The Mercury Prize shortlist is generally notable for recognizing what the mainstream press like to call “leftfield” artists. This is an interesting concept, and should come as no surprise really, as the Mercury Prize was created as an alternative to the more commercially minded Brit Awards. Apparent nonentities like record sales and radio play theoretically do not even come into the judges reckoning.
This year is no different, with south London rapper Speech Debelle, peculiar laptop garden recording folk group Sweet Billy Pilgrim and eccentric quintet Led Bib making the cut.
As always though, what was left out ends up being just as interesting, with early odds-on favourites to scoop the award Lily Allen and Doves missing out, along with other hotly tipped acts like Little Boots and White Lies. Lily was apparently so righteously irate when she found out that she was overlooked by the Mercury panel AGAIN! (she was also snubbed for her 2006 debut Alright, Still) that she came out with one of the best quotes that I’ve heard for a long time.
Lily reportedly alleged: “I’m like Gazza, the judges hate me but the people, dem love me. I hope La Roux wins”. I’m not entirely sure what Gazza has to do with the Mercury Prize, but let’s hope - for Lily’s sanity at least - that this is the only trait that she has in common with Gazza. I mean, the man was addicted to Red Bull for two years. That’s just not normal.
Anyway. Enough of this idle non-nominee chat and onto the hard stuff ie. actual nominees. The shortlist was notable for being dominated by females acts. Which is perhaps not all that surprising, considering the amount of success that females with fragile voices singing over tinny 80s beats have had this year. Although I thought that the Mercury Prize had nothing to do with commercial success? It’s all quite confusing.
What’s a bit more straightforward, is that it’s about time that the opposite sex won the award, with the last female to pick up the gong being none other than Miss Dynamite (whatever happened to her???) way back when in 2002.
This year, La Roux – aka. Elly Jackson (and co-producer Ben Langmaid) – the superbly coiffed electro-pop starlet, is among the favourites to tread in Miss Dynamites hallowed footsteps. Also getting a look in will be singer-songwriter Florence Welch, who under the guise of Florence and the Machine has been receiving an incredible amount of favourable coverage for her debut album Lungs. She has already won the Brits’ Critics Choice Prize for best rising star though.
One of the seemingly few artists that come into the awards with more than one album under their belt is Bat For Lashes, the pseudonym of singer-songwriter Natasha Khan, who was also nominated in 2007 for her debut, Fur and Gold, and ended up losing out to the Klaxons. This just might prove to be her year.
The bookies current joint favourite with La Roux is Kasabian, the five-piece from Leicester who named themselves after a member of Charles Manson’s family, and are probably the only band on the face of the planet to get along with Oasis (do I spot a pattern emerging here?).
However, you can never really tell with the Mercury Prize, and the bookies appear to know approximately nothing about who’s going to win, at least if their shortlist predictions are anything to go by. In fact, I wouldn’t be overly surprised if a lesser-backed group picked up the prize.
After all, there are some exceptionally talented acts that would certainly deserve it. Among them are firm outsiders The Invisible, who are a London trio with an eponymous debut album that has seen them being touted as Britain’s answer to Tv On The Radio. Add to this the critically acclaimed second coming from Southend rockers The Horrors, and the more radio friendly dance-rock of the Friendly Fires, whose carnival-esque live shows have hit the country by storm this year.
Glasvegas are nominated as well, and even though lead singer James Allen has ardently claimed that they will win, I can’t really see it happening. I very well may eat my words on this one, but they just aren’t the kind of band that wins the Mercury Prize.
Let me know if you think I’ve missed anyone out. But, for me at least, I still can’t see the judges looking past either La Roux or Bat For Lashes.
The 2009 winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on September 8th.
tommy
7 months, 1 week ago
lilly allen is still a winner.