Canadian Music

Eomer · 11-23-2002, 12:03 PM

It's really unfortunate, but there are a ton of music acts up here in the Great White North that deserve so much more recognition and success than they are able to get. One of the nice things about living here (or bad things, depending on who you talk to), is that it is literally law that TV stations, radio stations etc, hell, even our football league, have to have certain quota's of Canadian content.

I don't know the exact numbers or technicalities of how it all works, but I believe on a standard radiostation, 30% of the music played has to be Canadian.

Some people might think this is silly, or socialist or something, but I personally think it's a neccessary evil. Unfortunately, we live immediately next door to a big huge mass media exporter, the US. We are swamped by US culture and media at all times. Were it not for the CRTC (Canadian Radio and Television Council I think is what it stands for) setting quota's, we would long ago have lost any sort of Canadian identity or values.

Also, some bands can even get funding from the Canadian government to help with recording or promotion costs etc. The same applies to film makers and other forms of media. There is a lot of subsidization going on.

So my basic goal of this post is to hopefully open up a few eyes (ears?) to some of the great music they are missing out on, because MTV won't play it. I will just do an alphabetical list of some of the highlights of the Canadian music scene. All these bands are rock/metal type bands, as those are what I am in to. Feel free to add your own acts if you want. This post is gonna be long, so get a drink or move on

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Big Sugar - a wicked band led by guitar god Gordie Johnson. Kind of a jazzy/bluezy/regae kind of sound, good stuff. They are incredible live, as Gordie is a god on guitar. Side note: Gordie Johnson played on several songs on the Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute album, as he kicks ass. Good songs to check out: Groundhog's Day (the one with Johnny Lang singing is good), On The Scene, Ride On, I'm a Ram.

Big Wreck - technically not Canadian, as only the singer/guitarist Ian Thornley is from Toronto, the rest are from Boston. A good heavy rock band, heavily influenced by Zeppelin. Another incredible live act, Thornley could be up there by himself and it would be just as good. Songs: Ladylike, The Oaf (My Luck is Wasted), That Song (catchiest song title ever).

Danko Jones - a three piece rock band, really heavy on riffs and lyrics about how sexy he is. These guys might be able to break into the US market because Danko has the look about him that will help with video play. Never seen them live, I would imagine they are good, they have been around as an Indie band for years. Songs: Bounce, Sound of Love, Lovercall.

David Usher/Moist - David Usher is the lead man of Moist, a slightly heavier/soft rock band (hard to explain). He has released two solo albums that have done very well. Apparently he is massively popular in Thailand, as he is half Thai. I am surprised he hasn't penetrated the US market yet, as he seems to make girls wet on the spot (image is everything). Both are spectacular live, as Usher has an incredible voice for both loud music and soft. Songs: Silver, Resurrection, Black Black Heart, St. Lawrence River.

Edwin - former front man for I Mother Earth, now solo (he has never release his last name). He now does riff heavy pop rock basically. I am again surprised that he hasn't gotten big in the states, women LOVE this guy, and he could whup Enrique's ass. A large number of his songs involve being high. Songs: Superhoney, Alive, Trippin'

Finger Eleven/Rainbow Butt Monkeys - I still haven't figured out how they went from a funk/metal band RBM, to Finger Eleven, a slightly gothic metal band. Whatever though, as their music in both is pretty damn good, and again they absolutely ROCK live. I think they are starting to get a bit of exposure finally, which is good to see. Songs: Above, Drag You Down, Suffocate.

Headstones - Heavy Rock/Punk band that has been kicking serious ass for years now. They just released their newest album which is damn good. Again an excellent live band, I saw them on Halloween and the place went insane when they jumped into "Black Betty" by Ramjam in the middle of the show. I can't say enough about how good these guys are. Songs: Tweeter and The Monkeyman, Cubically Contained, Smile and Wave, Cemetary.

Holly McNarland - not a huge fan of her, as for some reason I basically don't like any bands/acts with female vocalists. Not sure why. However I do much prefer her to other female "alternative" acts like Alanis Morrissette etc. Songs: Elmo, Numb.

I Mother Earth - These guys were doing their own semi-rap metal before it was the thing to do, with their debut Dig in 1993. Just a damn fine album with Edwin singing/screaming. Kind of a heavy metal/slightly funky album (the bassist rocks). Their second release went a little more poppy, and things fell apart from there, with all their videos centered on Edwin and his seckcie thighs and pecs. Musically it was good for the most part. Their third album they got a new singer, the album sucked, however their live show got a lot better. Haven't heard from them in three years, but the first two albums are among the best I own. Songs: No One, Levitate, Songburst & Delirium, Earth Sky & C, Summertime in the Void.

Matthew Good Band/Matt Good - pretty straightforward rock music, with socially conscious lyrics from time to time. Matt Good is a well known arrogant prick, he is kind of Canada's answer to Noel Gallagher in a way, hence why the band has since broken up after 4 or 5 damn fine albums. His solo album is coming up in the new year, and it is looking to be very good. Songs: Weapon, Under the Influence, Symbolistic White Walls, Alabama Motel Room, Apparitions.

Nickelback/All their clones - so yea, you are probably sick of them! Well too fucking bad, since there are roughly a cubic assload of imitation bands coming out of Alberta and BC as we speak! Say hi to Theory of a Deadman, Default, Rake, and whoever else is riding on their coattails. Chad Kroeger has spotted a lot of those bands and helped them get contracts etc, and produced songs/albums etc, hence the similarities. While I am not a big fan of any of those bands, I think it's good for music in general, as I would rather some 13 year old is buying Nickelback over Justin Timberlake's new solo album, no matter how dreamy he is.

Our Lady Peace - another band that has made at least a little headway into the US market. I still don't think they have made an album anywhere near as good as their release, Naveed, but they have all at least been listenable (except for the second one, Clumsy, good god that one was annoying, AYAYAYYYYIIIIIIEEEEEE). Spiritual Machines is a very very good album, although I think they were kind of trying to go for the Radiohead vibe a little too blatantly there. They are only so so live however, as Raine Maida seems to have a problem singing in key. He can hit the high notes fine, strangely enough, it's everything else. Also, Raine needs to learn to shut the fuck up from time to time, as it is very rare to hear a musical space without him wailing. Songs: Hope, Denied, In Repair, Innocent, Not Enough, Stealing Babies.

Rush - so yea, I don't think anyone has mentioned them here recently, so allow me to elaborate...

Sam Roberts - Only has one EP to his name so far, but I think big things can be expected of him. Kind of pop rock, really damn catchy. Songs: Brother Down, Don't Walk Away Eileen

The Tea Party - possibly one of the most talented 3 piece bands around right now, they are incredible live and in studio. For their second album, Edges of Twilight, they used over 60 different instruments. There are lots of Eastern influences in their music, although lately they have also been using electronic stuff as well. Jeff Martin is an incredible guitarist and singer, and could be Jim Morrison as well (he freaks out when asked in interviews about it). Very very intricate music, and incredible live performances where it can take them 45 minutes to finish a song off, as they jump from one song to the next and back again, and toss in various covers all throughout. Songs: Sun's Going Down, Sister Awake, The River, The Raven, Cathartik, Lullaby.

The Watchmen - pretty straight forward rock music, at least until their last album, which took a HUGE departure into electronica stuff, although it was very good as well. Spectacular live performances, the singer Daniel Greaves has an incredible voice. When he did a 5 minute solo a few years back, several people in the audience were outwardly crying, and everyone was visibly moved by it. Very very good band. Songs: Stereo, Brighter Hell, Keep It Together, Incarnate, Boneyard Tree.

The Tragically Hip - now, this is hard to explain to people outside of Canada. There is this mythos around the Tragically Hip that is completely unexplainable and baffling. They basically represent all that is Canadian, I don't know how to explain it. They have been around for a long time now, and continue to be the best live band around. Even people who dislike their music grudgingly admit they enjoy them live. If the band wanted, Gordon Downie could call in sick and the crowd could do the singing for them, their music is so pervasive among people 18-30. Their more recent albums have not been all that great, as they are starting to slow down a lot and play more soft or strange music. Basically The Hip (I know it's an awful name, but somehow it works) are the most successful Canadian band, within Canada, ever. Almost all of their albums sell 500K to a million copies (that's the same as selling 5-10 million in the US), and have done so for over 10 years. They repeatedly sell out arena tours, and do outdoor festivals for 30-60K people. Songs: New Orleans is Sinking, Nautical Disaster, Cordelia, Fully Completely, basically any song off of their earlier albums.

