AWmusic

Polaris Music Prize 2009 Longlist Sucks

19 June 2009, Allan @ 4:04 pm

I guess I expect too much about of people in general. When you put the collective minds of smart people together, generally you get popular but crappy choices made (see: government). This has worked the way of Polaris Music Prize longlist. I guess I usually end up pretty happy with the shortlist anyway but this longlist leaves A LOT left to be desired.

With a jury featuring several bloggers, including Herohill’s Ack, Jim from Quick Before It Melts, Matt from I(heart)music, Frank from Chromewaves – that’s just the blogs we’ve been acquainted with. Now I have to ask this – why the hell aren’t we on this? More politely: I think we deserve a spot on this jury but that’s a discussion for another day.

Anyway one of the great aspects of having bloggers on the jury, is that you can follow their picks and they will blatantly pick your top 5. I was very happy with Quick Before It Melts’ picks mainly because it included The Rest’s Everyone All At Once (unsure if it made the five he chose but at least he considered it) but Bryan Acker’s opinion was just as important due to the massive of records he listens to – I just hadn’t listened to most of his picks. Still bloggers easily help the appeal, and we’d love to join the party but I guess we’ll enjoy the view from the sidelines (and still bicker and complain about the list).

Rob, our weekly contributor already discussed some key points to why the longlist sucks.

17 bands from Montreal. Yes, Montreal is better from Toronto. Yes, Montreal is great fucking place. But it doesn’t represent all of Canada. The point being, as great of a fucking place it is, the longlist could use some diversity. The longlist is that, a longlist – you could represent the entire country. You could also represent better music – perhaps the system is flawed? Submitting only 5 to the longlist doesn’t seem like many people stuck out their necks for unknown gems.

Why isn’t Julie Doiron on this list? I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day’s exclusion is absolutely robbery. Perhaps it’s because she’s from a small town but alas, I don’t know. I won’t complain about The Rest’s Everyone All At Once. It seems only a few people share the same enthusiasm or haven’t heard how good it is.

Consolation Prize by Julie Doiron

Who shouldn’t be on this list:
The Stills – Oceans Will Rise
The album is so incredibly awful. I tried my best to stay positive on the record and its inclusion baffles me. Matthew from I(heart)music said The Stills took whatever was good with their first two albums and left all the suck (at least that’s what I recall). If there’s a black sheep on this list, it’s this album. Sorry Stills fan but there are a million more deserving albums. Someone needed to say it.

Probably shouldn’t be on this list (iffy/arguable):
Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer
When I first listened to the record, I was in love with this album. I think after time, this album just didn’t give me any desire to listen to it. I definitely overrated it and I don’t think much of it now. I think this nomination could be a pity vote, because Apologies To The Queen Mary should’ve been nominated but wasn’t. Funny how that works.

Grounds For Divorce by Wolf Parade

Metric – Fantasies
I haven’t really listened to the album but if Nancy the diehard Metric fan doesn’t think it’s that good… it’s probably not that good. Also, since Canada does really indeed have tons of good music, I expect no less then A material on the longlist.

Woodpigeon – Treasury Library Canada
Treasury Library Canada is lacking (this Popmatters review agrees) whereas Houndstooth Europa is a real gem. As a dual package, it’s still iffy whether I would nominate it being that Houndstooth Europa is the 2nd CD. e.g. The quieter hotter sister that nobody seems to mention.

Oberkampf by Woodpigeon

Go Chad VanGaalen. 17 days left until the shortlist is announced. Then we will be discussing the 10 albums in depth (unless we’ve already reviewed them).

My top 10 predictions:
Chad VanGaalen’s Soft Airplane
Bare Feet On Wet Grip Tape by Chad VanGaalen
Rae Spoon -superioryouareinferior
Need to listen to this record. Got massively confused about the gender thing without it being explained to me….I guess it’s cool on some level that it’s not mentioned (pet peeve to see a press release attention grab based on being “different”)
Bruce Peninsula – A Mountain Is A Mouth
Steamroller by Bruce Peninsula
Fucked Up`s Common Chemistry of Life
Looking For God by Fucked Up
One of Japandroids – Post-Nothing/Women-Women I lean toward Japandroids
Young Hearts Spark Fire by Japandroids
Black Rice by Women

That’s all I can think of. It’ll be an upset if those 5 aren’t in it, perhaps we’re missing out on a few gems?

