Posts Tagged ‘Polaris Music Prize’
“Who is Karkwa?”
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
“Who is Karkwa?”
That head-scratcher of a question was one asked countless times over the months leading up to last night’s Polaris Music Prize gala. [Cue the deep, movie trailer voice…] Now it has been answered.
To call Montreal’s Karkwa a long shot to win the highly coveted Polaris Music Prize –
which crowns the best Canadian album of the year and rewards the artist with a $20,000 oversized cheque – is the biggest understatement of the prize’s five-year history. Even upon the announcement of the 40-artist long list, Karkwa seemed like an obscure choice, and once again when it was narrowed down to the ten-strong short list.
But Karkwa’s obscurity is yet another lesson in just how rich our country’s musical landscape truly is – and how everyone from Ontario to British Columbia continues to overlook it. You see, Karkwa (Stéphane Bergeron, Louis-Jean Cormier, François Lafontaine, Martin Lamontagne and Julien Sagot) are not just critically acclaimed in Quebec, but they’ve also sold records, won multiple awards and embarked on successful tours across the province. Like many Francophone artists, including two-time Polaris nominee Malajube before them, Karkwa have been able to thrive because of the nourishment that Quebec’s rather insular music industry can offer. That they took third place and won $5,000 in 2008’s ECHO Songwriting Prize competition is the evidence needed to expose how little music fans, journalists and execs across Canada actually invest in the Francophone market.
If you strip away the vocals, a debilitating obstacle for most listeners who gave up on French when it was no longer a compulsory subject in school, Karkwa’s Polaris-winning album, Les Chemins De Verre, is the kind of work that resonates with Canadians. Like their Polaris forebear Patrick Watson (another lesser-known whose audience has grown considerably since his win) and occasionally everyone’s favourite alternative band Radiohead, Karkwa’s sound fluctuates between introspective folk and soaring, atmospheric rock – a song like “Le Bon Sens” confirms that they’ve even been listening beyond OK Computer. You’ll like it, trust me.
The Polaris victory, of course, shouldn’t be a surprise, especially considering the amount of higher profiled artists that have been short-listed in the past and failed to take home that giant cheque: Arcade Fire, Feist, Broken Social Scene (twice), K’naan (twice), Metric (twice), The New Pornographers, Joel Plaskett (twice), Stars, and Wolf Parade. Back in July, I interviewed a humble Karkwa, unaware of who they were, and they admitted that winning Polaris would be a challenge. I imagine no one could be more surprised than they were last night.
The selection process by the grand jury is often a heated debate that results in a unanimous decision, with all sorts of criteria to consider, argue and accept. Similar to last year’s triumph by hardcore innovators F**ked Up, Karkwa’s win may be viewed as a political decision by the jury, to reward an unlikely artist (in this case the “Francophone” artist) as some kind of statement. But likely not. The discussions are usually passionate, justified and boil down to the music more than anything. The fact that Karkwa came out on top makes complete sense. Through all of the criticism and suspicious accustations, the 11 people who were given the responsibility of spending time with Les Chemins De Verre decided it was the best record overall.
So, what it all comes down to is deciding which act made the best artistic statement. That is who Karkwa is.
Tags: Karkwa, Polaris Music Prize
Posted in Feature, The New Music | No Comments »
Interview: Apollo Ghosts
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
In this day and age, you don’t need a record deal in order to thrive or even just survive as an artist. Just ask Vancouver’s Apollo Ghosts. The trio released their second album, Mount Benson, earlier this year with no distribution and no label. Glowing reviews from Canada’s most reputable music publications and blogs soon followed and then in June the band heard their name called out as one of the 40 artists to earn a spot on the highly coveted Polaris Music Prize long list.
So, how does a band only people in the city of Vancouver really know of get chosen for having one of the year’s best Canadian made albums? Well, that question answers itself. Music may be subjective, but when enough critics agree that your album is worth nominating for a $20,000 prize, well, you must be doing something right. Apollo Ghosts definitely are.
Mount Benson may strike some as just another indie rock album, but that kind of genre classification doesn’t prepare you for the thrills, twists and turns Adrian Teacher, Jay Oliver and Amanda Panda insert carefully into their ragtag arrangements. Evoking visions of everything from Pavement’s lo-fi rumblings and shrewd interplay, to Jerk With A Bomb’s raw, bent, expansive scope, to the crooked pop style of Jonathan Richman and/or The Modern Lovers, Apollo Ghosts turned in a succinct and multifarious gem that is bound to pick up more steam when year-end picks come rolling in.
As they cross Canada on their first national tour, we found out a little more about the band from their fabulously named drummer Amanda Panda.
How did it feel to make the Polaris long list?
Honestly, it was a surprise. As far as we know, we were the only band on there without a label. We were happy that the judges enjoyed our music.
Your album, Mount Benson, never received a proper release, despite the Polaris recognition. Did that change much for you?
We really enjoy self-releasing our own music and will continue to do so in the future. We have had some great labels put out some music, such as as Geographing Records, Catbird Records and Scotch Tapes.
Would you say the Polaris nod has brought the band wider exposure?
Not really sure. In terms of record sales, I would say no. I think outside of Vancouver (our hometown) we’ve maybe sold 20 or 30 records in Canada.
What was the original plan in releasing the album?
We released the album on March 31st, my grandfather’s birthday. We pressed 500 copies on vinyl. The release show in Vancouver was really fun: it was a cryptozoology themed party.
I’ve read that the album has been pirated, which is how a lot of people actually heard it. You must feel a bit flattered that people have fallen in love with record illegally.
Yes, very flatteed. All our albums are on the torrents. If people don’t want to buy the record, that’s fine. We just want them to like the music. We’re not in this for money.
Mount Benson is said to be about Nanaimo, BC. What was it about that place that inspired you to write an album about it? And where does a claw-foot tub fit into things?
The album is based around Nanaimo, B.C. which is Adrian Teacher’s hometown. It’s an inspiring place because of all the colourful characters that live there. We had a mayor that dressed up in a pirate suit. The opening lines featuring the claw-foot tub line connects to our first record if you listen carefully.
Apollo Ghosts have a new split EP with Divine Prophet. What made you decide to record covers? How did you choose what songs to record?
Jay’s favourite band is the Minutemen, so that’s why we did that one. We all love the Monks and the Vaselines as well. We bought a four-track, drank some beers and recorded them in a couple of hours. It was lots of fun!
You’re doing a proper Canadian tour. What can people expect from an Apollo Ghosts show?
We’ll play our hearts out and make lots of mistakes!
Apollo Ghosts’ remaining tour dates:
July 28 - Quebec City, QC @ L’Agitee
July 29 - Halifax, NS @ Gus’ Pub
July 31 - Sackville, NB @ SappyFest
August 2 - Charlottetown, PE @ Baba’s Lounge
August 3 - Fredericton, NB @ Renu Boutique
August 4 - Montreal, QC @ Bar St Laurent II
August 5 - Ottawa, ON @ Raw Sugar
August 6 - Toronto, ON @ Sneaky Dee’s
Download “Coka-Cola Admen” from Mount Benson by clicking here.
Tags: Apollo Ghosts, Polaris Music Prize
Posted in The New Music, interview | 1 Comment »
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