In the 1990's there were a lot of really fun and awesome bands from Eastern Canada around. I mean, there are still lots of folks from the East making music but in the 1990's, it felt kind of special and extra fun. Lots of bands from the maritimes played in Kingston at the time and my friends and I used to go see them all. One of my favourite East Coast bands was/is Plumtree.
Even in the 1990's, I felt about a million years older than the ladies in Plumtree but I really enjoyed their songs. I think they had a broad appeal to music fans of all ages. I loved that they were young women making great music, touring, recording, inspiring other young women and girls to make music too. This song, In the Sink, has always been a lovely ear worm for me (and yes, an ear worm that is perfectly clean).
Hope you can start your Canada Day long weekend off with a little Plumtree Dance party!! Enjoy xo
It's CanCon Thursday again. It's also CanCon week and a bit so for a special treat, I'm sharing one of what I consider to be ultra-Canadian songs.
This particular song was and continues to be popular, beloved and covered by a variety of artists. It was written by one of Canada's national treasures, Gordon Lightfoot. It's quite something that a haunting 6-minute ballad about the sinking of a bulk carrier ship on Lake Superior could be a number one hit record (in Canada, it got to Number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US).
Take a few minutes, sit back, and enjoy Mr Lightfoot's telling of the Wreck of the Edumund Fitzgerald.
Is there anything more 80's than a slow motion dropping of a dried rose? Maybe if the person dropping it has a spiky mullet and really large shoulder pads but then that's it, that's really as 80's as it gets.
The Spoons. How much do you love the Spoons? As much as I do? Maybe. What's not to love. They made perfect pop in the early and mid-80's AND they were Canadian. They gave fantastic video too. The Spoons were the total package. Actually, are the total package really, they are still making music together all these years later.
Today, my Way Back Wednesday song is "Old Emotions" by the Spoons. Listening to it, listening to the Spoons is bound to bring back some old emotions, perhaps some high school memories and maybe it'll put a smile on your face and inspire you to press some flowers in a book!
So the first official summer weekend is now behind us and the first holiday weekend of the season is just around the corner.
As I mentioned last week, I'm going to share Canadian songs only this week and next, in celebration of Canada's upcoming 151th birthday. I'm looking forward to getting my maple leaf bunting out and flying our beautiful flag this weekend. As a dog guardian, fireworks are no longer something I can enjoy on Canada Day (the noise just freaks Gracie out and we have a whole distraction routine we do) but I do like to pause and wish Canada a happy day.
So, on Tuesdays, I always share a cover with you fine folks. So, in keeping with the theme, this is a Canadian band covering another Canadian band's song. This week, I am posting the Great Lake Swimmer's version of "What Was Going Through My Head." The original song by the Grapes of Wrath was released almost 30 years ago and that seems so strange to me. It's held up very well over the years and I don't think it sounds dated at all. It's always been a favourite of mine and I really enjoy what the Great Lake Swimmers have done. Hope you do too xo
As regular readers know, on Fridays, I share songs which have really got grip on my ear. Sometimes the songs are new, often they are just new to me. This week's song is of the "new to me" variety.
Last week, an old friend of mine sent me the link to the video I'm sharing today. He thought I might like it and he was right. I watched the video on my phone and immediately threw it onto my stereo. I lost count of how many times I listened to it but, let's say it was a few more than "several." I was completely unfamiliar with Camino 84 (and the vocalist is Sidney Gish, another artist I knew nothing about before hearing this clip). Down the rabbit hole I went, thank you internet. Both of these very talented young folks are worth checking out.
Funny thing is, I had a pretty shitty week. I don't have them very often but last week was just a bit crappier than it should/could have been and I was feeling pretty dragged out and down. Hearing the opening beats of this song lifted my spirits. So weird, I'm not just saying that. I actually felt lighter inside. It didn't undo the shit week but it did certainly pull me out of my blue funk for a bit. That's what I love about music, it can feed your soul, just when you need it the most.
I hope this brings you as much joy as it did me. Sending you all much love and happy weekend wishes kids xo
I try to share as much "CanCon" as possible here, not just on Thursdays (but of course, particularly on Thursdays). In honour of Canada's upcoming 151th birthday, I'm going to attemp to share more Canadian songs than usual beginning next week. If you have some favourite songs that meet the Canadian Content criteria, please let me know. I'm particularly intersted in learning about some of your favourite local bands or artists, folks who may not well known outside of your particular little corner of the world.
So, today's featured CanCon song is a classic, "Have Not Been The Same" by Slow. Slow recently reunited for a cross Canada tour, over 30 years after what has been described in the press as "imploding" after their infamous Expo '86 show. You can't keep a good band down, even it takes 30 years go get back up, they're at it again.
My hope is that my song selection this week will not cause anyone undo harm (I received some interesting feedback about last Wednesday's choice - apparently you don't have to actually hear a song you aren't crazy about for it to become an annoying ear worm - sorry Dan!).
