The Summer That Was...2009 Edition

Well other than one quick post last week, I have missed a great deal to blog about over the past few months. So for the third time ever here, I'll do a quick recap of a few different things.

So without further ado, here is a recap of the last few months...



The King is Dead

Obviously the story that received the most media attention this summer was the passing of Michael Jackson. While it is certainly sad to see anyone pass away at a mere 50 years, I am certainly in the camp of people who say that this story was massively overblown. I have certainly always been a fan of his music, but his all too bizarre public persona left a great deal to be desired. I am wondering exactly where all of these fans and celebrity friends of his were when he was slowly poisoning himself with drugs and on this sad downward spiral that we all played witness to. From all reports it seemed like Jackson took the media's fascination with his self-destruction to heart, causing him to self-destruct even more.

While any of Jackson's choices remain his own to make, the media, and those of us who consumed any story about how weird he got with great zeal need to shoulder some of the blame for what happened. Everyone talks about how tragic his death was, but the reality is that his life was the real tragedy.

Of course, yesterday there was a huge bomb dropped, where it was revealed that his death is being treated as a homicide. I'm not sure what to believe anymore. I'll reserve comment on that for a later time I guess.

The Point Guard Makes the Pass...or Something Like That

Another huge story over the summer was Sarah Palin's resignation as Governor of Alaska. I know that I was certainly surprised by this one, yet in hindsight I don't know why. Since bursting onto the national stage less than a year ago, she has done everything she can to stay in the spotlight. As she returned to Alaska people started to forget about her. She needed to jump back into centre stage, and Alaska is certainly not the place for her to do that.

I do not truly understand the appeal that this woman has. It's as if someone in the Republican Party said “Hey, George Bush is not stupid, folksy, Evangelical, or hawkish enough” and Palin was born from that. I honestly feel that this woman is the biggest threat to the United States in the world, and the thought of her holding the highest office in the land is downright terrifying. For some reason the Rush Limbaugh wing of the party seems to love her, despite the fact that she proved to be a disastrous addition to McCain's campaign and ultimately lead to his downfall. She is just as much of an empty headed celebrity as they claimed Obama to be.


Free Agent Frenzy

Yet again the NHL's annual summer auction was fast and furious with all sorts of big names changes homes. I will have more to talk about this one later on, but I think that the signings of Cammalleri and Komisarek were the best, with the Hossa and Gaborik signings being the worst. I also really liked the Pronger trade, for both teams, and I think that it places both teams in a solid position when the fall starts.

Heel Turn of the Century

Once more I am going to talk a bit about internet darling CM Punk, who shocked the world when he cashed his Money in the Bank contract in at Extreme Rules on Jeff Hardy. Since then they two have been involved in one of the best feuds that the wrestling world has seen in a while which seems to be wrapping up now with Hardy leaving the company.. I couldn't be happier with this as Punk was made to play a heel, and I'm frankly surprised that it took the WWE this long to cash in on the heel potential of Straight Edge wrestler. (For the record: I CALLED IT...even if I didn't think that it would happen this soon).

Lockdown

After a series of civil unrest in China and Iran, internet censorship is back in full force. Web 2.0 in particular has been blocked. With Twitter, Facebook, and yes even Blogger all getting blocked. Right now I am posting through a VPN. This slows things down and makes life rather difficult.

While I am complaining about it as a mere inconvenience to me, there are many people who are under severe oppression as a result of this. Ignorance remains strength.

On a Personal Note

I had the pleasure of returning to Canada for the first time in almost a year for most of July. It was fantastic and surreal to return after so long, as I truly missed a great deal about home. I also got to head to New York City for the first time ever and I was able to travel for a bit in Western China, which was both all kinds of awesome (read about those adventures here).

Now for the first time since I graduated from Acadia in 2004 I will be doing the same thing for two years in a row. While I find the familiarity of returning to Suzhou a touch daunting, I am excited to be a little bit more settled, even if it is for just a short time.

Until next time,

G

20 Meaningful Albums

After the wild success of the "25 Random Things" on Facebook, it seemed destined that music geeks around the world would find something to combat this meme. Thankfully, there was indeed something to come out. I was tagged of this one the Book, and decided that it would be better served as a blog post as well. Feel free to copy this idea (since I clearly did) and post it yourself, and if you are writing this on Facebook, please tag 20 (or so) people who you would like to know about their musical tastes.

The rules for this are simple, find 20 albums that mean the most to you and tell us why. These do not need to be in any particular order, and in no means should represent your thoughts on the 20 "best" albums, just ones that have a special meaning to you in some way, shape or form.

Sounds simple right? Well I thought it was going to be a simple exercise, but then I started writing, and I had a hard time stopping. It amazed me how much my history of musical tastes, is so interrelated to my own personal history, not only serving as a backdrop, but occasionally as a major player, developing a story of its own....enjoy!!!

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1. Arcade Fire -- Funeral

I'll always remember the moment that I acquired this album. I had just got off a bus stop when I noticed someone drop something. Desiring to be the good Samaritan, I rushed through the crowd to pick it up and return it, however, by the time that I fought my way over to what they had dropped, the very person had boarded the very bus that I just got off from and the doors closed, leaving me with a CD in my hand. After processing the events, I went home, and curiously put it into my stereo, and everything changed.

Alright, so I made that all up. My story of how I cam across the most meaningful piece of art is far less romantic than that, and to be honest, is a little bit sad.

Like most of my musical moments of my University days, they traced back to one man, Ryan McNutt. See McNutt (whose blog I have linked to on multiple occasions), is far more of a music geek than I have ever been, and has provided me with countless suggestions and insights into music at different points in time.

It was late in 2004, and I was discussing some record or another that should be the album of the year, and he interjected and told me that his pick was by a Montreal band called “The Arcade Fire”. I nodded and said that I would check it out. The next day, I went out and downloaded a few of their songs, and to be honest, I was not all that impressed. I thought that they were good, but far from great, and I paid them little attention for months.

Then one day, while I was more or less dissatisfied with my life, “Rebellion (Lies)” came on my iTunes shuffle, and I heard something different. Something resonated with me that wasn't there before. I can't place my finger on it, but it just sounded...better.

The next time I found myself in a record store, I knew that I needed to buy this album. While I had heard most of the songs on it before, I had yet to hear it that way before, and in that particular context. I was amazed at the symmetry of the album, and how beautifully all of the songs were put together (in particular “Haiti” and “Rebellion (Lies)”). I was spell bound at the art work on the cardboard case. I studied the lyrics and extracted meanings upon meanings.

My lack of income and fast internet connection had turned me into a downloader for most of my University days. I had forgotten the beauty in an album, the story it tells from it's opening song, down to its aesthetics. Thankfully, along came Funeral and reminded me that an album really is more than a collection of songs, it can be something so much more.

While I could go on and on about my love for this album, I suppose that I have committed to talking about 19 others...

