NASHVILLE |DT: MARCH 20, 2008
FR: ALEXANDRA GREENBERG/SHAZILA MOHAMMED
PRESENT VIDEO RECAP OF FAN-FRIENDLY EVENT
PLAYLIST OF TRACKS FROM ALL THE WINNERS COURTESY OF FAIRTILIZER
The 2008 PLUG INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS was a fan-friendly event, from the selection of winners via online ballot, to the $10 tickets offered to the live event thanks to sponsor DELL. The March 6 show took place at Terminal 5 in New York City and was viewed by tens of thousands online “Live at the Dell Lounge,” in addition to the three thousand-plus capacity crowd at the venue. Hosted by comedian Patton Oswalt, the event included performances by PLUG Award winners Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (PLUG Impact Award winner) and St. Vincent (Best Female Artist winner), along with sets by nominees Dizzee Rascal and Jose Gonzalez, The Forms, White Denim and DiVinci. A brief video recap of the event can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/771111. Interviews and performances from all of the performers that night can now be seen at www.delllounge.com/music/plugawards.
“The Plug Awards celebrate some of the most left field media presences and entertainers that the indie-cool subconscious (or online voters) has picked for recognition,” raved Sean Edgar at PasteMagazine.com, (3/6/08). He continued: “Having radio and the recording industry make the big online transition with the bandwidth to back it has given all media, from Clear Water to Caribou, an equal playing field for consumer/advertiser love. Online record stores and radio shows definitely deserve some public notice and it’s only been in the past few years that they’ve come into full — kudos to Plug for making a point of it.”
In addition to Nick Cave and St. Vincent, music winners at the 2008 PLUG INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS include Arcade Fire (Album & Live Act), Justice (New Artist & Electronic/Dance Album), Radiohead (Artist Of The Year), Andrew Bird (Male Artist), Animal Collective (Indie Rock Album), Iron & Wine (Americana Album), The Dillinger Escape Plan (Metal Album), Aesop Rock (Hip-Hop Album), Gogol Bordello (Punk Album), Hot Chip (DJ Album), Liars (Avant Album) and The National (Song). For a full list of winners, visit www.plugawards.com. To hear a playlist of tracks from all the night’s winners courtesy of FAIRTILIZER, visit http://fairtilizer.com/playlists/2603.
In response to receiving the PLUG Impact Award, Nick Cave commented during a pre-show interview: “I’ve always considered myself to be existing on the outside of things, on the periphery of things… For me, [this is] work…I do it everyday…I’m not the kind of writer who walks around and inspiration comes….I’m not given anything, I have to f*cking work for it, and slave at it to try and find what it is I’m trying to do…The Impact Award is very encouraging to me. Feels good to know I’m having some kind of impact.” Regarding what he considers independent music, Cave continues, “We’ve been with Mute Records [Anti- in the States as well] – that’s great for us because they gave us complete freedom to do whatever we like and never ever even considered interfering in what we do… So it’s about freedom to me – being free to do exactly what you want to do. To me that’s independence.”
About the atmosphere at the Awards, Annie Clark a.k.a. St. Vincent–who performed her “powerful, driving, compelling rock (Wired.com, 3/6/08)”–told AnthemMagazine.com, “I went up and told [host Patton Oswalt] how much we all enjoyed his comedy records on long tour drives. He graciously said thank you, and mentioned he listens to my record at airports. Win/win at the PLUG Awards! (3/10/08)”
Event co-founder Gerry Hart added, "This year was the most fun we've ever had doing the show. Amaechi and I have been a part of this music community for so many years, so it’s been great to see everyone from the PLUG Cartel to the nominees, labels and tens of thousands of fans come together this year. This is really a show by fans put on by fans and every year it gets better. For many artists and nominees, this was their year. With all the recent uncertainties of the music business, we're so proud to see bands on the ballot and be able to put artists up on the stage that mattered so much to many of us outside the mainstream this year."
Additional critical quotes from the 2008 PLUG Awards:
“…fantastic performances by St. Vincent, Dizzee Rascal, and Jose Gonzalez.”
“…the night belonged to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds…it was clear that we were in the presence of a master.”
“Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds have taken the stage, and are currently demonstrating to the audience why they're headlining. Decades of stage experience leaves a mark. "I Call Upon the Author To Explain" is particularly rousing… That was some fine, stately, sinister music, Mr. Cave.”
About PLUG Independent Music Awards:
Founded in 2001, with its first annual awards ceremony in 2004, the PLUG Independent Music Awards embrace and honor the independent music community and its fans who now represent a $3 billion industry with over 30% of the U.S. music market, and growing. It has become a symbol of a vast community coming together to recognize their own including a broad spectrum of musicians, record labels, writers, DJs, websites, bloggers, artists, filmmakers, managers, indie retailers and most importantly fans who gather together each year to celebrate the artists who live and flourish outside the mainstream. Past PLUG Awards recipients and participants include The Flaming Lips, Stephen Malkmus, TV On The Radio, Matisyahu, The National, Aesop Rock, Silversun Pickups and many more. The 2008 Plug Awards were sponsored by DELL, Ourstage.com, SESAC, Metromix, Lionsgate, iStockphoto, Fairtilizer, Royalty Share, The Bowery Presents and SuperAlright.
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For more information on the PLUG Independent Music Awards, contact:
MSO 818 380 0400
Alexandra Greenberg x223, agreenberg@msopr.com
Shazila Mohammed x238, shazila@msopr.com
http://
2008 PLUG INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS PRESENT VIDEO RECAP OF FAN-FRIENDLY EVENT PLAYLIST OF TRACKS FROM ALL THE WINNERS COURTESY OF FAIRTILIZER
