The Polaris Prize has announced their 2010 shortlist. It is:
The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
Caribou – Swim
Karkwa – Les Chemins De Verre
Dan Mangan – Nice, Nice, Very Nice
Owen Pallet – Heartland
Radio Radio – Belmundo Regal
The Sadies – Darker Circles
Shad – TSOL
Tegan And Sara – Sainthood
I haven’t heard a couple of the records – Karkwa and Radio Radio – so maybe the readers of the Dog Blog can fill me in on those. But the decision is pretty much already made for me: this should go to Dan Mangan.
Mangan’s second album, Nice, Nice, Very Nice, was an exciting introduction for a lot of country to a great folk artist, a man with very particular arrangements and Vancouver scene-specific references that makes music that’s universal and great.
And that voice! He has the kind of gravely singing that you think would never be replicated live but, when he played Regina a while back, his voice was immaculate.
Check out after the jump for a video for “The Indie Queen Are Waiting”, a track off Nice, Nice, Very Nice.