Wide Mouth Mason - Another really really good three piece band, sort of a bluezy jazzy funky kind of sound, and the singer has a quite high pitched voice. Their albums are pretty good, however I never liked them all that much till I saw them live this summer. They are the kind of band that, even if you don't know their songs, you will end up singing along and clapping whether you want to or not, not sure how they manage it. Songs: Rained Out Parade, Bootleggin', Scratch (don't know their previous two albums, just their most recent).

And that's about it for bands I would strongly suggest

somecleric · 11-23-2002, 03:35 PM

Eomer hit all the major bands, so I'll just do some of the more the more obscure ones.

Bif Naked

Only pseudo Canadian, she was born in India and adopted by American missionaries, but she lives in Canada, and most of her success has been here. Hard to describe. Her early career was all about loud, slightly gothic punk bands. She's still very much a part of that scene, but her work has become much more accessible. Her song's range from driving three chord Ramonesesque punk like Moment of Weakness, Only The Girl, and Chotee to catchy, and sometimes dark, pseudopunk ballads like Daddy's Getting Married, Vampire and Lucky and even a few straight ahead rock anthems like I Love Myself Today and Story Of My Life.

Bran Van 3000

Montreal based musical collective (with over 20 members), working in a variety of styles and genres, almost like a Canadian Daft Punk, Massive Attack or The Avalanches. Their favorite seems to be disco revival, as evidenced by Astounded, a dance anthem built around a Curtis Mayfield vocal sample. Senegal, a minimalist dance number with lyrics sung in Sengalese, and Rainshine, a track that slips from trip hop to punk to dance and back again are other good examples of their work. And of course, there's Drinking in LA, a single that had success in the US in the late 90s, you've probably heard it before, even if you don't remember the name. Also, you have to listen to Love Cliche, the tongue in cheek tale of falling in love with a lesbian.

Front Line Assembly

Successors to Skinny Puppy, industrial/synth dance group. I don't really know what's good, but if you like this genre, you probably do, so no song titles, tough.

Godspeed You Black Emperor!

Montreal based post-rock outfit. Sigur Ros are heavily, heavily influenced by Godspeed!, so if you like Sigur Ros, you'll probably like Godspeed! I like Sleep, Storm and Hung Over, but you really can't go wrong with Godspeed! singles.

Hayden

I'm not a big Hayden fan, but if you like guitar driven, lo-fi, singer-songwriter stuff (like Elliot Smith, Liz Phair, Cat Power, Sebadoh and slower Pavement) you'll like Hayden. Dynamite Walls is the only single I really like, but Bad As They Seem was a big hit too.

Hinterlands

Ambient rock hybrid. Sort of like Massive Attack meets Boards of Canada. I really don't know what else to say. Oh, the lead singer, Michaela Galloway, is amazing. Just download Keep The Aspidistra Flying, This Condition and Lethe Waters. Probably my favorite band on this list, anyone who loves music should love this.

Hot Hot Heat

Sort of post punk bred with pop punk resulting in crazed, frenetic songs and bizaare vocals. Weird, but good. Get In or Get Out and This Town.

Neko Case

She's American, but she lives in Vancouver, so I'm claiming her. She used to sing with Maow, and she has a punk pedigree, but she's very much an alt-country act now. One of the finest and most distinct voices in music, check out Tightly and her stalker anthem Look For Me (I'll Be Around).

Panurge

Electroclash, britpop style. PAL, All Wooden Boys and Nothing Cleans You Like Fire are all great examples of what The Velvet Underground would sound like if Lou Reed had worshipped Eno.

Pepper Sands

Guitar based rock, with a slightly glam ethic. Lead singer Citizen A reminds me of Andrea Zollo from Pretty Girls Make Graves. Best songs are Win Big Lose More, Can You Tell and So Fine.

Pluto

Gone but not forgotten, Pluto made some incredible altrock/pop music in the mid 90s. Check out Unsatisfied, Paste, When She Was Happy and Goodbye Girl.

Pure

Similar to Pluto, more great altrock/pop. Anna, Denial and Nobody Knows I'm New Wave are all worth checking out.

Radio Berlin

Post punk revival, bringing back The Cure and Joy Division, Vancouver style. Intense, atmospheric rock in the style of The Faint. Glass Horizon, The Selection Drone and Kill The Moment are all good.

Radiogram

More alt-country. [i]Lost In The Park[/i[ and Fault Lines are both really good.

Sarah Harmer

Almost alt-country, but with a pop sensibility. Wonderful voice, and songwriting reminiscent of Neil Young or Joni Mitchell. Basement Apartment, The Hideout and Don't Get Your Back Up are my favorites.

Sloan

Not really indy or obscure at all, Sloan are one of Canada's most popular groups. Proudly worshipping the Beatles for 10 years now, Deeper Than Beauty, Coax Me, It's In Your Eyes and The Other Man are the result. Great brit pop, but from Canada.

The Constantines

One of the greatest tragedies of modern music is that Sum41 were the Canadian band to break big, and not a number of other, more worthy bands, including this one. Poised on the edge of punk, but with songs seemingly borrowed from Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Bruce Springsteen in his darker moments, The Constantines make great, moody music. St You, Little Instruments, No Ecstacy and Steal This Sound are all great songs.

The Dirtmitts

Another great, underrated Canadian band. Sonic Youth, The Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine figure large in their influences, lots of complex guitar work and subdued, almost secondary, airy female vocals mixed to the back. Fix And Destroy, These Hands, Vertical Lines and Diskotek all deserve your attention.

The Hidden Cameras

Gay folk church music. That's how Joel Gibb, leader of yet another musical collective, describes their sound. A little like Belle & Sebastion if B&S sung about HIV, getting it on at church and how ridiculous marriage is, but in a happy, upbeat way. The Miracle, High Upon The Church Grounds and Ban Marriage are my favorites.

The Inbreds

Similar to Sloan, britpop garage wannabe 2 piece (bass and drums), somewhat interesting as they predate The White Stripes by about 5 years, and apart from a more obvious commitment to pop, they're very similar. Yelverton Hill, North Window and Amelia Earhart are good reference points.

The New Pornographers

Another band that's criminally ignored. Ridiculously infectious britpop, with incredible arrangements and harmonies. A side project of Zumpano's Carl Newman, filmmaker Blaine Thurier (Low Self Esteem Girl), Destroyer alter-ego Dan Bejar, alt-country goddess and Nick Cave collaborator Neko Case, Thee Evaporators' John Collins and Limblifter's Kurt Dahle, The New Pornographers are unlike any other band out there. You have to listen to Letter From An Occupant, The Body Says No and Mass Romantic.

The Organ

Joy Divisionesque moody pop. They love Hammond organs. Debut CD isn't out yet, so the only mp3's you're going to find are poor quality concert bootlegs. But keep them in mind, they're amazing.

Grimble · 11-23-2002, 05:03 PM

Great post. I love most Canadian music that I've heard. Especially Big Wreck, Headstones, OLP, and the Tragically Hip (!). Its really unfortunate that most Americans don't get exposed to this music more often. Spiritual Machines is one of my all time favorite albums and The Hip is one of my current favorite bands. Anyone that is sick of the pop, hip hop, and nu-metal that rules American radio should really check out the Canadian bands.

Schar · 11-23-2002, 06:34 PM

Big Sugar - great band, extremely talented, gotta love the double guitar!

Big Wreck - awesome band, one of my favorites. Ian is an amazing guitarist, especially live. Sound a lot like Soundgarden.

Danko Jones - Really good rock band, opened for the Stones when they toured Canada, very...uh.. active guitarist / lead singer.

David Usher - While i agree that Moist was a pretty good band, his solo shit is just too "pop". He's the rock Craig David.

Edwin (and the Pressure) - These guys are a good rock band, and getting better.

Finger Eleven - I cannot reccomend these guys more. Amazing songs, and oh my god, amazing live. Saw them in a bar called Red's.... one word, WOW. They're a hard rock band.

