A Look at the Polaris Long List: 40. Yukon Blonde – Tiger Talk

This was an interesting one. The songs were very down-the-middle and accessible in sound. Nothing really cool or cutting edge about it. Tiger Talk kicked off with some tracks that reminded me of all those knock-off ‘new wave’ songs that you’d hear in 80s era teen B-movies and then some tracks that reminded me of the post-new wave UK acts who followed that era like Big Country and Tears for Fears that became staples of early alternative radio stations like CFNY and K-ROCK. Speaking of radio stations it me or does the track, “Radio” sound like an unplugged variation on Devo‘s “Whip It”?

I will give Yukon Blonde credit though: the songs were catchy, upbeat & fun sounding, the production pretty immaculate and, as someone who grew up on those sounds, I enjoyed hearing a new group use them in a fresh way that didn’t feel like a total pastiche (no gratuitous and slavish use of 80s style synthesizers, for example). By the end, the feel of the songs had become more contemporary but it still held together as a single body of work and a cohesive-sounding album. That being said though, you’d be hard-pressed to convince me this album is really the pinnacle of musical creativity (or artistic integrity, however I’m supposed to gauge that??) in Canada. Fun listen? Yes. Award winner? Not to my ears.

[soundcloud player via Exclaim!]

A Look at the Polaris Long List: 27. Ariane Moffatt – MA

This Quebecois singer’s synth-y flavored, bi-lingual indie pop wasn’t bad. I would term it pleasant and innocuous even (actually kind of liked the steel pan-powered “Too Late”). But music that sounds like it could soundtrack a late 20-something professional women’s kind of hip dinner or cocktail parties in their CB2/West Elm-furnished downtown condo lofts are generally not albums I think of as being serious contenders for winning the Polaris Prize. Just my point of view, of course. Look for this to be on sale in the CD section next time you’re in a Starbucks or soundtracking the next wave of Gap or iPhone commercials (possibly….)

Hit the jump to hear the full album via RDIO [preview snippets only for non-RDIO subscribers]

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A Look at the Polaris Long List: 21. Great Lake Swimmers – New Wild Everywhere

Heard this group’s name for while but never really knew much about them or their music. I finally got to hear the music because they headlined a show that Cold Specks opened for them on a few weeks back. Truth be told, I really went to see Cold Specks who blew me away live pretty much just as much, if not more than, she did on record. I stayed for a few songs of GLS’s set but ended up cutting out early, maybe about five songs in. Not that they’re wack but the prospect of yet another album of country/folk-tinged indie pop had me feeling the same way just a few songs into this album. I stuck it out for two runs through but this is just not my thing.

[album stream via AUX-TV]

A Look at the Polaris Long List: 22. Grimes – Visions

Grimes is one of those photogenic buzz artists, popular with critics and hipster fans alike, that you wanna hate. She looks .like an oddball Scarlet Johansson (sort of) and sings like Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins) mixed with Minnie Ripperton (at least with the aid of studio trickery, she does. IRL? No idea). Her 80’s informed electronic, synth pop sound is heavy on effects and artifice but I can’t front, there’s some substance to it. Visions is worthy follow-up to her should-have-been-nominated-last-year Halfaxa album despite having the lousiest cover art I have seen in a long, long time – just terrible! Dig the track, “Oblivion” above, a stand-out from Visions, though? Then hit the jump to check out the rest of the album via RDIO (non-subscribers will hear preview snippets only).

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A Look at the Polaris Long List: 10. Kathryn Calder – Bright And Vivid

I guess the most notable thing about Kathryn Calder is that she pinch hit for Neko Case as replacement vocalist in The New Pornographers when the latter left that acclaimed indie pop powerhouse collective to pursue a solo career.

But almost as notable is that this record was the second of two Calder recorded in her living room within a one year period while caring for her terminally ill mother. I know the amount of studio & outboard effects and recording & processing power most laptops pack nowadays is pretty stupendous but that being said, this album still sounds amazing given how it was recorded. You couldn’t tell me this wasn’t a full-on studio recorded effort. On top of that the songs are accessible full of sharp lyrics and melodies while Calder’s vocals sound great – I mean this in the best possible way: think if Madonna could really actually sing and had decided to go the indie pop route instead of becoming a world-conquering disco/dance-pop megastar instead. This is good stuff for those of you inclined towards big sound indie pop with electronic effects as garnishment. A worthy long list choice. Don’t believe me? Then hit the jump to listen to the entire album via RDIO (preview snippets only for non-RDIO subscribers).

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