the Grammys, yeah, I know, I'm blogging about the Grammys

I watched this awards show last night.

Maybe you've heard of it?  It's called the Grammy's.

You don't know this about me but I hate awards shows.  How does Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Eminem really reflect what's going on in music these days?  How does album sales/popularity reflect an artist receiving the "top award" in music?

I can cite hundreds of examples of artists who are currently breaking boundaries and although I will give the mainstream some credit for being influenced by some of the artists who are not mainstream and breaking small boundaries, I still feel that manufactured music is out of date. 

One exception and the highlight in my opinion from last nights gala was Mumford and Sons.  (notice I left out the Arcade Fire?)

Their performance at the Grammys was exciting.  They showed that they will almost certainly be future stars and they blew me away with their empassioned performance and charisma.  They also have songs that make you want to sing.   The songs are full of life and passion.  You want to know what they are about.  They make you feel alive.  They make you feel strong and feel love and feel moved.  This is what music is all about. 

As you know, Arcade Fire won for Album of the Year.  Fair Enough.  They're wonderful.  The underground has now emerged into the mainstream.  Well done.   Again, this is my opinion but I feel like Win Butler and Co. are just a bag of hot air.  They are pointing their fingers at us.  They are trying to effect change by purposefully playing noise at the Grammy's.  Why not change people's perception by performing material that is so great that it has to effect change or a shift in the ideas within the industry.  We don't need to hear music that is unlistenable.  In a way the first track that they played was just as horrible to listen to as an overproduced Lady Gaga song.  In fact I would rather listen to Lady Gaga.  At least I can appreciate the high quality production and skill of the songwriters that were able to put together a perfectly candy coated pop song.  Again.  My opinion only: a simple pop song with a strong hook that stays in your head for days and days is harder to write then noise.  Arcade Fire's statement was lost on me.  It was also lost on the crowd who looked bewildered at their weirdness.

Now:  The awards am I really interested in?
In Canada we have the Polaris prize.  Read up on it here

I recommend you read the FAQ's to understand where the judges come from and how the artists are selected.  It's probably in ways similar to the Grammy's, Juno's etc, but I like that there is no prejudice.  You can literally submit your record and have a shot at being shortlisted based on artistic merit stands alone.

Read the Rules here

I thought I would highlight a couple of the rules that really speak to me:
Rule #1a:

Polaris Music Prize nominees and winners will be selected solely on artistic merit without regard to genre, sales history or label affiliation.

Is this how the Grammy's decide on album of the year?  I doubt it.

Rule #1b:

All forms of contemporary music (including, but not limited to, pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B,

electronic, experimental, jazz, classical, instrumental, country and blues, or any combination of the above, and including genres not mentioned or invented at the time these rules were written) are eligible for the Polaris Music Prize.

Genres not mentioned or invented at the time these rules are written.  This suggests that the Polaris Prize is encouraging artistic growth and for artists to break boundaries.

I don't want to get to preachy but here are a few of my favourites from the past few years that have made the top 40 on this list:

- Two Hours Traffic

both LPs from this great pop/rock band from PEI are great from front to back.  Both albums have subtle hooks and melodies that stick with you forever.  The lyrical content is also very subtle and it brings you back again and again.

- Plants and Animals

In my opionion this band will some day be bigger then the Arcade fire.  They are a trio from Montreal and sound like a 10 piece band.  I love the quirky sound selection and the arrangement of the songs aren't of the norm.  This is a great band.

- the Stills

If you haven't heard the Stills just go buy all their music.  Right now.  They're one of the best bands in Canada and are very close to breaking through into the mainstream.  Get into them before this happens so you can say you were there before it happened.

- Caribou

I downloaded "Andorra" only because I had heard a few songs by the 2008 Polaris list.  This album grew on me every time I listened and I love the intricate sounds and hidden melodies throughout the record.  Also it's really danceable.  If you like to dance that is.  Most people in Vancouver just like to cross their arms and frown when watching live original music.

Lastly:

- Stars

I have been listening to Stars since 2003 when they released a song called "Elevator Love Letter".  I honestly am in love with Amy Milan.  I'm also in love with Torquil.  You will fall in love too. 

That is my rant for today. 

In closing:

Some musicians dream of standing on the stage accepting "Song of the Year" at the Grammys.  I will never fall into that category.  I dream of winning a Polaris Prize. 

Love,
Marty Zylstra

@martyzylstra