Headstones - Pretty good, nothing special really.

Holly McNarland - She's talented, but i can't stand her music.

I Mother Earth - One of my favorite bands, One Man Astronaut is an amazing song from the early 90s. Post Edwin, they're not that great.

Matthew Good - Very talented, but what an asshole. Anything off of Underdogs is great, and in my opinion, his music has gotten steadily worse. Still great music, though.

Nickelback and clones - I love it. That's all i can say, i know most people hate it, but for me Nickelback personifies where i live (Alberta). I'm a lover of simple, easy-to-listen-to rock and roll, that's fun to play on guitar. Eomer, feel free to disagree (i expect it :P), but How You Remind Me personifies Edmonton. It was the number one song here for like literally 4 months straight. (half of Nickelback is from the area).

Our Lady Peace - Lead singer can not fucking sing. It all sounds amazing when recorded, but he really can't sing too well live, which is why i think they haven't made it as big as they should have. I saw them once in concert, 5 or 6 years ago, and he sang pretty good, but every time i see them on TV live, they suck so bad it hurts. I highly reccomend their CDs though, every single one.

Rush no comment

Sam Roberts - I've only heard Brother Down, and it's a great song.

The Tea Party - They are amazingly talented. Especially the lead singer / guitarist. However, their music to me is just sort of boring, it's not great, but it doesn't suck.. it just kind of exists. I do really like a few songs, (temptation, heaven coming down). I saw them live, and they were great, if you like their music, which i didn't.

The Watchmen - They're pretty good, nothing special. I really don't like the direction they're going at all lately. Absolutley Anything is a really good song.

Wide Mouth Mason - they've had a few good songs, but they're nothing special. The most culturally diverse band i've ever seen when it comes to their members though.

The Hip - What can i say... want to know what Canada feels like? Listen to "Nautical Disaster", "New Orleans is Sinking", "Grace, Too". Eomer pretty much hit the nail on the head. Great band.

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A couple i need to add.

FIFTH SEASON - A local rock band that hasn't hit it big anywhere yet, besides the Edmonton area. They opened for American Hi Fi in a bar here (yeah, shut up), and totally blew them away. I've liked them ever since. Check out the songs "trebleface", "monday morning", "patiently waiting", "everything's fine", "you and me" (love song, good though).

MUDMEN - I highly highly recommend you give them a listen. The most unique band ever. They flawlessly combine bar rock with bagpipes. They're from the Canada's east coast, which has a completely different culture from the rest of Canada, it's hard to explain, lots of scottish type culture there. Imagine your typical rock band, only with two gigantic scottish-looking brothers in the back, wearing kilts, and playing bagpipes. They haven't even made it big in Canada, mostly because i think for a lot of people bagpipes = annoying, but for me it's the perfect combo. Definately check out the songs "underdog", "5 o'clock", "in my head", "saturday", "drink and fight", and for the saps, "lost". Cool, i just found a picture of them to attach.

Great post Eomer.

Synd D`nys · 11-23-2002, 07:40 PM

Quote:

The Tea Party - possibly one of the most talented 3 piece bands around right now

Rawr!

Eomer · 11-23-2002, 10:30 PM

Schar, you need to see Headstones and Widemouth Mason more often if you don't think they are all that great. Where the fuck were you on Halloween sir, along with Big Sugar? It was a kickass show, especially when Wide Mouth's singer came out dressed as a chick with Big Sugar, was good shit. Lots of titties and nurses too!

And wow somecleric, I haven't even heard of half the shit you mentioned there

. I was kind of going for mainstream rock really, but you did have some good ones in there.

And yea, How You Remind me was big for about 4 months in Edmonton before anyone else had heard much about them, they played at Stage 13 (gone to both, good god it was hot this summer), and two weeks later blew the fuck up when their single got released in the states. Not the greatest performance this summer, too much pyro and not enough good music, and they struck me as really arrogant now.

Also, I saw I Mother Earth at Red's a few years back, when they played with Fat Man's Belly (who are actually not bad, they did a wicked cover of Backstreet's Back) with their new singer. I was skeptical because the album itself sucked, but live they were great. They did a cover of 46 & 2 that was wicked. Afterwards when we were walking to our car, we walked by the bus and the singer was just standing there. We talked to him for like 10 minutes, was a totally cool guy, although he had a slight newfie accent :/. All the girls said they were never washing their hands again after shaking his, I think they liked him.

As far as Matthew Good goes, I think their stuff has been getting consistently better, although more intricate and a little less accessible. But the Audio Of Being is one of the better albums I have bought in awhile, Under the Influence and The Rat Who Would Be King both start very slow and build up, but man are they ever good.

Anyone hear of The Full Nine at all? They have played them a bit on The Bear in Edmonton, not sure if they are a local act or not, but their song rocks. Kinda sounds like really heavy Wide Mouth Mason (big riffs, screechy voice).

Schar · 11-23-2002, 11:15 PM

Eomer - yeah i haven't seen Headstones or Wide Mouth Mason live ever. They're both good bands, i enjoy listening to them, when they come on the radio, but there's just nothing about either one that personally makes me a real fan. I missed the halloween show, and basically everything else in Edmonton for the past 6 months, because i'm temporarily living in a small town to the West.

Ok, American Hi-Fi aren't that great, but they were just like you said I Mother Earth was, after their show at the Urban Lounge, they stood there outside their tourbus and just talked to people, it was pretty humbling. They're actually really cool guys.

somecleric - I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable person when it comes to the Canadian music scene, and the only bands that you listed that i have ever heard of are Bif Naked, Bran Van 3000, Pluto, Sara Harmer, Sloan and the New Pornographers. The only band out of those that i like are Sloan, who rock. I'll check out some of the ones you have listed that i didn't recognize.

About Nickelback being arrogant, they aren't. I watched a show about them lately, and they have the one quote that i loved to hear: "We love doing things for our fans, meeting them, taking pictures with them, answering their questions, and just hanging out with them. I mean, if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here doing this. It's what we think about to keep us going when we really don't feel like doing interviews. We think of our fans as our employers in a way, if we piss them off, we get fired."

The Full Nine! They have that song, So Not Over, right? That's the only song that i have heard from them, and i loved it. Thanks for reminding me of them, i'll have to get some other songs from them. I dont think they're from the area, the only way i know them is from Muchmusic.

somecleric · 11-24-2002, 01:08 AM

I live in Vancouver, and I'm fairly involved in the local music scene. I'm in a band I didn't list (because we're awful), I sometimes play with one of the bands I listed, and I sometimes dated a member of another, a little over a year ago. I say this not to brag, but to provide justification for what I'm about to type.

Nickelback may pay lipservice to being 'all about the fans' but in person, the Kroeger brothers are the biggest fucking assholes I've ever had the misfortune of meeting. Ryan Vikedal is actually a fairly nice guy, I get along with him fairly well. I don't know the other guy well enough to comment on him. I'm not a fan, so I guess they don't feel the need to be nice to me, but from what I've seen, if you're not kissing Chad's ass, he's got no time for you, unless it's to brag, loudly, about how many albums he's sold. I know a lot of local musicians, and none of them outside Chad's little Pearl Jam wannabe club can stand the Kroegers.

They routinely show up at other local band's shows and drunkenly heckle them from the audience, loudly proclaiming 'we fucking own America, we don't need to play shitholes like this anymore' and 'you can't sell shit, why the fuck do you even try?' For all Matt Good's elitism and assholishness, he only tells the media he's the only artist that matters in music, he's actually pretty supportive of most local bands. He doesn't show up when Hinterlands or The Dirtmitts are playing ANZA trying to score chicks by acting like a spoilt rock star. He only fights with his own band members (and Chad Kroeger, but only after Chad Kroeger said he'd like to punch Matt Good in the face in Rolling Stone, before Matt Good said anything about Nickelback), not Jordy Birch, Dan Bejar, Neko Case and Operation: Makeout.

Chad Kroeger is possibly the most hated man in the Vancouver music scene, and we have scourges Bruce Allen, Bob Rock, Econoline Crush and those gimps from Swollen Members hanging around too, so that's no small accomplishment.

As for other things...

