Through The Window Pane
Jul. 20th, 2006 08:33 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
peterbirksIs it an interesting collection of nominations for this year's Mercury Prize? Well, not really. The suprise omission for me was Hard-Fi's Stars of CCTV. One can only assume that this band has already made inroads in the US and so therefore doesn't need the hype.
The Arctic Monkeys, meanwhile, might be hip in New York, but might have a little bit of a hard time breaking middle America. Then again, who would have thought a song about suicide in a teenage prison near Sandown race course would be a pop classic ("Feltham is Singing Out", from said Hard-Fi album)?
Of the other nominations, I'd be happiest if the Guillemots' Through The Window Pane won. The Editors have made it to the list, although the newspapers still insist on calling them "Joy Division-influenced", thus proving that The Sound have been consigned to the dustbin of musical history.
Also Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan's Ballad of The Broken Seas,which would be a worthy winner. Muse's magnificent Black Holes And Revelations probably won't win it, simply because Muse don't need to. The remainder are new to me, with the exception of Richard Hawley's Cole's Corner, of which I vaguely recall thinking, "dreadful".
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And, speaking of new dustbins, I've got a new one. No-one else has one like this in the street. It's green and says "recycling only", although unfortunately there is no further guide. Paper and glass, I guess. All very puzzling. Do I really want three bins in my front "garden"? Not really.
The Arctic Monkeys, meanwhile, might be hip in New York, but might have a little bit of a hard time breaking middle America. Then again, who would have thought a song about suicide in a teenage prison near Sandown race course would be a pop classic ("Feltham is Singing Out", from said Hard-Fi album)?
Of the other nominations, I'd be happiest if the Guillemots' Through The Window Pane won. The Editors have made it to the list, although the newspapers still insist on calling them "Joy Division-influenced", thus proving that The Sound have been consigned to the dustbin of musical history.
Also Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan's Ballad of The Broken Seas,which would be a worthy winner. Muse's magnificent Black Holes And Revelations probably won't win it, simply because Muse don't need to. The remainder are new to me, with the exception of Richard Hawley's Cole's Corner, of which I vaguely recall thinking, "dreadful".
++++++++
And, speaking of new dustbins, I've got a new one. No-one else has one like this in the street. It's green and says "recycling only", although unfortunately there is no further guide. Paper and glass, I guess. All very puzzling. Do I really want three bins in my front "garden"? Not really.
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no subject
Date: 2006-07-20 08:02 am (UTC)Guillemots are decent - saw them live a couple of months ago, but the album's not consistent enough. The singer can really sing (especially live) but his songwriting is weak.
I'd vote for the Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan album which is excellent all the way through.
Cole's Corner has a few excellent tracks, and some real stinkers.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-20 08:15 am (UTC)I'll admit that the Guillemots support is based on just a few tracks, particularly "Annie Let's Not Wait" and "Sao Paolo". I'm glad that the lead singer's voice carries it off live. It certainly sounds strong on the CD, but these days that proves nothing.
I'd like to catch them live.
PJ
Guillemots live
Date: 2006-07-20 08:21 am (UTC)He's dead annoying though, very full of himself, but very popular with the ladies in the audience.
The challenge for me at these gigs is to find someone older than me - this one was packed full of students.
no subject
Date: 2006-07-20 08:42 am (UTC)Richard Hawley
Date: 2006-07-20 02:33 pm (UTC)If you don't own them already, get Lowe's The Convincer or Dig My Mood. I would think that his particular brand of middle-aged bittersweet melancholy would appeal to you. I don't think I've gone a month without listening to The Convincer since I bought it in 2002.
Titmus
Re: Richard Hawley
Date: 2006-07-21 06:06 am (UTC)I used to get all my Nicks a bit confused, what with Drake, Cave, Lowe et al, so I might keep an eye open for Mr Lowe.
PJ