2. Nirvana -- Unplugged in New York

Back in the mid-90s these new things called “CDs” came out. Apparently they were much more convenient and durable than tapes. Needless to say, my younger sister and I wanted them, badly. But we had quite the problem, no CD player. We asked Santa for one, but nothing came. We saw how great they were at friends house, and longer for one of our own, when finally our mother gave in and bought one for our house.

Since we obviously needed to expand our collection, my mother signed us up for one of those stupid record clubs that the internet has thankfully killed. For those of you who don't remember, there were these companies that gave out deals were you could buy 12 CDs for 1 cent each, if you bought several other CDs for a vastly inflated price. It sounds like a good deal and all, but to be honest, the choices of CDs simply weren't any good.

My mother told me that I could pick out as many of them from the list as I wanted, and I did not really liked any of them, so I ignored it. I am sure now that if I looked back I would find all sorts of hidden gems and CDs that I would absolutely adore, but that simply was not the case when I was 12.

I wanted what all pre-teens want more than anything, acceptance from their peers. I was always looking for some bands on this master list that I had heard of, and finally I noticed one that was not The Backstreet Boys. I was a little bit too young and dorky to get into Nirvana when it mattered, but I knew that I had heard a few of their songs on the radio and I did like them, so I jumped when I saw Unplugged in New York.

I discovered a host of other great CDs (including several other by Nirvana), and this one became largely forgotten. However, when I entered a more adult phase of my musical life I rediscovered how beautiful this live album is. When I listen to it now, I am amazed that my 12 year old self could appreciate something as mellow, raw, and nostalgic as this album, but somehow I did. I'd like to think that it was other reasons than just wanting to fit in, but that may be a little hard to say now.

3. Cake -- Fashion Nugget

There are many advantages to having an older sibling, but one of the most tangible is an earlier parent free access to a car. Of course, one of the other advantages to this is that you get to listen to their much older (and usually better) musical tastes while they are driving.

While my older sister, has introduced me to a great deal of excellent bands (and I'd like to think that I have repaid her in recent years) one of the ones that really sticks out to me is Cake. They are a band that is not so big, so I can not really assume that I would have found them on my own, and certainly not so early. Either way, this would quickly become the sound track for car rides with my two sisters, and very much remains a band with a strong familial connection for me (and presumably the other two as well). Special mention to “Stickshifts and Safetybelts”, THE definitive road-tripping song.

4. Everclear -- So Much for the Afterglow

Another album that has a special place in our family to me. The major exception being that my older sister and I arrived at this one independently of one another, and to no surprise, we both loved it.

The songs of a broken family held a special resonance with me at a particularly challenging time in my teenage life. The song “I Will Buy You a New Life” was particularly poignant for me in my summer before I was about to move to Nova Scotia, and start a new life of my own. Whenever I hear this CD I am taken to a bit of a hard place, but am relieved to know that I made it out fine enough.

5. Eminem -- The Slim Shady LP
6. Eminem -- The Marshall Mathers LP

Eminem's major label debut was another musical gift from my older sister, as she had heard it just before it really broke through. I fell in love with his witty and relevant lyrics, violence and anger aside. It is worth noting that this was shortly after I moved to Nova Scotia, and I remember being mocked for my choice in “scary death music”, but that just led to me listening to this amazing album on my own.

Of course, after a year and a bit, “The Real Slim Shady” became a huge single, and helped propel everyone to rush to the store and go for The Marshall Mathers LP.

Needless to say, I was able to listen to that one in whatever company I wanted.

7. Matthew Good Band -- Beautiful Midnight

Not all of my musical energies were being devoted to angry but intelligent rap at the time. There was still a rock starved side to my soul that was drowning in the sea of Brittney-pop that was the late 90s/early 00s.

Thankfully, I found an outlet with this aptly titled, beautiful album.

I think that this is legitimately one of the best put together albums I have ever heard. The track listing here is near perfect. Instead of just going with the traditional track number, each song was given an hour of the night, and each song matched the mood of that particular time. My favourite of course being “Let's Get it On” for midnight.

8. New Radicals -- Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too

I have a bit of a strange story to acquiring this album (and a real one). See when the single “You Get What You Give” came out in 1999, I was not particularly impressed with it. I mean, it was catchy, but I just didn't seem to get it. My younger sister when out and bought the CD, and seemed to listen primarily to the single, which quickly reached one hit wonder status. I did not think too much about it and moved on.

Fast forward a few years, and I was dragged to some god-awful movie with Mandi Moore (A Walk To Remember maybe? I really don't remember, someone please help me out with this one) and it used the song “Someday We'll Know” from this CD, which I instantly recognized from the CD. Somehow, when I heard it in that theatre, I got it.

That summer when I went home, I borrowed it from my sister and listened to the CD front to back a number of times, and fell in love with it. From the stellar opening “Mother We Just Can't Get Enough” to the depressing “Crying Like a Church on a Monday” finisher, this CD has it all. It chronicles an amazing romantic journey with highs, lows, twists and turns.

Thankfully she let me keep the album from then on, and I can fully appreciate it all the time.

9. Hawksley Workman -- Lover/Fighter

Like a lot of Canadians, I grew to like both “Striptease” and “Jealous of Your Cigarette” by Hawksley Workman, mostly for their perverted connotations. I decided to purchase Lover/Fighter on a bit of a whim, and have never lived to regret it. Like the last few albums I have listed, this is amazingly put together as the character in the songs alternates between a lover and a fighter from song to song. Also, this started my backwards journey of Mr. Workman, which has led to some of my absolute favourite and personal of songs on my playlists.

10. Green Day -- American Idiot
11. Franz Ferdinand -- Franz Ferdinand
12. The Killers -- Hot Fuss

From the fall of 2004 to the spring of 2005, I worked as a Recruitment Officer for Acadia University. One of my major responsibilities was to drive around to different high schools all over the Maritime Provinces. Needless to say, this involved a lot of time alone in a car, so a good CD collection was an absolute must. I bought (and made) several CDs over the course of that year, but these three stand out as the best purchases to soundtrack the open road. Whenever I listen to any of these now, I am taken back to stunning East coast scenery and some deep and personal thoughts.

13. Arctic Monkeys -- Whatever People Say, That's What I'm Not

After a year working for “The Man”, I moved to Scotland for a year. While there I got to experience a bunch of excellent British bands the way they were meant to be experienced, fervently. However, the biggest explosion came in January of 2006, when The Arctic Monkeys released their debut album. Records were shattered, people were amazed, and great musicians earned their place in the spotlight. Not only is this a fantastic album, but it really helped me understand that depth and scope for the British passion for great music.

14. Broken Social Scene -- You Forgot It In People
15. Wilco -- Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

These two fantastic albums came into my life a little late, but were still incredibly appreciated. For a variety of reasons, these two would soundtrack any late night lesson planning or marking I was doing in either Teacher's College or during my first year of teaching. If you ever need any music to play while you are questioning your career motivations, these two albums get my highest recommendation.

