Toronto hip-hop innovator k-os says diversity is alive and well in Canada's music scene, judging from this year's leading Juno Awards nominees. K-os, trip-pop singer Nelly Furtado and pop-punk oufit Billy Talent have five Juno noms apiece heading into tomorrow night's televised awards in Saskatoon. (Thirty-two of the 39 trophies wil be handed out tonight during a pre-telecast gala dinner.
) "You've got three young bands doing three different types of music that hit three different groups of people," k-os said on the phone recently from the U.S., where he's opening for Gym Class Heroes as part of a club tour.
"That's a huge demographic ...
people that listen to those three bands -- that's amazing. I congratulate anybody for acknowledging the variances in Canadian music, for having these three kind of young bands that are actually doing well out there. It doesn't seem like there's any tokenism, or whatever.
So that's the most exciting thing to me -- to be part of that." Among k-os' five Juno noms are single of the year for Sunday Morning, from his third album Atlantis: Hymns For Disco, which also vies for pop album of the year. "As far as the nominations, yeah, as an artist you want to know that you make records, and you're pertinent.
I probably want that for the rest of my career," said k-os, whose previous big Juno year was in 2005 when he took home three awards. "To be acknowledged as somebody who's making music that's part of the tapestry or the shape of the country, your home country, it's amazing. I think that's the biggest victory.
" "All the Canadian bands are at bars together and drinking," he said. "It's hard to have that spirit of competition. We all know each other.
I was texting Nelly (Furtado). We might have a party at the Junos together. We have the same management.
"So (I say to her), 'I'm going to kick your ass!' It's, like, jokes. You know what I mean?
She's like, 'Ha, ha. Funny.' Tongue-in-cheek.
She's kind of like, 'Yeah, right.' The competition factor doesn't really come from, 'Oh, who's going to win?' It's more like, 'Wow, we're nominated -- out of all these great bands.
There are so many in Canada.' " While both k-os and Furtado are scheduled to perform on the Junos telecast tomorrow night, Furtado has even more pressure as the evening's host. K-os predicts she'll be great.
"Don't underestimate that girl," he said. "She's probably going to be the best host ever. She's just a charismatic person.
She also keeps her cards very close to her chest. (She's) a very talented person, a spiritual entity. I might not agree with everything she does, as far as the songs all of the time -- and that's cool -- but as far as her talent level, like, it's kind of a mysterious thing.
People are wondering, 'Nelly? A host?' But I think she's going to kill it.
" In the meantime, k-os' current busy tour -- which wraps up next Friday in Dallas -- will keep him from arriving in Saskatoon until today. "So that throws the whole party vibe off a little bit," he said.
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