Ann (The Novaks) - Hey, it was a free download, and they're from Newfoundland! How could you go wrong? And it's so right - it evokes memories of crowded pubs in Halifax, where everyone has a drink and is grooving on the same wavelength.
Tiny Dancer (Live) (Ben Folds) - Not to disparage the original, but I think I like this version better. It sounds like an awkward love song, a tribute to the unattainable girl the sweet but geeky guy will never get. And I still want to sing, "Hold me closer, Tony Danza!" - damn you, Phoebe!
U R the One (Ashley MacIssac) - In a million years, I never would have guessed this was MacIssac. For one, there's no fiddling, and it's grungy. It's very un-Cape Bretonish, but very Halifaxy (I know that doesn't make sense - Cape Breton music is very traditional, while the Halifax "grunge" scene was very popular during the early 90's.)
Step Back / I Come With Water (Bumblebeez 81) - After last time, I did a little research about this band. Turns out they're Australian, and it's a brother and sister team. The more I listen to these songs, the more they remind me of what Beck might sound like if he used a toy guitar.
Everything (Sleaner-Kinney) - I like this one. I can't explain why, except that it sounds like it would be used in a movie during the scene where the protagonist is being chased by bad guys, or is trying to diffuse a bomb, or has just been dumped by his girlfriend, goes to a club, and tries to drink her off his mind.
Walkie Talkie Man (Steriogram) - AMG calls them "New Zealand's smartass retort to Sum 41" (who I loathe). It's twitchy and spazzy, and the video features knitting!
Ain't No Mystery (Smash Mouth) - Smash Mouth are like the cotton candy of the music world - they're fluffy and insubstantial, and have no nutritional value whatsoever. But they're sweet, and they stick in your brain. Like cotton candy, they're also a guilty pleasure.
Content Was Always My Favourite Colour (Most Serene Republic) - Very cool and atmospheric.
Mass Romantic (New Pornographers) - When I was checking out "Twin Cinemas" last time, I browsed through their catalogue, and came across this song, which I've heard a million times on the CBC, but never knew who it was. I listened to it about 15 times in a row today - it's that good.
When the Night Feels my Song (Bedouin Soundclash) - My sister told me about this band, and you might think they would sound like a Northern African techo group. They're actually a three-piece ska/reggae group from Kingston, Ontario, and they're pretty catchy. Lovely harmonies, and very simple music.
I Slept With Bonhomme at the CBC (Broken Social Scene) - Broken Social Scene are one of those groups who are made up of members of other groups, who, in their own groups, sound very different from the meta-group. Atmospheric - I'd like to listen to this song while looking for familiar shapes in the clouds. (FYI - Bonhomme is the official mascot of the Carnival de Quebec, or the Quebec Winter Carnival.)
Melt Into the Walls / Into Your Hideout (Pilate) - See, here's where the train gets derailed. Pilate remind me of Coldplay, who remind me of Radiohead. But why is everyone so obsessed with Radiohead and Coldplay, anyways? I didn't think much of them when I first heard them, and aside from a few songs, I couldn't care less about them. But music
Anyways, I like these songs. There's an emo quality to them that makes me want to dress in black and be moody.
Kiss Me You Fool (The Northern Pikes) - Okay, everyone who remembers these guys, raise your hand! Not so many of us, eh? Surely, you remember "Girl With a Problem" and that song with the fun video, "She Ain't Pretty, She Just Looks That Way"? C'mon! I can't be the only one! Oh well... Another song I would expect to hear in the background of a movie, right when the girl gets her guy, standing on the porch, with the barn and the horses in the background.
You May Be Right / All The Things I Wasn't (The Grapes of Wrath) - Surely, you remember this band. They were around in the early 90's - stop making me feel old! Basically, these songs are a blast from the past for me.
Don't Forget Me When I'm Gone (Glass Tiger) - Ah, sweet childhood memories. How often did you crank up the radio when this came on? How often do you crank up the radio and smile nostalgically when this comes on nowadays? Thin Red Line was the first cassette I ever bought, and it was my favourite for the longest time.