16. Sufjan Stevens -- Seven Swans

While I will fully acknowledge that either the Michigan or Illinois albums are far superior to this Sufjan release, this one still holds a very special place in my heart. I first got into this album at a point that seems like a life time ago. I was really falling for this very special girl, who shall remain nameless for a variety of reasons. I would often play this very mellow and reflective album when I was alone and thinking about her. Now her and I did not work out, for another variety of reasons, but this album and I worked out just fine. Whenever her and I were together we would often listen to different music, so I never formed a direct connection between her and this album, instead these tracks became connected with the feeling of love to me. Whenever I listen to these songs (especially “The Dress Looks Nice on You” and “To Be Alone With You”) I can't help but feel like I am falling in love again, even if it is just with the gentle melodies.

17. Sigur Ros -- ( )

Last year, I was in a state of flux, starting a new career, with a very busy and demanding schedule. As a result, I had difficulties fully slowing down at the end of the day, and I would find myself tossing and turning for hours at a time before falling asleep. Thankfully, this album came along to help me. The volumes that are spoken in this album are simply astounding, despite the absence of any real language. The album seems like it was designed for someone to fall asleep to, as it starts out a little restless, but eventually clams down, only to softly stir later on.

18. Stars -- Nightsongs
19. Kanye West -- Graduation

Before I start let me get two important things out of the way: Firstly, I realize that this is an incredibly bizarre album pairing, and secondly, I am also fully aware that both of these albums pale in comparison to some of the other works by the band and artist. Last year, while living in Oakville (the suburbs of Toronto) I got to become something that I had never really been before, a semi-regular concert goer. I went to as many concerts as I could, and thoroughly enjoyed them all, however two really stand out to me, Stars in November, and Kanye West in May. Both shows were fantastic, but the most memorable moments of each show came when they played songs from the albums listed above, “On Peak Hill” and “Flashing Lights” respectively. So whenever I hear any songs of either album, I am taken back to some special moments experiencing music the way it is supposed to, in the ringing of the ears and shaking of the chest.

20. Arcade Fire -- Neon Bible

It ends how it begins.

After having such a fantastic experience with their debut album, I had lofty ambitions for their follow up, and I was not at all disappointed. When I first heard this album I was simply amazed. More than Funeral I felt that this album was made for me. “Ocean of Noise” described my previous relationship, “My Body is a Cage” described the one I was in at the time, and I feared that my future would be written in the “Neon Bible”. I listened to this album almost obsessively, even sneaking to my computer to hear it during my lunch breaks at school, and every time I found something else that was somehow, someway connected to my life at the time.

Had they written it just for me?

Obviously, I can only assume that they did not, but it felt like it at the time, and looking back I feel it still. While Funeral reunited my love for music, and reminded me of what it was capable of, Neon Bible took it a whole different level for me, and made it personal. It reminded me that music can mean a different thing to everyone in this world, and that is what makes it so special, the fact that you can genuinely feel like an artist is making something for you.

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So there we have it, a lot longer than I anticipated, but done none the less. Hopefully you'll share your lists too, fair is fair after all!!!

Until next time,

G

Lover's Music - Part II

Hello one and all, it is that time of the year for everyone's favourite Hallmark fueled holiday! As I have done in the past two years, I will be making a romantic playlist, should any of you out there need any inspiration for anything romantical. If you are still getting ideas/suggestions for your special someone, slap all of these songs onto a CD and pray for the best.

Enjoy...

1. My Morning Jacket -- "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Part 2". Not the most traditional romantic song, especially with the bizare spacey introduction, but trust me this is a great song, that really can be quite sappy. Also, it has an exciting energy to kick things off well.

Most Romantic Line: "I can see it all...by the way you smile/I'm smiling too, I see myself in you"

2. Broken Social Scene -- "Major Label Debut". I continue with the excellent uniquely sappy songs from Drew et. al. There are a vast amount of options that are always open. I quite like this song, and think that it fits as a nice followup to the opener. There are two versions of this song (Fast and Original) I would stick with the Original, since you want to slow things down soon, but the Fast is not bad itself.

Most Romantic Line: "I could be here, I could move town/Forced to live like it's a curfew/Translation, means I love you"

3. The Eels - "Fresh Feeling". This really is one of the most romantic songs out there. It is really straightforward and explains things quite well. The lyrics are easy to hear and relate to, and bound to get a tear and an "awww" from even the most jaded listeners.

Most Romantic Line: "Words can't be that strong/My heart is reeling/This is that fresh/That fresh feeling"

4. TV on the Radio -- "Ambulance". I know, I've talked about this song before, but I really think that it is the most romantic song ever made. Listen to it, play it for her, thank me later.

Most Romantic Line: "I will be your one more time/If you will be my one last chance/Fall fast, fall free, fall for me"

5. Mates of State -- "Like u Crazy". A rather cute addition to this list. The light hearted intro and chorus that repeats "I like you crazy" is very catchy and can make you float in the clouds.

Most Romantic Line: "I can't wait to say, all the things you can't see/All the things that make you better"

6. Feist -- "Tout Doucement". An adorable french Feist song. It has a certain charm, even if you don't understand the language, it's still really cute.

Most Romantic Line: "L'amour alors viendra"

7. She and Him -- "I Was Made For You". A great song off an incredibly cute album. For the record, this was made in 2008, and not 1958 like it may sound, it adds a certain nostalgia trip to it all. If you don't like this song, just look at almost any other song from their album, and it'll make your heart smile a little bit.

Most Romantic Line: "When I saw you smile/I saw a dream come true"

8. The Constantines and Feist -- "Islands in the Stream". BEAUTIFUL cover of the Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers classic. This doesn't have the same campy appeal of the original, but it comes across as being slightly more real. I can just imagine people in love singing this to one another.

Most Romantic Line: "We start and end as one/In love forever"

9. Stars -- "Umbrellas". (Stream unavailable, my apologies) A great and cute some from the masters of the great and cute. Like the last few tracks, it has a certain nostalgic feel to it, and feels like a perfect song to dance a slow waltz to.

Most Romantic Line: "I counted all the lights/They don't shine as bright/They don't pierce the night/Like you do"

10. Dispatch -- "Walk With You". From the extended flute intro, to the powerful and easily identifiable romantic imagery makes this one a winner. Go for this one for sure!

Most Romantic Line: "I will walk with you/Using the stars as guides."

11. Matthew Good -- "Song for the Girl". Looking back at my previous lists, I honestly can't believe that this song did not make a previous list!!! It's a great song by a great singer, describing how special his one girl is. It has just enough rock to it to get you out of the comfortable lull that the playlist has probably put you in by now.

Most Romantic Line: "Up again, down again, out of your heard/When she's beside you, you're really not so dead."

12. New Radicals -- "Flowers". A fantasic track from one of the most underrated albums of the 90s. The love story about a guy chasing down a hippie who has been heartbroken before, may not entirely fit your situation, but it's got some great things for just about everyone.

Most Romantic Line: "My love is real/As real as the flowers you smoke to high"

13. Joseph Arthur -- "Honey and the Moon". A great song made famous by the O.C. Like all Joseph Arthur songs it has a bit of sadness to it, but it is still sappy enough to make the cut, especially since it is not going at the end (where it's sadness would be magnified).

