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JackT

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2009 Mercury Prizes nominees

Tue 21st Jul, 2009 in International News

Britain’s esteemed Mercury Prize (claimed last year by Elbow’s The Seldom Seen Kid ) has just announced its 2009 nominees list. Contenders are judged by a panel of critics and industry tastemakers on their artistic merit alone. The winner receives a prize of £20,000 and an almost guaranteed spike in record sales.

Female voices are well-represented in the 2009 round-up, with La Roux’s self-titled debut, Bat For Lashes’ Two Suns, Florence and the Machine’s Lungs and Lisa Hannigan’s Sea Sew all in contention. European festival conquerers Kasabian are a frontrunner to win alongside Florence and the Machine, with black-clad brooders Glasvegas also hotly-tipped. As ever, there are more obscure names in the race – Speech Debelle and Led Bib among them.

In 2008, Elbow muscled out Radiohead and critics’ favourite Burial to take home the cash. Soon after, The Seldom Seen Kid experienced a 688% boost in UK sales. Even fellow nominee The Last Shadow Puppets saw a 626% jump, so just being on this list is a cause for celebration.

Nominations for the Mercury Prize 2009

Florence and the Machine – Lungs

Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

Bat for Lashes – Two Suns

La Roux – La Roux

Glasvegas – Glasvegas

Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy

Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires

The Horrors – Primary Colours

Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew

The Invisible – The Invisible

Led Bib – Sensible Shoes

Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men

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grattan

grattan said on the 21st Jul, 2009

Early odds:

Florence and the Machine – Lungs 5/1

Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum 5/1

Bat for Lashes – Two Suns 6/1

La Roux – La Roux 6/1

Glasvegas – Glasvegas 6/1

Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy 8/1

Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires 8/1

The Horrors – Primary Colours 8/1

Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew 8/1

The Invisible – The Invisible 10/1

Led Bib – Sensible Shoes 10/1

Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men 10/1


Very generous odds for the Horrors - might be worth a flutter.
Odd lack of Little Boots. Shameful lack of Future of the Left.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 21st Jul, 2009

For my money, La Roux has made the best album of the ones on the list I've heard; FATM a close second.

Kasabian don't deserve to be there.

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 21st Jul, 2009

I would almost put the house on Florence and the Machine.

Not only is she an absolute indie darling right now, the album is really good.

The Horrors certainly seem like the other one most likely to win on the list to me though.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 21st Jul, 2009

I heard a couple of songs from the Horrors and it wasn't too bad, but is the album really as great as the reviews have made it out to be?

unlachs

unlachs said on the 21st Jul, 2009

yeah, primary colours isn't much chop. minus sea within a sea and you've got a fairly average album on your hands.

i'm intrigued by this la roux album though. here it is being nominated for mercury prize, but the shittiness of the lead single had me judging it otherwise. might have to jump in

Stefan Beck

Stefan Beck said on the 21st Jul, 2009

Fuck Unlachs.

Primary Colours is pretty great.
(I have been on a MBV kick this year though so I might be giving it a thumbs up for sounding slightly like them)

Hoping Bat For Lashes wins but I'd be cool with The Horrors winning too.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 21st Jul, 2009

Quicksand definitely isn't the best thing on La Roux. It's possibly the best pop album of this year.

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 21st Jul, 2009

The La Roux album is horribly mixed. Worse fall from grace than the Black Kids album.

The Horrors are an outside shot, but if they go with public opinion (seeing as they picked Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys and Franz in the past) it's Kasabian's.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 21st Jul, 2009



Sounded fine to me? Some songs actually sounded better than their singles mix.



Going from [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Prize#Winners_and_shortlisted_nominees"]this list, doesn't really seem like they care about public opinion. Christ, Ms. Dynamite beat out Bowie, Badly Drawn Boy beat out Coldplay, both Dizzee Rascal and Elbow beat out Radiohead...

JackT

JackT said on the 21st Jul, 2009

Ah..........I loved that Ms Dynamite album back in Year 9. I wonder if it's actually much chop.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 21st Jul, 2009

Teeheee

ThatDude123

ThatDude123 said on the 21st Jul, 2009

Reviewing the list, confused Doves didn't make it as well.

MorningAfterboy

MorningAfterboy said on the 21st Jul, 2009

Not to mention Lily Allen.

JackT

JackT said on the 21st Jul, 2009

I agree with Braveheart on the Florence and the Machine tip. Kasabian, while obvious, does little for me...The Horrors - yeah, maybe...not overly enthused

unlachs

unlachs said on the 21st Jul, 2009

for me, the problem with the horrors album is that SWAS is such an unbelievably amazing track, the rest of the album is just turd in comparison.

Keely K

Keely K said on the 22nd Jul, 2009

Florence and the Machine all teh way...

sunnyperth

sunnyperth said on the 22nd Jul, 2009

Friendly fires yeeeeeeeeeeeah

lllllluke

lllllluke said on the 22nd Jul, 2009

Bat For Lashes FTW

Yaki

Yaki said on the 22nd Jul, 2009

Kasabian, La Roux, Friendly Fires, The Horrors, Florence... Geez, tough crowd.

maximoP

maximoP said on the 22nd Jul, 2009

Florence And The Machine Will Win - Wicked Album

Where is White Lies? i really liked that album!!

Adshoey

Adshoey said on the 22nd Jul, 2009

It hasn't been a good year for English music.

worldsfastest

worldsfastest said on the 22nd Jul, 2009

The frontman for glasvegas said that they HAVE to win it because of how much effort he put in.

Probably shouldn't have tried so hard and it might've been good enough.

grattan

grattan said on the 22nd Jul, 2009



Same! Still love this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1rZg3wLJ0o

I'm gonna dig it out and have a listen... it's probably hiding somewhere under a Cornershop album.

Rock Princess

Rock Princess said on the 22nd Jul, 2009

Florence will take it out but I'm glad Bat for Lashes is up there too

asmithy_87

asmithy_87 said on the 22nd Jul, 2009

my bet is kasabian or bat for lashes. she should have had it back in 2007.

ionecoe

ionecoe said on the 24th Jul, 2009

Hopefully glasvegas, florence friendly fires or kasabian - anything but la roux really...

Phen

Phen said on the 24th Jul, 2009

Go Glasvegas!

Piko

Piko said on the 25th Jul, 2009

Shows how much i've been paying attention to the world of English music. Only know of half those artists. Listened to none of the albums however. I'm gonna start with La Roux because In For the Kill is catchy as all hell. So many girls are favorites i see?

And who said Quicksand was a lame choice for a single? My first listen now and someone should have been fired for that decision *shivers*.

interpolantics

interpolantics said on the 25th Jul, 2009




I reckon Quicksand is hands-down the best song on that album, and the best single released thus far.

Piko

Piko said on the 25th Jul, 2009

Hands down? whoa

Each to their own....

interpolantics

interpolantics said on the 25th Jul, 2009

^^ Well, as good as a When Doves Cry rip-off can sound! I actually think La Roux are a little over-rated. Its hard to listen to the album in its entirety, that voice gets so annoying after a while. I love the 80s sound but there is nothing exciting going on lyrically. I don't think Bulletproof is particularly great as a Number 1 song.