Toronto's indie music collectives are the focus of a NY Times Magazine article by Alissa Quart titled, "Guided by (Many, Many) Voices." For followers of Broken Social Scene, the article's focal point, the lengthy piece is a must-read. But there are other aspects of the piece that will be of interest to those in the music industry, and even to those who appreciate a communal, anti-corporate approach to business. Labels such as Constellation and Arts & Crafts are shown as ideal-minded businesses that reject the trappings and ethics of major labels. Says Arts & Crafts' Jeffrey Remedios, who had worked at a major prior to founding the label, "I named it Arts & Crafts as I was trying to show that we mixed art and commerce, and that commerce was going to hold up its end of the promise. I had witnessed the machine. I wanted to rebel well." Author Michael Barclay calls it a distinctively Canadian approach. "It's textbook Canadian identity politics — the expression of individual will through community."

Though much of the article is about the economics of communal music-making, what's missing from the article was any mention of the government support Canadian artists and labels receive. How has Broken Social Scene's "art-nerd vows" for its communal model been subsidized and made possible by the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent on Record (FACTOR)? Money for touring, videos, marketing and recording are often provided by FACTOR. Quart missed the opportunity to ask how -- if at all -- grant money helps shape the socialist business model and attitudes that were the focal point of the article. Coolfer's best, completely non-judgemental guess: It's easier to be anti-corporate when you're on the dole. (For example, many of the bands in the article -- such as Feist, Broken Social Scene, Metric and Stars -- received international tour grants in September of 2005.) Perhaps American politicians would feel differently about how they support music if they saw the success of Toronto's vibrant, creative music scene?

(Image of Broken Social Scene by Simon Law, via Flickr)