You know what else sucks?

The Juno Awards.

The Toronto Sun states the obvious (someone's gotta do it):

It's a great time for Canadian music, as everyone will tell you.

In the past couple of years, artists of many musical styles have emerged from thriving scenes across the country to make great records, and bask in an unprecedented amount of international support.

The indie boom is undoubtedly the story of the year, so tonight's Juno Awards will naturally celebrate those artists and their success. Right?

Not exactly.

Broken Social Scene may sell out in London, New York and Tokyo, but the Junos are more about celebrating TV karaoke contests and the priorities of major labels, which seem to be increasingly relying on Canadian Idol judges as their talent scouts.

The list of nominees for the major awards reveals a dependence on characterless, TV-polished material that could have (and in some cases did) come from elsewhere, rather than reflecting the flavour and variety of recent Canadian music.

What's up for album of the year, for instance? Surely The Arcade Fire's Funeral, which has sold half a million copies. No doubt Neil Young's Prairie Wind. Perhaps Jully Black's This Is Me, Blue Rodeo's Are You Ready, Stars' Set Yourself On Fire, K'naan's Dusty Foot Philosopher or The New Pornographers' Twin Cinema?

Oh, no. Those artists are lucky to get nominated for non-televised genre awards.

Instead, the nominees include a Christmas album, a collection of retro standards -- which contain exactly one Canadian song between them -- two forgettable releases by Canadian Idol contestants and Nickelback's All The Right Reasons.

What can I say but "I told you so."

[via largehearted boy]

UPDATE: Nice.

Following their Juno win, members of the Toronto indie band [Broken Social Scene] took some shots at the major label side of the industry, slamming the Canadian Idol star-making machine.

"I feel really sorry for those kids in Canadian Idol because they're going absolutely nowhere," singer Kevin Drew said backstage after Sunday's awards.

"It's a trick . . . It's a Canadian music industry downfall because in three years no one is going to remember them."

Comments

[Lala]

1.

Pretty accurate review. I am in full agreement.