CBC Radio 3 you ask? Yes!

There are five very imaginatively laid out internet sites dedicated to this unusual radio outlet from the stalwart and often stodgy national network. Not that I am complaining too much about the CBC's radio programming (TV is another story). When I while away my time at the computer writing, Radio Two is almost my only companion during the daytime hours, except for those times when I listen to CDs. Radio One has too much chatter for my liking, and half the time I don't care much for its music because it is so coyly aimed at Generation X, and the generation that follows it, namely the people that are the children of the Boomers, and even their grandchildren. Can't write to that kind of background noise. Besides, as you may have guessed by now, I am generally a classical music buff, or jazz when I feel so inclined.

So, how and why did I go in search of Radio 3? Two very interesting CDs landed on my desk from CBC Records. They feature music from CBC Radio 3, four Websites lumped together under this label of a virtual network of digital content, and a fifth, which is really a weekly magazine. Each caters to a slightly different audience, but you have to have a youthful spirit to get into this music, so to speak, when you listen to and view these sites. And, perhaps you might even have to be stoned to appreciate most of the material offered on at least one of them.

Their content is strictly Canadian music in all its variations, except in the classical vein. It is aimed at music listeners who know how to find music on the Web. Of course, you can also hear this music via the radio if you are a night owl. It is featured on Radio Two on Saturdays from 7:30 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. ET (8:30 AT/9:00 NT). One of these days I will have to catch some of this programmed music. I usually stop listening to the radio on Saturdays after Saturday Afternoon at the Opera is finished.

The two CDs that caught my interest are CBC Radio 3 NMC Vol. 01 (New Music Canada) and CBC Radio 3 Sessions Vol. 01. Of the 16 Sessions songs, 11 were recorded in Vancouver, four in Toronto and one in Halifax. The overwhelming Vancouver presence is easy to explain. CBC Radio 3 is at home in one of the CBC Vancouver bureau's "subterranean studios" as Juergen Gothe, host of Radio Two's DiscDrive refers to his little corner in the Vancouver studios. Radio 3 was born after another idea for a youth-oriented third network was stillborn in 1999, axed by the then new CBC president, Robert Rabinovitch. Robert Ouimet, now referred to as CBC Radio 3 Area Head, Grant Lawrence (who is one of two hosts — for lack of a better word — on Radio 3) and a few others connected with the presentation for the third network, decided they were not going to give up so easily. Instead they pitched Rabinovitch the idea for the virtual network. He liked what they had to offer, and voila, here we are, four years later with five very successful sites on the Web that have garnered the CBC all kinds of national and international awards.

Both CDs were produced by the same team, including the art design. Of the two, I clearly favour the Sessions CD although there is plenty of intriguing material on the New Music Canada CD. Each has 16 tracks. I prefer the Sessions album because the quality of recorded sound, and because the featured groups appear to be more professional. And, very importantly, the lyrics in the songs can actually be understood, which cannot be said of the NMC album.

The variety of styles of music on both albums is wide, but more so on the Sessions CD. I have to admit that, no matter how hard I try, however, I cannot relate to rap, which is featured on track 8 of Sessions by a group called Brassmunk in a song, Push Up. Pieces that I enjoyed in particular were Sloan's Losing California, The Fame Headlines by a group called The New Pornographers, Kid Koala's lighthearted Drunk Trumpet, The Sadies's I tried not to, and Buck 65's The Anthem.

Having mentioned these songs does not mean that the unlisted pieces were unworthy a mention. But in the case of this kind of 'pop' music the response is strictly subjective. I have no other criteria by which to judge the songs.

The New Canadian Music CD is a little bit more difficult to write about. As mentioned earlier, it is frequently difficult to understand the lyrics on the 16 tracks, and the quality of recording appears less sharp. This may be because they were not actually recorded in CBC studios, but were independently recorded and then submitted to www.newmusiccanada.com, one of the four CBC Radio 3 Websites.

Most of pieces fall into a category that I call funereal threnody. They are joyless, dark in tone, and pessimistic. It makes one wonder why their creators — they must be young(ish) — have such a bleak outlook on life. I do hope that this kind of music is not a true represention of the new generation of music creators in Canada.

I have to mention the Alberta group Cripple Creek Fairies, and their song, Greenroom, track 9. It exudes far greater energy than most of the other tracks on this CD. Audio Lava's Leaf, track 1, has a certain laid-back charm that does express the origins of the group, Vancouver. Finally, track 3, which features audio only except for the last few seconds, is definitely worth a listen. This energetic piece features Vo Oode Her by Danny Dopamine from Thornhill, ON.

If CBC Radio 3 is as new to you as it was to me, and you have broadband connection to the Internet, here are the addresses of the five sites: www.newmusiccanada.com has accumulated over 30,000 tracks of independent music); www.120seconds.com is a showcase of the work of short filmmakers, animators, and new media artists; www.rootsmusiccanada.comis a platform for independent Canadian musicians in the 'folk or ethnic' category to share their music with the listening public; and www.justconcerts.com is a site that presents CBC concert and session recordings. Finally, there is www.CBCRadio3.com , a weekly magazine site. In each issue the audience gets to see vastly different content from the previous issues. In-house producers and freelance contributors across the country create the content that is designed specifically for the site. Note, however, that during July and August only the magazine comes out every two Fridays, the latest issue having been released on July 16.

The two CDs will make great present for the younger members of your family, but I would suggest that the NWD album is not ideal for anyone under 16 because of its dark undertones. We don't want to induce depression in such impressionable minds.