Unicron Veteran Member Posts:1696  
| 7/19/2005 1:41 PM |
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Best Irish album of the past year is probably the Jape one and it's the sorta thing that the Mercury crowd would like.
Who won it last year? If it was mainstream it'll be an obscure winner this time around and vice versa.
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benni Advanced Member Posts:947
| 7/19/2005 1:42 PM |
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It was the Franz' last year
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UnicronVeteran Member Posts:1696
| 7/19/2005 1:50 PM |
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In that case I'm tipping MIA (horrendous by the way) or Polar Bears (who) or Seth Lakeman (ditto).
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strollerAdvanced Member Posts:576
| 7/19/2005 2:26 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by aidan
it seems there are no irish albums on the mercury shortlist. is this an oversight on the part of the mercury people? does the music world in the UK really follow what happens in ireland (i.e. dublin) ....or are the irish albums of the last 12 months just not good enough?
First off hardly anyone outside of Dublin let alone Ireland follows what's happening in the Irish music scene (and in fairness there's sweet f*ck all to follow). Secondly 99% of the Irish albums of the last 12 months (or 5 years for that matter) are not good enough and the ones that are probably haven't secured an international release. I've been trying to pick up a couple of Redneck Manifesto albums online for a while now and the only website I could find that stocked them belonged to Road Records in Dublin. With that kind of distribution they're hardly going to set anyone's imagination alight across the pond now are they?
With regards to the nominees I'd be happy if anyone of the following won the mercury;
Anthony and the Johnsons: I Am A Bird Now
Bloc Party: Silent Alarm
The Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike
The Magic Numbers: The Magic Numbers
Jamie Lidell and Tom Vek should both feel very hard done by for not being nominated.
The Futureheads weren't nominated because their album was released over 12 months ago.
Maximo Park have some great singles but it's not a great album, ditto the Kaier Chiefs.
Unfortunately though I reckon M.I.A. will probably win it. The mercury music prize judges are mostly middle class, middle aged white men who get confused by urban music and often give it praise because they just don't understand it. Their rule of thumb is that if you don't know what to think of an "urban" album than just give it a five star review. It could end up being the rap/grime/garage/drum and bass equilivant of Sgt Peppers and no-one wants to end up with egg on their face. Let's not forget that Roni Size's New Forms album won the award ahead of Radiohead's OK Computer. Which album seems more relevant now?
And the really sad part is that M.I.A. herself isn't really that talented. She's just a hip minority poster girl with a weak voice. The real talent behind that album is the A&R man who recruited Ross Orton from the Fat Truckers and Diplo to do the production. |
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off the post Basic Member Posts:284
| 7/19/2005 2:38 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Pilchard
i'd say it will be one of the following:
KT Tunstall (bland Dido)
James Blunt (bland Dido with testicles)
How much more bland can you get? |
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nonemoreblack New Member Posts:21
| 7/19/2005 5:21 PM |
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None more...none more bland
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nonemoreblackNew Member Posts:21
| 7/19/2005 5:23 PM |
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I think it'll be the Magic Numbers this year. It would be worth it just to see their big smiling faces.
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mickeyjoeNew Member Posts:42
| 7/19/2005 5:28 PM |
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In fairness, i dont think you could call KT Tunstall bland, particularly if you seen her live, cos she is normally a great liver performer and her songs sounds much better live, the album really doesnt do her undeniable talent justice
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PilchardAdvanced Member Posts:699
| 7/19/2005 5:54 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by mickeyjoe
In fairness, i dont think you could call KT Tunstall bland, particularly if you seen her live, cos she is normally a great liver performer and her songs sounds much better live, the album really doesnt do her undeniable talent justice
ah b****x. i saw her in clonmel the other week and was bored rigid, dido in disguise
as for polar bear.....just found out that theyre jazzzzzzzzzz. lovely,
while i applaud the mercury people for their sterling efforts to bring lesser known acts and musical styles to us, can anyone actually name a few of the acts in the "other" category down the years? apart from gavin bryars "jesus blood never failed me yet", i can't remember anyone. must check mercury site..... |
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UnaVeteran Member Posts:1721
| 7/19/2005 10:00 PM |
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Mercury Music prize like most awards, is pretty much a bag of s**te. Why is there always someone hairy from Devon in the running?
