Albums Of The Year

[fRoots]

This year's (28th annual) fRoots Critics Poll for Albums Of The Year winners are announced tonight on World On 3 - BBC Radio 3 @ 11pm - and will be detailed in full at http://www.frootsmag.com/content/critpoll/ tomorrow. And in the Jan/Feb fRoots, out there next week.

Usual panel of 300+ invited to vote, including all the people who do it individually at other publications. It's the poll of polls.

Oh, and in other fRoots news, as of next week we're locking our Forum because, like this one, traffic has dwindled to a trickle since the growth of social media. Interact at http://www.facebook.com/frootsmag instead.

[Rob Hall]

Thanks for the information Ian; a pity that you found it necessary to make an unwarranted comparison between the fRoots forum and what we have here.

[NormanD]

It's really good to see "Stand Up People: Gypsy Pop Songs From Tito’s Yugoslavia 1964-1980" coming in at no.3 in the reissues and compilations sections.

I remember co-compiler Phil Knox's first post here about the project, which he alerted us to as a Kickstarter fund raiser. I know of a few people on this forum who contributed, so it's been a happy outcome. Phil was also a guest twice on "No Reason" podcast, talking about the project (initially) and then, after the album's release, with Nat Morris. The guys were kind enough to donate a vinyl copy of the album to a lucky listener (it's made an inroad into the Japanese market, thanks to this).

So, well done Phil and Nat. Onwards to volume 2!

It's a good list, Ian. Thanks to all the contributors, and to your mag for getting it together for another year.

Let the arguments commence....

[GDP]

There are some cracking records across the categories this year.

It's lovely to see Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita winning, what a wonderful album. The excellent people at Theatr Mwldan in Cardigan developed the concept into a touring and recording reality, which is very typical of their imaginative work. Having built an extremely loyal and vocal audience, they now produce tours across Wales and beyond.

It's brilliant that their tireless work has been recognised. Hooray!

-George