Some fantastic folks were nominated for Juno Awards yesterday. Unsurprisingly, a few categories yielded baffling contenders. Perennial nominees like Anne Murray and Tom Cochrane were recognized. Not to discount their work, but what criteria are being used to judge "best" of a nation crammed with musical talent? I suspect that these two will be receiving nominations even after they've stopped making music, as a result of failure to notice ineligibility. The International Album of the Year category is made up of Americas-only artists, divergent (Bon Jovi vs. Josh Groban) and uniform (Rihanna vs. Fergie). Sales figures must be involved. The main problem with awards shows, aside from ignoring lesser-knowns, is the attempt at categorization. Not all music fits into neat groups and when awarders attempt to pigeonhole artists they end up with competitors that are nearly impossible to compare directly (Bedouin Soundclash vs. Celine Dion?).
Despite awards show wariness, I'm still glad to see faves nominated for Junos. In particular, well wishes go to Jill Barber (Roots and Traditional Album of the Year). The first time I heard the song In Perfect Time (from her A Note to Follow So EP), I thought it was simple, but meaningful, and captivating. It still is. Her sound is a little bit Sarah Harmer (in Songs for Clem mode) and a lot her own.
The fact that she's not a household name yet means you can still see her perform in small venues at great value. But hurry up. There was a time, a few years ago, when you could see her open for the happiest musician alive, Josh Ritter, and realize that she, Ritter and company were eating at the table adjacent to yours before the show. When you could e-mail her directly with a question (where do I find your first EP) and receive an answer within a day or two (retired regretfully, but please feel free to copy from a friend). Now, she has management contacts. Well-deserved. She's talented enough to warrant a filter. Check out JB here.
No comments:
Post a Comment