The first part of the question:
What deserves to make the shortlist 12 of the Technics Mercury Music Prize 2001? (your own personal opinion.. because many people moan at the choices made each year.)
And secondly: What albums do you think the panel will select for the shortlist: i.e the predictable choices? (Who can get the most predictions correct)
The rules of eligibility are simple:
The artists must be British or Irish, and have released a new album between the start of August 2000 and the end of July 2001. To stimulate debate I have included 101 possible albums that match the qualifying criteria. (For the benefit of Pinefox I have also included Lloyd Cole to give him something to discuss and I also include Tow Ewing’s fav choice of 2000: Clientele - Suburban Light) Also over the past 12 months has it been a good period for British Isles based albums music? NB No Mogwai listed they have stated they dislike the prize. 101 Possible contenders for the shortlist: including a few that will be released in the next two weeks
1. AC Acoustics - Understanding Music (Cookin Vinyl) 2. The Advent - Time Trap Technik (International Deejay Gigolo) 3. Alder And Elius - Parental Guidance (Skam) 4. Animated - Tempting Fate (Deviant) 5. Anjali - Anjali (Wiiija) 6. Aphelion - Aphelion I-iV (Iris Light) 7. Appendix Out - The Night is Advancing (Drag City) 8. Appliance - Imperial Metric (Mute) 9. Arab Strap -The Red Thread (Chemikal Underground) 10. Arco - Coming to Terms (Dreamy) 11. Autechre - Confield (Warp) 12. Badmarsch & Shri - Signs (Outcaste) 13. Basement Jaxx - Rooty (XL) 14. Jeff Beck - You Had it Coming (Epic) 15. Justin Berkovi -Transit (Music Man) 16. Beta Band - Hotshots II (Regal) 17. Blue States - Nothing Changes Under The Sun (Memphis Industries) 18. Bows - Cassidy (Too Pure) 19. Bridge & Tunnel - Without Ghosts (Harmsonic) 20. Bronx Dogs - Enviro (Marble Bar) 21. Cane141 - Garden Tiger Moth (Décor) 22. Capitol K - Island Row (planet mu) 23. The Chameleons - Why Call It Anything (Artful) 24. Chris Clark - Clarence Park (Warp) 25. The Clientele - Suburban Light (Pointy/Merge) 26. Cody - Stillpoint Reminder (Shinkansen) 27. Cranes - Future Songs (Dadaphonic) 28. Defenestration - One Inch God (Dream Catcher) 29. Delicate Awol - Our Genome (Day Release Records) 30. Depeche Mode - Exciter (Mute) 31. Dillinja - Dillinja Presents Cybotron (ffrr) 32. Earthtone 9 - arc’tan’gent (Copro) 33. Elbow - Asleep In The Back (V2) 34. Electrelane - Rock it to the Moon (Let’s Rock) 35. Empress - Empress (Geographic) 36. The Fall - The Unutterable (Eagle) 37. Fatboy Slim – Halfway Between the Gutter and Stars (Skint) 38. Four Tet - Pause (Domino) 39. Funk D’ Void - Dos (Soma) 40. Gnac - Biscuit Barrel Fashion (Poptones) 41. Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain (Mute) 42. Ed Harcourt - Here Be Monsters (Heavenly Recordings) 43. PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (Island) 44. Herbert - Bodily Functions (Studio K7) 45. Jega - Geometry (planet Mu) 46. John B - Future Reference (Beta Recordings) 47. Icarus - Squid Ink (Output) 48. Inigo Kennedy - The Bigger Picture (Missile) 49. Ladytron - 604 (Invicta Hi fi) 50. Larmousse - Larmousse (City Slang) 51. Leafcutter John - Microcontract (Leaf) 52. Lemon Jelly - lemon Jelly.Ky (XL) 53. Life Without Buildings - Any Other City (Tugboat) 54. Magnetophone - I Guess Sometimes I Need To Be Reminded Of How Much I Love You (4ad) 55. Chris McCormack - There are Better Ways (Potential) 56. Meat Katie - Long to Belong (King Size) 57. Montgolfier Brothers - Seventeen Stars (Poptones) 58. Mount Florida - Arrived Phoenik (Matador) 59. Neotropic - La Prochaine Fois (Ninja Tune / Ntone) 60. No Man - Returning Jesus (3rd Stone) 61. Nought - Nought (Shifty Disco) 62. Gary Numan - Pure (Eagle) 63. Omni Trio - Even Angels Cast Shadows (Moving Shadow) 64. Organic Audio - Last One Home (Tummy Touch) 65. Roland Orzabal - Tom Cats Screaming Outside (Eagle) 66. Oxide & Neutrino - Execute (east west) 67. Penumbra - Skandinavien (Iris Light) 68. Photek - Solaris (Science) 69. Pilote - Do it Now Man (Certificate 18) 70. Plaid - Double Figure (Warp) 71. Portal - Tristesse (Alice in Wonder) 72. Pressure Drop - Tread (Columbia) 73. Radiohead - Kid A (Parlophone) 74. Radiohead - Amnesiac (Parlophone) 75. Red Snapper - Our aim is to Satisfy.. (Warp) 76. Rialto - Night on Earth (Eagle) 77. Rothko - In the Pulse of the Artery (Bella Union) 78. Ed Rush & Optical - The Creeps (Virus) 79. James Ruskin - Into Submission (Tresor) 80. Scorn - Greetings From Birmingham (Hymen) 81. 