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Post by ManicKangaroo on Jul 26, 2018 12:00:34 GMT 1
Arctic Monkeys’ sixth album, Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino, has been named among the nominees for this year’s Mercury prize. The nod makes them the joint second most-nominated act in the prize’s history: the Sheffield band and PJ Harvey have both received four nominations since its inception in 1992, while Radiohead have five.
Everything Everything receive their second Mercury nomination for A Fever Dream, as do Wolf Alice for Visions of a Life. The London band tweeted: “We are really proud of our baby Visions of a Life and had a such a weird and wonderful time recording it, it is extremely nice to be nominated for the @mercuryprize. Thank u! We are absolutely buzzing! Lagers on us tonight”.
Filling the Mercury prize’s notorious jazz slot are London-based group Sons of Kemet for Your Queen is a Reptile, their first nomination. “It’s great to know that our music and our ideas will have the chance to resonate with as wide an audience as the Mercury nominations permits,” said Sons of Kemet leader Shabaka Hutchings. “Our aim is to merge the music and ways of perception associated with histories of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora to the developments happening within the London music scene and propel the results outwards to the world as a force for good.”
It is a good year for first-time nominees: King Krule’s experimental opus The Ooz, Nadine Shah’s political post-punk statement Holiday Destination and Lily Allen’s No Shame. “BOOM. So f***ing happy!!!!!” Allen tweeted, while Shah said she was “still in shock” about the news. Two debuts made the list: grime act Novelist’s Novelist Guy, and R&B star Jorja Smith’s Lost and Found.
Noel Gallagher (and his High Flying Birds) receives his first solo nomination for Who Built the Moon?, but his history with the prize stretches back to the mid-1990s whenOasis were nominated for their debut album Definitely Maybe in 1995 and follow-up (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? in 1996.
XL Recordings boss Richard Russell’s all-star Everything Is Recorded album also marks his first nomination – however the album features Sampha, who won last year for his debut Process, and Damon Albarn, who has been nominated with Blur, Gorillaz (who rejected the nomination for their 2001 self-titled debut) and as a solo act.
Bookmaker William Hill has tipped Florence + the Machine, Noel Gallagher and Arctic Monkeys as potential winners with odds of 4/1.
The judges for theMercury prize are editor Phil Alexander, BBC Radio 1’s Clara Amfo, broadcaster Danielle Perry, jazz musician Jamie Cullum, pop artist Ella Eyre, the Guardian Guide’s deputy editor Harriet Gibsone, musician Lianne La Havas, Times critic Will Hodgkinson, DJ MistaJam, Mumford and Sons’ Marcus Mumford, BBC 6Music’s head of music Jeff Smith, musician Jessie Ware and Radio X head of music Mike Walsh. The panel is chaired by Jeff Smith.
The winner of the 2018 Mercury prize will be announced in a ceremony at London’s Eventim Apollo on 20 September.
The full Mercury prize 2018 shortlist
Lily Allen: No Shame Arctic Monkeys: Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino Everything Everything: A Fever Dream Everything Is Recorded: Everything Is Recorded Florence + the Machine: High as Hope Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds: Who Built the Moon? King Krule: The Ooz Novelist: Novelist Guy Nadine Shah: Holiday Destination Jorja Smith: Lost and Found Sons of Kemet: Your Queen is a Reptile Wolf Alice: Visions of a Life
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Post by Mic1812 on Jul 26, 2018 12:09:14 GMT 1
I think Arctic Monkeys will win
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Post by Jordan on Jul 26, 2018 13:00:35 GMT 1
I’m actually rooting for Arctic Monkeys from that list
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Jul 26, 2018 16:32:03 GMT 1
yeah same AM for the win
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Post by Shireblogger on Jul 26, 2018 16:56:27 GMT 1
Courtesy of Music Week, the sales of the shortlisted albums so far:-
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Who Built The Moon (Sour Mash/Ignition): 258,106 Arctic Monkeys, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (Domino): 136,323 Florence + The Machine, High As Hope (Virgin EMI): 56,163 Wolf Alice, Visions Of A Life (Dirty Hit): 54,776 Jorja Smith, Lost & Found (FAMM): 30,359 Everything Everything, A Fever Dream (RCA): 20,164 Lily Allen, No Shame (Parlophone): 14,439 King Krule, The Ooz (XL): 12,599 Nadine Shah, Holiday Destination (1965): 6,250 Everything Is Recorded, Everything Is Recorded (XL): 3,059 Sons Of Kemet (Impulse/Decca), Your Queen Is A Reptile: 2,267 Novelist, Novelist Guy (Mmmyeh): 886
