How can one forgive Canada for Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne and Canadian bacon?
Aside: American bacon far exceeds Canadian bacon, don’t even try to put that shit on my pizza with some pineapple because that is straight up foul. Don’t get it twisted.
They more than made up for these horrible faults by giving us some awesome music (and Degrassi Junior High).
Stars – One of my top ten bands of all time. I was instantly taken with them after hearing Your Ex-Lover Is Dead, a sweeping heartbreaking tale of lost love. Heart, Set Yourself On Fire and In Our Bedroom After the War are their three major album releases. Set Yourself on Fire was the first album I heard in a long time where it broke my heart and mended it simultaneously. Your life is seriously missing something without Stars in it. Live show rating (Lollapalooza 2006, Orpheum Theater 2007): 9 out of 10 only due to the crap venue the second time around.
Metric – One of my favorite current bands. Emily Haines carries this band with her angelic voice and sharp lyrics. Calculation Theme is the song that made me fall in love with Metric. Raw Sugar, Combat Baby and Dead Disco are other stand outs. If you want a throw back to 80’s new wave mixed with dance beats, this is it. Live show rating (First Ave. 2007): 8 out of 10 only due to the teens moshing right in front of me.
Feist – She broke out this year when the monster that is Apple used her song 1234 for their new ad campaign. Well fuck Apple because now she has become so mainstream that it makes my bones ache. Anyway, before she was Feist of Apple, she had the album Let It Die. It’s a lot more somber and laid back than The Reminder and is perfect for that lazy summer day. She does a great cover of the Bee Gees Inside and Out on it too. Live show rating (Lollapalooza 2006): 7 out of 10. Lolla was not the best place to see such a laid back act.
Arcade Fire – Another band that has slightly blown up this past year. I first heard them when the MTV2 show Subterranean showed their video for Wake Up. They caught my attention immediately because it was new. They were probably one of the first bands to light the current indie rock craze on fire. And how can you not love a band that Bowie loves? Live show rating (Roy Wilkins Auditorium 2007): 11 out of 10. This was probably one of THE best shows I have ever seen in my life, and I’ve seen a lot. They rocked the shit out of a piss poor venue and had absolutely everyone mesmorized with their stage show.
Honorable mention:
Broken Social Scene – A mish mash of extremely talented musicians. They are breaking the mold of what good music is with the help of many of the musicians I listed above.
Tegan and Sara – Sister duo with an individual sound.
Bryan Adams – For good measure, or just shits and giggles. Are Canadians still proud to claim Bryan as their own?
Who are your favorite acts from Canada?
Aside: American bacon far exceeds Canadian bacon, don’t even try to put that shit on my pizza with some pineapple because that is straight up foul. Don’t get it twisted.
They more than made up for these horrible faults by giving us some awesome music (and Degrassi Junior High).
Stars – One of my top ten bands of all time. I was instantly taken with them after hearing Your Ex-Lover Is Dead, a sweeping heartbreaking tale of lost love. Heart, Set Yourself On Fire and In Our Bedroom After the War are their three major album releases. Set Yourself on Fire was the first album I heard in a long time where it broke my heart and mended it simultaneously. Your life is seriously missing something without Stars in it. Live show rating (Lollapalooza 2006, Orpheum Theater 2007): 9 out of 10 only due to the crap venue the second time around.
Metric – One of my favorite current bands. Emily Haines carries this band with her angelic voice and sharp lyrics. Calculation Theme is the song that made me fall in love with Metric. Raw Sugar, Combat Baby and Dead Disco are other stand outs. If you want a throw back to 80’s new wave mixed with dance beats, this is it. Live show rating (First Ave. 2007): 8 out of 10 only due to the teens moshing right in front of me.
Feist – She broke out this year when the monster that is Apple used her song 1234 for their new ad campaign. Well fuck Apple because now she has become so mainstream that it makes my bones ache. Anyway, before she was Feist of Apple, she had the album Let It Die. It’s a lot more somber and laid back than The Reminder and is perfect for that lazy summer day. She does a great cover of the Bee Gees Inside and Out on it too. Live show rating (Lollapalooza 2006): 7 out of 10. Lolla was not the best place to see such a laid back act.
Arcade Fire – Another band that has slightly blown up this past year. I first heard them when the MTV2 show Subterranean showed their video for Wake Up. They caught my attention immediately because it was new. They were probably one of the first bands to light the current indie rock craze on fire. And how can you not love a band that Bowie loves? Live show rating (Roy Wilkins Auditorium 2007): 11 out of 10. This was probably one of THE best shows I have ever seen in my life, and I’ve seen a lot. They rocked the shit out of a piss poor venue and had absolutely everyone mesmorized with their stage show.
Honorable mention:
Broken Social Scene – A mish mash of extremely talented musicians. They are breaking the mold of what good music is with the help of many of the musicians I listed above.
Tegan and Sara – Sister duo with an individual sound.
Bryan Adams – For good measure, or just shits and giggles. Are Canadians still proud to claim Bryan as their own?
Who are your favorite acts from Canada?
