Music, oh sweet sweet (Canadian) music
It’s official. I cannot live without the weekly CBC Radio 3 Podcast with Grant Lawrence. OK, I admit it, I’m addicted – come and arrest me for a propensity to CanCon (Canadian Content)!!!
I just listened to the podcast for the week of Jan 23 and I instantly rushed from the metro station (after a 4 hour bus ride through a snow storm coming from Ottawa) and BOUGHT – YES BOUGHT – three albums on iTunes. For those who don’t know, CBC Radio 3 showcases independent Canadian music artists, and does so with an eye for detail of this sprawling chunk of geography that puts Canada Census to shame.
I have certain friends out there who have taken a bit of a ridiculous stance AGAINST supporting music artists and vow to never buy music again as long as it continues to be available for free for download on the internet. These people—these friends of mine—are in fact not only giving the internet a bad name, but they are positioning themselves as against the arts. Enjoying the arts requires more than consumption – it requires support. Yes, we all download, and I have my own policy (if they’re disgustingly rich, they don’t get my money). But independent Canadian musicians? They need us shelling out the odd ten bucks on line for their tunes.
So my friends, the albums I bought tonight and am fully enjoying (except for the last one, because I only heard one track as it is on pre-order), are:
Plants and Animals – Parc Avenue (pictured)
Royal Wood – A Good Enough Day
Jenn Grant – Echoes
Check ’em out. If you’re CanCon-curious, check out CBC 3. Or how about this: if you like music, good music that hasn’t been sucked into the big-label corporate void, check out CBC 3.
Eat your wheaties, they’re good for your ears and your soul.