canadian musicians i love
- Michael Buble
- Tory Cassis
- Tyler Yarema & His Rhythm
- Leonard Cohen
- Sarah McLachlan
- Moxy Fruvous
- Sarah Harmer
- Sarah Slean
- Loreena McKennitt
- Our Lady Peace
- Men Without Hats
- Corey Hart
- Joni Mitchell
- Cowboy Junkies
- Meryn Cadell
- Grapes of Wrath
- Crash Test Dummies
- National Velvet
- Barra MacNeils
- Ferron
- Alanis Morissette
- Barenaked Ladies*
*only sometimes.
what i said before:
[in my opinion, Alanis Morissette was a force to be reckoned with when she first came out. i was an Ani fan who didn't want to like her when i first heard "you oughtta know"--but the rest of the album eventually won me over. however, after awhile i felt she was trying too hard to fit into the niche she'd been plugged into by the media. i still think she's got something; i'm just waiting for her to break out and do something daring.]
see posts for update!
with Barenaked Ladies it's the old sell-out tale. i loved Gordon and Maybe You Should Drive, but after "One Week" hit the US and i read an article about how they bring porn stars with them on the road... i lost a lot of respect for them. i still like their sound, but can't forget the good ol' days when they seemed like such nice boys. (see further thoughts in comment section)
Some good picks and some stuff I've never heard of, but I have some questions... Where are The Tragically Hip? They're easily one of my favorite bands Canadian or otherwise. Have you ever heard of Lowest of the Low? They're a fantastic, but sadly now defunct, band. Why Barenaked Ladies only some of the time?
the Hip actually appear on this list because i haven't heard enough of them to get a good feel. the Lowest of the Low sound vaguely familiar, probably from listening to CFNY for many years--but i can't place them.
as for BNL, i've decided i'm going to add my qualifications/reasoning to the author comments section. thanks for askin' though!
Lowest of the Low is highly recommended, if you can find any of their stuff.
I'd never heard that porn star thing about BNL. Still, I can't fault their music. New album coming in a couple weeks...
i LOVE LOWEST OF THE LOW
did you ever like hhead???
Were Neil Young and The Band intentionally left off?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
well, i can't say i *don't like* Neil Young because i love him with Crosby, Stills, & Nash--but i guess i've never been exposed to any of his solo material that struck me.
and i've heard *of* the Band, but don't *know* them. perhaps i'll look into that.
Wow,helluva list! There's a few on here I didn't even know were Canadian (and I usually like to take note of who is and who isn't). Cowboy Junkies, Crash Test Dummies and Men Without Hats, for example.
I must ask you, though, do you mean to say that you like Fruvous all of the time? Even Wood? Bargainville was great, and is on my regular car CD rotation, but I haven't liked pretty much anything since that album. I've found they're too forceful and obvious with their political opinions. This is true even on Bargainville, but at least that one was funny.
I don't agree that the Barenaked Ladies have sold out. True, One Week made it really big in the states, but I still think they're the same fun guys they always were (have you seen them in concert?) They are a pop music group, and they have been trying to appeal to an American audience more, but if you listen to the rest of the songs on Stunt, you can still see evidence of their fresh lyrics and quirky Canadian humour (She's on Time is one of my favourites).
yeah, i'd say i'm still a fruvous diehard, even though i don't call myself a fruhead anymore. (i went to 30 shows in a little over a year and then burnt out on following them...) personally, "Wood" is one of my favorites, but you've really hit on a big division among their fans with your comments--even if people claim to *like* all their music, they generally prefer the humourous stuff OR the more serious stuff. people of the "Bargainville" ilk, generally enjoy the "B" and "C" albums, and "Wood" fans seem to enjoy the newest one, "Thornhill." however, "You Will Go To The Moon" and "Live Noise" seem to fall somewhere in the middle, so if you haven't heard either of those, you should pick 'em up. but i understand your struggles--it's hard to follow any band through years of evolution (see fans of the Beatles, the Cure, Ani DiFranco, Sinead O'Connor, etc. and you'll find the same phenomenon.)
and maybe "sold out" is too harsh a term for BNL. i realize selling out isn't synonymous with making it big--but there have similar effects on a fan-base. all i can say is it's going to be difficult for them to win me back, because as it is, i listen to their new singles once when i hear them on the radio, and then end up switching stations every time after that.
How can an an Ani fan possibly compare her to Alanis M., who is just a step above teeny bop? Sorry, I have this strange Alanis repulsion....
i would in no way *equate* them, but at the time alanis became popular, they were often lumped together in the same "angry girl" vein, you must admit. this was demonstrated time and again by ignorant souls who found out i like ani and would say accusingly "i bet you like that alanis morrissette too."
I'm surprised that you think that BNL has sold out at all. I have always thought they were such nerdy, self-effacing good ole' Canadian boys that selling out was beyond them, even if they tried. I mean when I see them on stage (keeping in mind they are all mid 30's and married with kids) dancing around like dorks and free-style rapping in ill-fitting leather pants...what can I say. I love them!
Maybe instead of "selling out", they have just lost their zany edge. I have found in the last couple albums those traits that made me love them have waned somewhat. The truly quirky and funny insights or lyrics (like "Barenaked as two virgins hand and hand and hand and hand in glove" or "Dazzled by her smile while I shoplift there") have been replaced with weak workplay or cutesy expressions ("I just made you say underwear"? Come on, Ed!)
I would love to hear about what turned you off my favourite boys. (It's only fair to warn you, the use of the 'u' in favourite, marks me, quite proudly, Canadian!)
if you want to talk about selling out
you can think of moist, and especially the watchmen
i used to be a big fan...
the early watchmen stuff had a very funky indie sound--now they are studio smooth...and sound just like everybody else
i have to agree with your assessment on losing their edge--you put that quite well. yes, maybe selling out wasn't the best way to describe it... i'd still like to see them come back and do something new and fresh. guess we'll just wait and see. *crossing fingers*
okay people, i know this is going to come as a shock to some of you, but i obtained a copy of alanis' new release "under rug swept" and i have to tell you--this is what i was waiting for. to this point she'd been wavering on the edge of cool (IMO) and never quite doing anything that wowed me, but this CD puts her over the edge. this album is her most impressive to date--not only because of the quality of lyrics ("flinch" and "so unsexy" are both amazing--still very confessional though, so if you don't like that about her your opinion won't change) and her decision to add a bit of variation in styles (she rocks out on "21 things" and "precious illusions") but also because she wrote and produced the whole thing herself and is following her own instincts. reading a couple interviews with her also helped--i feel like she's a bit of a kindred spirit now, but not in the cliche "you like ani so you have to like alanis" way. if you like her even the tiniest bit, definitely pick up the album--i have a feeling she's gonna have more good stuff comin our way.
One of the things that saddens me is that my financial priorities have changed enough to push new music purchases off the bottom of the list. Not that I begrudge the front-runners (kids, house, movies, travel (like we ever have time to travel)--quite the opposite--but I do sometimes miss my more carefree spending days. Which is all a roundabout way of saying that were I buying, your review would have convinced me.
Men without Hats...where did I get the idea they were an Aussie band???? That aside what about adding Gino Vanelli, Guess Who, BTO, Natalee MacMaster (wow she can play-and funnier then all get out). Sorry likely my age and canadia roots are showing!!
"Men without Hats...where did I get the idea they were an Aussie band???? "
Perhaps you confused them with Men at Work, a mistake many people make...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
can't say i'm overly familiar with any of those--i'll take them as folks to look into!