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
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Post by TheThorne on Jul 26, 2018 17:02:09 GMT 1
Everything Everything is the most played on our house, the wife loves them
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Post by raliverpool on Jul 26, 2018 19:03:25 GMT 1
On a busy US website I made in advance this following shortlist of what I thought the 12 British albums would be (in order of most to least likeliest): Hookworms - Microshift Let's Eat Grandma - I'm All Ears Shame - Songs Of Praise Jorja Smith - Lost and Found Everything Everything - A Fever DreamGwenno - Le Kov Nadine Shah - Holiday DestinationWolf Alice - Visions Of LifeBoy Azooga - 1 2 Kung Fu! Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel & CasinoNovelist - Novelist Guy
Sons of Kemet - Your Queen is a Reptile
The bizarre thing is I'm bemused at this panel's shortlist despite getting over half right for the following reasons:
The most inventive rock album of the past 12 months by the Leeds band The Hookworms (imagine Can meets The Fall going mellow) have been snubbed; as has the best regarded transgressive dance pop album of the last 12 months by the Norwich female duo (still I'm grateful the over hyped Chvrches & Superorganism missed out. As if they had got selected ahead of Let's Eat Grandma then that would have been very anoying). Similarly, I figured (& am sad) Charli XCX would miss out as she seems to have replaced Marina & The Diamonds as being loved by music bloggers/fanatics but not by the masses, the critics, or her peers).
I thought the young British post punk band from London (Shame) would be a banker for a Mercury nomination, but maybe they lost out because the panel correctly figured the less fashionable over a decade older Idles from less fashionable Bristol made a far better debut album, so they cancelled each other out.
Whilst I had Jorja Smith on the list, it is not because I think it is a brilliant album (it's good but a 7.5 out of 10 at best). But it is 2010s nu R'n'B for Adele, Ed Sheeran & Sam Smith fans. Plus she has the same management stable as Loyle Carner & Stormzy, and has toured supporting Drake.
I had Everything Everything on the list because they are a classic art rock electronica compromise crossover act for the average Radio 1, XFM, & Radio 6 Music listener.
But I have to say I think it is criminal that the Mercury's have again snubbed the idiosyncratic Welsh electronica artist (think Boards of Canada fronted by Jane Birkin) who's previous debut album (Y Dydd Olaf) was snubbed, and subsequently won Welsh album of the year, as well as the annual "Neptune" award (for Best British album in time period NOT shortlisted by the Mercury Music panel). But then again that is not unusual as she was one third of a seminal alternative pop girl trio whose self titled debut album The Pipettes was described as recently as 2018 by Radio 6 Music's Mark Radcliffe & Stuart Maconie "With hindsight it has aged better than either Girls Aloud or The Sugababes "Best of's".
The act I'm most pleased to see on this list is the South Tyneside half Pakistani whose confessional PJ Harvey-esque third album is certainly her best, whilst it has a pop sensibility thanks to producer & her drummer Steve "Dubstar" Hillier.
I thought Wolf Alice would be nominated due to it being a solid album, which added to their industry connections made them such a shoe in for a Mercury nomination, they could have been snubbed for precisely that reason to avoid being seen as nepotism by one or more of the panelists (cough: Marcus Mumford).
I thought the Cardiff band Boy Azooga would be nominated as the album was energetic with a bit of modern jazz; very contemporary lyrics and they have received the support of Radio 1, Radio 6 Music & Jools Holland's Later show.
There is always a big name on the act, and whilst I nearly plumped for Paloma Faith's bold 4th album "The Architect", I thought the Sheffield band would get rewarded for making a brave album that hacked off half of their fanbase, for being a radical departure from what they had previously released. Plus it is the very 2018 album definition of "a grower".
Then there was the token jazz & token (or not after 2 years ago) grime nominations which I both guessed correctly.
But then let's look at the other big name nominations.
Ms Welch's group get rewarded for her most darkest lyrically, yet most dull album to date as it falls over in places with its over worthiness, and less hooks than normal. (Please note they've yet to release worse than a 7 out of 10 album).