Lastly, I’d like to say I really like the Polaris Prize. I like discussing the best Canadian album, as much as I find the process flawed. It is better then nothing.

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Filed under: Uncategorized

Tags: opinion

17 Comments

1. ack — June 19, 2009 @ 5:00 pm
   
   

   I would say one of the main reasons you aren’t included is you guys have tons of writers and don’t really showcase a lot of Canadian content. You definitely cover it, but if you look at us, we cover 90% Canadian content and have been around for 5 years and this is the first year we got asked.

   It’s a new prize and the jury got expanded this year.. and probably will every year for a while, but I don’t think the long list sucks. There are some iffy selections – Beast, Cohen, Stills – but even some of your “iffy” ones (Woodpigeon, Metric) were picked by Frank @ Chromewaves, who is one of the most respected bloggers in Canada.

   But also, bloggers represent a small slice of the jury and blogger taste makes up a small slice of the musical voice of Canada. I mean, we cover a ton on herohill and we only reviewed 30 of the 40. Some of that is taste, some of that is just we haven’t heard of the band. I think on that scale, you have to tip your hat to the process.




2. Allan — June 19, 2009 @ 5:13 pm
   
   

   Hey, that could be it with our blog but I guess it does enter the “webzine” pool and there’s always room on the jury there. I’m just complaining needlessly. Would love the opportunity nonetheless.

   (I agree that you should’ve been on there way ahead of us so great point).

   I still think the long list has “a lot left to be desired”. I just wrote sucks as an attention grabbing line haha (gotcha! )

   We reviewed about 30 of 40 as well and while opinions were diverse among bloggers it seems. It kind of ended in the crappy middle I guess. I think that’s the way for most of the jury looking at the publications they represent. I’m sure NOW MAG voted for Doiron since they did give her a 5 out of 5….but perhaps not that many liked her album as I thought.

   I’d prefer some smaller bands getting recognition, not just “popular” artists. It also a “long list” but definitely lacking in better music which seems like it could be improved upon in future years.

   We’ll see how the shortlist turns out but hopefully no questionable albums get on there.




3. T.O. Snob — June 19, 2009 @ 5:44 pm
   
   

   Allan:

   I agree with your comments on Metric. That album definitely does not deserve to be on the list. But there are some great ones. The Handsome Furs record is awesome, as are the Beast, Great Lake Swimmers, and Pink Mountaintops albums.

   Unfortunately I think the best Canadian album of 2009 is the new Rock Plaza Central, but it came out a little late to be properly considered.

   I know Chad VanGaalen is a critical fave, and we’ve disagreed on this in the past, but I find him really over-rated.




4. sean orr — June 20, 2009 @ 1:48 am
   
   

   go JPNDRDS!




5. nowhere — June 23, 2009 @ 7:52 am
   
   

   So Julie Doiron replaces one of the albums that you say shouldn’t be on the list/is iffy. Who replaces the other 3?

   It’s a long list so of course it’s going to include all the big names that have released albums that qualify. That includes Cohen, whose album does qualify but definitely won’t make the shortlist.




6. concerned reader — June 23, 2009 @ 2:02 pm
   
   

   Perhaps part of the reason this site isn’t necessarily taken all that seriously could have something to do with the quality of the writing and editing, which is something you might want to consider putting a focus on if you’d like to elevate your stature and importance within the Canadian music media. AWMUSIC seems consistently rife with spelling errors, incomplete sentences, and badly formulated and constructed pieces of writing. On a far more base level, and to be completely frank about it, the design of the site verges on ugly and overwhelming.

   That said, when it comes to the Polaris Prize Long List, I’m curious about what you would think your inclusion in the voting process would have accomplished. What’s been published is the concensus between 181 writers across the country. Your proclamation of certain albums as “iffy” is an inane exercise of personal taste. So you don’t like Wolf Parade or Woodpigeon’s albums all that much. It seems that enough of your peers disagree — instead of propelling negativity towards records you disagree with, perhaps that thought should push you back towards reconsidering your initial reactions.

