Weakerthans win three WCMAs
EDMONTON – Maybe they should be called the Strongerthans.
Songs about curling, a Winnipeg bus driver and Big Foot helped The Weakerthans dominate the Western Canadian Music Awards Sunday. The indy pop recording darlings, who have been winning rave reviews as they play around the world in support of their latest album Reunion Tour, were honoured for outstanding independent album and songwriters of the year at the awards show in Edmonton.
The band, which crafted Reunion Tour in a factory on the outskirts of Winnipeg during a few frigid weeks in March 2007, also won video of the year for Civil Twilight, a song about a city bus driver whose route takes him past a house that is haunted only for him.
The Weakerthans appear to have a love-hate relationship with buses. This summer the band missed playing the Lalapalooza festival in Chicago when their tour bus broke down after a show, stranding them in Ohio.
The Western Canadian Music Awards recognizes the best recording artists from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon in 19 categories.
“It was definitely a great weekend,” said Kennedy Jensen, executive director of the Western Canadian Music Alliance.
“We were thrilled to be hosting the event in Edmonton this year – to share our hospitality and amazing spirit.”
Alberta native son Corb Lund won the outstanding roots recording – solo – award for the title song of his Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! album, a ballad that chronicles the changing fortunes of cavalrymen throughout history.
The show opened with a tribute to the life and career of jazz icon Tommy Banks, who was inducted into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame, as were Spirit of the West. The Vancouver-based artists performed rousing renditions of their hit singles during the program.
Feist, k.d. lang and Nickelback were all honoured with awards for international achievement.
Country crooner Paul Brandt, who has sold more than one-million albums during his career, won the top country recording award for his album Risk.
Winnipeg rockers The Liptonians were honoured for outstanding pop recording for their self-titled debut album.
Altered Laws’ Metaphora, an album that explores Latin, pop, Brazilian, mainstream and avant-garde jazz, won top jazz recording.
Other award winners included; Little Miss Higgins for outstanding blues recording for the album Junction City, State of Shock’s Life, Love and Lies was top rock record, Twilight Hotel’ Highway Prayer was honoured for outstanding roots recording.
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