“City With No Children” from The Suburbs

No big surprise to fans of Quebec-based Arcade Fire that this past weekend their superb album The Suburbs received the Grammy Award for 2010’s best album.   (See 8/15/10 O’Canada Blog posting here.)  What is particularly interesting to me are many of the comments I’ve seen posted on various blogs and popular music-related sites where so many people have expressed bewilderment about who is this group called Arcade Fire and how could they possibly have won this award.  Never a better moment for the good old “LOL”.  Fans of Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber (another Canadian, of course), both of whom had albums nominated, seemed especially perplexed about the indie rock band’s win. 

Situations like this make me realize that with the extreme fragmentation nowadays of genres within the music world just how truly difficult it is for talented musicians of any sort to break through to the mainstream.  Anyway, I’m glad there are  enough critics and fans with discriminating ears who are able to help elevate to wider prominence underappreciated groups like Arcade Fire.