The Grammys!!??

Yeah....so I may be just another in a looooong line to post about this, but there is no avoiding this topic.
I was on the way to work today, listening as usual to the 89x radio morning show. Ya know.....I'm not a huge supporter
of mainstream radio, but I am a supporter of laughing my butt off on the way to work. Anyhow......they start talking about the Grammys and my Jaded, Cynical self starts thinking......"hooray! Time to find out whether Lady Gaga won 8 or 9 Grammys for ripping off Madonna!"

But then.....they said it. Thats right. THE ARCADE FIRE WON. I turned up the volume......did I get that right? Or are they talking about the Junos?

Nope.....they said it again and this time I heard it loud and clear. A Canadian band was recognized on the world stage for album of the year...and an independent Canadian band at that. I almost ran my car off the road out of sheer pride. And listen up folks.....winning the Grammy for album of the year is ACTUALLY A BIG DEAL.

As a Canadian....I am used to the stark realization that we have amazing music that never gets any recognition. I mean.....I think everybody has known for years that The Arcade Fire are one of the best bands on the planet......or that Broken Social Scene is one of the most astonishing bands to see live. In fact, no one writes a hook like By Divine Right, or has a voice like Feist. Nowhere will you hear a duet sung like Stars, or feel sorrow and longing like a Dears song. Yes....Thrush Hermit broke up too soon, but Joel Plaskett is awesome solo. Try to put on a Metric album and sit still....you can't. We have Sloan who broke up just to get off a major (how cool is that!). We have Eric's Trip...the only band I've ever heard who captures real heartache on 4 tracks.....and the list goes on. Wintersleep, Hawksley Workman, Land of Talk, The Stills, Sam Roberts, Cuff the Duke, Hayden, Two Hours Traffic, Apostle of Hustle, The Arkells.....

Despite my utter certainty that Canada is the promised land for great music, I also expect at best a 20% chance anyone I talk to outside of my circle of friends has even heard of any of the above bands. And that is because we all listen to US radio and watch US television. So we hear the same 25 - 30 songs over and over and over again. Somehow we can be duped into believing that selling quantity signifies quality.

But something funny happened a few years back. Canadian indie bands started getting exposure on car commercials.....ipod commercials.....and in movie soundtracks. We became the land of "I love that song but I have NO idea who it is!". Unfortunately that isn't enough for Canadian artists to put food on the table.

That is why this Arcade Fire thing is significant. Somehow, the committee or panel could not avoid the genius of that album. Or maybe our generation just grew up and got into a position of influence. Or maybe it was just seen as "Cool" to pick the underdog. Either way, I'm excited to think of where this thing might lead. Sure, there will be a backlash in the mainstream media.....people will say Justin Bieber was robbed. (Hey, at least he is Canadian)...but I have to believe that somebody watched that silly award show last night and thought "maybe I should check out this Arcade Fire".

If there is one thing Canadians can learn from this experience......support our bands! Buy a cd. Better yet, go see them live! Buy the t-shirt and wear it proudly. If you are strapped for cash, there is one thing you can do that is free. Email your local station and request a song. Whatever you do, just take the time to appreciate that you live in a country where honest music is being made for the listener.....not for the paycheck.

And now.....here are a few examples; new and old.