Well, how on or off-trend can they be? This one will be hotly debated for sure: as new rave battles on through Europe – to the displeasure of some tastemakers – the movement’s start the Klaxons have picked up one of the most important prizes in UK music, the Mercury Music Prize. The BBC reports:
The group, which is fronted by singer Jamie Reynolds, have only been together for two years after meeting at Glastonbury Festival.The Mercury judges said the group, from south London, took them on an “ecstatic musical adventure”.
The band ran onto the stage to receive the £20,000 cash prize and told the audience they were “very happy”.They revealed they had been recording the album in the studio as they watched last year’s winners, the Arctic Monkeys, take the award.
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Congratulations are in order to London based Klaxons for winning last nights prestigous Nationwide Mercury Music Prize I think.
I am pleasantly surprised with news of the Klaxon’s victory. Singer and bass player Jamie Reynolds made perfect sense when reflecting on the judges decision,
“I think [the Mercury judges] have rewarded forward thinking music,” Asked about winning over Winehouse, the band grumbled about having to answer questions about her all day. “She is fantastic, but her record is a retro record, and we have made the most forward thinking record since I don’t know how long,” Reynolds said.
If its true the award is to honour forward thinking music then Klaxons had it in the bag all along…its just the criteria for winners seems to change every year. Previous winners Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand could hardly be described as forward thinking but their winning credentials could not be doubted.
Year after year the awards are marred with controversy – I think the board at Mercury need to clean up once and for all what the awards are supposed to reward…that way the awards might make a little bit more sense.
What do you think?
September 5th, 2007 at 11:51 am
I did a sampling of mp3’s by the groups up for the prize:
I love Amy Winehouse’s style.
New Young Pony Club
is just flat better than the Klaxons…
So you brits are in to robbery and ceating lately, eh?
There were two more equal with the Klaxons in the running too.
Get new judges, you soiled yourself here.
Roger Bagula
September 6th, 2007 at 1:10 pm