Mercury Music Prize 2016

[dentalplan]

Apparently it's announced tomorrow. And they've changed the format to some palaver where the twelve-act shortlist is cut in half and they go to judges houses and stuff. 

Anyway, I know it's always a load of rubbish when it actually comes out but yeah, which British and Irish albums released between 26/09/15 and 29/07/16 do you think deserve a nod? Who do you think will win? Who do you think doesn't deserve a nod but will get one?

Edited August 3, 2016 by dentalplan

[dentalplan]

Separate post like a good OP.

There are some really strong, critically acclaimed British albums this year. Radiohead, David Bowie, Anohni, James Blake, Blood Orange and Anna Meredith should all be in the mix, I think. Maybe NAO and Shura as well. I imagine Skepta will get nominated; don't particularly think it's one of the top albums but as such a big figure in a growing scene, there'd be uproar if he wasn't included. Would be nice to see the likes of LUH and Yak and Let's Eat Grandma and stuff involved but somewhat unlikely.

[Gucci Piggy]

Is there a 2 month period in the year that isn't included or has it just been brought forwards 2 months this year?

[dentalplan]

bruh

[Spindles]

8 hours ago, dentalplan said:

Anyway, I know it's always a load of rubbish when it actually comes out.

Some of my favourite albums of all time have been Mercury winners (I know there are plenty of omissions, but I think it isn't a bad benchmark myself;  Suede's debut, Screamadelica, Gomez' debut, Boy in the corner and a fair few others are really great albums that stand the test of time and set the bar for some good careers (as well as some that didn't).

I always like to check out the shortlisted stuff, often there are a handful of albums or artists I've not discovered among them.

[Gucci Piggy]

Yeah I'm really shit at keeping on top of new music and often use the Mercury shortlist to catch up. Found out I don't actually hate Bombay Bicycle Club by doing this a year or two ago.

[dentalplan]

29 minutes ago, Spindles said:

Some of my favourite albums of all time have been Mercury winners (I know there are plenty of omissions, but I think it isn't a bad benchmark myself;  Suede's debut, Screamadelica, Gomez' debut, Boy in the corner and a fair few others are really great albums that stand the test of time and set the bar for some good careers (as well as some that didn't).

I always like to check out the shortlisted stuff, often there are a handful of albums or artists I've not discovered among them.

I mean that they're all 'rubbish' as in "why is X nominated and Y left out?" I'm not dismissing all the Mercury winners as rubbish.

12 minutes ago, Will-2609 said:

Yeah I'm really shit at keeping on top of new music and often use the Mercury shortlist to catch up. Found out I don't actually hate Bombay Bicycle Club by doing this a year or two ago.

That's a bad result. You should seek alternative ways of keeping up with good music. 

[Gucci Piggy]

1 minute ago, dentalplan said:

That's a bad result. You should seek alternative ways of keeping up with good music. 

I try to use this forum (namely the new music 2016 thread in the Glasto section) to do so but then I can never be arsed to actually listen to the songs so nothing comes of it.

[Badlands]

I came in to give a bit of support to DPs thread, but then realised that I'm worse than Will for keeping up with new music. 

So I can offer Blackstar, AMSP, Steve Mason and Michael Kiwanaku, though I've still not got all the way through that one!

Hang on... Field Music. Yes, Field Music! 

 

Edited August 3, 2016 by Badlands
Field Music

[Badlands]

Just remembered I've also listened to Coldplays new one and New Orders, though I'm not sure either are Mercury worthy.

 

[kingcrawler]

dental mentioned LUH and it'd be good to see stuff like them, Holy Esque, Haelos etc get nominated but I don't see it happening. My favourite British albums this year have been by Radiohead, Daughter and Frightened Rabbit as well as the LUH and Holy Esque ones I've already mentioned but of those I only see Radiohead getting nominated. 

As well as the likely nominations dental mentioned I think PJ Harvey, The 1975, Jack Garratt and Michael Kiwanuka all have a good chance of being nominated.

[thegremlin_1999]

Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls

 

but no, apparently metal ain't British music.....

 

seriously though, it's the best album Maiden have put out in a very, very long time. 

 

No doubt there's some other killer British rock and metal albums that apparently can't be considered too... 

 

The Mercury prize is bollocks that consistently overlooks great records that just don't happen to be either indie or obscure... It can't claim to represent the best of British music when it does that... 

[Gucci Piggy]

2 minutes ago, thegremlin_1999 said:

Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls

 

but no, apparently metal ain't British music.....

