Not Guilty Just Pleasure - The Girl I Can't Forget

As it's Friday and the last day of January, I'm sharing something that makes me feel happy and warm inside. Ever since I first heard their debut album in the 1990's, I've been a fan of the Fountains of Wayne.

The summer I met Mark, we spent a lot of time driving back and forth between Kingston and Toronto. I'm pretty sure that the only two records I listened to in the car that summer were Wilco's "Summerteeth" and "Utopia Parkway" by Fountains of Wayne.

A silly aside,  when I met him, Mark was driving an old, blue Toyota Tercel. When he picked me up for our first date, I noticed that on the gas tank door, he had a Southern Culture on the Skids "Plastic Seat Sweat" sticker. At that point, I had a feeling that things were going somewhere good.

Anyway, in 2005, Fountains of Wayne released a wonderful compilation of b-sides, covers and rarities. The album was called "Out of State Plates" and it also featured two new songs. I'm sharing one of those songs today, "The Girl I Can't Forget." I remember the first time I heard it. I hit the repeat button and probably listened to it 10 times in a row. In my opinion, it is an absolutely perfect pop song.  If you haven't heard it before, you're in for a big treat.

Enjoy it kiddos and have a wonderful weekend xo

And now that I'm with her

The whole thing seems a bit absurd

Though she never fails to tell the tale

Of the time she had to post my bail

And for giving me a second chance

I'm forever in her debt

Since the night I can't remember

She's the girl

I will never forget

Cancon Thursday - Black and Blue

Hold on to your hair crimper folks, today's CanCon Thursday tune is a classic 80's tune from a Canadian band.

Originally from Charlottetown, Haywire were moderately popular in Canada during the 1980's. I worked with a gal while I was in school who was so in love with them.  She was absolutely obsessed with today's song and watched the video over and over and over again. I was quite surprised that I remembered the lyrics, guess she really burned it into our brains. Admittedly, it's a catchy song and it's about 80's sounding as it gets (it also sounds pretty Glass Tiger-y...or do Glass Tiger sound like Haywire?). Either way, it's very 80's!

Today's song is "Black and Blue." It was released on their 1987 album, "Don't Just Stand There." Re-watching the video this week was so much fun. The fashion in the video is pretty bang on.  It's like a little time capsule actually. SO many mullets... SO many perms... SUCH big shoulder pads... All that stone washed denim. It really takes me back. I can only imagine how many cans of Aquanet were used in the making of this video.

So, take a look and a listen and enjoy it xo

Believe me, baby, when I tell you

That you make love that fine

Sit around and bitch

And still I'm going out of my mind, ow!

Way Back Wednesday - I Wanna Be Loved

Yesterday was all about "I wanna be adored" and today is all about "I wanna be loved"

Despite the fact that Elvis Costello once described his 1984 album, Goodbye Cruel World, as one of his worst, it has remained, for over 35 years now, one of my favourite albums by Elvis Costello and the Attractions.  If you're interested in the album, you should definitely listen to the episode of Malcolm Gladwell's "Revisionist History" Podcast where Elvis talks about it (click here to find it).

Although Elvis is probably one of the world's most talented song writers, the song I'm sharing today (from "Goodbye Cruel World") is a cover. "I Wanna Be Loved" (by Teacher's Edition) was originally released on Hi Records in 1973. If the backing vocals sound really familiar, they should because Green Gartside from Scritti Politti is the BV on this song. I really love this song, I love Elvis Costello and the Attractions and the video is very sweet. I had forgotten just how lovely it was until I re-watched it this week.

Give it a listen and let me know what you think. Happy hump day kittens xo

I guess I'm a victim of loneliness

But why should this be my destiny?

A foolish man for a lot of my life

Shouldn't there be someone

Someone for me?

Because it's Tuesday - week of January 28

One of the things that I love and kind of hate about you tube is the way you can get pulled into places you had no intention of going. It's not a bad thing but sometimes it's inconvenient.

Perhaps people who have greater attention spans than I do can get out quickly but that never seems to work for me. I go there looking for one thing, and it suggests that I watch something completely unrelated (but totally awesome) and there I go. Down the rabbit hole. I watch the thing it suggests... and then the next... and so on and maybe, eventually, I will remember why I went there in the first place but probably not.  All in all, not a horrible thing but if you're trying to stick to a schedule, it can really suck your time.

This happened to me yesterday. I went to you tube to watch something (no idea what, can't recall). Instead of finding whatever that was, I saw a link to the "official video" for the Stones Roses classic, "I wanna be adored." I cannot remember the last time I had heard that song, years and years, probably over a decade had passed. Of course, I clicked on it and was transported back in time instantly. I so enjoyed it that I thought, "okay, there is my way back Wednesday song for this week." In 2020, this song is still incredible. It has truly stood the test of time.

As the song finished playing, you tube told me about today's cover (the Raveonettes version of "I wanna be adored"). Well, I love the Raveonettes and had not heard their version so, I clicked.  Wow, it's just beautiful and fans of the original will find a lot to love about this one too.

Hope you enjoy it.

Not Guilty Just Pleasure - You Don't Wanna Hear It

Good news everyone (yes, as I typed that I heard Professor Farnsworth's voice in my head), Ron Sexsmith has a new record coming out in April. The album will be called Hermitage and the first single, "You Don't Wanna Hear It" was released last week.

First of all, I love Ron Sexsmith. His lyrics are always thoughtful and clever and he tweets the funnest puns around (seriously, if you're not following him on twitter, you really should!!). He'll be touring Canada later this year so if you're lucky enough to be close to where he's playing, check him out. His live shows are pretty great.

As I mentioned last week, so far, 2020 is turning out to be an excellent year for music. If things are this exciting in January, I can't imagine how I'll be feeling by July.

Happy Friday kiddoes, enjoy some wonderful new Ron music xo

say you've got a wounded heart

not dealing is the easy part

so you don't

you don't wanna listen now