I'm sure a lot of acts pretend they don't care about the mercury music prize but secretly would love to win it! Personally I reckon Basement Jaxx deserve to win it purely on the strength of Kish Kash, which was one of the best albums of last year. None of the other acts listed produced an album remotely as exciting. Runners up should be The Zutons or Jamelia, who is good enough to take on American R&B divas like Beyonce. As for my opinions on the rest: Snow Patrol - Starfighter Pilot was great, but the band seem to have lost their original charm. Franz Ferdinand - Good, but not that good Belle and Sebastian - too clever by half Amy Winehouse - dinner party music for thirtysomethings, yawn.. Joss Stone - Shes young and has a fantastic voice, er.. so what? Soul thats curiously lacking in soul, get an Aretha Frankin (or countless other Stax/Motown female solo artists) record, or maybe even Sharon Tandys recently released compilation if you want to be a bit obscure. Keane - Like Coldplay, but a bit better, still boring. The Streets - Lets move things forward, eh? Current album makes no progression over the first. Ty - Haven't heard his stuff to be honest, its UK Hip Hop init? And not the Streets, good start. Robert Wyatt - Showing my ignorance yet again, this completely slipped under my radar. He used to be in Soft machine? Haven't heard their stuff either.

Excuse me, The Streets' new record is a fine album. And it's very concept of this linear story of a rough time in the main character's life charting the break up of his relationship and losing faith in his friends and almost giving up, itself pushes things forward. Me thinks anyway.

Fine record, no doubt, just not up to the hype I reckon. Linear storyline concept album isn't a new idea though is it? Even Billy Corgan had an ill-fated go at the idea with the "Machina:The Machines of God" album. OK few are as on a personal level as the streets, but see past the geezer stories and dripping sentimentality and this really is pretty unremarkable musically. Its enjoyable, and Mike Skinner can tell a good yarn and even tug the heartstrings at times, but this really isn't pushing the envelope.

That's an exceptionally poor line up of nominees for the Mercury music prize. Is this whats is counted as good music nowadays. I know this is just an opinion but I have to agree with a lot of what Binokular says. I mean, Franz Ferdinand??? And I'm not a huge fan of Snow Patrol or Keane either. Also I find The Streets a bit monotonous but I can see why people like his stuff so I won't pass comment.

The streets album is one of the most engaging albums I've heard in a long time. The whole idea of a concept album isn't new but it is very hard to pull off properly. I think it is a departure from his first album because he has used a different tact from the first time around. The thing about the streets that really appeals to me is the off beat music and rhymes that he uses and the sheer amount of musical styles he incorporates into his own sound. He doesn't take the easy way out and I think for that reason he is a special act at the moment. Alot of his tunes (to me) sound like they shouldn't work on the first listen but once you've gotten into it, it's very hard to fault. A truly unique act in my opinion

i must agree with Brain of G, Franz Ferdinand is pure rubbish. Their songs have no substanse, nothing new, repetiation of the same chord about four hundred times. Look at Take me Out. Plus their image annoys me, they look like four Gary Nevilles with less personality.

his use of words is brill. He has a real understaning on how to make a sentance "work"

Binokular I agree Basement Jaxx should defo win...they've been an innovative force in dance music and crossed several genres cleverly. Kish Kash is a masterpiece and a fantastically well put together album. For a band to be so eclectic, work with so many different artists and yet still maintain their distinct sound and not let it dilute their music is amazing. It is certainly about time they were credited for that. The Zutons would get my second choice without a doubt.

i've heard a few zutons releases on mtv2, i like it, for some reason they remind me of rocket from the crypt without loud guitars, am i mad ted? that post modern thing like, its good though, the videos are top

Their album is really impresisve and addictive. Plus they played a stomping set at Oxegen. Vote for The Zutons.

Regarding The Streets... Sh*t But You Know It

here's the thing- i'm in the states right now and here franz ferdinand haven't been so played out, haven't been splashed across every magazine cover on the stands, so i think some people may be having a case of overreaction to the hype. the album's good. NOT as good as the hype would have us believe, and not warranting their kitsch-factor, but it's good. there. whew. same goes for the streets. Skinner made a damn fine album that''s very clearly a progression from the first. i think he's taking more chances, being more open and even vulnerable on this one my vote's b&s (i assume dear catastrophe waitress got the nom?) for the sleeper win. and is there any way to cast a vote AGAINST joss stone?