So my Way Back Wednesday song again goes back to the 1980's.
I'll make no apologies for posting so many songs from that decade. I turned 13 in 1980 so my personal Way Back Machine stops in that era a lot. In fact, if you're a fan of the 1980's, please let me know. I'd love to hear what songs from that decade still make you smile, tap your foot or dance around your living room. Perhaps we have a shared tune and I'll post it at a later time.
Admittedly, I was a band wagon jumper-on-er when it comes to Martin Stephenson and the Daintees. I bought their first couple of albums and then lost interest (or just got distracted... ). Either way, the first time I heard "Boat to Bolivia" I was hooked. I think my first introduction to the song was seeing the video (the very one I'm sharing today) on Much Music. I like the tune, always a sucker for a sweet pop song. The video is a very 80's looking clip, lots of stone washed denim, quite laid back, not particularly memorable but the song, I always liked this song.
I hope you enjoy this little slice of forgettable, but still enjoyable, 80's musical pie. Happy Wednesday xo
As it's Tuesday again, I'm sharing a cover with you lovely folks.
As you know, if you have read any of my previous posts, I'm a big big fan of covers.
As much as I love covers is how much I also love a "super group."
I really enjoy when a group of individual artists break away from their solo things and create something just for the fun of it.
Back in the late 1980's when the Traveling Wilburys popped up on our radios, I was in. I know that some folks just didn't like them and were super critical of their stuff. I enjoyed it, a lot. I also really like today's cover of it. Interestingly, I've read folks online putting it down and I don't get it. It's fun. Can't some things just be fun? Do we really need to examine and dissect every single thing?
The video I'm sharing today is a live version of "Handle with Care" by Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins and Conor Oberst. It makes me smile whenever I heard this song (by the Wilbury's or by Ms Lewis and friends). I hope it puts a smile on your face too, goodness knows we could all use one today!
I realized that I should have elaborated on the "sad anniversary" I mentioned in my post about Etta's Tune.
3 years ago today, Mark had his regular 6 month check up at the Cancer Clinic. He felt amazing that day, better than he had in months, scored all zeroes on his Edmonton Scale, was optimistic.
At that appointment, we found out that he had 3 to 5 years to live. As you all know, he was dead 8 1/2 weeks later. A shock to us but ultimately, a better way to go than to have a horrible drawn out "cancer death." Losing him the way I did taught me to embrace and appreciate the folks I love, the ones who are most important to me, tell them that I love them, hug them when I can. Life is short and unpredictable.
To be kind and loving to each other costs nothing but means so much.
The River and The Thread is a gorgeous album. It was fascinating to hear Ms Cash talk about the album when I saw her perform back in February.
She told a little story about Marshall and Etta Grant. Marshall was her dad's original bass player in the Tennessee Two. Marshall and Etta were married for 65 years. Every morning of their marriage, he woke up and asked her "what's the temperature darling?" - and that's the first line of the song I'm sharing today.
This particular version is performed with her super talented husband John Leventhal for a "one mic, one take" video. It sounds a lot like how they played it together at the Grand Theatre earlier this year.
Today's a difficult day for me, a bit of a sad anniversary. It's heart warming for me to hear a song that was inspired by a long and loving marriage like Marshall and Etta's.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Happy weekend kiddies xo
Many many years ago, I met Jill Barber through her brother Matt Barber. Matt was a programmer at CFRC radio and I was working at the station when he was volunteering there. Jill was still in high school and she'd been in Kingston playing shows now and then. I was working two jobs back in those days and my second job was working on Homecoming Weekend. One year, we were having live music in our registration tent (we tented Benidickson Field for the weekend back then) and I was able to book her to play at our ceilidh. It feels like a million years ago and a million miles away from the kinds of shows she plays now. It's been a real treat to watch her evolve as an artist over the years and watch her career grow. Her voice is absolutely angelic.
For CanCon Thursday, I'm going to share one of my favourite Jill Barber videos with you. The song is from her 2008 album, Chances. The video for "All My Dreams" is actually one of my all time favourite music videos. It's beautiful and sweet and funny and it features Jill and Andrew Shaver (an accomplished director and actor and, the co-host of her brother Matt's radio show at CFRC). I think you'd have to be completely dead inside to not enjoy this video and I don't think it's possible to watch it just once.
Question for you, how much electricity do you think was used to power blow dryers in the late 70's / early 80's? A lot is probably a good answer.
Solid Gold Dancers
Looking at the clip for today's song, you can see that many blow dryers were used, at least on Daryl Hall. I remember hearing this song on the radio, probably in 8th grade. I went out and bought the 45 (and still have it at home) and played it over and over again. Eventually, I saw Hall & Oates perform it on Solid Gold. Do you remember Solid Gold? It was a post-American Bandstand pre-Much Music show that featured performances of the weekly hits, often accompanied by the "Solid Gold Dancers."
