14 March 2025 - Lights - Alive Again

I know what you're thinking.  I know what *I'M* thinking. 

I post too much fucking Lights. LITERALLY the THIRD post this year and it's MARCH. Trust me.  I am acutely aware, readers.

Blame Scott for this one.  I'm surprised he got there first myself.

Yep.  Literally more than any other artist.   More than any of our Hall of Fame entries. 

But, she's got a LOT of output that is excellent.  She has released five full length albums, plus a bunch of EPs, a few reimagined versions of those albums which in their own rights are full length albums, a large number of collaborations, and, for good measure, a charity nighttime instrumental synthwave album to benefit Black Lives Matter Vancouver. Every one of them is a banger. 

Oh, and there is that OTHER project. 

Lights's sixth full length album, A6, will be released in early May.  She's already begun to release singles from the album - this is the second, and it's arguably the best she's sounded.  

13 March 2025 - Sarah McLachlan - Possession

Yeah, it's time. 

I consider this to be her breakthrough song - it was of course a hit in Canada, and also did hit the US Billboard Hot 100 - the first time she had done that.  

Written by McLachlan, the song is inspired by creepy fan letters she received - and many of them are quoted in the song.  One of the "fans" sued McLachlan for using his words and inspiration without his consent - but the case never made it to trial. 

The song worked.  She stopped getting fan letters like that.

Anyway, it is natural that this would be her breakthrough song.  It was full of emotion and was still pretty dark while sounding sunny. 

McLachlan actually made two music videos for this song.  The one above is the one Americans saw on MTV.  The one below is the one Canadians saw on MuchMusic.  I kind of think Americans wouldn't really get the one below - it's biblical and a lot of videos that use biblical references get backlash in the States - so I understand.

If you are one of the lucky people who bought her album Fumbling Towards Ecstacy, you know that this song actually appears TWICE on that album.  A piano version appears as a hidden track. Go ahead - put the CD in.   We'll wait.  

Anyway, this live version is more reminiscent of the 2nd version of the song. 

Wanna feel old?  This song is 32 years old - released in 1993. And yet, here she is in 2024 - when the song was 31 years old.  And, rather than piano, she's playing rhythm guitar.  And it still sounds amazing. 

12 March 2025 - Babygirl - Nevermind

I was really upset with myself that I didn't post ONE MORE Babygirl song in 2024.  

I mean, we opened last March with them.  

There's just not enough time in the month to post everything I want to, but c'mon - I get to make the rules.

And for this gem, from their 2021 EP Losers Weepers, is just brilliant enough to make me want to bend them, hard.  It's a chipper breakup song - and it really shows their depth.

But, at the last minute, I moved them to the best spot of the whole year - my birthday, this year.  

Here they are, performing the song in an quieter set, more as a ballad.  I absolutely love these guys, and can't help but think they're going to be huge soon. 

11 March 2025 - Neil Young - This Note's For You

This commercial parody from the late 1980s was actually banned from MTV, mostly because MTV didn't want to piss off Coke, Pepsi, or Budweiser.  Also, Michael Jackson threatened to sue them. 

MuchMusic, which is essentially Canadian MTV for those who don't know what it is (don't @ me.  I know what it is.  Most of my readers wouldn't), did NOT have the same concerns and started playing the video.  It ended up being a hit and MTV reconsidered its decision.

It went on to win Video of the Year at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards, which was both ironic and amazing, because it's a great video.  And song.  We haven't even talked about the song. 

And no, Michael Jackson never did end up suing them over this video. 

Because his label blocks the actual video from being posted, here it is side-by-side with its ad parodies

I have to admit, Neil Young is such a ubiquitous musician, he feels like he belongs to no country. 

But he is not only proudly Canadian, he is a Canadian Music Hall of Famer.

And he put on some great live shows, like this one, where he did an acoustic version of this song. 

And he sang it for you. 

10 March 2025 - Elisapie - Quviasukkuvit (If It Makes You Happy)

Last year, Elisapie's fantastic album Inuktitut was nominated for a Juno.... and WON.  Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year.  

This year, the SAME ALBUM is nominated for TWO Junos.   And, I looked it up.  The eligibility periods of the 2024 and 2025 Junos overlap by a couple of months, and this album - arguably my favorite of 2023 - happened to have been released in the overlap window.  

I am rooting for this to win Album of the Year. The album is great and deserves the attention.   It's also nominated in the Adult Alternative Album of the Year category, and I think it WILL win that one.  

This song was not on the initial release of the album, but was released as a single, with video, on the occasion of the first anniversary of its release. Yes, it was written by Sheryl Crow, but she didn't write her song in Inuktitut... and this version has a very different, dreamier feel than the original. 

9 March 2025 - Caity Gyorgy - My Cardiologist

Yep, original Canadian jazz has made it to Wicked Guilty Pleasures.

Nominated for a Juno this year for her album Hello! How Are You?, Gyorgy is a talented jazz vocalist and songwriter from Calgary.

Also, it is, for some reason, pronounced "George".   

This song was from her 2022 album Featuring, which also won a Juno (and that wasn't her first).  The song was written by Gyorgy, in the style of, in her words, the "Great American Songbook".   I suspect she means North American.  Isn't it weird that people from the United States call themselves American and the rest of the world has gone along with the identity of two continents being given to one county's residents?  I really need to stop it with these political tangents.  

Anyway, enjoy this witty and catchy song.

8 March 2025 - AR Paisley - Only You

AR Paisley dreams of winning a Grammy, which is why he listens to Grammy-award winning music.

He's nominated for a Juno Award this year (Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year), so he's off to a flying start. 

Born Amarit Rehal, and a native of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, his hip-hop takes a page from Jay-Z's playbook, but also combines English and Punjabi rhymes.  He also counts Ludacris as an influence.  I hear it. 

Anyway, he's making good, original rap music that deserves your attention, so here it is.