Polaris People For The Week Of May 4 « “ Besnard Lakes In Bushes, Weeknd's Dead Audience And More

This week’s Polaris People column barely got written.

That’s because we’ve been very distracted. And it’s all Bon Iver‘s fault.

That’s because Bon Iver took a break from making me a mosaic out of seaglass to kiss each one of my toes.

Yes, Bon Iver literotica. This is what the internet is for. Even Time agrees. We will not be fully sated, however, until we discover some hot-blooded prose about Lawrence Gowan.

In the meantime, we’ll at least have the Polaris People to keep our imaginations a-flutter. Here’s what they did this week:

OK, before we let this go, Kathleen Edwards is the special friend to Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. She was also Short Listed in 2008 for her album « Asking For Flowers. » More important to us, though, is that she’s a ribald over-sharer.

In more serious business, two-time Shortie Joel Plaskett has given his support to an anti-violence against women campaign. He’s also taking requests if you ask him nicely.

The folks at the StarPhoenix are excited about the prospect of two-time Short Listers The Besnard Lakes making music-like swooshy sounds in the middle of a forest.

The Americans have officially discovered The Weeknd. Some folks are calling his recent Brooklyn set the show of the year. The Palm Beach set figure he’s going to totally upend the R&B scene. And if you’re in L.A. on Saturday he’s playing a show at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. We hear they have dead crowds, though.

Arcade Fire, the Polaris champs for 2011, have secured another honour. The band’s « Funeral » album has been added to Rolling Stone magazine’s updated Top 500 albums of all time list.

Polaris Year One Short Listers (as well as 2009 nominees) Metric are now one degree of separation from Metallic and it’s all Lou Reed’s fault.

Cadence Weapon was also a first year Short Lister. Nowadays he’s writing letters to his old teachers.

Former Polaris champs Patrick Watson talked to the CBC about the weird people they meet on the road. Apparently « talking to yourself in the mirror » was not included in this overview.

We suspect (hope?) Vanessa Paradis, mother to Johnny Depp’s children and swimming pool art project enthusiast, has been reading Polaris People. That, because she’s declared she fancies the music of Feist and Timber Timbre.

Someone else who might be reading Polaris People? Concert bookers. ‘Cause more of our bands are playing at just-announced festivals. This time at a pair of east coast events Sappyfest and Evolve.