MercuryZ

Hey readers,

The Mercury Prize shortlist is out tomorrow so FTCZ feels obligated to weigh in with our not very good predictions. We were way off when we backed Laura Marling last year (who would have thought the long shot would fail???), and we’re confident we’ll get it just as wrong again this year.

Anywayz, here’s 12 FTCZ preferences for the shortlist.

1.Florence And The Machine – Lungs

This is one of the few that we’ll probably get right. The only way she won’t get the nomination is if the selectors find the extra sentence here and there that she inserts into the album songs as annoying as I find it.

Chance of making the list: Very high




2.Late Of The Pier

The most FTCZ apprived band on the list. WE back these guys to win. Still haven’t seen them live unfortunately. It’s Buckfast’s fault.

Chance of making the list: pretty good. We'll be gutted if they don't. Not that the mercury prize is all that good to begin with :P



3.Friendly Fires

My Brova loves em. So Do I, This is a rarity you should know. They have no chance of being nominated really since they’re a lot like LOTP. Too bad.

Chance of making the list: Not very good. Late of the Pier's fault.




4. Micachu

A New love of FTCZ. We wrote a load about her below so we really hope she gets it. 200+ plays on my last fm this week says all that needs to be said.

Chance of making the list: reasonable. Hopefully the hype will squeeze em through.



5. The Horrors

The first album was more along the lines of FTCZ. The new one is a bit serious, but good all the same.

Chance of making the list: They're a cert for the shortlist.




6. Emmy The Great

Hope she gets nominated. Still a little scarred about some interview she had did a while back.

Chance of making the list: Not a chance.




7. Dananananakroyd

We mentioned these guys a while back before they released very much. We’re still listening to Pink Sabbath as much as ever which is a good sign.

Chance of making the list: Lol. no.




8. Metronomy
Not very alt to like Metronomy any more. But they do have the best video out of everyone here.

Chance of making the list: They've got a good chance. If Klaxons can win, they can.



9.Sky Larkin

We’ve not mentioned them on this blog (and we’ve defo not mentioned them on our fads/hot girls/fashion dabbling disgrace of a blog). We’ve really grown to love them though. Very fond of their Queens Of The Stone Age cover.

Chance of making the list: pretty terrible.



10.Rolo Tomassi

Very loud band and a very hot singer. We highly approve.

Chance of making the list: No way. Maybe if the selectors wanna show how diverse they are.



11. Bat For Lashes

We were a little disappointed when she didn’t win it the last time.

Chance of making the list: A sure thing.



12. The Bug

The super duper outsider. Don’t even expect this album to be considered. We’d be over the moon if they did.

Chance of making the list: The Bug will NOT eb on the list.




Of course the unpopular ones we mentioned will definitely be replaced by La Roux/Little Boots/Glasvegas (who we like) and a few others that aren't coming to mind.

There should also be a token hip-hop album by someone like Wiley or Tinchy Styder, and a jazz album that isn’t in tune with the rest of the list. I don’t really care for jazz so I’d rather they give music genres, that are alien to you and I, a miss.

Here's hoping we get at least one right. The list comes out tomorrow.

Good Shape

Hey readers,

It speaks volumes about a band if they make for excellent walking music. A lot of bands tend to be too quiet (the bon ivers of the world), too wordy (Jeffrey Lewis) or too loud and dangerous for careless pedestrians like me (2 many DJs) to listen to while walking. The loudness is my fault but I can’t listen to it any other way and I can’t see myself changing my ways.

Anyway, having stood on a nail the day before and having to limp my way around for several hours before getting my bus, I needed to call on 2 bands to take my mind off the pain and to act is good walking music. I used Digitalism as always and the new-ish album from Micachu.




How highly do I rate Micachu you ask? Well she’s shot into my top artists on Last Fm after a single week, I say. Not since I got hold of Chairlift has anyone shot up my
Last Fm charts so fast. And that was about a year ago. Well 6 months. I should really read back in the blog to find out but I’m confident nobody reads those old posts :P

Anyway, nobody penetrates my chart so quickly. Not even the almighty Joy Formidable managed that feat and I wouldn’t shut up about them at the time. Ask that friend of mine that was having a meltdown and was a little annoyed that the conversation suddenly turned into an endorsement for TJF.

So, I’m confident that I’ll be spinning Micachu a lot more during the next few weeks. It’s one of those albums that I can now call upon to walk around to. Highly rec’D by FTCz.