via//chicago

10 Finalists named for 2003 Shortlist Music Prize:
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Bright Eyes - Lifted or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Cat Power - You Are Free
Floetry - Floetic
Black Keys - Thickfreakness
Cody Chestnutt - The Headphone Masterpiece
Damien Rice - O
Sigur Ros - ( )
The Streets - Original Pirate Material
Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Fever to Tell

let's explore the process of elimination.

- Floetry, haven't heard this, so it's out.

- Cody Chestnutt, see above.

- Bright Eyes, i don't get this inclusion at all - and i'm a big Conor fan. but truthfully, this is one of his weaker releases. hell, i'd rather have seen the Desaparecidos up there.

- Damien Rice, a couple good songs - but mainly a slightly-better David Gray. meh.

- Black Keys, decent album - but just because it's a white duo, that doesn't make it groundbreaking blues.

- Cat Power, yawn. ok, that's a little harsh, but the more i (try to) listen to this album the more i scratch my head over the hype. girl can write a decent tune, but how about performing them like she cares?

- The Streets, the album was nowhere near as solid as it could have been. any album with filler should simply not be appearing on this list, and there's a fair share of crap layered between the great songs.

- Yeah Yeah Yeahs, another album that could have been much better. one of the minor letdowns of the past year, that's for sure.

and that leaves Sigur Ros and Interpol. i could argue the merits of either album deserving the $5000 prize, but in my mind it comes down to the album that is continually crawling back into my mind and my rotation. Interpol. yes doubters, it is that damn good. sounds like i'll have to get MTV2 before October 5th so i can watch the concert/award presentation.

thanks to Billboard for the 411.