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GY!BE Responds to Winning Polaris Award |
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Earendil ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: November 17 2008 Location: Indiana, USA Status: Offline Points: 1584 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posted: September 24 2013 at 14:18 |
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Each year, an album released by a Canadian artist is awarded the Polaris Music Prize for "artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label". The award is voted on by a jury of over 200 Canadian music media folk (journalists, broadcasters, etc.). Along with the national recognition comes a cash prize of $30,000, which is sponsored by the Government of Canada, and other private organizations. This year saw the award handed to cult post rock act Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
In an interesting turn of events though, the band has released the following statement regarding their win: "A FEW WORDS REGARDING THIS POLARIS PRIZE THING hello kanada. hello kanadian music-writers. thanks for the nomination thanks for the prize- it feels nice to be acknowledged by the Troubled Motherland when we so often feel orphaned here. and much respect for all y’all who write about local bands, who blow that horn loudly- because that trumpeting is crucial and necessary and important. and much respect to the freelancers especially, because freelancing is a hard f**king gig, and almost all of us are freelancers now, right? falling and scrambling and hustling through these difficult times? so yes, we are grateful, and yes we are humble and we are shy to complain when we’ve been acknowledged thusly- BUT HOLY sh*t AND HOLY COW- we’ve been plowing our field on the margins of weird culture for almost 20 years now, and “this scene is pretty cool but what it really f**king needs is an awards show” is not a thought that’s ever crossed our minds. 3 quick bullet-points that almost anybody could agree on maybe= -holding a gala during a time of austerity and normalized decline is a weird thing to do. -organizing a gala just so musicians can compete against each other for a novelty-sized cheque doesn’t serve the cause of righteous music at all. -asking the toyota motor company to help cover the tab for that gala, during a summer where the melting northern ice caps are live-streaming on the internet, IS f**kING INSANE, and comes across as tone-deaf to the current horrifying malaise. these are hard times for everybody. and musicians’ blues are pretty low on the list of things in need of urgent correction BUT AND BUT if the point of this prize and party is acknowledging music-labor performed in the name of something other than quick money, well then maybe the next celebration should happen in a cruddier hall, without the corporate banners and culture overlords. and maybe a party thusly is long overdue- it would be truly nice to enjoy that hang, somewhere sometime where the point wasn’t just lazy money patting itself on the back. give the money to the kids let ‘em put on their own goddamn parties, give the money to the olds and let them try to write opuses in spite of, but let the muchmusic videostars fight it out in the inconsequential middle, without gov’t. culture-money in their pockets. us we’re gonna use the money to try to set up a program so that prisoners in quebec have musical instruments if they need them… amen and amen. apologies for being such bores, we love you so much / our country is f**ked, xoxoxox godspeed you! black emperor" Edited by Earendil - September 24 2013 at 14:22 |
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HolyMoly ![]() Special Collaborator ![]() ![]() Retired Admin Joined: April 01 2009 Location: Atlanta Status: Offline Points: 23346 |
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Wow.
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
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Guldbamsen ![]() Special Collaborator ![]() ![]() Retired Admin Joined: January 22 2009 Location: Dolly Parton Status: Offline Points: 20566 |
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What an inspired way of approaching this thing, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees these award type dealios in an awkward lighting.
I'll join Steve-o in the clappies - we need more artists who aren't afraid of ruffling some feathers without coming off as hipsters who revel in being obnoxious for the sake of just that
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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams |
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Floyd Steely ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: December 04 2011 Location: Madison WI Status: Offline Points: 181 |
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Hear, hear! Just what I'd expect from those righteous skeptics.
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PabstRibbon ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: November 26 2009 Location: Québec Status: Offline Points: 925 |
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Gotta listen to Skinny Fist just because of this amazing speech. This band is simply incredible
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Earthmover ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: June 03 2012 Status: Offline Points: 1509 |
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Even if someone doesn't agree with what they say, they gotta admit that Godspeeds are living legends.
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Chris S ![]() Special Collaborator ![]() ![]() Honorary Collaborator Joined: June 09 2004 Location: Front Range Status: Offline Points: 7028 |
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Well they have convinced me now to go out and buy a second hand car not a new one
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...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
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Guldbamsen ![]() Special Collaborator ![]() ![]() Retired Admin Joined: January 22 2009 Location: Dolly Parton Status: Offline Points: 20566 |
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^
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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”
- Douglas Adams |
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The Bearded Bard ![]() Special Collaborator ![]() ![]() Post/Math Rock Team Joined: January 24 2012 Location: Behind the Sun Status: Offline Points: 12793 |
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What a way to respond to winning an award! I wish more artist said/did things like that.
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stonebeard ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: May 27 2005 Location: NE Indiana Status: Offline Points: 28045 |
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Leave it to Godspeed to drop a screed at this kind of thing. I kind of appreciate the sentiment, but there's something really annoying about it too. Maybe I just appreciate brevity and think eco-warriors are fundamentally annoying. Also, the quirks in the writing. Ugh.
But oh well. |
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Padraic ![]() Special Collaborator ![]() ![]() Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 16 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 31135 |
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My sentiments exactly, but I guess we're a minority in feeling this way.
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jmpatrick ![]() Forum Newbie ![]() Joined: March 06 2007 Status: Offline Points: 19 |
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100 years from now, nobody will be talking about, or even remember who Miley Cyrus was.
But they'll still be talking about Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
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The-time-is-now ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: November 05 2008 Location: Belgium Status: Offline Points: 2060 |
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Exact !
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![]() One of my best achievements in life was to find this picture :D |
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Padraic ![]() Special Collaborator ![]() ![]() Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 16 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 31135 |
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Uh, I think you're slightly overestimating their importance.
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TheGazzardian ![]() Prog Reviewer ![]() ![]() Joined: August 11 2009 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 7928 |
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Name one artist from 100 years ago people are talking about today, then compare to GYBE XD
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The-time-is-now ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: November 05 2008 Location: Belgium Status: Offline Points: 2060 |
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Slightly. But seriously, isn't Miley Cirus' importance overestimated ?
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![]() One of my best achievements in life was to find this picture :D |
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Earthmover ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: June 03 2012 Status: Offline Points: 1509 |
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I adore the band but this.
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CPicard ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: October 03 2008 Location: Là, sui monti. Status: Offline Points: 10683 |
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Well, who can compete against the TWERKING? Especially when done in a most outrageous way à la Miley Cyrus... Now, if the people of GY!BE went to this award ceremony and started to twerk... |
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