As music fans flooded Toronto for the start of NXNE this week, another excuse to talk music manifested itself as the organizers of the Polaris Prize released the 40 Best Canadian Album nominees for this year. The list is unsurprising, featuring Basia Bulat, Crystal Castles, Broken Social Scene, Plants and Animals, Caribou, Holy Fuck, Blue Rodeo, Dan Mangan, Tegan and Sara, etc. Essentially everyone making amazing music but falling largely out of the mainstream garbage pile. Nominees are chosen by a 198-member jury of Canadian music writers, broadcasters and bloggers, whose lists of top five albums released since last June are compared and compiled to make the list. The jury then shortlists it to ten in July, before a winner is chosen for the twenty grand prize in September.
ELP
