I stumbled onto this today. It’s good to know people still care about Canadian music, especially when this year is shaping up to be the least Canadian for me yet (with only the Dears and, if you stretch the definition, Rose Melberg as homegrown favorites). And thanks to the nifty MP3 links, I can catch up with the bands I know nothing about—in my case, about 80% of the list. But there’s one shameful inclusion on the list. No, not Nelly Furtado (though really, are we that hard up for good Canadiana that Nelly Furtado’s Timbaland excursion still counts?). I’m talking about the Arcade Fire. Two choice quotes:
I don’t think this band released anything in 2006. But among my most joyous musical moments of the entire year was in the pub at All Tomorrows Parties in Camber Sands, England, some 3:30 in the morning, when amid all our sweat-and-starry dancing the DJ threw on “Rebellion” and I felt all my memories shake, just shake, splendid through my body. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
What did they do in 2006? Ok, so nothing too publicly apparent right now. But they’re almost finished recording the follow-up to Funeral. So by the time that comes out around April, it should be apparent how big they were in 2006. And activity or no, I still think they’re the best band in Canada, so they had to be included here. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed…)
Well fuck. Why don’t we just put the Guess Who on the list? People really like the Guess Who, and so what if they didn’t release an album or really do much of anything in 2006? Did the Arcade Fire even play a show this year? Sean’s talking about “Rebellion” coming up in a DJ set, fer chrissakes! The first comment on the page says Broken Social Scene got the easiest ride to a high rank, but at least they played a bunch of concerts. Newsflash: you can’t be a hot Canadian band if you did fuck all in the spotlight. Save the praise and the kudos for next year’s list.
And yes, this means the Dears probably shouldn’t have gotten their spot on last year’s list either.
i’m sure i’ve said this before, but henri faberge of the adorables was my film TA in first year. he’s been all over the place lately.
Comment by christina — November 2, 2006 @ 6:50 pm
I don’t think you have, but the fact that Laura Barrett plays with him interests me somewhat.
Comment by Wesley — November 2, 2006 @ 11:24 pm
If we’re on the whole, school connections to people in these bands thing, my man worked/studied with Thomas Augustin of Malajube. Really amazing to have seen a truly indie band explode like that. One day, Thomas was mucking about at Concordia trying to rope people into going to Malajube shows and the next day he’s a rock star. Hrm.
Really amazed how high up those guys made it on the list. Franco-rock usually never makes it on to Anglo lists like these. The Franco indie kids listen to the Montreal scene’s English stuff anyway, but it’s nice to see some crossover. Vive le quebec! ;P
I was also happy to see my boys Sloan on the list. Haha. You know I had to add that. You supported my Sloan habit in high school!
I will always have a soft spot for my Haligonian-Torontonian rockers. I still have my dorky fangirl set lists (signed after shows, and one um, with Chris Murphy’s blood on it…), tonnes of pictures with the hunks etc. 
I think I should give the Dears another chance. Years ago they opened for Sloan in Montreal and I was all like, “Feh, these guys are boring.”
I think my vision may have been clouded a bit by the whole Sloan obsession. Then again, the Sloan thing didn’t stop me from digging Jale!
I’d see the Dears peeps hanging around Montreal all the time but still never thought to give their work another go. Better late than never, I guess.
Comment by Adrienne — November 3, 2006 @ 10:46 pm
i think you’re too hard on me, sir. the poll wasn’t of “which bands had the most successful and interesting year” – it was of “hottest”. and that’s something that’s distinctly subjective. i didn’t put the arcade fire in my list because they “[did] much of anything”: i put it on because one of the hottest, gladdest, most splendid musical moments of my year was linked to them. yes, in a dj set! across the ocean, in the middle of the night, dancing with strangers-who-were-new-friends to a song i was at the very first performance of, several years ago. and abso-fucking-LUTELY would the Guess Who have been on my list if they had made me feel anything like that in 2006.
i mean granted my interpretation of the list is different than yours (and others’), but i don’t think there is anything at all, at all wrong in putting them (low on) my list, as i did.
Comment by Sean — November 23, 2006 @ 6:41 am
trish stratus topless
http://myblog.es/trish-stratus
Comment by trish stratus topless — December 18, 2006 @ 3:46 am