July 17, 2007

Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys Up for Mercury Prize

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mojo-photo-mercuryprize.JPG The nominees for this year’s Mercury Prize, honoring the best album by a British or Irish artist, were announced today in London; the list has both surprises and shoe-ins. Retro-R&B sensation Amy Winehouse and jumpy rockers Arctic Monkeys seemed guaranteed nods, and have been pegged as equal favorites to win, with booker William Hill giving them each 4-to-1 odds. (I love this whole British “odds on everything” thing. I’m 2-to-1 for going to grab coffee after this.) The Arctics won the prize last year for their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not; fellow nominee Dizzee Rascal has also won before, back in 2003. Other artists nominated include Klaxons, The View, and New Young Pony Club. A full list of nominated albums, William Hill odds, and “for fans of” descriptions after the jump.

2007 Mercury Music Prize Nominees

Artist – Album (Odds) (MySpace and YouTube links)
For Fans Of: two other bands and something else

Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare (4-to-1) (MySpace, “Brianstorm” on YouTube)
For fans of: The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, youthfulness

Amy Winehouse – Back To Black (4-to-1) (MySpace, “Rehab” on YouTube)
For fans of: The Ronettes, The Supremes, eyeliner

Dizzee Rascal – Maths And English (8-to-1) (MySpace, “Fix Up Look Sharp” on YouTube)
For fans of: Busta Rhymes, Tricky, English as a foreign language

Jamie T – Panic Prevention (8-to-1) (MySpace, “Sheila” on YouTube)
For fans of: Billy Bragg, The Clash, boozing it up

Klaxons – Myths Of The Near Future (8-to-1) (MySpace, “Golden Skans” on YouTube)
For fans of: Kaiser Chiefs, Liars, Doctor Who

The View – Hats Off To The Buskers (8-to-1) (MySpace, “Wasted Little DJs” on YouTube)
For fans of: The Fratellis, The Strokes, obscure Scottishisms

Bat For Lashes – Fur And Gold (10-to-1) (MySpace, “Prescilla” on YouTube)
For fans of: Bjork, Tori Amos, autoharps

Fionn Regan – The End Of History (10-to-1) (MySpace, “Be Good or Be Gone” on YouTube)
For fans of: Nick Drake, acoustic Beck, adorable mop-haired Irish boys with guitars

The Young Knives – Voices Of Animals And Men (10-to-1) (MySpace, “Here Comes the Rumour Mill” on YouTube)
For fans of: Hot Hot Heat, The Cars, tweed suits

Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford – Basquiat Strings (12-to-1) (MySpace)
For fans of: Kronos Quartet, Jon Metcalf, National Public Radio

Maps – We Can Create (12-to-1) (MySpace, “It Will Find You” on YouTube)
For fans of: Spiritualized, My Bloody Valentine, sitting alone in your room

New Young Pony Club – Fantastic Playroom (12-to-1) (MySpace, “Ice Cream” on YouTube)
For fans of: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blondie, asymmetrical haircuts

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It is astonishingly hard keeping a newsroom afloat these days, and we need to raise $253,000 in online donations quickly, by October 7.

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Readers also told us to just give it to you straight when we need to ask for your support, and seeing how matter-of-factly explaining our inner workings, our challenges and finances, can bring more of you in has been a real silver lining. So our online membership lead, Brian, lays it all out for you in his personal, insider account (that literally puts his skin in the game!) of how urgent things are right now.

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