Pete Möss; up and coming Montreal band featured countless times on MMS. Photo by Michel Thériault.

I’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and thank you for coming back to the CAS, we hope to continue to deliver you with more reviews and inside thought about the arts in Canada. We kick off the new year with an organization i had been affiliated with many eons ago, the MMS (Montreal Music Scene).

One of the most unique things about Montreal vs other cities is its array of cultures, languages and without a doubt their absolute hunger for music. The character and diversity in all its flavour has created a special birth ground for many artist in all disciplines but music has always held true. Is it any wonder why Bon Jovi, Supertramp, Roger Waters, Rush have always make a stop here? No, because there is no wonder; Montreal loves music and they love their greats. This being said the MMS has lead the way for the past 7 years to bring us the latest up to date information on all upcoming concerts and local acts in and around the city.

Founded in 2002 they’ve been delivering myself and countless others insight on concert reviews and events happening in and around the city. Lead by their fearless leader Valerie Pyke, who by the way, does a lot if not most of the photography at the major concerts. Having the pleasure of meeting her, she’s a spunky 80’s rocker chick that has a passion for the industry and if anyone knows anything about music it would be her. On the other end of the spectrum you have Jennifer Lariviere, vice president of the MMS, what she brings to the table is her invaluable writing skills to bring us in depth news on the music scene, seen through the eyes of someone in the trenches. Needless to say these gal pals are on the right track, building a fan base from nothing to over 10 000 members and 85 000 hits a month! They also attend and judge rock battles between the best and the worst bands in and around the area. If you don’t want a snobby editorial insight on the events, the reviewers from MMS tell it to you straight and raw.

The site from what i’ve seen hasn’t been updated in years, but the saying goes if it ain’t broke don’t fix it… Although something fresh would be nice once in awhile . In the site aside from reviews are forums where members can join bands or look for musicians, buy/sell equipment, give advice on direction and the industry and many more. When you have 10 000 members at your finger tips you’ll find what you are looking for.

The music in Montreal goes beyond the likes of a “Simple Plan”, the MMS is out there to bring the best of the locals to your front door so you can be the judge of what Montreal Music is all about. And my friends, by visiting the site every so often I can tell you the variety of talent in Montreal is enormous and I’m grateful that the MMS is there to capture every moment.

http://www.montrealmusicscene.com

Written by,
CAS Admin

photo courtesy of CTV

This is a personal commentary about Canadian Idol and perhaps I’m outta line when I say. “YESS IT’S OUTTA HERE!”…but only for now.. I was just informed that Canadian Idol will not be on air for 2009 due to lack of garnering enough advertising revenue through these tough economic times. I know there is an abundance of fans who will miss the program, but it’s nice to take a break from all these mundane reality programs showing off decent to extremely terrible performances. Don’t get me wrong, it is part of the business to be frank with people who don’t have what it takes to become a professional performer and at certain times some of it IS entertaining. But after a few years of going through the same motion is it not getting a little old? We try so hard to create our own distinct Canadian identity, but for some reason we keep on circling back and imitating our American counterparts.

When I was a teenager we had the pleasure of listening to uniquely Canadian artists the likes of Sarah McLaclan, Bruce Cockburn and Tom Cochran which all of seemed to have disappeared on the radio. And in it’s place we have meaningless pop music. Is it not enough we listen and watch this kind of music on Canadian Idol, American Idol that we also have to listen to it on our radios as well? Is Canada lacking so much developed talent we have to create a glorified karaoke contest to find our next so called “Idol”. Perhaps its a statement from our Canadian government with all of their funding cuts from the arts that they are telling us “Alright folks you guys entertain yourselves…” .  I’m hoping we can fill this time slot with, i dunno, throwing this out in the air; “The Next Canadian Treasure” and show case the next Sarah McLaclan or some up and coming Canadian artist. There is a market for all music as long as it’s given a chance, all genres can share the spot light with every other genre and having choice was never a bad thing.

The bottom line is music is a business. What sells is a sexy female or hunky male performer singing about something, whatever it is they’re singing about. The bottom line is ratings. What attracts an audience? Laughing at people who get up on stage just to watch them fall on their face. Maybe pop music was not their strong point and perhaps they should be doing country or adult soft rock. Then again we’ll would never know because the only music these candidates have probably ever been exposed to is POP music and thats all they know. The bottom line is the market in it’s effort to sell products has over saturated TV and radio with one or two genre’s of music and thats all our children will ever listen to. Am I off track with this analogy? Should I take all of this with a grain of salt? I don’t blame the program for giving what people want and the candidates know exactly what they’re getting themselves into when standing inline to sing in front of a panel of judges. In the end Canadian Idol is pure entertainment and I give my apologies if I’m trying to defend the art that I love. POP music has its place and I listen to it too…sometimes… but not ALL the time… Trying to bring back the music of the Supertramps, the Midnight Oils and the Johnny Cashs of the world or finding the latest artists who perform with a certain meaning is perhaps a lost cause.

Now that we have that extra hr of freedom every week what are we as the audience going to do? I dunno, take that singing lesson you’ve always wanted to; pick up an instrument; perhaps write a song… Or how about we take that hr and do something most of us haven’t done in a long time… Why don’t we go outside and play.

Maybe we’ll see you back in 2010 Ben! .

Just a commentary,
CAS Admin