The Polaris Blog
Polaris People For The Week Of May 11 – Arcade-Ish...
#19: Blackbyrd Myoozik, Edmonton
SEPTEMBER 30 2011 • By Polaris Music Prize
Arthur Fafard, Owner
Blackbyrd Myoozik, Edmonton
What’s your record store best known for (or: what’s unique about it)?
Blackbyrd is best known for its wide and eclectic selection of cutting edge sounds, new and old. For the past 18 years, Blackbyrd has always had a great selection of vinyl too, and currently boasts a wide array of records covering every style and genre.
Which record on the Polaris short list would you (and your staffers) want to see win the Prize, and why?
Blackbyrd was rooting for Colin Stetson’s New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges. We’re big fans of his – this album sounds like nothing else on our shelves, and nothing else that as nominated this year for the Polaris. It is truly stunning to think that this album was created without overdubs.
Reaction to the Long List: Biggest surprise? Shocked by any omissions?
We were surprised not to see Calgary artist Chad Van Gaalen’s Diaper Island on the list, although it is possible it just missed the deadline [Ed: the album actually came out just two weeks before the eligibility cut-off for the 2011 prize]. We like that album a lot. We also quite like [Vancouver trio] No Gold’s self-titled LP.
What song or album title would you say best describes the state of Canadian music?
Sticking with the Polaris theme, we'll say “Creep On Creepin’ On.”
Has a customer ever turned you onto any new Canadian sounds that might have gone under your radar?
Customers regularly turn us onto new Canadian sounds that have slipped under our radar. The kids are hip and internet-savvy these days, as evidenced by The Weeknd's nomination for the 2011 Polaris Prize without even having a physical product for sale. I learned about this internet-driven phenomenon from a customer’s iPod. We also probably wouldn’t have tuned into No Gold, either, if it wasn’t for our customers. Thanks, guys!
Which of the Polaris nominees (from either the Long or Short List) has been a bestseller at your store this year?
Well, not surprisingly [Polaris winners] Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs has outsold everything else at our store this year. Timber Timbre, Braids, Neil Young, and Ron Sexsmith have also sold well.
In this day and age, what’s your argument for not just downloading everything for free?
Beyond our simple preference for having a tangible product we can hold, as opposed to a file on a hard drive, we like the idea of a world that includes bands, record labels, and indie music shops – and as such see value in spending money to ensure these things continue to be viable. As much as we also like our smartphones and high-speed internet, we’d much rather see bands, labels, and independent record stores get paid instead of telecommunications companies
Tell us about your Beta Band moment (that scene in High Fidelity – you know the one!).
Beta Band moments are over! Our customers are way hip! That’s not to say we don’t ever sell an album from playing it in the store, but generally speaking, we’ve found the situation has now been reversed – customers don’t necessarily come into a record store to find out about new music; they come into a record store to buy music they’ve already discovered on a blog or elsewhere.
Imagine there is a new Polaris Record Store Prize and you are a nominee. What would you do with the $30,000 cash prize if you won?
We would expand our store to include a big stage/venue and invite fun bands to come play/party with us.
SEPTEMBER 30 2011 • By Polaris Music Prize
Blackbyrd Myoozik, Edmonton
What’s your record store best known for (or: what’s unique about it)?
Blackbyrd is best known for its wide and eclectic selection of cutting edge sounds, new and old. For the past 18 years, Blackbyrd has always had a great selection of vinyl too, and currently boasts a wide array of records covering every style and genre.
Which record on the Polaris short list would you (and your staffers) want to see win the Prize, and why?
Blackbyrd was rooting for Colin Stetson’s New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges. We’re big fans of his – this album sounds like nothing else on our shelves, and nothing else that as nominated this year for the Polaris. It is truly stunning to think that this album was created without overdubs.
Reaction to the Long List: Biggest surprise? Shocked by any omissions?
We were surprised not to see Calgary artist Chad Van Gaalen’s Diaper Island on the list, although it is possible it just missed the deadline [Ed: the album actually came out just two weeks before the eligibility cut-off for the 2011 prize]. We like that album a lot. We also quite like [Vancouver trio] No Gold’s self-titled LP.
What song or album title would you say best describes the state of Canadian music?
Sticking with the Polaris theme, we'll say “Creep On Creepin’ On.”
Has a customer ever turned you onto any new Canadian sounds that might have gone under your radar?
Customers regularly turn us onto new Canadian sounds that have slipped under our radar. The kids are hip and internet-savvy these days, as evidenced by The Weeknd's nomination for the 2011 Polaris Prize without even having a physical product for sale. I learned about this internet-driven phenomenon from a customer’s iPod. We also probably wouldn’t have tuned into No Gold, either, if it wasn’t for our customers. Thanks, guys!
Which of the Polaris nominees (from either the Long or Short List) has been a bestseller at your store this year?
Well, not surprisingly [Polaris winners] Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs has outsold everything else at our store this year. Timber Timbre, Braids, Neil Young, and Ron Sexsmith have also sold well.
In this day and age, what’s your argument for not just downloading everything for free?
Beyond our simple preference for having a tangible product we can hold, as opposed to a file on a hard drive, we like the idea of a world that includes bands, record labels, and indie music shops – and as such see value in spending money to ensure these things continue to be viable. As much as we also like our smartphones and high-speed internet, we’d much rather see bands, labels, and independent record stores get paid instead of telecommunications companies
Tell us about your Beta Band moment (that scene in High Fidelity – you know the one!).
Beta Band moments are over! Our customers are way hip! That’s not to say we don’t ever sell an album from playing it in the store, but generally speaking, we’ve found the situation has now been reversed – customers don’t necessarily come into a record store to find out about new music; they come into a record store to buy music they’ve already discovered on a blog or elsewhere.
Imagine there is a new Polaris Record Store Prize and you are a nominee. What would you do with the $30,000 cash prize if you won?
We would expand our store to include a big stage/venue and invite fun bands to come play/party with us.
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