2nd Gen - Irony Is (Blast First) 82. Shur-i-Kan - Advance (Freerange) 83. Simian - Chemistry Is What We Are (Source) 84. Skitz - Countryman (Ronin) 85. Slam - Alien Radio (Soma) 86. South - From Here on in (Mo Wax) 87. Spacek - Curvatia (Island) 88. Squarepusher - Go Plastic (Warp) 89. Stakka & Skynet - Clockwork (Underfire) 90. Swayzak - Himawari (Medicine) 91. Dave Tarrida - Paranoid (Tresor) 92. Two Lone Swordsmen - Tiny Reminders (Warp) 93. Ufeari - Killing Time (Isolated) 94. Violet Indiana - Roulette (Bella Union) 95. Wagon Christ – Musipal (Ninja Tune) 96. Whipping Boy - Whipping Boy (Low Rent) 97. Witness - Under A Sun (Island) 98. Yee King - Superuser (Rephlex) 99. Yellow6 - Overtone (Enraptured Records) 100. Zero 7 - Simple Things (Ultimate Dilemma) 101. Lloyd Cole - the Negatives (Fulfill) I will state my opinion on what deserves to be selected from a personal viewpoint in due course on my DJ Martian music weblog. (There are a number of new releases, recent releases and a few others that I want to listen to before selecting my 12.) but I will answer the second part of the question here by making these predictions on what will be shortlisted by the panel: Predicting what the Technics Mercury Music Prize 12 shortlist will be (i.e what the panel will select)
1. Basement Jaxx - Rooty (XL) 2. Beta Band - Hotshots II (Regal) 3. Four Tet - Pause (Domino) 4. Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain (Mute) 5. PJ Harvey - Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea (Island) 6. Oxide & Neutrino - Execute (east west) 7. Photek - Solaris (Science) 8. Radiohead - Kid A (Parlophone) 9. Squarepusher - Go Plastic (Warp) 10. Skitz - Countryman (Ronin) 11. One token Classic album TBA 12. One token Jazz or folk album TBA 20 Possibles that the panel may pick for the shortlist: good outside bets. 1. Anjali - Anjali (Wiiija) 2. Badmarsch & Shri - Signs (Outcaste) 3. Jeff Beck - You Had it Coming (Epic) 4. Bows - Cassidy (Too Pure) 5. Capitol K - Island Row (planet mu) 6. Dillinja - Dillinja Presents Cybotron (ffrr) 7. Elbow - Asleep In The Back (V2) 8. Electrelane - Rock it to the Moon (Let’s Rock) 9. Fatboy Slim - Halfway Between the Gutter and Stars (Skint) 10. Ed Harcourt - Here Be Monsters (Heavenly Recordings) 11. Herbert - Bodily Functions (Studio K7) 12. The Fall - The Unutterable (Eagle) 13. Ladytron - 604 (Invicta Hi fi) 14. Lemon Jelly - lemon Jelly.Ky (XL) 15. Neotropic - La Prochaine Fois (Ninja Tune / Ntone) 16. Pressure Drop - Tread (Columbia) 17. Radiohead - Amnesiac (Parlophone) 18. Spacek - Curvatia (Island) 19. Wagon Christ - Musipal (Ninja Tune) 20. Zero 7 - Simple Things (Ultimate Dilemma) Time will tell to see if these predictions are accurate or wide of the mark, indeed I think that a fee of around £125 needs to be paid to enter the award in the first place, how many of these albums are entered in the first place? Last year around 140 albums were entered.
― DJ Martian, Monday, 16 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Omar, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Secondly, I think your predictions are probably very accurate.
Thirdly - Lloyd Cole does qualify!! I got his LP in December 2000!! (So I don't think you were bending the rules to do me a 'favour'.)
Fourthly: I think it's HILARIOUS that Lloyd is LP #101. Did you add him at the last minute?
Fifth: the only two records I know are Lloyd and the Clientele. The Clientele record is pretty good, but I prefer Lloyd's, naturally.
I predict that Lloyd Cole will not win the Technics Mercury Music Prize, though he clearly deserves to, and that a bunch of records that I don't know and wouldn't like if I did know will be on the shortlist.
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― tarden, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Although naturally I would love it if the Clientele won. Though I don't think they'll be paying the entrance fee.
― marianna maclean, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
And that assesssment comes from this list- which includes awful indie like Rialto, Life Without buildings and Witness to name but a few of the bands that I absolutely hate. And Lloyd Cole, don't who he is, but he should change his name for a start.
