CanCon Thursday - On To Checkpoint Bravo

Happy Thursday kiddos.

Posting this a bit later than I normally do but hey, better late than never, right?

How is your week going? I'm having one of those weeks, where, each morning when the alarm goes off, I say to myself, "It's Friday, right?"

Yeah, not so much. 

When I woke up this morning, it was only Thursday. 

It's been a decent day though, no serious complaints to be had. If you'll indulge me for a moment with a small criticism/observation, I will say this: my head has felt like it's inside a bucket of jello because of seasonal allergies. It's so nice to see the trees bursting out with buds but yikes. my head is foggy. It's a nice problem to have though, because spring is sprouting all over the place and green is much prettier than whatever colour dirty snow and frozen slush is.

Getting to the music: today's Can Con Thursday song is "On To Checkpoint Bravo" by Ottawa's incredible purveyors of sweet surf sounds, The Reverb Syndicate. I know that they have recently starting playing shows again (after a long pandemic-induced break). You should definitely check them out if you see that they are playing in your town. Also, they have some pretty awesome records you can pick up at a show or through your local record store.

Watch out for the midges and have a good day kiddos xo

Way Back Wednesday - Whatever Gets You Thru The Night

How is everyone doing today?

The busy stuff I was experiencing last week is still going on this week. To give myself a little break and do something fun, I decided to make a new post today rather than recycle an archival post (which I did yesterday). 

We're at the midway point of the working week and as you know, on Wednesday, I share an older song with you.

This week's Way Back Wednesday song is "Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" by John Lennon. It was released as a single back in 1974 (on Apple Records). You can find it on his Walls and Bridges album (which was also released in 1974). If the harmony vocals and piano on this track sound familiar, they should - Elton John sings and plays on the song.

The video is super cute. It was originally created in 1991 with illustrations from "The John Lennon Sketchbook."

I had no idea until I looked it up but this was the only number one US single during his lifetime (it made it to number two on the Canadian charts). It's a super fun, catchy song and I'm sure if you give it a listen, you'll be dancing around your house in no time!

Happy Hump Day kids xo

Hold me, darlin', come on, listen to me

I won't do you no harm

Trust me, darlin', come on, listen to me

Come on, listen to me, come on, listen, listen

Finally Friday - The Ballad of High Noon

Hey kids!

Happy Friday to you. Looks like we've almost made it to the finish line of the working week again. I hope you've arrived relatively unscathed. 

For those of you who observe them, I hope you had an enjoyable Bicycle Day (which marks the anniversary of Albert Hofmann's first LSD trip - not to be confused with World Bicycle Day, which is celebrated on June 3) and a lovely 4/20. What a week for celebrations!

Monday, April 24, is my dad's birthday. This will be the first year we mark the day without him. I'll be getting together with my family this weekend. You can bet there will be lots of laughs, stories, and probably some tears (mostly from me, a giant crybaby). We had such a wonderful time last year celebrating dad's 80th birthday. It's still shocking to me that he's gone and won't be tucking into a big piece of cake on Monday. 

My Finally Friday song choice today is by the legendary Tex Ritter. My dad was a fan of his, and my mom, well, not so much. I found this clip from an August 1970 episode of the Dick Cavett show. By the time this aired, Mr. Ritter was in his 60s, but boy, his voice was still amazing. "The Ballad of High Noon" was released in 1952, the theme song to the movie "High Noon." It won the Oscar for best song that year and Tex Ritter performed it at the ceremony. Others have recorded the song, but I think of him when I hear that famous opening line, "Do not forsake me, oh my darlin', on this our wedding day."

