Villagers (band)
Encyclopedia
Villagers are an Irish
band fronted by Conor J. O'Brien.
They have performed at several music festivals and toured with Tracy Chapman
, Bell X1, Tindersticks
and Elbow
. They have one EP
, titled Hollow Kind (2009). Their debut album Becoming a Jackal
was released in 2010 and was shortlisted for both the Mercury Prize
and the Choice Music Prize
.
. The very next day, O'Brien wrote the first song after waking up with a hangover
. O'Brien's time as a guitarist in Cathy Davey
's band was also critical to the development of his style as he had never before performed alongside anyone outside of The Immediate. Villagers gave their first live performance as a support act with The Chapters
at a show in Whelan's
in November 2008. At that point the band had previously only rehearsed together on two occasions. They had only seven songs, written by O'Brien and passed on to the rest of the band to learn.
Villagers performed on the seventh series of RTÉ Two
's Other Voices television programme in 2009. The band's debut EP, titled Hollow Kind, was released in February 2009. It contained four tracks, all of which were written and performed by O'Brien. The EP brought comparisons with Bright Eyes and Sparklehorse
. Villagers then went on tour. They were a support act for Neil Young
and toured across Europe with Tracy Chapman
.
Villagers appeared at several festivals in 2009. They supported Bell X1 when they performed at Live at the Marquee
in Cork
on June 26, 2009. They performed at several music festivals in Ireland, including on the Sunday of Oxegen 2009
, at Indie-pendence
on August 2 and at Electric Picnic 2009
, as well as at Latitude Festival
in the UK. The Irish Times
s Jim Carroll
recommended their performance in the Body Soul Arena at Electric Picnic 2009 as "A must-see for those who dig ragged pop, eerie folk and heartfelt, emotional songs and sounds". They headlined Hard Working Class Heroes
in 2009, with O'Brien attracting the ire of the audience when he requested some quiet during the performance. They gave a live performance at The Music Show
in Dublin's RDS
in October 2009.
The debut single of Villagers was "On a Sunlit Stage" and was released in October 2009.
On January 15, 2010, Villagers represented Ireland
at the Eurosonic Festival
in Groningen, the Netherlands
. They were involved in efforts to raise funds in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
. They embarked on a tour with Tindersticks
in March 2010 and released the single "Becoming a Jackal" on April 17, 2010. A debut album Becoming a Jackal was released in Ireland on 14 May 2010, with a UK release in May and a US release due on 8 June 2010. O'Brien's elder sister died within the same week. The album immediately went to number one on both the Irish Albums Chart
and the Irish Indie Albums Chart. It proceeded to continuously top the indie chart.
On 13 April 2010, Villagers appeared on Later... with Jools Holland on BBC Two
alongside Paul Weller
, Hot Chip
, Marina and the Diamonds, Gogol Bordello
and Paul Rodgers
. Shane Hegarty, writing in The Irish Times, noted in his praise that "Irishness wasn't a factor [...] The pithy introduction to his performance didn't mention it. It didn't need to. Viewers could have thought he was from Northampton
or New York
or anywhere". His appearance included a performance of the single "Becoming a Jackal", but then found himself stranded in Brussels
due to the air travel disruption
around Europe in the aftermath
of the eruption
of Eyjafjallajökull
in Iceland
and had to miss a live performance on Record Store Day
.
Villagers played Meltdown
in London
in June. In the same month Villagers performed a U.S. tour and performed at Live at the Marquee
in Cork
on 25 June. There was a performance at Oxegen 2010
in July. They were one of the first acts to be announced for Electric Picnic 2010
. They also played on the Festival Republic Stage during the Leeds/Reading Festival 2010 A U.S. tour was announced for October and November 2010.
In March 2011, Villagers joined Elbow
on a two week tour of the U.K. and Ireland.
.
The New York Times
s Jon Pareles
compared them to The Frames
, U2
and Leonard Cohen
after witnessing a live performance in New York City
in 2010.
's Richie Egan has said of O'Brien: “That gentleman embodies everything I hold dear about music”. He spoke of feeling inspired after attending one of their early shows, at a time when he himself had just won the Choice Music Prize
.
The Irish Times
placed them at number six in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009, commenting: "from what we’ve heard and seen live so far, Villagers generate the type of music (sparse, eerie, casually dishevelled, tangibly cool) that will spread beyond the confines of niche appreciation into a great blue yonder".
on 20 July 2010, with the judges describing it as "a record of great charm and mystery". According to The Guardian
, "an eerie stillness" occurred when the song "Becoming a Jackal" was performed at the event announcing the nominations.
|-
| 2010 || Becoming a Jackal || Mercury Prize
||
|-
| rowspan="4"| 2011 || rowspan="3"| Becoming a Jackal || Best Design (Website, Artwork, Posters)||
|-
| Album of the Year ||
|-
| Best Folk ||
|-
| The Meaning of the Ritual || Song of the Year ||
|-
|-
| 2011 || Becoming a Jackal || Irish Album of the Year 2010 ||
|-
|-
| 2011 || Becoming a Jackal || Best Song Musically and Lyrically ||
|-
| 2011 || Villagers || Breakthrough Act ||
|-
Reviews
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
band fronted by Conor J. O'Brien.