Hopefully MIA or Bloc Party will win. That Hard:Fi record has 3 good singles on it. Kaiser Chiefs album is great, as is Maximo Park, but they're all as mainstream as you can get really, apart from maybe A and the Js and the Go! Team (which, in fairness, are pretty messy)
I completely agree that Jamie Lidell should've been in there, as stupid as indignation should be. Not Tom Vek though. that album annoys me. There were no good Irish albums this year to speak of, so it's not surprising that none are nominated.
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johnny cashNew Member Posts:39
| 7/19/2005 10:13 PM |
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if their is justice, Anthony and the Johnsons will win.
thats one of the greates albums ive ever heard
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BinokularVeteran Member Posts:1665
| 7/19/2005 10:57 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by stroller
Let's not forget that Roni Size's New Forms album won the award ahead of Radiohead's OK Computer. Which album seems more relevant now?
Thats a pretty unfair comparison, but thats ok, I think your comment stems more from a misunderstanding of why drum'n'bass no longer seems relevant. Firstly, New Forms is pretty much the pinnacle of the style of Drum'n'Bass Roni size was pursuing, it's still probably the most critically and commercially successful DnB album ever, perhaps with the exception of Goldies' "Timeless". Basically the problem with DnB is that its got such a singular almost blinkered aesthetic, searching for the perfect breakbeat, it leads to a logical conclusion and an artistic dead end really. I mean the name of the genre should give it away, it's an interesting genre but ultimately one that by its very nature limits itself. A bit like punk really, as soon as you learned that fourth chord, its not punk anymore. As soon as you stray from DnBs "rules" it starts to become something else.
I think OK computer is seen as more "relevant" because it has "proper" songs that people can still latch on to, and also, unlike Roni Size, has a host of mainstream imitators. I don't think either album is more relevant, to me anyway, both would spend equal amounts of time in my stereo these days (not much) and theres still something people can take away from listening to New Forms. Music always go through phases anyway, so who's to say whats relevant, who would have thought "gang of four" would suddenly be the most relevant retro influence? Prog rock is on the way back according to some.
I'll leave it up to you to decide which album is better, but New Forms was certainly not an unworthy winner that year.
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PilchardAdvanced Member Posts:699
| 7/19/2005 11:25 PM |
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right this one has been bugging me all day so i might as well let off some steam here.
if there was an IRISH ONLY type of mercury, who would win it? What irish album from the last 12 months say deserves a bit of hoopla and praise
I'm going to kick off with The Radio and let other people stick in their oar as they see fit. All styles, all kinds, all shapes, all sizes.
Why The Radio? Because it still sounds right a good year after its release, because i love the way the girl's voice works with the backing and the fact that i still can't get "Whatever Gets You Through" out of my head.
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| 7/20/2005 10:17 AM |
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Hey
As far as I know, with the Mercury prize. the album needs to entered to have a chance of a nomination, thus I guess it is possible that many Irish acts didnt think of entering
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BinokularVeteran Member Posts:1665
| 7/20/2005 11:00 AM |
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Isn't the prize only open to UK artists or something?
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off the postBasic Member Posts:284
| 7/20/2005 11:02 AM |
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What's the story with this prize anyway? I was wondering too if it was only open to UK artists. Why then are Anthony and the Johnsons shortlisted? They are from NYC.
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PilchardAdvanced Member Posts:699
| 7/20/2005 12:55 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by off the post
What's the story with this prize anyway? I was wondering too if it was only open to UK artists. Why then are Anthony and the Johnsons shortlisted? They are from NYC.
Antony Hegarty was born in Chicester, England and holds a UK passport so he qualifies
Acts who wish to be considered for the Mercury apply by sending in 10 copies of their album and a fee (think its 200 sterling). a long list is compiled and then judges whittle it down to a 10 CD shortlist. judges then meet on the night to have a good old barney about who wins. black eyes are not unknown. |
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benniAdvanced Member Posts:947
| 7/20/2005 12:58 PM |
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Apparently its open to acts from the UK and Ireland - The Thrills were in there last year(or the year before) with a nomination.I was thinking about Anthony and the Johnsons too - NYC me thinks also.
Then again maybe the 2nd cousin's mothers uncle of the session
guitarists on the album is from London or somethin'.
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benniAdvanced Member Posts:947
| 7/20/2005 1:00 PM |
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ah ok - I only see Pilchards post now.
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Rev JulesVeteran Member Posts:1041
| 7/20/2005 4:43 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Antistar
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Is nothing sacred anymore?????!!!!
I just got one that says, "Like music and Jewellry ?"
If you are a rapper then the answer is, "YES"  |
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