Mercury Music Prize 2020 Poll

[Quark]

4 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

I'm not.  What are the tweets that got deleted?

 

[zeppelin]

6 minutes ago, stuartbert two hats said:

I'm not.  What are the tweets that got deleted?

[K2SO]

My personal choice is Charli XCX. I didn't love the album, as it's not my cup of tea, but it's a good album. On top of that, she announced that she was going to write and record the entire album in a 4 week period of lockdown. She did the whole thing and gave her fans near daily updates on it, and gave them previews via Zoom and stuff.

I think it's a brilliant musical project and deserves to be given some real credit.

[John the Moth]

17 hours ago, zeppelin said:

Just gone back to look at Nadine's tweets and tbf to her:

She knows she f**ked up. 

 

I like that, although making light of it,  she’s tried to own it rather than make excuses.

[John the Moth]

I’m gonna have to listen to about 10 of those before I can make an unbiased vote... It’ll be MK though 🤣

[Tuna]

Now it's sunk in, this seems like a very safe list. Very little to make you go, "huh, yeah" -- just my opinion, of course -- and it's not for lack of availability: there's some great records that didn't make this list.

Voted for Moses Boyd.

[gmb1992]

My personal choice is Kiwanuka, the album is just so stunning. 

I'm only actually listened in full to the Kiwanuka & Porridge Radio albums so I'm using this poll to go through them most to least popular... next up Dua Lipa. 

[zero000]

Toss up between MK and Dua Lipa. Dua is just such. joyful pop record it edges it for me. That said the MK is very underrated and should be much more revered than it is. 

[Quark]

Interesting to see Georgia not polling any votes yet.  I think it reflects the vibe on here when it was released back in January, really strong first half but meanders a bit in the second.  If it had maintained that punch all the way through it would have been a real contender.

[gmb1992]

28 minutes ago, zero000 said:

Toss up between MK and Dua Lipa. Dua is just such. joyful pop record it edges it for me. That said the MK is very underrated and should be much more revered than it is. 

The Dua Lipa album is a really good pop album! 

Not my usual cup of tea but as you say it's so joyful and fun.

[lessthanwill1]

20 minutes ago, Quark said:

Interesting to see Georgia not polling any votes yet.  I think it reflects the vibe on here when it was released back in January, really strong first half but meanders a bit in the second.  If it had maintained that punch all the way through it would have been a real contender.

Agreed. First four songs and Feel It are all great. I saw her supporting Carly Rae Jepsen earlier this year and that was perfect as she played her five best songs plus a cover of Running up That Hill. 

[gigpusher]

I've had a complete run through of all the albums that I don't know at least twice now but in the background whilst working/cooking etc and Dua Lipa and Porridge Radio of the ones I didn't know are the standouts. I'll have another couple of listens over the weekend but don't see anything overtaking Kiwanuka in my affections. 

I already owned Kiwanuka, Marling and Stormzy on vinyl. I love some of the Stormzy songs but as an album it doesn't completely come together for me. Heavy Is The Head is a stunning track though. 

Think I agree with @Quark on Georgia. It does drift a little but I do really like it and would like to see her live again. Think I have seen her as support act a couple of times. Sports Team seems very standard and not particularly exceptional. (a bit meat and 2 veg) 

Think there are a few that probably need a bit more of my attention before I judge them properly ones like Kano, Moses Boyd and Lanterns On The Lake. 

All round not the worst set of nominees but I do think some stronger albums missed out and don't think it's as strong a year as last year when about half of the nominees could have won and I'd have been equally happy. 

[Dan R]

Only listened to about half of them at this point but the only albums I've come back to multiple times have been Kiwanuka and Dark Matter. I really enjoyed Seeking Thrills but haven't been back to it for a while, might have to give it another go. Heavy Is The Head was pretty enjoyable but just didn't feel the urge to listen to it again.

I feel like I should like them but I found Sports Team pretty forgettable. If I was in the mood for that style of music I'd put on plenty of other albums first.

Charlie XCX and Anna Meredith just not my cup of tea. 

[found home in 2009]

On 7/23/2020 at 12:42 PM, stuartbert two hats said:

I'm not.  What are the tweets that got deleted?

This guy took screenshots of them. She basically had a rant that it was ran by the same people as the Brits, was too mainstream and it was ridiculous that 1975 got nominated and not her (which turned out to not actually be true) 
https://twitter.com/nadineshah/status/1285838052410171392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1285840782101012482%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.efestivals.co.uk%2Fforums%2Findex.php%3Fapp%3Dcoremodule%3Dsystemcontroller%3Dembedurl%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FSannyR1985%2Fstatus%2F1285840782101012482%3Fs%3D20

[gigpusher]

Ok think I have listened enough to know that Michael Kiwanuka is definitely my winner. Don't think it's as strong a list as last year. Think there are plenty of other better albums that weren't nominated in my opinion. Probably about 4 others that I wouldn't begrudge winning. 

