Florence and the Machine 5/1
Kasabian 5/1
Bat for Lashes 6/1
La Roux 6/1
Glasvegas 6/1
Speech Debelle 8/1
Friendly Fires 8/11
The Horrors 8/1
Lisa Hannigan 8/1
The Invisible 10/1
Led Bib 10/1
Sweet Billy Pilgrim 10/1
Which of these do you rate? Obviously the folk ones are merely window-dressing, they won't win, unfortunately. Florence and the Machine have had a lot of press interest but there's a suspicion that there's more style than substance. The Horrors might get a nod for following an emo-by-numbers debut with a very interesting sophomore album. On the other hand, there's a groundswell of press opinion that this is the year of the electro woman, so it could come down to Bat for Lashes v. La Roux. Glasvegas produced an LP that sounded like Oasis after a couple of years on a Liberal Arts degree, but they haven't really broken the mould. Your thoughts?
9 comments:
The worst list I've ever seen. Possibly out of having more than one good song Friendly Fires should win but The Horrors could get it on musical development. A terrible list though, a lot of top notch albums have been ignored here.
It is very pedestrian. I quite liked the Horrors album, but it's not innovative in any way. Sweet Billy Pilgrim are a very good folk band - perhaps they deserve it. I've no idea who Speech Debelle or Lisa Hannigan are.
I quite like Lisa Hannigan, she's an Irish singer who meanders her way softfully through songs.
Apart from Kasabian, I don't think I've heard of the others. One of my friends likes Glasvegas, I think.
So, yeah. That's my entirely unhelpful contribution.
Meanders is the word. Nothing happens and she dances like a Dad. Speech Debelle is meant to be the female answer to Dizzee. She isn't and never will be. I'm not a big fan of anyone on this list, really. Kasabian, for one, should never be worthy of any musical acknowledgement. I'm struggling to think of any truly great British releases so far this year though. Also weren't Glasvegas out near the end/start of 07/08?
Actually, I do think God Help The Girl should get a mention, especially with the film idea behind it. That's something quite different and where the Mercury's should be aiming. The Manics latest effort was a return to form too and deserves to be recognised here as the 'surprise album that was actually quite good which everyone expected to MOR dross' entry. And Bloc Party should be shot. KTHXBAI.
I also think it's a really disappointing/lazy list this year, but being a poor student and trying to severely limit the CDs I buy I can't recommend anyone different (well that's from the UK anyway). Glasvegas I agree are like a poor man's Oasis (and I don't particularly like Oasis!) and Kasabian just bother me, I fail to see what's meant to be good about them. I agree Lisa Hannigan is only quite good (she was the female vocalist on Damien Rice's 'O' Voley), I have Bat for Lashes first album which I rather like, but it's not amazing, and haven't got round to buying Two Suns yet. I bought the Florence and the Machine album at the weekend, and the critics are right, it is overpublicised, overhyped and overproduced, and someone DOES need to teach her the difference between shouting and singing, but in spite of all these things I really, really like it, so my money's on her. The others I've not heard of, or know enough about to know it's not my cup of tea. I'll have to check the folk act out though, even though in my view there hasn't been a truly outstanding folk artist shortlisted since Eliza Carthy (or her mum!).
Outstanding folk - loads out since Eliza Carthy. How about Dual, or Rachel Unthank and the Winterset, who really are bleak, special, fascinating? Is the Mercury for UK and Ireland or just the UK? Hannigan's presence suggests Ireland too, so there are loads of folk options.
I bought the first Bat for Lashes album and liked it the first few times, then got frustrated with its deliberate archness.
I saw Rachel Unthank and the Winterset at a festival last August and thought they were excellent, and rushed home to buy the Mercury nominated album and was rather disappointed with it. It is incredibly bleak, which I didn't find fascinating but rather quite hollow and flat. To be fair though, shortly after buying the album I was no longer able to listen to it because of uncomfortable personal associations (ask Emma). Dual? I've never heard of them, I'm normally an avid follower of the Mercury but I don't remember them being nominated, I'll have to check them out. Sorry, still can't think of outstanding folk acts that have been nominated in recent years(as opposed to that exist - don't misunderstand me!); I like Kate Rusby but she's not a patch on Eliza, and Seth Lakeman I just don't get. As for is it UK and Ireland, you may well ask. I think Lisa Hannigan's nomination is something of an anomaly, correct me if I'm wrong but I don't remember Irish acts being nominated in previous years. If it is UK and Ireland they've been rather neglecting the Ireland bit!
I'll have to disagree with you on the Unthanks - I love both albums. Try Kris Drever (?), or Lau. Dual are a one-off folk supergroup of Irish and Scots musicians. Cara Dillon's Hill of Thieves is rather good too. I too don't quite get Seth Lakeman. How about Bellowhead/Spiers and Boden?
I've listened again to the Unthanks and you're right, they are really good, it's just me who finds the CD incredibly difficult to listen to. Bleak and Geordie are what's best about them, sadly that's also why I can't listen! Thanks for the folk recommendations, I already know about Bellowhead (they're good) and have been meaning to check Lau out for a while (the name sounds like I would like them - female logic!)and I've heard of the others but not familiar with their stuff. There's plenty of great, innovative folk out there, it just doesn't seem to get picked. I rather like Shooglenlifty, although maybe they're a bit obscure, and the Imagined Village collaboration was excellent, but maybe they don't count as they're a collaboration. What really amazes me though is how James Yorkston was never nominated for Moving Up Country (in my top ten favourite CDs of all time) or his follow up Just Beyond the River.
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