What Australian artist can say they had a better 2012 than Perth’s beloved psychedelic rock outfit, Tame Impala? Unless your name rhymes with Otye, not many.
Tone Deaf readers voted the band’s global domination with their highly acclaimed sophomore effort Lonerism for last year’s ‘Mad Props’ category, indeed Kevin Parker and his musical cohorts’ presence was impossible to ignore, with Lonerism receiving glowing reviews from music media all year (including Tone Deaf’s), as well as experiencing enormous commercial sales to match in the UK and America.
They got the blogosphere’s seal of approval as one of the most blogged about acts of 2012 according to The Hype Machine, then capitalised on their success with extensive international touring, before a carefully plotted attack of Australia’s summer, with a successful headline tour, and a victory lap of the festival circuit that took in winning performances at Meredith Music Festival, Sydney’s Homebake, and Pyramid Rock for New Year’s.
Tame Impala were also the toast of English tastemakers NME, who named Lonerism as the best record of the year in their list of the Top 50 Albums of the Year, the first time an Australian act has managed to top the poll in its 38-year history.
Now the publication has once more shown their love for the group, with Tame Impala earning four nominations in major categories in the annual NME Awards, to be held in London on Wednesday 27th February.
Tame Impala are up for Best Album, Best International Band, Best Track, and Best Music Video. As The Music Network points out, they’ve earned as many nods as The Rolling Stones, and while the two bands aren’t facing head-to-head in any of the NME’s 22 categories, it’s a major indicator of their popularity with the British music industry.
Tame Impala are instead up against regular arena rocking acts like The Killers, The Black Keys, and Foo Fighters in the Best International Band category, as well as Crystal Castles and controversial hip hop collective Odd Future. Over in the Best Album category, Lonerism is up against the likes of Frank Ocean’s Grammy storming Channel Orange, Alt-J’s Mercury Prize-winning debut An Awesome Wave, and The Vaccines, The Maccabees, and Jake Bugg’s self-titled debut.
Tame Impala have earned as many nods as The Rolling Stones… a major indicator of their popularity with the British music industry.Lonerism singles ‘Elephant’ and ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ are also up for gongs in the Best Track and Best Music Video category respectively.
‘Elephant’ (the song formerly known as “Blues-Prog-Epic” according to Kevin Parker) is squaring off against M.I.A.’s ‘Bad Girls’, Foals’ latest single ‘Inhaler’, Haim’s ‘Dont’ Save Me’, Arctic Monkeys B-Side ‘R U Mine?’, and Palam Violets ‘Best Of Friends’.
The animated video for ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ is also facing up to the clips to the same songs from M.I.A., Arctic Monkeys, and Haim, as well as Canada’s DIY pop futurist Grimes, and her video for ‘Oblivion’; as well as the clip to David Bowie’s ‘Where Are We Now?’, the lead single from his first album in 10 years that he managed to keep a complete secret.
Meanwhile, as the members of Tame Impala look to take a well-earned break, two-fifths of their lineup – Jay Watson and Nick Allbrook – aren’t looking to rest on their laurels, with both gearing up to release not one, but two new albums from their other musical concern, Pond. While Watson recently told Tone Deaf in an interview that each member of the Perth collective will be releasing their own solo album in the coming months:
“We’ve got so many records in our bands,” says Watson. “Joe [Ryan], the dude with the afro in Pond, me and him have decided we’re going to drop our albums at the same time, same day, which should be fun. And Allbrook/Avery – Nick and Cam’s band – are doing it as well.”
“We’re going to have an online poll,” Watson adds humorously, “me and Joe, ‘who’s album’s better and who’s more handsome’?”