Ok all, here is a comprehensive list of all nominees and winners of the mercury music prize since its inception. You will notice alot of big names on the list such as U2, Coldplay, Oasis, Spice Girls (?) but these are not winners. Traditionally, the award goes to a sleeper, a record that has not been heavily promoted. Think Gomez for instance. I wouldn't rule out Robert Wyatt whose albums was on of the 'records of the year' for Uncut magazine. 2004 nominations (Winner annonced on 7th September) Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash Belle And Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand Jamelia - Thank You Keane - Hopes And Fears Snow Patrol - Final Straw Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free Ty - Upwards Amy Winehouse - Frank Robert Wyatt - Cuckooland The Zutons - Who Killed the Zutons 2003 Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner WINNER Athlete - Vehicles and Animals Coldplay - A Rush Of Blood To The Head The Darkness - Permission to Land Floetry - Floetic Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons Radiohead - Hail To The Thief The Thrills - So Much For The City Martina Topley-Bird - Quixotic Terri Walker - Untitled 2002 Ms. Dynamite - A Little Deeper WINNER Guy Barker - Soundtrack The Bees - Sunshine Hit Me David Bowie - Heathen The Coral - The Coral Doves - The Last Broadcast Electric Soft Parade - Holes In The Wall Gemma Hayes - Night On My Side Beverley Knight - Who I Am Joanna MacGregor - Play Roots Manuva - Run Come Save Me The Streets - Original Pirate Material 2001 PJ Harvey - Songs From The City, Stories From The Sea WINNER Basement Jaxx - Rooty Elbow - Asleep At The Back Goldfrapp - Felt Mountain Gorillaz - Gorillaz Ed Harcourt - Here Be Monsters Tom Mcrae - Tom Mcrae Radiohead - Amnesiac Shusheela Ramen - Salt Rain Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World Turin Brakes - The Optimist LP Zero 7 - Simple Things 2000 Badly Drawn Boy - The Hour Of Bewilderbeast WINNER Richard Ashcroft - Alone With Everybody Coldplay - Parachutes M.J. Cole - Sincere Death In Vegas - The Contino Sessions The Delgados - The Great Eastern Doves - Lost Souls Helicopter Girl - How To Steal The World Leftfield - Rhythm And Stealth Nicholas Maw - Violin Concerto Nitin Sawhney - Beyond Skin Kathryn Williams - Little Black Numbers 1999 Talvin Singh - OK WINNER Thomas Adès - Asyla Denys Baptiste - Be Where You Are Blur - 13 Black Star Liner - Bengali Bantam Youth Experience Chemical Brothers - Surrender Faithless - Sunday 8pm Manic Street Preachers - This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours Beth Orton - Central Reservation Kate Rusby - Sleepless Stereophonics - Performance and Cocktails Underworld - Beacoup Fish 1998 Gomez - Bring It On WINNER Asian Dub Foundation - Rafi's Revenge Eliza Carthy - Red Rice Catatonia - International Velvet Cornershop - When I Was Born For The 7th Time 4-Hero - Two Pages Massive Attack - Mezzanine Propellerheads - Decksandrumsandrockandroll Pulp - This Is Hardcore John Surman - Proverbs & Songs The Verve - Urban Hymns Robbie Williams - Life Thru A Lens 1997 Roni Size/Reprazent - New Forms WINNER The Chemical Brothers - Dig Your Own Hole Mark-Anthony - Turnage Your Rockaby Beth Orton - Trailer Park Primal Scream - Vanishing Point The Prodigy - The Fat Of The Land Radiohead - OK Computer The Spice Girls - Spice Suede - Coming Up John Taverner - Svyati 1996 Pulp - Different Class WINNER Artists for War Child - Help Black Grape - It's Great When You're Straight Fire / Caroline - Mathilde Manic Street Preachers - Everything Must Go Peter Maxwell Davies/The BBC Philharmonic - The Beltane Mark Morrison - Return of the Mack Oasis - (What's The Story) Morning Glory? Courtney Pine - Modern Day Jazz Stories Norma Waterson - Norma Waterson Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants 1995 Portishead - Dummy WINNER Guy Barker - Into The Blue Elastica - Elastica PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love Leftfield - Leftism James MacMillan - Seven Last Words From The Cross Van Morrison - Days Like This Oasis - Definitely Maybe Supergrass - I Should Coco Tricky - Maxinquaye 1994 M People - Elegant Slumming WINNER Blur - Parklife Ian McNabb - Head Like A Rock Shara Nelson - What Silence Knows Michael Nyman - The Piano Concerto and MGV The Prodigy - Music For The Jilted Generation Pulp - His 'n' Hers Take That - Everything Changes Therapy? - Troublegum Paul Weller - Wild Wood 1993 Suede - Suede WINNER Apache Indian - No Reservations The Auteurs - New Wave Gavin Bryars - Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet Dina Carroll - So Close P.J. Harvey - Rid Of Me New Order - Republic Stereo MC's - Connected Sting - Ten Summoner's Tales Stan Tracey - Portraits Plus 1992 Primal Scream - Screamadelica WINNER Barry Adamson - Soul Murder Jesus & Mary Chain - Honey's Dead Bheki Mseleku - Celebration St Etienne - Foxbase Alpha Simply Red - Stars John Taverner & Steven Isserlis - The Protecting Veil U2 - Achtung Baby Jah Wobble - Rising Above Bedlam The Young Disciples - Road To Freedom

I think the Streets will win after missing out a few years back to Miss Dynamite (he should have won that year, let's face it). And much as I enjoy the second album, it's best tune Dry Your Eyes is the only one that compares to Stay Positive, Turn The Page or Weak Become Heroes. Sympathy vote an' all...