In Love With a Fictional Character. Ah, to be Older Than I am and Crazy...

Yes, Relient K's song "Nancy Drew" is about precisely that. He's in love with Nancy Drew.

Well, It Just Makes the City of Romance More... Hot

Yeah, that does sound weird, doesn't it. "Paris is Burning" is the song. For some reason -- I haven;t the foggiest why -- I thought for some time that Ladyhawke was Canadian. Then I discovered that she's actually from New Zealand. Anyway, it's a good one. Not very well known, I imagine, but let's be honest here: aren't those the best ones?

No, Not Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

I'd never actually heard of the band The Rosenbergs before. I wonder if they're actually named after the couple...
Anyway, their song "Birds of a Feather" (which I think is a cover... maybe) was another opening song for the show "Castle." I don't much care for most of the songs they have (not that I don't hate them; I just don't particularly like them), but this, like "Jezebel," is one of the ones I actually do quite like.

I've Got Honey on My Hands From When I Held You

We were on our way home. It was late. I don't remember where we coming from, but I remember what towns we were between. The commercial came on. Someone changed the station. It was an alright song, so we left it. The song ended. Another began. And this other song. I had never heard it before. But it was... it was amazing! When we got home, we rushed to computers. We found the radio station's website, checked the schedule, found out who it was and what the song was called.
This was a few years ago, I think. Just yesterday, I was watching an episode of this great show called "Castle." If you haven't heard of it... Well, I'm not going to describe it, but look into it. Anyway, I started an episode and, just like any other episode, it started with a song. I didn't have high expectations, as the previous episode had started with a song by Pink. But this time... it was that song! Yes, it was "Jezebel" by Two Hours Traffic.


Yes, I know. There should be an apostrophe at the end of "Hours." And if it were up to me, there would be. Alas, that's not how the band named themselves.

Ears Fossilized and Perfectly Preserved by Volcanic Eruption?

Just kidding! It's called "Rabbit Ears" by Pompeii. I wish I could go to Pompeii.......
Anyway, all in due time. I'm becoming an Archaeologist; it might happen. Now, I learned of this song via Thesixtyone, the link to which is posted at the top of this blog. One day, I got something like 30 rep from it. I know! Crazy, right. It just so happened, too, that I got 20-odd rep from a Metric song the very same day. Ah, that was a good day!

I Will Be the Angel on Your Shoulder

So, I knew this song for a while, because a friend of my sister made her a CD with it. I was like, "It's alright." Then it became a single on the radio. Glasvegas had never been on the radio before, as far as I knew. And, because "Geraldine" was a new single, I heard it a lot more, and it really grew on me!

Come on Baby, Well You're Driving Me Crazy!

Whenever I'm debating with someone who knows more obscure bands, or more bands that the other one doesn't, I usually win. See, I have a few trump cards that often tend to dishearten my opponents, if not make them give up altogether. Granted, I'm not completely sure if they're as serious about it as I am, but that's far beside the point. Spiral Beach is one of these trump cards. If the other person's case is severe enough, The Arcade Fire or The New Pornographers can make good trump cards. The Polyphonic Spree, Islands, or The Golden Dogs.
But one of my best best trump cards would have to be Ghostland Observatory. I mean, have you heard of them? If yes, good job; I'm proud of you.


Their first song that I knew -- and my favourite of theirs -- is called "Cause a Scene." A song of few lyrics (Only a few lines, repeated many times over), the techno-indie sound is not common among my tastes, but this one cut through.

You Know What They Say About the Young

"Send Me on My Way" by Rusted Root.
Honestly, I have no idea how he says that one line so fast, 'cause I'm fairly certain he doesn't skip any syllables.

Let Me Stand to Show That You Are Blind

When my sister majored in Drama in university, she was in numerous productions, musical and otherwise (mostly otherwise, although she's a very good singer). In her third or fourth year (maybe second), she was in a production of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Saw There. It was incredibly well done. But that's not the point. The point is, one of the songs that would play during intermission was this incredible song by a band who pretty much gave birth to Alternative music. Yeah, you know who I'm talking about! This amazing song is "I'll Be Your Mirror" by The Velvet Underground (and, of course, Nico).



If you don't know what I'm talking about when I say "and Nico," then do some research. It's actually quite interesting; it'll be worth your while.

