Cancon Thursday - High Noon Scramble

Happy Halloween!

Many years ago, when I had my first proper post-college job, I worked at a place which, in the end, was a nightmare but, always had fun on holidays.  Halloween in particular was a big one and during the couple of years I worked there, everyone in the office dressed up on the big day. In a way, I'm glad that we don't dress up at work anymore.  It was always sort of a pain to figure out a costume and then have to function at your desk while wearing it.

For a long time, I would go all out on October 31.  I have bins in my basement which are filled with spooky and creepy and cute halloween decorations (always good to have a variety) but for the past few years, I haven't bothered to put them up.  It's supposed to be pouring with rain later today so who knows if the wee ones will even be able to get out to grab their candy tonight.  It's sort of a non event for me.  Having said that, I will be getting my flu shot this afternoon so that's sort of something significant to mark the day.  Maybe I'll wear a mask to the doctor's office.  Probably not but it's still early so anything could happen.

As it's Thursday again, I'm sharing a Canadian tune by a really fun Vancouver band, The Vicious Cycles.  I picked this video because some of the guys are dressed up like nuns (not for Halloween, just for the video).  If they actually are nuns and I misspoke, I would like to apologize.  Anyway, I hope you enjoy "High Noon Scramble" from their fine LP "Motorcycho" - you can purchase "Motorcycho" from Pirates Press Records and you really should, it's awesome and fun!

Stay safe and, if possible, dry today kiddos xo

Dirt first! Hear the church bells ringing

Dirt first! And the Filth Mode singing

Dirt first! Hear the church bells ringing ding dong

Way Back Wednesday - Perfect

Once again, we've made it all the way to the middle of the week.  It feels good so far.  I've got a lot on my plate but I'm also getting through a very very long "to do" list and that's making me really happy. This week, for Way Back Wednesday I'm heading back to the 80's again.

What can I say? I turned 13 in 1980 so my entire teenage experience happened during the Aqua Net and Sun In decade!

The song I'm sharing today, however, was not released while I was still a teenager.  It was released in 1988 by Fairground Attraction, a single from their fab LP "The First of a Million Kisses." Today's song was a number one single for Fairground Attraction and their album won a bunch of awards when it was originally released.

I'll not say a lot more about it other than it's catchy as all get out and an excellent toe-tapper for a blustery Wednesday.  I loved it then and I still love it today, it's a timeless song. One thing I noticed about the video is, the very 80's fashion is all back again. Who knew?

Enjoy "Perfect" by Fairground Attraction and have a very happy hump day kittens xo

I don't want half hearted love affairs

I need someone who really cares.

Life is too short to play silly games

I've promised myself I won't do that again.

Because It's Tuesday - week of October 29

It's been a while since I've shared a Beatles tune here.  I stumbled upon this live version of the Muffs (with the Bangles) covering "Rain" and thought it would be just about a perfect song for this  particular Tuesday.

Photo by Maria Younghans

It's perfect for a few reasons:

1. I love the Muffs and am still feeling sad / numb about the loss of the incredibly talented Kim Shattuck
2. I've been a fan of the Beatles as long as I can remember
3. It's been raining a lot here recently (that time of the year) but when the sun does pop out, it's brilliant and just gorgeous.

So, here you go, The Muffs and friends performing Rain, live in 2014.  Enjoy kittens xo

Can you hear me?

That when it rains and shines

(When it rains and shines)

It's just a state of mind

(When it rains and shines)

Can you hear me?

Can you hear me?

Not Guilty Just Pleasure - Crimson Tide

I went to bed on Election day knowing that we'd have a minority Liberal government.  When I awoke the following morning, I was relieved that the country would not be lead by a hateful man. What we have isn't perfect but it's workable.

Shortly after that, I opened up my email and read some very happy news, a new Destroyer song had been released. Good good news indeed.  Since Tuesday, I've been completely obsessed with this song.  I absolutely love Dan Bejar's writing.  This song is beautiful and I'm so excited about the new album (entitled "Have We Met" and it's due in January) that I've already pre-ordered my copy.

