But I'm liking the Polaris Prize itself even more.

The Polaris prize is an annual award for best Canadian album, regardless of popularity and/or record company backing. Or so "they" say. Really, the albums picked tend to be the ones flying under the radar of most Canadians, such as myself, who do not have the time/chance/money/wherewithal to find the best stuff out there. Last year, the winner was Patrick Watson's Close to Paradise, which was picked over better known acts like The Arcade Fire or Feist. After hearing about Patrick Watson's album, Close to Paradise became one of my favourites for the rest of the year.

The prize is modeled after the UK's Mercury Music Prize and comes with a $20,000 prize. Chump change for bestsellers in the recording industry, but a hefty sum for an independent musician.

Caribou, a.k.a. Dan Snaith, is a PhD in Mathematics and a hell of a percussionist. He was formerly known as Manitoba, but was bizarrely sued by an old and no-longer-prolific American singer, Richard "Handsome Dick" Manitoba (former lead singer of "The Dictators").

The album is spacy, ethereal, ebullient, psychedelic, a mix of electronica and rock. Awesome.

Or not? Check out this other blog I've been following, which claims the Polaris prize is really about Torontonians promoting bottled water.

A $20,000 prize for a full-length Canadian album, judged solely on artistic merit, without regard to genre or album sales.

This is how the independent Polaris Music Prize is described on its own website. Despite only being in its third year, the award has already gained a reputation for unexpected winners. In 2006, the inaugural prize went to the (admittedly) excellent He Poos Clouds by Final Fantasy. In doing so, though, it held off a 600-pound gorilla in Broken Social Scene's eponymous album, not to mention Wolf Parade with Apologies to Queen Mary and The New Pornographers' Twin Cinema. Last year, the judges went one (or three) further with the highly surprising choice of Patrick Watson and their album Close To Paradise.

Patrick who? Exactly.

A quiet year perhaps?

Well... Fellow short-listers included Arcade Fire (Neon Bible), Feist (The Reminder), and Miracle Fortress (Five Roses). Okay, so the first two hardly needed the extra dosh or publicity, but how anyone could rank Five Roses behind Close to Paradise is more than my cranium's contents can figure out. While there is nothing particularly awful about the latter (think of a less evocative Jeff Buckley with some Pink Floyd vibes), Graham Van Pelt's debut offering simply puts you inside of Paradise from the get-go.

So to 2008. The short list was announced last week. It is as follows:

* Basia Bulat – Oh, My Darling

* Black Mountain – In The Future

* Caribou – Andorra

* Holy Fuck – LP

* Kathleen Edwards – Asking For Flowers

* Plants and Animals – Parc Avenue

* Shad – The Old Prince

* Stars – In Our Bedroom After The War

* Two Hours Traffic – Little Jabs

* The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour

First question, as always, is who did not make the short list so, having been on the 40-album strong long list? I would pick up on these absentees as being particularly notable - The Acorn, Born Ruffians, Cadence Weapon, Constantines, Hilotrons, Islands, Sandra Perri, Tegan And Sara, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band, and Wintersleep.

Second question, then, is what to make of this list? What stands out for me is how little any album stands out for me compared to previous years. I am familiar with and like nine of the ten albums listed, yet I would not have put any on a personal list of the ten best Canadian contemporary albums for the twelve month period ending 31 May 2008!

Worse still, it would be tempting to conclude from this list that Canadian music is in a bit of a slump right now, having enjoyed some truly amazing years. However, I consider such a view to be utter rubbish. Apart from some of the worthy and innovative bands referred to above, here are ten more high quality albums - all made in Canada, all eligible for the prize (if my understanding of the rules are correct), and all omitted from even the long-list!

* Amos the Transparent - Everything I've Forgotten to Forget

* Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew - Spirit if...

* Duchess Says - Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs

* Hinterland - Pan Pan Medico

* The Luyas - Faker Death

* Most Serene Republic - Population

* Proof of Ghosts - Proof of Ghosts

* Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover

* The Violet Archers - Sunshine At Night

* Yellow Jacket Avenger - Double Nature

To put my own cards on the table, I would declare The Luyas' Faker Death to be the best album that I heard in the period, although I love the punky sassiness of Duchess Says too! I have written recently about the latter here, but I will write up something on The Luyas shortly.

