He says it best, when he says nothing at all

So, Alan McGee has shot his mouth off again: this time saying the Brits should be scrapped. The very same man, who in 1996 was 'amused and proud' - according to the brilliant history of Creation Records, My Magpie Eyes Are Hungry For The Prize - when Oasis won three Brits. But then, McGee has made a career of being contrary and shoots his mouth off so regularly you sense he has to be more and more outlandish just so someone will listen. Take That should be shot. Paul McCartney should retire.

Actually, so should McGee. Although I suppose the East Angles Music Prize does in a way agree with McGee in that by doing this, I'm also implying that there's better music out there which is not being recognised. And that's no more evident than in the next category...

Best British Breakthrough Act

(Brits: Florence And The Machine, Friendly Fires, JLS, La Roux, Pixie Lott)

I'm presuming that the breakthrough act has to have released a record last year. Which, of course, Friendly Fires didn't. They re-released their fine debut album in 2009, but really should have been in last year's awards. Florence And The Machine and La Roux I can also understand, and JLS and Pixie Lott make more sense in this category too. But there are better...

The XX

It can only be sales which stopped The XX (pictured above) being nominated as Best British Breakthrough Act at the Brits. Most end of year polls had this London quartet - who recently became a trio - near the top, and rightly so. Their debut was genuinely unique - a minimal, brooding nocturnal soundtrack which fused rock songwriting with a glitchy, electronic, chill-out atmosphere. I interviewed them for their debut single, and they were painfully shy and untrained in the ways of the media. They're on the front of the NME this week, but the very fact they weren't pop stars throughout last year when you sense they could have been, made The XX all the more alluring.

Micachu And The Shapes

My second nomination for Micachu, read what I said about her here

Mumford & Sons

Every year seems to have an indie-folk crossover these days, and Mumford And Sons were 2009's. But there was substance beyond the fashionable sound: despite being alarmingly young Mumford And Sons sounded wise and grizzled beyond their years on Sigh No More. And there's banjo. Gotta love the banjo.

The Phantom Band

Usually, bands don't like to describe themselves, and when The Phantom Band said by way of introduction that they were a "proto-robofolk sextet based in Glasgow' there were probably tongues in cheeks. But it did make a kind of sense. Imagine Mumford And Sons and Phantom Band at a folk crossroads, Mumford taking the winding single-carriageway to more traditional sounds, Phantom heading down the Autobahn in search of more electronic, groove-based thrills. Here's a nice download link to Burial Sounds, the second track on their great album Checkmate Savage.

Little Boots

The second nomination for Little Boots as well. Similarly, you can read what I said about her here.

Next time: Best British Group.