Polaris season is very much upon us… June 8th show rundown.

We’re still riding the high that is having been on the air for just over a year now, folks! It’s super exciting. So exciting that, naturally, we had to play good music — some new tracks mixed in with some tracks from fabulous albums released over the last 12 months that I’m hoping have at least a shot at the Polaris Long List (out June 16th!):

Papermaps – Reunion
Braids – Plath Heart
Hooded Fang – Promise Land
The Olympic Symphonium – History
The Mountains and the Trees – Up and Down
Imaginary Cities – Hummingbird
Young Galaxy – Blown Minded
The Rural Alberta Advantage – The Breakup
Shuyler Jansen – Kill January
Okkervil River – We Need a Myth [WEEKLY IMPORT]
The Albertans – People Don’t Go
Sloan – Shadow of Love

Don’t forget — Shuyler Jansen is swingin’ through town soon, as are many other killer Canadian acts. Check out our Local Listings page for more info — and check out Westfest this weekend, too!

May 11th show rundown [and don’t forget about the funding drive!]

Once again, some fabulous spins (pretty crazy that Sloan and Sam Roberts both had new releases this week):

Sloan – The Answer Was You
The Albertans – Megan
The White Wires – Outta My Mind
Sam Roberts Band feat. Liz Powell – Longitude
Chromeo – Don’t Turn The Lights On
Pat LePoidevin – Mary
Jesse Dangerously – Bring Your Girlfriend to Rap Day
Kate Maki – Lose My Mind
Woodpigeon – Songbook/The Sound of Us Playing Together
Good Lovelies – Kingston
J.J. Ipsen and The Paper Crown – Helium Balloons
Miracle Fortress – Raw Spectacle

And you bet, that Woodpigeon track is off our SUB-BASEMENT SESSIONS a digital compilation of five fantastic tracks recorded by five fantastic bands/artists from Ottawa and across the country — it only costs FIVE BUCKS but if you can donate more, we’d love you for it! Money raised will go straight to CHUO 89.1 FM, in support of their 2011 Funding Drive. Please help us reach our goal of $200 — donate!

June 9th show recap (now with audio links!)

Our second show boasted two hours of delicious local and Canadian music. The playlist:

Dinosaur Bones – Point of Pride
The Anybody – San Francisco
Born Ruffians – What To Say
Dukes of Burgundy – Talking Backwards
The Balconies – Serious Bedtime
Sloan – Believe in Me
Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
Forest City Lovers – Minneapolis
The Acorn – Crossed Wires
The Tanuki Project – Playground
Tokyo Police Club – Breakneck Speed
Apollo Ghosts – Brown to Grey
The Anybody – Basement Blues
Loon Choir – New Forewarnings
Rah Rah – Arrows
Right By Midnight – Best Way Home
Loon Choir – Vis a Vis

We also had some great interviews with Connor Mercury from The Anybody (complete with an in-studio performance of “My Heart Beating”) and Derek, Nikki, and Jamie from Loon Choir which you can check out below:

Connor Mercury from The Anybody (click to listen, right-click to save file)

Derek, Nikki, and Jamie from Loon Choir (click to listen, right-click to save file)

And don’t forget: you can see Connor’s live acoustic set tonight at the Cajun Attic. Doors are at 8:30 and it’s pay-what-you-can to help the guy out (on his birthday!) as most of his recording equipment and instruments were lost in the Sunnyside fire a few weeks ago. On Thursday, Loon Choir hits the stage at Cafe Dekcuf on Rideau alongside Rah Rah (from Regina, SK) and The Sonic Defense (also from Ottawa).

If you’re looking for more to check out this weekend, you can catch some great acts like The Balconies, Dala, The White Wires, Monkeyjunk, and Sloan all for free at Westfest this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday; and you can find Tokyo Sex Whale, Holy Cobras, Mother’s Children, and more at Gaga Weekend this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Get out there and support local music, kids. ‘Til next week!