O Canada: Raindrops in My Coffee

Sexsmith & Kerr: Raindrops in My Coffee

[purchase]

Canadian Ron Sexsmith is one of those singers I could listen to singing the proverbial phone book. Fortunately, I don't have to, because he also writes gorgeous songs. For Destination Unknown, he upped the ante with the harmony vocals of longtime drummer, cellist (and former Rheostatic) Don Kerr for an album of simply arranged, hearbreaking duets. Their voices are a natural fit, like a modern-day Everly Brothers, and there's no better example than "Raindrops in My Coffee." It sounds like the timeless classic it deserves to be.

O Canada: Coward

Holly McNarland: Coward

[Purchase]

One of my favorite songs of all time (or at least within the top 20 or so, which I think is darn good) is by a Canadian, Ms. Holly McNarland, a native of Manitoba. The song, "Coward", is from her full-length 1997 debut "Stuff" which earned her a Juno award for best new solo act the following year.

The song, an introspective look at insecurities, is powerful to me because it's about something that generally makes one feel vulnerable, and yet it is sung in such a powerful voice that you have a hard time feeling ashamed or bad about it. You're hanging your dirty laundry out there and you're saying "yeah so? Let's see yours if you're so tough", and I love it for that. Indeed, Holly herself is able to teeter along at times with a fragile haunting voice, and then come back with a voice that threatens to break windows, and that's why she's always intrigued me.

O Canada: Au Sud A Moi

Weeping Tile: Au Sud A Moi

[purchase in English]

It's the law: on paper, at least, Canada practices Official Bilingualism, giving two languages - in this case, French and English - special legal status, and relegating all other languages except a few local aboriginal tongues to "other". The statutory preference leads to some interesting road sign laws, ensures service and education availability in both tongues, and remains at the heart of my Montreal-born father-in-law's lingering ability to speak fluent French after four decades on American soil.

Weeping Tile, a short-lived nineties band named after the porous pipes that are buried alongside most homes to draw groundwater away from the foundation, was from Ontario, which is generally considered the most "British" of provinces. But despite the Ontarian legal preference for de facto French in all cases, in practice, Canadian music which is going to have much of a chance in an international market is performed and recorded in English first, and Weeping Tile's output was no exception: this 1997 B-side remake of South of Me, the lead-off track from their second and final full-length Valentino, seems to be the only French song they ever recorded.

It still rocks, though. For a good look at what the members of Weeping Tile have been doing for the last decade, I highly recommend checking out both popfolk fave singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer - who formed the songwriting core of the group - and Luther Wright, who with his new band The Wrongs is perhaps best known for his country/bluegrass remake of Pink Floyd's The Wall.

O Canada: Both Sides Now

Joni Mitchell: Both Sides Now

[purchase]

I had every intention of watching the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics... but somehow blipped and became immersed in other activities - imagine my disappointment when I read the next day on her discussion list that Joni's 2000 version of Both Sides Now was used as the aural backdrop for a stunning display of an acrobatic aerial ballet, "flying" over simulated Canadian prairies...

I continue to be amazed that Joni wrote this song when she was only 21 - the lyrics speak of acceptance and courage and wisdom (very Serenity Prayer-ish), as she comes to the conclusion that admitting the not-knowing is when true knowledge takes place...

On a side note, I love the scene in the movie Love Actually when Emma Thompson's character is wrapping presents with the strains of River in the background, and she and her husband (played by Alan Rickman) have the following exchange:

Alan: What is this we're listening to?

Emma: Joni Mitchell.

Alan: I can't believe you still listen to Joni Mitchell.

Emma: I love her and true love lasts a lifetime. Joni

Mitchell is the woman who taught your cold English

wife how to feel.

A follow-up Olympic FYI, posted on the Joni-list yesterday:

Circa 1966-67, Joni wrote a song called "Who Has Seen The Wind" that was inspired by Canadian writer W.O. Mitchell's book of the same name. The opening poetry that was recited before they started playing Both Sides Now at the Vancouver Olympics opening ceremonies were from that book which reminded me of Joni's song. Here are the lyrics:

Who has seen the wind scalloping the sea
Or gliding like a swallow over villages and trees?
"I have," said the willow, "And I begged him please to stay,
but he went away,
He went on his own one day." And I sing
"One love have I," and he sings, "Now it's goodbye,"
And I sing "Part of me dies until I see you again."

Who has seen the sun through a parasol of leaves,
Through scattered ruby cloud fires, through the silver
wings of bees?
"I have," said the waters, "and I held his face to mine,
But he left in time, he went in his own good time."
And I sing "One love have I," and he sings,
"Now it's goodbye," and I sing
"Part of me dies until I see you again."

