Polaris People For The Week Of May 31: Broken Book Scene And New Music Everywhere
The 2013 Polaris Music Prize Long List is almost here.
On Saturday, June 1 (tomorrow), over 200 foam-mouthed, bloodshot-eyed, Cujo-lumbering music journalists from across Canada will begin submitting their top five album ballots to the Great Polaris Tabulatron.
From there Polaris operatives will reveal said results with great pomp and ceremony on Thursday, June 13 at our new favourite place in Montreal, Centre Phi.
Here’s the Facebook event page. If you’re in Montreal and you don’t come out for this, we’ll be so mad we’re gonna punch you in the stomach next time we see you.
Meanwhile, some of the people who’ve already been through this process, our favourite people, the Polaris People, were up to interesting things again this week. Let’s check in with some of them, shall we?
There was a little less fan fiction about erotic shavings then we were hoping for, but the finalists have been announced in the Broken Social Scene/House Of Anansi short story contest. Elsewhere, the band has been part of photo spreads from house photographer Norman Wong and thoughtful looks back as BSS-related label Arts & Crafts celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Meanwhile, resident Polaris romantic Kathleen Edwards used CBC Music as an excuse to go off her raw food diet and explain how long it takes for beets to travel through the human body. Hint: Not long.
Tegan And Sara let themselves get duct taped across the face for a good reason. The twins did a photo shoot for the NoH8 campaign. The London Evening Standard has also elevated them to catch-them-before-they’re-superstars status.
Cadence Weapon, a past two-time Short Lister and one-time Long Lister, appears ready to continue his campaign as one of Polaris’ most decorated musicians. He has just debuted new song “When It’s Real” ft. Jarell Perry.
In other anticipatory dangles, Murray Lightburn of The Dears continues to reveal information about his Mass Light solo project. At this point we know a) “Surprise motherfucker!” and, b) it may result in “curling up into a little ball and crying alone in your living room.”
But wait, there’s more. Former 2011 Short Listers Braids have also reached the point where they’re sharing new music with the rest of the universe. The band just debuted “In Kind” from their forthcoming album Flourish // Perish.
That’s not all. James Murphy, main man behind LCD Soundsystem and actor in The Comedy (don’t watch it, the title is a lie), has very positive feelings about the next album from former Polaris champs Arcade Fire. “I think it’s going to be a really great record,” he told Rolling Stone.
We’re not done. Drake‘s dad might have totally accidentally revealed the tracklist for Drizzy’s next album except for the fact that people around Mr. Graham are saying it’s fake even thought there’s an OVO-YMCMB logo on the photo pops posted so we totally think they’re complaining too much and it just might be a case of media deflection because the old man wasn’t supposed to do that. KnowwhatImsaying?
Former champ Patrick Watson just decided to throw “Something On A Rainy Day” out into the world. Presumably it was written on a rainy day.
… and while all this was going on, Jace Lasek of The Besnard Lakes lowered his glasses, took at look at the latest Uniter, then dropped the mic and walked off the stage…
