Mercury Music Prize shortlist announced

To a hushed audience in a studio room in Covent Garden Lauren Laverne announced this years's Mercury Music Prize nominees. The expected names - The XX, Dizzee Rascal, Corinne Bailey Rae - were all there, as well as a few mild surprises - Villagers anyone? All in all it reads like a particularly soporific Jules Holland line-up, with the usual token jazz and 'urban' artist. Here's the list in full.

• Biffy Clyro - Only Revolution
• Dizzee Rascal - Tongue N' Cheek
• Kit Downes Trio - Golden
• Foals - Total Life Forever
• I Am Kloot - Sky At Night
• Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
• Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More
• Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
• Paul Weller - Wake Up The Nation
• Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
• Villagers - Becoming A Jackal
• The XX - xx

William Hill have installed Dizzee Rascal's execrable 'Tongue N' Cheek' and The XX's sort-of-eponymous debut as joint 4/1 favourites. As for this writer's opinion, I reckon it'll probably be The XX.

Who do you think the winner should be? Are there any glaring omissions? Is this list really representative of the scope of the UK music scene? And is the Mercury Music Prize still even relevant? DiScuss below...