Matt Good's work varies in quality widely. I thought Underdogs was his last solid album front to back, but I like Anti-Pop, Carmelina, Load Me Up, Flashdance II and Weapon (his new single, with his new band). I don't think he's getting worse, he's just going too many directions at once, trying to do too many things, which results in some shit tracks on his later albums.

Raine Maida (from Our Lady Peace) really can't sing, but somehow, in the studio, they manage to coax out some decent performances from him. They should bring Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine's wife, along on tour to sing for them. They'd be way better.

Did we all forget to mention Chantal Kreviazuk until now? I kinda liked her version of Leaving On A Jetplane from a few years ago, and God Made Me and Surrounded were okay too.

We've also left off Sum 41, Liveonrelease, Simple Plan and treble charger (why oh why is it lowercase?). Not that anyone's missed them. Sum41 are okay in the same way Blink 182 are sometimes okay, and Simple Plan are fairly acceptable in that same way, but weren't treble charger in their mid 20s like 10 years ago? How come they look 15 now? They all have to be over 30 by now, right. I remember 'Friend Of Mine' being somewhat popular and catchy when I was in high school. Liveonrelease just kind of suck, once 'I'm Afraid Of Britney Spears' has lost it's humour.

And we forgot about tdot's amazing rap scene (yawn). I hate Choclair and Swollen Members and Snow and all those other mediocre rappers Canada seems to churn out. The Rascalz are okay though.

Also missed: Avril Lavigne (ick), Anne Murray (ick), Shania Twain (mmm, but ick) and Celine (ick). Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned them, they're not exactly highlights.

And anyone remember 54-40 or The Odds (come on, everyone remembers Heterosexual Man, right)? Robin Black? How about the Ghandarvas (First Day Of Spring was an awesome single)? Moxy Fruvous? Should I shut up before it becomes apparent how depressingly old I am?

Schar · 11-24-2002, 12:19 PM

I woke up today, with more bands in my head that i forgot to post about, and somecleric, you covered them all, and then some, haha. But i'll comment on them anyways.

Chantal Kreviazuk - Really talented, i've only ever liked 2 of her songs, but check her out if you're into Vanessa Carlton type bands.

Sum 41 - Not much to say here. They're already famous, you know all about them. I'm personally a fan, and am really liking the direction they're going with their latest album.

Simple Plan - Pop punk. They're actually very talented, and are quite good live, esecially the singer, but their music is pretty sappy. They're like blink 182, only less punk, more pop.

Liveonrelease - A band with songs aimed at teenage girls. The band itself is actually teenage girls. They're pop-rock. Not horrible, but not great.

treble charger - The one word that comes to mind whenever i see one of their videos, or see them play live, is FAKE. They just seem so phony, like you said, old guys (30s for sure) writing teen pop punk music. Some of their songs are alright, but i just get a major vibe that they're in it for nothing but the money. The lead singer also can't sing too well. The lead singer is the manager of Sum 41, so they're similar in style, only treble charger can't quite pull it off.

Choclair / Swollen Members / Snow / Rascalz / Kardinal Offishall - Check them out rap fans. Swollen Members have a few great songs, but i don't really like any of the others. They have a different style than American rappers though, so if you're a rap fan, check them out.

Avril Lavigne - This girl is amazingly talented, both at songwriting and singing. Really the two songs that became singles are the most annoying songs on her album. I've listened to it, and all i have to say is: she'll be around for a while. She sounds a lot like Alanis Morissette on her good songs. Seriously download "losing grip", it's a great song. I blame her record label for making her into the most annoying peice of shit ever (see: sk8ter boi *shudder*)

54-40 I honestly didn't know they were Canadian. I love the song "ocean pearl" (think that's what it's called.) A decent band.

The Odds - These guys were great. I loved almost all of their songs, i can't beleive i forgot about them. Too bad they broke up.

Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rock Stars - Robin Black is an interesting guy. Dressed like a gothic freak, so does the rest of his band. Their songs are pretty good. Sort of glam rock. His voice is annoying sometimes for me though.

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A few more that i forgot about, that i have to mention.

GOB - One of my favorite bands. A Canadian punk band that slowly turned to mainstream punk. They're great though, i love every one of their CDs. Check out the songs "self appointed leader", "soda", "naked", "beauville", "on these days", "no regrets", "i hear you calling". One of the most fun bands to play on guitar.

PROJECT WYZE - Rap / hard rock hybrid. They've got a couple cool songs, but i don't like them all that much. Check out songs "nothing's what it seems", "room to breathe".

NOT BY CHOICE - More Canadian pop-punk. They have one single, "Standing All Alone". They're nothing special.

SERIAL JOE - A yound rock band that started out as young teens. They've had a few awesome songs, mainly check out "mistake". Haven't heard much from them in the past few years.

PROPAGANDHI - Possibly the coolest name for a band. This is the Canadian political-punk band. They bitch about the government in nearly all of their songs. Check out the songs "nation states", "ska sucks", and the coolest song ever: "stick the fucking flag up your goddam ass, you sonofabitch". Awesome band.

Example of their lyrics:

My father told me "son, it's futile to resist,
You can topple ideology but not the armies they enlist."
I questioned the intentions of the boy scouts chanting war.
"Well that's the sound of freedom, son" he said.
(Free to say no more.)
But wait a minute dad, did you actually say freedom?
Well, if you're dumb enough to vote,
You're fuckin dumb enough to believe him.
Cause if this country is so goddam free,
Then I can burn your fucking flag wherever I damn well please.

Edit: typos, and added a bit

phatboy · 11-24-2002, 04:35 PM

I'd like to kick that old bastard in the balls.
Biggest fuckin hypocrite that was ever allowed to have his own radio show. Sound Off is just him spewing his bullshit opinions, then hanging up on callers who actually try to hold him to his opinions and catching him in conflicting statements. One big Bruce Allen cocksucking = Sound Off.
Hell.. is it even still on the air? Sunday nights on the Fox if I remember correctly.

As for Canadian music.. we have good shit, I wouldn't say its better or worse then any other countries music.

Old Hip is the shit, but it started going downhill after Trouble at the Hen House.

Headstones own.

The first Swollen Members album was good, and after that the cock factor trippled and they became jag off assholes. Met Prevail once, and after that it was apparent its not about the fans anymore. Asshole.

Chad Kroeger and company can lick balls... overplayed, overinflated egos, overhyped talent.

And I haven't seen anyone mention The Who. =)

phat

Reefah · 11-24-2002, 04:49 PM

bruce allen owns!

missed a few bands, default and noise threapy

suerte · 11-24-2002, 06:37 PM

Avril Lavigne - This girl is amazingly talented, both at songwriting and singing

Hmmm. I vehemently disagree.

Xen · 11-24-2002, 10:03 PM

VOIVOD!

twistidd · 11-25-2002, 07:33 AM

Weakerthans

Eomer · 11-25-2002, 07:54 AM

Considering Avril wrote most of her album and is only 17, I would think that's a testament to her being talented. And sexy. mmm

And yea, I have heard a lot of the same about the Kroegers. Back a few years ago I was dating the sister of one of the Las Vegas Crypt Keepers girlfriend (nice relation, I know!). I talked to the guy pretty often as we were always over for dinner etc, and they played with Nickelback at Ook Fest at NAIT, the summer before they got big. Even back then he said Nickelback were pretty arrogant.

And Matthew Good had said a few things about Nickelback and how they were so formulaic etc prior to Kroeger's comments in Rollingstone. The funny thing was, they asked who Matt Good was and Chad said "See, that's half my point" or something like that. And to be honest, he DOES have a point

.

The Odds rocked, they got back together I thought, although it may have only been a temporary thing.

54-40 is good I guess, I have liked a lot of their singles, but have never bought one of their albums. They have been around for goddamn near ever as well.

Robin Black, ugh. I have never seen him live, or even heard his music, I just get turned off by the goth shit, to be honest. And the guy is every bit the asshole that Matt Good is, put a camera on him and he instantly starts shooting his mouth off about everyone. He has the balls to make fun of the Hip even.

