The Weekly DiScussion: just what are we celebrating here?

When there are albums that are some of the very best of the year, not just in the UK, that haven't got a look in. Portishead and MIA aren't exactly obscure either so I am pretty surprised they aren't in there.

When you see BSP's album (not bad, but not really brilliant either) in there over those two it seems ridiculous.

On the "token" acts, I think that it is good they have a couple in there (if they are good at what they do), as I probably will give them a listen and wouldn't have come across them otherwise.

They have to PAY to be entered now? Isn't everyone eligible?

'(Plus, remember what happened to Roni Size / Reprezent? Dubstep is over if Burial wins the Mercury.)'

dubstep was around long before Burial and will be long after no doubt. Just people that buy the guardian and Q might not buy it anymore...

Plus Dizzee Rascal won it all them years ago and he was/might still be number one at the moment. He has gone thru the roof since he won.

I'm struggeling to see what this prize is about. They seem to want it to be diffrent to all the other awards out thre for music and give 'good' music a chance, but then they fill the list every year with a couple of crackers and the rest is filler.

I guess it doesn't really matter its just for sellin more records and somat to do aint it.

it's always been a case of having to pay several hundred pounds just to be considered. some labels probably pay for all their bands, like domino i would assume, if they can afford it. many labels can't afford to spare several hundred, especially not the way things are at present. bit disgusting really, paying for yorke et al to have another free night dining out.

there must be an easy way of finding out the entrance fee at DiS towers. have no dis releases been entered in recent years? anderson perhaps? be very interested to hear how much it is this year.

Klaxons make euphoric music??

http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/3686476#r3689728

...I meant that as a time frame.

maybe a couple of years back...but I'm talking from the perspective of journalists, who are normally about 3 years behind everything.

where the fuck are wild beasts?

I've never understood the level of excitement / frustration / general hype that the Mercury receives from the broadsheet / slightly-left-field areas of the music press. It's just another Brit award, and the shortlist largely reflects this. The 12 here are simply the most popular and talked about albums that can still be considered musically astute. The actual quality of the music is largely irrelevant.

Besides, even if the primary concern was the quality of music, the nominations and eventual winner are all decided by a tiny panel of industry insiders. Why does anyone care what these few people think? Can't you make up your own minds? Or is there such a desperation to have your own opinions validated?

Surely in an internet age where the opinions of millions are freely available music awards are rendered utterly useless.

would be worthy winners. They have toiled away, making some of the best pop music in britain and have released 4 outstanding albums, largely without the recognition of the radio 1 listening public.

Thus, I guess my opinion would have to be that the award should go to either up and coming acts with real, justifiable longevity or established acts who really deserve a shot at the big time.

so why not discuss the Mercury music prize?

I doubt any of us are that fussed by it to be honest.

'A&E' - Goldfrapp
'About You Now' - Sugababes
'Bleeding Love' - Leona Lewis
'Call The Shots' - Girls Aloud
'Dance Wiv Me' - Dizzee Rascal feat Calvin Harris
'Flux' - Bloc Party
'Money' - Daggers
'That's Not My Name' - The Ting TIngs
'Valerie' - Mark Ronson feat Amy Winehouse
'Ready For The Floor' - Hot Chip
'Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)' - Groove Armada feat Mutya Buena
'Stuck On Repeat' - Little Boots

Flux? really?

it will literally be the most boring thing ever

Literally

something for the music lover your right, but it's kinda the music prize for people who get all their top music tips from sunday news papers. Nowt wrong with that if your enjoying it.

MIA
Portishead
The Bug
spiritulised
lightspeed champion
max richter
freighteened rabbit

yeo was released on July 7th, cut off point was 14th july

It's a good thing if even a few people pick up Laura Marling or Neon Neon or Portico Quartet because of this. It just bothers me that such weight is placed on winning any such arbitrary prize. The world is a very weird place.

They would have plenty of time to listen to it then if it was 14th.

Although, MIA and Portishead should blatantly be in it rather than LOTSP and Adele.

of course, wouldn't be eligible. Silly me.

