Mercury Prize 2009

[Fruitloop]

I think Speech deBelle's got plenty of talent but I'm not sure about the songs themselves. I reckon she needs to team up with a shit-hot producer or something.

Supposed to be good live though, which I can believe.

 

[spacemonkey]

Yeah, she is on Big Dada. She's good y'know. She's more real than Ms Dynamite, kinda like a link between Roots Manuva and Mike Skinner. Very beautiful stuff with rapping over acoustic guitar and drums. And she's a South London girl.

Sounds good.

 

[ska invita]

this list sums up my feeling about the state of music in Britain at the mo - great to see so many non-trad-pop acts doing their thing in a post-TOTP world, but I think the quality is really low at present. All the action is in the more obscure fringes, and even there things are interesting rather than classic. NOt such a bad thing on the whole, but it makes award ceremonies as relevant as charts. Especially the LP format is suffering it would seem.

Simon Frith, chair of judges, said this year's list reflected a revolution in the music industry that was enabling artists – and women in particular – to break free of the confines of a record label.

"As genres break down it means that women are not having to be pop stars of a certain sort. Somebody like La Roux, who creates fun synth pop, not being pushed in a cutesy way," he said.

which is all good, but im not sure the material is that classic.

there's a lot of good hiphop and drumnbass from britain making the mainstream. probably more than ever. the mercury prize used to give props to it and probably helped the scene a lot before it blew up

Is that really true? Remembering this is an LP format (which doesnt suit representing dance music, or hiphop for that matter) I can't think of standout UK albums from either genre.

Im sure there are some great twiddly electronica albums out there, which I dont think have ever registered on the merc prize).

 

[matt m]

Is that really true? Remembering this is an LP format (which doesnt suit representing dance music, or hiphop for that matter) I can't think of standout UK albums from either genre.

Im sure there are some great twiddly electronica albums out there, which I dont think have ever registered on the merc prize).

well, without actually looking back over previous lists, Portishead, Dizzee Rascal, Roni Size and Burial have all either been nominated or won.

 

[mwgdrwg]

Something like Drop by Mistabishi should have been nominated.

 

[dodgepot]

"drop" really impressed me at first, but after a dozen or so listens to it i haven't felt the urge to pick it up and listen again at all....

 

[SpookyFrank]

well, without actually looking back over previous lists, Portishead, Dizzee Rascal, Roni Size and Burial have all either been nominated or won.

Roni Size beat OK Computer to the gong IIRC.

 

[Fruitloop]

That's enough to make you nostalgic. What is there in this year's line up that could compare to either of those in its day?

 

[electrogirl]

Florence!!!!

 

[SpookyFrank]

That's enough to make you nostalgic. What is there in this year's line up that could compare to either of those in its day?

A grand total of fuck all, alas

The last year there was a decent crop of British albums was 2001 IMO. Sadly PJ Harvey won with her least interesting album to date but Elbow's Asleep in the Back and the Super Furries' Rings Around the World still spend indecent amounts of time on my stereo.

 

[electrogirl]

Florence!!

 

[Fruitloop]

I quite like Florence, she can sing and if someone has to win out of that list it might as well be them. But the album is not New Forms or OK Computer IMHO.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Florence!!

Yeah, keep telling yourself that

 

[belboid]

I quite like Florence, she can sing and if someone has to win out of that list it might as well be them. But the album is not New Forms or OK Computer IMHO.

you mean I might still play it in ten years time?

 

[Fruitloop]

I very much doubt it, too derivative. There's nothing sufficiently new about the sound or the rest of it to make it memorable. It's inoffensive and unpretentious though, which is something in its favour.

ETA: The thing they most remind me of is an English Evanscence. Which is not necessarily criticism, 'cos I think Amy Lee is pretty ace.

 

[belboid]

Or start by listening to something good. Like 'stinging nettle' by Led Bib. All of you, go on. It's on spotify and everything, just a couple of clicks away.

i am enjoying this, even tho it reminds me of Gong!

 

[Dr. Furface]

I've just listened to The Invisible album and, well, I thought it was really good and much better than any of the other crap I've heard off that list (I quite like the Florence album, but... nah). They're rank outsiders, but at 28-1, I'm tempted.