1 March 2022 - Cœur de Pirate - Carry On / Oublie-Moi

I made it quite clear how I feel about Cœur de Pirate at the end of last year.  

I made it quite clear how I feel about her Roses album at the end of last year.

I also opened last #MapleLeafMarch with her.

What I have not yet mentioned is that she's been compared to London Grammar - basically, a "London Grammar for Quebec".  Canada does not need London Grammar.  They have Cœur de Pirate.  Even though France and Belgium have made her a bigger hitmaker than Canada has....

There's probably a lot of other stuff I haven't mentioned, either.  But I digress.  Carry on. 

Roses was a bilingual album.  This is the song that tied the two halves of the album together (as a bonus track that's included in literally every streaming service's version of the album).   Lyrically, they aren't exactly the same - "Oublie-Moi" is not nearly as cheery.  However, bookending the album with two versions of the same song - it gives the album a cohesive feel, almost like a Mobius strip.  

Don't worry.  She'll be back this month.  

1 March 2022 - Arcade Fire - Ready to Start

I had SO MUCH Canadian music queued up for last March, I could not nearly fit it all in.   

Arcade Fire is one band I really wanted to fit in, but I was way too busy cramming in as much Sarah McLachlan and Cœur de Pirate as I possibly could, I just didn't have room.  No, seriously, I bumped them from March 31st to literally fit both of those artists in again.  

But that's fine. We'll let them open this month.  Welcome to the 2nd annual #MapleLeafMarch.  Now enjoy your Arcade Fire.

 

28 February 2022 - Death From Above 1979 - Black History Month

This song would have fit in February OR March.  We didn't have time in either month to fit it in last year, but I sure wasn't going to miss the opportunity this year.  

When I stumbled upon this tune by Canadian indie-rock darlings DFA 1979, I began to think that I should have done a thing for February last year, like I did for March.  I feel like we missed an opportunity there.  So, even though this song really doesn't fit this month's theme, it makes for a nice transition between months.

This song got its title not because it was about black history, but because it was written in February... maybe it was meant to be plugged in exactly where it was this year.  

No elephant masks were harmed in the making of this video.  Mostly because they left them out, for some reason.  

25 February 2022 - Squeeze - Hourglass

Quick, what was Squeeze's biggest hit?

Did you immediately think "Tempted"?  Or "Black Coffee In Bed"?

Nope.  This song reached #15 on the Billboard charts in 1986, making it the biggest hit the band ever had in the US.   A rare songwriting collaboration by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, the song is lyrically word salad.  Musically, it's typical Squeeze.

24 February 2022 - INXS - The One Thing

I was really late writing this today.   So, yeah, I dipped into my leftover Hall of Fame bag for this one.  Enjoy what was the first major international hit by INXS, Australia's greatest export.  Of course, after Vegemite.  And Paul Hogan.  And koala bears.  

The strength of this song in Australia led to record deals for INXS outside of Australia - and their worldwide fame.  

23 February 2022 - twenty one pilots - Heathens

This song, from the 2018 movie Suicide Squad, is the biggest hit twenty one pilots have had thus far, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and staying there for five weeks in 2016.

The song is a fusion of straight-ahead rock and hip-hop. It's a dark song, for sure.  It is likely the best thing to come out of the Suicide Squad movie - and it ain't just me saying this.  

22 February 2022 - XTC - Dear God

On this palindromic day, we bring to you a letter to God.

Written in the voice of an agnostic questioning his own existence, the song is an indictment of organized religion - mostly on the atrocities man has done in the name of God throughout history.  Eight year old girl Jasmine Veillette provides vocals for the opening and closing of the song, but most of it is normal XTC vocalist and songwriter Andy Partridge.  

The song was quite controversial, left off initial pressings of the Skylarking album over what ended up being completely founded (although misguided - threats of violence over disagreement are, in my opinion, really stupid) concerns over backlash. Its popularity got it added to subsequent pressings, and it is one of XTC's best remembered songs, even though others were bigger hits.