By Darlene Barss

We have two playlists for you this week about the Polaris Music Prize Long List. One has a song representing each of the 40 albums that are on the official Long List. The other playlist is our unoffical OurBasement Long List from the survey I asked people to take and from informal gathering of info. I gave them points but I will admit they were weighted to albums that were on my long list. Which one do you like you better?

The reveal for the Polaris Music Prize Long List came out on Tuesday, June 13 and however you feel about the list, there is no denying there is a lot of great talent in Canada. At first I thought it was a pretty safe list and I still mostly think that, but there is a couple surprises in there such as the metal band Anciients and some good representation from the rap/hip hop artists like Alaclair Ensemble and Clairmont The Second. All of which I enjoyed listening to but I would personally have liked more experimental/electronic/instrumental showing up on the list.  I have not made it through all 40 albums front to back yet but I am certainly enjoying the new discoveries. One of my favourite new discoveries at this point is Antoine Corriveau. Wow what a beautiful album and I only wish I knew what he was saying to get the full effect. Garfield made a spread sheet of the artists and where they are from and what language the album is in. I am thinking we should add genre on there for comparison as well.

Only 2 out of the 5 albums I voted for made it to the Long List, Leif Vollebekk and Weaves.  Sadly Royal Canoe, Do Make Say Think and Saltland didn’t make it so I have 3 slots to fill as I am keeping Leif and Weaves on there. I am pretty sure A Tribe Called Red will be on there but there are many albums that are vying for those remaining slots. I have about 20 more days to listen and re-listen to the 40 albums before I need to make my final decision by July 6. It will then be out of my hands and on July 13 the Short List of 10 albums will be revealed. It will then be a long couple of months before the winner is chosen by an 11 person grand jury at the gala on Sept 18.

Which albums from the official Polaris Music Prize Long List would you like to see make it to the Short List?

Which albums from OurBasement Long List are you most upset didn’t make it to the Polaris Long List?

Did you find any new discoveries on either list that you really enjoyed and wanted to hear more from? That has always been my favourite part of Polaris Music Prize, the discovery of music that I didn’t know about. I hope you found a new artist in the process to love and support. I know I have.