This morning, the nominees were announced for the 16th annual Mercury Prize, a prestigious award given out each year to the best British or Irish album of the previous 12 months; past winners include Pulp, Primal Scream, Franz Ferdinand, Portishead, and PJ Harvey. Then again, they also include M People (wah?) and Talvin Singh (ha!). (Yes, those are two artists we moderately enjoyed at the time, but some stuff just really doesn’t stand the test of time.)
Anyway, the noms this year go to: Bat For Lashes, Arctic Monkeys, Amy Winehouse, Dizzee Rascal, Klaxons, Fionn Regan, the View, the Young Knives, and several other NME favorites. The Arctic Monkeys and Dizzee Rascal have actually both won before — the Monkeys only last year, for their debut, and Dizzee in 2003 for his. Personally, we’re fans of several artists on the list, especially Bat for Lashes (more on her later) but aside from small splashes for the Klaxons and the Monkeys, do most Americans know anyone on this list, with a single glaring exception? You’ve guessed by now, of course, whom we refer to, The One Who Is Not Like the Others? Could it be Amy "Maybe you’ve seen me on the cover of Spin and Rolling Stone with the hair and the tattoos and what have you, and okay I said no no no to ‘Rehab’ but yes to eloping, and P.S. I cancel a lot of shows too, possibly because of my destructive personal habits" Winehouse (pictured)? As Cookie Monster would say, "You so smart!"
Yes, Ms. Winehouse is clearly the far-and-away front-runner. Afterall, are U.S. tabloids following the dalliances and follicular folliesof singer-songwriter Jamie T? How about classic orchestral outfitBasquiat Strings? Not so much. Now, we’re not saying everybody has tobe in Us Weekly’s "Celebrities: They’re Just Like Us!" sectionto warrant a good shot at the prize, but as recently as two years ago,it felt like more of a fair game; the preternaturally gifted cult actAntony & the Johnsons won out (correctly, we feel in retrospect)over bona fide marquee names (Coldplay), critical dazzlers (M.I.A.,Polar Bear, the Go! Team) and rollicking, well-loved rockers (BlocParty, the Magic Numbers, the Kaiser Chiefs). This year it seems that,Stateside at least, only one act will really galvanize the armchairawards-show jockies.
But maybe we’re being unfair, or simply too American. Readers, whatdo you think of this year’s nominees? Are they everything they can be?Who will take home the honors on Sept. 4? Who, if anyone, deserves abigger shot at our great nation, and its Billboard chart so full of Daughtrys, T-Pains and Hannah Montanas?
Comments (1-20) of 20 Add your comment
lily allen said it best, that some acts are bigger in different parts of the world. I.E. My Chemical Romance is actually an opening act in some parts of Europe. Those “unknown” bands are probably bigger than big across the pond.
I don’t know too many of the nominees, but I do like Jamie T’s song “Sheila”. (Plus, check out his website: you pick songs to play by dropping tapes into the exact Fisher-Price tape player that I had when I was 10. Boss.)
I see no problem, though, b/c her album is one of the best I’ve heard in years.
Trust me, even us Brits haven’t heard of half of these bands. The Mercurys are seen as somewhat pretentious over here.
Bat for Lashes rule, I hope they win!
LOVE Bat for Lashes – was introduced to them by a friend who sent me a video of theirs on YouTube. The link to which read: “Click here, not sure if I should be terrified or in love…enjoy!”
Terrified or in love? My kind of music!
Um..I think you are being too American.
the artic monkeys are infinitely larger in england than anybody else on this list including amy winehouse, and probably the best artist… it’s UK prize, i don’t know why anyone would think that they decide it based on the artist’s popularity in America
I vote for the Arctic Monkeys again. Sure, we’re aware of Amy Wino, but do we really enjoy her?
Ugh, Amy Winehouse. I wish I could get that $9.99 back. I liked “Rehab”, bought into the hype, bought the album, and within one listen I was done with her. She’s a novelty act, that’s about it. I should have known better, I can usually pick up on the gimmicky acts pretty fast…but then, I did buy Matisyahu. I must be slipping as I get older.
She may be a mess, but Amy Winehouse has the best album out right now. Rehab is the best song, but give the rest of Black To Black another listen. You Know I’m No Good (both the original and the remixed hidden track), Tears Dry On Their Own, Back To Black, and Me And Mr. Jones (a.k.a. What Kind of F***ery Is This?) are just as good. You’ll be glad you did.
I agree with Kevin when I say UGH! Every since she came on the scene over here, I’ve felt like Amy Winehouse has been shoved down my throat – ooooh she’s so edgy and doesn’t give a cr@p. Ick – can’t stand the hype.
You have no idea what you are talking about. There is no way she could win. Her album has been out in the UK for a long time and her antics are already antiquated. Taste-makers have long since moved on.
Also, R&B isn’t fashionable anymore. It’s dead. Classic country and orchestra are the new black.
Eww… *hold’s nose* That “Rehab” song was a fun novelty song for about 5 minutes, but I think we’ve all had about enough of the r-word already. Amy Winehouse comes across as really desperate for attention. She’s over and she has nothing to look forward to but a punchline in some future episode of “I Love ‘07″… Right after the guy from that “Grease” Reality Show.
I think that’s a great selection of artists. I vote for Klaxons or The Young Knives.
I would like to deep six Arctic Monkeys. They’ve been nothing but an over-hyped disappoint to me. I feel like they have no original sound and pretty much sound like everything else out there right now trying to “break into the biz.”
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