AMP Shortlist Announced

Here they are, sportsfans.

About Face – #1 Dads

Built On Glass – Chet Faker

Gon’ Boogaloo – CW Stoneking

Grassed Inn – Blank Realm

Laura Jean – Laura Jean

Raw X Infinity – REMi

Tales – The Peep Tempel

The Sleeper – Caitlin Park

Typical System – Total Control

The Royal We catches up with Caitlin Park, CW Stoneking and Blake Scott of The Peep Tempel in just a few paragraphs too.

The panel is headed by Dave Faulkner of Hoodoo Gurus who has the job of keeping the judges in line and getting their thoughts/votes on over 300 records. A walk in the park.

The Longlist was distilled to those nine LPs and now the judges — who include Myf Warhurst (Double J), Urthboy, Jen Cloher, Bryget Chrisfield (themusic.com.au) and more — have to decide which artist ultimately deserves to strut away with the giant novelty cheque on March 5.

The inaugural AMP was deservedly won by The Drones (currently working on a new album) back in 2005 with their second LP Wait Long By The River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By. Over the past decade they have been joined on the podium by Augie March, The Mess Hall, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Lisa Mitchell, Cloud Control, The Jezabels (controversially!), Hermitude and last year’s winner Big Scary.

Speaking of Big Scary, one half of that group repsonsible for Not Art, Tom Iansek was also responsible for #1 Dads’s About Face which included collaborations with Airling, Ainslie Wills and Tom Snowden.

Iansek is gobsmacked.

“I’m elated and a little shocked to be included in the AMP Shortlist for 2014. I didn’t expect any reaction from the album’s release and to have one as overwhelmingly positive as this has been amazing,” he says, grinning.

The Peep Tempel’s Blake Scott was “at home, having my first morning coffee, listening to Carole King and enjoying the lethargy of unemployment. Safe to say the nomination got the heart going. Really happy and proud of my little crew, 2014 was a sweet year.”

As for the other records — Scott’s adversaries if you will — he admits “I haven’t heard many of the other records yet, just a few songs here and there. I don’t think I’ll listen to them until after it’s all done, that way I’ll be able to enojy them instead of analysing every note and freaking out over the outcome.

“We’re very pleased to be in such good company so if we don’t win that will be sweet, if we do, I’ll no doubt behave like an absolute pig. I tend to be more graceful in defeat than in victory,” he says.

Colourful chanteuse Caitlin Park “had just woken up on my day off actually, I heard a voicemail from Scott (Murphy, founder) at the AMP and immediately cleared my throat and readied my game voice.

“I may have danced around my bedroom a little,” she beams.

The other eight albums are no slouches, Park knows this.

“What a tough list to beat! Reading every title makes the knots in my stomach tighten – and ever since I found out the who else was shortlisted I have read and re-read the list. But most of all, I am just so happy to be a part of it – I have huge respect for all the contenders,” she assures.

Keeping her game face and staying in message, the folktronic Sydney lass says she’ll be wise with bread if she wins the $ 30,000.

“I’ll make more music. And make sure the next record and the next are good enough to be nominated again,” she says.

Digging a bit deeper, the most cathartic thing about making “The Sleeper was making a project come to life with the help of my friends and family, breathing new life into my music and finally feeling awake,” she says.

Meanwhile, just an hour out of Bendigo, CW Stoneking has just been handed a list of a different variety. “My son Ishmael gave me a piece of paper with badly spelled AC/DC songs he wants me to get him like High Voltage Rock’n’Roll. He’s still into Twisted Sister though.”

Taking a break from looking after his four kids (“You gotta keep ‘em at bay with a long stick”), Stoneking found out he was Shortlisted from a little bird.

“Wasn’t it a cheeky tweet you put out?” he asks in his dry droll drawl.

“Jeepers creepers I’m pleased. I don’t know the other records, I don’t know what I’m up against. I’m more familiar with the other names than myself, I saw them around on posters more than me.”

If he was to win, Stoneking would “maybe put the thousands towards all the money I’m gonna lose taking my band to the USA later in the year. I’m one of these guitar guys, I bought a Rickenbacker a month ago. The most expensive guitar I’ve ever bought. I’m scared to say how much it was,” he says, with some prodding he winces “it was over $ 4,000 by the time it got me.”

Records that missed out by a bees proverbial were Tom E Lewis’ Beneath The Sun, Seekae’s The Worry and Guerre’s Ex Nihilo.

The 10th AMP dinner and winner’s event will be held in Sydney on March 4.

facebook.com/australianmusicprize

CLAIMER: Mikey Cahill is an Australian Music Prize judge. And he bloody loves it.

TWO MORE INTERESTING MUSI-COOL GOINGS ON

Willing her back
Segue. Ainslie Wills appears on #1 Dads’ So Soldier, a song that’ll give the upper echelon of Triple J Hottest 100 a shake and she is readying her second album which follows You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine.

First Wills and her mutual muse Lawrence Folvig will reveal new song Drive at a show at The Toff, a clarity-seeking number inspired by “Chopin, Phil Collins, Q-tip and beyond.”

Also, Wills will perform with #1 Dads next Saturday at the Northcote Social Club.

The Toff, 252 Swanston St, city. Feb 26. $ 15. thetoffintown.com

Time for a Tongue
Teeth and Tongue encourage you to see them this weekend at the first Collingwood Open gig because “after this show there might be some kind of Armageddon scenario so it’s really gonna pay off to do something fun while the world still exists.”

Jess Cornelius is about to head overseas and advises “three months is not long enough to have a going-away party. Most of you won’t even notice I’m gone. But if you want to have a leaving pash or something, this is the gig.” Fraser A Gorman is also on this Sunday’s bill.

Coming up in the series: Dorsal Fins (Jan 31), Twin Beasts (Feb 6), Lanie Lane (Feb 19), Sweet Jean (Feb 22), Liz Stringer (Feb 25) and now a second Gareth Liddiard show (Feb 27, 28).

Stay open.

The Gasometer, 484 Smith St, Collingwood. Sun, 7.30pm. $ 18.

thegasometerhotel.com.au

www.news.com.au/entertainment/music