Edited July 25, 2020 by gigpusher

[Mattymooz]

I'm slowly getting through the ones I've missed, and currently its looking like a 3 way race for me of Charli vs. Kano vs. Kiwanuka. 2 left to go though so we'll see if they surprise me!

[fred quimby]

So have not heard a couple of them yet and will do but Anna Meredith FIBS is great. Hoping to see her on the Farm, real talent and powerful music when Calion moves into that deeper bass - oh My and Sawbones relentlessness is just wonderful

[ghandi]

Brilliant , the artist i selected is winning   , i have falling in love with Michael Kiwanaku, both albums are brilliant, love the self titled and deserves to win this year.

[thrillhouse188]

Porridge Radio or Charli XCX for me, FKA Twigs not being on there is baffling!

[ghandi]

I know that each year you generally have an old album stuck in the list, or so i remember, maybe i'm wrong. But can someone tell me why Pablo Honey is on this list? Whilst being a big Radiohead fan, it's at best their second least best album by most peoples opinions. Seems very strange to me.

[gigpusher]

4 minutes ago, ghandi said:

I know that each year you generally have an old album stuck in the list, or so i remember, maybe i'm wrong. But can someone tell me why Pablo Honey is on this list? Whilst being a big Radiohead fan, it's at best their second least best album by most peoples opinions. Seems very strange to me.

It's just an old joke. 

[Crazyfool01]

2 hours ago, gigpusher said:

It's just an old joke. 

Can someone explain where it stems from ... I know it’s been knocking about these forums for a while but where did it originate from ? 

[Quark]

3 hours ago, ghandi said:

I know that each year you generally have an old album stuck in the list, or so i remember, maybe i'm wrong. But can someone tell me why Pablo Honey is on this list? Whilst being a big Radiohead fan, it's at best their second least best album by most peoples opinions. Seems very strange to me.

 

6 minutes ago, crazyfool1 said:

Can someone explain where it stems from ... I know it’s been knocking about these forums for a while but where did it originate from ? 

Yeah, my bad!  Short version is that in the endless number of Radiohead lists that were generated here ahead of their 2017 set the general rule was that 99% of people agreed that Pablo Honey is the worst of their 9 albums, so it always ranked as 9 in the lists.  This then extended to PH being occasionally dropped into lists at random, but always at number 9, and ultimately @stuartbert two hats having a t-shirt printed up (I think for '17 Stu?) in a football shirt style, number 9 on the back and Pablo Honey as the "player name".

So I dropped it in this list in the number 9 slot in a moment of whimsy.  Now that it's picked up 10 votes I do feel a smidgen foolish...

[Crazyfool01]

2 minutes ago, Quark said:

 

Yeah, my bad!  Short version is that in the endless number of Radiohead lists that were generated here ahead of their 2017 set the general rule was that 99% of people agreed that Pablo Honey is the worst of their 9 albums, so it always ranked as 9 in the lists.  This then extended to PH being occasionally dropped into lists at random, but always at number 9, and ultimately @stuartbert two hats having a t-shirt printed up (I think for '17 Stu?) in a football shirt style, number 9 on the back and Pablo Honey as the "player name".

So I dropped it in this list in the number 9 slot in a moment of whimsy.  Now that it's picked up 10 votes I do feel a smidgen foolish...

Thanks ... I knew about the shirt but not the origin behind it and as a long term member I’ve never really fancied asking about an in joke ... explanation clears it up  

[stuartbert two hats]

46 minutes ago, Quark said:

 

Yeah, my bad!  Short version is that in the endless number of Radiohead lists that were generated here ahead of their 2017 set the general rule was that 99% of people agreed that Pablo Honey is the worst of their 9 albums, so it always ranked as 9 in the lists.  This then extended to PH being occasionally dropped into lists at random, but always at number 9, and ultimately @stuartbert two hats having a t-shirt printed up (I think for '17 Stu?) in a football shirt style, number 9 on the back and Pablo Honey as the "player name".

So I dropped it in this list in the number 9 slot in a moment of whimsy.  Now that it's picked up 10 votes I do feel a smidgen foolish...

Yep.  Pablo Honey is the 9th best Radiohead album, hopefully to become number 10 in a couple of years.  Shirt was indeed made in 2017, primarily as an exercise to harvest upvotes!