Compare and Contrast: the BBC's Kaiser Chiefs Bias

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4221256.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4220464.stm

Whoever writes the Beeb's music news is obviously a big NME reader. Either that or they had a lot of money on the Karzie Chiefs last night.

― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 06:43 (twenty years ago)

Got a point though, haven't they? Born in Chichester or not, Antony's album is a thoroughly American record through and through and, great as it indisputably is, really shouldn't have been on the shortlist. Otherwise Mercury might as well drop the patriotic pretence and make the award open to all comers.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:04 (twenty years ago)

Possibly, but the top news link there has him in the states for the past 20 years, and he's now 34, making him 14 when he went. So, that makes him more British in my eyes.

It's not like Bob Hope in that regard.

I think the Magic Numbers would have been wrong, but I don't hav the facts at hand.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:15 (twenty years ago)

x post

It seemed a slightly perverse nomination at the time, true. But that debate was when the nominations were made. The gist of those two articles reads like "Cheating American Freak Steals Mercury Music Prize" versus "Best Band in World Robbed of Mercury But Bravely Soldier On". And it's hardly Antony's fault that he was nominated.

― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:17 (twenty years ago)

I think there is perhaps some bias in ILX's coverage of the Kaiser Chiefs.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:20 (twenty years ago)

Anthony had a very English accent when he collected the award.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:20 (twenty years ago)

making him 14 when he went

doesn't mean he lived just in britain until he was 14. i know - cause it was in *all* his interviews in the dutch press - that he lived in amsterdam for a while as well as a kid.

― (jg) ((jg)), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:24 (twenty years ago)

It seems to me that they shoehorned him in to make up for the supposed lack of decent British albums in the last 12 months, although, as itemised on the Mercury thread itself, there were plenty of other contenders.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:24 (twenty years ago)

I think there is perhaps some bias in ILX's coverage of the Kaiser Chiefs

"They started out as an unoriginal and uninspired US-influenced garage band called Parva...But they had an epiphany when they decided to shrug off the serious, pseudo-American spirit and write about things closer to home."

Kind of like Blur in reverse, then.

― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:26 (twenty years ago)

i don't even know who antony is. evidently tmf won't play his jams.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:27 (twenty years ago)

Marcello OTM. I can't understand how Patrick Wolf wasn't nominated. Also when are they going to either stop nominating / shortlisting token jazz/classical/folk artists or else fucking give one the prize?

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:27 (twenty years ago)

"Kaiser Chiefs' songs are about 'life in Leeds and being British and young and hip'".

― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:27 (twenty years ago)

Anthony [sic] had a very English accent when he collected the award.

Heh. Madonna should therefore have a good shot next year.

― brittle-lemon (brittle-lemon), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:29 (twenty years ago)

Do the token jazz ones see any kind of significant sales boost through nomination? I don't think one is ever going to win, it doesn't annoy me that they're on the lists tho.

For some reason I thought Patrick Wolf was German! Not that nationality seems to be an issue now.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:29 (twenty years ago)

I really like the Polar Bear album. Last night I danced to it like this;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/jazzpolarbeardance.jpg

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:31 (twenty years ago)

Patrick Wolf's a London boy who ran to Cornwall to make his second album and writes songs called things like "Godrevy Point" and "Teignmouth". None more English.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:32 (twenty years ago)

Tomorrow, the England cricket team will finish their humiliation of the Aussies despite having members neither born nor bred in the UK. Nationality's a flexible concept, innit?

― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:34 (twenty years ago)

AFAIK jazz nominees don't experience a particular sales upsurge unless they're already well-known, i.e. Courtney Pine or similar.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:35 (twenty years ago)

Antony - the Greg Rudedski of Britpop.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:36 (twenty years ago)

More like the LENNOX LEWIS.

― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:39 (twenty years ago)

Well yes, I mean he actually won something...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:41 (twenty years ago)

As I see from the other thread, he was eight when he left.

