Is this the worst music year ever?
By this time each year, most years, I would have posted my “albums of the year – so far” list. But not this year – I couldn’t be bothered – the selection of records released is atrocious and I have all but given up buying Mojo and Uncut magazines (after about 30 and 20 years respectively) as there is – nothing new.
I have bought a few records – some of which (Arctic Monkeys) have yet to bite. Here are a few that I have enjoyed – I admit that there is a strong whiff of dad rock:
Neil Young (Promise of real) – The Visitor
Jonathan Wilson – Rare Birds
Ash – Islands
Field Music – Open Here
Franz Ferdinand – Always Ascending
John Bramwell – Leave Alone The Empty Spaces
Charles Lloyd & The Marvels + Lucinda Williams – Vanished Gardens
Andy Sheppard Quartet – Romaria
Kamasi Washington – Heaven And Earth
Ry Cooder – The Prodigal Son
In any case – the reason for my rant is the list of Mercury Prize nominees is out – and, frankly, it’s ghastly.
Here’s the list – mostly ok albums from artists that have done better in the past (in particular Sons of Kemet). My vote is for Wolf Alice.
2018 Mercury Music Prize Nominees
Arctic Monkeys – ‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’
Everything Everything – ‘A Fever Dream’
Everything Is Recorded – ‘Everything Is Recorded’
Florence And The Machine – ‘High As Hope’
Jorja Smith’s – ‘Lost & Found’
King Krule – ‘The Ooz’
Lily Allen – ‘No Shame’
Nadine Shah – ‘Holiday Destination’
Noel Gallagher – ‘Who Built The Moon?’
Novelist – ‘Novelist Guy’
Sons Of Kemet – ‘Your Queen Is A Reptile’
Wolf Alice – ‘Visions Of A Life’
It is worth having a look at the prize nominees from 20 years ago – the 1998 Mercury Music prize (don’t know what happened to 4hero – some great records here – Gomez won – I still listen to it):
1998 Mercury Music Prize Nominees
Asian Dub Foundation – Rafi’s Revenge
Eliza Carthy – Red Rice
Catatonia – International Velvet
Cornershop – When I Was Born for the Seventh Time
4hero – Two Pages
Gomez – Bring it On
Massive Attack – Mezzanine
Propellerheads – Decksandrumsandrockandroll
Pulp – This is Hardcore
John Surman – Proverbs and Songs
The Verve – Urban Hymns
Robbie Williams – Life Thru a Lens
The 2008 list was pretty good also (Elbow won):
2008 Mercury Music Prize Nominees
Adele – 19
British Sea Power – Do You Like Rock Music?
Burial – Untrue
Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
Estelle – Shine
Laura Marling – Alas I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon – Stainless Style
Portico Quartet – Knee-Deep in the North Sea
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset – The Bairns
Radiohead – In Rainbows
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand
The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
Note that the prize is for the UK and Ireland – in the above lists for 3 separate years – not a single Irish artist listed. Apalling and sad.
audioexchange 