They have performed at several music festivals and toured with Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
, Bell X1, Tindersticks
Tindersticks
Tindersticks are an Indie rock band from Nottingham, England formed in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples took on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006, but more permanently the following year...
and Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
. They have one EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, titled Hollow Kind (2009). Their debut album Becoming a Jackal
Becoming a Jackal
Becoming a Jackal is the debut album by Villagers. In 2010 it was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Vinyl editions of the album contains 2 discs, with tracks on the first three sides and an etching on the fourth.-Track listing:...
was released in 2010 and was shortlisted for both the Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
and the Choice Music Prize
Choice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
.
History
Conor O'Brien formed Villagers after the break-up of his previous band The ImmediateThe Immediate
The Immediate were an avant-garde Irish rock quartet, based in Malahide. They made a considerable impact on the Irish music scene despite releasing only one album during the span of their association together. The album was In Towers and Clouds . It received primarily positive critical feedback and...
. The very next day, O'Brien wrote the first song after waking up with a hangover
Hangover
A hangover describes the sum of unpleasant physiological effects following heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages. The most commonly reported characteristics of a hangover include headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, lethargy, dysphoria, diarrhea and thirst, typically after the...
. O'Brien's time as a guitarist in Cathy Davey
Cathy Davey
Cathy Davey is an Irish singer-songwriter. She has released one extended play, "Come Over" , and three albums, Something Ilk , Tales of Silversleeve and The Nameless...
's band was also critical to the development of his style as he had never before performed alongside anyone outside of The Immediate. Villagers gave their first live performance as a support act with The Chapters
The Chapters
The Chapters are a five-piece indie rock band from Dublin, Ireland. The band is composed of Ross McNally, Simon Eustace, Turlough Gunawardhana, Michael Murphy, and Ciaran Fortune...
at a show in Whelan's
Whelan's (music venue)
Whelan's is a small music venue in Dublin, Ireland, located on Wexford Street.The venue and pub was initially started by Gary Whelan and Ian Keith in 1989 and ten years later was bought by Frank Gleeson. Local musicians and actors frequent it...
in November 2008. At that point the band had previously only rehearsed together on two occasions. They had only seven songs, written by O'Brien and passed on to the rest of the band to learn.
Villagers performed on the seventh series of RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
's Other Voices television programme in 2009. The band's debut EP, titled Hollow Kind, was released in February 2009. It contained four tracks, all of which were written and performed by O'Brien. The EP brought comparisons with Bright Eyes and Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band led by the singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous.-History:Sparklehorse's first album, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot featuring Bob Rupe of the Silos and Cracker, was a modest college radio success...
. Villagers then went on tour. They were a support act for Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
and toured across Europe with Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
.
Villagers appeared at several festivals in 2009. They supported Bell X1 when they performed at Live at the Marquee
Live at the Marquee (festival)
Live at the Marquee is an annual music festival which takes place in Cork, Ireland during the summer, usually over multiple days in June and July....
in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
on June 26, 2009. They performed at several music festivals in Ireland, including on the Sunday of Oxegen 2009
Oxegen 2009
Oxegen 2009 was the sixth Oxegen festival to take place since 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 10 July, Saturday, 11 July and Sunday, 12 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland...
, at Indie-pendence
Indie-pendence
Indiependence is an annual Irish indie-rock music festival, that usually takes place at or near Mitchelstown in County Cork. Indiependence is one of the "little two" music festivals in Ireland, sharing many of its acts with Castlepalooza which is held on the same weekend in Tullamore, County Offaly...
on August 2 and at Electric Picnic 2009
Electric Picnic 2009
Electric Picnic 2009 was the sixth edition of the Electric Picnic festival to take place. The three-day event took place on the weekend of Friday September 4, Saturday September 5 and Sunday September 6 at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland...
