What does the "Canadian sound" in the music scene sound like?

Question

What does the "Canadian sound" in the music scene sound like?

Answer 1

i think Canada does have its own sound, its sound is laid back and mostly not fabricated. While American as well as other world pop music is so obsessed with packaging music, canadian music takes music from its roots and brings it back to its natural place, which is why so many people are tuning in to the Canadian sound.

Answer 2

eh, Thanks International Scene !!!

We appreciate your acceptance !



Actually, there is a lot of success in Canadian music, as well as Canadian actors and actresses, and animation, but thats another story.



I noticed generally two "styles" coming from Canada, those that are very lively, upbeat, energetic,



Shania Twain

Great Big Sea

Alanis Morisette

Nellie Furtado

Ronnie Hawkins

Burton Cummings, BTO classic rock now

Avril Lavigne with the black mascarra

Corb Lund



and another style that is sweet, contemplative, languid, very creative, mysterious or even mystical in some cases



Sarah McLaughlin

Amanda Marshall

Jan Arden (Love is the only soldier, etc)

Blue Rodeo, Jim Cuddy etc (5 days in May, Dark Angel)

Gordon Lightfoot

Celine Dion

Carolyn Dawn Johnson

Terry Clark



etc...



Actually, there are also a lot of songs performed by non-Canadians were also written by a Canadian, if I can remember his name right, I think John Buble/



One thing I noticed is that so many of the songs from Canadians are done whole-heartedly, with gusto and sincerity and passion, and say what you've got to say regardless, and with independent attitude, not so much of the "oh I need you" type songs,



and Canadian music doesn't try to fit and conform into strict categories of music, hybrids between rock & folk, country & jazz, or whatever, so many examples of that

Answer 3

there is no such thing as a "canadian sound" canada is a mingling of individuals, with their own tastes and preferences.. there are many canadian groups that sound so different from each other, and i enjoy all of them.. keep your individuality soundclash, i love it



bratt

Answer 4

I've never really thought about it as the 'Canadian sound'....but having moved away from Canada over a year ago, I can say that I love hearing Canadian bands when I get a chance. I suppose that the 'sound' is all about genuine music...played with instruments rather than synthesized sound. You'll also find that most Canadian lead singers/performers actually play instruments - rather than simply having a front man. As much as it kills me to point this out, a good way to see the difference is by tuning into Canadian Idol and compare it to the American version. The kids play instruments and make it an important part of their performance. And the focus is on an individualized sound or voice...as opposed to the 'poppy' style of the Americans. You won't be hearing a Celine Dion song performed, or something by Mariah Carey. It will be good old fashioned rock and roll...

Answer 5

Arcade Fire, Caribou, Buck 69, Feist, Billy Talent, City and Colour, The Dears, Kaos, Kardinal and (but not recently) Alanis.



Great examples of genuine talent pushing boundaries. This country is too bland and too spread out to have anything that is genuinely a "Canadian Sound".



Avril, Chantal, Celine and the like are all just force fed fois gras music industry pap.



Nickleback and anyone like them. Urgh. Please, what a pointless exercise in MOR mediocrity.

Answer 6

Canadian Sound is pure and simple. Bare naked Ladies, Prairie Oyster and Blue Rodeo are the best examples of our music industry.

Answer 7

I was going to deny such a thing but it comes to mind that Sloan, Billy Talent, Sum 41 and Alexisonfire exemplify the new rock sound. For the old rock sound, listen to 54-40. Bryan Adams, D.O.A., Social Distortion, Northern Pikes and any other WEST COAST BAND.

Answer 8

Hey, again!

You're all pretty awesome.

Well, to me it sounds.....modern/folkish? I'm Canadian and I think our bands/artists sound very unique as appose to American music.

Its really hard to explain..we have our rock bands that sound very average, then theres other bands with a more unique and different sound.

The best way to explain it is to get you to listen to one of my favourite Candadian bands!

The Tragically Hip has an awesome song that I think describes really well what I'm trying to explain. The song is called "Courage".

Please listen to it and maybe you'll get what I'm trying to say!



