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

Polaris Prize 2013: Short List Reaction

Well a fair number of my picks actually made it to the short list this year (indicated with an asterisk*). However the ones I was really rooting for did not (Evening Hymns, A.C. and Jimmy Guthrie). With these out of the running I'm going to throw my support behind either Purity Ring or Colin Stetson, and I'll need to listen to this Zaki Ibrahim disk - the only one I haven't heard yet.

Of note is some mainstay pop - Teegz 'N Sassy, Metrix - plus some highly-acclaimed indies in Godspeed! and Stetson. Very cool to see the Tribe Called Red on there as they're doing something unique. If Whitehorse wins it'll be a bigger yawn than last year's Metals.

The Short List

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!
Zaki Ibrahim – Every Opposite
Metric – Synthetica
METZ – METZ*
Purity Ring – Shrines*
Colin Stetson – New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light*
Tegan And Sara – Heartthrob*
A Tribe Called Red – Nation II Nation
Whitehorse – The Fate Of The World Depends On This Kiss
Young Galaxy – Ultramarine*

*my picks from the long list

Polaris Prize Long List 2013 - Initial Reaction

With the decline of Radio3 CBCMusic this year I haven't listened nearly as much to strictly Canadian music and haven't had quite as much exposure - looks like I've got some listening to do! At least we won't have to put up with the debate this year about "mainstream" inclusions in the list as per the last couple (Arcade Fire, Drake).

Evening Hymns is my horse - astoundingly beautiful. But T&S made a brilliant pop album (as did AC Newman) and once again Colin Stetson has probably only improved on his buzz-yielding last Polaris Prize listing album. Purity Ring are fresh faces with a fresh sound and then you've got the long-awaited return of Godspeed.. METZ finally released an LP but I don't think it's quite as excellent as Fucked Up's hardcore efforts that allowed them to take it all. Jim Guthrie is swell - only recently got a hold of it.

Short

Evening Hymns - Spectral Dusk

AC Newman - Shut Down The Streets

Purity Ring - Shrines
Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 3: To See More Light

Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob

*Godspeed You! Black Emperor - 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!

*Young Galaxy - Ultramarine

*Hayden - Us Alone

*METZ - METZ

*Jim Guthrie - Takes Time

*Where the final five were second round picks to fill out my short list

Approved (by me)

The Besnard Lakes - Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO

Chilly Gonzales - Solo Piano II

Metric - Synthetica

Old Man Luedecke - Tender is The Night

Rah Rah - The Poet's Dead

Whitehorse - The Fate of the World Depends On This Kiss

Heard

Mac DeMarco - 2

Hannah Georgas - Hannah Georgas
Rhye - Woman

Heard in Part

A Tribe Called Red - Nation II Nation

Daphni - JIAOLONG

Kid Koala - 12 bit Blues

Corb Lund - Cabin Fever

Suuns - Images du futur

Unheard

The Luyas - Animator
Majical Cloudz - Impersonator
Danny Michel with the Garifuna Collective - Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me
Lindi Ortega - Cigarettes & Truckstops
Daniel Romano - Come Cry With Me
Al Tuck - Stranger at the Wake
Lee Harvey Osmond - The Folk Sinner
Zaki Ibrahim - Every Opposite

Unknown
Alaclair Ensemble - Les maigres blancs d'Amérique du Noir
ANCIIENTS - Heart of Oak
Louis-Jean Cormier - Le Treizième Étage
KEN mode - Entrench

Kobo Town - Jumbie in the Jukebox
Pierre Lapointe - Punkt
Les soeurs Boulay - Le poids des confettis
Peter Peter - Une version améliorée de la tristesse

Polaris Music Prize 2012 Reaction

Feist? For Metals?

Polaris 2012 - Short List Reaction

I would replace Feist (yawn) and Cadence (somewhat awkward flow) with Patrick Watson and Rich Aucoin - both of which are exceptionally full albums, the former being beautiful and lush, the latter being energetic and fun.

I haven't spent enough time with Yamantaka // Sonic Titan to knock it but I did think Dan Mangan's ambitious effort was deserving.

Didn't pick it - but I can totally get behind Drizzy.

Cadence Weapon Hope in Dirt City
Cold Specks I Predict A Graceful Expulsion
Drake Take Care
Kathleen Edwards Voyageur
Feist Metals
F__cked Up David Comes to Life
Grimes Visions
Handsome Furs Sound Kapital
Japandroids Celebration Rock
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan YT//ST

My reaction to the long list was here.

Polaris Prize Long List Initial Reaction 2012

Here's my initial reaction.

10 means I think it should be on the short list top 10 (automatic five stars *****). Whereas 11 means I didn't mark it as top 10 first time through but when I only had 8 picks in my top 10 after going through the list I added 2 more. 

There are plenty of ? this year which means things I'm excited to seek out!

(Middle column question mark means I've heard it but want to spend more time with it)

One question though - where is Brasstronaut?!

A Tribe Called Red - A Tribe Called Red	?
Marie-Pierre Arthur - Aux alentours	?
Rich Aucoin - We're All Dying To Live		10
Avec pas d'casque - Astronomie	?
Azari & III - Azari & III	?
Bahamas - Barchords	**
The Barr Brothers - The Barr Brothers	?
Blackie And The Rodeo Kings - Kings And Queens	?
Cadence Weapon - Hope In Dirt City	**	?
Kathryn Calder - Bright And Vivid	****	11
Cannon Bros - Firecracker / Cloudglow	?
Coeur de pirate - Blonde	***
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas	?
Cold Specks - I Predict A Graceful Expulsion		10
Rose Cousins - We Have Made A Spark	?
Mark Davis - Eliminate The Toxins	?
Drake - Take Care	***
Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur		10
Feist - Metals	**
Fucked Up - David Comes To Life	***	11
Great Lake Swimmers - New Wild Everywhere	*
Grimes - Visions	****	10
Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital		10
Japandroids - Celebration Rock		10
Dan Mangan - Oh Fortune		10
Mares Of Thrace - The Pilgrimage	?
Ariane Moffatt - MA	?
Lindi Ortega - Little Red Boots	?
Parlovr - Kook Soul	***
Sandro Perri - Impossible Spaces	?
Joel Plaskett Emergency - Scrappy Happiness	***
PS I Love You - Death Dreams	***
John K. Samson - Provincial	**
Shooting Guns - Born To Deal In Magic: 1952-1976	?
The Slakadeliqs - The Other Side of Tomorrow	?
Patrick Watson - Adventures In Your Own Backyard		10
Bry Webb - Provider	**	?
The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence	*
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan - YT//ST	?
Yukon Blonde - Tiger Talk	**