Who will they choose- from your list- thy'll go for crap like PJ Harvey, Radiohead and fatboy Slim/basement Jaxx.
the problem is that they also categorize everything when often the best music doesn't belong to any particular genre [Listen to Mixing it on radio 3 if you don't believe me]
12 Albums (in no particurlar order):
1. Derek Bailey- String Theory [if you put in the 'Jazz category' then we can see derek complain live on BBC2 as gets the prize- 'This is not Jazz, you know' or words to that effect]
2. Classical - there's no point.
3. Beta band- Hot shots II (sounds good From an indie band)
4. Keith Rowe and Evan Parker- dark rags.
5. Rob Ellis- Music for the Home.
And that's that (from the UK). maybe Squarepusher which I might buy. I also like Appendix Out but I've only heard the Peel session. Same for Rotko.
otherwist the best bands are on the other side of the atlantic or in japan (must be the economic crisis). And the best electronic music is in germany.
They won't have any good albums in the evntual list. they'll go for crap like primal Scram, radiohead, PJ harvey, Fatboy Slim/ Basement Jaxx. Some UK Garage will be represented (anything that makes money is). Asian Dub foundation and Talvin Singh may get the vote (the token Asian album). Did Roni Size release an album last year?
But hopefully the beta band will save the day.
― Julio Desouza, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― masonic boom, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
I'd put my money on either Radiohead, as compensation for ignoring OK Computer and The Bend.
― Billy Dods, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Seriously, I've read that the Mercury Prize is "the biggest prize in England". Is that really true? How much credibility does it have? Who won past ones, besides the Badly Drawn Boy last year?
― alex in montreal, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
It does get a lot of media publicity/and instore sales promotions for the albums that make the shortlist 12, although there is often alot of analysis from critics, journalists, record companies, artists and punters alike on what gets selected or more importantly gets overlooked each year.
I am sure America/ Canada/ other European countries/Australia etc - are big enough to organise their own similiar awards if they want them that reflects the music of their respective countries.
― DJ Martian, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― alex in mainhattan, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Another plus point is it's only 36 minutes long. Good to see a record which doesn't outstay it's welcome.
Of course. I reached 100, and thought 101 would be good to include for the Pinefox.
Pinefox: You seem to like the melodic acoustic guitar music - so why have you not explored say these releases: Arco, Empress, Cane 141, Gnac, Montgolfier Brothers? or the melodic sounds of say: Bows or AC Acoustics?
― anthony, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Previous winners of this rather pointless thing:
1992: Primal Scream, Screamadelica (fine choice at the time: there was a lot worse on offer)
1993: Suede, Suede
1994: M-People, Elegant Slumming (a notorious choice at the time, and rightly so: hateful)
1995: Portishead, Dummy
1996: Pulp, Different Class, though the band gave the award to someone / something else, but I can't remember what - was it the War Child project?
1997: Roni Size and Reprazent, New Forms
1998: Gomez (yuk), Bring It On
1999: Talvin Singh, OK
2000: Badly Drawn Boy, The Hour of Bewilderbeast
The only one I really think unquestionably deserved it is Different Class.
As for this year: I suspect Radiohead will get a nomination, and probably it'll be Kid A simply because it's been around longer and people are more familiar with it. I fear nominations for the irrelevant Primal Scream and PJ Harvey, though I disagree with Julio in that Basement Jaxx fully deserve it. Haven't heard enough of the Beta Band's new stuff to comment. I quite like Goldfrapp but the people nominating them to win would like them for totally different reasons, and the wrong ones IMO. The one record I would *love* to win is the Skitz one.
The token folk album will probably be the Kate Rusby one, judging by the publicity it got outside its own genre.
― Robin Carmody, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
woohoo!
― doompatrol23@hotmail.com, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
However as can be seen by some of the winners it's judgement ain't entirely sound. Plus the tokenistic elements of the shortlist (hey, why not have 7 or 8 folk or jazz albums on the list) are making a mockery of 'picking the best of British Music'.
Coldplay are pretty boring...
― doompatrol23@hotmail.COM, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― gareth, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Johnathan, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
I don't like Badly Drawn Boy, but I was delighted that they didn't fall for XTMNTR, or however you write it.
― Jon, Tuesday, 17 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
I would dismiss it, but for other reasons.
― Robin Carmody, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
The interesting thing about the MMP for me is - when will they actually give it to the jazz or classical one? The shortlist last year was SO AWFUL that I was convinced it had been done on purpose to let a token one win. Other than that I care only enough to snarl about it when conversation flags in the pub.
As Marianna hints above, the entrance fee is as usual the thing that makes prizes like this a mockery of a sham.
― Tom, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Julio Desouza, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― the pinefox, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
And, yeah, Super Furries in for sure!
One ?: Is the Skitz record that good, or is it just great British hip-hop? And is it hip-hop filtetered through with British sensibilities and musical tradition (e.g. dn'b, garage) or is it British guys (girls?) doing something that sounds American? (Hmm, that all sounds smug, and it's not meant to at all, just curious/interested.)― scott p., Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― scott p., Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Dan Perry, Wednesday, 18 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― DJ Martian, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
(Jeez I so have to get some real work done...)
― mark s, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― gareth, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― DG, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 24 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― DJ Martian, Wednesday, 25 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link