Most Romantic Line: "Don't know why I'm still afraid/If you weren't real, I would make you up"

14. Ingrid Michaelson "The Way I Am". This song makes me just plain happy. I am not going to lie, I have a MASSIVE crush on Ingrid Michaelson, and everything that she does makes me smile. This song is just too sweet for me to describe, so listen to it yourself.

Most Romantic Line: "Cuz I love you more than I could ever promise/And you take me the way I am"

15. Coldplay -- "Strawberry Swing". I know that the internet is rife with Coldplay haters these days, but they are still capable of putting out some great songs, and Viva La Vida or Death and All of His Friends was a fine example of that. This song just sounds nostalgic and is reminiscent of a powerful and young love. Even the biggest haters can't deny something that powerful!

Most Romantic Line: "Now the sky could be blue/I don't mind/Without you it's just a waste of time"


16. Moxy Fruvous -- "I Will Hold On". And we finish this list of cute songs with one of the cutest. This is a great, slow, romantic song by a band who is better known for their faster comedic works. It is just a repeat of a bunch of things that a guy would be willing for his love, and boy are they sweet. Just know that if you put a song this nice on your playlist, you will need to deliver yourself. Tread carefully with this one!

Most Romantic Line: "I'll hold the hope that we won't part"

And that just about concludes the playlist here. Let me know if it helps!!!!

Until next time,

G

Archieved Posts:

Lover's Music
Music to Swoon To

An Unlikely Fruition

Prologue: Back in a distant time, a man made an extraordinary claim. He said that he would bring freedom to a long oppressed land. As the years passed, people thought that this day of freedom would never arise. However, to the shock of many, freedom would come, and it would be just what the doctor ordered. People were bound to ask though, was it worth the wait?

In 1994, at the height of their popularity, Guns N' Roses front man, announced the name of their next album, Chinese Democracy. However, as delay upon delay came, and the band changed members repeatedly, it appeared as if we were going to see actual democracy in China before the album's release.

Years past, and the album became a punchline. With the Offspring even hinting at calling their album Chinese Democracy: You Snooze, You Lose in 2002, however they backed off for legal reasons. Even as early as this year, Dr. Pepper, made a (presumably) satirical offer to give one free can of Dr. Pepper to everyone in the United States if Chinese Democracy was released in 2008.

I am not if Axl Rose likes Dr. Pepper or not, but that seemed to motivate him. It was announced in the fall of 2008 that the album would be released in November. As is often the case in this digital age, the tracks of the album were leaked. However, in a stunning development, Axl Roses pursued legal measures against the bloggers who leaked the tracks, and so far one man, Kevin Cogill, has been sentenced to a year in prison as a result of the track leaking.

Much like Star Wars Episode I: Phantom Menace this album faced a near impossible volume of hype and expectations. When you keep people waiting for so long, you need to come to terms with the fact that it may be better in the minds of fans than in reality. However, unlike the first Star Wars prequel, Chinese Democracy did not make its creators any richer. The album boasted some very low sales, and in no way justified its $13, 000, 000 reported price tag.

Once more, it really just wasn't very good. Sure, it had its inspired moments, however, the chords are over produced, and the lyrics are under thought. Which hardly warrants the fourteen years that Axl Rose had to meditate on the subject.

If there is one thing that Chinese Democracy has proven, it is that good things do not always come to those who wait.

Embedded Video

Epilogue: Chinese Democracy sold only 261,000 units in the first week of sales, and the numbers sharply declined after wards. It ranked #12 on The Rolling Stones year end rank of albums, but #1 on IGN's Worst Album of 2008 list.

There have been no talks of releasing a new album.

Until next time,

G

Achieved Year in Review Posts:

The Fall of the Prophet - January 6th
The Rise of the Ice Queen -January 7th
An Unlikely Fruition - January 7th
Attack of the Three-Headed Terror - January 9th
A Most Sincere Inquiry - January 10th
The Golden League - January 14th
The Fall from Grace - January 16th
The Eighth Layer of Injustice - January 16th
The Transmuter of Nations - January 22nd

Musical Thumbs Up and Down

Welcome to the second installment of the regular(ish) feature, Musical Thumbs Up and Down. Where I give some pretty random thoughts on some pretty random songs.

Thumbs Up to "Lonelily" by Damien Rice!! Fans of Mr. Rice will know that this song has been out for several years now, but I have recently rediscovered it, and completely fallen for it this time. I absolutely love the story about not wanting to be alone that you'd sacrifice anything, even your integrity. That kind of loneliness is something that is so incredibly easy to identify with, making this song just perfect for dealing with those kinds of feelings.

Favourite Lyric: "In a way, I've lost all I've believed in, and I never found myself so alone. And let me down"

(Not an official video)



Thumbs Down to "Gotta Be Somebody" by Nickleback!!! If you are a fan of Canada's most boring musical export, then I advise you to scroll down, because this will not be kind.

Still here? Good, that means that you have some sense. This song completely blows!!!! These guys are the absolute pure epitome of sell-outs. Their first album had some decent songs and a bit of a rock edge, but since then it's been bad, really bad. "Just like a paperback novel" ranks among the most one dimensional and forced rock similes, which is a shame given the potential they showed with such songs as "Leader of Men". But I guess record sales are all that matter, and Kruger and co. will still be able to sleep at night on their piles of money, even if nobody remembers their work for producing anything of substance a few years from now.

With this song, Nickleback have neared, or perhaps eclipsed a new low for generic boring lyrics with some passable at best music thrown in there.

Least Favourite Lyric: "Someone to love with my life in their hands. There has gotta be somebody for me Ohhhhhh."

(Not an official video)



Thumbs Up for "Family Tree" by TV on the Radio!!!!! Another amazing song from a simply amazing band. Their new album Dear Science has got to be considered one of the best of 2008. In the spirit of "Ambulance" (which I have mentioned two different times on this very blog), they produce another amazingly romantic song. As they describe the often-described-indescribables of love in new and exciting ways, this time talking about getting together underneath a family tree. I mean coudl you have any more powerful of an image?

Favourite Lyric: "It’s echoing moonlight on to the blue nightmare of your heart. In cosy red rainbow, it’s shaking off halos,
and the memory of our sacred so and so’s"

(Not an official video)



(For the record I wanted to find "DLZ" off of this album, but had no luck. Should you have the chance to hear that song, be prepared to be amazed)

Thumbs Down for "Hot n' Cold" by Katy Perry!!!! Uggh....I hate this woman, she tries to be subversive and edgy, but is really just as prepackaged as the Jonas Brothers. She seems like she's writing the rest of the song around such cutting edge lyrics as "PMS" and "bipolar", which completely makes them lose their power and seem insignificant.
On top of that, the cheesy 90s pop beats are not-yet-nostalgic, so they just seem bad. Do yourself a favour and skip this one, although I doubt you will be able to...

