Polaris Prize 2015 - Initial Reaction

Where is Purity Ring? Hayden? Chilly Gonzales? to name a few off the cuff.

I'm notoriously bad at actually predicting so I won't bother with a specific shortlist but I'd be content with Colin/Sarah, DFA, Caribou or BBNG coming out on top. Probably going to be fr*gging Alvvays..
Absolutely Free – Absolutely Free

ddmmyyyy I should check this out
The Acorn – Vieux Loup

It's good! Not gonna win!
Lydia Ainsworth – Right from Real

?
Alvvays – Alvvays

overrated!
Arkells – High Noon

mainstream but decent
Rich Aucoin – Ephemeral

fun but not prizeworthy
BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah – Sour Soul

has a shot because BBNG are excellent and it's unique
Bahamas – Bahamas Is Afie

artist with an ego and decent music
The Barr Brothers – Sleeping Operator

I should listen
Braids – Deep In The Iris

Not a bad album - maybe I should give it another listen
Steph Cameron – Sad-Eyed Lonesome Lady

? (unknown to me)
Caribou – Our Love

Yes! Great stuff.
Jazz Cartier – Marauding In Paradise

The hip hop contingent
Jennifer Castle – Pink City

yawn (haven;t actually heard the album though)
Cold Specks – Neuroplasticity

Not as good as her first
Louis-Jean Cormier – Les grandes artères

?
Death From Above 1979 – The Physical World

VG you make the list
Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late

Won't be a serious contender like last time but worth being on the long
Frazey Ford – Indian Ocean

Not a huge fan of the artist, haven't heard the album
Tobias Jesso Jr. – Goon

?
BA Johnston – Shit Sucks

Guess I should check this release
Pierre Kwenders – Le dernier empereur Bantou

?
Lee Harvey Osmond – Beautiful Scars

Their second time and I still haven't heard them
Jean Leloup – À Paradis City

?
METZ – II

Not bad - I'll give it another spin
Milk & Bone – Little Mourning

?
Tre Mission – Stigmata

?
The New Pornographers – Brill Bruisers

Good band but their worst album in recent history..
Joel Plaskett – The Park Avenue Sobriety Test

Actually really dug this one from him
Buffy Sainte-Marie – Power in The Blood

Never paid attn, still haven't
Elizabeth Shepherd – The Signal

?
Siskiyou – Nervous

Was bored by older stuff
Colin Stetson and Sarah Neufeld – Never were the way she was

Cool! Of course it was - it'll be short listed too
Various Artists – Native North America (Vol. 1): Aboriginal Folk, Rock, And Country 1966–1985

?
Viet Cong – Viet Cong

Couldn't get into it despite repeated tries
Patrick Watson – Love Songs For Robots

Agreed, this is quite good but not winning good (especially cuz he's already got one)
The Weather Station – Loyalty

I usually get bored and leave
White Lung – Deep Fantasy

Should check out..
Whitehorse – Leave No Bridge Unburned

Surprisingly liked this - could see it being a popular choice
Young Guv – Ripe 4 Luv

?

? - I haven't heard this album or know much about it or the artist

Flaming Lips - Riot Fest Saturday (Sept 6/14)

The Flaming Lips show had been built up to nothing short of epic in the years since I'd failed to pay attention to them at Sarstock (at this very same venue) during which I'd discovered Yoshimi at the very least. Noticing the massive tanks of compressed gas on the stage earlier in the day I finally got to see them put to work as the confetti began to fly, and not just to the front of the stage but at least fifty meters out into the the air where it rained on and on and down and down for minutes onto the entire crowd who had squished in for the spectacle. Included was a two-person dancing rainbow, a couple magical mushrooms and all sorts of other eye candy in the way of streamers and lights. They stuck around for the opening and the naturally acoustic Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (Pt 1) during which Wayne Coyne had to roll the karate chop back. "I find this really sets the tone for the show and that just isn't going to cut it. 'The name is Yoshimi. She's a black belt in karate.'" He did not stop there as he was the cheerleader the whole time, pumping up the crowd and reminding us that we get back what we put in. Unleashed were 'Fuck Yeah Riot Fest' balloons that bopped over the crowd but only the H survived.

