Stereo

The nominees for this year’s Mercury Prize, or otherwise known as the only award I can remember that actually has good rock/indie bands/musicians (though limited to the Brits only) as winners, has been revealed.

Past winners of Mercury Prize include Antony and the Johnsons (2005), Franz Ferdinand (2004), Badly Drawn Boy (2000, love the album), Gomez (1998), Pulp (1996), Portishead (1995), Suede (1993, insanely infectious) and Primal Scream (the first Mercury Prize winner in 1992 for the album Screamadelica). Not impressed? Take a look at the previous nominees list, including Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Keane, Snow Patrol (!), The Darkness, Radiohead, David Bowie, Elbow, Goldfrapp, Super Furry Animals, Manic Street Preachers, Chemical Brothers, Blur, Stereophonics, Catatonia, The Verve, Oasis, Supergrass, etc. You get me point.

I have to admit I have never heard most of the names for this year’s list, but further readings show some familiarity.

Artic Monkeys, Muse and Thom Yorke (of Radiohead) need no introductions. The rest of the dozen includes Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Editors, Guillemots, Richard Hawley, Hot Chip, Zoe Rahman, Lou Rhodes, Scritti Politti and Sway. Who?

Mark Lanegan used to be the lead singer of Screaming Trees, part of the whole Seattle grunge era in the 1990s. Isobel Campbell is formerly from Belle & Sebastian, a favourite to some. Richard Hawley used to tour with the band Pulp (whose Jarvis Cocker once famously protested Wacko Jacko on stage during 1996’s Brit Awards).

Those are the names I know, or least heard of. The early favourite to take the award is of course Artic Monkeys. But I would fancy Thom Yorke to win it (Radiohead were nominated several times). But most likely neither of them will walk home with the award. We’ll see. The winner will be announced 5th September, 2006.

Mercury Prize 2006 Nominees:

• Artic Monkeys, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
• Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Ballad Of The Broken Seas
• Editors, The Back Room
• Guillemots, Through The Windowpane
• Richard Hawley, Coles Corner
• Hot Chip, The Warning
• Muse, Black Holes And Revelations
• Zoe Rahman, Melting Pot
• Lou Rhodes, Beloved One
• Scritti Politti, White Bread, Black Beer
• Sway, This Is My Demo
• Thom Yorke, The Eraser

Visit BBC’s Mercury Prize page or the official site for more readings and reviews and pictures and stuff.