No trick, just treat: get theTimber Timbre album free

Wow! Canadian record label Arts & Crafts is handing out a treat. Until Halloween, you can download Timber Timbre's ridiculously good self-titled album Timber Timbre for free.

From now until midnight on Saturday October 31, 2009, you can download the entire breakthrough, critically acclaimed, self-titled album Timber Timbre for FREE.

We encourage you to listen to the album that KCRW (where you can hear them live this Wednesday October 28) raves, "Timber Timbre takes on the topic of love but presents it in a cloak of macabre beauty that is perfect for the Halloween season. Songs full of eerie sounds, dark imagery and ghoulish lyrics will make for a spellbinding session on Morning Becomes Eclectic."

A long-list nominee for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize, Timber Timbre was heralded by the Canadian press since its release this summer on Arts & Crafts. Playing CMJ last week, Time Out New York wrote that Timber Timbre was "the standout act" describing their set as "powerfully dark, even eerie folk tracks (which) managed to keep the crowd positively awed.” The Village Voice called them a "uniquely creepy beauty".

Click the link above to discover (for free!!) the album Toronto's Eye Weekly has already called, "The Album Of the Year".

Just in time for fall, and definitely an album that serves as a ideal soundtrack for this time of year.

When the Polaris Prize shortlist was announced, one of the most glaring omissions, at least from the folks I talk to, was Timber Timbre's album. Just follow this link to the Timber Timbre's site and download one of the most acclaimed Canadian albums of the past year: FREE Timber Timbre album

Timber Timbre's touring around a bit right now. The next Toronto date is part of the up and coming "Make Some Noise" festival at the North York Central Library, part of a terrific movement to place more Canadian music into public libraries. Timber Timbre and Bruce Peninsula play at North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge St. (North York Centre subway) on Saturday, November 7, at 8 p.m.

The rest of the tour dates are here, with stops in Los Angeles, New York and the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield QC.

Timber Timbre @ MySpace

Polaris Prize Shortlist picks

I'm a fan of the Polaris Music Prize. It's Canadian, it rewards musicians for artistic merit regardless of sales numbers, and it draws attention to music that isn't usually regarded as commercial. In addition to the $20,000 prize, nominated bands benefit from the exposure this national contest garners. Tuesday morning, the jury selected long-list of 40 albums will be cut to 10 albums vying for the prize.

Tune in to CBC Radio 3 online or on Sirius 86, as host Grant Lawrence broadcasts Tuesday morning from 7:00am - 9:00am PST/ 10:00am - 12:00pm EST with the shortlist announcement live from the Drake Hotel in Toronto.

This is only the 4th year, but we already have a number of artists who've been nominated previously, like Junior Boys and Metric. And anybody has a shot at this, regardless of genre. Past winners like Final Fantasy and Caribou defy any one classification as it is.

I can only base my picks on what I've heard this year, so just because it's not one of my picks doesn't mean it isn't an amazing artists you should check out. I'm annoyed I haven't gotten to check out the albums from $100 or Hey Rosetta's yet. Here's my best guess picks, based on merit and the impression these artists have made live and on record:

1. Coeur De Pirate - Coeur De Pirate (Website MySpace)
2. Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels (Website MySpace)
3. Handsome Furs - Face Control (Website MySpace)
4. K'NAAN - Troubadour (Website MySpace)
5. Metric - Fantasies (Website MySpace)
6. Joel Plaskett - Three (Website MySpace)
7. Charles Spearin - The Happiness Project (Website MySpace)
8. Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane (Website MySpace)
9. Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms (Website)
10. Woodpigeon - Treasury Library Canada C/W Houndstooth Europa (Website MySpace)

Honorary mention: Elliott BROOD - Mountain Meadows (Website MySpace)

This year my money's on K'Naan to win it. His new album is drumming up lots of well-deserved praise, with a stirring performance at NPR's Showcase at the SXSW festival. Feels like it's his year to be critic's choice. My own pick would be Joel Plaskett. Putting out 3 albums worth of music in one shot is an impressive feat, but putting out 3 albums worth of well written songs music is award worthy.

Updated: The list is out

The 2009 Polaris Music Prize Short List.:

Elliott BROOD - Mountain Meadows (Toronto, ON)
Fucked Up - The Chemistry Of Common Life (Toronto, ON)
Great Lake Swimmers - Lost Channels (Toronto, ON)
Hey Rosetta! - Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) (St. John's, NF)
K'NAAN – Troubadour (Toronto, ON)
Malajube – Labyrinthes (Montréal, QC)
Metric – Fantasies (Toronto, ON)
Joel Plaskett – Three (Halifax, NS)
Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane (Calgary, AB)
Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms (Montréal, QC)

I managed to get 6 out of 10, plus my honourary mention in there. Congratulations to all the competitors. More later.

The winner will be voted on by the jury and announced at the Polaris Prize gala on September 21st.

Past winners:
2008 Caribou for "Andorra"

Links: Website MySpace

2007 Patrick Watson for "Close To Paradise"

Links: Website MySpace

2006 Final Fantasy for "Poos Clouds"

Links: MySpace