I hope you enjoy it. Also, if you're still lucky to have your dad around (and your dad is one of the good guys like mine), hug him or call him and tell him that you love him. I'd give just about anything to be able to do that again. xo

Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'

You made that promise when we wed

Do not forsake me, oh my darlin'

Although you're grievin', I can't be leavin'

Until I shoot Frank Miller dead

Can Con Thursday - The Cheapest Key

Today, April 20, is the birthday of my lovely grandfather, Lawrence Shanks. We lost him back in 1985 while my brother and I were still in high school. He lived with our family for the last few years of his life and I'll always be grateful for that extra time that we got to spend with him. I don't know if we realized at the time, what a gift it was to have him in our lives every day. I recognize it now and am thinking about him today. Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

My life is a little bit crazy right now, so this is the week's first post. On Tuesday, I felt particularly stressed and anxious, and I couldn't decide what to listen to.  I felt a bit like Goldilocks, some playlists were too bouncy, and others were too quiet. Finally, I realized what was "just right" for my state of mind and spent the entire workday listening to Kathleen Edwards.

Thank goodness for Kathleen Edwards! Her music soothed me on Tuesday. It did not, however, massage the giant knot out of my neck and shoulders, but it made my brain feel better than it had in a few days.

So, today, for Can Con Thursday, I'm going to share "The Cheapest Key." You can find it on her 2008 album, Asking For Flowers. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kathleen, for keeping me sane this week. F is also my favourite letter xo

They say the start's always the hardest part

But like you know, baby, I'm all warmed up

Sometimes I wanna shout your name out loud

And let them in on what you're all about

Finally Friday - Pretty Good Guy

Finally, it's Friday. It's also Mark's birthday. He would have been 71 today. This year would have been a good one for him. Unlike many years when he was a kid, it's not falling on Passover, so he'd get to celebrate with a dessert he liked instead of a matzo birthday cake (he didn't care much for it).

Marking the day without him always feels sad and weird. By the time it gets to be the 8th time you do it, it should be easier, but it isn't. There will forever be a Mark-shaped hole in our lives. I miss him each day, and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him, share a story about our life, or tell one of his favourite jokes. 

The way I'm feeling right now (which is a bit mushy and fragile),  if I say much more, I'll be crying too much to see the screen. That would be bad.

I'm sharing a song he loved and identified with in honour of his birthday. It's "Pretty Good Guy" by Fred Eaglesmith. I know that I shared a Fred song recently, but this one is special so I hope you'll indulge me. Mark loved this one. Normally, I just share a bit of a lyric from the song of the day, but I'm leaving the whole song here for you to read. If you substitute "fix your car" for "fix your computer" or "fix you a mind-blowing meal," you'll see that this really describes Mark.

Today, if you're inclined to do something in his memory, I'd suggest you have a nice breakfast (a good version of bacon, eggs, toast and coffee was always his favourite meal) and listen to some Fred.

Take care, kids, and hug the folks you love, frequently and often xo

There's a couple old people

That live across the road

So I keep the volume down

On my radio

And all the neighbours say

When I go by

He's a pretty good guy

Hey, I'm registered

In CPR

And if you asked me to

I could fix your car

It's just the way I am

I got a pretty good life

I'm a pretty good guy

Just one good man

All the good ones are gone

Hey, play it again

I like that song

There's a pretty good guy

Coming down the street

And you'd be surprised

He looks a lot like me

Since you've been gone

I've realized

That you were wrong

I'm a pretty good guy

Yeah, you were wrong

I'm a pretty good guy

Can Con Thursday - Mom Jeans // Mom Genes

Today's Can Con Thursday song is by Calgary's fabulous garage rockers, Miesha and The Spanks. 

What an awesome duo they are!!  It was not easy to pick just one song to share today. Originally, I was going to share "I Can't Wait." It's finally feeling like spring around here, and this song is a perfect warm weather song (actually, if it's cold where you are, dancing around your house to this one will warm up you up, too!). 

In the end, I changed my mind and am sharing "Mom Jeans // Mom Genes" instead. It's definitely an ear worm song but in a totally great way.

Not sure if you know this, but they have a brand new record coming out tomorrow (Friday, April 14). It's called "Unconditional Love in HiFi." I pre-ordered it on Bandcamp, and you can do that too (or just buy it on Friday at your favourite record store or from Mint Records). 

They'll also be hitting the road and will be in our area next month. Miesha and The Spanks will visit Kingston (well, Wolfe Island) on May 17 at the Wolfe Island Hotel and Ottawa on May 17 at House of Targ.

