The Aye Tunes Awards - Everything Else

Lets see if we can get this out the way before January finishes, eh?
To be honest it's taken me so long to shift my arse and actually finish these off that I've ended up dumping half the stuff I'd planned on mentioning, since I'll be here all year getting round to doing it all.
Remember that shouting at me in the comments or in email to get my lazy arse in gear and do something should shame me into posting more.

Also, it seems I'm an idiot and saved this post instead of publishing it. Oh well, it's here now.

"Where'd My Indie Cred Go?" Album of the Year:
Metallica - Death Magnetic. Point and laugh at me all you want, but as far as balls out, OTT riffing, headbanging, posturing thrash goes, this is the best aexample since, well, Ride The lightning or ...And Justice For All. I could live without The Unforgiven III, but hey, I can't have everything. Where would I put it? Also, severeal great Three! Word! Phrases! that just beg to be yelled along with. Also, the demo versions are great fun, with their nonsensical, unfinished lyrics. When I eventually get this for Guitar Hero I may have to give up blogging, as my hand might become crippled. Does everything you want from a Metallica album, and I make not the slightest apology for loving every bit of it.

Best Cover Version:
I briefly touched on covers when I was talking about debut albums, particulary the few lovely ones that Mark Morriss did last year, so here's a whole category of them. Althought Frightened Rabbit made a valiant attempt at nicking this award by doing N-Trance's Set You Free on the b-side of Heads Roll Off and The Saw Doctors took on The Sugababes About You Now to fine effect, the winner is The Wildhearts.
Their Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before cover version album was quite the treat, the only downside being that it was occasionally just too faithful to the original songs. There's a cover of the largely forgotten Glasgow/Ayrshire band Baby Chaos on there and everything, which means I get to talk about it here without wandering too far off the Scottish Topic. The best of the songs and winner of this award is their take on Warren Zevon's Carmelita, if for no other reason than every time I hear it, it puts a massive grin on my face - no easy task for a song about a heroin addicted writer it must be said. Sung by bassist Scott Sorry, it's a rip-roaring version of Zevon's already brilliant original.
The Wildhearts - Carmelita

Best Album - Scottish
Again Frightened Rabbit were the main rivals to our eventual winner, The Midnight Organ Fight is a really, really good album. Chances are were they not up against one of my personal favourite bands they'd have nicked top spot, but they'll just have to settle for second.
For our winner we are going way back to the start of 2008 for Sons & Daughters - This Gift.
It had been a long wait between This Gift and previous album The Repulsion Box, but thanks to regular gigs in between Sons & Daughters managed to firmly nail themselves into my brain as a great band, particularly in that live setting. This Gift is a slightly more polished album than what came before, no doubt due to producer Bernard Butler. Don't worry, he didn't turn Adele into, well ADELE or anything, just maybe sandpapered down some of those rougher edges, leaving a fine slice of pop-rock-country-blues-country-folk fabulousness. My only complaint about the album at time of release was that Scott Paterson's vocals seemed to be a bit downplayed, losing a bit of the boy/girl dynamic of previous songs, but that's not a huge problem, and one much less apparent live too. If you can, try and get hold of the intitial CD release, which came with a bonus CD of half a dozen songs - five from This Gift and the cracking Iggy Pop version of Johnny Cash that the band had been playing live - recorded in Chemikal Underground's CHEM13 studios.
Sons & Daughters Website

Best thing I Bought But Can't Listen To:
If you don't have a turntable, like me, buying vinyl is really rather pointless, so I'm usually sensible enough to not do it. I did have to make one exception though for Aloha Hawaii's Towns On The Moon EP. Aidan Moffat, Stuart Braithwaite, 10" vinyl, no CD or digital release. One day I'll own a turntable and actually be able to tell you what it sounds like. Until then, I have a rather nice T-shirt to wear, since I bought the bundle pack.
Chemikal Underground Shop

Best Album - Other:
I won't run through the list of contenders, there were lots.
Half Man Half Biscuit - CSI: Ambleside takes the prize. Some people will tell you that HMHB aren't as good as they used to be, these people are wrong and aren't to be trusted. CSI is as good as an album as any of their others, packed as usual with tunes, wit and more refrences than an episode of Spaced and thus fantastic.
HMHB - Took Problem Chimp To Ideal Home Show

"Ah, There's My Indie Cred!" Special Award:
Zoey Van Goey haven't done much so far. Loads of gigs, but just the two singles to date. Those two singles though? Lovely indie-folky pop. Hope to hear much more from them this year.
Zoey Van Goey - Sweethearts In Disguise
MySpace

Eh, I reckon that'll do us then.
Comments, emails, abuse about not posting etc to the usual places please, cheers.