After a relentless tour in support of the 2005 album Live It Out, the members of Metric scattered to work on their own projects. The solo work of frontwoman Emily Haines sounded significantly bleaker than Metric’s music, written after a period of personal loss and sadness. But in March 2008, Haines was on stage, in the middle of a live solo performance, when she had an epiphany: She was tired of being sad. While playing “Doctor Blind,” one of the standout cuts from her gloomy but beautiful album Knives Don’t Have Your Back, Haines stopped, turned to the audience and said, “I don’t want to play these songs anymore.” Instead, she spent the rest of the show performing her favorite Metric tunes. It was time, she says, to bring the band back together and move in a new direction, with new songs.

The members of Metric met at a farmhouse recording studio outside of Seattle, Wash., where they began crafting what would become their fourth studio release, Fantasies. The album is the centerpiece of a full concert by the band, recorded live from Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club.

Today the short list of the nominees for this year’s Polaris prize were announced. There has been a lot of discussion today surrounding the displeasure of the repeat nominees, and to those I say – can’t we all just get along and celebrate that we have a chance to showcase some FANTASTIC Canadian music!!!!! Get over it there is no shortage of talent on this list. Are they the best of the year? That is a different answer for everybody, but this is the list supported by the votes of a very large number of our Canadian music media.

	Elliott Brood Mountain Meadows Toronto, ON Website | Myspace		Fucked Up The Chemistry of Common Life Toronto, ON Website | Myspace
	Great Lake Swimmers Lost Channels Toronto, ON Website | Myspace		Hey Rosetta! Into Your Lungs St Johns, NL Website | Myspace
	K-NAAN Troubadour Toronto, ON Website | Myspace		Malajube Labyrinthes Montreal, QC Website | Myspace
	Metric Fantasies Toronto, ON Website | Myspace		Joel Plaskett Three Halifax, NS Website | Myspace
	Chad VanGaalen Soft Airplane Calgary, AB Website | Myspace		Patrick Watson Wooden Arms Montreal, QC Website | Myspace

If you missed Metric live on NPR Radio last night, here is your chance to hear the full concert recorded live from Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club.

Setlist:

Twilight

Help I’m Alive

Satellite Mind

Handshakes

Gold Gun Girls

Gimme Sympathy

Sick Muse

Empty

Front Row

Dead Disco

Stadium Love

Monster Hospital

Live It Out

Click to Listen HERE