Logic Prevails and Arcade Fire Win the Polaris Prize

Arcade Fire has won the sixth-annual Polaris Prize with its third album The Suburbs and you know what? Surprisingly I am good with that decision. The Montreal band's much-ballyhooed record has already claimed a Juno, a Grammy, a Brit award (and a Dundee as I recall) -- all for album of the year. Bottom line, the record very much embodies the awards intentions. Recall how it made sense that PJ Harvey took the award for the Barclaycard Mercury Prize recently? Same argument- So kudos to the Polaris jury for making the right decision.

That being said, I still think Olenka and the Autumn Lovers should have won.

The Polaris Prize, which includes $30,000, is handed out to the best Canadian album as chosen by an 11-person jury of music critics. The prizewinners have said the cash would go towards their Montreal studio.

The Suburbs was chosen from a short list of nine other albums. Including Ron Sexsmith's Late Bloomer and The Weeknd's House of Balloons and Austra’s latest-- all were selected by more than two hundred music journalists, bloggers and broadcasters.

Go Handsome Dan in 2012!

2010 Polaris Music Prize Long List Announced

I would be remiss if I neglected reporting the Polaris Music Prize Long List of albums for 2010.  Presented this year by the Canada Council for the Arts the register is a comprehensive one.  As always the listing is torturously great; made so simply because of the plethora of fantastic recordings that make it up. 

The jury will now take this list and vote again to come up with the Short List, which will be announced July 6th from the Sky Yard of the Drake Hotel in Toronto live on Sirius 86 and CBC Radio 3.

Here is the 40-strong 2010 Polaris Music Prize Long List.


Apollo Ghosts - Mount Benson
Bahamas - Pink Strat
The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
Blue Rodeo - The Things We Left Behind

Brasstronaut - Mt. Chimaera
Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
Basia Bulat - Heart Of My Own
By Divine Right - Mutant Message
Caribou - Swim
Jason Collett - Rat A Tat Tat
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (II)
Amelia Curran - Hunter, Hunter
Fred Fortin - Plastrer La Lune
Frog Eyes - Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph
Hannah Georgas - This Is Good
Ghostkeeper - Ghostkeeper
Holy Fuck - Latin
Karkwa - Les Chemins De Verre
LeE HARVeY OsMOND - A Quiet Evil
Greg MacPherson - Mr. Invitation
Dan Mangan - Nice, Nice, Very Nice
Misteur Valaire - Golden Bombay
The New Pornographers - Together
Owen Pallett - Heartland
Plants And Animals - La La Land
Radio Radio - Belmundo Regal
Justin Rutledge - The Early Widows

The Sadies - Darker Circles
Shad - TSOL
Elizabeth Shepherd - Heavy Falls The Night
The Slew - 100%
Meaghan Smith - The Cricket’s Orchestra
South Rakkas Crew - The Stimulus Package
Tegan And Sara - Sainthood
The Wooden Sky - If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone
Hawksley Workman - Meat
You Say Party! We Say Die! - XXXX
Young Galaxy - Invisible Republic
Yukon Blonde - Yukon Blonde
Zeus - Say Us


Contest Time

Attention armchair deejays, bloggers and pop afficianados...  Be the first to correctly list five long listers that make the final short list on (July 6th) and you will win one of the CD's that make the cut.  (Put your entries in the comments box.)   That's right folks guess away and new music will be on the way for the first person to correctly name five of the ten finalists.  And by all means, if you want to go out on a limb and predict an eventual finalist I might even have a prize for that in September.  Dan Mangan's got my vote!  Or maybe Shad....  Then again Basia Bulat will always be a sentimental favourite.

Arrggghhh!!!  It sure doesn't get any easier.  Just too much great Canadian music.

Comment away, one entry per person.

Oh Canada! You Do Make the Best Music

Some exciting news today for fans of Canadian music and blogger types with list making and awards gala following proclivities. The 2009 Polaris Music Prize will be handed out at a Sept. 21st soiree at a Toronto location that has yet to be announced and will be hosted by CBC Radio 3’s Grant Lawrence.

The long list of 40 contending titles will be revealed on June 15th, whilst the short list of 10 final nominees will be announced at a July 7th press conference at Toronto's Drake Hotel. (Curiously, the long list was revealed for the first time, only last year.)

SIRIUS Satellite Radio Canada will be the presenting sponsor for the Polaris Music Prize of $20,000, which will be awarded to the Canadian artist who creates what's judged to be the year's best album. Discs released between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009 are eligible for this year's prize. The winner is judged based on artistic merit, not sales.

