Canada Spotlight: Music

The Canadian Fountain of Awesome

I'm not overly patriotic. Or to be more honest, I'm a selective patriot. I'm incredibly proud of Canada when it suits me and a critical cynic when necessary. Other times I'm delightfully indifferent.

This is a Pro-Canada post.

Canada has a Fountain of Awesome from whence cometh forth springs of originality. I decided it's only right to share the bedazzlement of Canada with any and all readers of Sweet Nothings so you can see why so many Canucks are proud to call this county "Home." I call this series "Canada Spotlight" for the same reason I call this blog "Sweet Nothings" - I couldn't think of anything better in the 10 seconds of thought I gave it.

Canada has a long and rich musical history that includes names such as Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, The Band and Gordon Lightfoot. There are plenty of popular names in mainstream music that herald from Canada and we're never lacking in shipping off one more entertainer to LA (Biebs, what's up homey?) but there's so much more to Canadian music than the next Drake single. I'm here to educate you on the musicians that have drank from the Fountain of Awesome.

Corb Lund & The Hurtin' Albertans

If I mention "Stompin' Tom" to anyone within a 5 mile (or 5 kilometre) radius they'll immediately start singing either "The Hockey Song" or "Tillsonburg." He's sort of heralded as the troubadour of Canadian music. But if I mention "Corb Lund" within a 500 mile radius...I'd be lucky if anyone's even heard of the guy, let alone will start singing one of his songs. He is the real troubadour, with real songs about this country and the folks that make it what it is. I gifted his most recent album, "Cabin Fever" to my brother Kyle and his wife Tracy when they took off on their honeymoon...aren't they lucky? Needless to say, I asked to borrow it soon after they returned and have been listening to it steadily for the past couple weeks. Phenomenal songwriting with outrageous musicianship make this album my favourite Corb Lund record to date. Tracks such as "September" and "Gettin' Down On The Mountain" showcase this while "Bible On The Dash" and "Cows Around" show off his infamous comedic side. The Deluxe Edition includes a "Fever Side" (electric) and a "Cabin Side" (acoustic). Both are excellent.

Corb Lund originates from Edmonton, Alberta and much of his songs center around Western Canada. You may have heard of his first band, The Smalls; a heavy metal punk band. Or maybe not. He also studied jazz guitar and bass at the Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton so this cowpoke has done a little more than write songs from the saddle. And while he has a cult following throughout Canada and the US, this particular Hurtin'n Albertan has very little mainstream attention, even in the homeland. Why anyone would subject themselves to listening to some of the most God-awful mainstream country instead of delving into priceless gems like Corb Lund is beyond me. If you have anything to do with country music you need this in your life. Even if  have very little to do with country music...this is necessary to your ears. America...eat your heart out!

The Sheepdogs

These guys were a random find for me and I didn't discover until recently that they are from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. That is because they sound like a Black Keys-Allman Brothers hybrid. Southern Rock at its absolute finest coming all the way from the frozen prairie lands of Canada. How does this happen?

What drew me to this album was, no kidding, their album cover. It looks really cool. I immediately grooved out to "I Don't Know" from their last album, "Learn & Burn" and when their self-titled new recording was released a few weeks back I snatched one up quick-fast. Favourite tracks so far are "Alright OK" and "The Way It Is." I was listening to the latter just yesterday and kept thinking to myself how similar sounding (0:56) it was to The Black Keys until I could bear it no longer. So I did a minute's research and discovered it was produced by none other than Black Key's drummer, Patrick Carney. Well done Mr. Carney.

They sound like they stepped out of 1970-something Rock and, while still relatively unknown, they are gaining in popularity throughout the US. This past year they've played big gigs such as festival Coachella and I'm certain we'll continue to see them infiltrate the states in the future. Lord knows they need better rock than American Idol and The Voice can serve up...never fear! Canada has got you covered! Or as one YouTuber put it:

"dear world, sorry for giving you justin beiber, we thought you guys would like him but obviously not. We are sorry and as part of our apology, we give you the sheepdogs in hopes that you will forgive our mistake to the world.

your's truly, Canada"

What about you? What Canadian band and/or artist is currently rocking your socks off, if any?