11-23-2002, 12:03 PM	#1 (permalink)
Eomer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 9,076 +20 Internets	Canadian Music It's really unfortunate, but there are a ton of music acts up here in the Great White North that deserve so much more recognition and success than they are able to get. One of the nice things about living here (or bad things, depending on who you talk to), is that it is literally law that TV stations, radio stations etc, hell, even our football league, have to have certain quota's of Canadian content. I don't know the exact numbers or technicalities of how it all works, but I believe on a standard radiostation, 30% of the music played has to be Canadian. Some people might think this is silly, or socialist or something, but I personally think it's a neccessary evil. Unfortunately, we live immediately next door to a big huge mass media exporter, the US. We are swamped by US culture and media at all times. Were it not for the CRTC (Canadian Radio and Television Council I think is what it stands for) setting quota's, we would long ago have lost any sort of Canadian identity or values. Also, some bands can even get funding from the Canadian government to help with recording or promotion costs etc. The same applies to film makers and other forms of media. There is a lot of subsidization going on. So my basic goal of this post is to hopefully open up a few eyes (ears?) to some of the great music they are missing out on, because MTV won't play it. I will just do an alphabetical list of some of the highlights of the Canadian music scene. All these bands are rock/metal type bands, as those are what I am in to. Feel free to add your own acts if you want. This post is gonna be long, so get a drink or move on . Big Sugar - a wicked band led by guitar god Gordie Johnson. Kind of a jazzy/bluezy/regae kind of sound, good stuff. They are incredible live, as Gordie is a god on guitar. Side note: Gordie Johnson played on several songs on the Stevie Ray Vaughn tribute album, as he kicks ass. Good songs to check out: Groundhog's Day (the one with Johnny Lang singing is good), On The Scene, Ride On, I'm a Ram. Big Wreck - technically not Canadian, as only the singer/guitarist Ian Thornley is from Toronto, the rest are from Boston. A good heavy rock band, heavily influenced by Zeppelin. Another incredible live act, Thornley could be up there by himself and it would be just as good. Songs: Ladylike, The Oaf (My Luck is Wasted), That Song (catchiest song title ever). Danko Jones - a three piece rock band, really heavy on riffs and lyrics about how sexy he is. These guys might be able to break into the US market because Danko has the look about him that will help with video play. Never seen them live, I would imagine they are good, they have been around as an Indie band for years. Songs: Bounce, Sound of Love, Lovercall. David Usher/Moist - David Usher is the lead man of Moist, a slightly heavier/soft rock band (hard to explain). He has released two solo albums that have done very well. Apparently he is massively popular in Thailand, as he is half Thai. I am surprised he hasn't penetrated the US market yet, as he seems to make girls wet on the spot (image is everything). Both are spectacular live, as Usher has an incredible voice for both loud music and soft. Songs: Silver, Resurrection, Black Black Heart, St. Lawrence River. Edwin - former front man for I Mother Earth, now solo (he has never release his last name). He now does riff heavy pop rock basically. I am again surprised that he hasn't gotten big in the states, women LOVE this guy, and he could whup Enrique's ass. A large number of his songs involve being high. Songs: Superhoney, Alive, Trippin' Finger Eleven/Rainbow Butt Monkeys - I still haven't figured out how they went from a funk/metal band RBM, to Finger Eleven, a slightly gothic metal band. Whatever though, as their music in both is pretty damn good, and again they absolutely ROCK live. I think they are starting to get a bit of exposure finally, which is good to see. Songs: Above, Drag You Down, Suffocate. Headstones - Heavy Rock/Punk band that has been kicking serious ass for years now. They just released their newest album which is damn good. Again an excellent live band, I saw them on Halloween and the place went insane when they jumped into "Black Betty" by Ramjam in the middle of the show. I can't say enough about how good these guys are. Songs: Tweeter and The Monkeyman, Cubically Contained, Smile and Wave, Cemetary. Holly McNarland - not a huge fan of her, as for some reason I basically don't like any bands/acts with female vocalists. Not sure why. However I do much prefer her to other female "alternative" acts like Alanis Morrissette etc. Songs: Elmo, Numb. I Mother Earth - These guys were doing their own semi-rap metal before it was the thing to do, with their debut Dig in 1993. Just a damn fine album with Edwin singing/screaming. Kind of a heavy metal/slightly funky album (the bassist rocks). Their second release went a little more poppy, and things fell apart from there, with all their videos centered on Edwin and his seckcie thighs and pecs. Musically it was good for the most part. Their third album they got a new singer, the album sucked, however their live show got a lot better. Haven't heard from them in three years, but the first two albums are among the best I own. Songs: No One, Levitate, Songburst & Delirium, Earth Sky & C, Summertime in the Void. Matthew Good Band/Matt Good - pretty straightforward rock music, with socially conscious lyrics from time to time. Matt Good is a well known arrogant prick, he is kind of Canada's answer to Noel Gallagher in a way, hence why the band has since broken up after 4 or 5 damn fine albums. His solo album is coming up in the new year, and it is looking to be very good. Songs: Weapon, Under the Influence, Symbolistic White Walls, Alabama Motel Room, Apparitions. Nickelback/All their clones - so yea, you are probably sick of them! Well too fucking bad, since there are roughly a cubic assload of imitation bands coming out of Alberta and BC as we speak! Say hi to Theory of a Deadman, Default, Rake, and whoever else is riding on their coattails. Chad Kroeger has spotted a lot of those bands and helped them get contracts etc, and produced songs/albums etc, hence the similarities. While I am not a big fan of any of those bands, I think it's good for music in general, as I would rather some 13 year old is buying Nickelback over Justin Timberlake's new solo album, no matter how dreamy he is. Our Lady Peace - another band that has made at least a little headway into the US market. I still don't think they have made an album anywhere near as good as their release, Naveed, but they have all at least been listenable (except for the second one, Clumsy, good god that one was annoying, AYAYAYYYYIIIIIIEEEEEE). Spiritual Machines is a very very good album, although I think they were kind of trying to go for the Radiohead vibe a little too blatantly there. They are only so so live however, as Raine Maida seems to have a problem singing in key. He can hit the high notes fine, strangely enough, it's everything else. Also, Raine needs to learn to shut the fuck up from time to time, as it is very rare to hear a musical space without him wailing. Songs: Hope, Denied, In Repair, Innocent, Not Enough, Stealing Babies. Rush - so yea, I don't think anyone has mentioned them here recently, so allow me to elaborate... Sam Roberts - Only has one EP to his name so far, but I think big things can be expected of him. Kind of pop rock, really damn catchy. Songs: Brother Down, Don't Walk Away Eileen The Tea Party - possibly one of the most talented 3 piece bands around right now, they are incredible live and in studio. For their second album, Edges of Twilight, they used over 60 different instruments. There are lots of Eastern influences in their music, although lately they have also been using electronic stuff as well. Jeff Martin is an incredible guitarist and singer, and could be Jim Morrison as well (he freaks out when asked in interviews about it). Very very intricate music, and incredible live performances where it can take them 45 minutes to finish a song off, as they jump from one song to the next and back again, and toss in various covers all throughout. Songs: Sun's Going Down, Sister Awake, The River, The Raven, Cathartik, Lullaby. The Watchmen - pretty straight forward rock music, at least until their last album, which took a HUGE departure into electronica stuff, although it was very good as well. Spectacular live performances, the singer Daniel Greaves has an incredible voice. When he did a 5 minute solo a few years back, several people in the audience were outwardly crying, and everyone was visibly moved by it. Very very good band. Songs: Stereo, Brighter Hell, Keep It Together, Incarnate, Boneyard Tree. The Tragically Hip - now, this is hard to explain to people outside of Canada. There is this mythos around the Tragically Hip that is completely unexplainable and baffling. They basically represent all that is Canadian, I don't know how to explain it. They have been around for a long time now, and continue to be the best live band around. Even people who dislike their music grudgingly admit they enjoy them live. If the band wanted, Gordon Downie could call in sick and the crowd could do the singing for them, their music is so pervasive among people 18-30. Their more recent albums have not been all that great, as they are starting to slow down a lot and play more soft or strange music. Basically The Hip (I know it's an awful name, but somehow it works) are the most successful Canadian band, within Canada, ever. Almost all of their albums sell 500K to a million copies (that's the same as selling 5-10 million in the US), and have done so for over 10 years. They repeatedly sell out arena tours, and do outdoor festivals for 30-60K people. Songs: New Orleans is Sinking, Nautical Disaster, Cordelia, Fully Completely, basically any song off of their earlier albums. Wide Mouth Mason - Another really really good three piece band, sort of a bluezy jazzy funky kind of sound, and the singer has a quite high pitched voice. Their albums are pretty good, however I never liked them all that much till I saw them live this summer. They are the kind of band that, even if you don't know their songs, you will end up singing along and clapping whether you want to or not, not sure how they manage it. Songs: Rained Out Parade, Bootleggin', Scratch (don't know their previous two albums, just their most recent). And that's about it for bands I would strongly suggest

