Canadian music

It has recently come to my attention that Canada has amazing music. When I was younger, all that I knew of Canada's music was Neil Young, Celine Dion, Shania Twain, Alanis Morrisette, Barenaked Ladies and Our Lady Peace. Only one of those turned out well...... I am now aware that Leonard Cohen, The Band and Joni Mitchell are from Canada and that's definitely better, but that was a while ago.

Today, it continues with bad acts, but they are much more popular in the US: Avril Lavigne, Nickelback, Simple Plan, Sum 41. Canada seems to be as big here as England is!

Now, it has hit me how much music I have that I love that's from Canada.

Black Mountain (opened for Coldplay, from Vancouver)
The Dears (got it from a friend from Vancouver, from Montreal)
Propagandhi (punk/hardcore, grew up listening to them, from Winnipeg)
The Weakerthans (evolved from Propagandhi, saw them live at 17 at the Nile in Mesa)
Godspeed You Black Emperor (silly name, but good music, from Montreal)
Hot Hot Heat (dancy rock, from Vancouver)
Nelly Furtado (dance-pop a la Madonna, from Victoria)
Rufus Wainwright (wrote a popular song for the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, from Montreal)
Arcade Fire (my vote for best new band, just got into them and makes me think that something new is happening in music, from Montreal, fronted by a Texan)

Innumerable other bands that I don't know, but have heard of, are also from Canada. I may be checking them out:

The Pink Mountaintops (related to Black Mountain, from Vancouver)
Broken Social Scene (from Toronto)
A Silver Mt. Zion (related to Godspeed You Black Emperor!, from Montreal)
The New Pornographers (from Vancouver, fronted by a Virginian)
Death from above 1979 (from Toronto)

So, Montreal is the artsy city, Vancouver the eclectic one and Toronto is largely absent...... hmm.....

All in all, I'm sure these cities have always had good music, and I am just left to wonder "why now are they getting recognition here in the us?" Anyway....

Current music: Arcade Fire - Intervention