   If anything, I’d suggest you focus on publishing fewer articles with far more thought and editorial quality behind them. A decision to opt for quality over quantity would have a definite effect on not only on the size of your readership, but also the respect coming your way in the future from the likes of the Polaris Prize committee and your national peers.




7. Allan — June 23, 2009 @ 2:29 pm
   
   

   I guess nowhere, what I mean: being a longlist. I’d prefer the list to be longer and the shortlist to remain the same. It’s about recognition mainly with the longlist not being as important as the shortlist.

   At concerned reader. Perhaps, I find it to be blogger-level quality. I try my best to edit posts. I guess that’s where I’m conflicted. More posts = more traffic. To my writers, why should they stick around when I’m leaving their posts on the cutting room floor. They are volunteer after all.

   However you are right on my personal tastes. I always meant to have it as a personal tastes post. The only gripes would be that there aren’t as small town artists (whom are deserving).

   It depends on quality vs quantity. I guess on a whole I’d prefer quality of course. However, we’re still in the small stages of a blog and quantity is keeping us above water.

   Maybe, I should’ve put more humor into it. It’s something we’d like to do obviously but I digress.




8. concerned reader — June 24, 2009 @ 3:56 am
   
   

   Chromewaves is also a blog, yet at a far higher standard than AWMUSIC. And taking a hit on traffic in the name of a somewhat more involved and loyal readership is what you should be focusing on, instead of casting a wide net and hoping that someone stumbles across your site on a random google search.

   You mention that your writers are volunteer, but so are your readers, Mr. Allan.

   To return for a moment to your comments on the Polaris list, yes, there’s 17 artists from Montreal listed. But I’m sure you’ve most likely noticed a rather high level and concentration of fine artists based in that city during your time working on this site. It’s a cultural capital not only of Canada, but of North America — and in many ways internationally.

   The suggestion that Julie Doiron didn’t make it onto this year’s long list coming down to her home base in a small town is also silly. Apparently this record didn’t make as big an impression on 181 of your peers. And to be honest, it hasn’t really grabbed me as much as earlier work either. Lest we forget Doiron’s presence on the short list for her previous album, which pretty much nips your suggestion of big city xenophobia in the bud.

   Finally, you take time to bad mouth the new Metric album without having even heard it. Frank Yang’s got it on his list, and that guy’s nothing if not entirely thoughtful. I’m not a fan, but at least Frank’s gone ahead and given it a chance before saying anything.

   As for your overall list of what shouldn’t be there, you name 4 bands in total, and point at a PopMatters review on the Woodpigeon review as though that’s the final word on the matter. Perhaps your search engine would also point you to the media attention this group has been getting in the UK and Europe — outlets such as The Guardian, MOJO, Q, The Times of London, Les Inrockeenes, and others all handing over platitudes and 4-star reviews. And finally, your own review of ‘Houndstooth Europa’ handed over a 4.5/5, while your review of the ‘Treasury Library Canada’ album itself came with a 3.9/5. That’s a 4-star review up next to a 4 1/2 star one, which when it comes down to it are both decidedly positive readings of a record that you’ve taken pains to bad mouth in this post. (Didn’t iheartmusic.net also nominate this record for Polaris last year when it was just a self-released independent home-made package?)

   Beyond that, you offer NO examples as to the wealth of small town bands that should be on this list. I’d like to put up my hand and say, “Well, AWMUSIC, just look at Calgary. 4 records up for Polaris, when in the past the city’s only involvement has been Mr. Van Gaalen.” It’s not a huge tide yet, I’ll admit, but at least there’s indication that things are opening up slightly in a new, more nationally-minded direction.




9. Allan — June 24, 2009 @ 4:29 am
   
   

   Frank is a tank. He does it all by himself, it’s a bit of a different animal. He also concentrates on news and concert reviews. We are much different in that aspect.

   I actually find it harder to discuss music on Chromewaves but it’s a good news source nonetheless.

   We’re still struggling to find a true direction. I think we’ll stick to the album reviews from a variety of genres nonetheless. We’ve struggled in the true “discussion” section of our blog. We’ve tried but it hasn’t worked.