Regarding the election results, I'll just say this.  I've grown weary of hearing folks say that the conservatives won the popular vote.  They did not.  If you add up all of the votes that were cast across the country for alternatives to the conservatives, that number is far more than double the number of votes that they received.  Folks said it loudly, they will note allow a party which supports hate, sexism, racism, transphobia, homophobia, everything-I-care-about-phobia, to run this country.  /rant

So today, I'm sharing "Crimson Tide" with you. This song makes me stupidly happy so if you enjoy it 1/4 as much as I do, you're going to have an incredible musical experience.  Hope you all have a great weekend kiddos xo

Chicken-shit singers

Paying their dues

A circus mongrel sniffing for clues

You watch the blonde make mincemeat of the brunette

An actress pays her debt

To Satan again and again

Cancon Thursday - Wanna Be Your Friend

When you ask the average Canadian about bands from Kingston, one particularly well known band's name is usually the one you hear them mention.

File this under "unpopular opinion" but that band, I was never really a fan of.  I mean, when we were in high school, I saw them a bunch of times and even bought their first couple of records (to support local talent) but it never really did much for me and eventually, I just stopped going to their shows and buying their records.

In the 1990's, I don't think that there was a Kingston-based band I saw more often than The Inbreds. I was (and still am a little bit) involved with CFRC (our local campus / community radio station which broadcasts from Queen's University) and we played the Inbreds, a lot.  Why wouldn't we? They were local and they were awesome.  All of the PF bands (the label started by Dave from the Inbreds) got a lot of airplay and support from the folks at the station.  Kingston has always had a lively music scene but there was something (to me) very special about those PF bands.

For Cancon Thursday, I'm going to share one of my very favourite songs by The Inbreds, "Wanna Be Your Friend" from their 1996 album "It's Sydney or the Bush." Wherever  you are, I'd encourage you to support your local scene. That band you check out this week could just end up writing a song that becomes a favourite of yours for years and years to come.  Enjoy xo

This marina once was smaller, and the grass grew this high

We'd go for boat rides along the harbour with my hand over the side

(You and me) I wanna be your friend, well we always fight

I wanna be your friend tonight

Way Back Wednesday - Make Me Do Anything You Want

Hey kids.

It's Way Back Wednesday again and today I'm sharing a classic Canadian song by A Foot In Cold Water.  Their 1972 song "Make Me Do Anything You Want"

This song was a huge hit in Canada and will, this year, be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame.  I was actually a bit surprised that it wasn't already in there!

According to the press release, "The passionate classic rock ballad “(Make Me Do) Anything You Want” was written by A Foot in Coldwater’s Paul Naumann and Danny Taylor. “(Make Me Do) Anything You Want,” with “Alone Together” on the B-side, entered RPM’s top singles chart in June 1972 and became a Top 40 hit not once, not twice, but three times. Radio stations CJOE (London, Ontario) and CKOC (Hamilton) told Billboard Magazine it was the best Canadian single they had played that year. Anything You Want turned A Foot in Coldwater into a hot group right across Canada, and helped secure a worldwide deal for the band with Jac Holzman at Elektra Records in New York. By 1993, the song had earned a SOCAN Classic Award for more than 100,000 airplays. The song was also a hit for Canadian platinum-selling band Helix who recorded it in 1985."

Enjoy this sweet, oldie but goodie and have a good day kiddos xo

Because It's Tuesday - week of October 22

Apologies for the recent, unscheduled hiatus.

I've got a lot going on and while I don't have a bunch of time to write something thoughtful or funny right now, I thought I would share a cover with you right now.  The original song is a guilty pleasure of mine and this cover, well it's like a super extra cheeze (yes, with a Z) version.

Hope you enjoy it, I'll try to get things back on track here soon.

Happy Tuesday folks and congratulations Canada for keeping obvious sexist, homophobic / transphobic, racists out of the PMO.

Way Back Wednesday - Together Again

This could be a guilty pleasure song except I don't really believe in them anymore. Goodness knows that I did for a long time. I would hide my secret love for cheesey songs. No more!! Embrace the cheese, bring it into the light and share it with your friends!!

