Mercury Music Prize 2010

So, as I said I would, I've written some thoughts about this years Mercury Music Prize... before and after

But this time they're over at http://honourbeforeglory.com/blog.html

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Academia

I've got a few things I want to write about on here - most prevalent being attending Bingley Music Live on Sunday to see Editors debut some new material (an interesting and enjoyable experience) and then there's tonight's Mercury Music Prize fandango

But unfortunately I'm consumed by my Masters degree which I've touted on here before, the hand in of which is just 16 days away

As written previously, this ties up with the current 'development' of HONOUR BEFORE GLORY - academically I'm supposedly discussing the relationship of artist & producer. I say supposedly because it's a hard thing to be subjective about.

So at the moment I'm concentrating on making the best record possible and that's going pretty well - it's quite exciting finally hearing the realisation of songs that I've been developing for many years - some ideas have been floating in my head since before ¡Forward, Russia!

Simon of Leeds football hero's FC Lokomotiv has provided the pounding rhythms and at the moment I'm spending my days fucking them up and adding squealing noise over the top. Hopefully some majestic melody's will be added by myself and other people who can sing.

The plan is - a version of these songs (I'm currently working on 3) will be finished for the end of the month. I'm hoping by the time I go to Germany I'll be happy for the songs to be released into the world. But we'll see... there's a lot to do in a short space of time

Soundtrack to this post: Editors / Quack Quack / Get Well Soon

Mercury Nominations

So this week the nominatons for this year's Mercury Music Prize were announced. You can find the Guardian's take on it here

My take / prediction on the nominations was here. I got 4 out of 12, but I felt I made some justified points! Most dissapointingly I didn't mentioned The Invisible who, took the outside indie spot, and thoroughly deserve to. I am suprised at a few ommissions, but the likes of Lisa Hannigan seem standard Mercury fair.

The question is will early favourite Florence win and in some twisted way seem to put right the wrongs of Bat For Lashes not winning 2 years ago, or will someone emerge with a late push?

Soundtrack to this post: Duels demos

Mercury Music Prize 2009

Yesterday NME and numerous others published a selection of odds for this years Mercury Music Prize, and the 'tipping' world went into meltdown. And who am I to buck the trend - there's something intriguing about the composition and perspective winners of said prize. View said list of odds HERE

Here's some thoughts from the whiskas camp. Check out my thoughts on the matter last year HERE

This year is the year of the female solo artist, with Little Boots, La Roux, Bat For Lashes, Lily Allen and Florence & The Machine all in with a shout for the overall prize

Florence seems to be the most media praised, so I'd expect that to get in, I also have a feeling Ms Allen may get in if she stays out of the media limelight. Her proximity to winning 2 years ago, may count against Bat For Lashes

It would be ace to see wild card Blue Roses (Shipley's Laura Groves) in the shortlist, but I suspect she would be one too many female solo artists, while I also expect her label to be too busy pushing Friendly Fires and The Horrors to give her the media 'face' time she'd need. Those later two though, should be among the strong favourites for my money

Other local potential wildcard Grammatics have been present on the latest list of odds, which I'd see as massively encouraging, Alongside Fanfarlo and The Leisure Society, they may provide one genuine independent act in the shortlist - the latter, Ivor Novello in hand, might have a real chance of making the short list. If Beggars didn't have so many priorities you could probably add Broken Records to that list

As for the winner, past form dictates that this year's winner will come from leftfield, and The Bug may be the one - although if you'd predict any band in Britain to "do an Elbow" it would be Doves

Other names worth a mention are The Noisettes, who I think will make the shortlist, as well as Pet Shop Boys for the well recieved 'come back' (did they actually go away?). Patrick Wolf would add to the eclectism of the list, while Red Light Company may make a less bombastic mainstream inconclusion than White Lies. Neither can obviously shake a stick at Kasabian who will bump up the mainstream quota in lieu of a Coldplay, Oasis etcetera. The Enemy better not be anywhere near the list

The Maccabees, Jack Penate, Marmaduke Duke would all be worthwhile inclusion of the list, but I suspect they will fall slightly between "genuinely exciting and different" and "mainstream and popular." Glasvegas? Maximo Park? Paulo Nutini? Prodigy? Bloc Party?

It's hard to predict the 12, as there's a few slots that could be filled by numerous capable artists - aka too many indentikit artists! There's no fun without a prediction though, so here's my 12, with a proviso that at least one band will come completely out of leftfield

Florence & The Machine

The Noisettes

Kasabian

The Bug

Doves

The Leisure Society

The Horrors

Friendly Fires

Lily Allen

A Seb Rochefort Jazz Band

An unheard of folk band (possibly the new Seth Lakeman)

A band with a classical tinge

Having changed that list numerous times, I concede - I've no idea. I find it hard to imagine no White Lies or La Roux / Little Boots. But the above seems to sit nicely

For the diary, nominee's are announced on July 21st, with the winner revealed on September 8th. As usual if we were in the US, the answer would be a simple two way tie between Grizzly Bear & Animal Collective. Alas, we are not

Soundtrack to this post: Sunset Rubdown

Mercury's Recap

I'm actually really shocked the Portishead & Foals album didn't get nominated, I thought the Portishead was a classic 'Mercury' album. I'm also surprised Duffy didn't get in on the pop tip, and I think it's a real shame the Mystery Jets album isn't getting the recognition.

Thinking about it, I am disappointed the Burial album was entered as it doesn't seem to to fit the way he operates, but I suppose if you were going to do anything, this is probably it. Depending on whether the bookies have twigged how fashionable it is, it could well be worth a flutter!! (edit: I've since checked and he's favourite!)

I actually think it's a decent list with the mass of British albums over the last year, and I think Neon, BSP, Laura Marling and even Elbow aren't the fashionable choicea. The nods to Jazz / Folk are a little trite with the Plant inclusion, but I guess Seb Rochefort didn't make an album this year

Soundtrack to this post: The Boss

Mercury Music Prize

I'm a bit annoyed I forgot when the Mercury Music Nominations were announced, as I'm still away and I quite fancied a flutter on Portishead as early as possible.

Instead here's a desperate prediction I posted on another forum, just to get my oar in before the announcement... again, tidy up when I get home.

Certaintie

Duffy
Adele
Kate Nash
Mystery jets
Portishead
Foals
Radiohead
Last Shadow Puppets
Ting Tings


Potential curve balls:

Burial
Jamie Lidell
Neon Neon (probably not critically acclaimed enough)
Robert Wyatt


Others with potential:
Hot Chip
Guillemots
MIA
Coldplay
Elbow


I reckon Portishead to win, if not Radiohead. I think the extraneous circumstances around those two records will pip the post

There's a lot of talk about them, but I kind of hope Burial hasn't entered, I think it'd be kind of dissapointed if he had as I think it'll throw up a few awkward questions he obviously doesn't want to deal with

It's a funny one, with it being all about UK artists, it kind of makes you realise how much 'ahead' the US is in commercial interesting music. You'd have to think Fleet Foxes, MGMT, Vampire Weekend and Hercules & Love Affair would've been good for the money if the shoe was on the other foot

Anyway, back to the Sun...

Soundtrack to this post: Stars