So what does this all mean? I think that I can sum it up as follows - forget about awards committees, stick to blogs! ;-)

*******************************************

The winner of the 2008 Polaris Music Prize will be announced following an exclusive gala concert event in Toronto on September 29.

for Focus Knack

Is it just me, or are the 2008 Polaris Music Prize nominees not nearly as exciting as previous nominees and winners like Patrick Watson and Final Fantasy? Not to hate on other Canadian talent, but the only band that I'm really excited about from this list is Holy Fuck -- their brand of mad, improvised, lo-fi, bit crunchy sonic madness is truly inspired. The rest of the short list acts seem like they could have been nominated any year in the past five or six years -- surely there are other innovative, emerging Canadian bands worth promoting?

The indie rock wave is lead by Winnipeg veterans The Weakerthans, nominated for their latest album, Reunion Tour.

Other indie rock acts vying for the $20,000 prize include Montreal bands Plants and Animals (Parc Avenue) and Stars (In Our Bedroom After the War), Vancouver's Black Mountain (In the Future) and Charlottetown's Two Hours Traffic (Little Jabs).

Two experimental acts also made the cut: Toronto band Holy F---, for their album LP, and Dundas, Ont., artist Caribou, for his album Andorra.

Rounding out the list are hip-hop artist Shad (The Old Prince), Ottawa singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards (Asking for Flowers) and London, Ont., singer-songwriter Basia Bulat (Oh, My Darling)

Polaris founder and former music executive Steve Jordan established the fledgling Canadian prize to recognize the best full-length Canadian album of the past year, judged on artistic merit and without regard to either genre or sales figures. The award is inspired by Britain's esteemed Mercury Prize.

Past winners are Patrick Watson and Final Fantasy.

A cross-Canada panel of 185 music journalists, broadcasters and bloggers determines a long list of semi-finalists, released in June, as well as Monday's 10-entry short list. A smaller panel then ultimately selects the winner.

The third annual Polaris Music Prize will be awarded at a ceremony in Toronto on Sept. 29.

NowPublic

Tags: Canada | Culture | Music | Stars | Nomination | indie | Rock | Caribou | Black Mountain | Andorra | Prize | culturite | shad | polaris | Final Fantasy | Weakerthans | Plants and Animals | Two Hours Traffic | Holy Fuck | Kathleen Edwards | basia bulat | patrick watson

Dag 1

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk (officiële video)

The National - Fake Empire (niet-officiële video)

Dag 2

Patrick Watson - The Great Escape (officiële video)

Slayer - Angel of Death (onofficiële video)

Neil Young - Hey Hey, My My (live)

Dag 3

Band Of Horses - The Funeral (officiële video)

Sigur Rós - Glósóli (officiële video)

Radiohead - Reckoner (live, studio)

Dag 4

Beck - Paper (niet officiëel)

dEUS - Bad Timing (live)

What's cool about the Polaris prize is that it's awarded to the best full-length Canadian album regardless of genre or sales.

The $20,000 prize-winner is selected by a jury of dozens of journalists, broadcasters, bloggers and programmers from across Canada in a multi-ballot system. The 40 records on the long list are posted here. The jurors will vote on them to create a short list, which will be announced July 7.

Once that list is created, a smaller "Grand Jury" will convene in September to determine the winner at a gala ceremony in Toronto.

This year marks the third anniversary for the award, which is modeled on Britain's Mercury Prize. Previous winners include Patrick Watson (2007) and Final Fantasy (2006).

Elliott Smith - Between the Bars

Chris Garneau- Between the Bars

Madeline Peyroux- Between the Bars

Patrick Watson- Between the Bars (live)

Emily Haines (Metric) acoustic cover:

Holly Miranda (The Jealous Girlfriends) and Scott Matthew Live Cover:

Holly Miranda (The Jealous Girlfriends) and Kevin Devine Live Cover:

C’est le cas des formations pop rock Karkwa et Patrick Watson qui ont le potentiel pour se faire une place à l’international. Ces deux éminents talents Montréalais ont décidés de fusionner dans une seule entité nommée « karkwatson » le temps de 3 spectacles au Québec en juin.