Whilst it was good to see Lily Allen return to form artistically, I can't help but feel this nomination is due entirely to the sympathy she is receiving because of the current "Full Corbyn character assassination" she is receiving from the Right Wing media (especially the Daily Mail).
As for Noel Gallagher ... whilst he deserves the accolades for going down the same road Paul Weller & Johnny Marr took before of overhauling his sonic template post their iconic bands (and not making an embarrassing debut album co-written & produced with Adele & Sam Smith session musicians & songwriters that sounded like a bland, inferior version of his former band that his younger brother did); I don't feel it was sufficiently worthy of a Mercury nomination.
But then again just look at the panel, and the explanation for the shortlist of 12 becomes evident.
Roll on the 2018 ten album Neptune shortlist, it is going to be a cracker this year, thanks to the Mercury's ...
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Post by ManicKangaroo on Sept 20, 2018 22:10:10 GMT 1
And the winner is...
Wolf Alice: Visions of a Life
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
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Post by TheThorne on Sept 20, 2018 22:18:40 GMT 1
And the winner is... Wolf Alice: Visions of a Life Best news ever, I was kinda expecting it when Annie Mac was hosting and she has championed them for a long time. Also lots of murmuring on Radio 1 about wanting rock and indie back and having Wolf Alice win the Mercury certainly helps show rock is not dead.
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Post by greendemon on Sept 20, 2018 22:31:32 GMT 1
Wow, pleasantly surprised by that result!
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 21, 2018 11:38:17 GMT 1
A very depressing but utterly predictable result.
The 4th time in five years where a London-centric act has won. What could be more rock & roll in 2018 than a private school educated act (matching 7 of the 12 of Mercury panel) with the same management as Alt-J & the 1975 winning this award.
Nadine Shah was robbed. But she is a working class 30-something mixed race singer/songwriter born in Sunderland.
Still it sums up this now shambolic award whose credibility is matching that of the commercial decline of Simon Cowell's X-Factor with the fact Wolf Alice became the first winning act to perform the same song (Don't Delete The Kisses) twice from their winning album (when previous winners since this TV related gimmick had been introduced sung another song from their successful album). Personally, I thought their debut album My Love Is Cool was better.
Now that the Mercury Awards are sponsored by the same company who sponsor The BRITS this award has very obviously just another means for the mainstream industry to promote mainstream bands (as reflected by far too many of the nominees).
It would be more interesting, relevant and meaningful if the Mercury Award sought to uncover and celebrate truly independent music, those not on one of the three majors doing it completely alone.
Wolf Alice already have already established themselves. They don't need this leg up. There are thousands of completely ignored but talented artists out there making great albums.
Incidentally, at the annual UK Independent Music Awards held every August - This year's winner was ..... Nadine Shah - Holiday Destination!
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
Posts: 27,395
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Post by TheThorne on Sept 21, 2018 12:11:12 GMT 1
I find Nadine Shah pretty meh tbh, tried to get into her but she does nothing for me
Wolf Alice are still nowhere near mainstream though so many people think rock is dead and even though they have had a number two album haven't heard of them. But yes agree on the same song twice thing, I really hoped they would do 'Yuk Foo' but i guess its hard getting that live energy spontaneously for 1 song. But it does means everyone gets behind one song and that makes it easier to promote them as of course they still have never had a hit single and for many that's all that matters.
As I have said to you before, I really think you look too deep into things, I am always happy that I have been blissfully oblivious to most of the facts you inform of us of. Dirty Hit are one of the few UK labels that are producing artists that can actually get successful rather than just be cult listens on 6Music. You cant have it both ways either rock is dead or its too mainstream, I am happily enjoying this small victory. And yes I agree the debut was better as well.
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Post by o on Sept 21, 2018 12:20:53 GMT 1
So Nadine Shah won something and you complain about someone else winning something else? Wolf Alice didn't even get nommed at the Brits did they? If I asked my facebook friends if they knew who Wolf Alice were, I'm pretty sure, most wouldn't have a scoobies! I'm pleased they won, but from what I've heard of this album, I prefer their debut.
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Post by Razzle Dazzle on Sept 21, 2018 14:37:24 GMT 1
Cant say I'm a fan of Wolf Alice, but nice they won, its a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned
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