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