En plus de mélanger leurs répertoires, ces deux formations au sommet de leur art réaliseront des compositions communes, laissant également la place à l’improvisation. L’occasion pour ce collectif au neuf musiciens de proposer une alchimie de leurs univers respectifs.

Cette union du meilleur de la pop québécoise franco et anglo risque en plus de faire des petits… En effet puisque après les trois concerts, un enregistrement serait envisagé dans un album; dont le format est encore à définir (double; EP…)

Si vous pensiez que l’époque des "supers groupes" est révolue alors ravisez vous; nos cousins de la belle province semblent décidés de remettre la formule au goût du jour …..

En juin le 12 à la salle Louis Fréchette du Grand théâtre de Québec, le 13 et 14 au National à Montréal.

wwwkarkwacom

www.myspace.com/karkwa

www.myspace.com/patrickwatson

www.patrickwatson.net

If you're still feeling last night, here's me making up for last night with this remix. Cryptonites with a remix of Coldplay's song from their new album, Violet Hill. The regular song itself actually isn't too bad. Hopefully Coldplay can bounce back after dumbing their selves down to a huge degree on their last album. "If you try too hard and don't succeed, and you get what you want and not what you need" come on. I used Coldplay's last album as a good example of artists flipping art for money instead of vice versa in a college paper once and was told that the paper was too elitist by my instructor. Oh well, here's to more Cryptonites remixes and hopefully a solid Coldplay album once I get around to listening to it.

Coldplay - Violet Hill (Cryptonites Remix)

[audio http://allwrongallright.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/coldplay-violet-hill-cryptonites-remix.mp3]

Coldplay - Violet Hill

[audio http://allwrongallright.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/coldplay-violet-hill.mp3]

This song isn't really that much of a straight dance track, but I think it's a great warm up. Very chill but keeps you moving, too.

Zeroleen - All Good (Kraak and Smaak Remix)

[audio http://allwrongallright.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/b1_zeroleen_-_all_good_kraak_and_smaak_remix-emp.mp3]

I was always really disappointed that I couldn't ever seem to get this song to work at a party. Granted, it's not really a typical dance song, but damnit it's a song to break something to. Besides, how can you not get excited about a band that mixes cheerleader chants and action theme songs?

The Go! Team - Grip Like a Vice

[audio http://allwrongallright.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/01-grip-like-a-vice.mp3]

And here is today's post to take it easy, calm down and enjoy what's going on outside. Recover and GO OUTSIDE!

Well, read this and then go outside.

The Cinematic Orchestra - To Build a Home (Feat. Patrick Watson)

[audio http://allwrongallright.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/01-to-build-a-home-feat-patrick-wats.mp3]

Andrew Bird - Dark Matter (Fingerlings 3)

[audio http://allwrongallright.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/02-dark-matter-fingerlings.mp3]

Andrew Bird - The Water Jet Cilice (Fingerlings 3)

[audio http://allwrongallright.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/03-the-water-jet-cilice-fingerlings.mp3]

Sufjan Stevens - The Palm Sunday Tornado Hits Crystal Lake

[audio http://allwrongallright.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/15-the-palm-sunday-tornado-hits-crys.mp3]

Here's the video for the new single by We Are Wolves. The track is called 'Fight & Kiss'. I first came across it around this time last year when I was at SXSW - it was on a compilation of Montreal bands called M For Montreal. Since then, quite a few of the acts includes on it have made a bit of a splash over here - Malajube, Land of Talk, Patrick Watson. 

I got a copy of the We Are Wolves' album, 'Total Magique' last week but have to give it a proper listen as of yet but this track and video are totally ace. There's lots of underwater action and slow-motion hairshaking which is always a good thing as far as I'm concerned. The song, for some reason, also reminds me a bit of Mum & Dad, who made some great records a few years ago but seem to have since disappeared into thin air. Here's their track 'Donnington' in remembrance of their oddness.