Who has seen the stranger in a coat of simple brown,
With his face of many faces, with his eyes turned out of town?
I have and I kissed him and I begged him please to stay,
But he went away, with the sun and the wind away.
And I sing "One love have I," and he sings,
"Now it's goodbye," and I sing
"Part of me dies until i see you again"

O Canada: 5 Years

Kathleen Edwards: 5 Years

[purchase]

Most of us, myself included, came to Kathleen Edwards' music through her 2003 debut album, Failer. Few people, though, are aware of her true debut effort.

Building 55 was self released in 1999 and limited to a quantity of only 500 pressings. The EP is the work of an artist who is clearly still finding her way as a songwriter and performer and probably would not be considered essential for casual Kathleen Edwards fans. What it does show, however, are glimpses of the artist Kathleen would become.

I'm sharing here a track called "5 Years" that is easily the hardest rocking song on the disc and the one that dishes out a heavy dose of anger with its crunchy guitars. As far as I know, this EP is not currently commercially available. The "purchase" link above points to Kathleen's Amazon Artist page.

PS: I don't normally link to my own site on my posts here... but there's a good opportunity for some blog synergy here. This week is "Canadiana Week" at A Fifty Cent Lighter & A Whiskey Buzz, and I'm featuring several Canadian Americana acts. Check it out for a look at some newer Canadian acts that may not get mentioned here this week.

O Canada: Red Rubber Ball

The Diodes: Red Rubber Ball

[purchase]

When I interviewed Bob Mould in the early nineties, the former Hüsker Dü guitarist alerted me to almost forgotten Canadian punk band the Diodes. According to Mould, their untitled first album was even better than the Ramones´ debut, as, and I quote: "a guitar solo came by every now and then".

Which made me seek out that ´77 slab of vinyl pronto of course, and I soon found that Mould surely had been waxing nostalgic a bit. The Diodes didn´t come close to the genius of Da Brudders, although they certainly had their moments. Here´s their inspired Paul Simon cover Red Rubber Ball (indeed featuring a guitar solo, and a fine one at that) for proof. Legend has it they picked this song because Simon had been slagging off punk in the media.

And as a bonus I just couldn´t resist given this week´s theme, here´s another early Canadian punk band for you. The Subhumans sounded much rawer than the Diodes and weren´t to happy with their ´white wasteland´ apparently... "Oh Canaduh, what’s wrong with you, you better wake up, now what you gonna do..."

The Subhumans: Oh Canaduh

[purchase]

O Canada: Green Eggs and Ham

Moxy Fruvous: Green Eggs and Ham

[purchase other Fruvous classics]

I came late to the Fruhead table, but like many fans, once I fell for their irreverent, geeky lyrics, lightly instrumented four part harmonies, theatrical performance, and political savvy, I was in for the duration. We've posted crowd favorite King of Spain before, as part of our Aristocrats theme; head back in time if you want to hear my favorite Moxy Fruvous track, or to learn more about the band in its heyday.

Today, in an attempt to match the irreverence introduced by David's McKenzie Brothers post earlier in the week, we turn to what is perhaps the most requested cover ever to have been posted on Cover Lay Down: Moxy Fruvous' nerd rap remake of Dr. Seuss classic Green Eggs and Ham, which came from their eponymous 1992 six-song demo tape. I converted the track from cassette myself; to this day, the song, like the demo it came from, remains a complete rarity.

Sadly, Moxy Fruvous broke up in the early Naughties after a decade on the road. But all four band members remain quintessentially Canadian: Murray Foster performs and tours with Great Big Sea; Dave Matheson produces other Canadian singer-songwriters and is an active member of the Guild of Canadian Film & TV Composers; thanks to a grant from the Ontario Arts Council, Mike Ford tours schools with a repertoire of historical songs about Canadian history. And after a failed attempt at a solo musical career, Jian Ghomeshi hosts an arts and cultural program on CBC, where he made the blogs last year for an awkward moment with Billy Bob Thornton in which the popular actor-turned-rockabilly singer made several inappropriate comments about Canadian audiences, calling them "mashed potatoes without the gravy."

O Canada: Four Strong Winds

Neil Young: Four Strong Winds

[purchase]

Although "Four Strong Winds" has been covered by dozens of artists, I'm most familiar with this version, recorded by Candaian-born Neil Young for his 1978 Comes a Time album. The song was written by Canadian folkie Ian Tyson (of the folk due Ian & Sylvia), and the song prominantly mentions the province of Alberta. Could it get any more Canadian?

Ian & Sylvia's version was a Canadian hit in 1963/64, and one can imagine it resonated with the young Young as he travelled around Canada shedding band members and girlfriends in pursuit of his musical dreams.

