Back from the launch of this year's Nationwide Mercury Prize and OMM is distraught that Lily Allen is not on the albums of the year shortlist.
Who is? Well, counting down: Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan with 'Ballad of the Broken Seas' (at 10/1 according to William Hill); Scritti Politti with 'White Bread Black Beer' (10/1); Lou Rhodes, who used to be in Lamb, with 'Beloved One' (10/1); Zoe Rahman, this year's obligatory jazzer, with 'Melting Pot' (10/1); Sway with 'This Is My Demo' (8/1); Richard Hawley with 'Coles Corner' (8/1); Hot Chip with 'The Warning' (8/1); Editors with 'The Back Room' (6/1); Muse with 'Black Holes and Revelations' (6/1); Guillemots with 'Through The Windowpane' (6/1); recent OMM cover star Thom Yorke with 'The Eraser' (5/1); and last but not least, Arctic Monkeys, with Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (joint favourites at 5/1).
We'd say the smart money is on Richard Hawley. The result is announced at a ceremony on 5 September.
But no Lily?
Lauren Laverne, one of this year's judges, told us that she'd been the subject of intense debate, and muttered something about people thinking she doesn't really mean it, isn't very committed as a performer.
Well, we're possibly a little over-protective: she was OMM's cover star way back in May, when hardly anyone outside of the music industry (and yes, the MySpace community) had heard of her, and we made that call on the basis of falling in love with a five-track sampler of her music.
It's been hugely gratifying to see 'Smile' go to number one, and her album (released this week) receive generally rave reviews (even if there's griping about the 'hype' from latecomers). Not committed? Well, we're off to see her at Bush Hall tonight (and then there's talk of a party): we'll report back.
And as for the Mercury: well, it's like the Booker list - essentially meaningless, other than as a marketing tool for the industry. There are some excellent records on the list this year, but an equally credible alternative list could be drawn up pretty quickly.
In fact here's one: Lily Allen's 'Alright Still'; Plan B's 'Who Needs Action When You Got Words'; King Creosote's 'KC Rules OK'; Kate Bush's 'Aerial'; The Feeling's 'Twelve Stops and Home'; the Neil Cowley Trio's 'Displaced'; Tunng's 'Comments of the Inner Chorus'; The Longcut's 'A Call and Response'; Pet Shop Boys' 'Fundamental'; and Fun-Da-Mental's 'All is War'.
