The Uranus Music Prize
So yes, the Mercury Prize nominations were announced yesterday, to the usual sighs of apathy and disbelief. Looking at the 12 selected records doesn't induce apoplexy as much as a kind of resigned shrug - the odd interesting choice, but generally speaking it's predictable and bland. Which would be fine if it were representative. But of course it isn't. The truth is that there's a huge amount of innovative, interesting and exciting music being made in the UK at the moment - music that deserves to be heard. So rather than just bollock on like a bunch of washer women, myself, Rich Hughes (TLOBF magus and instigator of the idea) and Scott MacMillan (aka Mapsadaisical, proprieter of one of the finest blogs in existence) deliberated for a while, produced a list of close to 30 albums and eventually came up with an alternative 12. The Uranus Music Prize (named for the fact that Uranus spins on a different axis to any other planet in our solar system, obviously) seemed the perfect title. The winner will be announced on The Line of Best Fit in September.