2004 CARAs

[singacee]

Where is the Stanford Harmonics Rock Beats Scissors? Is this a joke? I haven't heard all the cds but I've heard OTB and Awaken and it kicks both of their asses. That cd is practically notorious.

TD

[new2acanews]

Where is the Stanford Harmonics Rock Beats Scissors? Is this a joke? I haven't heard all the cds but I've heard OTB and Awaken and it kicks both of their asses. That cd is practically notorious.

Weird. Huh well maybe they didn't submit it because all those posts that said not all cds got into the CARAs this year. Also I thought their director was in the nominating groups so that would have been a conflict of interest.

Otherwise I don't know. I can't think of another reason that cd wouldn't be nominated and win for best album.

[harry]

where do you see the nominations?

[harry]

I am very surprised that Morgan McOwen from OTB wasn't nominated for Best Mixed Soloist. While "Walk Away" might not have been as good as "Mama" which she won for last year, I definitely think she is the best soloist on the album and the best I have heard live so far. Maria is really good but not as good as Morgan. Anyone else have thoughts on this or the nominations?

[mmanley]

I am very surprised that Morgan McOwen from OTB wasn't nominated for Best Mixed Soloist. While "Walk Away" might not have been as good as "Mama" which she won for last year, I definitely think she is the best soloist on the album and the best I have heard live so far. Maria is really good but not as good as Morgan. Anyone else have thoughts on this or the nominations?

Im gonna come right out and say it, i was REALLY surprised by some of the picks.

Male side: All great stuff, but I am perfectly shocked that Greg Binstock was again passed over for his amazing work on "Code Red" for Best Soloist. I can think of no male collegiate singer in the last few years more deserving of this award, and more often overlooked, than Greg.

I was psyched to see the Etown Phalanx and Brandeis VoiceMale receive nods -- those two groups have really having taken their recordings to a new level.

I predict there will be further controversy and discussion involving OTR's "Yellow" as a Best Arrang nod--the arrangement is essentially a copy of the MIT Logs' version, and goes uncredited in the OTR liner notes. It's definitely the strongest track on the OTR disc, but if I were the Logs, I know I'd be miffed.

Female side: No comment

Mixed side: Redefined's "Renegade" ? Are you serious? There were two really stellar tracks on that album, and that was definitely not one of them. The sopranos' intense vibrato on this track render it virtually unlistenable, and I'm at a loss as to why it deserved any kind of selection.

Those are my gut reactions to the noms. Feel free to fire back nastily.

Congrats to the nominees,
mark

[MFeldman]

Male side: All great stuff, but I am perfectly shocked that Greg Binstock was again passed over for his amazing work on "Code Red" for Best Soloist. I can think of no male collegiate singer in the last few years more deserving of this award, and more often overlooked, than Greg.

OMG, i couldnt agree more! i cant beleive Greg wasnt nominated for Nothing Compares as best soloist.
There were definitely some shockers this year, but thats how it goes

My hats off to Reverse osmosis for "groove is in the heart" for a really new group, they are AWESOME, and i am very happy they got this nod from casa. Way to go guys!

[mmanley]

Male side: All great stuff, but I am perfectly shocked that Greg Binstock was again passed over for his amazing work on "Code Red" for Best Soloist. I can think of no male collegiate singer in the last few years more deserving of this award, and more often overlooked, than Greg.

I totally agree here.

I predict there will be further controversy and discussion involving OTR's "Yellow" as a Best Arrang nod--the arrangement is essentially a copy of the MIT Logs' version, and goes uncredited in the OTR liner notes. It's definitely the strongest track on the OTR disc, but if I were the Logs, I know I'd be miffed.

You're wrong here. I own the cd, and if you look in the liner notes, it says "Arr. Davidson/Hollens/MIT Logs", so they did credit the MIT Logs with something.

Oh right, thanks for the clarification.

my bad,
m

[vkolko]

I predict there will be further controversy and discussion involving OTR's "Yellow" as a Best Arrang nod--the arrangement is essentially a copy of the MIT Logs' version, and goes uncredited in the OTR liner notes. It's definitely the strongest track on the OTR disc, but if I were the Logs, I know I'd be miffed.

I had this issue when I was reviewing the album for RARB. While the sound is great, there's definitely something to be said for originality. I didn't think that a borrowed song could/should be eligible. In theater, the Tony awards dictate explicit rules before nominations take place about what's eligible for awards (e.g., Can a musical that was once done off-Bway be eligible for Best Musical, or can it only be up for Revival?). See http://www.playbill.com/news/article/83692.html for more details. My point: I'd like the CARA committee to announce in advance of nominations eligibility requirements for awards.

