Alexisonfire

In case you haven’t been keeping track, there are only nine more days until NXNE madness descends on Toronto. However there’s another countdown going on to another integral part of Canadian music: the Polaris Prize nominations. In case you aren’t familiar with the Polaris, its probably one of the most prestigious prizes that a Canadian artist can receive. Awarded to a Canadian album each year through a voting process by a panel of music journalists, broadcasters, bloggers and other music types, it comes with a cool twenty grand in cash for the winner(s). The most important criteria about the Polaris Prize nominations though? The award is based on artistic merit not record sales, unlike say, the Junos. Which means unless hell freezes over, you’ll never see a Nickelback album nominated for the Polaris (Sorry, couldn’t resist). Past winners have includedCaribou and Final Fantasy’s Owen Pallett, and this year’s Long List (forty albums, that’ll be eventually boiled down to ten, from which a winner will be chosen and announced on September 21st) will be announced on June 15th. Check out the revamped Polaris Prize website here, and feel free to comment below on what Canadian albums you think were the year’s best. To get you started, here are Herohill’s picks for the award. I definitely have to agree with them on Japanther and Joel Plaskett. And check back here in the near future as the Lamb may be running a betting pool on the finalists…

As for NXNE, as the event draws closer there have been a whole slew of late breaking shows announced, and the Lamb will do our best to keep you updated on the going ons. The Drake Hotel, a venue that it looks like I’ll be spending a fair amount of time in this week, recently announced a showcase on Wednesday, June 17th. On the bill include performances from The D’Urbervilles, Lioness and Woodhands, and DJ sets by Famous Players and Fucked Up (yep, you read that right). Not quite sure what a Fucked Up DJ set could entail, but given Pink Eyes & Co.’s reputation for live appearances, this could be quite spectacular. CiRCA will also be throwing a show called Vision (the after-party of the Much Music Video Awards and National Tattoo Convention) on the 21st, with a little help from Lights, k-os, Alexisonfire’s George Petit, Bedouin Soundclash’s Eon Sinclaire, The Stills’ Tim Fletcher and Dave Hamelin, Saint Alvia Cartel’s Ben Rispin and Skate For Cancer’s Rob Dyer, who all will be spinning their favourite tunes.

Speaking of Alexisonfire, in case you’ve yet to see the awesome video for their new single “Young Cardinals” (off the upcoming album of the same title), you can watch it here. Filmed on the Maid of the Mist boat at Niagara Falls (they’re on a boat, motherfuckers, don’t you ever forget), the only way that this video could get more Canadian would be if Wade was holding a beaver while Dallas slowly drizzled maple syrup over himself (I’m sure his hordes of 14 year-old girl fans would find that very erotic). And for a special treat for Lamb readers, here is a download link to check out the yet-to-be-radio-released new track “No Rest”. If anyone asks, you didn’t get in from us though…

As part of Toronto’s CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival (June 16-21), on June 19th at the Royal Ontario Museum, you can check out the sixth edition of Scene Not Herd – a collection of groundbreaking music videos. The showcase includes vids from the likes of Beast, Department of Eagles, Fleet Foxes, N.A.S.A., and this gem from Thunderheist. Unfortunately this thing starts at 9:30 p.m., so chances are if you’re planning on attending, you’ll have to skip out on a NXNE show or two. More details here.

MGMT has a new, predictably awesome video for “Kids”, starring folk singer Joanna Newsom. Watch it here.

I don’t like to throw the word around lightly, but Brooklyn’s The National, have been one of my “favourite” bands since I was introduced to them about two years ago. That’s why I had high expectations going into their sold-out Toronto show at the Kool Haus, a few weeks ago, with two friends of mine from Kingston. Unfortunately this being their first show of the tour, the band showed some considerable rust, which wasn’t helped by an uncooperative microphone. Lead singer Matt Beringer even flubbed the opening to my favourite National song, “Fake Empire”. Some good did come out of the show; including Beringer’s alcohol-induced, mic stand smash and cathartic howling during “Mr. November”, and the debut of several new songs. One of these songs was the tentatively-titled “The Runaway”, which the band performed recently live on Jian Ghomeshi’s QTV. Watch it here.

Thought I’d share with you another Toronto music blog worth checking out, and that’s Jessica Lewis’ music blog RoundLetters. Lewis is a fellow journalism student at Ryerson (represent!) going into her fourth year, and also contributes to ChartATTACK.com and SPINearth.tv. Show some love and check it out.

If you’ve never been to the Imperial Pub before, you have been missing out on one of the city’s best dive-bars. Just on the other side of Yonge-Dundas Square, it strikes just the right balance between sketch and homey (several of my memorable and not-so-memorable nights of drunken debauchery this school year started with “university nights” at the pub’s “Library Lounge”). Either way, it should be a nice fit for a one-off show next Thursday with Belle and Sebastian’s Stevie Jackson, Owen Pallett (wow, two mentions of Owen in one post – that has to be a record) and The Hidden Cameras’ Betty Burke. Facebook event details here.

Thought I’d leave you with what may be perhaps the best faux interview ever. Montreal’s globe-trotting DJ Tiga is apparently a notoriously tough interview, because he enjoys nothing more than taking the piss out of interviewers. Not that it makes my job any easier, but music needs more artists like him. This two-part (Part Iand Part II) fake interview is hilarious. “I said ‘watch me’…you should have seen them watch me.”

Cheers,
Max