Shit And Shine’s music might sound like a pain-inducing endurance test put out by a group that clearly isn’t shy of a little shocktatic publicity. But that doesn’t stop it being both engrossingly addictive and, rather surprisingly, the leading candidate in the contest for the music that most perceptively captures the zeitgeist of today’s Britain.

Because Shit And Shine’s aggressive, repetitive, warped and distorted riffs and beats do not even hint at any suggestion of narrative or story-telling and make no attempt whatsoever to engage with the listener intellectually.

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We encountered Caribou and their Rough-Trade-album-of-the year, ‘Swim’, earlier (see ABON 0120). ‘Swim’ is a wonderfully original mixture of thought-provoking ideas and left field dance rhythms. Written and performed by a genuine Dr of Mathematics, it - very appropriately you may think – sets out to prove that music can make you dance and think at the same time.

Whilst it’s not the first record to do that, ‘Swim’ doesn’t have many obvious historical reference points. In fact it doesn’t sound much like anything that has gone before.

Except of course for A Certain Ratio’s early Post-Punk icey Funk.

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So it’s the day of The Mercury Prize awards and because I’m a very lucky boy I shall be there. And so will the group that should rightfully walk away with this year’s prize -  The XX.

Their debut album, like most genuinely brilliant albums manages to create its own unique space and sound and textures. It sounded like no one else in 2009. Yes there is a passing reference or even homage to the Young Marble Giants in The XX’s minimalist, almost restrained instrumentation and arrangements. But their apparent complete inability to play even one unnecessary note or sing one word that doesn’t absolutely need to be there proves once again that in music less really can sometimes be more – and that they are the current masters in this very special art.

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Tricky’s becoming one of those Great British musical anomalies/geniuses. After rapping with Massive Attack on their first album in 1991 he could easily have become a bit-part player in their success. Instead he’s released a string of albums and singles that are characterised by dense, layered music and his unique whispering-style singing and an almost pathological desire to take risks. Continually pushing the boat out into unchartered waters that most successful musicians wouldn’t dream off. It doesn’t always work but when it does he produces breathtakingly powerful pieces that sound like no one else. And he now looks like one of the most significant artists to emerge from the Massive Attack/Portishead/’Bristol Sound’ phenomenon.

The original ‘C’Mon Baby’ is from ‘Knowle West Boy’ which is another album that was inexplicably (unless I’m missing something?) left off the 2010 Mercury Prize short-list.

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A brilliant example of how music has developed since Punk opened the doors for the experimental to become the norm. How you categorise this beautiful mess of a song I do not know. But the fact that Smog are accepted as a perfectly credible and respected member of the (admittedly alternative) music establishment just would have been unheard of pre-1977. Even so, when I asked my guitar tutor to teach it me, he listened once and then said ‘but it contains mistakes’. Precisely. And how beautiful they are.

Released 1993.

Available on the CD ‘Julius Caesar’ which is available at:  RoughTrade

First of the shorter entries that will be posted daily over the next 15 days. Which is a bit of a shame because I could write about this track all day. And all night.

Katzenjammers take Gary Numan’s ‘Cars’ and twist and turn it into a funky, environmentally friendly version. Played by a steel band. Inevitable I hear you say. Another example of the cover-version-bringing-a-smile-to-your-face-like-no-original-recording-ever-can-do is what I’d say. I want this played at my funeral.

This, from their Facebook page, tells you everything else you need to know: ‘Katjenjammers Steel Orchestra, the pride of Black Rock in Tobago, is 58 years old. Formed in 1951 under a mango tree which still stands on the road to Fort Bennette, the band celebrated its 50th birthday in 2001 and continues a tradition of providing musical tuition and employment for its youth. Among today’s players are the children and grandchildren of the founders who did indeed play for Queen Elizabeth in 1955′. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Released 2005.

Originally available as a 7″ single but long gone. Now available on the Rough Trade compilation ‘Counter Culture 2005′, which bizarrely seems not to be available at Rough Trade but is at: Amazon