Give it a listen and have a good day kids xo

Mom genes for the babe who won’t sleep at night

Mom genes for the kid who wants to put up another fight

Mom genes for the mom times that we’ve lost

Mom jeans for the mom bod that I’ve got

Way Back Wednesday - Ever Fallen In Love

Today's Way Back Wednesday song is "Ever Fallen In Love (with someone you shouldn't have Fallen in love with)" by Buzzcocks.

Written by Pete Shelley, Ever Fallen in Love was released in 1978 and ranked as the Number 1 song of the year by NME. I have always loved this song, and let's face it, it's totally relatable. We've all fallen in love with someone we shouldn't have fallen in love with at some point in our lives. It's a universal message to all of us hapless sad sacks. Unrequited love truly sucks.

Fortunately for humans, it's easily forgotten when the real thing comes along. That's been my experience anyway, as the kids used to say, "YMMV" (your mileage may vary). I have no idea what the kids say these days, but I'm in the last month of my 55th year, so I'm not expected to keep up.

No matter how old I get, Buzzcocks will always be cool. Enjoy this performance from Top of the Pops and have a good day, folks xo

I can't see much of a future

Unless we find out what's to blame, what a shame

And we won't be together much longer

Unless we realize that we are the same

 

Because It's Tuesday - week of April 11

You may not know this about me, but I love "train wreck" TV.  The funny thing is, I didn't realize that I did. Many years ago, while I was at work, Mark had popped home for a break (he drove a cab so he would stop by the house to grab lunch). He turned on CNN and saw that the Dannielynn Birkhead custody trial was on. He hit record on the PVR, and when I got home, I could watch that train wreck. It was a wonderful surprise for me. It was also the first time I realized that I loved to watch a "real life" shit show on the TV!

In the years since I became a regular viewer of Sister Wives on TLC. I lost track of how many seasons of the show have aired, but it's into the teens by now. Reality TV's favourite polygamists, the Brown Family, may not have started out as a train wreck, but they seem to be one now. The family has pretty much broken up, with only one wife remaining married to the patriarch. I enjoyed watching how the wives and children reacted to the ridiculous man at the centre of the family. It was amusing to me to see things blow up in his face (not very nice of me to admit that I know, but there you go).

Recently, because I'm waiting for a new season of Sister Wives, I decided to re-watch HBO's "Big Love." If you haven't seen it, it ran for 5 seasons on HBO, and the story followed a family of modern-day polygamists who are struggling to live a normal life while still practicing their faith. It's set in Utah, where, at the time, polygamy was considered a felony. When it first aired in 2006, it took the coveted Sunday night time slot, which had been previously filled by The Sopranos. Big shoes to fill. It had a great cast and spectacular writing.

I won't get into the nuts and bolts of the show, but today's song is a cover of the show's theme song, "God Only Knows," by the Beach Boys. It's possibly one of the most beautiful songs ever written. The song opened every episode of the first 3 seasons of "Big Love." Over the weekend, I watched the series finale and was reminded of Natalie Maine's cover of the Beach Boys classic. I'm not really a fan of hers, but I do like her version of the song (although it doesn't hold a candle to the David Bowie cover). This version played over the closing credits of the last show of the series. 

Hopefully, your week is off to a good start. Take care kiddos xo

God only knows what I'd be without you

If you should ever leave me

Though life would still go on believe me

The world could show nothing to me

So what good would living do me

Finally Friday - Go All The Way

While I get that Good Friday is a day of somber observance for many christians, when you're a big 'ole heathen like me, it's a holiday, so, Happy Friday to those of you who are enjoying a long weekend! As a kid, I always dreaded attending church on Good Friday. The place was always packed to the rafters, and there were some things happening that I wasn't a big fan of. When I was finally old enough to stop going, it felt good to me to miss it.

So, for your Finally Friday tune, I'm sharing "Go All The Way" by the Raspberries. I love me some Raspberries. When I was a little girl, and I'd hear their songs on the radio, I had not yet heard the term "power pop" but I knew that I loved their sound and was always drawn to bands of their ilk.