Mrs.V

Answer 9

I’m speaking from a purely rock/alternative music point of view, but I think Canadian music has a lot of social content to it. I mean, our culture doesn’t seem to stand for, or put up with social injustices. And it seems to me that Canadian artists present a lot of local and international issues to their audiences. Neil Young, Billy Talent, Alexisonfire, Matt Good, just to name a few, use their unique musical styles and lyrics to speak about political and social issues that are on the tips of all of our tongs. Our music tends to tell a story with each passing note .. I think that our very culture cultivates freedom of speech, and it turns up in the music that comes out of this country. That’s my opinion. I hope it makes sense to all that read it… haha!

Answer 10

Well I think that Canadian music has been more emphasis on substance rather than style This is beginning to change as the record labels continue to merge into mega-corps.

Think singer/ songwriters like Leonard Cohan and Joni Mitchell right up to Jan Arden etc.

Ground breaking rockers like the Guess who and Rush. Both of whom have musicians all over the world saying they were influenced by them.

There will always be an element of the music biz in Canada that will follow the beat of the drum set in the US. Avril Lavine and Sum 41 could just as well be Americans there sound would be the same.( Shania Twain And Celine Dion too)

But where else could one get Great Big Sea, And Blue Rodeo..and Gordon Lightfoot. etc.

Answer 11

Admittedly not an easy subject to pigeon hole but I'll try.



What seems to strike me as the most common effect, regardless of genre is a more circular inflection to harmonic progressions. American music is very often based upon an auditory climax. British music a little too sublime but effective.

Canadian music though possessing a degree of both of these qualities never quite depends on either as a foundation. The most successfull acts that I can use to illustrate this are Rush, Max Webster (nothin' personal Kim u still rock but I luv that old Max stuff.), The Tragically Hip and the Barenaked ones. In all of these acts we hear a more circular harmonic experience. They may bring you up to a sonic climax but they then invest some energy in easing you back down to a rhythm track that just plain old fashioned "grooves". Even if we consider the hard rock of Nickleback we find that this base rhythm is predominant and not the epic crescendo like American counterparts.



Simply put we are a laid back people. We show up (intro) we get 'er done (chorus and bridge) and then we make damn sure we stop and celebrate the victory with a cold beer (smooth rhythmic outro).



Could be I'm wrong. But from a musicians view of musical theory this would seem to be the predominantly "Canadian" flavour you seek to grasp.

Answer 12

Except for the Canadian national anthem, there is no such thing. If some critic thinks they can tell Canadians which artists music is the definitive Canadian sound then they are full of crap.



Music doesn't have a nationality - an artist may be born here but that isn't going to mean their music is automatically representative. It doesn't define what they choose to play or even their style. Perhaps they may be described in a very simplistic way as belonging to a "genre", but this is really a poor way to describe any art.



Perhaps more significantly it is a very disrespectful way to dismiss all of an artist's work that reaches outside of that limited definition.



Only someone who has no more musical appreciation than the dollar value of a CD at the cash register would be so shallow as to think that music or even artists can be defined with nothing more than a flag that is shared by millions of other people.



Each person in a country is unique. Claiming anyone or their art is the definitive "Canadian" sound would also completely insult all the other Canadian artists that you didn't mention. They ALL deserve the title... Picking one out just tells us everything about the personal tastes, opinions and prejudices of a critic but it says nothing about the vast scope of what Canadian music is really like.

Answer 13

I don't think there's such a thing as a "Canadian sound" so to speak. In order to develop a coherent sound you need individuals in a close-knit environment to influence one another. The perfect example is the Seatlle sound from the early 90's. All those bands developed together and a common element was formed. Canada is far too large to have one distinct sound that can be identified as Canadian. Smaller Canadian areas can undoubtedly develop a sound as you described. Right now, Welland / St. Catherines is developing it's own sound thanks to the recent bands coming out of the area.



About the only advantage Canada has of developing a sound is the CRTC Can-Con regulations. It ensures that Canadian bands get more airplay than they regularly would and could help bands get exposed to more upcoming Canadian artists and influence their growth in a concurrent manner.

Answer 14

You can't really put a finger on "Canadian Sound". There's just too many ways to describe it, really. For example, there's the rock sort of stuff like Sum 41, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Rush and Nickelback. Then there's the country section, highlighting Carolyn Dawn Johnson, The Roadhammers, etc.



