Ben Hogwood writes: There is no getting away from it – this year’s Mercury Prize nominations have a feel of the damp squib about them. In a time when Britain, and England in particular, has experienced a completely invigorating cultural explosion with the Olympics and Paralympics, it feels like something of a missed opportunity for the breadth of our musical output in the last 12 months to be only partially recognised.
For sure, there are a lot of talented singer/songwriters on our shores these days, but to have half of the nominations made up of artists that could be bracketed in to this category is a big push, and even then those of the calibre of Kate Bush are still left on the sidelines.
Michael Kiwanuka has a winsome voice on Home Again, as does Lianne La Havas on Is Your Love Big Enough, but both fit snugly in to the realms of daytime radio, as does Ben Howard in Every Kingdom. Even Jessie Ware, here performing a wonderfully smoky Wildest Moments with just a guitar for company, is referred to by many as a ‘new Sade’. Not true – this is a voice that can go with clipped electro beats just as well as it marries an acoustic. Richard Hawley, on the other hand, is now indie royalty, and a nomination for Standing At The Sky’s Edge recognises a career that has been consistently high quality, his first nomination since 2006 and Coles Corner.
More original inspiration is to be found in the jazz entry – Roller Trio’s self-titled album – and in the folk corner, where Sam Lee’s Ground Of Its Own sits crookedly on a bar stool. Meanwhile there are three bands nominated. One is a durable set of North Eastern brothers – Sunderland’s redoubtable Field Music particularly well received with recognition for the ambitious Plumb. Also showing staying power are The Maccabees, with their crowning opus Given To The Wild a palpable and urgent step up from previous long players, while Leeds quartet Alt-J (∆), just starting out, have their own curious sound world for An Awesome Wave recognised by the judges and bookmakers, many of whom make them joint favourites. Meanwhile, Django Django's eponymous debut, released way back in January, could be the dark horse of 2012.
In the sad absence of Rustie, this leaves Plan B all on his own, occupying a lone furrow with the return to angrier self that is Ill Manors. Here he leaves behind the soulful yearnings of She Said, returning to the sharp observations of his debut in an album that readily journeys to the edge, asking the questions that a number in the nominations list would not dare to broach.
Should there be a gong for challenging the audience, or one for making them feel safer? We may well find out the answer to this poser come 1 November, when a winner is plucked from these ten. At the very least what the Mercury Music Prize never fails to do is start a debate about the last year’s albums, followed by a second chapter on state of the nation’s music, and for this reason it remains a valuable commodity. Yet it is to be hoped that the Mercurys, just like Plan B, will be ready and willing to take on some more obviously difficult issues.
The iTunes Festival rolls on, with Norah Jones, The Killers, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Pink, Labrinth, David Guetta and Rebecca Ferguson all heading over to the Roundhouse this week.
Rough Trade East is also hosting some great free instore gigs this week, with TOY on Monday, Race Horses on Wednesday and Calexico on Thursday.
On Monday The xx play at Shepherd's Bush Empire, but if you fancy something a bit more upbeat, Rod Thomas - aka Bright Light Bright Light - brings his brand of club pop to The Old Queen's Head on Wednesday.
Patti Smith plays at the Troxy on Thursday, while Dexys play their recent album, One Day I'm Going to Soar - which we gave four stars and called a "triumph" - in its entirity before a set of fan favourites a the Barbican on Sunday.
The Features will be playing tracks from their new album Wilderness, which is out this week, at Bush Hall on Wednesday while Welsh singer/songwriter Cate Le Bon plays at Electrowerkz.
Indie popsters of the moment Allo Darlin' and Tigercats play at KCLSU on Thursday, while Swedish rockers The Soundtrack Of Our Lives play their last ever UK show at Heaven.
Beirut, whose album The Rip Tide was one of our top 50 albums of 2011, wraps up the working week with a show at Hammersmith Apollo on Friday.
The iTunes festival began its annual 30-day residency at Camden’s Roundhouse on Saturday, with Usher playing the opening night. This week sees Olly Murs, Plan B, Emeli Sandé, JLS, Elbow, Jack White and Deadmau5 all taking to the stage for an audience of prize draw winners.
Further north, Wembley Arena will be dusted down by Friday to welcome Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, with support from Graham Coxon and The Kooks. Leonard Cohen’s relentless world tour stops off in Wembley on Saturday and Sunday – the same nights Lady Gaga‘s Born This Way Ball pitches up at Twickenham Stadium.
If you fancy something a little more sedate, folk legends Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick play at the Half Moon in Putney on Tuesday, while over in Dalston Marika Hackman and Luke Sital-Singh play at Servant Jazz Quarters. Sital-Singh has been touted as the British Bon Iver…check out his single Fail For You.
