When the Polaris Prize people announced this year’s longlist (.pdf) for best Canadian album on the merits and “without regard to genre, sales history or label affiliation,” the consensus reaction seemed to be “Where’s Sunset Rubdown?” (agreed). The very same Sunset-snubbing, 185-member panel that determined that 40-artist list has narrowed it down to a final 10:
- Black Mountain – In The Future
- Plants And Animals – Parc Avenue
- Basia Bulat – Oh, My Darling
- Stars – In Our Bedroom After The War
- Caribou – Andorra
- Shad – The Old Prince
- Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers
- Two Hours Traffic – Little Jabs
- Holy Fuck – LP
- The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour
An 11-judge panel will select a single winner, who’ll get $20,000 and join Final Fantasy and Patrick Watson in the PMP’s all-time winner’s circle. Bumpershine found thirty or so folks who weren’t shy about sharing their picks for which Canadian indie rocker was most deserving of the prize, which is fair play because Candian indie rockers aren’t shy about telling us how to live our lives. Let the unofficial oddsmaking begin.
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I give this to Two Hours Traffic. It’s just straight up perfect pop which never gets old.
That’s a whole lot of boring.
Caribou will get it
That is a pretty unimpressive list. Black Mountain will probably take it. But The Weakerthans are due for some recognition as well.
Good to see Stars there.
Sad that Sunset Rubdown wasn’t nominated but would be happy if Two Hours Traffic took it.
i don’t understand how everyone in the indie press sleeps on Silver Mt Zion. how is this not nominated? it’s as if the indie press is afraid of touching anything that has any sort of emotional vulnerability to it (see everyone hating on the new islands b/c it’s not quirky and “fun” like the first one).
No Kids was snubbed… even in the long list
not sure what all this is about now
REUNION TOUR!!!!!!
shoulda picked the acorn.
shoulda picked the acorn.
sunset rubdown > that list
The prize just ruined its own credibility for the foreseeable future. Sunset Rubdown made one of the best albums from anywhere last year, and they’re not even on the shortlist?!
Woelv’s last album is better than anything on that list. As well as “Random Spirit Lover,” as good as that is.
I sincerely hope Two Hours Traffic take it. Nothing wrong with that album.
Everyone needs to yard Krug’s dick out of their mouths for a second.
RSL was very spotty. Did it have great songs? Yes. Was it the fucking best album last year? not by a long shot. The whole second half of the record drags on. There are four, maybe five great songs on the record, and the best are anything from mediocre to right out boring. Now if RSL was Mending of the Gown 10 times, I’d say yes.
Holy Fuck.
It takes some sizeable testes to open a full-length album with a live track.
Then again, pretty much everything on that album was recorded from straight-up live takes from what I understand.
“Andorra” was also fantastic.. I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed if Dan Snaith takes home the prize.
Plants and Animals + Basia Bulat are the two standout records for me!
Stars are on, Plants + Animals are off? This list has no credibility.
“Plants & Animals are off” wha? Look between Black Mountain and Basia Bulat, Greg.
oops, my bad.
Okay fine, Sunset Rubdown was robbed. But there are a few good albums nominated. Plants and Animals and Basia Bulat are pretty darn talented. Caribou can do no wrong. And Stars, although that album is not their best, are still good. Anyway, The Acorn was totally robbed as well. So for the most part, this list sucks like hell…but there are a handfull (not a full handfull though) of good ones there.
plants and animals + 1
I’ll echo everyone who said that the Acorn was robbed. It would be top on my list.
I hadn’t heard of Shad before, so I just took a listen at Myspace. That’s some pretty great hip-hop. From Ontario? Who knew?
broken social scene – brains= stars.
It would be nice to see The Weakerthans get some credit…however, their new record sounds like something my Mom would like. Surprising, given how fantastic Fallow, Left & Leaving, and Reconstruction Site are. Most of the records on the list are good, but not amazing (I don’t care for Sunset Rubdown, but if I were a fan I’d probably be pissed about their omission as well).
I’d probably vote Caribou on this one. Andorra is pretty solid.
Your mom must have great taste in music.
Sunset Rubdown didn’t get picked because judges don’t take “side projects” too seriously. That being said, it is a pretty boring record, so that might be the real reason why it didn’t make it.
If there is one album that really deserved to be there, it’s Protest The Hero’s Fortress. The thing is a frickin’ masterpiece. But whaddaya know? The same old indie crap is always going to trump metal in the hipster popularity contest. Stars? Give me a break. That album is booooooooooring.
If anything, give it to Plants and Animals or Holy Fuck. Their albums are awesome (note: but not as awesome as seeing either of them live ? wow). As a last resort, give it to Black Mountain, although their first one was more “groundbreaking” and Pink Mountaintops should’ve gotten it two years ago for Axis of Evol instead.
Oh, well.
