A pop album devoted to cricket is competing with hits by Paolo Nutini and Dizzee Rascal for an Ivor Novello award.
The Duckworth Lewis Method — the title of the group and their record comes from the cricket-scoring system — are up for the Best Album prize. The songs include a tale of the “Ball of the Century” bowled by Shane Warne to dismiss Mike Gatting in the 1993 Ashes.
The frontman, Neil Hannon, better known for The Divine Comedy, described the nomination for the Ivors — songwriting awards made by practitioners — as “a joy and a complete surprise”. For musicians, the Ivors were “the one that makes sense, because you’re judged by other musicians.” The group had had no expectations of the record: “We didn’t think that we were making an album for most of the time we were writing it; it was kind of a drunken gag, to be honest. It was only at the closing stages we thought: this is rather good, perhaps we should put some effort in.”
The band — also set up by Thomas Walsh, of Pugwash — marked the album’s release with a gig at the Brit Oval that was supported by The Times.
Related Links
* The Duckworth Lewis Method
* Dizzee Rascal: Tongue n’ Cheek
Sales of Nutini’s chart-topping Sunny Side Up have exceeded a million in Britain. Hannon’s album has sold a modest 25,000 copies, peaking in 40th position.
Other nominees include Nick Hemming, who when he was shortlisted last year for Best Song Musically and Lyrically was a full-time warehouse worker and frontman of the group Leisure Society at weekends. Although he did not win, the headlines produced an immediate offer of a record deal. He handed in his notice.
This year Hemming is competing, in the same category, with Lily Allen and Patch William, a group of four unknowns from the University of Bristol.
The nominees
Best Contemporary Song: Bonkers, Dizzee Rascal; Daniel, Bat For Lashes; In For The Kill, La Roux.
Best Song Musically & Lyrically: Save It For Someone Who Cares, The Leisure Society; The Fear, Lily Allen; The Last Bus, Patch William.
Best Television Soundtrack: Desperate Romantics; Life; Red Riding 1974.
Album Award: The Duckworth Lewis Method, The Duckworth Lewis Method; Sunny Side Up, Paolo Nutini; Tongue N’ Cheek, Dizzee Rascal.
PRS for Music Most Performed Work Award: Broken Strings, James Morrison featuring Nelly Furtado; The Fear, Lily Allen; The Promise, Girls Aloud.
Best Original Film Score: Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs; Skin; The Young Victoria.
Best Original Video Game Score: Empire: Total War; Killzone 2; Savage Moon: Waldgeist.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/ ... 102808.ece
I must get a copy!
I must get a copy!
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