NME Awards 2013 Nominations
Best British Band supported by SONOS
Arctic Monkeys
Kasabian
The Vaccines
Biffy Clyro
The Maccabees
The Cribs
Best Album
Frank Ocean, ‘Channel Orange’
Jake Bugg, ‘Jake Bugg’
The Maccabees, ‘Given To The Wild’
Alt-J, ‘An Awesome Wave’
The Vaccines, ‘Come Of Age’
Tame Impala, ‘Lonerism’
Best International Band supported by Rekorderlig Cider
The Killers
Tame Impala
The Black Keys
Odd Future
Crystal Castles
Foo Fighters
Best Track supported by Blackstar Amps
Arctic Monkeys, ‘R U Mine?’
Haim, ‘Don’t Save Me’
MIA, ‘Bad Girls’
Foals, ‘Inhaler’
Palma Violets, ‘Best Of Friends’
Tame Impala, ‘Elephant’
Best Music Film
Searching For Sugar Man
LCD Soundsystem: ‘Shut Up And Play The Hits’
Hit So Hard : The Life & Near Death Story of Patty Schemel
Marley
The Rolling Stones: ‘Crossfire Hurricane’
Led Zeppelin: ‘Celebration Day’
Best Re-Issue
Manic Street Preachers, ‘Generation Terrorists’
Blur, ’21’
Prodigy, ‘The Fat Of The Land’
Interpol, ‘Turn On The Bright Lights’
Smashing Pumpkins, ‘Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness’
Ian Brown, ‘Collected’
Best Solo Artist
Jake Bugg
Noel Gallagher
Florence Welch
Miles Kane
Grimes
Paul Weller
Best New Band supported by Spotify
Alt-J
Peace
Palma Violets
Django Django
Alabama Shakes
Haim
Best Music Video
Grimes, ‘Oblivion’
MIA, ‘Bad Girls’
David Bowie, ‘Where Are We Now?’
Arctic Monkeys, ‘R U Mine?’
Haim, ‘Don’t Save Me’
Tame Impala, ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’
Best Festival supported by Farah Vintage
Reading & Leeds Festivals
T In The Park
Bestival
Primavera
Latitude
Isle Of Wight
Best Live Band
The Maccabees
The Cribs
Blur
Biffy Clyro
Foals
The Rolling Stones
Best Dancefloor Anthem
Mosca feating Katy B, ‘What You Came For’
Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch, ‘Sweet Nothing’
Psy, ‘Gangnam Style’
MIA, ‘Bad Girls’
Kanye West/Jay-Z, ‘In Paris’
Solange, ‘Losing You’
Best Twitter
Muse (@muse)
Fred Macpherson, Spector (@fredmacpherson)
Theo Hutchcraft, Hurts (@theohurts)
Alana Haim, Haim (@babyhaim)
Wiley (@EskiDance)
MIA (@MIAuniverse)
Best Book
David Byrne, How Music Works
Neil Young, Waging Heavy Peace
Mike Skinner, The Story Of The Streets
Tim Burgess, Telling Stories
The Rolling Stones, 50
Peter Hook, Unknown Pleasures : Inside Joy Division
Music Moment Of The Year
David Bowie returns
The Stone Roses play Heaton Park
Olympics opening ceremony
The Rolling Stones play London’s O2 Arena
Green Day’s secret set at Reading Festival
Pussy Riot’s punk prayer
Hero Of The Year
David Bowie
Bradley Wiggins
Pussy Riot
Barack Obama
Frank Ocean
Dave Grohl
Villain Of The Year
David Cameron
Harry Styles
Skrillex
Psy
Fred Macpherson
Azealia Banks
Best Small Festival
Swn
The Great Escape
Field Day
Festival No.6
End Of The Road
Constellations
Worst Band
One Direction
Muse
Mumford & Sons
Alt-J
Justin Bieber
Ed Sheeran
Best Fan Community
Muse
Hurts
30 Seconds To Mars
Manic Street Preachers
The Killers
Enter Shikari
Best Film
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Ted
iLL Manors
The Dark Knight Rises
Skyfall
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
Best TV Show
Breaking Bad
Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy
Fresh Meat
Sherlock
The Thick Of It
Doctor Who
