Listen With Monger Awards 2019 - The Winners List
Here we go people, the best of the best of the best. The winners will
be gradually announced here over the course of the evening and at the end I’ll
link you to a Spotify playlist featuring all the winners. Then I’m going to lie
down in a warm room listening to Stephen Fry reading calming Haikus on
audiobooks while fish nibble the dead skin off my feet. Or have a whiskey. Or both.
Best Band (UK) 2019 Winner
DINOSUAR PILE-UP – Leeds trio Dinosaur Pile-Up really kicked things up
a notch in 2019 with their immense album ‘Celebrity Mansions’, a sell-out tour
of the UK and a US tour with the might of the Offspring and Sum 41. If there is
a British band who have stepped up more in 2019 then I haven’t heard them.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/dinosaurpileup/
2018 Winner – Black Futures
2017 Winner - Rews
2016 Winner – Narcs / Berries
2015 Winner - Allusondrugs
2015 Winner - Allusondrugs
Best Band (South West) 2019 Winner
PATTERN PUSHER – The colourful Exeter based trio Pattern Pusher had a
great year with a series of excellent releases and some feverish live performances,
painted largely as a bag of rhubarb and custards. The icing on the cake was an
invitation to play at the Pilton Party with Wolf Alice and a newly reformed
Supergrass. 2020 holds great promise for Pattern Pusher, great promise indeed.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/patternpusher/
2018 Winner – The Velvet Hands
2017 Winner – The Malthusian Trap
2016 Winner – Wildwood Kin
2015 Winner – Lost Dawn / Sound
of the Sirens
Best Band (International) 2019 Winner
FONTAINES D.C. (Republic of Ireland) – Irish doomsayers Fontaines D.C.
join Idles and Life in the grump-rock corner of the junior school disco but
that hasn’t stopped them having an awesome year as they’ve spewed out a
fantastic album and a string of singles that are both wonderfully artistic and
brutally honest.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/fontainesband/
2018 Winner – The Nectars (USA)
2017 Winner – Parekh & Singh (India)
2016 Winner – The Watanabes
(Japan)
2015 Winner – Failure Machine
(USA)Best Solo Male (UK) 2019 Winner
XAMVOLO – It’s a bit unfair really. Put XamVolo in any given room with
any given group of musicians and he would shine out as something special so I’m
not sure anyone else really stood a chance in this category.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/Xamvolo/
2018 Winner – Joshua Kyeot
2017 Winner – Jamie Lenman
2016 Winner – Jake Morley
2015 Winner – Cosmo SheldrakeBest Solo Male (South West) 2019 Winner
SAMANTICS – Part poet, part rapper and part singer-songwriter, Exeter’s
Samantics has not only released an excellent new album in 2019 but he’s also
been moving his music further afield with a slew of intense gigs and festival
appearances across the country. Bravo Samantics, bravo.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/samanticsuk/
2018 Winner – Matthew Gordon
Price
2017 Winner – Gozer
Goodspeed/Martyn Crocker
Best Solo Male (International) 2019 Winner
DUCKWRTH (USA) – If you like your R&B with a heavy slice of funk
and your soul with some sweet hip-hop vibes then LA’s Duckwrth will be right up
your street. 2019 has been a great year for Duckwrth with a clutch of
infectious singles and an incredibly fresh sound.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/samanticsuk/
2018 Winner – Simon Lynge
(Greenland)
2017 Winner – Noah Gundersen
(USA)
Best Solo Female (UK) 2019 Winner
LAURAN HIBBERD – Blending British song-writing nous with the saccharine
sweet melodies of US slacker-pop, Lauran Hibberd has cemented her reputation in
2019 and what a reputation it is. The Isle-of-Wight native has a slanted and razor-sharp
view on the world which makes for compelling listening so pin this one in your
‘to listen’ list.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/lauran.hibberd/
2018 Winner – Pip Hall
2017 Winner – Poppy Ackroyd
2016 Winner – Joanna Cooke / Lulu
James
2015 Winner – Malka
Best Solo Female (South West) 2019 Winner
RISE – She may have dropped the ‘Talitha’ but that doesn’t mean Rise
has lost any powers. 2019 saw Rise continue her evolution in to and exploration
of her own universe – a la Kate Bush – and if you haven’t come along for the
ride yet then you’d better get your ticket and soon.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/talitharise/
2018
Winner – Joanna Cooke
2017 Winner – Rosie the Crow
Best Solo Female (International) 2019 Winners
So, so many great single ladies out there right now, all over the
world. I couldn’t make the call so I’m sharing this one out between a legend
and a legend in the making.
