solo Artist and Seasick Steve for International Male Solo Artist. International Breakthrough Act is sure to go to Lady Gaga and I believe it will be a close call between Gaga and Jay-Z to win International Album.
The event itself will be an entertaining night, with, amongst others, performances by Lily Allen, Dizzee Rascal, Kasabian (I hope they do "Fire"), and Florence and the Machine - these are the artists who I am looking forward to the most.
British music has always been exciting, although sometimes overshadowed. Talented artists often fall by the wayside for reality television stars, who given their dues, I’m sure can prove they are just as talented. But I am crossing my fingers for the underdog at the BRITs, for Bat for Lashes to scoop an award as it is so deserved. The gigs I have attended last year and in 2010 so far have proved to me that Britain has got talent (groan). What I hope for the future is that many of our talented, lesser known artists will someday have the chance to be showcased at such an infamous award ceremony.
