Being a Canadian and very proud of that I can tell you one; you spelled Jonie Mitchell's name wrong (blew any cred you had at that point) and two; Canada has produced many excelent indie rock/new wave/punk bands. The fact that we are a small country population wise 32 million means you don't here much from them, but they are here. I suggest, if you can, you listen to CITU radio, CKLN or if more commercial is your liking CFNY all based out of Toronto. Your bad now twice.

Also being a Canuck, I just couldn't resist chiming in here. Living in the States, I am often accused of always pointing out who or what is Canadian. But it could be because Canadian performers aren't often recognized as such. I would beg to differ with you greatly that "never really been known for producing a lot of great pop/indie music." There have been many indie bands getting lots of publicity in the past year, many out of Montreal like The Stars and Arcade Fire. Then there are others like Metric, Feist, Broken Social Scene that have also been gaining fans--across North America: http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=175708. As for pop music, what about Sarah McLachlan, Nelly Furtado, Alanis Morissette, Rihanna? To set the record straight, it's Joni Mitchell.

Jonnie Mitchell??? Are you a fool. And Canadian Stephen Smith's criticism of your bad spelling is only too ironic as he spelled her name Jonie (and he spelled excellent wrong not to mention his horrific grammar).

Her name is Joni Mitchell. Please, get it right.

While I'm no Canuck, I have to throw some support behind Caroline's lineup of great and innovative indie acts from north of the border. Toronto's DIY-driven "Arts & Crafts" label is churning out some of the best music of the moment, including--as Caroline mentioned--the tremendous Broken Social Scene, who have outlasted all others atop my iTunes "most played" for the past few years. Check this Times article about Arts & Crafts from last year: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/magazine/26toronto.html?ex=1298610000&en=4d90e4477b0d95dd&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Update: Ok, I corrected Joni's name. The perils of blogging at 1 a.m. Jeez, nothing like getting taken to task by your own intern.

Also, I'm really only kidding. Canadians, so oversensitive.

As penance for your uninformed comments, may I suggest that you subscribe to the excellent CBC podcast "Radio 3", which will deliver an hour of wonderful new Canadian indie music to your iPod every week.

You're welcome.

Well I too am a Canuck. My god three heads of the major studios were Canadians. One block from where I sit right now stood the house of Mary Pickford .

Hollywood was created by mostly Canadians and Brittish talent. Is not the head of Universal right now a Canadian born Bronfman. Warner Brothers.Louis Burt Mayer,

Bands and musicians, not to mention actors, writers and producers and directors like famous sports figures come out our Canada like a perpetual talent making machine.

Who is Steve Nash? Ever hear of Guy Lombardo, Paul Anka, Norman Jewison, Rich Little, Shania Twain, Anne Murray, Hank Snow, Wilf Carter, Gordon Lightfoot, Margaret Atwood, Celine Dion, Ian Tyson? How about John Candy? Lets see; Raymond Burr, Arthur Hill, John Calacos, Lorne Green, Elanna Myles, The Belushi Brothers, Lorretta Young,Yvonne DeCarlo, David Clayton Thomas,Leslie Nielson, Pamela Anderson, Margo Kidder, Burton Cummings, Wayne and Shuster, Pepiatt and Aylsworth , Oscar Peterson,Christopher Plummer, Donald and Keiffer Sutherland, Jim Carry, Mike Myers, Lorretta Young, Margo Kidder, Atom Egoyen, Yvonne DeCarlo, Chief Dan George. Enough! Sorry about some of the spelling of certain names. Then there should be included others like Michael Ondaatje, Garth Drabinsky who show up everywhere including in court for the latter.

I am just a little off topic but I just finished working on an Indy or Indie film for the Berlin Film festival and it is an active segment of the film industry now. Hell we do them free for the fun of the process and I am not one of the young ones; experienced senior people work in all aspects of these ventures to support the young film makers. Work on the rock and country music videos also for less than beer money and I am not alone.

If you see a few less Canadians headliners than than usual; well some folks are doing comedy sitcoms for TV and the net for $400,000.00 and less per episode which will be coming your way soon.

Every University and College in Canada has a film and a journalism department and these folks are serious. Documentaries are also as usual being cranked out. We are just not doing as many of the big features because people more and more are refusing to work 14 hours a day, six days a week for US and foriegn producers. Rather to work on boring commercials which there are a lot of for two or three days a week.

The folks commenting before are correct; we are still climbing the charts and standing out. Then there is the raft of great new Canadian publications hitting the shelves as well. You folks down south of the 49th provide a 300 million plus market for us to satisfy and entertain in a Canadian style.

We will do our best.

I have been a loyal reader of Mother Jones for years even before I became a subscriber; thanks a bunch, every new issue is much anticipated.