The long list and short list are determined by a jury of 190 Canadian music journalists, bloggers and broadcasters. Eleven jury members will be selected to vote on the grand jury, which convenes the night of the gala to determine the winner.

Caribou's Andorra won last year's Polaris Music Prize. Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds won the inaugural prize in 2006, and Patrick Watson's Close To Paradise won in 2007.

So this is your chance to do some lobbying folks… My lobbying efforts would strongly favour Bruce Peninsula's fine recording – A Mountain is a Mouth. What efforts would you champion?





And speaking of fine Canadian music, Rock Plaza Central is in town this Thursday night (May 28th) for a show at Call the Office. Rock Plaza Central have been around for a few years now and has released three full-length CDs, including the critically acclaimed Are We Not Horses, a song cycle “about robotic horses who think they are real horses, and a handful of other things”. A new CD, called ...at the Moment of our Most Needing, or If Only They Could Turn Around, They Would Know They Weren't Alone, is slated for release on May 26th.

Also scheduled on May 28th is a free in-store concert at London’s finest record shop, Grooves Records starting at 4:00 pm and running until 5. Thank you once again Tim Turner for the heads-up on that one. Grooves Records is located at 353 Clarence Street. Please plan to attend! If you happen to be available at that time I would highly recommend your attendance at this event and the performance later that evening at Call the Office. And just to make the evening a can't miss event, local London Album of the Year winners (and personal favourites) Olenka and the Autumn Lovers will be openers at the CTO event. (Come to think of it, add them to the lobbying for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize.)

Caribou Win 2008 Polaris Prize

The Polaris Music Prize and $20,000 was awarded to Caribou (Dan Snaith) tonight. The Dundas, Ontario native was awarded the prestigious prize for his stellar 2007 release Andorra, on Merge Records.

A jury of 185 music writers, broadcasters and bloggers drew up a short list of 10 of the best Canadian albums released between June 1, 2007, and May 31, 2008.

The prize is meant to honour, celebrate and reward creativity and diversity in Canadian music, without any consideration given to sales figures.

This year's nominees include Basia Bulat, Black Mountain, Caribou, Holy Fuck, Plants and Animals, Kathleen Edwards, Shad, Stars, Two Hours Traffic and the Weakerthans.


The gala event was held at the Phoenix in downtown Toronto. In 2006, Final Fantasy's album was selected over records by Broken Social Scene, Sarah Harmer, Metric and the New Pornographers and in 2007 Patrick Watson’s debut album Close to Paradise took top honours.

It was a hard fought race with all of the nominated albums being serious contenders for this coveted prize. I sure didn’t envy the jury on this one.

Canada's Polaris Music Prize Long List Announced

This is exciting. I don’t envy the judges this year. They'll have their work cut out for them with the caliber of this talent pool to choose from.

THE POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE 2008 LONG LIST.

The Long List consists of the top 40 full-length Canadian records released from June 1, 2007 to May 31, 2008, selected by the 180 members of the Polaris Music Prize jury.

The Polaris Jury will now vote from the Long List to determine the 10 album Short List, which will be revealed July 7 at the Drake Hotel in Toronto.
2008 Polaris Music Prize Long List
(alphabetical)

The Acorn - Glory Hope Mountain
Attack In Black - Marriage
Black Mountain - In The Future
Born Ruffians - Red, Yellow and Blue
Buck 65 - Situation
Basia Bulat - Oh, My Darling
Cadence Weapon - Afterparty Babies
Cancer Bats - Hail Destroyer
Caribou - Andorra
City And Colour - Bring Me Your Love
Constantines - Kensington Heights
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams
Fred Eaglesmith - Tinderbox
Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers
Christine Fellows - Nevertheless
Gatineau - Gatineau
Hayden - In Field And Town
Veda Hille - This Riot Life
HILOTRONS - Happymatic
Holy Fuck - LP
Islands - Arm's Way
Karkwa - Le volume du vent
Corb Lund - Horse Solider! Horse Soldier!
The New Pornographers - Challengers
Pas Chic Chic - Au Contraire
Sandro Perri - Tiny Mirrors
Plants And Animals - Parc Avenue
Ghislain Poirier - No Ground Under
Protest The Hero - Fortress
Justin Rutledge - Man Descending
Sadies - New Seasons
Shad - The Old Prince
Socalled - Ghetto Blaster
Stars - In Our Bedroom After The War
Tegan And Sara - The Con
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band – 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
Two Hours Traffic - Little Jabs
The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour
Wintersleep - Welcome To The Night Sky