*In the next edition of Canada Spotlight: Food.

November. Nashville. N...

At some point in recent years I made the unconscious decision to make one major annual pilgrimage to the United States to see a musical hero, usually situated in or around the area of Nashville. I could often go see these exact same musicians/artists somewhere closer like Detroit but then...I'd be in Detroit. The only thing worth seeing in Mitch-gan is the unnatural amount of road-kill. Ouch. (Before I get a barrage of Pro-Michigan hoopla let me apologize forthwith...it's just that I spent five years of my life going up and down and up and down the I-69 and have seen so many mangled deer it's a wonder I'm not more traumatized.) 

But back to the beginning.

I've seen artists such as Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, Dailey & Vincent (OK, that was Indiana), The Cox Family, some crazy buskers on Broadway that I'll make a point to avoid this time around...suffice it to say, I love Nashville for all the musical history that's been made there, is being made there and will undoubtedly continue to be made there. So it's hard to say "no" when a hero stops in at The Ryman. Especially when that hero is from Manchester, UK and doesn't spend a lot of time State-side.

About a year or two ago I was wasting time on YouTube yet again, watching Dan Auerbach interviews and stumbled across a "series" (YouTube has destroyed us) called "Amoeba: What's In My Bag?" It's basically a bunch of musicians who go shopping at Amoeba Records in LA and get interviewed on what CDs and records they're buying so we can all see what inspires them, blah, blah, blah. It's the kind of crap I can watch for hours. So after Dan Auerbach had convinced me to buy a copy of Moby Grape's "The Place And The Time" I started looking for other videos and saw one of a guy called...

Noel Gallagher.

*Here is where I apologize for not  having known who Oasis was. While they were getting famous in England I was watching Bugs Bunny re-runs and falling in love with Prince Eric from "The Little Mermaid" so forgive me if I wasn't caught up on my current stadium bands.

Anyway, I clicked on the video because I liked the way he'd done up his flannel shirt and the fact that he used the word "accosted" and couldn't stop listening to him talk. I looked up interview after interview, discovered Oasis, discovered Oasis had split, became a Noel-over-Liam fan, realized I'd heard a few of their songs before and got positively amped when I heard Noel was doing a solo album, bought the album, loved the album (very different from Oasis and better), bought tickets to see Noel. In Nashville. This November.

I'm very, very excited.

So is Mr. Gallagher.



And if schedule's and things work out I'll be joined on this pilgrimage to the Musica Holy Lands with none other than brilliant fellow blogger and Muso Jessica.

Noel Gallagher is a proper rockstar. He seems to have created a legend of himself in the Oasis heydays and has been both a self-ascribed and critically acclaimed genius. He's certainly not the greatest guitar player which he admits but he makes up for that by writing great songs and giving brilliant and hilarious interviews. He's an outspoken, opinionated, mouthy, leather-jacket clad Irish lad from Manchester who thinks the world of himself. He swears too much, brags too much, probably still drinks too much...Aside from his excellent accent and solo album I had to re-evaluate why I was so enamoured with him. A lot of it comes down to seeing eye to eye with him about much of the music industry. I can be listening to him in an interview and find myself nodding and amen-ing along as he bulldozes through issues like royalties and songwriting and rap and the like. But that's about it. I don't have any similar experience with drugs or Blur wars or not getting on with my brother. And I think he reminds me a bit of Bob Dylan...or at least the '64-'66 Dylan. Not sure what either one would think of that. Although I can say with all certainty Noel Gallagher will never be mistaken for a poet.

And yes, it is imperative that I go. He infamously takes off 1-2 years between tours and recording...I could be ancient by the time he gets around to the next tour. Life is already too short and why wait until later to do what can be done now?

So there you have it. I've got to find some creative way to announce my departure to my parents and buy a detailed road map of the USA before November 4. Until then, I'll be listening to this album and, oh yeah, Snow Patrol. Cause they'll be there too.