NORTHERN EXPOSURE: The Polaris Prize Predictions

So here we are, today is one of the biggest days in Canadian music. The day that The Polaris Music Prize is awarded. This article is going to be pretty simple, I’m just going to go through all of the shortlisted albums and give my opinion of them along with what I think the chances are of the album winning. So without further ado, here we go (in alphabetical order).

Cadence Weapon - Hope In Dirt City

Rollie Pemberton A.K.A. Cadence Weapon’s latest album is again another solid release from the Edmonton MC. I think it’s an all around solid release, Rollie has his moments of cleverness like on the track “Hype Man” and the production is consistent on the whole. The problem is that I’m not really ever wowed by Hope In Dirt City. For that reason I don’t think it will win. There is the off chance that the jury might decide this is the year to finally award the prize to a hip-hop album but I highly doubt it.




Cold Specks - I Predict A Graceful Expulsion

This is an album that grew on me throughout repeated listens. Al Spx’s Cold Specks project’s debut album is a dark, brooding, but at the same time uplifting affair. But perhaps the most stunning part of this album is Spx’s voice. Her deep croon is unlike most female singers, including any that are on the shortlist. I think she’ll be in tough competition but will have an outside chance at winning the prize. It’s possible that she could fall in behind Grimes if the prize goes to a female artist.





Drake - Take Care

This is probably the most interesting album on the shortlist because of how popular it is. Historically the prize has gone to acts that weren't really in the eye of mainstream culture until last year when Arcade Fire won. There was a small backlash from people who thought Arcade Fire was “too popular” to win, so if Drake were to win that backlash would probably be off the charts. That said, I don’t think Drake should win. Take Care has it’s share of highlights but over it’s (too long) 80 minutes there ends up being more middling material than great material. I think if some tracks were left off Take Care it would have been a way better album.


Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur

This is another album that grew on me, but not really enough for me to consider it worthy of winning the prize. Voyageur features a lot of great melodies and just plain good songwriting. I also came to love the instrumentation. It’s pretty obvious that Justin Vernon had an influence on this album (he produced Voyageur). Even though this is a good album, I still feel like it’s a bit too plain to be a winner. I think winning albums should be adventurous and I feel like Voyageur really sticks to a familiar formula. So although it’s nice, there is nothing very unique about it.



Feist - Metals

Feist’s name carries a lot of weight in Canadian music and I don’t really feel like Metals lives up to the reputation that she has built. Honestly, Metals is kind of boring to me. I don’t really hear much on Metals in the way of hooks or melodies and the instrumentation feels a little bit bare to me. I can’t help but think that Metals is on the shortlist because of Feist’s name more than anything. I don’t think there is much of a chance of her winning when a similar artist like Cold Specks produced what I think is a better record.




Fucked Up - David Comes To Life

Fucked Up are the only previous Polaris winners on this year's shortlist and I think they have a pretty good chance of become the first ever two-time winners. I think David Comes To Life is probably the most ambitious album on this year's shortlist because of the album long storyline and the bombastic and overall uplifting songs. It’s an 80 minute album that actually warrants an 80 minute running time (unlike Take Care). Since Fucked Up are already in the good graces of the people involved in the prize there is a decent chance they they could win, but their previous victory could work against them.



Grimes - Visions

If I have to be blunt about it, I’ll say that I really, really dislike this album. Almost every song on Visions meanders without really going anywhere and the album overall just sounds very cheap. Even though I think that, Grimes might be the front runner. It’s impossible to ignore the hype and buzz that she’s gotten around the internet is 2012. There isn’t any denying that critics seem to love her. If I was betting I’d probably begrudgingly put my money on Grimes.