MAVIS STAPLES (USA) – The release of her album ‘We Get By’ in
collaboration with Ben Harper pushed Staples up the ladder from legend to
living legend with a record full of soul infused blues songs that feel as
relevant today as they would have done 50 years ago which is both beautiful and
tragic.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/mavisstaples/
TAMI NEILSON (Canada/Australia) – Australian born but Canada based
Neilson is a rising star of the alt-country scene which is all well and good
but it’s her amazing voice and buckets of sass that gets her a share of the
award. Definitely one to watch out for in 2020 and far beyond.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/tamineilsonmusic/
2018 Winner – Grace Inspace (USA)
2017 Winner – Deqn Sue (USA)
Best Single 2019 Winners
This is always the hardest category to call and this year was no
exception so I’m splitting the award two ways;
FERRIS & SYLVESTER – ‘I DARE YOU’ – First up, folk-blues duo took
their infectious and harmonious sound on to a new level with this track and a
chorus which kicks hard. I already loved these two but this one took the
relationship on to a new and sexier place.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/FerrisandSylvester/
BICURIOUS – ‘I DON’T DO DRUGS, I JUST SWEAT A LOT’ – Secondly, the
half-Irish and half-French duo Bicurious get their share of the award for this
infectious and largely instrumental track which dances the line between dance
and rock wearing nothing but a white vest and an unhinged smile. I became a
little bit addicted to this track and now you can too.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/bicuriousbandofficial/
2018
Winner – X Ambassadors ‘Joyful’
2017 Winner – She Makes War ‘I
Want My Country Back’ / Moses ‘King Size’
2016 Winner – Mowbeck ‘Vaseline’
/ Childcare ‘Cinema Club’
2015 Winner – Azu Yeche ‘Lagos’
Best EP 2019 Winner
SICK JOY – ‘THEM DAYS EP’ – Brighton’s Sick Joy grabbed my attention
hard with the single ‘Vibe Sucker’ but they followed it up with the ‘Them Days
EP’ and it blew. My. Mind. Four tracks of blistering grunge-pop that is both
dead-eyed and feverishly intense with melodies to die for – this is what Sick
Joy have to offer us and you’d be fools to turn them down.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/sickjoyband/
2018 Winner – Jones ‘New York EP’
2017 Winner – Mux ‘Can You See Who?
EP’
2016 Winner – Joanna Cooke ‘Wound
Up EP’ / Bare Hunter ‘Dry Rot EP’
2015 Winner – Alex Gregory ‘Critical Perfection
EP’
Best Album 2019 Winners
In keeping with what has seemingly become LWM tradition, I haven’t been
able to boil the albums released in 2019 down to just one. Therefore, the award
is split between these two stacks of awesome;
WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR – ‘BLEEDING ON THE SOUNDTRACK’ – The Cornish trio
have crafted a deeply confessional and superbly raw album which found a
particularly special place in my heart. The mix of blues, folk, indie and rock
is brilliant but when you throw in the story telling and reflective lyricism,
‘Bleeding on the Soundtrack’ is a rare thing – an album of equal integrity and
infectiousness.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/williamtheconquerormusic/
X AMBASSADORS – ‘ORION’ – It’s no secret that I’ve become a bit of a
fan of the three
More information: https://www.facebook.com/XAmbassadors/
2018 Winner – The Nectars ‘Sci-Fi
Television’ / Henge ‘Attention! Earth’
2017 Winner – Noah Gundersen
‘White Noise’ / Rews ‘Pyro’
2016 Winner – Narcs ‘A Thinking
Animal’ / Jake Morley ‘The Manual
2015 Winner – Lost Dawn / Malka
Best Video 2019 Winner
PENGUIN CAFÉ – ‘CHAPTER’ – In any given year I think this release from
the Penguin Café collective would come out on top of the pile. If you haven’t
yet had the pleasure then turn your phone off, turn this one up and enjoy the
audio and visual masterpiece as it unfolds gently in front of you.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/ThePenguinCafe/