Least Favourite Lyric: "You change your mind, like a girl changes clothes"

(The official music video!!! For "Hot" by Avril Lavigne....with this song dubbed over)






Thumbs Up for "Disturbia" by Rihanna!!! Man this girl is talented!!! When she first debuted, she seemed like she may be another flash in the pan songstress, but she has proven any of her detractors wrong by producing some legitimatly fantastic work. After suffering through all that is Brittney, Christina et al., it was easy to discount the genre of girl pop, however Rihanna proves time and time again that there can be substance to go along with the style.

I simply love this song, not only for it's solid beats, but for the incredible story that Rihanna is able to tell. She sings a song about losing her mind, but as her paceing gets more erratic as the song progresses you get the legitimate feeling listening to it (not to mention watching the video) that she may actually be doing losing it.

Favourite Lyric: "It's a thief in the night to come and grab you, it can creep up inside you"

(Actually an official video)




Thumbs Down for "Paper Planes (Remix)" by Lil' Wayne!!! This really just doesn't do it for me. Partially because of my ambivalence for ego-rap, but mostly because I adore the original version of this song and this one just doesn't feel right. It includes the incredibly unique chorus, but all of Lil' Wayne's lyrical masturbation just takes away from any of M.I.A.'s original, and poignant lyrics. While I am not against remixes as a rule, I feel that they need to add something to the original, this one clearly robs the original of its intelligent.

Least Favourite Lyric: "Banana in ya ass, its what you hear right behind ya"

(Yet again, not the official video)



Thumbs Up for "Paper Planes" by M.I.A.!!!! After raving about it in the last song, it only seems natural that I talk about this one. The major difference here, is that this song is never really about the artist, it's about her actions. It's about her living a life of crime. Plus this song is just so original and poignant, something that the remix, by its very definition, lacks.

Favourite Lyric: "We pack and deliver like UPS trucks, already going to hell, just pumping that gas."

(Sorry, yet another unofficial video...and the audio kind of sucks too)



Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did...

Until next time,

G

The Summer That Was...2008 Edition

Since we just had Getting Glenergized's season premiere earlier this week, I figure it is a great chance to rehash a post I did a little over a year ago, as I look back on a busy summer and provide a series of mini-blogs for things that I would have put otherwise.

McCain Goes for Blood, Obama Stumbles

The summer has surprisingly been a tough one for my American-Political-Man-Crush, as John McCain has slowly widdled away on Obama's once large lead. Of course, while the Democratic National Convention takes place this week, Obama is getting a much needed boost. However, it remains to be seen if such a bump McCain will get next week during the Republican National Convention.

Personally, I still have the utmost faith that my boy Barrack will pull this one out. In the past few days Obama has addressed his perceived inexperience, by getting Joe Biden as his running mate, and tackled those crazy Clinton supporters by having both Bill and Hilary give him a rousing endorsement at the convention. Hopefully those two things will help sway those independents, women, and just plain nuts into voting for him as opposed to joining the dark side. No matter, I fully believe that Obama can redraw the political map just enough to not only beat McCain, but beat him well enough. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Obama tops 300 electoral votes, for a pretty handy victory.

New Homes for Hossa, Campbell, and Boyle, Sundin still Golfing

I plan on doing a more in depth analysis of the NHL Free Agency later on, but it certainly was busy summer in hockey with Detroit, Chicago and San Jose making the boldest moves. However, Mats Sundin still waits on the sidelines while all sorts of teams have been throwing money in his general direction, and yet he is still in Sweden. I think that he will play at some point this season, perhaps not until Christmas or so, and it will be for Montreal if anyone.

Radiohead Changes My Life

I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Radiohead on August 15th in Toronto. Not much to say other than they are phenomenal live, and if you ever have a chance to see them, take it.

Until then, enjoy my personal favourite track from In Rainbows, "All I Need".

PUNK WINS!!!! PUNK WINS!!!!!!

Imagine my shock when one of my favourite wrestlers pulls out the ultimate surprise and wins the World Title by defeating Edge on an episode of RAW? After winning the Money in the Bank Match at Wrestlemania 24 CM Punk proceeded to loose to just about everyone on the roster, and then on June 30th, he does the unthinkable and cashes in on an opportunity against the Ultimate Opportunist Edge.

Missed it? Well have yourself a gander at a truly memorable wrestling moment.

Great eh?

Olympic Ordeals

The 29th Olympiad really is one that people will remember for a long time. From the partial faking of the broadcast of the opening ceremony, to China completely dominating, to the huge crowds of predominantly local people, the impact of these games really can't be understated.

For a country like China, to have spent most of its history closed to outsiders to welcome the entire world in for a very big event, is a monumental thing. And for a country that was once very poor to be able to afford something so grand really is a testament to this country's amazing development.

Granted, as a Canadian, I was a little disappointed with some of the results, as I really expected us to get more medals. But that's ok, we always have the winter games on our home turf.

Speaking of China...

I moved there a week ago today, liking it so far. Keep coming back here for any zany stories that are sure to follow.

Until next time,

G

Musical Thumbs Up and Down

Welcome one and all, to what I hope to be a regular(ish) feature here. As you've probably noticed, I'm a huge fan of music, and I always love an opportunity to talk/rant about it. Anyway, here I'm going to find some songs (not necessarily current) to give a thumbs up to, and some to give a thumbs down to. Simple enough, right?

Thumbs Up to The National - "Fake Empire". I think that this may just be the best song made of 2007. From the slow intro to the amazing jam at the end, this song just brings it. While I absolutely love the trumpet and trombone duet at the end, the highlight for me definitely Berninger's vocal work. He just sounds so very raw and emotional throughout the song.

This song is such a great description of the hollowness of modern life, living without direction. If you haven't heard this song (and album) than you are really doing yourself a great disservice.




Thumbs Down to Katy Perry - "Ur So Gay". Man, I loathe this song! First off, I hate that the word gay is used as an insult. I know that the song is intending to say that the guy acts gay despite his heterosexuality, however, with the climate of the word being used as synonymous with stupid, it really just further enforces that use of the word. So MASSIVE thumbs down for that.

On a more personal note, I hate this song because, well, it more or less describes me to perfection. Seriously. Readers of this blog will know that I am a vegan, I care about the environment, and I am an Indie Music Geek. Just like the guy in the song. Also, lord knows I have had many people assume that I was gay (probably for those above reasons) despite my heterosexuality.

I can just picture any of my ex-girlfriends blasting this song as they angrily think about me, and I HATE that!!!!

The third reason that I can't stand this song, is because it's so damned catchy! Despite my disagreement with some of the lyrical choices, there are some really clever lines in this song, and the beat just makes me want to sing along...thus making it even harder for me to truly hate! You win this round Perry....





Thumbs Up for Estelle featuring Kanye West -"American Boy". Once more Kanye strikes gold! This song is such a great summer sing-a-long track. It's so hard not to get caught up with it's optimistic beats, Kanye's well placed rhymes, and Estelle's angelic voice. Really there is nothing not to love about this song, it's a great club track, a great road trip song, and really just a great song all around.

I haven't had the chance to check out much more of Estelle's stuff, but I hope that it's all just as awesome!






Thumbs Down for G-Unit - "I Like the Way She Do It". Shouldn't he have retired by now? That is what he said he would do if Kanye out sold him back in September, and well, Kanye won that round, but yet here we are with another Fity song.