Fact is, if we emigrated now (Amber being seven, Alice five), They'd still be british whatever.

Unless this is an argument about Anthony not being british enough musically, in which case they should have given it to the Killers last year.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:54 (twenty years ago)

xxpost

And he's built like a brick shithouse.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:55 (twenty years ago)

mike myers is my favourite british comedian. david byrne is the best scottish songwriter.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:58 (twenty years ago)

mike myers is my favourite british comedian

That's wrong on so many levels...

― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:59 (twenty years ago)

Antony is the Owen Hargreaves of britpop

― zeus, Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:02 (twenty years ago)

xpost I think he's doing a poo in the flange.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:04 (twenty years ago)

x post

Which makes Karzie Chiefs the David James of britpop.

― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:05 (twenty years ago)

And then there was MIA, born in Sri Lanka. It's a flexible inclusion policy, innit? (Maybe Coldplay were obliquely commenting on this with their "HILARIOUS" yee-haa too-important-to-be-there film clip. Or maybe not.)

Are Polar Bear always as good as they were last night? 'Cos I thought they were cracking. Was one of them playing a Playstation on stage? I am old, and know not of such things.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:22 (twenty years ago)

Yes they are (as indeed they are when they are known, with a slightly different line-up, as Acoustic Ladyland). Not sure about the PlayStation though.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:24 (twenty years ago)

MIA was born in Hounslow.
xpost

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:25 (twenty years ago)

Ah! That explains all the reference to the people of Hounslow's fight for freedom in in her lyrics!

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:27 (twenty years ago)

You may be mixing her up with Hard-Fi ("Feltham Is Singing Out" innit).

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:31 (twenty years ago)

i thought MIA was born in a guerilla training camp and was spirited out by dashing insurgents (seriously).

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:37 (twenty years ago)

She was. In Hounslow.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:40 (twenty years ago)

please not another 5000 posts about MIA...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:41 (twenty years ago)

Missing In Acton

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:44 (twenty years ago)

"Sri Lankan refugee, raised on Hounslow council estate, abandoned daughter of one of the leaders of the Tamil terrorist uprising."

from a recent observer puff-piece

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:45 (twenty years ago)

'refugee' says to me born elsewhere and travelled [here]. my g/f's mum is a (polish) refugee by MIA's standard.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:47 (twenty years ago)

Enough about MIA.

So, what about next weeks NME? Perspective? Loads of "The Kaisers was robbed" type letters? stroppy editorials about the 'out of touch' Mercuries? Bot calling Pettle Klack?

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:48 (twenty years ago)

Born in Hounslow, went to Sri Lanka aged 6 months, moved to India at some point during the civil war, then back to Sri Lanka, then the UK when she was around 10.

xpost

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:49 (twenty years ago)

Why is the Observer still covering her now that Ms. Dynamite is back to claim her rightful place on pages 1,2,3,17,25,38,42,67,72 of every "quality" national newspaper?

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:49 (twenty years ago)

So, what about next weeks NME? Perspective? Loads of "The Kaisers was robbed" type letters? stroppy editorials about the 'out of touch' Mercuries? Bot calling Pettle Klack?

They'll think long and hard about it then put Pete Doherty on the cover.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:50 (twenty years ago)

'lyrics that occasionally jar with bien-pensant listerners'

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:53 (twenty years ago)

she came to Britain as a refugee, living on a council estate before blagging her way into St Martin's College in London to study art and film-making

Observer readers melt in post-orgasmic bliss the length and breadth of, errrrrrrr, Hampstead

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:55 (twenty years ago)

The Kaiser Chiefs official forum weighs in!!

gutted I listened to it twice and just couldn't understand it, what a pile of turd!!! at least the chiefs were going to spend the money on improving recording studios in Leeds, what is that Anthony guy going to do with it ??? all i would suggest is buy a decent haircut (or wig)

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:57 (twenty years ago)

The Kaiser Chiefs official forum contributors need to listen to "I Predict A Riot" again - the KCs hate you!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:58 (twenty years ago)

at least the chiefs were going to spend the money on improving recording studios in Leeds

In that case, thank the good Lord this Anthony fellow won!