Handsome Furs - Sound Kapital

This album is unique because Handsome Furs actually aren’t even together anymore. I’m not sure if that might get them some sympathy points with the jury, but I doubt it will make much of a difference because they probably wouldn’t win anyway. Sound Kaptial is a likeable dance tinged rocker but to me it lacks a lot of the cold and rigid intensity that made me love their first two albums so much. It would be really interesting to see Handsome Furs win though, I’m willing to be it would be one of the only times that a broken up band won a major music prize.




Japandroids - Celebration Rock

What Japandroids produce is balls to the wall, non-stop rock music. Even though their alcohol soaked summer youth anthems can seem a little bit childish, they’re delivered with so much energy that I couldn’t really care. I’d say this duo has an outside chance of winning the prize but in the rock album category I think they’ll end up falling behind Fucked Up. That being said, Celebration Rock was almost unanimously heralded among critics and since it came out in so close to the deadline for the prize the buzz from Celebration Rock should still be fresh in peoples minds.



Yamantaka // Sonic Titan - YT//ST

This is the album I think deserves to win. It blends so many different genres from quirky J-pop to harsh and heavy metal. They created something that is totally unique which is exactly what I think the prize should be awarded for. They’re probably the most unkown band on the shortlist which could bode well for them after the (the extremely well known) Arcade Fire’s win last year. I think they have a decent shot of winning too. Maybe my perceptions are distorted because I love the album so much but jurors shouldn’t be able to deny that Yamantaka // Sonic Titan are doing something that no other bands on the shortlist are.



So there you have it, agree or disagree with me? Then let me know in the comments or you can reach me on twitter @Mark__Gillis. If you want to watch the gala you can watch the livestream tonight over at MuchMusic or you can listen to the gala over at CBC Radio 3. It all gets underway at 8PM.

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VIDEO: Japandroids - "The House The Heaven Built"

Japandroids have had a huge year in 2012 with the release of their sophmore album Celebration Rock. Today the band dropped a video for the song "The House That Heaven Built", which was the first single to drop from Celebration Rock. The video feature the duo of Brian King and Dave Prowse just being fucking cool ass rockstars. You know how it goes, having tons of fans, partying and drinking all the time with tons of hot girls (most of whom they probably banged). It's just all part of the rockstar life. So watch the video to see everything I mentioned about (except the banging).

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YPOIW LIST: Top 10 Albums of 2012 (so far)

The year's about half-over (cut us some slack, we're writers not mathematicians), so we'd like to take this opportunity to highlight ten of our favorite albums of 2012 up to this point in time. Our purpose is not to rank or review, but to recommend for your listening pleasures. Let's dive in, shall we?

BADBADNOTGOOD - BBNG2

Ignoring the lack of a Zelda medley, I find BBNG2 to be in every way an improvement over the already excellent debut from BADBADNOTGOOD. Their fusion of jazz and hip hop is further complimented by more experimentation, guest instrumentalists, and the increasing strength of their songwriting and musicianship. Seriously, my favorite tracks on this album are the original compositions like "CHSTR" and "Rotten Decay," but their interpretations of Odd Future beats and other popular fare are still present and still excellent. Even if you know nothing of jazz, this album is an enjoyable and accessible collection of songs that might just pique your interest in the genre. -Steve

Burial - Kindred EP

Is there any other artist who is pushing the sound of dubstep as much as Burial? I may have only liked Untrue in an appreciative sense, but I love nearly everything about Kindred, which is both steeped in the quintessentially spooky Burial sound, yet also a step in a new direction for the project. Kindred exhibits a new focus on melody and song progression, effortlessly turning the minimally atmospheric nature of his older material into 10+ minute tracks that would work on a dance floor. Granted, it would have to be a dancefloor filled with dust, cobwebs, and dead memories, but it's a fun new direction for Burial that I look forward to following. -Steve

Death Grips - The Money Store

To call the music loud is an understatement in the world of Death Grips, the Sacramento experimental hip hop trio that began turning heads last year with a mixtape that ended up being YPOIW's second favorite album of 2011. The album's aggression should not be confused with mindlessness, however, because within the maximalistic beats, disturbing lyricism, and frontman Stefan Burnett's highly extreme vocal delivery, Death Grips pack a sense of purpose. The group certainly has a statement to make, and with the harsh and uncensored nature of their music, they make it clear that they don't intend to beat around the bush. -Danny

