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Mercury Music Prize


Gemmill
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It's funny that this album won but their first (which was better) didn't even get nominated.

 

Most people have heard them, they just don't know it. Cripple and the Starfish was on some advert. Great song. Last FM users can note that it's my most favoritist tune, so the result pleased me :blink:

Edited by Happy Face
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It's funny that this album won but their first (which was better) didn't even get nominated.

 

Most people have heard them, they just don't know it. Cripple and the Starfish was on some advert.  Great song.

29521[/snapback]

 

think i'll have to get this album tonight. or even push the boat out and get both.

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I think alot of people had heard of it and it was one that alot of people were tipping to win and wanting to win, which is actually a change from their usual pick something deliberately obscure to seem clever approach!

 

I've only heard the first album so far, not the one that was nominated.

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Well chuffed for them!  :D

 

Love the album. Love the voice. Different, but I like it.

30212[/snapback]

 

I'm not fussed by them.

 

I don't think it's right that they won. The Mercury is meant to be for British and Irish bands. All but one of them are American, and the singer moved there when he was a kid. They're based in America. I think the British link is tenuous.

 

Brian Johnson is from Newcastle, but you wouldn't say ACDC were a British band. They're still Australian.

 

In my opinion it should have gone to Maxïmo or the Kaisers.

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Apparently the Jury split down the middle about the Kaiser Chiefs and other "hyped" bands

 

with the TV deadline looming they were up shit creek and so decided to vote for soemone that NO-ONE supported stronlgy - at least they could hide behind the "Cutting edge" and "arty" defence that way.............................

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Apparently the Jury split down the middle about the Kaiser Chiefs and other "hyped" bands

 

with the TV deadline looming they were up shit creek and so decided to vote for soemone that NO-ONE supported stronlgy - at least they could hide behind the "Cutting edge" and "arty" defence that way.............................

30655[/snapback]

 

 

Except for Joe Whiley.

 

Admittedly, she's the only one I can think of off the top of my head but its not exactly NO-ONE either.

 

You think Nina Simone's 'Cutting Edge" and "arty" do you? Because that's the nearest person I could put in as a comparison. It's soulful, rich and unique (and I'm aware that 'unique' doesn't neccessarily mean good. Take 'The Streets' for example) with a voice so mature and passionate for a 32-year old lad. I've heard bands like the Kaisers, Hard-Fi et al many, many times. They're Radio 1 fodder.

 

Alright, so he's camp as Christmas and the Lyrics are a little suspect but the music is sooooo good. Therefore I'm not gonna hold that against them.

 

As for the nationality thing, couldn't give a toss. M.I.A. (I think that's what they're called) are Trinidad & Tobago. What's their excuse? British commonwealth?

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M.I.A. (I think that's what they're called) are Trinidad & Tobago. What's their excuse? British commonwealth?

30741[/snapback]

 

She moved from London, England, to her parents' native Sri Lanka at the age of six months, only to relocate to Madras, India. During a return stay in Sri Lanka, the civil war taking place within the country escalated to the point where Arulpragasam began to lose family members and friends. She didn't see her father — a devout and active separatist as part of the Tamil rebellion, which has clashed with the Sinhalese majority — often throughout these years, but her life stabilized once she and the rest of her family were able to make it back to London.

 

As a student, Arulpragasam became involved in the arts and published a monogram book of her paintings — titled M.I.A. and heavily influenced by the Tamil rebellion. She later connected with Elastica, providing the photography and graphics for the group's second album, and she shot footage during their American tour. Elastica's support act, Peaches, introduced her to the Roland MC-505, a sequencer she became familiar with after returning home. Steve Mackey (Pulp) and Ross Orton became involved after hearing a demo; they made adjustments to "Galang," a song that was then pressed into 500 copies and released, under the name M.I.A., by the Showbiz label. It didn't take long for the song — a bold, righteous amalgamation of hip-hop, electro, dancehall, grime, and baile funk — to make an impact with DJs. She wound up signing a contract with XL, which re-released the single and, eventually, debut album Arular in 2005. Anticipation for the release was considerable, only heightened by the Piracy Funds Terrorism mixtape she put together with DJ Diplo.

 

Get Cracking, Get Get Cracking.

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Apparently the Jury split down the middle about the Kaiser Chiefs and other "hyped" bands

 

with the TV deadline looming they were up shit creek and so decided to vote for soemone that NO-ONE supported stronlgy - at least they could hide behind the "Cutting edge" and "arty" defence that way.............................

30655[/snapback]

 

 

Except for Joe Whiley.

 

Admittedly, she's the only one I can think of off the top of my head but its not exactly NO-ONE either.

 

You think Nina Simone's 'Cutting Edge" and "arty" do you? Because that's the nearest person I could put in as a comparison. It's soulful, rich and unique (and I'm aware that 'unique' doesn't neccessarily mean good. Take 'The Streets' for example) with a voice so mature and passionate for a 32-year old lad. I've heard bands like the Kaisers, Hard-Fi et al many, many times. They're Radio 1 fodder.

 

Alright, so he's camp as Christmas and the Lyrics are a little suspect but the music is sooooo good. Therefore I'm not gonna hold that against them.

 

As for the nationality thing, couldn't give a toss. M.I.A. (I think that's what they're called) are Trinidad & Tobago. What's their excuse? British commonwealth?