   Your points are valid on the Woodpigeon record. I just look at PopMatters as a stronger resource but alas that’s up to opinion (it all is). I guess I’d be harsher while reviewing Treasury Library Canada – it wasn’t great in my opinion and there are always tons of great Canadian records.

   As for Montreal. Can I say they are a tad overrated? Toronto is no catch but meh, I’m not that impressed by Montreal.

   I guess I could list quite a few right now that should be on there: (my opinions are much different then of other bloggers but by no means was I disrespecting them – the list just didn’t turn out how most would imagine as NXEW covered).

   Faunts: Feel.Love.Thinking.Of
   The Rest -Everyone All At Once (I’m calling it my best of the year but other then bloggers, not many publications have said anything)
   Julie Doiron’s I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day – It at least deserves a longlist mention.
   Oldfolk’s Home – We Are The Feeding Line. This is such a good lo-fi electro album from Winnipeg. It was re-released but technically wasn’t Treasury Library Canada?
   Deep Dark Woods – was rated pretty well by P4K but not included on the longlist.

   (this is all on the top of my head)

   As for the Metric album. I’d like to clarify: I’ve listened to it a few times. It definitely isn’t bad and when I said I haven’t listened to it much, I mean as much as I listen to albums when I review them (probably listen to an album at least 10-20 times).

   P.S. I know I should really finish these posts (or be complete) and I’d hate to have excuses but I just had knee surgery and really am having a tough time.




10. Anonymous — June 25, 2009 @ 2:54 pm
    
    

    I think this nomination could be a pity vote, because Apologies To The Queen Mary should’ve been nominated but wasn’t.

    That would be Apologies to the Queen Mary, Short List finalist for the inaugural Polaris Prize?




11. concerned reader is my hero — June 26, 2009 @ 7:11 pm
    
    

    you are a whiner
    your blog is ugly and lame
    go stumble yourself




12. Allan — June 26, 2009 @ 9:02 pm
    
    

    I am a whiner.

    Hmm my blog is ugly? Most would be disagree.

    Lame? Possibly.

    I will go stumble myself .




13. concerned reader — June 27, 2009 @ 4:31 am
    
    

    Yes, your blog is horribly designed. You even e-mailed me personally to apologize for it last week, didn’t you?

    And again, you need to stop pointing at other web resources in your writing. Form an opinion and back it up with personal thought vs. links to other, far better known sites. Who the fuck cares what PopMatters said? Who cares if P4K likes something you also like? Does that somehow affirm your position? What happens when you truthfully like something that they don’t? Are you wanting all of your readers to just go to those other sites instead, since you continually point towards them as “a stronger resource”?

    Why are you even doing this then?




14. Allan — June 27, 2009 @ 6:13 am
    
    

    Why would I apologize for my blog being horribly designed? I sent an email regarding your concerns.

    Blog design seems very irrelevant to your arguments and I could care less if you hate it. Live with it. It isn’t going to be changed. More people have liked it rather then not so you’re in the minority.

    We need to stop pointing to other web resources in my writing? What?! That is far from the point of our writing. We appreciate what everyone has to say on an album. I read reviews all of the time. I tend to have my own opinion a lot of the time – which you have to disagree with. We are about discussing music. We’re not out to look like a music authority. Some opinions you take with a grain of salt, others not so much.

    I don’t expect to take any our reviews “seriously”. We just write whatever is in our hearts. I write whatever I feel is the truth, whether poorly argued or not (with bad sentence structure and spelling errors included!). I won’t bullshit you or anyone and just maybe that is important to some people. All I’ve done is simply state an opinion in comments and my blog post – unfortunately for some (wink) isn’t good enough. I’m not going to agree with everyone and that is that.




15. Canada Day Fun: Reviewing Singles by Polaris Prize Nominees Part 1 | AWmusic — July 1, 2009 @ 6:45 pm
    
    

    [...] me of followup comments by e-mail Related posts:Polaris Music Prize 2009 Longlist Sucks I guess Caribou’s Andorra Wins Polaris Prize Caribou akGrammediocrity – Mediocre [...]




16. concerned reader is my hero — July 3, 2009 @ 3:16 pm
    
    

    i bet you pop your collars




17. Allan — July 3, 2009 @ 4:52 pm
    
    

    Well you sir shouldn’t be a betting man.

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