Choice Music Prize shortlist announced

The shortlist for this year’s Choice Music Prize has just been announced, with the usual mix of mainstream, indie and left of centre acts slugging it out for the €10,000 first prize, which was won in 2009 by Jape.
This year's victors will be crowned on Wednesday March 3 when most of the acts will perform live in Vicar St. – tickets are €27 and go on sale on Monday January 18.
The runners and riders are:

And So I Watch You From Afar “And So I Watch You From Afar” (Smalltown America)
Bell X1 “Blue Lights On The Runway” (BellyUp)
Codes “Trees Dream in Algebra” (EMI)
Adrian Crowley “Season of the Sparks” (Chemikal Underground)
Dark Room Notes “We Love You Dark Matter” (Gonzo)
The Duckworth Lewis Method “The Duckworth Lewis Method” (1969/Divine Comedy Records)
Julie Feeney “Pages” (Mittens)
Valerie Francis “Slow Dynamo” (VF)
Laura Izibor “Let The Truth Be Told” (Atlantic)
The Swell Season “Strict Joy” (Plateau)

If you want to hear tracks from all of the aforementioned, Paul McLoone is broadcasting a Choice Music Prize special tonight at 7pm on Today FM.
You can also get HP scribe Stuart Clark’s verdict 10 minutes earlier when he joins Matt Cooper for his regular music slot.