After going from bookies favourites to being pushed aside by Paul Weller in the odds race The xx have tonight (September 7th) taken home the Mercury Prize for their debut album xx.

Released over a year ago now the album became a sleeper hit and took a while to break into the mainstream but once it did there was no looking back.

Upon collection their award Oliver Sim had this to say,

“Wow! We’ve had the most incredible year. It’s like we’ve woken up every day to something incredible we weren’t expecting. It’s felt a bit like a haze. Just being here has been like a weird moment of clarity of what’s happened, it just means so much”

Congratulations to The xx for a well deserved win, here’s hoping their next album is just as good if not better.

(via TIFDIY)

Although I’m sure anyone who wanted to listen to The Suburbs already has you can now stream the album in it’s entirety thanks to NPR.

The Suburbs, which seems to have seen a flurry of generally positive reviews so far, is quite possibly the most anticipated album of the year thanks to the band’s already ethereal reputation and the two previously previewed track ‘Month Of May’ and ‘The Suburbs’.

You can now make up your own mind on the album by streaming it in full over at NPR.

So, as I’m sure many of you have already heard, this years Mercury Prize nominees have now been announced.

After the shock win by Speech Debelle last year it’ll be interesting to see who the panel of critics decide upon from this years collection of albums, which are;

Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions
Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea
Dizzee Rascal – Tongue N’ Cheek
Foals – Total Life Forever
I Am Kloot – Sky at Night
Kit Downes Trio – Golden
Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Paul Weller – Wake Up the Nation
The xx – xx
Villagers – Becoming a Jackal
Wild Beasts – Two Dancers

The general consensus seems to be swinging towards The xx with Dizzee Rascal a close second, personally I’m backing either Laura Marling or Wild Beasts to scoop the illustrious prize. Who are you backing?

The Mercury Prize winner will be announced September 7th.