Watch the Video: https://youtu.be/HNLWJxMD67c
2018 Winner – Calva Louise ‘Tug
of War’ / LibraLibra ‘Tongues’
2017 Winner – Vei ‘Rolling on You
Romeo’
2016 Winner – Michelle O Faith
‘Lemonade’
2015 Winner – Husky ‘I’m Not
Coming Back’
Best Live Show 2019 Winner
SHIHAD @ THE THEKLA, BRISTOL – Let’s face it, when you get to see a
band that you’ve waited over two decades to see it’s either going to be hugely
gratifying or a massive disappointment. In the case of Shihad, the Kiwi quartet
did not disappoint with the kind of career spanning set that was all killer and
absolutely zero filler. If you were there you will talk about this one for
years.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/shihad/
2018 Winner – Looe Saves the Day
Festival, Looe
2017 Winner – Wildwood Kin @ The
Brook Inn, Plymouth
2016 Winner – Blogtober 2016
feat. Berries / Pattern Pusher / Seaker / Jamie Yost / Rosa Belle
2015 Winner – Tankus the Henge @
Looe Music Festival
Best Year 2019 Winner
DEUX FURIEUSES – In a year which has seen hatred, division and
misinformation become, somehow, the norm, a band like Deux Furieuses is just
what the world needs right now. To that end, it’s no surprise to see their rise
to prominence during 2019, acting as a call to arms to all the disaffected folk
looking for a cause to follow. Bring your flag and get in line, we’re marching
on city hall.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/deuxfurieuses/
2018 Winner - Idles
2017 Winner - Cassels
2016 Winner – Wildwood Kin
2015 Winner – Sound of the Sirens
Best Debut 2019 Winner
GAZEL – ‘GAZEL’S BOOK OF SOULS’ – Gazel’s debut album, ‘Gazel’s Book of
Souls’, is as strong as any other album released in 2019 and the fact that it’s
the London artist’s first long player is genuinely dumb-founding. If you’re
looking for an artist with imagination, a brave soul and strong creativity at
her core then it’s time to get some Gazel in your life as 2020 rolls around.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/thisisgazel/
2018 Winner – Georgia Fearn
‘Perfect on Paper’
2017 Winner – Black Futures
‘Karma, Ya Dig?’
2016 Winner – Berries ‘Siren’
2015 Winner – Vanessa Forero
‘Heaven Knows’
Best Band Name 2019 Winner
THOSE FUCKING SNOWFLAKES – How could anyone else win this award in
2019? A politicised and, justifiably, angry garage punk trio, Those Fucking
Snowflakes are a direct protest at nose-to-nose quarters with the gammon faced
red-top readers currently dragging the United Kingdom towards a buzz-saw made
of hate and lies. It’s the band name we need right now and it’s backed up with
the music we deserve.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/thosesnowflakes/
2018 Winner – Have You Ever Seen
the Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS?
2017 Winner – Playboy Manbaby
2016 Winner – Yes Babez! / Taco
Hell / Queen of Jeans
2015 Winner – Get Inuit /
Rangleklods
Best PR 2019 Winner
PRESCRIPTION PR – The roster down at Prescription PR manor is enviable
and the releases in 2019 have been exceptional. In 2019, these guys have
brought us the likes of Idles, Cassels, Jerskin Fendrix, Fontaines D.C., Swim
Deep, Young Knives, Black Belt Eagle Scout and Life which is just a slice of
their talent pool so, yeah, that sound you can hear is all the other PR outfits
salivating.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/prescriptionpr/
2018 Winner – Fine Company
2017 Winner – Cannonball PR
2016 Winner – Wilful Publicity
2015 Winner – Hannah Gould Music
PR
Best Label 2019 Winner
SAY SOMETHING RECORDS – Brighton’s Say Something Records brought us the
excellent Sick Joy and Lazybones this year and the small label also has another
clutch of artists bubbling under the surface. This is the kind of label that
gives me hope for the future of music so let’s all do the right thing and get
behind them, yeah?
More information: https://www.facebook.com/saysomethingrecords/
2018 Winner – Integrity Records
2017 Winner – Cooking Vinyl
2016 Winner – Superfan 99
2015 Winner – Clue Records
WINNERS PLAYLIST: