Mercury Music Prize

[probablyoliver]

NATIONWIDE MERCURY MUSIC PRIZE NOMINATIONS REVEALED

The nominations for this year’s NATIONWIDE MERCURY MUSIC PRIZE have been revealed this morning (July 19).

At a small ceremony in London the 12 albums that will battle it out for this year’s prize were announced by Jools Holland.

The nominations are:

    * Bloc Party – 'Silent Alarm'

    * Hard-Fi –'Stars Of CCTV'

    * Kaiser Chiefs – 'Employment'

    * MIA – 'Arular'

    * The Magic Numbers – 'The Magic Numbers'

    * Coldplay – 'X&Y'

    * The Go! Team – 'Thunder, Lightning Strike'

    * Antony And The Johnsons – 'I Am A Bird Now'

    * KT Tunstall – 'Eye To The Telescope'

    * Maximo Park – 'A Certain Trigger'

    * Seth Lakeman – 'Kitty Jay'

    * Polar Bear – 'Held On The Tips Of Fingers'

The overall winner of the £20,000 prize will be announced on September 6.

Immediately the Kaiser Chiefs have been installed as 4/1 favourites, however the band showed a distinct lack of confidence by only putting a £2 bet on themselves.

"The Kaiser Chiefs went into the Ladbrokes in Trafalgar Square this morning and backed themselves to win with £2 at odds of 4/1. If they win it will return £10," revealed Ladbrokes spokesman Warren Lush.

Elsewhere in the odds Bloc Party are second favourites at 5/1, with the Magic Numbers and Coldplayclose behind, while Antony & The Johnsons and The Go! Team seem a good outside bet at 12/1.

Credit: NME.com

[Turbo Yannis]

If Kaiser Chiefs don't win it will be a crime against mankind

[fineintent]

The only one's I like are the Kaiser Chiefs and KT Tunstall, neither will win as the Mercury folks have shown that they like obscure artists - Dizzee Rascal was smalltime when he won, and look at Amy Winehouse last year.

If Bloc Party win, someone is getting shot.

[Lord Nibbler]

Ignoring the ones I haven't heard, the following are dope:

Bloc Party – 'Silent Alarm'

The Go! Team – 'Thunder, Lightning Strike'

But IMO the winner should be:

Antony And The Johnsons – 'I Am A Bird Now'

Kaiser Chiefs album is good but nothing extraordinary.

[Colly]

For local pride Maximo Park me up. But in the real world its all about Bloc Party. Seth Lakeman anyone?

[Guest MDickie]

has anyone here actually heard the magic numbers before?

i heard they're good

[Turbo Yannis]

Maximo Park are a bit grim, IMO. I seen them at T In The Park and they were just like The Futureheads. Only not as good.

[Lord Nibbler]

has anyone here actually heard the magic numbers before?

i heard they're good

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[Darloboy]

Ugh, I hope the Kaiser Chiefs don't win I hate them enough already. My money's on Coldplay. (they're not my favourite band on that shortlist but I would be surprised if they didn't win)

[Skummy]

has anyone here actually heard the magic numbers before?

i heard they're good

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I have done, but the Mercury Music Prize is supposed to be about originality, and they're hardly breaking any boundaries. They're good, but nothing new and innovative.

That said, it's going to the Kaiser Chiefs or Bloc Party. They always choose one more commercial band/artist (KT Tunstal), and choose a couple of more uncommercial albums, but they never win, it's always the middle-ground, the art-rock indie student bands.

Last year Franz Ferdinand beat The Streets and The Zutons, which I fought was an awful decision. The Zutons are interesting and genuinely innovative, and love it or hate it (I vehemently dislike it), The Streets album is one of the most original of its type in several years, but that probably says as much about the dismal British rap/hip-hop/whatever scene as it does about the album in question, whilst Franz Ferdinand are just the new romantic Interpol.

My money's on Bloc Party, but I'd love for it to be The Futureheads or Maximo Park.

[Colly]

Maximo Park are a bit grim, IMO.  I seen them at T In The Park and they were just like The Futureheads.  Only not as good.

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Edited July 20, 2005 by Colly

[Turbo Yannis]

Maximo Park are a bit grim, IMO.  I seen them at T In The Park and they were just like The Futureheads.  Only not as good.

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Booooo! You lose. Although you're right, they aren't as good as the Futureheads. But then who is?

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[John Stones' Paint Trophy]

Hard-Fi need to win. That thing is so original its unreal. If you catch them live, you'll see what I mean.