9 March 2021 - Carly Rae Jepsen - Want You In My Room

So, I guess she decided that the coy approach wasn't working?

In all seriousness, the one-time 3rd place Canadian Idol finisher really stepped up her game here. This 2019 single, which combined a childlike exuberance with sexual themes, received an abundance of critical acclaim, applauding both the fun sound and maturity of theme, so well-balanced.  If you missed this 1980's throwback song in 2019 - the horns! the synth! - I encourage you to check it out now.  

As an added bonus, here she is, performing the song in her hometown of Vancouver.  Three things of note: 

1)  She is really enjoying herself.

2)  Flying V.

3)  The synth sticks around live.

8 March 2021 - Rush - The Spirit Of Radio

Rush was, of course, a band made up of three of the greatest rock musicians on their respective instruments (yes, I know.  Neil Peart joined after the first album.  Don't @ me).  Sone might call them egotistical, with numerous bass, guitar, and especially drum solos featured on many of their songs. 

This song, the big single from their 1980 album Permanent Waves, is a great example of that, where you can hear all three members of the band taking a lead in the music at some point.  It remains the band's biggest UK hit, also hitting the charts in the US and their native Canada.

Lyrically, the song is a lament of the loss of radio formats of the 1970's, having been replaced with more commercial formats.  The band specifically have cited Toronto radio station CFNY - one of the first stations to play the band - as a catalyst for this song.  They also pay tribute to several of their favourite artists in the song - the tribute to Simon and Garfunkel is pretty obvious, but the reggae feeling that portion of the song takes on is a tribute to up-and-coming band The Police.  

It's where the song title came from.

The song was featured on the album Permanent Waves, which has a catalogue number of 1021 - in tribute to the CFNY FM frequency - 102.1.  This video was commissioned for the 40th anniversary of the song in 2020.  

7 March 2021 - k-os - Crabbuckit

My American audience isn't going to know k-os very well.  k-os is a Canadian "alternative hip-hop artist", according to his Wikipedia page.  I wish he was known better south of the border, because his sound is soulful and innovative.

This song, which won Single of the Year at the 2005 Juno Awards (which, for those unaware, are kind of like the Canadian Grammys - and this was the first time a hip-hop song won that award), referred to the crab-in-the-bucket syndrome.  Basically, if you throw a bunch of crabs in a bucket, the mob will work to pull down anyone who tries to escape - a metaphor for someone trying to escape a particular socioeconomic situation.  

6 March 2021 - Martha And The Muffins - Echo Beach

Martha and the Muffins are a rock band from Toronto - ARE.  Not WERE. Formed in the mid-1970s, they had a lot of hits in their native Canada, but only one real big hit outside their homeland.   That hit, of course, was "Echo Beach", a horn-filled electronic romp to a place far removed from the ennui of everyday life.

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of their biggest international hit, Martha and the Muffins rerecorded the song, imagining it at a much slower tempo with a somber tone.  It's a far sadder song.... and still works as such.

5 March 2021 - Sarah McLachlan - Into The Fire

As a snooty music fan in the late 1980's and early 1990's, I discovered some music before it hit the mainstream. 

Sarah McLachlan was one such artist.  I discovered this song - her first alternative radio hit in the US (it was a bigger hit in her native Canada) and instantly loved it - her huge voice, and unusual lyrical content.  

And yes.  That's her naked and covered in mud in the video.  

Fast forward to the late 1990's.  McLachlan is now a huge hitmaker worldwide.... but as of this point, she still remembered her roots.  Here she is, performing the song in her 1999 concert film Mirrorball.  

Sadly, she stopped performing this song live in 1999.  Which is a shame.  It remains one of my favourites by her.

4 March 2021 - Bran Van 3000 - Everywhere

Bran Van 3000, from Montreal, Quebec, did have some success stateside.  Probably best known for "Drinking In L.A.", they actually have a rich, deep catalog.

Take this song, which is less hip-hop and more straight-ahead pop-rock.  A follow up to their aforementioned hit, it was a pretty big, sweet Canadian hit in its own right. Bear in mind, those two very different songs were from the SAME album - Glee, which is a truly underrated piece of art.  

3 March 2021 - Lights - Peace Sign / Lights feat. Cœur de Pirate - Peace Sign

I couldn't let this little synergy go unnoticed.  So I'm doing a 2nd post.  

"Peace Sign" was Track 8 on the Lights album Siberia, which was released in 2011.  It was not a single, but is still an excellent song.

Here is Lights performing the song live.  Excellent, energetic, and something of a dark song.  But clearly, an exciting highlight when performed live.    

Following along so far?

Literally the day after this song was written, the G20 riots in Lights's hometown of Toronto, and that had quite an impact on her.  So, as the story goes, she started corresponding and collaborating on a bilingual version of this song with an artist she was a fan of, for Siberia Acoustic, which was released in 2013. 

That artist, of courses, was Montréal artist Cœur de Pirate. 

And here is that finished product.  It's a lot less energetic, but the lyrics shine so much stronger.  

Lights tells the rest of the story live in 2013 - as of this recording, she had never MET Cœur de Pirate in person - and didn't know the French part of her own song.  Thankfully, the audience did and helped.  Say what you want about the politeness of those from Québec, but it's my opinion and experience that French Canadians are just as polite, helpful and wonderful as just about every other Canadian.