Rice at the top of Shortlist

The third annual Shortlist Music Awards put Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice at the top of the stack during a Sunday concert at the Wiltern.

Thankfully short on ceremony, the program featured brief sets by eight of the 10 finalists that were determined to have “today’s most creative albums, as selected by the world’s top musicians” (and KCRW-FM host Nic Harcourt, among other judges).

Sort of an American cousin to England’s Mercury Prize, the Shortlist eschews Grammy-style categories to honor one outstanding artist. To be a contender, you must have a wonderful album (according to such celebrity judges as Tori Amos, Dave Matthews, the Roots’ ?estlove Flea, the Neptunes and more), and your wonderful album can’t have sold too many copies (fewer than 500,000) at the time of nomination.

The field certainly was diverse, with nominees such as blues-rock duo the Black Keys, emotionally raw Southern singer-songwriter Cat Power, spiritual soul-rocker Cody Chesnutt, British neo-soul/rap duo Floetry, and the U.K. garage/house/pop and sub-Eminem rapping of the Streets. (The no-shows were New York new-wave punks the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Iceland’s ethereal Sigur Ros.)

Most acts did just four songs, but momentum seriously dragged during the 4 1/2-hour show because of lengthy change-overs. Indeed, more songs often were played over the PA between live sets than during the performances themselves. (Note to organizers: Next year, borrow one of those revolving stages from KROQ, will ya?)

Still, the mostly young crowd stuck around for the final 30-minute appearance by New York’s Interpol, a clear audience favorite with its dark, kinetic new-wave rock.

The tunes from Rice’s debut album, “O,” proved appealing in subtle-to-dramatic ways. Backed by a cellist, drummer, bassist and vocalist, he offered bitter-to-wistful ruminations on romantic obsession, building from a hushed melancholy to the epic sweep of “I Remember.”

Rice’s personal word paintings were intriguing enough to make you want to hear more. But Omaha’s Bright Eyes was the true standout. As played by young singer-songwriter Conor Oberst and a dozen youthful musicians, the group’s selections were just as personal as Rice’s but more socially conscientious than dreamily introspective. Oberst closed his set by politely thanking supporters, then calmly criticizing the monopolizing effects of entertainment conglomerate Clear Channel, which books the Wiltern and just about every major concert venue in this and other cities. Beyond such measured protest, however, Oberst showed he’s learning to harness the emotional drama in his sprawling, if hook-less, tunes. He’s a compelling, thoughtful and soulful artist who should be on every music lover’s shortlist.