Mercury Music Prize

[Doh_boy]

Shortlist is:

• Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
• Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress
• Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand
• Jamelia - Thank You
• Keane - Hopes and Fears
• Snow Patrol - Final Straw
• Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions
• The Streets - A Grand Don't Come for Free
• Ty - Upwards
• Amy Winehouse - Frank
• Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland
• The Zutons - Who Killed The Zutons​

I'd personally like to see the Zutons win but I do think it's kinda strange that so many bands who you would class as indie in the shortlist.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

That list is an utter, horrible joke.

These awards are becoming worse and worse every year, that list just sums it up.

 

[Mobius]

Go The Streets.

 

[Misleath]

Franz Ferdinand

 

[mank!]

That list is an utter, horrible joke.

These awards are becoming worse and worse every year, that list just sums it up.

Have you got any nominations?

Out of that list, I'd choose B&S.

 

[Aoami]

b & s should win.

and the ordinary boys should be in it.

 

[harebear]

Sucky sucky oO

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Have you got any nominations?

Out of that list, I'd choose B&S.

No, but it's not my job to. They haven't really looked very hard have they?

 

[mank!]

No, but it's not my job to. They haven't really looked very hard have they?

Well, they're not going to nominate some bloke who sold about five copies of an album are they?

 

[maxi]

that list is shite

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Well, they're not going to nominate some bloke who sold about five copies of an album are they?

No, but in the past they looked further afield than the standard mass acclaimed stuff, they'd actually go and find out about artists and really listen to them and stuff - this list seems like they went to the "HOT BANDS!!!1!" section of NME or something and copied/pasted a list of recent acclaimed albums.

 

[Aoami]

the only probs i have with it is Keane. Why the fuck are keane in it?

 

[mank!]

No, but in the past they looked further afield than the standard mass acclaimed stuff, they'd actually go and find out about artists and really listen to them and stuff - this list seems like they went to the "HOT BANDS!!!1!" section of NME or something and copied/pasted a list of recent acclaimed albums.

OK, The Zutons, Snow Patrol and perhaps The Streets are the only nominees ever to appear in NME, but I think it's got more to do with the fact more people are buying music that isn't pop, stuff that's a bit more varied and as a result some of the bands that are nominated have been catapulted into the limelight. For example, B&S and Snow Patrol have been around for years and although B&S are still relatively obscure Snow Patrol have suddenly found themselves one of the biggest bands in Britain at the minute. Not because they've suddenly had a change of direction, but because many people are sick of the pop music industry churns out and turn to bands like Snow Patrol, Franz Ferdinand, Keane et al for something different.

That said, Jamelia is awful, I've never heard of Ty or Robert Wyatt and Amy Winehouse and Joss Stone are both Radio2/middle aged dinner party music and represent absolutely nothing of any interest and isn't the Mercury music prize about nurturing new talent, or is that the Ivor Novello award? At least Franz, Snow Patrol and Keane offer something new and vaguely interesting.

 

[Bodhi]

You claimed Snow Patrol were boring and shite earlier! The Streets should win this tho, as A Grand Don't Come For Free is easily the best british release of the past 12 months.

 

[GekuL]

I'd go for the streets, the rest are half-decent but nothing special.

 

[mank!]

You claimed Snow Patrol were boring and shite earlier!

They are boring and shite. So are Keane. But that doesn't change the point does it? I didn't say people were buying it because it was any good, just because it was something different and - to an extent - new. I just happen to think they're the most boring things on earth since the Bore-a-Thon 2000.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Ty is really good, great hip-hop thing going on, lots of talent there.

I see what you're saying mank, I agree with you in part, but in the other part all I see is these awards jumping on the bandwagon in loving up the bland alternative/indie alternative to pop. I'm not saying they need to search the Earth for better stuff: they just need to not accept the stuff pushed right at them as great, when it clearly isn't.

 

[mank!]

Ty is really good, great hip-hop thing going on, lots of talent there.

I see what you're saying mank, I agree with you in part, but in the other part all I see is these awards jumping on the bandwagon in loving up the bland alternative/indie alternative to pop. I'm not saying they need to search the Earth for better stuff: they just need to not accept the stuff pushed right at them as great, when it clearly isn't.

Explains why I've not heard of Ty anyway. The Mercury Music awards always try to go for diverse, sometimes they go so diverse it ends up like a total mishmash of what's popular like it has this year. Ultimately the awards mean nothing though.