The odds favour the unknown: Burial favourite for Mercury

should win hands down :)

He/She rules, I think Burial is a he mind, from interviews get that impression.

It would be brilliant if no one comes to pick up the award.

Burial should win. Definatly my favorite of the 12
Failing that (not gonna happen) but I managed to check out the Portico Quartet and was really impressed by their stuff

would do the trick too, send up shovel.

would be pretty class too ;o)

Bad.

they ever given it to a no-show? Can't remember that happening.
I reckon Kode9 would pick it up though - after all he discovered him and hand-picked the material for the first album.

I thought this was common knowledge now? It says so in pretty much all of his interviews, and I'm guessing you'd be able to tell if you were talking to a woman

Also, I really hope he doesn't win. He hates and avoids the limelight as it is, so I can't imagine a Banksy-esque tabloid frenzy doing him any favours

Have a think about that

was in Britain last time I checked. Have they broken away without me noticing?

This means I'll only be £15 in.

only have his first but it's so friggin dull...

I remember that, the ceremony was on 9/11 wasn't it?

although it is definately the best album and deserves to win, i hope it doesn't. part of the greatness of burial besides the music was the mystery and undergroundness of it all. i can only see the mainstream destroying this gem of a record.

unsurprisingly it didn't get much attention that year.

just a few more people might buy it and like it. He will still stay anonamus and underground.

you know in your heart of hearts that its not their weakest album. And that its also really quite good.

I could understand your gripe if it was Keane, or Newton Faulkner or someone like that, but just because Radiohead are popular doesn't make them "safe and populist" - the album still experiments and doesn't play it safe - its not exactly brimming with choruses. (Though obviously it isn't unaccessible!)

he'd have asked for the album to be withdrawn?

isn't unknown anymore. he revealed his identity abot a week or so ago.. unless i've being royally punk'd or something

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=60968411&blogID=421408328

original news article:
http://boredofdictators.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/burial-revealsconfirms-true-identity/

native americans.

This from the Mercurys' website:
"The Barclaycard Mercury Prize exists solely to champion music in the UK, mainly through the 'Albums of the Year' competition, which celebrates recorded music of all genres by British or Irish artists."
I don't see why Radiohead, or for that matter, the non-British Franz Ferdinand (tee-hee-hee) shouldn't be included. And if their purpose is to 'champion music in the UK' then they do need a few marquee acts on that shortlist! I take it all back, me bad :)