Form vs. Style 3: CanCon
You may not have known, but there are strict rules for any AM and FM radio station in Canada to play Canadian music. 35% of music broadcast 6am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, must be Canadian. What is Canadian music? I fulfils 2 of 4 criteria: composed by a Canadian, performed principally by a Canadian, produced or performed in Canada, and lyrics written entirely by a Canadian.
Principally, this promotes Canadian musicians who would not normally get a chance to break into music rotations filled with top 40 hits. Luckily for us, the CanCon program leads to some excellent, largely independant music that we would never otherwise hear. The Tragically Hip, Rush, Nickelback (puke!), Sum 41 and others have all benefitted from this program, bringing them international success. Others like Hot Hot Heat, The Marble Index, The Dears, Billy Talent, k-os (and the whole entirety of Canadian hip-hop) are just now coming into their own. It's a little shocking that government regulations could work out so well.
So, if you're looking for a great, new band, do one of two things: 1) check out BvO's entertainment index (which needs to be updated, by the way) 2) keep an ear on your radio for new Canadian artists, or check The Edge's top 30 for the newest rock bands to make it big.
Principally, this promotes Canadian musicians who would not normally get a chance to break into music rotations filled with top 40 hits. Luckily for us, the CanCon program leads to some excellent, largely independant music that we would never otherwise hear. The Tragically Hip, Rush, Nickelback (puke!), Sum 41 and others have all benefitted from this program, bringing them international success. Others like Hot Hot Heat, The Marble Index, The Dears, Billy Talent, k-os (and the whole entirety of Canadian hip-hop) are just now coming into their own. It's a little shocking that government regulations could work out so well.
So, if you're looking for a great, new band, do one of two things: 1) check out BvO's entertainment index (which needs to be updated, by the way) 2) keep an ear on your radio for new Canadian artists, or check The Edge's top 30 for the newest rock bands to make it big.