For its first album in four years, electronic-tinged rock act Metric opted to go without the backing of a music label, a move that in the past would have been daring.
But the Canadian quartet's new release, "Fantasies," popped up in the middle of the U.S. pop chart last week. Metric accomplished that thanks in large measure to iTunes and a nonprofit Canadian arts funding entity.
The non-profit in question is FACTOR, the Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent On Recordings. FACTOR was set up by a handful of major stakeholders in the Canadian music industry (primarily the indie scene) and manages the distribution of Department of Canadian Heritage funding in this regard. This makes Metric's story another good example of the effectiveness of government cultural spending.