While the beat is great to bump and grind to, the lyrics are exceptionally unimaginative. I don't know if anyone has told any member of the G-Unit this yet, but it's not 2001, and he's not fresh anymore. Perhaps something new is in order.




Thumbs Up to Final Fantasy - "Peach, Plum, Pear". I legitimately think that this is one of the greatest covers of all time, and considering my love of Johnny Cash, and Cake, that is a huge compliment.

Owen Pallett totally takes this great song by Joanna Newsom and makes it his own. Listen to the way he sings "The gathering floosies, are born to be choosy", it sounds almost like he wrote it himself. Before I saw Final Fantasy, I never thought that I could see someone play the violin angrily, but once more I was proven wrong. In watching the video, I hope you notice just how masterfully Wilson loops his songs back, and plays with himself. Sure he does it in all of his songs, but it just came together even more so in this one.




Thumbs Down for Katy Perry - "I Kissed a Girl". Strike two for Ms. Perry here! I personally can't stand this song at all. While it is catchy, and will no doubt be the breakout hit of the summer, it is just plain wrong. She is trying to go for an edgy sexually-liberated vibe here, but I think that it totally fails.

First off, this is not a song about sexual-liberation at all. This is a song done by and for "Look-At-Me-Lesbians". Gals who are sexually liberated not for their own sake, but for the sake of men. It's simply disgusting and totally take the women's lib movement back decades by subverting it. GAH!!!!!!

Secondly, by latching on to the popularized subversion of a subversion, it's not edgy at all! You want an edgy gal singer, go for Lily Allen instead....

That being said, like her other entry here...it's damn catchy, and hard not to sing a long to.



And that should about do it for this first entry. I'll put more out later that won't just feature Katy Perry...I swear :)

Until next time,

G

Lover's Music

Yes, it's that time of the year were we need to be all gooey and romantic. Now last year, I made a post called "Music to Swoon To", that was dedicated to a new relationship, and was focused mainly on avoiding that dreaded L-Word. Now, here we are a year later, and I have decided that I am going to move forward this year and not avoid dropping the L-bomb, if you are at the point where you are using some these songs to get romantic with your special somebody, then sub out a few of the songs (i.e. all of the ones with "Love" in the title), and take a few from last year's list, namely "Ambulance", "Baby This Night", "Crosses", and "Safe and Sound".

While last year's post included some classics like "Wild Horses" and "Wonderwall", this year I am instead going to focus on being Indie-ish as possible. The main reason being that if you have been with someone for a long time, it's good to try and expand their horizons a bit and music as an easy and great way to do that.

Now that the preamble is over, here we go...

1. New Radicals -- "Mother, We Just Can't Get Enough". This may just be my favourite opening song off of any album, any time. It's simply an amazing burst of energy to kick off a romantic album. It really captures the emotion that it's title suggests, as you can really feel the passion in Greg Alexander's voice as he tells his mother how great his new girlfriend is.

Most Romantic Line: "There's something about you that makes me fly/You're a heart attack, just the kind I like"

2. Wolf Parade -- "This Heart's On Fire". Another great, energetic song that really captures the feeling of being madly in love and having your heart feel like it's on fire.

Most Romantic Line: "And you're my favourite thing/ tell it everywhere I go/ I don't know what to do/ This heart's on fire"

3. The National -- "Slow Show". And here we start to slow things down, with this beautiful song by this fantastic band. This song is all about getting tired of playing for a crowd, and just wanting to put on a "slow show" for that special person. Like all of The National's songs it sounds so very intimate and personal, and the bit at the end about dreaming someone up, is so eloquent and gorgeous, a must for lover's everywhere!

Most Romantic Line: "I wanna hurry home to you/put on a slow, dumb show for you and crack you up"

4. Peter Bjorn & John -- "Paris, 2004". From the opening notes right down the beautifully simplistic lyrics, this song is not afraid to take a refreshingly juvenile approach to love. The chorus line of "I'm all about you, you're all about me, we're all about each other", describes the butterflies in one of the sweetest ways imaginable.

Most Romantic Line: " We need this precious time just to comprehend"

5. Amy Milan -- "Skinny Boy". It's no secret to followers of this blog that I LOVE Amy Milan, she's amazing, beautiful, and incredibly talented. This song is so very personable, and maybe as a skinny boy, I think that maybe she's singing it to me...a boy can dream, can't he?

Most Romantic Line: "You've got lips that I could spend a day with"

6. Michael Franti & Spearhead -- "Firefly" (Sorry, that was the only stream I could find). This song has some powerful imagery, as it describes a couple as firefly's, who are busy glowing. Plus Franti does have a sexy man voice (I'm not ashamed to admit that) so it helps to throw this out there on a Lover CD.

Most Romantic Line: " I’ll be your firefly, so you can see/Your way to me at midnight"

7. Bloc Party -- "Tulips". Now the pace starts to pick up again with this track from the oft-forgotten Little Thoughts EP. This is a great song for recognizing that special someone and realizing that you two are meant to be together. This is also the part of the CD where the L-bombs start falling all over the place.

Most Romantic Line: " It's as pure as fire/It's as pure as snow/I knew that I'd found you"

8. Ryan Adams -- "Gonna Make You Love Me". Now that we've established that you love them, you need to get them on board. This is a great song about doing all sorts of romantic gestures to prove your love.

Most Romantic Line: " They say love is hell, /But I've only been laughin' ever since I fell/It's only gonna make me love you more"

9. Cake -- "Love You Madly". I simply love this song. It's lyrics are both adorable and profound, and the upbeat tone really adds to the excitement of being in love. Simply a must for this CD.

Most Romantic Line: THE ENTIRE SONG!!!!!!! But if I had to choose, I'd take... "I don't want to hold back/I don't want to slip down/I don't want to think back to the one thing that I know I
Should have done"

10. Guillemots -- "Made Up Lovesong #43". If this song doesn't melt your heart, I really don't know what will. It is so cute and sweet, and just makes me feel very warm and gooey. The repeated chorus line of "I love you through sparks and shinning dragons, I do" is proof that sometimes less really is more.

Most Romantic Line: "The best things come from nowhere, I can't believe you care"

11. Feist -- "New Torch"(Stream unavailable...sorry). Sure, everyone loves Feist, but few people have heard her songs from before The Reminder, and even fewer have heard them from before Let it Die. However, this song from Monarch is well worth looking into. This song is so enchanting and beautiful, the lyrics make is sound so very personal and intimate, but the orchestral accompaniment makes it sound epic and grand, a very rare feat to say the least.

Most Romantic Line: "Be mine through time /This way leads into the garden green"

12. Iron & Wine -- "Waiting' For a Superman" (It's no stream, but hopefully the free download will do...). The one cover to make this list, as Iron & Wine reinvents the Flaming Lips classic. I can really take either version, but the Iron & Wine version just sounds so very wispy and surreal, which fits into the concept of being "saved" by "Superman" (i.e. you). This song is great at describing how overwhelming (but exciting) this kind of thing can be.