On friday friends of mine got married and my best friend came to Berlin especially for this event. The ceremony was nice and the party was loads of fun. Yesterday I used the little time I had to hang out with my best friend before he left again. We don't see each other very often since we don't live in the same city anymore. What a shame! In the evening I went to see Patrick Watson live at Admiralspalast. The band was absolutely brilliant and played for two hours. When they played 'Man under the Sea' they even came up the ranks and did an unplugged version. Patrick was standing and singing almost right where we sat. Funny guy, too. Last night I dreamt the whole concert again. Very inspiring! Now I feel ready to plunge into the music making again with new energy.

On wednesday Bobby Starrr was supposed to come over to rehearse for the upcoming gig. Unfortunately he's got a cold now and the gig is canceled for now. We might play the Villa at a later date or maybe just other venues. The organisers at the Villa were unwilling or unable to confirm the date of the gig. Apparently the guy in charge of booking has gone bonkers and doesn't answer any calls or messages. We were advised to call the whole thing off. Otherwise we might have turned up without a PA system and party people to be found. We're definitely gonna do this live thing together at some point, it's only put on hold. To be honest, I'm not complaining. I'm  going to be busy enough finishing my album.

And now... it's back to the music.

x

Up and at it. And feeling 100%, mostly.

Came back from vacation to a weekend virus and a disparaging letter. You tell yourself that things'll be alright, but sometimes it feels good to hear someone else tell you:

The Great Escape / Patrick Watson

Chords don't disappoint....

Getting to Patrick Watson on Thursday proved to be a bit of an ordeal. Having spent the whole week teetering on the edge of sleep I was not in my most alert state, and it wasn't until I met friend MB at the station that I realised I had forgotten the concert tickets. Blast and damnation. No choice but to jump back on my bike and cycle through gridlock traffic in a combination of rain and hail to get the tickets back at my house and then race back to the station again. I decided I should laugh it off rather than spending the rest of the night cursing my stupidity and the horrendous weather, and put Watson's The Storm on repeat on my iPod to add a touch of drama.

By the time we got to Paradiso in Amsterdam we had been drenched in downpours twice over. It was quite a funny scene in the bathrooms downstairs, watching everyone attempting to dry their hair under the hand dryers. The whole we-all-braved-the-storm-to-get-here vibe added to the atmoshere. Paradiso is probably my favourite venue anyway, such a difference from the vastness and anonymity of Ahoy.

The support act was a treat: up and coming Dutch band Voicst (from Amsterdam) played a nice little set and really got the audience warmed up. Their singles are well worth checking out: Everyday I Work On The Road, which got a lot of airplay on 3fm, and the older Whatever You Want From Life.

Patrick Watson & co took their time getting on stage, but then proceeded to mesmerise the audience for a good two hours. They came out looking as if they'd just woken up, hair disheveled, washed out clothes and Patrick sporting that same old cap he seems inseperable with, but there was nothing stale about their performance. They gave every song their all, sometimes a bit too much it could be argued. Particularly when some songs evolved into an all out noise fest, you could sense the audience got a bit disconnected the longer it went on.

But they know their boundaries and would then switch to a small intimate song such as the beautiful The Great Escape or Slip Into Your Skin. The band were still experimenting with chains, toothbrushes, balloons and saws, as I remember from their Lowlands gig last August. Although there was more room to experiment in Paradiso, I got the feeling there was a bit less energy and fun on stage compared to that festival show. But then I guess constant touring is a tiring affair.

It's not to say they appeared lackluster, on the contrary. Luscious Life (my favourite) was played with real intensity for instance, and the acoustic in the audience performance of Man Under The Sea ("it's become a bit of a party trick" Patrick chuckled) was still a lot of fun and had everybody grinning and participating. Most notably one guy in the audience who seemed so swept up by the moment he didn't realise his screechy vocals were almost drowning Patrick out.

Well this was one concert well worth getting drenched for! I particularly enjoyed the insane and insanely talented drummer Robbie Kuster and of course the charming man himself, mr. Watson. Sweet oh luscious life.