So really, there are many different "Canadian Sounds". However, a lot of the Canadian music you'll hear is very upbeat kind of music.

Answer 15

I don't know about a Canadian sound being a specific genre. I live in Toronto and our sound is quite international. From Smooth JAzz to Bachanal music. We subscribe to a variety of sounds and yes we love our music.

Canadians enjoy cultural products from many countries, and Canadian artists and creators are appreciated around the world.



But Canada has a relatively small and diverse population, and we live next door to the most powerful and pervasive culture in the world.



For those reasons, the federal government provides programs and policies, including copyright policies and foreign investment review guidelines for proposed foreign investments in cultural industries, that encourage Canadian cultural expression -- in all its diversity -- and that ensure Canadians have access to their own cultural products.





We do have some strong Canadian vocalists that we are quite proud of.



To name a few



Burton Cummings ( Guess Who)

Anka, Paul, .

Cohen, Leonard born in 1934, Canadian singer-songwriter, writer and filmmaker, whose fiction and poetry, combined with his fame as a composer and singer, have made him among the best-known Canadians around the world.

Dion, Céline

lang, k. d.

Lightfoot, Gordon

Murray, Anne

Twain, Shania

Sarah McLachlan

Shania Twain

Avril Lavigne

CAnadian Rock Music

Cohen, Leonard

Lightfoot, Gordon

McLachlan, Sarah

Mitchell, Joni

Morissette, Alanis

Young, Neil

Bryan Adams

The Tragically Hip

Great Big Sea

Nelly Furtado

Answer 16

You can't define Canada as one sound because we have just like any other place almost a large bio diverse music industry... if you asked what Canada's sound is you'll probably end up with the same thing that mostly any other place would say... and that's mainstream music... but you can't forget the many sub genres that are created in this country and the many different types of labels people are trying to get heard... next to the mainstream "popular" music theres an underground venue that no one see's exept for the people who are trying to make that sound... i am proud to say that Canada's sound is one of the most bio diversed sounds welcoming new and all types of sounds and there is no way to technically label this with a genre or a name of a few bands... if you listen to rush, Shania twain, Avril Lavinge ect mainstream bands like that take a look at Thine Eyes Bleed or on myspace check out the Canadian bands and stuff like that and the other way around to... you might not like the way they sound but they have a definition on this country as much as any other band... you might not like every sound but some people do.

Answer 17

Critics seem to have a need to put labels on art of all kinds, but those looking to identify a unique "Canadian" sound manage to personify what is wrong with allowing nonparticipants to make the rules.



Canada is a large country that welcomes cultural diversity. Consequently there are dozens of "sounds" that can and should be identified with this country. Hank Snow put his own spin on country, as did Ian Tyson. Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Stan Rogers went where they would with folk music, and left it a different genre. Oscar Peterson influenced every jazz pianist on the globe.



I could go on, but the fact is that the idea of a national sound has been raised when each of those first changed the way others listen to music, and for every major group since. The Guess Who were touted as the "Canadian sound," as were the Barenaked Ladies.



As I said, this whole practice is for the convenience of the critics. They need easy to use terms because their ability to write is not as great as the ability of the musicians they write about, so they have to fall back on the old standards. Ignore them, and let the musicians speak for themselves. It isn't what you call it that counts, but how it calls to you.

Answer 18

I beleive the Canadian sound is divided into two distinct scenes. The Toronto music scene is characterized by a heavy use of synthesizers, for example bands like Metric and Stars. The use of female vocals also characterizes canadian music. The second musical scene in my opnion is the Montreal one. Bands like Arcade Fire and Mallajube are a great example. I am very happy that Canadian music has finally taken off, it has always been around but now it's on a world stage!

Answer 19

I think that there definitely is a Canadian sound. We always seem to recognize our Canadian musicians. Many of the answers touched on the fact that there is something special - maybe our music is a bit more honest and grounded.

We also have great Traditional music in Canada and included in there are our fiddlers. Each province has it's own unique sound and style.

We have travelled from coast to coast and can pretty well guess where a fiddler is from by their sound and style.

Some great fiddlers are of course Natalie McMaster, Genticorum, Pierre Schryer, James Cheechoo, Sierra Noble, John Arcand, The McDades, and Oliver Schroer, to name a few.

Canadian music is unique and wonderful.