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ventaThe Klaxons ? The Klaxons ?
At the beginning of the year, the BBC's hot-list of bands for 2007 included The Klaxons. The evidence they provided was the wonderful, chiming Golden Skans. I thought it was one of the most notable of their ten recomendations.
Once I'd got a job again this summer, I bought myself a bunch of CDs as a present. It included the by-then-Mercury-nominated Myths of the Near Future, which I found completely underwhelming. Sure, Golden Skans is a great song, but despite repeat listening it remains the only track I can call to mind. I'll give the album another listen today, but I'm so far completely failing to grasp what the judges thought was so good about it.
Following yesterday's poll, I feel I should investigate Bat For Lashes, whom I've not heard at all. I wasn't really expecting my choice - The Young Knives - to win; they're a bit too weird, and not everyone will be as excited as I was that they put the Whittlesea Straw Bear on their album cover. I had slightly higher hopes for Maps, but he doesn't appear to have had much of a look-in.
I'm secretly pleased that Amy Winehouse didn't win. Although I don't particularly rate her album, I'll happily agree that it's a good nomination and not just same-old-same-old as the Chilly Gibbons were last year. To my mind, the Mercury is all about underdogs and she very much isn't one at present. However, this time last year she was and it seems unfair to count her popularity against her. I do wonder to what extent her being the "obvious" choice did sway the judges away from Back To Black.
Incidentally, the bits of Radio 1 Mercury coverage which I heard travelling to and from rapper practise last night involved Dizzee Rascal's performance of Flex at the awards ceremony. He was joined by a Mariachi band, and the net result was a biazarrely interesting melange which was all a bit rap-gone-Bentley Rhythm Ace. I really quite liked it.
Which surprised me. When Dizzee Rascal won the Mercury in 2003, I bought Boy In Da Corner to see what it was all about and hated it. In fact, I think I quite uncharactersitically only listened to it once. Maybe I should give it another whirl.
At the beginning of the year, the BBC's hot-list of bands for 2007 included The Klaxons. The evidence they provided was the wonderful, chiming Golden Skans. I thought it was one of the most notable of their ten recomendations.
Once I'd got a job again this summer, I bought myself a bunch of CDs as a present. It included the by-then-Mercury-nominated Myths of the Near Future, which I found completely underwhelming. Sure, Golden Skans is a great song, but despite repeat listening it remains the only track I can call to mind. I'll give the album another listen today, but I'm so far completely failing to grasp what the judges thought was so good about it.
Following yesterday's poll, I feel I should investigate Bat For Lashes, whom I've not heard at all. I wasn't really expecting my choice - The Young Knives - to win; they're a bit too weird, and not everyone will be as excited as I was that they put the Whittlesea Straw Bear on their album cover. I had slightly higher hopes for Maps, but he doesn't appear to have had much of a look-in.
I'm secretly pleased that Amy Winehouse didn't win. Although I don't particularly rate her album, I'll happily agree that it's a good nomination and not just same-old-same-old as the Chilly Gibbons were last year. To my mind, the Mercury is all about underdogs and she very much isn't one at present. However, this time last year she was and it seems unfair to count her popularity against her. I do wonder to what extent her being the "obvious" choice did sway the judges away from Back To Black.
Incidentally, the bits of Radio 1 Mercury coverage which I heard travelling to and from rapper practise last night involved Dizzee Rascal's performance of Flex at the awards ceremony. He was joined by a Mariachi band, and the net result was a biazarrely interesting melange which was all a bit rap-gone-Bentley Rhythm Ace. I really quite liked it.
Which surprised me. When Dizzee Rascal won the Mercury in 2003, I bought Boy In Da Corner to see what it was all about and hated it. In fact, I think I quite uncharactersitically only listened to it once. Maybe I should give it another whirl.