"Go All The Way" was released in July 1972 (and it really is a perfect summer song) and got to the number 5 position on the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. The risque lyrics (she's pretty obviously begging for sex) the song was banned by the BBC. When you think about some of the stuff that has been played on the radio in the years since, it's hilarious.

I hope you have a lovely long weekend, however, you celebrate this time of the year. xo

Baby, please, go all the way

It feels so right (feels so right)

Being with you here tonight

Please, go all the way

Just hold me close (hold me close)

Don't ever let me go (don't let me go)

Can Con Thursday - Officer Down

Happy fake Friday everyone. I love a long weekend and am happy to have tomorrow off. I hope that you get to enjoy an extra day off this week.

For Can Con Thursday, I'm sharing "Officer Down" by Caroline Mark and NQ Arbuckle. I can't remember when I first heard this song but I loved it from the first listen and it remains, so many years later, a song I can hear every day and never tire of. I think that Neville and Caroline's voices blend together beautifully.

My interpretation of the song is that the guy is in a new relationship with a girl named Jen (Juliet-Echo-November). So far, things are going well. It seems that they may be going better than he expected and he's cautiously optimistic (even if he's yet to develop deep romantic feelings for Jen). Not exactly a passionate story of love's young dream but a far more realistic portrayal of a newish relationship, after you've been burnt a few times in the past.

Of course, I could be wrong. That's just what I'm hearing. I hope you give it a listen because it really is a great song by a group of very talented Canadian musicians.

Stay safe kiddos xo

Drunk while you're asleep

I sneak around the bed like a burglar

And you don't even notice when

I knock over your glass of water

It's hard to be a good man listening

To the Drive-By Truckers

But you're so good to me it's weird

I think I'm happy

Way Back Wednesday - Retreat From The Sun

This week, I've decided to spare you of another song from my 1970's childhood. I may return to that playlist sometime but I decided to take a break for the moment.

For Way Back Wednesday, I'm sharing something that was released on April 8, 1997, almost 26 years ago (wow, how did that happen!?). Retreat From The Sun is the title track from that dog.'s third studio album. The band had formed in Los Angeles in 1992 and sadly broke up a few months after Retreat From The Sun was released. They did regroup in 2011 and their fourth studio album, Old LP was released in 2019. 

Back in the day, I never had a chance to that dog. perform but I did listen to them a lot. The mid 1990's seemed like a good time for female / female lead bands and I had them in pretty heavy rotation (along with folks like cub, Jale, Velocity Girl, The Muffs, The Softies, The Vinaigrettes, Plumtree and Coal to name just a handful).

I found this live version of Retreat From The Sun which was recorded just a couple of weeks after the record's release, on April 21, 1997 at the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. What a little gem! It's a terrific performance and I hope you enjoy it.

Happy hump day kids xo

you may run

like a bitch in heat

but it's fun

to sometimes try to retreat from the sun

cause it's awful lonely where i'm coming from

where i'm coming from

 

Because It's Tuesday - week of April 4

It's a short week around here (and hopefully around where you are too). I'm not feeling super chatty but wanted to make a post anyway. I'll keep this brief (I can almost hear you saying "yay").

Today's cover song (I always share a cover on Tuesdays) was written for the Righteous Brothers. The song never made it them because Frankie Valli first. He released it as a single in 1965. It was kind of a dud for him. The Walker Brothers released their version a year later, which was a huge hit.

The song of the day is "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore." It's been covered by many artists over the years. The version I'm sharing today was released in 2019 by The Explorers Club. You can pick up your very own copy it from their bandcamp page. It's their homage to the great Scott Walker.

I hope you give it a listen, I love their sound, and they did a terrific job with it.

Have a good Tuesday, kiddos xo

Emptiness is the place you're in

There's nothing to lose but no more to win

The sun ain't gonna shine anymore

The moon ain't gonna rise in the sky

The tears are always clouding your eyes

When you're without love