El-P - Cancer 4 Cure

What can Jaime Meline do to innovate hip-hop more than he already has? It looks like he's still finding boundaries and buttons to push on Cancer 4 Cure. This late into an emcee's career, it's not uncommon to find him/her constantly putting out the same mediocre music and struggling for relevancy. This is not so with Meline. That he's released only 3 studio albums in 10 years proves that, for him, quality tramples over quantity. C4C is an album that may confuse and possibly disturb listeners with it's grisly lyrical content; it paints a dark picture of the world around us, a surrounding that can corrupt even the finest of us. But as El chants that he will not hail to this world, we can only hope that he continues to rebel also against the conventions of hip-hop and effectively soar over them. -Robby

Japandroids - Celebration Rock

This is an album fueled by alcohol-soaked youth anthems, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Throughout the entirety of Celebration Rock, Brian King and David Prowse offer up an unrelenting attack of rock. With tons of simple gang vocals like "Oh yeah! Alright!" and even more uses of the word "Oh!" these songs are catchy as hell and will probably stick in your mind like they have in mine. I'm sure Celebration Rock will be the soundtrack to the summer for many people, as I know it will be for me. -Mark

Julia Holter - Ekstasis

Can an album inhabit two worlds simultaneously? Can it be elusive experimental music and accessible indie pop? Can it be beautiful and frightening? Can it be the elements air and earth? Julia Holter proves that it is not only possible to be two opposites, but the state can also be a mastered art form. Wonderful (and not terrible) songs like “Marienbad” and “Goddess Eyes I and II” are Holter’s method of achieving ekstasis (the title of the album) and watching herself via out of body experience. Listening to these well-developed yet ethereal songs is like looking at yourself in the mirror and not recognizing what you see. It is a wonderful feeling of discovery that creates the ecstasy Holter tries to achieve. She succeeds. -TJ

of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks

While there certainly isn't a shortage of tortured artists on this planet, so many of them lack the deranged imagination of of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes. Having killed off his alter ego Georgie Fruit, the middle aged African American transgender he assumed the role of for his most recent efforts, Paralytic Stalks viscerally expresses the devastation of having a part of one's being die and the psychic anguish that brings. Through an awesome array of Beatlesque pop, Floydian bombast, avant-garde classical composition, and aggressively sequenced beats, Barnes has constructed a modern masterpiece that challenges as much as it invites. -Alex

PS I Love You - Death Dreams

Death Dreams isn't an easy album to love; it's a little less frenetic and fast than their debut album Meet Me at the Muster Station, but it makes up for this with a wall of noise and muddiness that bleeds together with Paul Saulnier's often completely indecipherable vocals. Stylistically, the big change on this album is that the songs frequently surpass four and five-minute barriers. On "Red Quarter," a 90-second guitar solo is tacked onto the end of the song, and Paul says more with his guitar than he ever could hope to with his voice. As an album filled with dark themes and an even darker sound, the band calling it their Pinkerton in a recent interview with Exclaim.ca really isn't that far off, and the middling reaction to this album further cements that comparison. Maybe in five years Death Dreams will be considered an under-appreciated classic as well. -Kyle

Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light

Sometimes albums can leave lasting impact past their notes and sounds. With Sweet Heart Sweet Light, the world has such an album. The power of this record resonates, as shown in the way it begins and ends. “Hey Jane” provides the listener with instant catharsis for incredible pain while “So Long You Pretty Thing” paints a bittersweet picture of the phrase “good bye.” The melodies are powerful, the intense noise-rock sounds are powerful, the guitar solos are powerful, the repetition is powerful, but J. Spaceman sings with a lethargic drawl, tired, but no less full of life after all this time he’s endured the pains of cancer and crisis. The listener leaves Sweet Heart Sweet Light feeling much the same, which says a lot of the way Spiritualized relates human experience to us. This album is beautiful as it is important to rock n roll. -TJ