Ze zien er eigenlijk meer uit als een groep Zuid-Amerikaanse touristen op trektocht dan artiesten, Patrick Watson en zijn vrienden. In linnen broek en met een verlept petje op zijn bebaarde hoofd. Dit nonchalante voorkomen staat in een lijn met de uitzonderlijk ontspannen sfeer op en voor het podium. Ontspanning die plaats maakt voor concentratie tijdens de rustige nummers. Zowel vlak voor het podium als op het balkon is iedereen muisstil. Rustige nummers als 'The Great Escape' liggen op een Jeff Buckley-manier zwaar op het hart. Het 'Noise' gehalte tijdens andere nummers mag echter iets minder. Alhoewel het zorgt voor een mooi contrast in de show. De stukken duren soms gewoon te lang. Hoogtepunt van de avond is het betrekken van het publiek in 'Man under the sea'. Op een pianokruk midden in het publiek staan gitaar en zang microfoonloos en het publiek mag meezingen. Een glimlach op elk gezicht volgt.

Vandaag the-day-after, is het tijd voor een dagje zelfreflexie en schoonmaakwerkzaamheden in mijn kamer. Patrick deels als aanleiding. Op kwetsbare momenten door elkaar geschud worden door dit soort muziek heeft zijn prijs. Dus vandaag op zoek naar wat 'Bright shiny lights'

Bad day, looking for a way,
home, looking for the great escape.
Gets in his car and drives away,
far from all the things that we are.
Puts on a smile and breathes it in
and breathes it out, he says,
bye bye bye to all of the noise.
Oh, he says, bye bye bye to all of the noise.

Doo doo doo doo doo noo noo
Doo doo doo doo doo noo noo noo noo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo noo noo noo

Hey child, things are looking down.
That’s okay, you don’t need to win anyways.
Don’t be afraid, just eat up all the gray
and it will fade all away.
Don’t let yourself fall down.

Doo doo doo doo doo noo noo
Doo doo doo doo doo noo noo noo noo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo noo noo noo

Bad day, looking for the great escape.
He says, bad day, looking for the great escape.
On a bad day, looking for the great escape,
the great escape.

o som é ranhoso, mas vale a pena :)

agora imaginem isto, a capella, em cima de um "balcão", com os músicos espalhados pelo anfiteatro:

[audio http://www.hotlinkfiles.com/files/1092946_scogn/PatrickWatson-ManUndertheSea.mp3]

Com um início algo reservado, onde ora ao piano, ora em total liberdade, o canadiano nos foi guiando sem grandes surpresas pelos ambientes que tornaram "Close to Paradise" um álbum tão bem recebido pelo público e crítica. Com uma voz bastante boa, e acompanhado por uma interessante banda, composta por um baterista, um guitarrista e um baixista (embora nunca limitados aos seus "instrumentos-base"), Patrick Watson cumpriu muito bem este objectivo a que se propôs.

O concerto ia avançando e Patrick Watson, foi aos poucos mostrando que é um músico, para além de muito simpático e descontraído, bastante versátil (e aqui convém também dar mérito à sua banda). Esta boa-disposição, que até contrastava um pouco com a sua música algo melancólica e com os ambientes pesados que por lá se vivem, gerou ao longo concerto, conversas com o público, banda e técnicos de som.

Patrick Watson e o resto dos músicos, mais lá para o fim do concerto, deixaram os microfones para trás, e espalharam-se pelo meio do público durante alguns minutos, onde mais parecia estarem a tocar para um grupo de amigos e não para um sala de espectáculos bem composta. O rapaz lá se esforçou por ser ouvido, e conseguiu - um excelente momento com algumas gargalhadas à mistura. Depois, ainda houve tempo para para mais algum experimentalismo - para se inspirar, Patrick Watson pediu ao público para escolher um nome para um improviso - chamou-se What.

Weight of the World, The Storm ou Luscious Life foram algumas das músicas que por lá passaram. Patrick Watson mostrou que gosta e sabe dar um concerto, e conseguiu ir muito para além dos álbuns, o que no estilo de música que ele aborda, nem sempre é fácil de se conseguir.

FPL 9000