LSMedia or Liverpool student media at liverpoolstudentmedia.com is a brand new website launched by the University of Liverpool's students to promote and support talented Liverpool student's creative written, visual or radio content.

Right, I’m heading for a bit of a rant and a rave here and have a good long moan about the Brits.  We all could have anticipated what was going to happen, the nominees were out ages ago and the winners were going to be pretty obvious dependent on what social circle in society would be voting for the acts, be it Radio 1 listeners or phoning in on the night.  The problem that I have with the Brits, is that it’s just as predictable as Eurovision but even slower behind in terms of revelation and development...

  The fact that Adele, MIA, Scouting for Girls, Radiohead and even Ian Brown were all up for awards prove that the Brits tend to generalize music from the past couple of years.  In comparison to the mercury music award, it lags behind in terms of timing.  As great as it adds possibility for artists to win who didn’t bring out new material this year... realistically...where were they last year? Do we literally have to wait for them to achieve a top 5 hit, or have their music played in every other club across the country or included in a film soundtrack to prove themselves worthy of a Brit?

  Furthermore, the generalisation of acts being picked from the mainstream was more evident this year than other before. The only obscure, country/blues act was Beth Rowley, (and lets face it, she didn’t stand a chance of winning if few people had heard of her).  In this case, how ARE breakthrough acts meant to BREAKTHROUGH?! To sit on the couch and hear the nomination for Seasick Steve come up (for best international male) and hear my housemate say “ooooo-I’ve never heard of him before?!” is surely some indication of the limitations mainstream music ties us down to today?  Even Elbow said “It’s about time” (then again, so did Girls aloud...) Who, I have to begrudgingly admit were in fact really good live on the night. But that's besides the point. If the audiences who vote in the favourite tracks or albums, or bands, then yes, Kings of Leon, Katy Perry, Duffy and Girls aloud ARE going to win, as we have no choice but to have their music rammed down our ears thanks to general radio stations and mediocre DJs.   How is the audience meant to judge well and provide their vote when it seems unlikely they’ve listened and critically evaluated all the other artists contesting with THEIR artist in the same category. As touching as it is to be voted to win for an award by the people, it’s an unreliable way of evaluating and appointing awards to in terms of judgement and evaluation of decent music today. 

Jennifer Carroll