Good tunes.

The Polaris Music Prize is an annual Canadian music award presented for artistic talent and creativity in recorded music. Each year in September a jury of 180 journalists, bloggers, and broadcasters from across Canada convene to select the best album in the country. There is no entry fee, no submission process, any album recorded in the year is eligible for the award. The idea here is to celebrate the complete recorded album as an art form.

The long list of 40 albums is released to the public in early June. The short list of the top 10 albums will be announced tomorrow, July 7. This gives the public a chance to search out these artists and have a listen before the Polaris Gala in September when the top album is announced.

The Polaris Prize has been awarded for the past three years. The top albums each of these three years include some incredible work. 2006, the first year the award was given, Final Fantasy won for He Poos Clouds. The 2007 winner was Patrick Wilson with Close to Paradise. Last year's winner was Caribou with Andorra.

This year's long list contains some fantastic albums. Several of these bands will be attending the Hillside Festival in three short weekends.

O man, I'm excited. I put the album pictures beside my favourites....but I'm biased because I don't know everyone here. I'm going to search them out because you can't go wrong with any of these CD's. Can't wait to see who makes the short list tomorrow!

Arkells - Jackson Square
Hamilton

Jill Barber - Chances
Port Credit

Beast - Beast
Montréal



Bell Orchestre - As Seen Through Windows
Montréal

Bison B.C. - Quiet Earth
Vancouver



Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain Is A Mouth
Toronto

Cœur De Pirate - Cœur De Pirate
Montréal

Leonard Cohen - Live In London
Montréal

D-Sisive - Let The Children Die
Toronto

Elephant Stone - The Seven Seas
Montréal



Elliott BROOD - Mountain Meadows
Toronto

Fucked Up - The Chemistry Of Common Life
Toronto

Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels
Toronto



Handsome Furs - Face Control
Montréal

Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country
Montréal



Hey Rosetta! - Into Your Lungs
St. John's

Japandroids - Post-Nothing
Vancouver



Junior Boys - Begone Dull Care
Hamilton

K-OS - YES!
Toronto



K'NAAN - Troubadour
Toronto

La patère rose - La patère rose
Montréal

Land Of Talk - Some Are Lakes
Montréal

Lhasa - Lhasa
Montréal

Malajube - Labyrinthes
Montréal



Metric - Fantasies
Toronto

One Hundred Dollars - Forest Of Tears
Toronto

Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love
Vancouver

Joel Plaskett - Three
Halifax

Snailhouse - Lies On The Prize
Montréal

Charles Spearin - The Happiness Project
Toronto

Rae Spoon - superioryouareinferior
Calgary

The Stills - Oceans Will Rise
Montréal

Think About Life - Family
Montréal



Timber Timbre - Timber Tiimbre
Toronto

Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane
Calgary

Martha Wainwright - I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too
Montréal

Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms
Montréal



Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
Montréal

Women - Women
Calgary

Woodpigeon - Treasury Library Canada C/W Houndstooth Europa
Calgary