STACK March 2016 Issue 71

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On the
JB Stereo
Killswitch Engage
Incarnate
Loretta Lynn
Full Circle
Jeff Buckley
You & I
Ray LaMontagne
Ourboros
Jack Garratt
Phase
Various Artists
WOMAD 2016
Heron Oblivion
Heron Oblivion
Mavis Staples
Livin' On A High Note
Various Artists
The Sound Of Studio
One In The 1970s
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I'll Forget 17
T he Taite Music Prize is the first major
music awards events of the year and has
grown to be one of our most prestigious.
It may not have the razzle dazzle of the Tuis, but the
fact that the winner is judged purely on an album’s
artistic merit make the award that little bit extra
special. And because it is ultimately a subjective
decision, the winners are almost
impossible to pick: for example, last year
sonic noise titans Jakob took out the top
priz; the year before, the Taite went to
Lorde.
So we won’t even try and guess who
will win the prize this year; the only things
we will say that it is nice to see that the
eight finalists come from a broad spread of genres
and all albums are well worth checking out.
The line-up does include two previous winners
in SJD – 2013 for Elastic Wasteland – and Unknown
Mortal Orchestra (in 2012 for Ruban Neilson's self-
titled debut). This year UMO is in the running for
Multi-Love , which won best alternative album at last
year’s Tuis and was ranked #27 on a top 50 albums
of 2015 chart, compiled from the annual ‘best of’
lists from the world’s biggest music magazines.
SJD, meanwhile, is in the running for his poppiest
outing in years, the excellent Saint John Divine.
New Zealand's thriving folk/country scene is
represented by Marlon Williams’ self-titled debut
and Nadia Reid’s first full length LP Listen to
Formation, Look for the Signs, both of which have
received rave reviews overseas.
However, will it be third time lucky for
Wellington outfit The Phoenix Foundation,
who this year have picked up their third
nomination, this time for Give Up Your
Dreams? Elsewhere, Kody Neilson – who
also had a hand in brother Ruban’s UMO
album – is in the running for Personal
Computer from his new solo project
Silicon, while the other two contenders are electro
popster Princess Chelsea for The Great Cybernetic
Depression and Anthonie Tonnon for Successor.
The winners will be announced on April 20 at an
invitation-only event in Auckland’s central city, along
with this year’s recipient of Independent Music NZ
Classic Record award. But they are all winners in
our book.
JB Listener
Who will win the 2016Taite Music Prize?
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34 MARCH 2016
MUSIC
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