Not a bad list. I would be pleased to see Black Mountain or Plants & Animals take top honours. But I have a feeling that Caribou might snag it, which wouldn’t be a bad thing. I saw all three groups perform this year and the live shows were awesome. I think the previous year was a better one for music but some goodies still came down the pipe this time around.
I’ve only heard half the records listed and yet still feel very qualified to declare the should-be winner: Plants & Animals.
there were some excluded albums from this but two hours traffic’s album is glorious from start to finish.
stars’ album is good but uneven. reunion tour was a bizarre affair.
WTH
No Wintersleep OR The Acorn
this is pure rubbish!!!!!!!!!!!!!
attack in black
spiral beach
the coast
yeah, that attack in black album has won me over.
Basia!!
black mountain and stars are marginal at best. there’s nothing really impressive about this list except the lack of sunset rubdown. way to fuck it up polaris
Realistically I believe Plants And Animals to have the best album on the list but there is no way they are going to give it to another Montreal band on the same label as Patrick Watson no less. Sadly the same goes for Caribou because of Final Fantasy two years prior. I think it’s pretty obvious that neither Stars nor the Weakerthans will get it as they are they “Arcade Fire’s” and “Feists” of this years list. There is also no possible way that a band called Holy Fuck will win the most prestigious music award in Canada, it’s sad but it’s true. By real bets are on Basia winning because it’s an up and coming female singer songwriter who isn’t as big as Kathleen Edwards and put out a better album imo. And I believe that Two Hours Traffic have a legit shot it due to being from a different part of the country than Toronto or Montreal.
reunion tour makes it because virtute the cat explains her departure is the saddest song ever.
I’m tearing up just thinking about the opening line
“it had something to do with the rain leaching loamy dirt”………….THANKS NOW I AM SAD
shad shad shad shad shad shad shad shad shad shad shad shad shad shad shad shad
hip-hop royalty, and one of the finest human beings on the planet.
These albums are all pretty rad.. Two hours traffic is solid fer sure but not even close to a masterpiece like the plants and animals disk. .. Or black mountain’s album. But let’s also come to terms with the fact that shad is one of the greatest if not the greatest things to happen to canadian hip hop.. At least his album is top 3 for rap in this country .. Even critics in the states think he’s the only thing we’ve ever contributed to the genre that means anything .. Not to mention that his music is definitely appreciated by more than just the Canadian indie elite
Alas, a hip hop album winning would be like a comedy winning best picture at the academy awards.. Definitely an uphill battle.
It’s too bad Protest the Hero got knocked off the list… they put out one of the best albums of the year (isn’t that what everybody says about their own thang?!?) & they’re SO young w/ SO much talent… + it would have been fantastic exposure for them (let’s just hope the Metal Gods are watching over them). I’m guessing the prize will go to Caribou… he also made a really great album. As for the Stars… they’re lame & should have been left in the top 40.
i love the stereogum comments page….it’s a collection of thoughts from the loneliest, most bitchtastic bunch of losers on earth…hate on, haters! you’re awesome!
two hours traffic for the win! little jabs is perfect canuck pop. liam corcoran is also a fox
I enjoyed In Our Bedroom After the War more than Random Spirit Lover. Not to say that RSL isn’t a big ol’ ball of great music- I’m just saying.
The A Silver Mt. Zion snub is, indeed, sad.
But beyond all the SR ballyhoo…
Tegan and Sara > Black Mountain. Real talk.
I cannot believe Sunset Rubdown isn’t on there? Any thoughts as to why not. That had to be a conscious decision, right? Please help.
I don’t know the Canadian music scene too well, but I do know that the Stars album is a big pile of farts. Seriously? How is that on this list? uggg.
Whoa! eh?- put em all together and that’s a mighty Canadian package. Holy Fuck all the way – a thoroughly evolutionary modern rock recording – plus there’s the wacky drummer thing.
Shad. The Old Prince. What a stunning album.
I suggest everybody listens to the track “Angel”…
Clear winner (Caribou and Plants and Animals are
deserving of the top 3 with Shad though!)
Fine, I guess I’ll be the one to defend Stars. Anyone who seems to scream that In Our Bedroom After the War is boring obviously didn’t appreciate the album’s subtleties, and you really have to pay attention to enjoy it or GET it. I will be pleased if they take the win. They deserve it, especially with all the rude backlash they seem to be getting.
As for Protest the Hero, I have an opinion as to why they weren’t included. If you read the official PMP description, it says, “based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or label affiliation.” There was an enormous outcry from PTH fans when the signed up for Random Huge-Ass Label #1 (myself included). That being said, Fortress was a fantastic album, but not good enough for the PMP shortlist.
If not Stars, than I’m rooting for Holy Fuck. LP was just a flat-out joy to listen to, and its totally deserving of the PMP.
It saddens me that Tegan and Sara didn’t make the shortlist.