Program on
MuchMusic,
Canada's
music video channel. Unlike
MTV, MuchMusic actually
plays music videos. "The
Wedge" is their "
alternative music" (for lack of a better description) show. It is hosted by VJ Sook-Yin
Lee.
The Wedge showcases new alternative music, from both Canadian artists and American and international ones. Sometimes artists come in to visit/co-host; the biggest name I can recall is Folk Implosion. Lou Barlow of Folk Implosion (and Sebadoh and formerly Dinosaur Jr.) said on the show that he's a big "Wedge" fan. He recounted that in a previous trip up North, he was watching "The Wedge" and saw a video by Canadian pop-punk outfit Thrush Hermit--"French Inhale"--and was so impressed that he got the video's director to do one of his videos.
Perhaps more importantly, "The Wedge" also plays videos by the artists of yesterday. "The Wedge" was my personal introduction to both The Replacements (through their "Bastards of Young" video) and Hüsker Dü (through their "Don't Want To Know If You Are Lonely" video). If it hadn't been for "The Wedge", I never would have seen The Replacements or Hüsker Dü, and I wouldn't own several of each group's albums like I do today. Honestly, is there a show on disgraceful MTV that currently--or ever--plays videos by The Replacements and Hüsker Dü? "The Wedge" also introduced me to some of today's best groups, e.g. Knapsack (through their memorable "Cellophane" video).
I think they changed it before I returned to the United States back in 1999, but their old theme was a sonic collage of a few song clips; the opening riff from "Stop" by Jane's Addiction and a portion of a song called "Shine" by the now-defunct Montreal group The Doughboys were the clips that I could identify.
The show wasn't devoid of humor, either. One time Sook-Yin and the boys from Canadian independent alterna-punks The Monoxides spent the episode in a Toronto sex shop.
It was only on a half hour a day, but "The Wedge" showed me more good music during the time it was available to me and I watched it than MTV would show me if I sat down and watched it for tonight and the rest of my life.