We believe music can move people, shift and reflect culture, and bring us together. This is where we share winner announcements, Long/Short Lists, festival news, artist interviews, and behind-the-scenes updates from the Polaris season.
Guys, we're getting close. The Polaris Music Prize jury pool is actually kinda, sorta getting a little bit near to submitting their Long List ballots. (Reminder: The Long List will get unveiled in Vancouver on June 14.)
What that means is behind-the-scenes there've been all sorts of raging debates and withering insults being hurled around about the relative merits of various records. One juror has been calling the new<strong> Gonzales </strong>album "nothing more than a modern Poppy Family rehash," another said the <strong>Fuck The Facts</strong> record "sounds like ‘The Mummer's Dance'" and someone else compared the emotional intensity of the new <strong>Cancer Bats</strong> album to vintage Gowan.
I may or may not be lying about this.
What isn't a lie, however, is that various Polaris People were doing interesting and exciting things again this week.
OMG, did you hear about Hologram Tupac at Coachella? That's craaaayyzzzeee. It's totally cool right? Like, think of all the possibilities? You could have Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison on the same stage at the same time!
We'll stick to real performers, thanks. Like the Polaris People. They're the best and they did all kinds of interesting stuff this week.
If last month was supposed to be <a href = 'https://polarismusicprize.ca/article/373/polaris-people-for-the-week-of-april-6-plants-and-animals-owen-pallett-great-lake-swimmers-and-more/'>Death March</a>, what’s this month? April-calypse? 'Cause it sure doesn’t feel any less busy.
Here at Polaris Central we’ve been up to all kinds of things. We’ve got Salons happening in <a href = 'https://polarismusicprize.ca/article/377/toronto-new-juror-initiation-night-salon-happening-april-17-2012-in-toronto/'>Toronto</a> and <a href = 'https://polarismusicprize.ca/article/375/the-shivers-by-slam-dunk-happening-april-17-2012-in-vancouver/'>Vancouver</a> on April 17, then one in Montreal on April 28. On top of that, two of the Salons we did in February in <a href = 'https://polarismusicprize.ca/article/376/vancouver-polaris-salon-podcast-for-feb-21-2012-online-at-aux-tv/'>Vancouver</a> and <a href = 'https://polarismusicprize.ca/article/378/montreal-polaris-salon-podcast-for-feb-25-2012-online-at-aux-tv/'>Montreal</a> are now podcasts courtesy of AUX TV.
We aren’t the only ones being busy, though. The actual musicians, the whole reason we exist, were full-on working, too.
Don't know what that is? It's a uniquely Canadian music experience where each year during the month of March bands, label people, writers and "miscellaneous" do SXSW in Austin, Texas one week, then Canadian Music Week in Toronto, Ontario the next, then the Juno Awards in some random Canadian city the week after.
Basically it leaves everyone who likes music hungover, flu-ridden and full of STDs.
We've got the cure for all of it, though: A nice cup of tea, some biscuits, and 15 minutes by yourself to click through what the best of the best, the Polaris People have been up to this week.
Right about now just about everyone in the Canadian music universe is heading to Ottawa, Ontario to hang with our cousin, the <strong>Juno Awards</strong>. Polaris jurors will be all over the event, as will many, many artists who've been nominated for the Polaris Short and Long List over the years.
While folks have been making <a href = 'https://www.canada.com/entertainment/will+Juno+this+weekend+critics+place+their+bets/6374460/story.html'>establishing betting lines</a>, telling us <a href = 'https://www.toronto.com/article/719631–juno-awards-2012-what-to-expect-on-sunday'>what to expect</a>, and <a href = 'https://www.torontosun.com/2012/03/28/our-bold-juno-predictions'>making bold predictions about</a> who the winners will be, we're more concerned with how the Juno results will affect Polaris voting in a couple months. After all, if, as <a href = 'https://www.torontosun.com/2012/03/26/these-nominees-deserve-juno-win'>has been suggested</a>, the likes of Dan Mangan and Cuff the Duke, win Junos, who's to say the big P Prize won't be theirs either? We'll find out in September.
The Polaris team is lucky to work with a multitude of awesome folks within the music industry — one such talent is our Gala photographer, Dustin Rabin. We asked the busy lensman to tell us a bit about shooting the ceremony over the years, his many career milestones, and going behind the scenes with a certain Beatle.
We're deep in Canadian Music Week over here in Polarisland. That hasn't stopped some of our juror-type friends from thinking ahead, however.
Never one to shy from a good debate, CBC Music personality and frequent Polaris host <strong>Grant Lawrence</strong> has already started <a href = 'https://music.cbc.ca/#/Radio3/blogs/2012/3/Polaris-Music-Prize-2012-If-The-Ballots-Were-Submitted-Today'>soliciting jurors</a> in the lead-up to the June 14 Polaris Long List announcement.
If that article's any indication, there's going to be a lot more Dan Mangan and Rich Aucoin in future Polaris People columns.
But not this week.
No, we've got other artists to talk about. Namely Arcade Fire, Cadence Weapon, The Sadies and Tegan And Sara. Find out why by clicking through.
Now entering its 30th year, Canadian Music Week has long been a showcase for the best and brightest of Canuck talent.
Taking place March 21-25 in Toronto, hundreds of bands both domestic and international will be plying their trade in dozens of venues across the city during the fest. Unsurprisingly, a number of Polaris Short and Long List artists will be performing shows.
We compiled a list of all the Polaris-vetted artists who are performing at CMW. Click through to see the full list.
Right. Just to reinforce the obvious, the three most important dates to remember in the Judeo-Christian calendar right now are June 14, July 17 and September 24 — the dates for the Polaris Music Prize Long and Short List announcements, and Polaris Gala, respectively.
Just think, we're only a few months away from adding some new names into that super-exclusive Skull And Bones-like secret society known as the Polaris People.
Some of those Polaris People were ruling the world in their own special way again this week. Like Kathleen Edwards, Tegan And Sara, Joel Plaskett, The Weeknd and Great Lake Swimmers. Click through to read about it.
The Meteor Choice Music Prize, Ireland's Polaris brother, <a href = 'https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2012/0308/breaking48.html'>recently named</a> Jape its 2011 winner for the "Oceans Of Frequency" album. Likewise, down under The Jezabels have <a href = 'https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/jezabels-win-top-australian-music-prize-20120308-1umhs.html'>just won</a> the Australian Music Prize for their record "Prisoner. If that doesn't get you in the mood to start thinking about what's going to make the 2012 Polaris lists nothing will.
And whoever does make the 2012 Polaris lists will be in good company. They'll get to say they're peers with the likes of Dan Mangan, Caribou and Arcade Fire, who all made interesting news this week.
Stay updated with the latest news, events, and updates from Polaris Music Prize, and you’ll be entered into a draw to win a vinyl & silkscreen poster prize pack including Elisapie – Inuktitut, The Beaches – Blame My Ex, Allison Russell – The Returner, plus a random Polaris-themed 7″ single from our archives.
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