According to her agent, "Speech Debelle is canceling all of her US appearances for October. Visa laws have just recently changed and delayed a few of our artists from getting their visas this Fall." One of the other artists they're referring to is First Aid Kit.

This feels especially bad because Speech was scheduled to go on at noon (first on the bill) at the sort-of-still-unannounced BrooklynVegan day party happening during CMJ at Pianos on Thursday, October 22nd. Oh well.

Speech, who just won the Mercury Prize, was also scheduled to play a CMJ show at Glasslands, one at Music Hall of Williamsburg, a day party at Cake Shop, and a show at Santos Party House. After CMJ she was going to be in LA. bummer.

Continue reading "Speech Debelle cancels US trip, CMJ shows (including unannounced BrooklynVegan day party at Pianos)"

DOWNLOAD: Speech Debelle - Better Days (Revox) ft. Micachu and Wiley (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pete Lawrie - Black & Blue (featuring Speech Debelle) (MP3)

"Speech Debelle won this year's Barclays Mercury music prize last night, making her the first woman in seven years to scoop the coveted industry award.

The Park Lane Grovesnor hotel, in central London, erupted into cheers as the 26-year old rapper from south London rose to accept the prize for her debut album Speech Therapy.

Speech Debelle, real name Corynne Elliot, appeared overwhelmed by the occasion and looked close to tears as she accepted the prize, despite displaying a cocksure attitude in the run-up to the event telling interviewers she fully expected to win.

"It means a lot to me because it's an award judges give solely on the strength of the album," she said.

"Before they said my name I had a moment of doubt, I thought 'what if I don't win? What about all the people who supported me?' and then they announced my name and I didn't have time to react, I was being mobbed." [Guardian]

I just got excited when I found out Speech Debelle won this year's Mercury Prize. I wasn't necessarily rooting for her before.... Truth is I barely heard of her before, but after recently learning she was coming to NYC for CMJ this year, I started listening to the album over Labor Day Weekend, and I've been loving it.

Speech Debelle told her producer Wayne "Lotek Hifi" Bennett to make her sound like a "hip-hop Tracy Chapman". For better and worse he succeeded. The 26-year-old south Londoner's debut Speech Therapy is a rap album rooted in the genre's respectable, conscious traditions - the lineage typified in the 1990s by A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, Common and Arrested Development.
[The Independent]

Debelle beat Florence & The Machine, Kasabian, Bat for Lashes, Glasvegas, Friendly Fires, The Horors, and others for this year's Mercury prize.

'Speech Therapy' (the album) was released here on August 18th by Big Dada and features a guest appearance by Micachu (bonus). A version of that song ("Better Days") is available for download above along with a song by Pete Lawrie that Debelle guests on. The video for "Better Days"), and some UK tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Speech Debelle wins Mercury Prize! (coming for CMJ) "

Mercury Prize 2009 shortlist

Florence and the Machine - Lungs
Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
Bat for Lashes - Two Suns
La Roux - La Roux
Glasvegas - Glasvegas
Speech Debelle - Speech Therapy
Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires
The Horrors - Primary Colours
Lisa Hannigan - Sea Sew
The Invisible - The Invisible
Led Bib - Sensible Shoes
Sweet Billy Pilgrim - Twice Born Men

The prize, which is voted on by UK critics and members of the music industry, comes with a £20,000 award. To be eligible an album must have been released between July 2008 and July 2009 by an act from the UK or Ireland. The winner will be announced on September 8th.

Of those listed above, Bat For Lashes, Friedly Fires, La Roux, and The Horrors have NYC-area shows coming up (do any of the others?).

Last year's prize, amid a strong field of contenders, was won by Elbow for their album The Seldom Seen Kid. That band's performance and award acceptance from the 2008 ceremony, below...

Continue reading "Mercury Prize 2009 shortlist announced "