Playing favourites
We asked artists on the short list which albums they wouldn’t mind losing to at the Carlu on Sept. 21
The 10th annual Polaris Music Prize gala goes down Monday at the Carlu in Toronto. This is the night when an 11-person “grand jury” of music journalists and broadcasters plucked from the larger, nationwide pool of nearly 200 Polaris jurors selects which of the 10 artists on the short list will walk away with bragging rights to the year’s best Canadian album and a cool $50,000 in cash.
In anticipation of the final throwdown, the Star asked everyone nominated — Alvvays, BADBADNOTGOOD and Ghostface Killah, Braids, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Caribou, Drake, Jennifer Castle, the New Pornographers, Tobias Jesso, Jr., and Viet Cong — which fellow nominees they wouldn’t mind losing out to this year.
Sainte-Marie and Caribou politely declined in most Canadian fashion because they didn’t want to pick from a list with which they weren’t totally familiar, New Pornographers frontman Carl Wilson never got back to us and Drake’s people gave us a curt “Not gonna happen” right off the bat. But the others had some fun with the assignment. Enjoy.
Alec O’Hanley of Alvvays Pick: Tobias Jesso, Jr., Goon
“Goonis a bit of a hit parade. It’s nice that Randy Newman and Paul McCartney are considered avant influences these days. Songs are back.” Chester Hansen of BADBADNOTGOOD Pick: Tobias Jesso, Jr., Goon
“Personally, I’m a huge fan of Tobias Jesso, Jr., so I would probably want his album to win if we didn’t and I think the other guys would say the same.
I first heard it, I guess, back in March and I was instantly kind of captivated by how well the songs were written and how emotional it was and how honest it felt. It was different than anything I’d heard in the last while. All the songs are super well-written and they all have this haunting kind of vibe that stays with you. I just think it’s a really great record.” Scott (Monty) Munro of Viet Cong Pick: Alvvays, Alvvays
“I’d be pretty happy if Alvvays won. They’re just fun and writing nice pop songs, which is good to see bands doing. It’s nice in the era of everyone rocking hard backing tracks and all that kind of s--- to just see a band play some pop songs on guitar and keyboards, and do a good job at it.
Plus, I think women are really underrepresented in rock music so it’s nice to see some ladies in a rock band, too. Molly Rankin is a badass, just a total badass.
I wouldn’t mind losing to Jen Cas- tle, either. I love that woman. That record rules.” Raphaelle Standell-Preston of Braids Pick: Viet Cong, Viet Cong
“Jennifer Castle is definitely up there, but the band I think I would choose because: 1) I like the record and 2) I’ve known everybody in the band since I was17 is Viet Cong. I just love them so much as people and as a band and have seen them go through so much, so the fact that they’ve put out a record as confident as they have is a very heartwarming thing for me . . . They’ve basically been to hell and back, and stuck together and put out an incredible record.
Vulnerability but confidence is a really hard balance to strike, where it’s kind of aggressive but still being really vulnerable.
And they’re just incredible players, too.” Jennifer Castle Pick: Buffy Sainte-Marie, Power in the Blood
“Buffy! Because Buffy deserves any and all accolades up for grabs. She has maintained a fine balance of imaginative lyricism and social commentary throughout a long, honourable and unparalleled career.
Her vibrato is stronger than ever, floating up from the centre of her heart or crying out in warning and protest.
She continues to release relevant records, Power in the Blood being no exception; in fact, it’s a modern crystal of matriarchal wisdom, opinion and optimism.
When I was at the Calgary Folk Festival this summer I introduced myself to her. She looked me up and down and asked if I was a songwriter. I said yes, although it sure feels like a joke calling yourself a songwriter next to Buffy Sainte-Marie. She asked me some more questions about myself and then cracked a big shining Buffy smile and said, ‘Well, I hope you get it, they give me enough awards’ — to which I said, ‘I hope you get it, your new record is incredible.’
Then she said, ‘Who are we kidding? They’re gonna give it to Drake.’ ” Tobias Jesso, Jr. Pick: Caribou, Our Love
“Caribou. We played with them at Coachella this year and they were incredible. It’s an honour to share the list with so many amazing artists.”