But I've often wondered if, when Neil recorded it in the late '70s, he was also thinking about himself and his erstwhile musical partners, Crosby, Stills, & Nash as those Four Strong Winds. Neil's on-again/off-again relationship with CSN neatly matches the narrator's ambivelance towards reuniting with his long-distance lover.

O Canada: Take Off

Bob & Doug McKenzie feat. Geddy Lee - Take Off

[purchase]

On the sketch comedy show SCTV, in the motion picture Strange Brew and across two albums, Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas (as brothers Bob and Doug McKenzie respectively) lovingly exploited every single Canadian stereotype you can think of. With great success too - the McKenzies became a big hit, proving that Canadians have a great sense of humor about themselves.

Take Off (which is barely even a song, just the brothers bickering and Geddy Lee from Rush popping up every now and then to sing the chorus) became a hit in 1982 and made it to #16 on the Billboard chart.

Hosehead!

O Canada: Iggy & Angus

Sloan: Iggy & Angus

[Purchase]

I met one of my now best friends back in 2001, about six months after meeting he makes me the best/most favorite mix I've ever received. I'm a fan of making mixes, so I hold this as a pretty big honor. As I can remember, almost everything on it was new to me, and yet I was smiling and enjoying every minute of it. One of the songs included on that mix was this one, Sloan's "Iggy & Angus" (from their 1998 album Navy Blues), and it was my first time ever hearing the band. Since then I've found other songs I like better, but this one holds a place in my heart for being on that mix and being the first.

Sloan got it's start in the mid-90s after meeting in art school in Halifax, Nova Scotia and is now based in Toronto. Many Canadian publications have named some of the albums among the best out of the country, and indeed they do seem to put out consistently good work.

Solitude: Elsewhere

Today's post comes from reader Elaine. Thanks, Elaine!

Sarah McLachlan: Elsewhere

[purchase]

Sarah McLachlan's debut album was a piece of art that touched me as a young woman. I don't know if this song is about choosing solitude for its own joys, or as an escape from something. In my own life, it could mean both, if I think about it.

I believe
this is Heaven to no one else but me
and I'll defend it as long as I can be
left here to linger in silence
if I choose to
would you
try to understand

If you haven't heard this song before, I really would love to hear about your first impressions. If you have, please share your thoughts, too! Are you like me?

Thank you all. I love this blog.

Contributed by Elaine

Solitude: Lonely Girl

Todd Snider: Lonely Girl (live recording plus intro from Tales from Moondawg's Tavern***)

[purchase] - the studio version on Todd's 2000 Happy to Be Here CD...

Boy meets girl... in a rehab center, of all places - takes him a while to get up his courage to ask her out... and they not only need the permission of the center's board to date... but they have to keep a plant alive for a set period of time. He's a singer-songwriter, she's an artist... and they end up getting married - sometimes two Wrongs do make a Right... and truth is stranger than fiction... which you'll hear if you listen to the entire story and song posted...

P.S. The illustration above is an actual painting by Todd's wife, Melita...

***copied and pasted from my Vinyl Records post:

...courtesy of Rich Willis, a creative and generous Todd-lister who, in May 2007, put together (and made available to the list) "Tales From Moondawg's Tavern, a compilation of Todd's stories [with the associated song] thru the years" (backstory here and download info here)...

Solitude: So Lonely

The Police: So Lonely

[purchase]

Admittedly and unabashedly based on Bob Marley's No Woman, No Cry - itself an admonition to a lonely subject - this deliberate attempt to hybridize Thrash Punk with Reggae came into being on Outlandos D'Amour, but didn't chart until its 1980 re-release as a single.

Throbbing with Punk's alienatation, but like so much of The Police canon bereft of its class consciousness, the second verse comes across as a bit too theatrical, perhaps a fitting harbinger for Sting's later solo career as a sensitive popstar. But I like the speed-up-slow-down of plodding verse and driving chorus; with it, the song plays out as an apt rhythmic portrayal of the alternately maudlin and angry character of so much of our own loneliness.

Solitude: Side of the Road

Lucinda Williams: Side of the Road

[purchase]

Sometimes, you only need a few moments alone to clear your head. Lucinda William's "Side of the Road" starts out with that premise, but by the last verse, those few moments seem to have stretched on, and a future with her partner seems a lot less sure:

If I stray away too far from you
Don't go and try to find me
It doesn't mean I don't love you
It doesn't mean I won't come back and stay beside you

That may be so, Lucinda, but it doesn't mean you will come back, either. If I were her other half, I'd be worried. Is he still parked on the side of the road, waiting for her return?