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 08:59 (twenty years ago)

cue mass invasion of thread by kc official forum contributors "yah boo sux ilx u r all fat old saddo pedos wouldent know reel music if it came an hit u with a brick lol"

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:04 (twenty years ago)

I for one welcome our new etc.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:05 (twenty years ago)

seeing as you got on so well with the carter usm lot...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:05 (twenty years ago)

You know, every time I see "lol" I read it as "lots of love" for some reason. I know it's wrong, but there it is.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:05 (twenty years ago)

The song that the folk guy performed was pretty much Patrick Wolf anyway.. in fact it was better (and I liked Patrick Wolf's album too)

― jellybean (jellybean), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:28 (twenty years ago)

MIA should have won, easily. I like Antony, and I was surprised he has a British accent, but hes an American artist. And the Kaisers are shit. They dont deserve to win anything apart from the chance for NME staffers to slob on their genitals.

― splooge (thesplooge), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:41 (twenty years ago)

Now she's famous our office is playing the MIA album, it's the first time I've actually heard it all the way through.

― Tom (Groke), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:47 (twenty years ago)

MIA should have won -- it just would have felt like a narrative paying off.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:53 (twenty years ago)

I find it difficult* to get, uh, exercised about this, really.

*impossible.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:57 (twenty years ago)

...though obviously sfa should have won because theyre just too good full stop end thread now.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 09:58 (twenty years ago)

The Scottish Football Association?

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:00 (twenty years ago)

The Simon Frith Armpits?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:01 (twenty years ago)

Why the hell did they not include Jamie Liddell?

― Googley Asearch (Toaster), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:02 (twenty years ago)

Why the hell did they not include *insert name of favourite artist who wasn't on the shortlist here*?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:06 (twenty years ago)

It's not just that though. Jamie Liddell's album has 'mercury nomination' written all over it.

― Googley Asearch (Toaster), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:08 (twenty years ago)

I don't see how it made the long list but not the short list.

― Googley Asearch (Toaster), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:08 (twenty years ago)

Why the hell did they not include Glen Daly?

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:10 (twenty years ago)

Warp had their quota on the shortlist already I guess. Or the judges simply didn't like the record all that much.

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:23 (twenty years ago)

Or the judges simply didn't like the record all that much.

Oh, now you're just being silly

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:24 (twenty years ago)

I know, it's preposterous really. Please delete me now.

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 10:29 (twenty years ago)

I can't understand how Patrick Wolf wasn't nominated

Really, do you think he's that impressive? I've only heard the album once, but I've seen him live twice and both times I came away with the impression he was relying on his haircut. Okay, the first time I was drunk and the second time the sound was shocking, but I was still pretty bored.

He's also been implicated in some jewelery theft.

― Anna (Anna), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 11:20 (twenty years ago)

I mean, that's not a reason not to be nominated, but it seems like he's had his mind on other things this summer.

― Anna (Anna), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 11:21 (twenty years ago)

'jewel thief' would be good totp schtick.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 7 September 2005 11:25 (twenty years ago)

Says he didn't do it, but yes, jewel thief would be a brilliant handle.

― Anna (Anna), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 11:36 (twenty years ago)

He's also been implicated in some jewelery theft.

So he's the Bobby Moore of Modern Music?!??!?!?!

― Raymond Douglas Dadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 13:36 (twenty years ago)

Serious Drinking, batman!

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 13:37 (twenty years ago)

I had a look for the PR email denying it, but I must have deleted it.

― Anna (Anna), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 13:39 (twenty years ago)

I was wondeing about Patrick Wolf too. Thought it was OK at first but the more I lsten to the album the better it gets. Antony has a lovely voice but the songs are a bit, well, dull really. If he lived in Britain til he was 14 I'd say he can right rightfully claim to be British though!