Most Romantic Line: "It's getting heavy/Well I thought it was already as heavy as can be"

13. Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- "Porcelain" (Man this is a bad stream, trust me the studio version of this song is amazing). This song picks up where "Waitin' For A Superman" leaves off, as it describes overcoming your fears of a commitment and relationships and being able to move forward.

Most Romantic Line: "Baby I'm afraid of a lot of things but I ain't scared of loving you"

14. Sufjan Stevens -- "To Be Alone with You". I was half tempted to just put the entire album of Seven Swans up here and call it a day, but I figure that would be cheating. Sufjan's amazing voice describes all that he would do to be alone with someone special. What follows is like The Notebook...only for your ears (and not depressing).

Most Romantic Line: "To be alone with me you went up on the tree"

15. Stars --"My Favourite Book". Surely you must have known that at least one song by Stars would make this list. They are wonderful, I love them so much. This is an Amy Milan song, as Torq doesn't sing in this one, but it's still fantastic. It's a great song about the comfort of a relationship, or really, it's just a great song period.

Most Romantic Line: "Because I never knew a home, until I found your hands"

16. The John Butler Trio -- "Seeing Angels". Another sweet song by the JBT, this one talking about someone who is so amazing that they don't seem real. Hopefully that describes your other half.

Most Romantic Line: "For I'm transparent in the light of you. /And look inside, see that fire burning bright"

17. Wilco -- "I'm the Man Who Loves You". This is another of those ones that you may want to avoid if you haven't dropped the L-Bomb, and I'm sorry that this song really only fits if you are a guy giving it to a woman, if not perhaps add "Inside and Out" by Feist, it should do the trick. Anyway, the purpose of this song really is self-explanatory, a song about showing someone how much you love them.

Most Romantic Line: "But if I could you know I would, just hold your hand and you'd understand/I'm the man who loves you"

18. Travis -- "Flowers in the Window". This song is a great at describing that indescribable feeling of having someone make a profound change on your life, perfect for a lovey mix, everyone likes to feel special after all.

Most Romantic Line: "But there are many seasons to feel glad, sad, mad/It's just a bunch of feelings that we have to hold /But I am here to help you with the load"

19. Joseph Arthur -- "Echo Park". I know, I used this song on another playlist, but it really is an inspiring bit of a poetry. This song captures so much of the special bits of a relationship that make it worthwhile.

Most Romantic Line: "The fire never understands the spark/The way it is for you and me"

20. Broken Social Scene -- "Lover's Spit". This is one of the all-time great BSS songs, and it is a great one to end this list with (If you would rather, there is a great Feist version from Beehives, since I already included Feist, I figured that I would give Drew a chance to shine here). It's a fantastic song about growing up both personally and within the confines of a relationship. It's a great one to end it off with because it gives a great sense of moving forward

Most Romantic Line: " You know its time that we grow old and do some shit"


And on that note, I'm off...I hope that all of you out in blog land are having a happy V-Day, I'm stuck on library duty tonight...how romantic...

Until next time,

G

Xavier Rudd in the Danforth

This past Sunday, I had the incredibly pleasure of seeing one of the most talented and versatile musicians play in one of the most interesting venues in Toronto, as Australia's Xavier Rudd came to rock out in the Danforth Music Hall.

Now I was first introduced to Xavier about a year ago and I have always thought that he was good, but in all honesty, I had no freakin' idea as to how great he was until this past weekend.

For starters, the Danforth Music Hall is a simply amazing venue, it reminded me completely of a 50's era movie theatre, which makes for interesting acoustics, and an even more interesting vibe. It was probably the most interesting group of people I've ever seen in one place, as the outfits ranged from sports coats to ponchos, and the hair styles ranged from cru-cuts to dreadlocks.

The show opened up with an interesting performance by a man named Mishka, now his sound was very Bob Marley-rastafarian-boy with guitar, and it was simply amazing. He said that his new CD was coming out March 21, so be sure to check it out. All that I could find of his was this video...



Impressive stuff, eh?

Anyway, after wards the show opened up with a large aboriginal man coming out and playing the diggerydoo, and explaining some of the ways to play. It turns out, he was Xavier Rudd's uncle, and he accompanies him on a variety of shows.

Anyway, the uncle was telling us about how he blows the diggerydoo, and then made a joke about how diggerydoo players make the best lovers. He then left and introduced the main event.

To say Xavier was impressive would be an understatement. Me, being ever so ignorant, I always assumed that when I heard the drums, guitar, diggerydoo, and other instruments in Xavier's songs, I assumed that he had an accompanying band. It turns out, he only had a drummer, who played only a few songs. At various points Xavier Rudd played the drums, guitar, diggerydoo, harmonica, and a variety of symbols, all in the same song. To say it was breathtaking would be an understatement.

Now keeping track of a setlist was very challenging, since a) I hadn't heard his new album before the show, and b) there were intense periods of random diggerydoo and drum jams in between the songs. But I know that I freaked out when I heard my favourites like "Messages" and "Let Me Be" (videos below)

"Messages"


"Let Me Be"



The show included the requisite encore, I got the video of him playing "Clean Air" which went for an incredible seven and a half minutes, with various teases of being finished. The video ends early because the security guard came to yell at me, but the song only lasted a few more seconds afterwards. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The video wouldn't post, expect it soon)

Needless to say, I have a new favourite artist, and I could not recommend him enough to any of you out there. This ranks only behind the Stars concert I saw in November as my favourite concert ever, and judging by the clientèle at this show, no matter who you are, I think you would have enjoyed it.

Until next time,

G

Music to Give to a Stranger

The other day, while perusing McNutt's blog, I noticed his post about Operation Disc Drop, put forward by CBC show The Hour. Now I was obviously very intrigued by this project, as I love both sharing music and random acts of kindness, so obviously an opportunity to do both was a great idea. The instructions for the project are really simple, and can be found on The Hour's Disc Drop Blog:

STEP 1: Make a mixed CD of your favourite tunes. Somewhere on the disc write: "DISC DROP - cbc.ca/thehour"
Be sure to include a track-listing so people can track down more music by the artists on your disc.
STEP 2: Drop off your disc in a random public place.
STEP 3: Go to the "I Dropped a Disc - What Now", click on the comments, and write down where you dropped off your disc and the track-listing. Check back later to find out who picked it up, and where it's heading next.


So I spent a few days thinking about what kind of a disc I would make, and where I would put it. After a bit, I decided to make a playlist to introduce people to some "Indie" bands, and give them a few songs that I felt had some deep meaning and could have those "Change your life" type moments. Here's the catch though, I wanted to leave it at school and aim it at some High School Students, so I had to be especially careful in my selection.

Here's what I ended up coming up with, complete with YouTube links to the songs in question:

1. Feist -- "1,2,3,4". I started out with this song as a bit of a Trojan Horse. I figured that most teenagers would know it from the iPod commercials (something that I have mentioned on here before) , and probably love it since they would associate it with their most prized possessions. I wanted the people to find this CD to want to listen to, and I figure starting it out with a familiar, and trendy song would make them want to give this a listen.

