Hi kids, I'm back (sort of). Procrastinating because I don't want to work on my dissertation yet on this fine, autumn morning (yes, it's autumn in England already. brr!) and wanting to write something, because I actually have the motivation to.
So! The Polaris Music Prize. For those of you not in the know (ie: you're not Canadian, or you don't listen to Canadian music), it is an annual award of $20,000 given out to a group or individual based entirely on the artistic merit of their music. Record sales and the like are not a factor. The process is fairly standard for artistic awards (like the Booker, for example) with a long list being announced first, then narrowed to a short list of 10 albums, and finally a gala event where the winner is announced. Past winners are Final Fantasy, Caribou, Fucked Up, and Patrick Watson.
Although the Polaris is becoming a bit of a marketing tool for bands (most will advertise as their "Polaris-long listed album"), I still really like the idea of a prize that awards a band for just being really, really good. Even if the concept of a "good" record is subjective. Still, it's nice that our lesser-known bands are starting to get some recognition. Canada does, in fact, have more music than Nickelback, Bryan Adams, and Celine Dion. Thank God. Also, there are worse ways of advertising, and let's be honest, no one aside from Canadian music nerds has heard of most of these bands, so a little exposure has never hurt.
Now, I'm not going to go over all the long-listed nominees, because that would take, way, way too long. Just think of any Canadian band who has released a record in the past year. They were probably on the long list. That is, with the notable exception of Said the Whale, who I think were unfairly overlooked. Islands Disappear is a terrific album. I haven't heard Ohbijou's latest, though I assume it's on par with the beauty of their first album, and thus there was also some huff over them not making the long list as well. Wolf Parade's Expo 86 was released after the deadline for this year, but I'd consider it a strong contender for next year's award. I seriously listen to that album almost every day. SO GOOD. More on that in my Spencer Krug post though.
Okay, so the shortlist! The nominees are: Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record, Shad: TSOL, Radio Radio: Belmundo Regal, Dan Mangan: Nice, Nice, Very Nice, Owen Pallett: Heartland, Caribou: Swim, Tegan and Sara: Sainthood, Karkwa: Les Chemins des Verre, The Sadies: Darker Circles, and The Besnard Lakes: Are the Roaring Night.
Now, to be honest, I haven't heard many of these albums in their entirety. Only the Sadies and Caribou's (which I heard while getting my hair cut, true story). 
Still, when has that ever stopped me from making uninformed decisions? This is my blog, I'm allowed to do that. Therefore, I am hoping the winner of this prize is The Sadies. Not just because they're one of my favourite bands, but because they're seriously so so good, and so unrecognised for their talent. They're easily the best live band I've ever seen (narrowly beating out the Cons), and when they're up there, you know you're watching a band that just loves what they do. However, their live shows could be what work against them. I love the Sadies in the studio, but even I can admit that it's not the same experience as seeing them live. A lot of people really don't get what makes the Sadies so good until they see them live. Regardless, I think they should win. They deserve it.
Still, when has that ever stopped me from making uninformed decisions? This is my blog, I'm allowed to do that. Therefore, I am hoping the winner of this prize is The Sadies. Not just because they're one of my favourite bands, but because they're seriously so so good, and so unrecognised for their talent. They're easily the best live band I've ever seen (narrowly beating out the Cons), and when they're up there, you know you're watching a band that just loves what they do. However, their live shows could be what work against them. I love the Sadies in the studio, but even I can admit that it's not the same experience as seeing them live. A lot of people really don't get what makes the Sadies so good until they see them live. Regardless, I think they should win. They deserve it.I'd be quite surprised if it went to Caribou or Owen Pallett, both previous winners, even though their albums are both (apparently) really terrific. Same for Dan Mangan. I like Dan Mangan, and think he's a beautiful songwriter, but I mean, we're kind of known for having a ton of amazing singer-songwritery typed bands in Canada. I'm not saying he's generic, because he definitely made the shortlist for a reason, and he has that voice that really sets him apart, but I just doubt that the jury will select him as the winner.
I do think it's very likely to go to Shad or Radio Radio though, our hip hop selections. 
Thinking of it, there's been no previous winners in hip hop, so perhaps the time is right. Shad is generally regarded as one of our best, and I've really dug whatever I've heard of his. As for Radio Radio, I think they're awesome. Really quirky and fun. They rap in Chiac, which is a mixture of Acadian French and English, and it makes for a really interesting sound. I'd say probably the most "out there" of the nominees, which puts them in good standing.
Thinking of it, there's been no previous winners in hip hop, so perhaps the time is right. Shad is generally regarded as one of our best, and I've really dug whatever I've heard of his. As for Radio Radio, I think they're awesome. Really quirky and fun. They rap in Chiac, which is a mixture of Acadian French and English, and it makes for a really interesting sound. I'd say probably the most "out there" of the nominees, which puts them in good standing.Anyway, I should probably stop being lazy and start doing work, but enjoy! We'll see on Monday who wins.
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