― FACEBRACE (FACEBRACE), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 14:23 (twenty years ago)

Apparently, the latest news is Eight. But it still counts, in my opinion.

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 14:24 (twenty years ago)

Also did anyone notice that the album PJ Harvey won with on September 11th was all about Manhattan and had a song called Kamikaze etc etc AND she was right by the Pentagon when a plane flew into it.

Totally fucking weird

― FACEBRACE (FACEBRACE), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 14:25 (twenty years ago)

I can't figure out this 'Antony = nice voice' thing. The one song I've heard I couldn't bear it.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 14:27 (twenty years ago)

hey, re: ms. dynamite's new album title - is "judgement" the preferred english spelling? also, is "proferred" the preferred english spelling?

― petesmith (plsmith), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 14:33 (twenty years ago)

Antony has a lovely voice but the songs are a bit, well, dull really.

Haha I am exactly the opposite, I think his songwriting and arrangement skillz are extraordinarily good but I can't deal with the voice, too much tremolo. I'm v happy he won obv.

proffered, surely?

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 14:49 (twenty years ago)

I am also happy Antony won, even though I like the Kaisers (yeah, so shoot me), but does anyone get the impression that the judges are working on a "ah, hang on, white guitar rock band / dance act / whatever won last year, can't have that two years running" basis?

2004 Franz Ferdinand
2003 Dizzee Rascal
2002 Ms Dynamite
2001 PJ Harvey
2000 Badly Drawn Boy
1999 Talvin Singh
1998 Gomez
1997 Roni Size
1996 Pulp
1995 Portishead
1994 M People
1993 Suede
1992 Primal Scream

(bar possibly 1992 & 1993)

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

Who the hell are M People? They won over the Auteurs' New Wave, didn't they?

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

Is there a new Ms Dynamite thread yet? Cos the track I saw on MTV the other day was worryingly shit. Her performance is fine but the music has been airbrushed to near-Dido blandness.

― I Ain't No Addict, Whoever Heard of a Junkie as Old as Me? (noodle vague), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

M-People won over the following

Blur - Parklife
Ian McNabb - Head Like A Rock
Shara Nelson - What Silence Knows
Michael Nyman - The Piano Concerto and MGV
The Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation
Pulp - His 'n' Hers
Take That - Everything Changes
Therapy? - Troublegum
Paul Weller - Wild Wood

The Auteurs were in the 1993 list.

― Si.C@rter (SiC@rter), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

Regarding the nationality of MIA/Anthony:

In Canada there's this thing called Canadian Content, which all media must observe. For radio and TV it usually means they have to play at least 35% Canadian music. The MAPL system defines four categories and to be true CanCon you have to qualify in two of them:

M (music) -- the music is composed entirely by a Canadian.
A (artist) -- the music is, or the lyrics are, performed principally by a Canadian.
P (production) -- the musical selection consists of a live performance that is
(i) recorded wholly in Canada, or
(ii) performed wholly in Canada and broadcast live in Canada.
L (lyrics) -- the lyrics are written entirely by a Canadian.

This system is hotly debated in Canada. On the one side it means that radio trots out the same old songs endlessly ("Seasons In The Sun", "American Woman" etc. On the other hand, Bryan Adams is really pissed because he doesn't qualify any more.

Anyway, applying this system to the Mercury award would end this debate in the future.

― everything, Wednesday, 7 September 2005 18:04 (twenty years ago)

take that were nominated????

do they change judges every year then, or do half of them change and half of them stay on or...????

― noname#1 (noname#1), Sunday, 11 September 2005 02:37 (twenty years ago)

"The British have always done it best - from Franz Ferdinand all the way back to The Beatles"
a ha, heh.............whooooooooooo
whutta dumbass
(not that i got anything against the good ol' Uk)

― whaaaaaaaatev, Sunday, 11 September 2005 04:44 (twenty years ago)

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