At the prestigious Drake Hotel on a sunny Tuesday morning, ten Canadian music acts will see their lives forever changed. The Polaris Music Prize will name their shortlist for the year 2013. The ten bands on the list will see their popularity surge, become mini celebrities and do the whole Canadian talk show circuit of Rick the Temp and Mike Bullard. They’ll be regaled with praise while the bands that didn’t make the list will be left retreating back into their basement apartments to lick their wounds.
Just as a reminder, the Polaris Music Prize “celebrates and rewards creativity and diversity in Canadian recorded music”. Past winners include
2012 – Feist
2011 – Arcade Fire
2010 – Karkwa
2009 – Fucked Up
2008 – Caribou
2007 – Patrick Watson
2006 – Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy
So basically, if you are French or already popular, you have a pretty good shot at winning.
As is our yearly tradition, we have hastily made some predictions on who will be on the short list this year. We also asked some friends to make these predictions as well. Most of them ignored us though. Still, some people proved to be worthy friends.
Melody, writer, various outlets (Exclaim, Muchmusic, Nylon)
Evening Hymns
Majical Cloudz
Tegan and Sara
Zaki Ibrahim
Young Galaxy
Colin Stetson
Purity Ring
Metz
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Metric
This isn’t my prediction as much as it’s my hope that my five picks make it onto the short list. Evening hymns, Majical Cloudz, Young Galaxy, Purity Ring and Zaki Ibrahim all put out records that I can’t imagine not making the list this year and I will throw a grilled cheese sandwich at the new gala host if this doesn’t happen. The other five are just wild guesses/my spidey senses. I don’t think i have the right to publicly place bets on the Polaris Prize this year (but just follow me on twitter/dm me and we’ll start a secret non-bet using fake money…)
Tiana, writer and photographer for Ride The Tempo
1. Evening Hymns- Spectral Dusk
2. Daphni- Jialong
3. Majical Cloudz- Impersonator
4. Peter Peter- Une version ameliore de la tristesse
5. Young Galaxy- Ultramarine
6. Tegan and Sara- Heartthrob
7. Purity Ring- Shrines
8. Pierre Lapointe- Punkt
9. A Tribe Called Red- Nation II Nation
10. Hannah Georgas- Hannah Georgas
These albums all made me feel something whether it was laugh, cry or get up and dance.
Wade – Staff writer, also, mega shit disturber
A Tribe Called Red
KEN mode
METZ
Danny Michel
Purity Ring
Suuns
Young Galaxy
Tegan and Sarah
Pierre Lapointe
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Brent – Staff writer, formerly of Pitchfork
A Tribe Called Red
Besnard Lakes
Ken Mode
Majical Cloudz
Metz
Daniel Romano
Suuns
Tegan and Sara
Whitehorse
Young Galaxy
Lauren, staff writer
Mac deMarco
Majical Cloudz
Suuns
Godspeed
Hayden
Rhye
Purity Ring
Metz
Young Galaxy
Daphni
My votes
A Tribe Called Red – they seem to be a very buzz worthy band and have only gained momentum since the last time they were nominated. Kind of like Jennifer Lawrence, only opposite in appearance.
Evening Hymns – Sad and personal record probably struck a cord with a large amount of the depressed voters
Rhye – Default smooth FLOW 98 entry
Hayden – Probably locked down the female voters who just want to be in the same room as him at the Carlu.
Lee Harvey Osmond – Just so Grant Lawrence can make corny Lee Harvey Oswald jokes.
Corb Lund – Just to prove that Polaris voters listen to things other then guitar rock and “cool” hip hop
Metric – Judging by the previous winners, it is probably their turn.
Purity Ring – Just so kids with laptops can feel good about themselves.
Tegan & Sara – Ridiculously catchy pop music whose single “Closer” had my friend confused for Shania Twain.
Whitehorse – It’ll be nice to have a husband-wife duo at the Polaris who are actually still together.
What are your picks?