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Wednesday, September 06, 2006

2006 Mercury Music Prize 


"Whatver People Say, That's What I'm Not", el disco debut de los Arctic Monkeys que ha acaparado los titulares desde enero de este año cuando se convirtió en el debut más vendido de la historia del Reino Unido, sigue acaparando titulares esta semana al ganar el prestigioso Mercury Music Prize, un premio establecido en 1992 por la asociación de la Industria Fonográfica Británica al mejor disco de los últimos 12 meses como alternativa de "calidad" a los Brit Awards, que premian más bien la popularidad. Ver la lista de candidatos y ganadores del Mercury siempre es interesante porque nominan a grupos famosos y desconocidos por igual, y permite conocer algunas cosas interesantes que de otro modo sería difícil toparse con. Yo "descubrí", por ejemplo, a Badly Drawn Boy y Gomez por estos premios (artistas de los que, si bien sé que no puedo recomendar libremente, con el tiempo me he vuelto fan casi incondicional.) Esta es la lista de nominados este año:
 
  "Whatver People Say, That's What I'm Not", Arctic Monkeys' debut that has monopolized headlines sine it became the best selling debut in UK history in January, keeps monopolizing headlines this week by winning the prestigious Mercury Music Prize, an award established in 1992 by the British Phonographic Industry for the best album of the past 12 months based on its "quality", as an alternative to the Brit Awards, that seem to reward popularity. Reviewing the list is always interesting because famous and unknown bands are equally nominated, and it allows us to get familiarized with stuff that otherwise might be difficult to. I "discovered", for example, Badly Drawn Boy and Gomez because of these awards (artists that, although I don't recommend lightly, I've become an almost unconditional fan of.) Here's the list of this year's nominees:
 
 
Arctic Monkeys - 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - 'Ballad Of The Broken Seas'
Editors - 'The Back Room'
Guillemots - 'Through The Windowpane'
Richard Hawley - 'Coles Corner'
Hot Chip - 'The Warning'
Muse - 'Black Holes & Revelations'
Zoe Rahman - 'Melting Pot'
Lou Rhodes - 'Beloved One'
Scritti Politti - 'White Bread Black Beer'
Sway - 'This Is My Demo'
Thom Yorke - 'The Eraser'
 
Aunque ganar el premio incrementa de inmediato el prestigio y las ventas de un grupo (sobre todos los que no eran ya dueños de las listas), también parece cierto que los grupos que lo ganan después no pueden repetir el éxito alcanzado (Franz Ferdinand siendo una posible excepción, aunque es debatible). Para muestra, la lista de ganadores desde que se comenzó a dar el premio:
 
  Although winning the prize immdiately increases the prestige and sales of a band (particularly if they weren't already chart-toppers), it also seems true that bands that win the prize can't repeat the achieve the same success afterwards (Franz Ferdinand being a possible exception, although it is debatable). Exhibit B, the list of winners since they started giving out the awards:
 
 
2005: Antony and the Johnsons – 'I Am a Bird Now'
2004: Franz Ferdinand – Franz Ferdinand
2003: Dizzee Rascal – Boy in Da Corner
2002: Ms. Dynamite – A Little Deeper
2001: PJ Harvey – Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
2000: Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast
1999: Talvin Singh – Ok
1998: Gomez – Bring It On
1997: Roni Size/Reprazent – New Forms
1996: Pulp – Different Class
1995: Portishead – Dummy
1994: M People – Elegant Slumming
1993: Suede – Suede
1992: Primal Scream – Screamadelica
 
PD: A mi los Arctic Monkeys no me parecen malos, pero espero con ansia a que pasemos a otra cosa ya, ¡por favor!
 
  PS: I don't think the Arctic Monkeys are bad, but can we please move on to something else, please?
 

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