But the point about Youthmovies still stands.

Even though I've only heard the records w/ DiS reviews (how weird is that!)...except no Portishead is a bizarro. Seems like a win for Third could make for a satisfying victor to every little subinterest of music fan (does that make sense?)

And so obv the Radiohead record is best but they shouldn't count or something.

rated the Guillemots album highly, along with the Hot Chip record and the Leeds artists I mentioned in another thread.

as roni size is in no way to drum and bass. the former is on the periphery of dubstep, isn't remotely dancefloor or radio friendly, and sounds nothing like about 90% of dubstep artists. compare his album to a "hit" like benga's. they're nothing alike. roni size on the other hand represented the popular mainstream of drum and bass and in a sense its commerical pinnacle. okay, i'm not being very coherent, but my point is simply that if burial wins it's going to be a massive achievement for him, if an unwelcome and probably personally counterproductive, but it won't have much to do with bringing dubstep into the mainstream, as he has not all that much to do with either dubstep or the mainstream. right. yes.

in late april/Early May did it not?

Burial just wants the 'music to speak for itself' - he doesn't see the point of making himself known, as he believes this may affect people's opinion of his music. Which I suppose is sort of true.

Oh, and i played some of his music to a few of my friends, who love Dubstep. They said that, despite not being similar to Dubstep in terms of tempo/mood, it used a lot of Dubstep-style instrumentation, structure, etc. They really liked it as well. Yeah.

Burial FTW!

with the bunch of pillocks who choose the mercury prize would be my worst nightmare.

How on earth do these people manage to choose such dull filler albums to make the list when MIA, Portishead PJ Harvey & High Contrast all miss out. The mercurys cause debate as they are shit. I just hope Marling, Burial, Rachel Unthank and Neon Neon do well out of it but not win - kiss of death!

While my list would look a bit different from the one presented to us, I really hope Elbow win it. In fact, it probably would have been my pick regardless of who was on the list. I just wish there were better albums on that list to offer people some more options. The Last Shadow Puppets are not really an option for people who have taste.

interesting and positive thing i have read about the Mercury Prize, thank you.

I just wish that the facts that she comes out with there were made more publicly by the actual organisers.

and I generally agree but I sadly think its a romanticised view just because of the state of play right now.

It would be great if there were more obscure bands/newcomers involved, amazing in fact, but then no one would be interested, because we live in a mostly selfish and apathetic country who only care about what they're fed.

I hate to sound like one of them patriot-bashing guys but that's just how it is, the majority of people just wouldn't be interested without the Adele's or the Alex Turner's, and they're only interested in them because record labels tell them to and maybe the people behind the awards feel they need that interest, perhaps its a money thing. Maybe they all get paid off, I dunno.

basically, yes I do think something like this should be used for strictly new bands but it just won't happen in this country. Not on this scale anyway. And I think that's why (despite their constant desire to slag each other off) people choose to come to websites like this one and read whom they think made the "best album of the year"

i think even a small label can stretch to that to be fair, if they think the album is worth it, and even if not nominated gets that album in to 25 influential hands?

is if BUrial wins I won't be able to play it if I have a party as people will go

'oh yeah - they won the Mercury' as if to accuse me of playing it for that reason.

A bit like playing Sneaker Pimps after everyone watched This Life!

I actually can't be arsed to read that article because the paragraphs are tooooooo loooooong. It's like everything is all about everything else and it carrys on and on along the page like some, Boom Bip style stream of conciousness never ending in its quest to devour all the white space that it relishes upon. So hungry is it that it must feed on every pixel that is not being used by the stark hard typed, punched out kernings of each letter burning into the very heart of this page. With little or no remorse, it battles on through the blockade of my very inner sanctum.. he he I said sanctum that sounds rude. Give me my ball back.

Oh crap now I have gone and done it too.

i mostly agree but i actually think there are enough non-apathetic people out there to justify a slightly less stitched-up and predictable list.

from kendal sound like.
i rather like it.
though whether i know what i'm talking about or not is possibly debatable.