11-23-2002, 06:34 PM	#4 (permalink)
Schar Playing UT2k4 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 776 -1 Internets	My thoughts on some of what's been listed Big Sugar - great band, extremely talented, gotta love the double guitar! Big Wreck - awesome band, one of my favorites. Ian is an amazing guitarist, especially live. Sound a lot like Soundgarden. Danko Jones - Really good rock band, opened for the Stones when they toured Canada, very...uh.. active guitarist / lead singer. David Usher - While i agree that Moist was a pretty good band, his solo shit is just too "pop". He's the rock Craig David. Edwin (and the Pressure) - These guys are a good rock band, and getting better. Finger Eleven - I cannot reccomend these guys more. Amazing songs, and oh my god, amazing live. Saw them in a bar called Red's.... one word, WOW. They're a hard rock band. Headstones - Pretty good, nothing special really. Holly McNarland - She's talented, but i can't stand her music. I Mother Earth - One of my favorite bands, One Man Astronaut is an amazing song from the early 90s. Post Edwin, they're not that great. Matthew Good - Very talented, but what an asshole. Anything off of Underdogs is great, and in my opinion, his music has gotten steadily worse. Still great music, though. Nickelback and clones - I love it. That's all i can say, i know most people hate it, but for me Nickelback personifies where i live (Alberta). I'm a lover of simple, easy-to-listen-to rock and roll, that's fun to play on guitar. Eomer, feel free to disagree (i expect it :P), but How You Remind Me personifies Edmonton. It was the number one song here for like literally 4 months straight. (half of Nickelback is from the area). Our Lady Peace - Lead singer can not fucking sing. It all sounds amazing when recorded, but he really can't sing too well live, which is why i think they haven't made it as big as they should have. I saw them once in concert, 5 or 6 years ago, and he sang pretty good, but every time i see them on TV live, they suck so bad it hurts. I highly reccomend their CDs though, every single one. Rush no comment Sam Roberts - I've only heard Brother Down, and it's a great song. The Tea Party - They are amazingly talented. Especially the lead singer / guitarist. However, their music to me is just sort of boring, it's not great, but it doesn't suck.. it just kind of exists. I do really like a few songs, (temptation, heaven coming down). I saw them live, and they were great, if you like their music, which i didn't. The Watchmen - They're pretty good, nothing special. I really don't like the direction they're going at all lately. Absolutley Anything is a really good song. Wide Mouth Mason - they've had a few good songs, but they're nothing special. The most culturally diverse band i've ever seen when it comes to their members though. The Hip - What can i say... want to know what Canada feels like? Listen to "Nautical Disaster", "New Orleans is Sinking", "Grace, Too". Eomer pretty much hit the nail on the head. Great band. ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ A couple i need to add. FIFTH SEASON - A local rock band that hasn't hit it big anywhere yet, besides the Edmonton area. They opened for American Hi Fi in a bar here (yeah, shut up), and totally blew them away. I've liked them ever since. Check out the songs "trebleface", "monday morning", "patiently waiting", "everything's fine", "you and me" (love song, good though). MUDMEN - I highly highly recommend you give them a listen. The most unique band ever. They flawlessly combine bar rock with bagpipes. They're from the Canada's east coast, which has a completely different culture from the rest of Canada, it's hard to explain, lots of scottish type culture there. Imagine your typical rock band, only with two gigantic scottish-looking brothers in the back, wearing kilts, and playing bagpipes. They haven't even made it big in Canada, mostly because i think for a lot of people bagpipes = annoying, but for me it's the perfect combo. Definately check out the songs "underdog", "5 o'clock", "in my head", "saturday", "drink and fight", and for the saps, "lost". Cool, i just found a picture of them to attach. Great post Eomer. Attached Images

11-24-2002, 12:19 PM	#9 (permalink)
Schar Playing UT2k4 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 776 -1 Internets	I woke up today, with more bands in my head that i forgot to post about, and somecleric, you covered them all, and then some, haha. But i'll comment on them anyways. Chantal Kreviazuk - Really talented, i've only ever liked 2 of her songs, but check her out if you're into Vanessa Carlton type bands. Sum 41 - Not much to say here. They're already famous, you know all about them. I'm personally a fan, and am really liking the direction they're going with their latest album. Simple Plan - Pop punk. They're actually very talented, and are quite good live, esecially the singer, but their music is pretty sappy. They're like blink 182, only less punk, more pop. Liveonrelease - A band with songs aimed at teenage girls. The band itself is actually teenage girls. They're pop-rock. Not horrible, but not great. treble charger - The one word that comes to mind whenever i see one of their videos, or see them play live, is FAKE. They just seem so phony, like you said, old guys (30s for sure) writing teen pop punk music. Some of their songs are alright, but i just get a major vibe that they're in it for nothing but the money. The lead singer also can't sing too well. The lead singer is the manager of Sum 41, so they're similar in style, only treble charger can't quite pull it off. Choclair / Swollen Members / Snow / Rascalz / Kardinal Offishall - Check them out rap fans. Swollen Members have a few great songs, but i don't really like any of the others. They have a different style than American rappers though, so if you're a rap fan, check them out. Avril Lavigne - This girl is amazingly talented, both at songwriting and singing. Really the two songs that became singles are the most annoying songs on her album. I've listened to it, and all i have to say is: she'll be around for a while. She sounds a lot like Alanis Morissette on her good songs. Seriously download "losing grip", it's a great song. I blame her record label for making her into the most annoying peice of shit ever (see: sk8ter boi shudder) 54-40 I honestly didn't know they were Canadian. I love the song "ocean pearl" (think that's what it's called.) A decent band. The Odds - These guys were great. I loved almost all of their songs, i can't beleive i forgot about them. Too bad they broke up. Robin Black and the Intergalactic Rock Stars - Robin Black is an interesting guy. Dressed like a gothic freak, so does the rest of his band. Their songs are pretty good. Sort of glam rock. His voice is annoying sometimes for me though. ___________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________________________________ A few more that i forgot about, that i have to mention. GOB - One of my favorite bands. A Canadian punk band that slowly turned to mainstream punk. They're great though, i love every one of their CDs. Check out the songs "self appointed leader", "soda", "naked", "beauville", "on these days", "no regrets", "i hear you calling". One of the most fun bands to play on guitar. PROJECT WYZE - Rap / hard rock hybrid. They've got a couple cool songs, but i don't like them all that much. Check out songs "nothing's what it seems", "room to breathe". NOT BY CHOICE - More Canadian pop-punk. They have one single, "Standing All Alone". They're nothing special. SERIAL JOE - A yound rock band that started out as young teens. They've had a few awesome songs, mainly check out "mistake". Haven't heard much from them in the past few years. PROPAGANDHI - Possibly the coolest name for a band. This is the Canadian political-punk band. They bitch about the government in nearly all of their songs. Check out the songs "nation states", "ska sucks", and the coolest song ever: "stick the fucking flag up your goddam ass, you sonofabitch". Awesome band. Example of their lyrics: My father told me "son, it's futile to resist, You can topple ideology but not the armies they enlist." I questioned the intentions of the boy scouts chanting war. "Well that's the sound of freedom, son" he said. (Free to say no more.) But wait a minute dad, did you actually say freedom? Well, if you're dumb enough to vote, You're fuckin dumb enough to believe him. Cause if this country is so goddam free, Then I can burn your fucking flag wherever I damn well please. Edit: typos, and added a bit Last edited by Schar : 11-24-2002 at 01:00 PM.

