The final shortlist of ten albums has been announced for the 2003 Shortlist Music Prize. Whittled down from the 86 albums on the 'longlist' published last month the final ten up for what is essentially the US version of the Mercury Music Prize are:
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (Matador)
Bright Eyes - Lifted or The Story Is In the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground (Saddle Creek)
Cat Power - You Are Free (Matador)
Floetry - Floetic (Dreamworks)
Black Keys - Thickfreakness (Fat Possum)
Cody ChesnuTT - The Headphone Masterpiece (Ready Set Go)
Damien Rice - O (Vector)
Sigur Ros - ( ) (MCA)
The Streets - Original Pirate Material (Vice/Atlantic)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell (Interscope)
The overall winner will be announced at an LA bash on 5 October where Interpol, Bright Eyes, Black Keys, Damien Rice and Cat Power are all expected to perform. The event will be broadcast in the US by MTV 2.
Meanwhile over here the Mercury Music Prize takes place next week. According to ReadABet.com Dizzee Rascal is the favourite to take the overall prize, with Radiohead, Coldplay and The Darkness all equal second favourites.