DOWNLOAD: Austra - "Spellwork" (MNDR Nighttime Remix) (MP3)

Austra at Santos (more by Vincent Cornelli)

2011's short list of nominees for Canada's Polaris Music Prize were announced. They include a mix of indie veterans, grammy-winners, a sax player who has played with those grammy winners, and some new kids on the block like the super buzzy The Weeknd whose resume includes working with Drake. Full nominee list is below.

One of the artists, Austra, will release a remix EP to follow-up their latest release Feel it Break. The remix collection, entitled SPARKLE will be released digitally on July 26th and on wax on August 23rd. The release features remix contributions from MNDR, Mark Pistel, and Planningtorock with the digital collection having an additional four bonus remixes. Preorder it at Domino, and download/stream one track, "Spellwork (MNDR Nighttime Remix)" above/below.

Reminder, look for Austra to play a FREE show on July 14th supporting tUnE-yArDs at Pier 54 in NYC. They'll also be on hand to support Cold Cave at Bowery Ballroom on August 6th (tickets). Cold Cave also plays NYC next week, at Knitting Factory with Cult of Youth on July 12th (tickets).

Braids, also nominated, recently announced a ton of tour dates.

Austra song stream and dates and the Polaris Music Prize nominees are below.

Continue reading "Polaris nominees announced, Austra releasing remix EP"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Sloan - Follow the Leader (MP3)

Sloan are on tour and in town this week, playing Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday (6/29) and Knitting Factory on Thursday (6/30). It's a big year for the veteran Canadian group, their 20th Anniversary and their new album The Double Cross is their 10th studio album. Despite the nostalgia that goes along with an anniversary like this, Sloan have delivered another solid bunch of powerpop with The Double Cross, garnering a Polaris Music Prize nomination (their first) and an 8.1 from Pitchfork.

It's business as usual for Sloan, though, who have a remarkably consistent catalog despite having all four members write and sing their own material. (Though it is perhaps a key to their success.) One of them, guitarist Jay Ferguson, took time out before the first of two hometown Toronto shows for Sloan to talk about the new record, the Polaris nomination, the difference between American and Canadian audiences and record shopping while on tour.

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BrooklynVegan: So it's a hometown shows tonight and tomorrow.

Jay Ferguson: It's a little nerve-wrecking because you have family, friends, stuff like that have to be corralled and attended to. Then you're also like, "Do I really know how to play that song that I played a week ago?" There's a lot of that.

BV: But it must be nice to be able just to go back to your home instead of some hotel room.

JF: That's true. I live literally around the corner from the venue so it's easygoing for me. I mean it's always nice to play in Toronto for family and friends. Sometimes it's just stressful for some of the folks in the band who have large families coming down. You want to make sure everybody's comfortable and having a good time. But sometimes on tour it's a little easier, you can just space out and concentrate on the show. We've played The Mod Club many times before so it should be easy and fun -- fingers crossed.

BV: How long have you been touring the new record?

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview with Sloan (who are on tour now)"

The Besnard Lakes @ Bowery Ballroom in March (more by Andrew St Clair)

The short list for the 2010 Polaris Prize has been announced. The ten nominees are below...

Continue reading "2010 Polaris Music Prize short list announced (includes Caribou who will DJ Glasslands after the Governors Island show) "

by BrooklynVegan Mike

The 2007 Canadian Polaris Music Prize winner will be announced on September 24, 2007. Canadian resident BrooklynVegan Mike discusses the nominees, and who he thinks might walk away with the monetary prize. Note: He wrote this a few weeks ago - it's all still perfectly relevant, but worth keeping in mind......

The Polaris Music Prize is nigh. In its second year the judges have the task of not only picking a winner from a competitive field but also continuing the quality streak they started last year by selecting Final Fantasy's album He Poos Clouds. This year's nominees are a good mix of established acts (Arcade Fire, Feist), Canadian indie-rock lifers (The Dears, Julie Doiron), and some fresh faces (Miracle Fortress, The Besnard Lakes).

This is one humble writer's opinion on the likelihood of each band winning the prize, in descending order from less likely to most likely. Canadians take their national pride more seriously than I think the average American realizes, so when an award meant to represent the best of Canadian music is being awarded, nationalism does play a part. Of course, if prizes like this were based purely upon the music, then the winner and the nominees would look very different. What, no love for Handsome Furs, or Frog Eyes? Anyway, let's begin.

Arcade Fire

Let's dispense with the 700 pound elephant in the room. I don't think they are going to win, for a number of reasons. Mainly, as Cadence Weapon said in reference to Broken Social Scene's non-chances of winning at last years Polaris; "They win at everything....in life." The band is so huge in North America, let alone Canada, that I think voters will shy away from it. The second reason is tied to the first, and that is the fact that the prize money ($20,000 Canadian, which is as good as 20K American now because the exchange rate is awful) would be a great windfall for many of the bands nominated, and I am sure those judging will put that into account (no pun intended).

The final reason is the album itself. It is a very good album, but not a great album. Funeral was a cultural touchstone, and will be one of those albums that people will point to when thinking fondly of the first decade of the 21st century. It was the success, in part, of Funeral that led to the creation of the Polaris in the first place. Anything that isn't Funeral 2 will be dismissed by some people, no matter how good it is. I do think, however, they will get their fair share of first place votes, and therefore should be higher on this list, but not enough to win.

Continue reading "The 2007 Polaris Music Prize is about to be awarded"