Wednesday 09 June 2010
Jury duty: picking Polaris 2010 pt. 3
It’s coming up on the midnight hour Tuesday night and I feel like I’ve burned my contact lenses right off my eyes staring at the computer screen tonight. if I wore hearing aids (and I might well need some soon) I’m sure I’d have blown them up listening to last minute Polaris Music Prize considerations, too. So my final ballot is pretty much locked in (notice my lack of certainty?), and I’m honestly “listened out” right now, but tomorrow’s (i.e. Wednesday’s) post is yet to be completed so… here I am. I’m keeping my cards close to my chest for now, and will wait to see what the longlist brings next week before I talk about my five choices. Instead, I thought I’d mention some of the almost-rans from my list (see if you can piece together what I ended up choosing).
As welcome a return as Owen Pallett‘s Homeland was, he didn’t quite make my list. Great artist, good album, but in a field as wide and as tight as this year was, there’s bound to be some that don’t make the cut. I’d be surprised if this doesn’t make the longlist, though. (see Saturday’s post for some download action)
Caribou is another great disc that I championed quite vigorously earlier, but alas, Swim is another one of those discs that didn’t make the cut. Again, I’m guessing it shows up on the longlist next week.
MP3: Caribou “Odessa”
Myspace: Caribou
Oh, Ohbijou! You released Beacons right off the bat last June (has it been a year already?) and won over my heart (and finished just off my Albums 2009 list at #11). My hope is that the jury doesn’t forget you.
MP3: Ohbijou “New Years”
Myspace: Ohbijou
One of the biggest surprises for me this year was the stark, haunting songs on Postdata‘s self-titled release. I’m starting to sound like a broken record here (another indication that I should just head to bed), but again, I’m sure that we’ll be mentioning you and Polaris in the same breath many more times this summer.
QBiM may be quiet over the next few days in an effort to halt tinnitus from setting in, and to give me time to go through the latest batch of new records sitting on my desk. All in all, 2009-2010 was a decent year for Canadian music, and I’m certain that the 40 finalists won’t disappoint. I think there will be something on the list to suit every taste, and I’m sure there will be plenty to debate and discuss in the coming months. Now, I must sleep. The (boring) day job calls.
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