 

seriously though, it's the best album Maiden have put out in a very, very long time. 

 

No doubt there's some other killer British rock and metal albums that apparently can't be considered too... 

 

The Mercury prize is bollocks that consistently overlooks great records that just don't happen to be either indie or obscure... It can't claim to represent the best of British music when it does that... 

Well seeing as Iron Maiden are absolutely terrible I'm happy for it to continue in this fashion.

[thegremlin_1999]

Just now, Will-2609 said:

Well seeing as Iron Maiden are absolutely terrible I'm happy for it to continue in this fashion.

To be fair, I reckon the same to Bombay Bicycle Club and 90% of the shit that does get nominated, each to their own!

 

Point is though, some folk do like rock and metal, and there's great records overlooked in favour of yet more indie shite....

 

Its not exactly representative of the best of British music when it doesn't even consider most of it...

[FloorFiller]

Just now, thegremlin_1999 said:

To be fair, I reckon the same to Bombay Bicycle Club and 90% of the shit that does get nominated, each to their own!

 

Point is though, some folk do like rock and metal, and there's great records overlooked in favour of yet more indie shite....

 

Its not exactly representative of the best of British music when it doesn't even consider most of it...

we've got the Kerrang! awards for all that

[thegremlin_1999]

21 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

we've got the Kerrang! awards for all that

They don't recognise decent stuff either mind....

 

the mercury prize specifically says British music though, not British indie or whatever. I'm arguing it can't claim to represent British music if it won't acknowledge entire sectors of the British music output....

[dentalplan]

The past few winners haven't exactly been 'indie' by style.

Besides, there just aren't many critically acclaimed hard rock/metal albums coming out of the UK. If there were some thriving scenes in the UK like they have in California or parts of Europe then there might be some injustice but it's mostly trash here. Book of Souls isn't eligible anyway; too early.

[russycarps]

 

9 hours ago, thegremlin_1999 said:

They don't recognise decent stuff either mind....

 

the mercury prize specifically says British music though, not British indie or whatever. I'm arguing it can't claim to represent British music if it won't acknowledge entire sectors of the British music output....

 

Metal is shit. Are you suggesting it should be on the shortlist just because it exists?

If a decent metal record is ever made, it will make the shortlist. 

 

[thegremlin_1999]

19 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

The past few winners haven't exactly been 'indie' by style.

Besides, there just aren't many critically acclaimed hard rock/metal albums coming out of the UK. If there were some thriving scenes in the UK like they have in California or parts of Europe then there might be some injustice but it's mostly trash here. Book of Souls isn't eligible anyway; too early.

Book of Souls released September last year. Fits in your bracket in original post. 

 

And there are are plenty of critically acclaimed rock and metal records, they're just routinely ignored. 

 

And Russy? I reckon 90% of what's nominated is shit but it still gets nominated. 

[FloorFiller]

Anohni - 'Hopelessness'
Bat For Lashes - 'The Bride'
David Bowie - 'Blackstar'
Jamie Woon - 'Making Time'
Kano - 'Made in the Manor'
Laura Mvula - 'The Dreaming Room'
Michael Kiwanuka -  'Love & Hate'
Radiohead - 'A Moon Shaped Pool'
Savages - 'Adore Life'
Skepta - 'Konnichiwa'
The 1975 - 'I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it'
The Comet Is Coming - 'Channel the Spirits'

[FloorFiller]

think Anohni will win it, but always so hard to predict this stuff

[stocky3000]

has the voting system changed? 

bbc music twitter is letting you vote?

if the public make a contribution I think it massively increases the chances of 1975 and the like 

[the_hedge]

I thought that New Order - Music Complete might have made the list. Best thing they have done in years

[big__phil]

3 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

think Anohni will win it, but always so hard to predict this stuff

It bloody should win. Outrageously good album.

Can we just take a minute to remember how good 2008 was though please? Burial or Radiohead would have walked it any other year. Four or five absolute classics in there though.

Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid

Adele – 19 British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music? Burial – Untrue Estelle – Shine The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim Neon Neon – Stainless Style Robert Plant & Alison Krauss –Raising Sand Portico Quartet – Knee Deep in the North Sea Radiohead – In Rainbows Rachel Unthank and the Winterset – The Bairns

 

[FloorFiller]

3 minutes ago, the_hedge said:

I thought that New Order - Music Complete might have made the list. Best thing they have done in years

just not as good as The 1975, clearly