After the mushrooms and rainbow went offstage they were replaced by a couple caterpillars mid metamorphosis to butterflies, and a shining sun - plus a couple of alien blow ups (It doesn't have to make sense.) Wayne reemerged in an anatomic "body"suit that was then covered in silver tin foil streamers before his famous party trick - the hamster ball. Inside this huge ball he crossed atop the crowd and nearly came to my position halfway back, a showman the entire time. Following this was an odd bit on a raised platform where he was coddling a fake child with video projections of running women and the strings of lights still all over the stage. It gave a moment to notice the six-piece band, including a standing and a seated drummer, who were playing through all the nonsense of the show.

Their signature song for damn good reason is Do You Realize? and it was live rendition rung out in all of its epic glory, with Wayne unnecessarily asking us to help him belt it out. This could easily have brought this bold spectacle to a close but the cover of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds felt like an bonus shot, as Wayne was back up on the raised platform and each time the chorus came around the ridiculous strobe lights would strobe and the confetti overtook the sky yet again. Woo - a whirlwind. "Incredible" was the word that was falling off everyone's lips.

Hey Rosetta! and Stars - Danforth (Feb 12/15)

Hey Rosetta!

Disclaimer: As if Hey Rosetta weren't already one of my favourite Canadian bands they went and put out a disc to rival all others last year and this was my first time to experience it live.

The performance was brilliant, a perfect weight of new and old, soft and hard, build and break. It can take years and years for bands to reach this height and Hey Rosetta has been at it for quite awhile now and having started strong seem to only be improving. What a spectacular show through and through. Although it seemed like it was supposed to end earlier, technically being an opener, it just kept going as if it were a double bill. That really wasn't a problem especially considering when I first saw these two on the same bill (Feb 2010, Vancouver) Torq came out so impressed that he stated "well that's the last time those guys open for us" predicting that they were going places.

Tim is the focal point of the group but let's be honest - all seven musicians are extremely skilled in their own right. From the intro that led into Second Sight's cleverly titled opening track Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering) with its percussion and keys into the next album cut, Gold Teeth it was on. Utilizing a second reverb mic Tim also used the acoustic for this. Breaking into the back catalog with a surging rendition of Yer Spring that had a badass bass line and extended outro they then dialed it in with an acoustic What Arrows, also changing up their instruments halfway through the tune. Seeds was the next effort before they came back with a Second Sight highlight in Neon Beyond that I assumed would be the closer due to its crashing ending. I was far off though as Cathedral Bells showed off both acoustic and electric guitar solos before the absolutely stunning Harriet - my personal new favourite even before this hair-raising rendition. They weren't done as the rollercoaster of Red Heart totally brought it down but no! there's more! Kintsukuroi truly was the set closer. And boy, oh boy, what a set!

Stars
Yet again Stars reminded me why I have practically lost count of their shows that I have attended. With confidence and charisma they charmed their way through a dazzling set, they have which experience to know the sweet spot between new tracks and old faves. I may not be over the moon about their latest release, No One is Lost, but it translated better coming direct from their fingertips and mouths. Actually Trap Door, the current radio single, hadn't really caught my attention until I stood in front of Torq laying it bare and with rapt attention realized its strength. When they pulled out perhaps their marquee Elevator Love Song from breakout Set Yourself on Fire, the he-sang, she-sang still hit all the emotional cues while the weird bass line made it just different enough to be extra interesting. Some of the strongest moments came from their Bedroom album which I recently revisited on vinyl and think despite liking it on initial release that I have been undervaluing it since. Take Me to the Riot is a fantastic call to arms while Up in our Bedroom was also endearing. Torq didn't spout off too much which is almost a disappointment for no matter what he says he is thoughtful and passionate and entertaining. (I was waiting for a 'Fuck Harper' that didn't arrive.) The set was brimming and bright and while the encore was compact it was still great and what Stars fan doesn't want to relive their breakups courtesy of Your Ex Lover is Dead?