Throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s, and
‘90s, American Rock critics found it necessary to treat the Canadian music
scene like a bad joke. When, where, why, and how Canada become a punchline for
music journalists remains a mystery, but our northern neighbors have had the
last laugh. In the last two decades alone, bands like The New Pornographers, Arcade Fire, Bran Van 3000, Death From Above
(1979), and Broken Social Scene
have achieved great success in the U.S., both critically and commercially. The
older music journalists that once roamed the halls of Rolling Stone, Creem, Circus, and other magazines have slipped away
into the shadows, replaced by a new legion of critics who no longer have an
aversion to Canadian music makers. The times they are a-changin’!