11-24-2002, 04:35 PM	#10 (permalink)
phatboy Give it a little jiggle... I dare you. Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Canada Eh! Posts: 288 -1 Internets	Bruce Allen... I'd like to kick that old bastard in the balls. Biggest fuckin hypocrite that was ever allowed to have his own radio show. Sound Off is just him spewing his bullshit opinions, then hanging up on callers who actually try to hold him to his opinions and catching him in conflicting statements. One big Bruce Allen cocksucking = Sound Off. Hell.. is it even still on the air? Sunday nights on the Fox if I remember correctly. As for Canadian music.. we have good shit, I wouldn't say its better or worse then any other countries music. Old Hip is the shit, but it started going downhill after Trouble at the Hen House. Headstones own. The first Swollen Members album was good, and after that the cock factor trippled and they became jag off assholes. Met Prevail once, and after that it was apparent its not about the fans anymore. Asshole. Chad Kroeger and company can lick balls... overplayed, overinflated egos, overhyped talent. And I haven't seen anyone mention The Who. =) phat

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11-23-2002, 03:35 PM	#2 (permalink)
somecleric Registered User Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 121 -1 Internets	Eomer hit all the major bands, so I'll just do some of the more the more obscure ones. Bif Naked Only pseudo Canadian, she was born in India and adopted by American missionaries, but she lives in Canada, and most of her success has been here. Hard to describe. Her early career was all about loud, slightly gothic punk bands. She's still very much a part of that scene, but her work has become much more accessible. Her song's range from driving three chord Ramonesesque punk like Moment of Weakness, Only The Girl, and Chotee to catchy, and sometimes dark, pseudopunk ballads like Daddy's Getting Married, Vampire and Lucky and even a few straight ahead rock anthems like I Love Myself Today and Story Of My Life. Bran Van 3000 Montreal based musical collective (with over 20 members), working in a variety of styles and genres, almost like a Canadian Daft Punk, Massive Attack or The Avalanches. Their favorite seems to be disco revival, as evidenced by Astounded, a dance anthem built around a Curtis Mayfield vocal sample. Senegal, a minimalist dance number with lyrics sung in Sengalese, and Rainshine, a track that slips from trip hop to punk to dance and back again are other good examples of their work. And of course, there's Drinking in LA, a single that had success in the US in the late 90s, you've probably heard it before, even if you don't remember the name. Also, you have to listen to Love Cliche, the tongue in cheek tale of falling in love with a lesbian. Front Line Assembly Successors to Skinny Puppy, industrial/synth dance group. I don't really know what's good, but if you like this genre, you probably do, so no song titles, tough. Godspeed You Black Emperor! Montreal based post-rock outfit. Sigur Ros are heavily, heavily influenced by Godspeed!, so if you like Sigur Ros, you'll probably like Godspeed! I like Sleep, Storm and Hung Over, but you really can't go wrong with Godspeed! singles. Hayden I'm not a big Hayden fan, but if you like guitar driven, lo-fi, singer-songwriter stuff (like Elliot Smith, Liz Phair, Cat Power, Sebadoh and slower Pavement) you'll like Hayden. Dynamite Walls is the only single I really like, but Bad As They Seem was a big hit too. Hinterlands Ambient rock hybrid. Sort of like Massive Attack meets Boards of Canada. I really don't know what else to say. Oh, the lead singer, Michaela Galloway, is amazing. Just download Keep The Aspidistra Flying, This Condition and Lethe Waters. Probably my favorite band on this list, anyone who loves music should love this. Hot Hot Heat Sort of post punk bred with pop punk resulting in crazed, frenetic songs and bizaare vocals. Weird, but good. Get In or Get Out and This Town. Neko Case She's American, but she lives in Vancouver, so I'm claiming her. She used to sing with Maow, and she has a punk pedigree, but she's very much an alt-country act now. One of the finest and most distinct voices in music, check out Tightly and her stalker anthem Look For Me (I'll Be Around). Panurge Electroclash, britpop style. PAL, All Wooden Boys and Nothing Cleans You Like Fire are all great examples of what The Velvet Underground would sound like if Lou Reed had worshipped Eno. Pepper Sands Guitar based rock, with a slightly glam ethic. Lead singer Citizen A reminds me of Andrea Zollo from Pretty Girls Make Graves. Best songs are Win Big Lose More, Can You Tell and So Fine. Pluto Gone but not forgotten, Pluto made some incredible altrock/pop music in the mid 90s. Check out Unsatisfied, Paste, When She Was Happy and Goodbye Girl. Pure Similar to Pluto, more great altrock/pop. Anna, Denial and Nobody Knows I'm New Wave are all worth checking out. Radio Berlin Post punk revival, bringing back The Cure and Joy Division, Vancouver style. Intense, atmospheric rock in the style of The Faint. Glass Horizon, The Selection Drone and Kill The Moment are all good. Radiogram More alt-country. [i]Lost In The Park[/i[ and Fault Lines are both really good. Sarah Harmer Almost alt-country, but with a pop sensibility. Wonderful voice, and songwriting reminiscent of Neil Young or Joni Mitchell. Basement Apartment, The Hideout and Don't Get Your Back Up are my favorites. Sloan Not really indy or obscure at all, Sloan are one of Canada's most popular groups. Proudly worshipping the Beatles for 10 years now, Deeper Than Beauty, Coax Me, It's In Your Eyes and The Other Man are the result. Great brit pop, but from Canada. The Constantines One of the greatest tragedies of modern music is that Sum41 were the Canadian band to break big, and not a number of other, more worthy bands, including this one. Poised on the edge of punk, but with songs seemingly borrowed from Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Bruce Springsteen in his darker moments, The Constantines make great, moody music. St You, Little Instruments, No Ecstacy and Steal This Sound are all great songs. The Dirtmitts Another great, underrated Canadian band. Sonic Youth, The Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine figure large in their influences, lots of complex guitar work and subdued, almost secondary, airy female vocals mixed to the back. Fix And Destroy, These Hands, Vertical Lines and Diskotek all deserve your attention. The Hidden Cameras Gay folk church music. That's how Joel Gibb, leader of yet another musical collective, describes their sound. A little like Belle & Sebastion if B&S sung about HIV, getting it on at church and how ridiculous marriage is, but in a happy, upbeat way. The Miracle, High Upon The Church Grounds and Ban Marriage are my favorites. The Inbreds Similar to Sloan, britpop garage wannabe 2 piece (bass and drums), somewhat interesting as they predate The White Stripes by about 5 years, and apart from a more obvious commitment to pop, they're very similar. Yelverton Hill, North Window and Amelia Earhart are good reference points. The New Pornographers Another band that's criminally ignored. Ridiculously infectious britpop, with incredible arrangements and harmonies. A side project of Zumpano's Carl Newman, filmmaker Blaine Thurier (Low Self Esteem Girl), Destroyer alter-ego Dan Bejar, alt-country goddess and Nick Cave collaborator Neko Case, Thee Evaporators' John Collins and Limblifter's Kurt Dahle, The New Pornographers are unlike any other band out there. You have to listen to Letter From An Occupant, The Body Says No and Mass Romantic. The Organ Joy Divisionesque moody pop. They love Hammond organs. Debut CD isn't out yet, so the only mp3's you're going to find are poor quality concert bootlegs. But keep them in mind, they're amazing.

11-23-2002, 05:03 PM	#3 (permalink)
Grimble Caveman Lawyer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: DC Posts: 519 -2 Internets	Great post. I love most Canadian music that I've heard. Especially Big Wreck, Headstones, OLP, and the Tragically Hip (!). Its really unfortunate that most Americans don't get exposed to this music more often. Spiritual Machines is one of my all time favorite albums and The Hip is one of my current favorite bands. Anyone that is sick of the pop, hip hop, and nu-metal that rules American radio should really check out the Canadian bands.

