Do You Like Canadian Music?

July 23, 2008 — -- In 1991, the Violent Femmes asked, "do you like American music?" But what about Canadian music?

As opposed to the so-called "British invasion" of the 1960s and subsequent decades, one doesn't often hear about Canadian music, specifically. In the U.S. there is a Bloomington, Ind.-based record label called Secretly Canadian. Could the name be an homage to our talented neighbors to the north? And with our cultures so close in proximity to each other, did you even know the following artists were from Canada?

Feist

In April 2008, Feist was awarded five Juno Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy, in the following categories: songwriter, artist, pop album, album and single of the year. Her music has been described as "swoony indie lounge pop" by Rolling Stone, and the New York Times referred to her as "a restless polymath with a catalog of great songs and a voice like carved steam."

Her genres span from punk to folk. Not content to stick to one genre, Feist often performs with Canadian "supergroup" Broken Social Scene, a Toronto-based, 19-member group, most of whom also have their own bands. And on Aug. 11, she'll perform on Sesame Street's 39th season premiere, where she'll tweak the lyrics of "1234" for her younger audience. "One, two, three, four, monsters walking across the floor," is a preview of what you can expect from that performance.

Feist will perform a free concert in New York City's Bryant Park this Friday, July 25. For complete coverage of her performance and for a list of other upcoming shows, Click Here.

Rush

Bryan Adams

Not content with just music, Adams has also blossomed into a professional photographer. He has shot ads for Guess clothing, and his photos have appeared in British and Italian Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar and Interview. In 1990, Adams received the Order of British Columbia for his artistic and philanthropic contributions made over the course of his life.

Alanis Morissette

Although she didn't win the competition, Morissette forcefully returned to the U.S. in 1995 with the release of her second album "Jagged Little Pill." The album skyrocketed up the chart with hits, including "You Oughta Know," "Ironic," "Head Over Feet," and "Hand in My Pocket." The album became the best-selling debut album by a female artist in the U.S. Although Morissette became an American citizen in 2005, she kept her Canadian citizenship, saying in a statement at the time, "I will never renounce my Canadian citizenship. I consider myself a Canadian-American."

Arcade Fire

The band's 2004 album "Funeral" was nominated for a 2006 Grammy, and their follow-up album "Neon Bible" won a 2008 Juno Award for alternative album of the year. This band's been hailed by musical greats, such as David Bowie, David Byrne and U2 for its innovative style and synthesis of intstruments. A rock band that incorporates viola as well as hurdy gurdy? Why not!

Avril Lavigne

When she was just 13, Lavigne won a radio contest to appear on stage with Shania Twain, another artist from the north, during Twain's concert in Ottawa. The two performed Twain's song, "What Made You Say That." And, although Lavigne was discovered singing country music covers in an Ontario bookstore, with her own music, she's been nothing but rock, pop and punk. She's had 11 top ten hits to date, including, "Girlfriend," "Complicated," "I'm With You," and "My Happy Ending." In 2006, Lavigne had her own happy ending, marrying her "Sk8er Boi" fellow Canadian musician, Deryck Whibley of the band Sum 41.

Shania Twain

Céline Dion

Joni Mitchell

Neil Young

Young moved to California in the mid-60s, where he formed the short-lived band Buffalo Springfield, before settling into a solo and group career with Crazy Horse and David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. With songs, such as "Ohio," "Southern Man" and "Alabama," Young proves that, although he may be Canadian, American culture informs many of his lyrics. In a 2005 interview with Time magazine, Young said, "I guess I could be a dual citizen, but if I ever had to give up my Canadian citizenship to become American, I wouldn't do it, because I wouldn't want to hurt Canada. I love Canada. As I get older, more and more I start singing about Canada."