, as well as at Latitude Festival
Latitude Festival
The Latitude Festival is an annual music festival that takes place in Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk, England. It was first held in July 2006....
in the UK. The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
s Jim Carroll
Jim Carroll (journalist)
Jim Carroll is an Irish music journalist, blogger and editor who is currently employed by The Irish Times. He runs a blog titled "On the Record" for the newspaper....
recommended their performance in the Body Soul Arena at Electric Picnic 2009 as "A must-see for those who dig ragged pop, eerie folk and heartfelt, emotional songs and sounds". They headlined Hard Working Class Heroes
Hard Working Class Heroes
Hard Working Class Heroes is an Irish music festival for emerging bands. It has taken place in Dublin on an annual basis in and around September of each year since 2003...
in 2009, with O'Brien attracting the ire of the audience when he requested some quiet during the performance. They gave a live performance at The Music Show
The Music Show (Ireland)
The Music Show is an annual event which takes place in the RDS, Dublin on the first weekend of October each year. The event combines live performances, music workshops and talks given by professionals within the music industry. It has several high-profile sponsors, including Hot Press, RTÉ 2fm, the...
in Dublin's RDS
Royal Dublin Society
The Royal Dublin Society was founded on 25 June 1731 to "to promote and develop agriculture, arts, industry, and science in Ireland". The RDS is synonymous with its main premises in Ballsbridge in Dublin, Ireland...
in October 2009.
The debut single of Villagers was "On a Sunlit Stage" and was released in October 2009.
On January 15, 2010, Villagers represented Ireland
Ireland in the Eurosonic Festival
Each year Ireland selects a number of bands and musicians to participate in the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen, Netherlands. In recent years, RTÉ 2fm, thanks to Ian Wilson, have sponsored two bands per festival.- Ireland's entries :...
at the Eurosonic Festival
Eurosonic Festival
Eurosonic is Europe’s largest showcase festival and takes place on a yearly basis on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday previous to Noorderslag festival in the dutch city Groningen. Eurosonic is part of The European Music Conference and Showcase Festival Eurosonic Noorderslag. During the festival 250...
in Groningen, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. They were involved in efforts to raise funds in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
. They embarked on a tour with Tindersticks
Tindersticks
Tindersticks are an Indie rock band from Nottingham, England formed in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples took on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006, but more permanently the following year...
in March 2010 and released the single "Becoming a Jackal" on April 17, 2010. A debut album Becoming a Jackal was released in Ireland on 14 May 2010, with a UK release in May and a US release due on 8 June 2010. O'Brien's elder sister died within the same week. The album immediately went to number one on both the Irish Albums Chart
Irish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
and the Irish Indie Albums Chart. It proceeded to continuously top the indie chart.
On 13 April 2010, Villagers appeared on Later... with Jools Holland on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
alongside Paul Weller
Paul Weller
Paul Weller is an English singer-songwriter. Starting with the band The Jam , Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council...
, Hot Chip
Hot Chip
Hot Chip are an English electronic indie band. They have released four studio albums—Coming on Strong, The Warning, Made in the Dark and One Life Stand.-Formation:...
, Marina and the Diamonds, Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello
Gogol Bordello is a Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring.Much of the band's sound is inspired by Gypsy music...
and Paul Rodgers
Paul Rodgers
Paul Bernard Rodgers is an English rock singer-songwriter, best known for his success in the 1970s as a member of Free and Bad Company. After stints in two less successful bands in the 1980s and early 1990s, The Firm and The Law, he became a solo artist. He has recently toured and recorded with...
. Shane Hegarty, writing in The Irish Times, noted in his praise that "Irishness wasn't a factor [...] The pithy introduction to his performance didn't mention it. It didn't need to. Viewers could have thought he was from Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
or New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
or anywhere". His appearance included a performance of the single "Becoming a Jackal", but then found himself stranded in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
due to the air travel disruption
Air travel disruption after the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption
In response to concerns that volcanic ash ejected during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland would damage aircraft engines, the controlled airspace of many European countries was closed to instrument flight rules traffic, resulting in the largest air-traffic shut-down since World War II...
around Europe in the aftermath
Aftermath of the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption
The eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano on 14 April 2010 affected the economic, political and cultural activities in Europe and across the world....
of the eruption
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
of Eyjafjallajökull
Eyjafjallajökull
Eyjafjallajökull is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, situated to the north of Skógar and to the west of Mýrdalsjökull. The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano with a summit elevation of . The volcano has erupted relatively frequently since the last glacial period, most recently in...
in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and had to miss a live performance on Record Store Day
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is an internationally celebrated day observed the third Saturday of April each year. Its purpose, as conceived by independent record store employee Chris Brown, is to celebrate the art of music...
.
Villagers played Meltdown
Meltdown (festival)
Meltdown is an annual, English festival, held in London, featuring a mix of music, art, performance and film. Meltdown is held in June at Southbank Centre, the arts complex covering and including the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in June. In the same month Villagers performed a U.S. tour and performed at Live at the Marquee
Live at the Marquee (festival)
Live at the Marquee is an annual music festival which takes place in Cork, Ireland during the summer, usually over multiple days in June and July....
in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
on 25 June. There was a performance at Oxegen 2010
Oxegen 2010
Oxegen 2010 was the seventh Oxegen festival to take place since 2004. It took place on the weekend of Friday 9 July, Saturday, 10 July and Sunday, 11 July at Punchestown Racecourse near Naas in County Kildare, Ireland. Eminem, Muse and Arcade Fire headlined...
in July. They were one of the first acts to be announced for Electric Picnic 2010
Electric Picnic 2010
Electric Picnic 2010 was the seventh edition of the Electric Picnic festival to take place. The three-day event took take place on the weekend of Friday September 3, Saturday September 4 and Sunday September 5 at Stradbally Hall in Stradbally, County Laois, Ireland...