Unexpected Origins

Okay, so there's this really good song called "Le Lys Vert" by a Celtic band... from Quebec. I know! Who knew? They're called La Bottine Souriante. In the whole song, there are only lyrics once (if you can call them lyrics), starting around the middle of the song.

You're Gonna Drive Me Crazy, You're Gonna Drive Me Mad

I remember when I first heard this song. It's a bit of a long story, which could have but didn't involve Feist and/or Tegan and Sara but didn't, so I won't bother telling it. The song is "Better Things" by Passion Pit. At this point I would like to say, "I know; I hadn't heard of them either." But that would be awfully presumptuous. I don't want to assume that no one who reads this would have already heard of them, because it is possible. And I know that if I were on the reading end, I wouldn't appreciate the writer assuming that, so... yeah.

I'm Not Sure What the Brackets Are For

Really, I don't. But it's a great song! I don't know the lyrics are; I haven't actually listened to them. It might be one of those where the lyrics don't fit with the tune at all. Oh well. It's still good. It's "Camilo (The Magician)" by Said The Whale.

A Successful Plan Indeed

In a ploy to get me to like good music, my sister once burned me a CD. Now, when I say good music, I mean music that she likes. As it turned out, I already knew half the songs that were on the CD. Anyway, there was one that I didn't know, but now I do (obviously). I absolutely love this song! It's called "Wagon Wheel" by Old Crow Medicine Show.

I'm Surprised That You've Never Been Told Before

I'm too tired to talk extensively.
"FNT" by Semisonic.

The Age of Re-Discovery

Ever heard of the band Age of Electric? I wouldn't be surprised if your answer is no. Not many people have. They were a Canadian Indie band in the '90s. I knew of them in my youth, but didn't really know them. In my teen years, I did know them better. However, they seemed, in some places, as though they had never existed. They cannot be found on iTunes. Even on Limewire searches were unsuccesful. Eventually, after numerous searches over a lengthy period of time, I found them on Limewire. I downloaded all their songs that were there, but there was one -- my favourite of their songs -- that was still M.I.A. It was "I Don't Mind."


When I moved to Waterloo for university, I had a lot of spare time. I explored the small city, and discovered a used CD store, called "The Beat Goes On." After a frantic search for a bathroom, I entered a Harvey's. After doing... you know, I went into Chapters and bought Thomas More's Utopia. Then I thought, "Why don't I check out that used CD place?" So I did. And I happened across an Age of Electric CD, called "Make a Pest a Pet." Excited, I hurriedly turned the case over to check the track listing. And, sure enough, there it was: "2. I Don't Mind 3:23."
What a grand day that was...

Let the Love Tear us Apart!

No, I'm not talking about "Love Will Tear us Apart" by Joy Division, good a song though it is. That up there is actually a line from "Let's Dance to Joy Division" by The Wombats. So it's perfectly understandable if you were expecting "Love Will Tear us Apart."

Tainted Love's Too Fast to Dance To

This song, along with "Gimme Sympathy," was stuck in my head all day! It's just so good! It's "Reunion" by Stars.



It's also from their first album, "Set Yourself on Fire." Don't worry; one of these days, I'll post one of their songs from another album!

Who'd You Rather Be?

Holy mother of mercy and crap! Metric was here for our Frosh. They were phenomenal! Emily Haines is absolutely beautiful, and has such an incredible and, might I say, sexy voice. They opened with "Twilight Galaxy." They ended with "Dead Disco," followed by "Monster Hospital," and ultimately ending with "Sick Muse." I was in front of the speaker the whole time, and my ears still feel like they're all blocked up. Probably the best part was when they did "Gimme Sympathy." Everyone was so loud, cheering and singing along. It was incredible!


Afterwards, I got a picture with Emily Haines, and she signed my CD! w00t!

Here We Are...

..."Dusting Down The Stars" by Mobile.



This song is very soft, and so beautiful.

sickRed

Just, kidding. They're actually called illScarlett. They're from Mississauga. Anyway, I'm going to share with you their first song that I ever knew. It's called "Heaters." When I listen to it, I feel that the lead singer sounds like a white Jamaican. It's great!

Na na na, na naa, na naa

"Weighty Ghost" by Wintersleep, an East-Coast Canadian band, is today's song. I don't know what it is specifically that I like about this song. There's not any one aspect that I like more than another; I think it's that each aspect has a sufficient goodness for them to accumulate into one really good song.