Points to think about, some on which I don't have a particular opinion, but I'd like to know what others think:
* Should a song originally done a cappella (e.g., "It's So Hard to Say Goodbye," "If I Ever Fall in Love," any pro group cover) be eligible for Best Arrangement?
* Should a song originated by another group (OTR's "Yellow" from the MIT Logs) be eligible for Best Arrangement?
* Does a nominee for Arrangement have to be in the group, an alum of the group, or college student (in the collegiate categories)?

Female side: No comment

Well, I will. Either there was a SEVERE lack of female submissions, or the CARA folks got a completely different submission from the Chattertocks but with the same name that I got for RARB. I'm totally surprised by this nom.

I've probably opened up a can of worms here, but that's what the Forum is for.

Val

[ariel]

Harmonics did in fact submit Rock Beats Scissors for CARA judging this year.

[gaurag]

Where is the Stanford Harmonics Rock Beats Scissors? Is this a joke? I haven't heard all the cds but I've heard OTB and Awaken and it kicks both of their asses. That cd is practically notorious.

Weird. Huh well maybe they didn't submit it because all those posts that said not all cds got into the CARAs this year. Also I thought their director was in the nominating groups so that would have been a conflict of interest.

Otherwise I don't know. I can't think of another reason that cd wouldn't be nominated and win for best album.

Hiya! I'm thrilled someone used "notoriety" to describe the Harmonics - that's really all the praise we need! As for RBS, no worries, we did submit the CD and we're very happy to be nominated for Best Song for Lady M (it's all about the cowbell). As for Julia, our director from the last two years (she graduated in June 03 and is no longer our director) who has been doing CARA noms for four years now, she was stranded in snowy Connecticut during the nominating process and thus was not a part of any nominating group this year.

-Gautam

[baxelon]

Not to sound too dramatic but the fact that the Harmonics cd did not get nominated for best album and ______ did (don't want to be too mean and detract from people's awards) furthers my opinion that the CARAs are a joke. I'm on ba-acappella and they were saying just a few days before the nominating that they didn't have enough people so it must have been like 2 people who for some reason feel opposite of everyone I've ever talked to about that cd. Practically everyone who's heard that cd talks about how awesome it is and how groundbreaking. Even publicly in this forum it's gotten alot more props than almost any other album. I know Julia Berkeley their old director is always working for CASA because I've seen her name on a bunch of different programs and I have to believe this is just a backlash from that because there's no other explanation.

[natedawg]

To be fair, OTR's "Yellow" received a nomination for best male collegiate song, not arrangement. Just thought I'd point that out, although that in itself doesn't necessarily end the whole "who did it first" debate.

[phollens]

Just wanted to make sure everyone knew that Yellow was not credited with a nomination for best arrangement but as a male collegiate overall song. And in our liner-notes it does give credit to the boys at MIT for some awesome ideas they had on Coldplay's tune.

P

[dekesharon]

A couple things:

1) First of all, the CARAs are not a joke. The folks who run them take great pains to do the best possible job they can with their decidedly limited resources (like not having a paid person who collects albums, prescreens them all, and divides them into categories). Having done this for many years, I can say with no hesitation: It's a bitch. Remember, that every single a cappella track needs to be listened to, usually within the span of a couple of weeks, by a panel of people.

2) It's a group of people who are involved in each nomination category. Not two people, at least 5

3) There's no accounting for taste. Remember that. Lots of people love dark bittersweet chocolate, including my wife. They live for it. I think it's inedible. Who's right?

4) The CARAs exsist first and foremost to help promote a cappella. Winning groups have a great reason for a press release, and great info to help gig and album sales. Secondly, they exist to help promote unheard of groups. Folks in (and out of) the a cappella community start paying closer attention to a previously unheard of group that's been nominated.

So, great respect to the nominating panels. Thanks for your hard work.

That said, there are two recordings I was involved in that I think deserved nominations (although, being biased, my opinion is definitely suspect):

Greg Binstock definitely deserves a best soloist nod. One of the most talented, passionate singers I've ever worked with. I think "Nothing Compares to You" is sublime - his solo shows depth and maturity without ever compromising honesty.

BaSix's "Purple Rain" is one of the best a cappella cover versions I've ever heard. Morten's yearning and dextrous solo, the subtle rain-like vocal textures in the first verse that open up into a chasm of harmony, the boys choir - it's a perfect 3 course meal, served up in 4 minutes. If you haven't heard it, and you like cover songs that successfully take a new direction, get their album "Embodiment." Faboo.