. They also played on the Festival Republic Stage during the Leeds/Reading Festival 2010 A U.S. tour was announced for October and November 2010.
In March 2011, Villagers joined Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
on a two week tour of the U.K. and Ireland.
Style
O'Brien is noted for his dark lyrics - "an eerie sense of disquiet", according to The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
.
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
s Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
compared them to The Frames
The Frames
The Frames are an Irish band based in Dublin. Founded in 1990 by Glen Hansard, the band has been influential in the Dublin rock music scene. The group has released six albums...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
after witnessing a live performance in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2010.
Studio Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRL Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
UK Indie UK Indie Chart The UK Independent Chart or Indie Chart is a chart of the best-selling independent record releases in the UK.- History :In the wake of punk, small record labels began to spring up, as an outlet for artists that were unwilling to sign contracts with major record companies, or were not considered... |
||
| 2010 | Becoming a Jackal Becoming a Jackal Becoming a Jackal is the debut album by Villagers. In 2010 it was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Vinyl editions of the album contains 2 discs, with tracks on the first three sides and an etching on the fourth.-Track listing:...
|
1 | 66 | 1 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRL Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
||||
| 2009 | "On a Sunlit Stage" | — | — | ||
| 2010 | "Becoming a Jackal" | — | — | ||
| "Ship of Promises" | — | — | |||
| "That Day" | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart | |||||
EPs
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Hollow Kind
|
Honours
Villagers are the only act from Ireland to have been signed by Domino Records. JapeJape (band)
Jape are an Irish electronic–rock band from Dublin. Formed as a side project by Richie Egan whilst part of The Redneck Manifesto, they have released four albums to date; Cosmosphere , The Monkeys in the Zoo Have More Fun Than Me , Ritual and Ocean of Frequency...
's Richie Egan has said of O'Brien: “That gentleman embodies everything I hold dear about music”. He spoke of feeling inspired after attending one of their early shows, at a time when he himself had just won the Choice Music Prize
Choice Music Prize
-Establishment:It was established by journalist Jim Carroll and manager Dave Reid in 2005. as an alternative to the industry-dominated Meteor Music Awards. The Choice Music Prize is modelled after the Mercury Prize which is awarded each year to the best album from the United Kingdom or Ireland...
.
The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
placed them at number six in a list of "The 50 Best Irish Acts Right Now" published in April 2009, commenting: "from what we’ve heard and seen live so far, Villagers generate the type of music (sparse, eerie, casually dishevelled, tangibly cool) that will spread beyond the confines of niche appreciation into a great blue yonder".
Mercury Prize
Becoming a Jackal was nominated for the Mercury PrizeMercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
on 20 July 2010, with the judges describing it as "a record of great charm and mystery". According to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, "an eerie stillness" occurred when the song "Becoming a Jackal" was performed at the event announcing the nominations.
|-
| 2010 || Becoming a Jackal || Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
||
|-
Digital Socket Awards
|-| rowspan="4"| 2011 || rowspan="3"| Becoming a Jackal || Best Design (Website, Artwork, Posters)||
|-
| Album of the Year ||
|-
| Best Folk ||
|-
| The Meaning of the Ritual || Song of the Year ||
|-
Choice Music Prize
Becoming a Jackal was nominated for the Choice Music Prize in 2011.|-
| 2011 || Becoming a Jackal || Irish Album of the Year 2010 ||
|-
Ivor Novello
In May 2011, Villagers frontman Conor J O’Brien won the 2011 prize for Best Song Musically and Lyrically – the most prestigious of the Ivors - for the group’s track "Becoming A Jackal".|-
| 2011 || Becoming a Jackal || Best Song Musically and Lyrically ||
|-
MOJO Honours List
|-| 2011 || Villagers || Breakthrough Act ||
|-
External links
- Official website
- Villagers on Other Voices
- http://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/content/content_detail.php?id=4680&type=Interviews Villagers interview on God Is In The TV ZineGod Is in the TV ZineGod is in the TV Zine, or GIITTV, is an independent music and cultural webzine based in the UK. Launched in 2003 by Bill Cummings and Alex Worsnip, it now covers a wide range of music including unsigned, independent and major releases....
Reviews
- Review of single "Becoming A Jackal" at Daily Music Guide
- Review of album Becoming A Jackal at God Is In The TV Zine