Tuesday also sees the return of Grandaddy to Shepherd’s Bush Empire. They’ve cut to the chase and called it The Welcome Back Tour and rumours of a new album are rife, so it’d be surprising if they didn’t throw in a few new songs.
Perfume Genius plays at the Union Chapel on Thursday for what promises to be a breathtaking show. We gave his second album, Put Your Back N 2 It, four-and-a-half stars, and called Mike Hadreas a "staggeringly talented songwriter".
Grimes plays at Heaven on Wednesday and Thursday. We recently saw her in Edinburgh and at XOYO and loved it. In fact, we described her live show as “a curious mix of live performance, DJ set and, at times, full on rave".
The week draws to a close with the arrival in London of Africa Express; a train that’s crossed the country bringing together African and Western artists. Co-founded by Damon Albarn six years ago, this has been the collective’s biggest tour and has seen Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Temper Trap, Rizzle Kicks, Singgai Shoniwa of the Noisettes and Carl Barât among those joining Sengalese star Baaba Maal, Egyptian rapper Karim Rish and blind husband and wife duo Amadou & Mariam from Mali among many, many others. The Africa Express pulls into Granary Square, Kings Cross, on Saturday.
Earlier this year The Afghan Whigs reunited to headline one night of ATP’s London I’ll Be Your Mirror event. We were impressed – describing them as “a supremely tight and imposing band able to sustain a tremendous level of intensity” – and they return to the capital on Sunday to play a show at KOKO. Expect to hear smouldering versions of songs from classic albums like Gentleman, 1965 and Congregation.
It’s the standout show of a quieter week on the gig front. Elsewhere, Lower Dens play from eye-catching second album Nootropics at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on Thursday and earlier in the week the same venue plays host to shows by the returning Violens on Tuesday and White Rabbits on Monday (read what we thought about the latter’s show in London earlier this year).
James Yorkston plays a show at Rough Trade East on Monday ahead of the release of fine latest effort I Was A Cat From A Book while Spector promote their debut album Enjoy It While It Lasts with a show at the same venue on Wednesday. Purveyors of electrified, harmony-rich Americana Grant Lee Buffalo appear at the Forum on Tuesday and similar musical offerings can be found at the Lexington on Friday in a show by Joe Pug and ex-Grand Drive man Danny George Wilson.
Finally, there are two smaller shows worthy of singling out. The History Of Apple Pie return to London on Wednesday to play their hazy, guitar-strewn songs at Birthdays and the following evening the same venue welcomes Electricity In Our Homes, fresh from releasing a double A side single on Tim Burgess’ O Genesis label.
Monday sees Antony’s Meltdown festival enter its second week, arguably offering some of the most anticipated shows of the event. None more so will this be the case on Monday and Tuesday when ex-Cocteau Twins singer Elizabeth Fraser plays two dates at the Royal Festival Hall. They’re sure to be fascinating, emotional shows – discovering what her set will consist of should be intriguing (and the prospect of Cocteau Twins songs being interpreted and or new material being aired being particularly exciting). She’s kept such a low profile in recent years, maintaining the sense of mystery that enveloped The Cocteau Twins so just seeing her on stage will be sight many fans would never have expected to see.
The remainder of the week provides further proof of Antony’s impressive contacts lists as he calls upon a selection of big names to appear. Lou Reed plays a show at the RFH on Friday and Marc Almond performs Marc and The Mambas' 1983 album Torment And Toreros in full on Thursday at the same venue. On Tuesday Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie brings her notable back catalogue to the Southbank whilst on Wednesday Antony interviews Boy George in a special event at the Purcell, with the latter also playing a rare, intimate acoustic set. There’s a show by Hercules & Love Affair on Monday at London Wonderground that promises guest appearances from Antony and John Grant, whilst at the same time in the QEH you can experience the progressive, experimental electronica of Baltimore-based duo Matmos. The festival comes to a close in suitably poignant, reflective fashion on Sunday with a performance of William Basinski’s Disintegration Loops (the album was the result of Basinski’s attempts to transfer old recordings from deteriorating tape to a digital format – which he completed on the morning of the 9/11 attacks in New York in 2001).
Elsewhere the Converse Represent shows continue at the 100 Club. Monday's show features SBTRKT, Rudimental, John Talabot and Lemonade while Tuesday arguably boasts the best line up of the week in Santigold, Django Django, Best Coast, Citizens! and Friends. Jamaican ska-reggae veterans Toots & The Maytals head up Wednesday's gig, Thursday sees appearances by Overkill and Pulled Apart By Horses while Nas closes the fortnight long event with support from Kano and Speech Debele.
Finally, Hyde Park is the setting on Sunday for a concert to coincide with the Olympics closing ceremony. Blur, New Order and The Specials all appear in what should be a hugely enjoyable celebration of British music of the last four decades.
