Exclaim magazine is dead on: the East Coast Music Awards focus too much on one particular style of music: Celtic folk. Growing up in Nova Scotia, I developed a healthy disliking for most maritimey fiddle-pop (Great Big Sea, The Rankins, etc.) because it drowned out practically every other genre of music, some of which I thought were worthwhile. Sure, for a while there Halifax was a little hotbed of indie rock when it became the first in a long line of “The New Seattle” cities, a title which Montreal now seems to be sporting. But by and large, the celtic mafia rules.

I mean, really. Would it hurt them to give an award to buck 65? Or Joel Plaskett? Christ, even The Trews would be better than Great Big Shite…