I have never been one to watch half-time music performances at sporting events because I would have to sit through the actual game that surrounds the half-time performance. And, to me, that is nearly as bad as paying money to see Rihanna in concert or some other awful ‘artist’.

Recently, a co-worker of mine let me know that at this years 100th Grey Cup half-time performance will feature non other than Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen, Marianas Trench and for good measure, Gordon Lightfoot.  I can’t think of a better way to display the talent in this country than to hire Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen and Marianas Trench to perform at a nationally televised sporting event (to those who can’t read the sarcasm…you’re an idiot)

Now, I realize that someone organizing the Grey Cup festivities thought to themselves “we need to fill the rock quota” which resulted in organizing the Molson Canadian House Concert Series featuring Matthew Good and Sam Roberts Band.  This event, however, is not televised live during the half-time special and is two days before the event itself.

I understand that to please the masses you require a POP act during the half-time special itself, I get that.  However, to include three in one billing and then chuck in an aging rock star for good measure, is an insult to this country.  I’m not into sports, but I can make a pretty good guess that many of these people who are watching the game are not going to be singing along to Carly Rae Jepsen…just sayin.  Canada has talent in music, and this is a great opportunity to display some of that talent and not just the awful POP….fuck I’d even be fine with Bryan Adams, now that’s saying something.

Anyways, enjoy the travesty that is the Grey Cup half-time show this Sunday.

Another time.

In Canada it is dictated by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (more commonly known as the CRTC) that commercial radio stations must play a minimum of 35% Canadian Content each week.  This is to support artists in Canada by giving them a chance to be heard on radio that would likely be dominated by music coming from the U.S. and England if this Commission didn’t exist.

Now I’m all for supporting artists in Canada when the artist has something worth supporting, but the Canadian music industry unfortunately only puts money behind artists that have the chance to be superstars.  Canadian music has an extraordinary number of international high-selling artists like Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Justin Bieber, Drake, Nickelback, Rush, Neil Young, The Guess Who etc. however when it comes to artists with less appeal to the masses on radio, they start to fall short of quality (that’s not to give any credit to Drake, Justin Bieber or Nickelback for becoming international successes by any means).

Why is this? In my mind, the big labels in Canada are most likely given a small percentage of a global budget for signing Canadian talent and in order for them to make their biggest gain on their investments, they only look for artists with Pop dollar signs written all over their faces.  So, the big labels have taken to the strategy of signing short-lived artists that can make a quick dollar and then the label can back out and look for the next big money maker.  The old strategy of giving an artist a three album deal to iron out their career and develop their sound/fan-base has disappeared therefore leaving Canadian music to be tasteless and short-lived.

The mid-level labels however must be signing Canadian bands, in fact it seems like their signing them daily.  The radio airwaves are crowded with Canadian talent and the stations’ countdowns are congested with Canadian songs.  These mid-level labels are signing Canadian artists because they know that by law they will be heard.  The CRTC dictates 35% Canadian content, so radio must play Canadian artists by law.  The problem with this is, for the most part these artists crowding the airwaves because of the CRTC are shit.  It’s makes me ask the question over and over again after hearing these acts on the air, are they good? or just Canadian?

The only way this is being contested is by the small labels.  Small labels believe in developing an artist and allowing them a chance to grow.  This is where you’ll find your true Canadian indie artists  The unfortunate thing about this is, these artists very seldom make it to radio so they never get a chance, even with the CRTC, to showcase their material.

So, next time you hear an artist on the radio that makes you think they don’t quite belong there, ask yourself the question are they good? or just Canadian?

Another Time.

Ok, I read an article that was sent to me this morning taken from Jezebel that pretty much made me want to kill myself.  Apparently some teenage girl by the disastrous handle “Amanda Bieber” has taken to Twitter to demonstrate to the world how fucked kids are.

This unfortunate teenager decided to make one of the most ignorant comments I have ever witnessed comparing Justin Bieber to of all people, Kurt Cobain.

My first thoughts were pure anger, but then I started to really think about it and all that came to mind was, is this a representation of what teenage kids are really like today? Has pop music finished the job with these kids and finally killed off any chance of the future redemption of rock’n'roll? Jezebel pointed out the obvious issue that there was no Twitter pre-94, and barely a whisper of the internet so the kid is clearly an idiot, but what I got from the Tweet is the dangerous passion in this kids statement.  Justin Bieber is not something to be that passionate about, I don’t care if the kid was 11 years old, these kids need to be educated on real music or else there is no chance for the future of rock’n'roll.  Sure, in the past there was the rise of New Kids On The Block and a decade later N Sync and The Backstreet Boys, but something seems different with the current state of pop.  For the most part the kids that had the obsession with New Kids and Backstreet Boys moved on but now the presence of decent music is diminishing, so where are these kids going to turn to? sadly nowhere.

Another example from this unfortunate one…

I never thought I would get to the point in my life where I would ever consider saying the words “I don’t know what’s wrong with kids these days”, I hate to say it, but what the fuck is wrong with kids these days?  They must be educated, and educated now!

Another time.