Eventually, I got deeper into the Hall and Oates catalogue and became a closeted fan. I'm out now and, interestingly (or not) "Kiss on my List" isn't close to being one of my favourite songs of theirs. It is noteworthy though because without it, I probably wouldn't have checked them out.
So, here it is, from Way Back in 1980, a live version of Hall and Oates performing "Kiss on my List," sans Solid Gold Dancers. Happy 80's flashback kittens xo
I used to be one of those folks who would be really excited about an impending Madonna album. I was not one of those young ladies who dressed up like her but I really liked her music and my record collection has a not insignificant chunk of her music in it.
When I was in high school, I picked up a magazine, Spin, because she was on the cover. That turned out to be a good call on my part because Spin, back then, was a pretty good magazine if you liked music. This was pre-internet remember. Magazines and the "New Music" were basically my sources for new stuff... I would buy records based strictly on reviews of certain reviewers (from NME, Rolling Stone and eventually, Spin). Of course, in the mid-80's, Ms Ciccone was on the covers of lots of magazines.
The last time I was really into one of her new albums was when Bedtime Stories came out. The album had a classic vibe to it, over 20 years have passed since it was released and it doesn't sound dated in my opinion. One of the singles from it was Take A Bow. I heard a cover of it a while ago, by Ruby the RabbitFoot. I can't find a video but here is a clean audio version of it. Give it a listen and if you're feeling so inclined after that, dust off your old copy of Bedtime Stories and see if you think it's aged well too.
This song could be shared on a future Way Back Wednesday but I am posting it today.
Just because.
Just because it speaks to me.
Just because hearing it made me smile, bigly.
Just because I think it's true and happiness can make you cry.
Just because I think it's beautiful and I recently rediscovered it after not having heard it for a long time.
I've witnessed people argue about whether or not this song is positive or negative. I personally feel uplifted by it. The best thing about art is that it provokes us. Take a peak at the Flaming Lips' "Do You Realize" and decide for yourself.
My brother and I joke that we grew up in a house listening to two kinds of music: country AND western. Now that's not entirely true, my mum had some Don Ho, Al Hirt and Beatles records in her collection (and others too!) but we heard a lot of late 1960's and early 1970's country / western / folk hits.
One of the more popular guys in our house was Stompin' Tom Connors. I've always had a soft spot for Stompin' Tom, in particular, I loved this song. I also love ketchup! Sadly, that plant in Leamington is now shuttered and honestly, I have grown to prefer French's ketchup because it doesn't have the high fructose corn syrup in it that Heinz uses. Back in 1973 though, when this piece of video was recorded (at the famous Horseshoe Tavern), Heinz was the King of Ketchup.
Hope you enjoy this as much I did when I found it xo
This week, I'm introducing "way back Wednesday." Each Wednesday, I'll post a song that I consider to be "an oldie, but a goodie." If you agree (or disagree) let me know. If you have a suggestion for a future "way back Wednesday" please leave me a comment below and I'll see what I can do.
Squeeze is great.
Squeeze is a long time favourite of mine.
Today, I'm sharing a gem from Squeeze, Cool For Cats.
I'm a dog person but I do enjoy this song. Hope you will as well xo
It's June which means it's time for Pride celebrations. Some of our fellow human beings have had to overcome just absolutely horrific displays of hatred and experience violence (and death) in order to express themselves as they are.
Being yourself, expressing yourself as you wish, loving who you want to should be no one's business but your own. You should not be required to defend yourself in the face of ignorance. I'll not get into this in any kind of great detail because there are so many folks out there who are far more eloquent and knowledgeable on this topic. I just wanted to acknowledge that throughout the month of June, Pride celebrations are happening and I would encourage everyone to participate in any way you can, even if it's just putting a small flag in your window at home.
Now, it's Tuesday so it's time for a cover. The really famous version of this song, "I Will Survive" was popularized by the amazing Gloria Gaynor. It's often heard at Pride celebrations so it's not completely inappropriate to share a cover today. This version is by Cake. The sound on the video is total shit but at least it's the original video. Enjoy kiddies xo
In the same way Father John Misty gives us consistently amazing music, FJM also gives good video. I've yet to see a video by Mr Tillman and Co. that didn't grab me.
Now, I realize that my first Friday post was devoted to the video for "Mr Tillman" but I'm talking up another FJM video. This one, for "Please Don't Die" was released earlier this week. Today is release day for the new LP, "God's Favorite Customer." I'm hopeful that my pre-ordered way too long ago, red vinyl copy is in the mail at home when I get there later on.
I love the animation (it's similar to the video for "Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before The Revolution"). The first time I watched this video, I had goosebumps. It's eerie and beautiful and, without giving too much away, I'll just say I love a happy ending.
Let me know if it gives you goosebumps too. Enjoy kiddies xo
