Not seen a thread on this, so here are the nominees, any thoughts?

FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE: Lungs
SPEECH DEBELLE: Speech Therapy
KASABIAN: West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
FRIENDLY FIRES: Friendly Fires
LA ROUX: La Roux
BAT FOR LASHES: Two Suns
THE HORRORS: Primary Colours
GLASVEGAS: Glasvegas
LED BIB: Sensible Shoes
SWEET BILLY PILGRIM: Twice Born Men
THE INVISIBLE: The Invisible
LISA HANNIGAN: Sea Sew

Liking if only for discoving that The Horrors are no longer a garage goth band and have got the bloke from Portishead producing them.

Kasabian – their worst album by far.
Friendly Fires – dull and unoriginal
Glasvegas – just awful
The Horrors – failed to turn up as support for the extremely amatuerish Fratellis at a gig I unfortunately attended

And none of the others have made an impression on me. Where's this year's Burial?
Any there I should pay attention to? ie. anyone vaguely original?

ps. I'd give it Paul White for "the Strange Dreams of.."

Florence album is good. La Roux a bit of a one track pony. A nice pony though, Friendly fires nice funky disco album, Speech is good, Bat for Lashes is also a good listen, I like Glasvegas, got that 50's vibe goin on. Kasabian is sub Oasis pap for children. don't know the others.

I'd say Florence or la Roux

my thoughts…….

oh yay another award ceremony where music industry types get to say how great all the bands they represent are, convince people to buy their albums and get a free piss up and posh food and get the dodgy guy in the office to buy a mountain of coke out of the petty cash

Personally I'd like to see Bat for Lashes win, as she came second a year or two ago, but I reckon it'll go to Florence, which ain't no bad thing either.

Anything to add on the actual music though kimbers?

Heard some of the Speech Debelle stuff on 6 music, quite liked that. I did think she might still be at school though. She's 25! Bat for Lashes album is very good. Agreed, there is no cutting edge dance music. Untrue is my favourite electronic album for years, no idea how it even got on the list, glad it was though.

Hmmm, at a push Bat For Lashes maybe. Or just give it to Skream for managing to pop a diamond out of that shower of shite La Roux produces

Well it prompted me to a pleasnt enough listen to Sweet Billy Pilgrim yesterday. I like them.

I hope Florence or Bat for Lashes

Saw The Horrors supporting Jarvis Cocker last month. They were rather good actually, certainly good enough that I'd sink £10 into an album with a "mercury prize nominee" sticker on it in HMV.

Stoner, I thought you'd like that Pilgrim Album. Downloaded it, haven't listened properly though

Gonna check out Florence, Sweet Billy and Bat For Lashes and be back with my comments..
I'm predicting play-by-numbers indie (maybe a blues tinge in Sweet Billy's case?), but hope to be wrong.

Florence do try a bit hard though – I've nothing particularly against her music, but the girl herself is quite dislikeable. La Roux is very derivative, but has a huge PR machine behind it; Glasvegas hasn't aged incredibly well.
As for Kasabian, Lily Allen and Friendly Fires being on the list, the less said the better, really.
I reckon it has to be Bat for Lashes or one of the slightly more obscure acts like Sweet Billy etc

Bat for Lashes – I can imagine a lot of chubby girls in black eyeliner at her gigs 😉 (is that your review on HMV, Rich?)
Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Sebadoh/Folk Implosion anyone?
Florence – Cranberries anyone?
the Invisibles – why is this nominated? I actually forgot I had my headphones in while they were playing!
La Roux – yes, seen this rubbish on MTV. 80s revival anyone?

Come on Lisa save the awards…!

Lisa Hannigan – nope, heard that before.
Led Bib – prefer Les Bubb. Don't understand jazz or pipe smoking.

I think Speech Debelle is the only one I'd ever wish to hear again and there's far better stuff out there.