2. Guillemots -- "Trains to Brazil". Now here's were we start the education. I wanted to follow up the song that most of them would know with a song that most of the would not know. Also, the trumped themed joy of the first song led well into the trumpet themed optimism of this song.

3. The National -- "Fake Empire". I decided to make this CD follow a very typical structure. Start out with a bang, up it, and then bring it down. Here we are bringing it down a bit. I decided to go with one of the best songs, off of one of the best albums of 2007, and I kept with the trumpet theme, by going with this one.

4. Apostle of Hustle -- “My Sword Hand’s Anger" (Sorry this was the best video of this song that I could find). And we take things down a bit more. I have talked about Apostle of Hustle before on here, and I must say, that they have been one of my favourite musical discoveries of 2007. I mean, I had heard them before but I hadn't really LISTENED to them before, and seeing them live was one of my musical highlights of the year. I really like this song, and I feel it went along with the slow descent that is going on in the theme of this disc.

5. Matt Weddle -- "Hey Ya". Here's where the fun starts. This is the first of three covers that I used on this CD. Now more than any other, teenagers are very protective of their musical tastes, and often say things like "[Insert particular genre] rulez, everything else is teh suck"...or something like that...as such, I decided to take a few songs that they may find familiar, but were reinvented a bit to expand their horizons a bit, and maybe introduce them to a different type of genre. Here is the first one as Matt Weddle, takes one of the best songs of the 00's, "Hey Ya" by Outkast and changes it from a dancy-pop-love-fest to a sad-acoustic bit of brilliance. Plus it really fits with the slow descent that I'm going for here in the middle of the playlist.

6. Broken Social Scene -- "Marketfresh" (Sorry, I coudn't find a video to this one...). I knew that I needed to include some Broken Social Scene on this one, but I had to remember that I was making this one for students, and there was an outside chance that my principal could find it, so I knew that I could have any swearing, or strong sexual references, thus eliminating "Time = Cause" and "Lover's Spit", the two songs that got me hooked on this band. So I decided to go with a brilliant bit from Beehives their forgotten album. Also, I figured that there was less of a chance that someone would have heard this one, making it more likely to be a discovery for more people.

7. The Shins -- "Young Pilgrims". This song is aimed clearly at the Garden State crowd. I totally agree that "New Slang" is a brilliant song, but there is SO much more to this band than that one track. Chutes Too Narrow is very overlooked, since it came out slightly before Garden State and it does not have "New Slang" on it, but it is probably their best work to date. As such, I took this great track from that great album to expose people to this band as a whole.

8. Joseph Arthur -- "Echo Park" (You owe it to yourself to find a better recording of this song, it is brilliant). I went with another slow, melodic song here. I took this song, one that very few people would have heard as a gem for people looking to really expand their musical horizons. For people who weren't, I sandwiched this track between two songs that would have some appeal to the average person, as a way to essentially, make them listen to it.

9. Tori Amos -- "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Here comes Cover #2, this time of one of the greatest songs of the 90s, as Tory Amos rethinks the Nirvana classic, with just her voice and the piano. It is haunting and amazing. Like I was hoping that The Shins song would go for the artsy crowd, I'm hoping that this one speaks a bit to the grungy kids.

10. Dispatch -- "Hey, Hey" (You're going to have to jump to about 3:50 of this video to hear the song, before that it has "Free Falling" by Tom Petty...not a bad song either). Now here's where I get a teachy and preachy. I didn't want to go too over the top with strange music, so I think that this one stays in people's comfort zone, plus it has some pretty solid life lessons in the chorus saying "Question yourself, are you really what you seem?", which is a solid lesson for any teenager.

11. The John Butler Trio -- "Nowhere Man". I mentioned this song back when I did my travel playlist, when I said " [The song] is a great way to sum up those long bus/train trips when you feel like you aren't anywhere." And really that's the main reason I put it here, I just think that it's nice and hopefully awaken the wanderlust in some of these kids.

12. Hawksley Workman -- "Don’t Be Crushed". This song really is gorgeous, and touching. I thought it may be a good one in case one of the students was going through some sort of teen angst thinking that their life is over and maybe this one will help. Also, I wanted to include a song by Hawksley, but I ran into the same problem that I had with Broken Social Scene, too much swearing and raw sexuality...

13. Eva Cassidy -- "Time After Time". Here is cover #3, and the slowest portion of the CD. While I know that most of the teenagers out there don't know much Cyndi Lauper, but I know that this song was used on the Smallville soundtrack, so it may appeal to some of them. Plus, it really is awesome.

14. Wilco -- "What Light". I knew that I needed to feature Wilco somewhere on this disc, and I originally had "Heavy Metal Drummer" as my song, but I decided that I needed to give people something a little bit more familiar, so I went with the best of the Wilco songs that has been used on Volkswagen commercials this year. Plus, it has the whole "Be Yourself" message that seems to be so popular with the kids these days.

15. Death Cab For Cutie -- "Soul Meets Body". Death Cab is one of the popular "Indie/Alternative" bands out there, so I figured it would be nice to have a song that would appeal to any kids who may have heard of them. With this song (and the last two) I was trying to give some kids a reason to pop this into their CD player, and keep it playing. Plus this really is a great, soft, song, whose poppy beats help bring the tone of the playlist up as we near the end.

16. Peter, Bjorn & John -- "Young Folks". Speaking of poppy beats, we have PB&J, one of the greatest Indie Pop bands you can find. The opening whistle of this song is a great hook, and hopefully will keep the recipient of this disc interested. This song really speaks about a teenage romance saying "We don't care about the young folks, talkin' about their young style. We don't care about the old folks, talkin' about their old style too.", and has some rebellious teenage undertones.

17. The Arcade Fire -- "Rebellion (Lies)". Speaking of teenage rebellion, we have one of the greatest songs ever made on the subject! This is probably my favourite song ever made, and it really speaks to my cynical, slightly rebellious side. A side that I know is loud and clear in teenagers.

18. Sufjan Stevens -- "Chicago". Sufjan needed to present, it's really that simple. This is one of his most accessible and catchy songs, and it has that added bonus of being a song that people will say "I know this song from somewhere" (i.e. The Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack)

19. Stars -- "On Peak Hill". I devoted an entire post to my pure love of this song, and I have to say, that not much has changed since then. I simply adore this song, and this band. I had a ton of their work to choose from, but I went with this little ditty from one of their earlier albums, since it is less known, and because it helps cool things down near the end.

20. The Weakerthans -- "My Favourite Chords". I couldn't think of a better way to end this CD with this simple, eloquent, lullaby. It's just like a warm musical hug.




So that's my list. I decided to make 5 copies of this CD and put them in five pretty random places around campus (I left one in the staff room, one in the art classroom, one in the main reception area, one in a popular student hang out, and one in a random hallway). I know that the one in the staff room got picked up, and I'm hoping that the other ones will get nagged soon, and that other people keep this great idea alive. I know that I want to get one...

Until next time,

G