Playlouder - Music is the Network

The annual parade of teeth-ganshing and eye-rolling that is the Mercury Music Prize nominations is upon us and WHAT? They're actually pretty good. Damn it, where's the outlet for my wrath to come from today?

For the sake of personal amusement I have, where possible, applied accompanying quotes from various Playlouder contributors to compliment the official judges' words:

ELBOW ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’
"An epic rock record – triumphant, heartbreaking, unerringly melodic and life-affirming" The Judging Panel

"One of the few consistently great album bands left." - Melissa Fehr

BURIAL ‘Untrue’
"‘Untrue’ is a subtle, original metropolitan soundscape – restless, alarming and alluring" - The Judging Panel

"Bafflingly but pleasingly hard to define... Utterly fantastic stuff." -
John Doran 

RACHEL UNTHANK & THE WINTERSET ‘The Bairns’
"Contemporary folk music at its most magical and mysterious – enchanting and uplifting." - The Judging Panel

"A truly magical performance." - Emily Dover

RADIOHEAD ‘In Rainbows’
"Music that is adventurous, challenging and hugely enjoyable. A gripping new chapter in the remarkable Radiohead story" - The Judging Panel

"It’s good to hear him actually singing rather than saying horrid words through the tube to his mum’s vacuum cleaner into a broken Dictaphone." - John Doran

ESTELLE ‘Shine’
"The amazing Estelle stamps her vivid personality on a refreshing variety of musical moods – radiant, contemporary soul music" - The Judging Panel

"British rapper." - Adam Alphabet

BRITISH SEA POWER ‘Do You Like Rock Music?’
"Who wouldn’t like rock music when it is as joyfully eccentric, noisy and exciting as this?" - The Judging Panel

"It just begs to be played again and again, until the needle wears out, or the computer collapses under the weight of a virus." - Emily Dover


NEON NEON ‘Stainless Style’
"Chrome-plated electro-rock – a thrilling musical ride." - The Judging Panel

"Sadly the tunes can’t all be euphoric drive-time classics and the result is a bit hit and miss." - Adam B

LAURA MARLING ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’
"Beautiful composed and emotionally compelling tales of fear and romance." - The Judging Panel

"The aural equivalent of having your ears syringed without the fringe benefits, like warmth, or being able to hear grasshoppers mating." - John Widdop

PORTICO QUARTET ‘Knee-Deep In The North Sea’
"Exuberant, hypnotic acoustic music – an unusual new jazz sound." - The Judging Panel

"I'm trying to think of a pun about The Doors but struggling." - Tim C

ROBERT PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS ‘Raising Sand’
"An intimate set of timeless songs and a totally seductive celebration of the art of the vocal duet." - The Judging Panel

"Languid, unnecessary and dull. More soul could be packed into a text message." - Thesvenhunter

ADELE ‘19’
"Heartfelt songs from an engaging new voice – vulnerable, powerful and distinctive." - The Judging Panel

"While Adele has a lovely, expressive voice most of the time, there’s still work to do, and being nineteen years old, that work is eminently achievable." - Jeremy Allen

THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS ‘The Age Of The Understatement’

"Dramatic vignettes of modern love – superbly crafted and brilliantly arranged."  The Judging Panel

"Well, this lot look like a bunch of cunts." - Tim C

So, some of you should be pleased. My money's on Burial. Yours?