Mercury Music Awards

Hi,

It's that time of the year again. Time for the Mercury music awards nominations. There are 12 albums which a panel of judges have picked as a shortlist of the best British albums of the last 12 months. From this list a winner will be picked. The list is as follows.


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 think the winner gets £20,000. But all the artists will see an increase in sales due the big coverage this award gets. The winner can see their album really shoot up in sales.

I have taken a passing interest in the Mercury Awards. I'm always interested in why certain artists are considered better than others. It would be interesting to see how the judges got to the final 12.

Of the 12, I have heard bits of all of the albums. TBH, I own only the Joss Stone album. But I do own recent 7" singles, CD singles, 12" singles & promos from Basement Jax, Franz Ferdinand, Jamelia, Keane, Snow Patrol, The Streets, Ty, Amy Winehouse & the Zutons. I have heard bits of B&S and Robert Wyatt in passing.

What do people think of these awards? What do people think of the artists selected? Do people think the range of acts is about right?

I'm just interested in what people think?


SCIDB

 

That's actually a pretty good list; I like B&S, Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol, and The Streets. I assume Robert Wyatt is on the list for some kind of lifetime achievement award, assuming of course it is the Robert Wyatt, i.e. Soft Machine's legendary drinking drummer...

Tony.

 

Good to see Robert Wyatt on the list, Cuckooland was one of the best records made by anybody last year. He hasn't got a hope of winning, of course, he's too much of an original to win anything.

Of the rest, my money's on The Streets, and it's a very good album too, so that'll make a nice change.

-- Ian

 

eh, how come the best album of 2004* isn't on there, then?













*Compagnies Musicales du Taflilalet "L'appel des Oasis"

 

Hi,

The album by Compagnies Musicales du Taflilalet wouldn't be able to enter unless the members are from the UK.

Robert Wyatt's album came out in September of last year so it is from the right period to get voted in. The album has had some very good write ups. There is a programme about Robert Wyatt (ex-soft machine) on BBC2 on the 13th August at 11.35pm. It's already been on BBC 4 at the start of July. Here's a few views on the album.

The current favourites with the bookies are The Streets & Franz Ferdinand. Having said that, they have got it wrong the last couple of years.


SCIDB

 

bah! petty rules for petty minds I say. Apparently no one told these people that music is universal (and I don't mean the conglomerate, either).

 

I'd love to see Ty win, his first album was great and Upwards kept the quality. Great British hiphop that is a far more listenable and entertaining quality product than the chav poetry of the Streets.

 

I've got quite a few, and I've got to say Keane's hopes and fears is one of the best debut's I've heard in many a moon. I've got tickets to see them in October too. Am mildly excited!

 

I always like to have a bet on the Mercury music prize and I quite fancy Joss Stone . She's 10/1, looks good.

 

Of those the only one with any originality is Robert Wyatt, imo...
Franz Ferdinand are yer cut-price Monochrome Set, Joss Stone is actually a man and The Street shopuld dry his eyes m8 there's plently more fish in the sea...
And if I hear any more dreary indie-wuss-music like Snow Patrol or Keane I shall cancel my subscription to the Travis and Coldplay fan Clubs..
And as for R'n'b, I come from the time when that was Dr Feelgood and their ilk.
However, I know nowt about the Zutons.. Who they?

 

Ian,

I've only got Schleep, how would you say Cuckooland compares???

Jeff

 

Like Shleep, it's ever so good and you should buy it at once, to keep the old bugger in fags and wine. Bit more political than Shleep, but never hectoring.

-- Ian

 

The obvious comparison, would be with the Coral. Nice, catchy "indie". In a genre full of mediocre crap, one of the best of it's kind IMO

Basement Jaxx's Kish Kash is an excellent album! "Dance" music that appeals to a lot of the mainstream, but still has integrity and a fresh original sound. As with all Jaxx albums plenty of veriety, lots of worldly sounds, and a good mix of chilled out and full on bouncing tunes.

I quite like the Snw Patrol album too. It's very close to falling into the "another bland indie band" catagory, but has a li'l something extra which just baout saves it IMO.

 

What strikes me quite forcefully here, is that i am completely bereft of knowledge when it comes to most things, but the aforementioned list of artists in particular.

I'm aware of most of them courtesy of eerie subconscious mutterings. Or at least the context reassures me that 'Snow patrol' does not require me to peer nervously out of the window.

I've only heard music by Belle & Sebastian and Joss Stone, and in the case of the former, not even from the album which is mentioned above. What i've heard from the young Joss has been pretty decent though, and if i was told that the album sleeve contained some good piccies, i'd be more than tempted to buy it too.