Polaris Music Prize: We size up the finalists

Karkwa, Les Chemins de Verre
From: Montreal
Sound: Panoramic art-rock
Polaris experience: none

Chances of winning: Good. These Quebeckers brandish the kind of sonic ambition that the Polaris jury loves.

Canada's top music honour, the Polaris Prize, will be awarded at Toronto's Masonic Temple on Monday night. Founded in 2006, the $20,000 award is given to the best Canuck CD of the year, as chosen by journalists, bloggers and broadcasters. The ceremony itself has become one of the most raucous nights on the musical calendar.

Any homegrown band or artist can enter the contest, regardless of notoriety -- many entrants don't even have record deals. The winner, which is chosen by a jury of 10 on the night of the gala, is typically a bit of shocker. Last year, brash Toronto punks F---ed Up took the prize for The Chemistry of Common Life.

Here's a cheat sheet for this year's Polaris short list.

Extract fromArtcile September 17, 2010 4:32 PM |By Arts Online, CBCNews