The odds favour the unknown: Burial favourite for Mercury
After a week of betting, bookmakers William Hill have revealed that their favourite to take this year's Nationwide Mercury Prize is Burial, for his second album Untrue (pictured).
At the time of the shortlist announcement William Hill placed Untrue at 6/1, behind Radiohead's In Rainbows and The Last Shadow Puppets' The Age Of Understatement. But it's now emerged as favourite.
The problem if he wins: who is going to turn up to collect the award on September 9? The true identity of Burial has remained a mystery despite the acclaim for Untrue, reviewed here. It could be a woman, so we shouldn't really say 'he' is favourite.
A William Hill spokesperson told the BBC:
_ "The two people we’ve seen real money for is Radiohead at 9/2 but Burial is very much the favourite at the moment at 3/1."_
Find the full list of nominees here, and vote for DiS's own Pluto Prize, celebrating 12 albums that (for whatever reasons) missed out on being shortlisted for the Mercury, here.
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Burial
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.
Here Here
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
their album's here...
...I may give it some time later.
M-People
would do the trick too, send up shovel.
they sound nice on the myspace
I could do with some Jazz that doesn't have Seb Rochford in it I guess if I have too.
Craig David
would be pretty class too ;o)
In Rainbows
is Radiohead's weakest album. Deffo shouldn't be a contender. If a relatively unknown band had released it, it deffo wouldn't be shortlisted. It's inclusion is typical of why the Mercurys annoy me. It's supposed to be alternative, about quality music. But they too stick with popularist, safe bets (Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand, The Klaxons).
In light of this, I'd be delighted if Burial won. It truly is an original and personal piece of work, something outside of the norm, made in a way that should be supported and encouraged. It'd certainly give the Mercurys a bit more kudos in my eyes.
M.I.A would be my second choice - stupdendously awesome album.
Have
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.
..
to attend the award ceremony each act has to 'buy' a table, which costs (i think) in the region of £20,000. I can't really see Hyperdub (burials record label) being able to afford that!
I wouldn't pay it if it was me!
Burial is a he
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
maybe Burial and Banksy are the same person
Have a think about that
Franz Ferdinand arent british
stop churning out 'facts' if you can't back them up
Scotland
was in Britain last time I checked. Have they broken away without me noticing?
White Town
wasn't "Theme from a Late Afternoon Documentary About The Dangers of Drug Abuse" or something similar, a b side of 'Your Woman' ?
Fuck that.
This means I'll only be £15 in.
PJ Harvey was in Washington DC
when she won hers
i agree
only have his first but it's so friggin dull...
Right this is whats going to happen
Burial is going to win, he wont be there, he'll obviously either send a member of his family to collect it, or someone from some 24 hour cafe he frequents to collect it, you know, to give them a 'nice night out'.
Yeah
I remember that, the ceremony was on 9/11 wasn't it?
wooop
i have a bet on him at 6/1
same
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.
Yeah it was
unsurprisingly it didn't get much attention that year.
that sounds brilliant tho
'sounds like the soundtrack to a 90's channel 4 daytime documentary for schools on the dangers of glue sniffing.'
It wont distroy the album
just a few more people might buy it and like it. He will still stay anonamus and underground.
As he is favourite, he won't win
Elbow on the other hand...
oh, come off it.
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!)
yeah that's a bad one mate.
Thumbs down
Yeah, surely if he thought it could be an issue
he'd have asked for the album to be withdrawn?
sorry
But LOL
Send up some
native americans.
OK, I'll rephrase.
It's their weakest album post Kid-A (I love HTTT). And I think you've misunderstood - Radiohead is a 'safe and populist' selection because they're universally, and I would say unquestioningly, admired and lauded. And the Mercury's will definitely not deviate from that norm. What I mean to say is, unless it had been a complete bum of an album, then Radiohead were a sure bet for the shortlist.
Actually, fup it!
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 :)
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