No Rock And Roll Fun

MERCURY PART TWO: Somehow, we'd managed to miss out on Terri Walker - despite her website proudly proclaiming she'd marked herself as a star of 2003 by getting to 38 in the singles chart. She's actually part of the DefSoul roster and, really, the closest to a 'defending champion' in the pack this year (Ms Dynamite winning last year, of course). Somehow, TW seems less likely to be popping up on Pepsi cans in 2004. The Thrills album is pretty airy and varied; we're not sure it's distinctive or coherent enough to please the Mercury judges, though, but we wish them luck as our personal favourites. Athlete must be in with quite a serious chance - they have that black ash credibility that so titilates Mercury judges, and it's been a few years since the Mercs went for the album which sounded like the Most Obvious Winner from a sound point of view. Coldplay surely will be marked down because their album came out so long ago it feels like you're being asked to pick The White Album (plus, of course, we imagine the judges would notice it's just not a very good album). Radiohead will probably withdraw, or something. Floetry are more popular in the US than in the UK, and we're sure they'd have to barred on the grounds of irritating novelty name if nothing else. Lemon Jelly are amongst the sixteen hardest working people in music, but they still seem to be a little more like an art school project than a proper musical act. And Dizzee Rascal - well, we don't really approve of people being stabbed, but if he comes round ourt way with his records, we'd be waving envelopes at him and if he gets a papercut, well, so be it.