Coal

Reasons to Love Canadian Music

Sep 19, 09:17 Media

Unforgettable Greats. This category is filled with great Canadian bands that can’t be ignored but either aren’t in my personal top 10, or are simply legendary beyond that sort of comparison. I’m excluding from all these lists typical rock bands that don’t contribute anything particularly unique to world music (i.e. – Finger Eleven). There is no rhyme or reason regarding the writeups. I did one if I felt like it.

Neil Young. Southern Man, Old Man, Heart of Gold, A Man Needs a Maid, Down by the River, and Ohio (to list the cream). What more needs to be said?

Sarah McLaughlan. She is the Mother-Goddess of contemporary folk music. All that is, and is good, is because of her.

Tragically Hip. Is there a more Canadian band than the Hip? I doubt it. Their aesthetic has been burrowing through my skin over the years, but my personal admiration for them has grown only slowly. Hence, while for many they would be #1, on Coal they get only an honourable mention.

Great Big Sea. Another band that couldn’t not be on the list, yet doesn’t quite do it for me.

The Tea Party. Some might not agree with the choice to put The Tea Party with the unforgettable greats. I understand their reasoning, but this is my list, and here they are. My reasoning is that they manage to somehow sound uniquely Canadian and contribute something to the world music scene without actually sounding like they’re drawing from especially Canadian sources. It’s a paradox that lands them a spot with Coal’s unforgettables.

OLP. They belong here, but I have nothing to say.

Additions. Bruce Cockburn, Leonard Cohen...

Honourable Mentions. These are lesser bands that may be great but whom I haven’t had time to explore properly yet.

Six String Nation. Definitely makes the top of the list despite not really being a set group of people or even a band per se. Thanks to Mike for pointing out the Justin Rutledge song, “Don’t Be So Mean, Jellybean,” on the Six String Nation guitar available on CBC Radio Podcast 63 (for those of you who are interested). For more information, go here.

Delerium / Conjure One. I have no idea where to put them, but the music of Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber have provided me with endless hours of atmospheric beauty, for contemplation, for background noise, for grooving, for whatever was necessary at the time.

Broken Social Scene. They’re Canadian, but I wouldn’t pay for an album.

The Tokyo Police Club. A recent intense interest.

Matt Good. I just can’t justify him making the great list, I can’t quite leave him out with the common fare, so I guess I’ll put him here.

Don Ross. Who I believe is Canadian, and whom I list, despite doubts.

Wolf Parade
Meligrove Band
Raised by Swans
Sarah Harmer
Tegan Sara

Addition. Hawskley Workman. Who I don’t know well enough to rate, but will look into soon.

I could probably go on here if I looked through all the old episodes of CBC Radio 3 with Grant Lawrence, but these are the ones that stand out at the moment.

My Current Top 9. To be honest, the numbering is misleading. It’s hardly reasonable to put Death From Above 1979 and Feist in the same list. Nevertheless, here’s a rough guide to my current top 9 Reasons to Love Canadian Music, based on a combination of my knowledge of the music, repeatability based on experience, or a basically arbitrary judgment on my part. This list could very well look different by next week.

9) Billy Talent. For making punk acceptable. I really don’t listen to them anymore, but I can’t forget what they gave me. Specifically, a headache – but the build-up to that headache was a rockin’ good time.

8) Final Fantasy (as in Owen Pallet, not Squaresoft). A new interest, but at the moment I’m willing to give him 8 anyway.

7) K-os. For making hip-hop acceptable.

6) Sam Roberts. He looks Canadian. He sounds Canadian. Maybe not too bright, but his music still rocks.

5) Feist. So soothing. I’m not a big Broken Social Scene fan, but that doesn’t stop me from absolutely loving Feist.

4) Death From Above 1979. Once you love them, you love them. Too bad they’re already gone. Like a fetus torn from the womb…

3) Metric / Emily Haines. Still the voice of sexy. Still the great Canadian alternative.

2) Elliott Brood. Death country and a damn good show. I’ve seen them twice and I’d see them again. And again. And again.

1) The Arcade Fire. They make me proud to have Quebec, and proud of Canadian music. Funeral is one of the greatest innovative rock albums of all time.

Then there are the reasons to despair. I only thought to place two. They are:

Nickelback
and (gasp!)
Burton Cummings

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I’m sure the names of the forgotten are legion. These lists could suffer some heavy revisions. But it’s late and I’m tired. Help me out.