Lucinda recorded "Side of the Road" for her self-titled 1988 album, but I prefer this stripped-down, live-on-the-radio version that appeared on her Passionate Kisses+ EP in '92. It can also be found as one of the bonus tracks on the now out-of-print reissued version of Lucinda Williams.

Solitude: At Seventeen

Janice Ian: At Seventeen

Purchase

Something about becoming a father has made me the biggest sap in the world. My 24 year old self would beat the crap out of me, I'm sure of it. But when I listen to this song I'm moved by Janice Ian's open confessional describing the deplorable rules that govern the lives of what she calls "ugly girls".

I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
And high school girls with clear skinned smiles
Who married young and then retired
The valentines I never knew
The Friday night charades of youth
Were spent on one more beautiful
At seventeen I learned the truth

As a father and as a human being I sincerely hope the truth isn't always as harsh as that for those women who don't fit the dysmorphic caricature of beauty that we've developed in the western world. From what I've seen I think my hope may be in vain. Still, I hope my daughter never feels this way for a minute of her life, and I hope no other girls do either.

Solitude: I Am a Rock

Simon and Garfunkel: I Am a Rock

[purchase]

The ultimate loner's anthem.

Friendship causes pain. Love causes tears. A fortress of imaginary walls and an armor made of the written word will keep the cold world away.

You're left to wonder what exactly has happened to the protagonist of this song that has led him to withdraw himself so much.

Solitude: Visa fran Utanmyra

Jan Johansson: Visa från Utanmyra

[purchase]

Swedish pianist Jan Johansson made nearly a dozen records before he died in a car crash in 1968 at the age of thirty-seven. The most revered one was the 1964 classic Jazz På Svenska (=Jazz In Swedish), which featured instrumental renditions of traditional Swedish folk songs.

The most famous song from this his most famous album is the opener Visa från Utanmyra (literally "Song from Utanmyra" - Utanmyra being a location in the province of Dalarna). Just how old the song is is unknown, but an early version had lyrics and was titled O Tysta Ensamhet. Which is English would translate into O Silent Solitude - a title that makes perfect sense when you hear the song.

O Silent Solitude was told from a first-person perspective and expressed a nearly maddening desolation and all the burdens that come with knowing you can never have the one you love. But with the lyrics removed and with Johansson's nimble piano-playing the song takes on a rather different form. One which just barely promises the tiniest bit of light on the horizon. A faint ray or two breaking through the thick, grey clouds.

If O Silent Solitude almost hinted at a longing for the grim reaper to put an end to the protagonist's lonely existence, Visa Från Utanmyra gives him the strength to go on for at least one more day.

If there's a lesson to learn here it would be that of perseverence. Why throw in the towel today when what you've been waiting for might arrive tomorrow?


Photo (slightly cropped) taken in Dalarna by Keith Vertanen

Solitude: Lonely Lover / Lonely Soldier

Gregory Isaacs: Lonely Lover

[purchase]

"Hey girl, you seem to be lonely, and I´m a lonely lover..." A perfect track for these Valentine times. That´s Gregory Isaacs, one of the grand voices in reggae music, desperately looking for a partner. But a line like "give me the right to own and control you, then I know just what to do" sure makes one wonder about his success rate.

Gregory Isaacs: Lonely Soldier

[purchase]

And here´s another fine song of his that fits our theme like a glove. This time the Cool Ruler puts himself in the place of a soldier "off to fight a war, which they say will make man free..." He dearly misses the missus though.

Solitude: I Will Survive

Cake: I Will Survive

[purchase]

Who doesn't love Gloria Gaynor's original?!? (and I'm hoping this is a rhetorical question) - whether to the jukebox strains in a crowded bar fueled by a few drinks... or in your car as you're flipping through radio stations... you can't help but sing along... loudly and badly but enthusiastically... to this anthemic ode of empowerment...

Cake puts an interesting spin on the traditional... with a male point of view, a well-placed obscenity... and a killer trumpet solo - whether disco or rockin', "as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive" is the message... and thriving, not just surviving, is the meaning (you really *aren't* welcome anymore - so there!)...

Cold/Solitude: Cold and Lonely

Slaid Cleaves: Cold and Lonely

[purchase]

A transitional song, connecting one theme to the next with the tiniest of conjunctions.

Texan singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves is yet another critically praised yet struggling artist, one whom several of us here at Star Maker Machine believe is criminally undersung. This track, from his 2000 album Broke Down, wrings exquisite despair from a rich palette of slow, deadpan vocals, eerie backing electric and lap slide guitars, and a bleak narrative of loss, speaking volumes about our support for the dustbowl poet.