The First Annual Chris Skoyles Year End Awards: PART 1

It's that time of year when every institution and magazine on the planet looks back over the last twelve months in their chosen field and celebrates the achievements of others with their Year End Awards.

Of course, I'm neither an institution nor a magazine, but I am a man with a bit of time on my hands today; time I decided to spend concocting my own utterly random Chris Skoyles Year End Awards.

Part One of these awards looks at the year in music whilst Part Two, to be posted on Boxing Day, will deal with everything else that happened in the last year.

Please enjoy,

The 'Play on Repeat' Award for Album of the Year

WINNER:

William Fitzsimmons - Gold in the Shadow
I've been a big fan of Fitzsimmons for the past couple of years, and not just for that immensely cool beard of his. With only perhaps Adam Duritz (see below) coming anywhere close when it comes to pouring so much emotion into every word he sings, the Pittsburgh-born songwriter's last couple of albums, Sparrow and The Crow, Goodnight and Until When We Are Ghosts are truly beautiful, and I don't say that lightly.

Some critics expecting more of the aching melancholy and tender beauty displayed on older tracks such as Everything has Changed, Even Now and After All have been disappointed by Gold in the Shadow,with its more optimistic outlook and uplifting tone, but with such stunning tracks as The Tide Pulls from the Moon and Bird of Winter Prey, this is still better than anything else I've heard all year.

RUNNERS UP:

• Adam Duritz - All My Bloody Valentines
• Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part 2

The 'Get this crap off my stereo' Award for Worst Album of the Year

WINNER:

Metallica & Lou Reed - Lulu 

I tried so incredibly hard to like this album, I really did, and not just because everybody else has been slating 'Tallica since they stopped being cool after that whole Napster thing. No, I'm that guy who even thought St. Anger was pretty good, so if Metallica were involved, I really thought, believed, hoped beyond all hope, that there'd be something to enjoy somewhere on this record.

Oh how wrong I was.

Sounding for all the world like a drunken old man rambling incoherently over a bunch of riffs James Hetfield never intended for public consumption, Lulu easily takes the award for the worst thing I've heard all year.

It almost breaks my heart to class Metallica as the worst anything, but my word this is terrible.

RUNNERS UP:

• LMFAO - Sorry for Party Rocking
• Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still speeding

The 'Where have you been all my life!?!' Award for a band I only discovered in 2011.

WINNER:

Seven Mary Three

There are many things I'm grateful to Stace for of which things like unwavering love and support are certainly the most important, but one of the simplest, most wonderful things Stace ever did for me was look at me with a shocked glare in her beautiful green eyes and yell 'What do you mean you've never heard of Seven Mary Three!?!'

She was right to be surprised too, because this is a band somebody really should have told me about before.

Of course, 7M3's most popular tracks like Cumbersome and Water's Edge are popular for a reason -they're awesome- but it's the album tracks such as the brilliant Margaret, Devil Boy, What Angry Blue? and Chasing You that, with at least 1,300 plays in 2011 (Thanks Last.fm!), make them both my favourite band of the year, and my most listened to.

Thanks Stacy!

RUNNERS UP:

• Hypnogaja
• The Blackout

The 'Wish I wasn't too old to crowd surf' Award for Best Live Performance of the Year

WINNER:

Jeramiah Ferrari at Haigh Fest

I didn't get as many opportunities to go gigs where I wasn't working or directly involved with the band as I would have liked this year, but that doesn't mean I haven't seem some incredible live performances. In fact, I've seen so many good live bands this year that this was a tricky one to pick.

Alas, the award really has to go to Jeramiah who, after getting a slot at this year's Haigh Fest thanks to overwhelming support from their fans, really rewarded those fans with something very special. I've seen Jeramiah live four times this year and they never fail to blow me away, but they really excelled themselves at Haigh.

RUNNERS UP:

• The Hicks at Bands for All
• Mother's Country at Millstone Rocks

I'll be back on Boxing Day with Part 2 of my Year End Awards.