Today, I'm doing that, my Way Back Wednesday song is from 1997. "Together Again" was a pretty big single for Janet Jackson, from "The Velvet Rope." It's one of those songs that if I hear it being played, I'll stop and listen to the rest of it. I just plain old like this song for no particular reason.

As it's mid-week, if you're needing a tune to inspire you to have a little dance party at your desk or in your kitchen, this could be it.  Enjoy it kittens xo

There are times when I look above and beyond

There are times when I feel your love around me, baby

I'll never forget my baby

I'll never forget you

Because It's Tuesday - week of October 8

Hey kids.

So, it's finally looking and feeling like fall around here.  I love that.  Crunchy leaves, cozy sweaters, crisp air... not so much in love with the rain or the frost but you have to take the bad with the good right?

If you've been paying attention, you will have long ago figured out that I loved David Bowie and still listen to his music regularly.  Because it's Tuesday, I'm sharing a cover with you. As I'm sure you can imagine, because Bowie's songs are so excellent, they have been covered many many times but artists of all genres.  Today, I'm sharing a often covered song, Heroes.

This is Ted Leo's cover... it was released in 2016 as part of the "Let All The Children Boogie: A Tribute to David Bowie" compilation. Proceeds from the album went to the LGBTQ youth charity organization It Gets Better. 

At times it's really tough to believe that Bowie is no longer with us, because his music is still everywhere.  Hope you enjoy this as much as I do xo

Though nothing will keep us together

We could steal time, just for one day

We can be heroes, forever and ever

What d'you say?

Kim Shattuck

Normally on Thursdays, I share a Canadian song here.  Today's not a normal Thursday so I'll not be sharing a Canadian song today.

My head is all over the place this morning. I didn't sleep super well to be honest. Last night, I heard the sad news of the passing of Kim Shattuck (of the Pandoras and the Muffs... ) at the young age of 56.  Apparently, Kim had been battling ALS for the last two years. All night I kept waking up and thinking about Kim.

She was an incredibly talented songwriter, singer and musicians.  I had the good fortune to meet her a couple of times over the years and to see the Muffs a bunch back in the 1990's.  It's been sad and also heartwarming to read everyone's Kim memories today.

My heart and deepest condolences go out to her husband and her family, to Ronnie and Roy and Melanie... to everyone who loved her and loved her music.  We are lucky that she left us so much good music to enjoy (and a new Muffs record which is out later this month).

Thank you Kim, for everything xo

I don't know why you're so glad

When my head's filled with sorrow

So maybe if I fade away

There'll be no sad tomorrow

Way Back Wednesday - Put Your Teeth Up On The Window Sill

It's such a dark and dreary morning around here that I need something to perk me up.  More than coffee, although coffee is good, don't get me wrong. I needed some toe-tapping, kitchen dance party music.  Something that you can bop around the house to while you wait for that slow dripping coffee to get into your mug. 

The thing that definitely helped my mood this morning is pretty awesome and I hope, if you're moving slowly too, this gets you going!  For Way Back Wednesday this week, I'm sharing "Put Your Teeth Up On The Window Sill" by Southern Culture on the Skids!!

This song was released in 1994 (again, what is up with 1994 and all of the good good music?) on their "Ditch Diggin'" album.  I found this incredible live version from 2010 and if this doesn't put some sunshine and a little boogie in your rainy morning, nothing will.

Enjoy and happy hump day kiddos xo

Because It's Tuesday - week of October 1

Happy October folks.

It's officially fall now and it feels like stinky summer today.  How the heck is it possible that the humidex is going to be in the low 30's today?

Because it actually feels like summer today, I'm going to share a very summer-y song with you.  It's an incredible cover of the classic Drifters song "Under The Boardwalk" by the always fantastic Undertones. 

I've heard many many cover versions of this song over the years but this one has always been my favourite (well, always since I heard it!).  You can find it on their 1980 album "Hypnotised" (such a great record, also contains the hits "My Perfect Cousin" and "Wednesday Week").

Enjoy this last little bit of summer if you can and have some fun dancing around the house to the Undertones today xo

Oh, under the boardwalk
Down by the sea
On a blanket with my baby
Is where I'll be