Zammuto - Zammuto

Much like his previous work with The Books, Nick Zammuto is master at creating records which are unable to be classified as one single genre, let alone any genre at all. On the debut record of his new project Zammuto, he doesn't take The Books sound and evolve it; he starts fresh and creates something entirely original and different. Tracks like "F U C-3PO" and "Weird Ceiling" are catchy like pop tunes, but have rhythms more akin to math rock and layers of sound more like avant garde noise music. Just when you thought the boundaries couldn't be pushed any further, Zammuto gives you something different to chew on. -Nick

We hope you hear something you like. What are your favorites albums of the year so far? Anything we've missed? Let us know in the comments!

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WEEK IN REVIEW: 6/3 - 6/9

Week In Review is the feature where Kyle goes over the noteworthy events in the past week of music and beyond. It's really probably our worst feature and you probably shouldn't read it if you're any kind of self-respecting person.  If you have an undying need to tell him how terrible he is you can reach him on the Twitterverse here.

--music--

*Erykah Badu is a really bad person. Is she really claiming that she had no idea what the content of this video was going to be? Is she just not paying attention to everything that Wayne Coyne has done since Embryonic has come out? Does anyone remember the last Flaming Lips video that was safe for work? 

*Japandroids tore the shit out of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this week. It's great when a band can bring high energy to late night, because too often we get lackadaisical and tone-deaf performances from red headed one hit wonders.

*Killer Mike has released a new music video for "Big Beast" that is essentially Drive except with zombified strippers. For those of you that think "zombie strippers" is a unique concept, think again.

*Off's new video for "Cracked" features sign spinners and a twist at the end. This video is a hell of a lot more entertaining than the new Off! album, coincidentally.

* An Elvis hologram is currently in development. This can only mean the end of civilization is upon us, so enjoy those digital hips!

*Danny Brown's new video for "Grown Up" watches like a new sequel to Problem Child; it's a shame that John Ritter isn't around anymore and couldn't cameo. You can watch this little fucker do whatever he wants without adult supervision below.

*Damian Abraham from Fucked Up has a new side project called Crimsane, and their debut demo "Chinafastgrow" is absolutely fucking terrifying. This reminds me of the stuff that Jay Reatard was doing on World of Shit in its abrasiveness and complete lack of recording quality. Try not to listen to anything I just linked to around other human beings.

--notmusic--

*Rick Jeanneret, the longtime play by play man for the Buffalo Sabres is going into the hockey hall of fame as the 2012 winner of the Foster Hewitt Award. There isn't much that can make a 23 year old man burst into tears in public, but that's what happened to me Friday afternoon when I heard the news. Nobody in professional sports has the undying passion that RJ has, and NOBODY deserves this honor as much as him. Below I've embedded the first part of Voices, which is an NHL Network show on the most legendary men behind the microphones of NHL games. It gives great insight on why Rick is easily the most beloved figure in the history of sports in the city of Buffalo.

*This feature will be taking an off week next week because I'll be seeing the Flaming Lips in Toronto, it will return the following Saturday. I apologize in advance.

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TRACK: Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built"

Rumours about a new Japandroids album have been swirling around for a while, and now they're finally confirmed. The new album will be titled Celebration Rock, and it will be released on June 6 via Polyvinyl. You can check out the track list and listen to a new song from Celebration Rock called "The House That Heaven Built" down below. Like you'd probably expect, it fucking rocks.

1 The Nights of Wine and Roses
2 Fire's Highway
3 Evil's Sway
4 For the Love of Ivy
5 Adrenaline Nightshift
6 Younger Us
7 The House That Heaven Built
8 Continuous Thunder

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