30741[/snapback]

 

 

that was the papers description - some of the jury though they'd lose all cred if they rubber stamped the kaisers..

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Apparently the Jury split down the middle about the Kaiser Chiefs and other "hyped" bands

 

with the TV deadline looming they were up shit creek and so decided to vote for soemone that NO-ONE supported stronlgy - at least they could hide behind the "Cutting edge" and "arty" defence that way.............................

30655[/snapback]

 

 

Except for Joe Whiley.

 

Admittedly, she's the only one I can think of off the top of my head but its not exactly NO-ONE either.

 

You think Nina Simone's 'Cutting Edge" and "arty" do you? Because that's the nearest person I could put in as a comparison. It's soulful, rich and unique (and I'm aware that 'unique' doesn't neccessarily mean good. Take 'The Streets' for example) with a voice so mature and passionate for a 32-year old lad. I've heard bands like the Kaisers, Hard-Fi et al many, many times. They're Radio 1 fodder.

 

Alright, so he's camp as Christmas and the Lyrics are a little suspect but the music is sooooo good. Therefore I'm not gonna hold that against them.

 

As for the nationality thing, couldn't give a toss. M.I.A. (I think that's what they're called) are Trinidad & Tobago. What's their excuse? British commonwealth?

30741[/snapback]

 

 

that was the papers description - some of the jury though they'd lose all cred if they rubber stamped the kaisers..

30789[/snapback]

 

Hyped bands shouldn't win it. I love the Kaiser Chiefs but they're already one of the bigger UK acts. Nothing that gets played to death on Radio 1 and has taken up resiodency in the top 10 should be considered. It's meant to be a leg up for under-appreciated acts, not a boost to already massive sales, that's what the Brits are for.

 

Good on the jury I say.

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Apparently the Jury split down the middle about the Kaiser Chiefs and other "hyped" bands

 

with the TV deadline looming they were up shit creek and so decided to vote for soemone that NO-ONE supported stronlgy - at least they could hide behind the "Cutting edge" and "arty" defence that way.............................

30655[/snapback]

 

 

Except for Joe Whiley.

 

Admittedly, she's the only one I can think of off the top of my head but its not exactly NO-ONE either.

 

You think Nina Simone's 'Cutting Edge" and "arty" do you? Because that's the nearest person I could put in as a comparison. It's soulful, rich and unique (and I'm aware that 'unique' doesn't neccessarily mean good. Take 'The Streets' for example) with a voice so mature and passionate for a 32-year old lad. I've heard bands like the Kaisers, Hard-Fi et al many, many times. They're Radio 1 fodder.

 

Alright, so he's camp as Christmas and the Lyrics are a little suspect but the music is sooooo good. Therefore I'm not gonna hold that against them.

 

As for the nationality thing, couldn't give a toss. M.I.A. (I think that's what they're called) are Trinidad & Tobago. What's their excuse? British commonwealth?

30741[/snapback]

 

 

that was the papers description - some of the jury though they'd lose all cred if they rubber stamped the kaisers..

30789[/snapback]

 

Hyped bands shouldn't win it. I love the Kaiser Chiefs but they're already one of the bigger UK acts. Nothing that gets played to death on Radio 1 and has taken up resiodency in the top 10 should be considered. It's meant to be a leg up for under-appreciated acts, not a boost to already massive sales, that's what the Brits are for.

 

Good on the jury I say.

30796[/snapback]

 

Surely their job is to pick the album they think is the best, regardless of whether it happens to be an already big selling album played all the time on radio, or some obscure album hardly anybody in the mainstream has heard of?

 

Though in music there no way you can really pick a "best" album as its an art form and all comes down to opinion!

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Surely their job is to pick the album they think is the best, regardless of whether it happens to be an already big selling album played all the time on radio, or some obscure album hardly anybody in the mainstream has heard of?

 

Though in music there no way you can really pick a "best" album as its an art form and all comes down to opinion!

30804[/snapback]

 

The Nationwide Mercury Prize exists solely to champion UK music by promoting the 12 Albums of the Year by British or Irish artists.

 

From that I take it that they want to champion more obscure acts, why champion the champions? They're already champions, championing champions isn't really championing, more glory hunting. To truly champion I think the championees must be pretenders to the crown rather than wearers.

 

Having said that, the best album won anyhow.

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All of these sponsored awards are a load of bollocks to be fair. This one is no different. It's the same award that's crowned Ms Dynamite and Dizzee Rascal. Not forgetting M People back in the early days. This one swings between whats popular and the politically correct choice from year to year.

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if kaiser chiefs, coldplay etc cant win it because they are already successful then why nominate them in the first place?

30826[/snapback]

 

To push them in America. Oasis used to get nominated but since they've burned their bridges in the US they don't anymore.

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Actually the full description for the MMP says:

The Nationwide Mercury Prize exists solely to champion UK music by promoting the 12 Albums of the Year by British or Irish artists. All genres of music are eligible and will be treated equally

 

No mention of championing new music, just UK music. Regardless of their popularity.

Edited by The Mighty Hog
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if kaiser chiefs, coldplay etc cant win it because they are already successful then why nominate them in the first place?

30826[/snapback]

 

To push them in America. Oasis used to get nominated but since they've burned their bridges in the US they don't anymore.

30831[/snapback]

 

both bands were already known in America before the nominations were announced. Kaiser chiefs have been all over the American media this summer

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