11-23-2002, 10:30 PM	#6 (permalink)
Eomer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 9,076 +20 Internets	Schar, you need to see Headstones and Widemouth Mason more often if you don't think they are all that great. Where the fuck were you on Halloween sir, along with Big Sugar? It was a kickass show, especially when Wide Mouth's singer came out dressed as a chick with Big Sugar, was good shit. Lots of titties and nurses too! And wow somecleric, I haven't even heard of half the shit you mentioned there . I was kind of going for mainstream rock really, but you did have some good ones in there. And yea, How You Remind me was big for about 4 months in Edmonton before anyone else had heard much about them, they played at Stage 13 (gone to both, good god it was hot this summer), and two weeks later blew the fuck up when their single got released in the states. Not the greatest performance this summer, too much pyro and not enough good music, and they struck me as really arrogant now. Also, I saw I Mother Earth at Red's a few years back, when they played with Fat Man's Belly (who are actually not bad, they did a wicked cover of Backstreet's Back) with their new singer. I was skeptical because the album itself sucked, but live they were great. They did a cover of 46 & 2 that was wicked. Afterwards when we were walking to our car, we walked by the bus and the singer was just standing there. We talked to him for like 10 minutes, was a totally cool guy, although he had a slight newfie accent :/. All the girls said they were never washing their hands again after shaking his, I think they liked him. As far as Matthew Good goes, I think their stuff has been getting consistently better, although more intricate and a little less accessible. But the Audio Of Being is one of the better albums I have bought in awhile, Under the Influence and The Rat Who Would Be King both start very slow and build up, but man are they ever good. Anyone hear of The Full Nine at all? They have played them a bit on The Bear in Edmonton, not sure if they are a local act or not, but their song rocks. Kinda sounds like really heavy Wide Mouth Mason (big riffs, screechy voice).

11-23-2002, 11:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
Schar Playing UT2k4 Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 776 -1 Internets	Eomer - yeah i haven't seen Headstones or Wide Mouth Mason live ever. They're both good bands, i enjoy listening to them, when they come on the radio, but there's just nothing about either one that personally makes me a real fan. I missed the halloween show, and basically everything else in Edmonton for the past 6 months, because i'm temporarily living in a small town to the West. Ok, American Hi-Fi aren't that great, but they were just like you said I Mother Earth was, after their show at the Urban Lounge, they stood there outside their tourbus and just talked to people, it was pretty humbling. They're actually really cool guys. somecleric - I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable person when it comes to the Canadian music scene, and the only bands that you listed that i have ever heard of are Bif Naked, Bran Van 3000, Pluto, Sara Harmer, Sloan and the New Pornographers. The only band out of those that i like are Sloan, who rock. I'll check out some of the ones you have listed that i didn't recognize. About Nickelback being arrogant, they aren't. I watched a show about them lately, and they have the one quote that i loved to hear: "We love doing things for our fans, meeting them, taking pictures with them, answering their questions, and just hanging out with them. I mean, if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here doing this. It's what we think about to keep us going when we really don't feel like doing interviews. We think of our fans as our employers in a way, if we piss them off, we get fired." The Full Nine! They have that song, So Not Over, right? That's the only song that i have heard from them, and i loved it. Thanks for reminding me of them, i'll have to get some other songs from them. I dont think they're from the area, the only way i know them is from Muchmusic.

11-24-2002, 01:08 AM	#8 (permalink)
somecleric Registered User Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 121 -1 Internets	I live in Vancouver, and I'm fairly involved in the local music scene. I'm in a band I didn't list (because we're awful), I sometimes play with one of the bands I listed, and I sometimes dated a member of another, a little over a year ago. I say this not to brag, but to provide justification for what I'm about to type. Nickelback may pay lipservice to being 'all about the fans' but in person, the Kroeger brothers are the biggest fucking assholes I've ever had the misfortune of meeting. Ryan Vikedal is actually a fairly nice guy, I get along with him fairly well. I don't know the other guy well enough to comment on him. I'm not a fan, so I guess they don't feel the need to be nice to me, but from what I've seen, if you're not kissing Chad's ass, he's got no time for you, unless it's to brag, loudly, about how many albums he's sold. I know a lot of local musicians, and none of them outside Chad's little Pearl Jam wannabe club can stand the Kroegers. They routinely show up at other local band's shows and drunkenly heckle them from the audience, loudly proclaiming 'we fucking own America, we don't need to play shitholes like this anymore' and 'you can't sell shit, why the fuck do you even try?' For all Matt Good's elitism and assholishness, he only tells the media he's the only artist that matters in music, he's actually pretty supportive of most local bands. He doesn't show up when Hinterlands or The Dirtmitts are playing ANZA trying to score chicks by acting like a spoilt rock star. He only fights with his own band members (and Chad Kroeger, but only after Chad Kroeger said he'd like to punch Matt Good in the face in Rolling Stone, before Matt Good said anything about Nickelback), not Jordy Birch, Dan Bejar, Neko Case and Operation: Makeout. Chad Kroeger is possibly the most hated man in the Vancouver music scene, and we have scourges Bruce Allen, Bob Rock, Econoline Crush and those gimps from Swollen Members hanging around too, so that's no small accomplishment. As for other things... Matt Good's work varies in quality widely. I thought Underdogs was his last solid album front to back, but I like Anti-Pop, Carmelina, Load Me Up, Flashdance II and Weapon (his new single, with his new band). I don't think he's getting worse, he's just going too many directions at once, trying to do too many things, which results in some shit tracks on his later albums. Raine Maida (from Our Lady Peace) really can't sing, but somehow, in the studio, they manage to coax out some decent performances from him. They should bring Chantal Kreviazuk, Raine's wife, along on tour to sing for them. They'd be way better. Did we all forget to mention Chantal Kreviazuk until now? I kinda liked her version of Leaving On A Jetplane from a few years ago, and God Made Me and Surrounded were okay too. We've also left off Sum 41, Liveonrelease, Simple Plan and treble charger (why oh why is it lowercase?). Not that anyone's missed them. Sum41 are okay in the same way Blink 182 are sometimes okay, and Simple Plan are fairly acceptable in that same way, but weren't treble charger in their mid 20s like 10 years ago? How come they look 15 now? They all have to be over 30 by now, right. I remember 'Friend Of Mine' being somewhat popular and catchy when I was in high school. Liveonrelease just kind of suck, once 'I'm Afraid Of Britney Spears' has lost it's humour. And we forgot about tdot's amazing rap scene (yawn). I hate Choclair and Swollen Members and Snow and all those other mediocre rappers Canada seems to churn out. The Rascalz are okay though. Also missed: Avril Lavigne (ick), Anne Murray (ick), Shania Twain (mmm, but ick) and Celine (ick). Perhaps I shouldn't have mentioned them, they're not exactly highlights. And anyone remember 54-40 or The Odds (come on, everyone remembers Heterosexual Man, right)? Robin Black? How about the Ghandarvas (First Day Of Spring was an awesome single)? Moxy Fruvous? Should I shut up before it becomes apparent how depressingly old I am?

11-24-2002, 04:49 PM	#11 (permalink)
Reefah Fires of Heaven WoW Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 33 -1 Internets	bruce allen owns! missed a few bands, default and noise threapy

11-24-2002, 06:37 PM	#12 (permalink)
suerte Registered User Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 42 -1 Internets	Avril Lavigne - This girl is amazingly talented, both at songwriting and singing Hmmm. I vehemently disagree.

11-24-2002, 10:03 PM	#13 (permalink)
Xen <space for rent> Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 160 -1 Internets	VOIVOD!

11-25-2002, 07:33 AM	#14 (permalink)
twistidd Banned Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Houston Posts: 43 +0 Internets	Weakerthans

11-25-2002, 07:54 AM	#15 (permalink)
Eomer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 9,076 +20 Internets	Considering Avril wrote most of her album and is only 17, I would think that's a testament to her being talented. And sexy. mmm And yea, I have heard a lot of the same about the Kroegers. Back a few years ago I was dating the sister of one of the Las Vegas Crypt Keepers girlfriend (nice relation, I know!). I talked to the guy pretty often as we were always over for dinner etc, and they played with Nickelback at Ook Fest at NAIT, the summer before they got big. Even back then he said Nickelback were pretty arrogant. And Matthew Good had said a few things about Nickelback and how they were so formulaic etc prior to Kroeger's comments in Rollingstone. The funny thing was, they asked who Matt Good was and Chad said "See, that's half my point" or something like that. And to be honest, he DOES have a point . The Odds rocked, they got back together I thought, although it may have only been a temporary thing. 54-40 is good I guess, I have liked a lot of their singles, but have never bought one of their albums. They have been around for goddamn near ever as well. Robin Black, ugh. I have never seen him live, or even heard his music, I just get turned off by the goth shit, to be honest. And the guy is every bit the asshole that Matt Good is, put a camera on him and he instantly starts shooting his mouth off about everyone. He has the balls to make fun of the Hip even.