Twelve

On The Polyphonic Spree's albums, all their songs are sections. On their first album, for example, the songs are "Section 1" through "Section 1o." Their second album, "Together We're Heavy," has Sections 11 through 20. Some of them have other names, though. And let me tell you. "Section 12 (Hold Me Now)" is one of their best songs, in my opinion. I really enjoy it. Even Caitlin, who hates The Polyphonic Spree (for shame) would, I think, like this song.

Double Dip

Sorry there was no post yesterday; I was busy moving into residence, and then figuring out how to hook up to the internet. Anyway, to make up, I'm offering two songs today. However, I don't feel like explaining them, so you'll just have to take my word for it.

"Money City Maniacs" by Sloan



"Don't Look in Their Eyes" by Stabilo.

You've Been Gone Far Too Long!

So, I have two sisters, and they're both older than me. The best friend of the older of the two, who is also a good friend of the younger one, gave to the younger of the two a CD for her birthday. The CD is called "Big Eye Little Eye." It was some band that none of us had heard of before (aside, of course, from the giver of the gift). My sister didn't much care for it, but she gave it to my other sister, telling her she'd like it. This transaction happened when my older sister was visiting the younger one at university. She listened to it on the way home, and fell in love. Immediately, she had me listen to it. I fell in love with this Toronto-based band. There was one song, in particular, that I liked: it was "Runouttaluck" by, of course, The Golden Dogs.

Scoop Out My Brain

I'm about to share with you a band who I only know one other person who knows them. I don't think that sentence actually was proper, but oh well.

Ernyway, she told me about this band called Islands. I looked them up on YouTube, and the first of their videos I found -- the actual official video -- started with a newscast. Done by twelve-year-olds. Dressed as dogs.

At first, I was a little weirded out, but then the song started. It was so good, I almost died! It was called "Rough Gem."



Never will I forget that moment.

You're Embarrassing Me, You're Embarrassing You

So, I sort of knew Hot Hot Heat. Then, one day, I heard this song on the radio, and I absolutely loved it. My sisters were also there, an they also loved it. But none of us could figure out who it was, even though we all recognized the voice. We just couldn't put our finger on it.



After the song, they said it was "Goodnight Goodnight" by Hot Hot Heat. We were all, "Of course! Hot Hot Heat!" Anyway, we all kind of forgot about the song.
About two weeks later, the exact same thing happened. The only difference was, this time we knew who it was; we just couldn't remember. That made it all the more frustrating. So that time, when we found out who, I wrote it down, of course.

Why The Frown?

My friend Caitlin and I once decided to pass a note of blips of song lyrics. She ruined it by passing it over-the-shoulder (amateur mistake) and our Sociology teacher took it and read it to the class. Her voice sounded awfully judgmental whilst reading:
"Hey good-lookin', why the frown? You always look better when it's upside-down. You say you've got nowhere that you're going to? Can I go nowhere with you?"

I was indignant, insisting that "Nowhere With You" by The Joel Plaskett Emergency is a very good song by a very good Canadian artist.

Blinded by the Hurricane

I knew "Mr. Hurricane" by Beast for quite some time before I made a certain discovery. I didn't much care for it at first, before making a discovery. Then it grew on me. Then I made that discovery.
Listen to the song, then read what my discovery was. Did you see it coming?



The lead singer is female. Not a man.

Potentially the Greatest Song Ever

When I'm bored and have a good connection to Limewire, I like to search just a band name (a good band name, of course), and download a whole bunch of songs by that band that come up, that don't already have. I've done this with The New Pornographers, The Arcade Fire, Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker, Age of Electric, Tegan & Sara, and several others. There's one, though, that when I searched the band, knowing only one of their songs prior to the search, I struck gold! But not just any gold. I think I hit Main Street in Heaven. I stumbled across what may be the greatest song EVER! It was "Philosophy is my Cat" by Spiral Beach.



Now, if you find this song and don't like it, I completely understand. When it comes to the appreciation of this song, it can be very... finicky. Even my sister, who accused Live88.5 of using their more mainstream songs for their commercials so as not to scare off listeners, didn't like it. But I love it. Listen to it. Please. And, even if you don't end up liking it, at least try to appreciate it.