Their promotion of indigenous artists, through their Unearthed program, offering up free downloads of unsigned talent, is second to none. This fact alone (free mp3 downloads) puts them way ahead of CBC's Radio 3's play-only artist's page offerings, in my humble opinion. (Also, is it just me, or does most Canadian indie bands lean towards a folksy, country sound? Apologies to Austra, Grimes, Crystal Castles and others of their ilk.) Back to the Unearthed program, a band's popularity is judged by the number of downloads, a surefire indication of popularity. This, of course, makes them that much more enticing to trolling record labels, or if they decide to put out their own release. Add to this, the regular rotation of many of these bands on Triple J, and you have amazing support. This recalls CFNY's New Music Search programs, and how it helped many an indie artist in the Greater Toronto Area.
The J Awards are Triple J's version of CFNY's old You-Know Awards, awarding indie and commercial acts for their talents. Unlike the You-Knows, the judging is done by committee at the station, not by the listeners. (Not for anything, they get their chance to vote at year-end for the infamous Hottest 100.)
Wanna peak into what they consider the cream of their crop in music? Click on the link to the J Awards page, and troll through the nominated acts. You will find video and audio for most, to give you an indication of the artist's sound and talent.
The J Awards 2012
Let me complete this posting with a song nominated for "Best Video". The song is called "Hands" by the band Alpine. It's a very surreal entry, so be forewarned.
It should also be noted that the winners of the J Awards will be announced at the end of November. So, stay tuned. I shall try and follow up with a timely list of the winners.
And now, Alpine......
