My friend, Roch Parisien has been doing this a long time.

By this, I mean writing and talking about music. He’s one of the top music journalists in Canada, and in the 20 or so years I’ve known and worked with him, he’s interviewed just about everybody who’s anybody in music. I’ve been fortunate to have been along with him on some of those rides, as his producer for the cable TV show “Soundtrack”, which ran for 27 years on Skyline Cable/RogersTV Channel 22 here in Ottawa. Not only was I able to meet some of the most amazing people in music (Richard Thompson, Barenaked Ladies, and Charlie Sexton were some of my personal highlights), I was able to witness Roch doing what he loves – talking music with the people who create it. Roch’s at the top of the game as a music journalist – he’s one of the best interviewers I know and his knowledge of the business and of artists is virtually unsurpassed.

As a communications professional and journalist with many years in the game, Roch is taking this whole social media thing quite seriously. He’s seen the opportunities this new medium offers to people in his field, and has successfully moved his brand into the online space, through sites like LinkedIN and Facebook, and with his contributions to our site over at Ottawa Tonite. But most of all, it’s his clever use of Facebook that has particularly piqued my interest.

A couple of months back, Roch set up a Facebook Page, Rocon Communications, where he shares news, reviews, and interviews with musical artists of all kinds. He also uses it to promote his work as programmer for the Galaxie Folk/Roots Channel. He provides a diverse and relevant range of music news and information on his page, and I highly recommend you check it out.

But here’s where it gets really interesting.

Roch has taken his passion for music and his amazing interviewing skills and combined them with the most social aspect of Facebook – the comments – and created “The Facebook Interviews”, a series of interactive chat sessions with musicians, facilitated by Roch and open to group members.  The interviews generally start with a post and possibly a YouTube video of the artist performing, and some backgrounder by Roch. Then the artist hops on the comments, and a Q and A session commences between Roch and the artist. Others are invited to post questions in advance or join in the session real time. The whole thing takes place in the Facebook comments, creating a real time archive of the session, so should you happen to miss it live, you can go back later and read the posts.

Why is this clever? First, it brings the artists to the people directly. So far, Roch has interviewed, biographer Paul Myers and others on Long John Baldry, Javier Escovedo on his new album “City Lights” and Jim Bonfanti of Choir/Raspberries/Boxer. It’s done in real time, so people in the group have the chance to interact and ask questions of the performers. Second, it provides an amazing transcript of a conversation that is created “on the fly”. It’s piles of fun to read through the interviews after they’re over. And last, but most definitely not least, it provides a way for music lovers to connect with each other. Even after the interview portion is done, people can continue the conversation.

This is how I want to see more people using social media – coming up with creative ways to use the tools to tell stories. I’m really looking forward to more in this series of the Facebook Inteviews. Roch is archiving all of the interviews in the Notes section of the Rocon Communications page, so you can see the full conversations there if you miss it live.

Tonight marks the fourth installment of The Facebook Interviews, and I urge you to check it out. Here’s the info from Roch himself:

Tuesday evening beginning 7pm Eastern, “The Facebook Interviews” continue on my Rocon Communications page with Nova Scotia singer-songwriter Dave Gunning, whose album “We’re All Leaving” was #1 on the Galaxie FolkRoots Channel’s Canadian chart for January. Post some questions in advance on the Rocon Communications page, and/or join us at 7pm E for the interactive chat session!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Roch-Parisiens-Rocon-Communications/208757673971?ref=ts

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I’ve always been a big fan of classical music, and my all time favourite composer is Mozart. It’s not just about the style of his music, it’s about the character he was – outgoing and passionate, Mozart loved life, but he didn’t take it too seriously, even though he was in what was considered to be a very serious profession. To say he was brilliant is an understatement – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in my opinion, is one of the most remarkable people that has ever lived.

I think he would have gotten a real kick out of this Internet stuff. Mozart was a sociable guy, and had a great sense of humour. He was also wildly intelligent – my bet is, he would have picked up on the technology part pretty quickly – and I’m sure he’d have sprung to Internet Rockstar status in no time flat.

When it comes to the great artists and composers, I often wonder what they would think if they knew that over the years their art and music had seen such longevity. What would Mozart’s reaction be if he knew that hundreds of years later his work is loved and honoured around the world?

I was thinking this the other night as I sat in Blogger’s Row watching Mozart’s Final Piano Concerto: Beyond the Score, at the National Arts Centre. This unique perspective was brought to life with the talents of the NAC Orchestra, pianist Katherine Chi, soprano Donna Brown, actor Pierre Brault, and narrator Bill Richardson. I was fortunate to be among several local bloggers invited to attend the performance.

The show was a performance of Mozart’s final Concerto – composed not long before his death at the age of 35 – interwoven between fascinating stories that captured the essence of living in Mozart’s day. A large projection screen showed many paintings and lithographs and really helped to create a striking mood.

The result was spectacular, engaging, educational and thought provoking.

The 2nd half of the show was a performance of the entire Concerto from beginning to end. Having heard the breakdown of each part in the first act, it gave me a whole new appreciation for what Mozart was trying to convey through his music.

After the show, the bloggers were invited backstage to take a look around, and have a little visit with Pierre Brault, who highlighted his appreciation for new media’s approach to promoting the arts.

My brother Mike (@aliendaddy), my good friend and creator of the soon-to-be-launched OttawaTonite.com Cheryl (@fendergurl) and I put together this video that captures the essence of the evening. (Well, Mike did most of the shooting and editing work.)

Many, many thanks to Jen Covert (@jcovert) and everyone from the NAC for making us geeks feel special!

Enjoy…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L45qyjZi7c

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UPDATE: Congrats to Crystal, who won the tickets to the show! See you there!

On Wednesday night I’m very excited to be attending Mozart’s Final Piano Concerto – Beyond the Score at the National Arts Centre here in Ottawa.

In the past, the NAC has had a bit of a reputation for being a rather stuffy venue, where the mucky mucks hang out sipping Perrier and lime before donning their opera glasses for the 2nd act. Well, I’m here to tell you that has ALL changed, my friends!

Over the past several years, The National Arts Centre has become one of the most dynamic, interesting, engaging arts venues in our city, if not the country. They continue to surprise me with their line up of remarkable theatre, music and dance. Just have a look at their list of upcoming performances and I’m sure you’ll find something that interests you.

I’m particularly excited about this Wednesday’s performance because it starts none other than Ottawa thespian extraordinaire, Pierre Brault. Pierre and I have a bit of a history together, in that we worked on the Cable 22 show “Way Cool” for many years. He was a bright spot in my Sunday mornings back then, and I’m overjoyed at the success he’s having.

Now, for the fun part. Myself, my brother Mike, and my good friend Cheryl have been invited to cover the event on Wednesday night. We’ll be bringing a video camera and will have some great behind the scenes footage to show you as well as some scenes from the show. So stay tuned to this blog for all that great fun!

In the meantime – if you are in Ottawa on Wednesday night and would like a chance to attend the performance of Mozart’s Final Piano Concerto – Beyond the Score yourself, then I have a pair of tickets to give away! So just leave a comment saying “I wanna go to the NAC, Suze!” and you’ll be entered into the draw. I’ll draw for the tickets tomorrow (Tuesday September 29 evening at 8pm). Be sure to leave your email address so I can get back to you!

Thanks and hope to see you on Wednesday!

Incidentally – since my blog cross-posts over on Facebook, I’m also accepting entries in the comments over there.

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Gimmicks get a bad rap. Often they are associated with snake oil, paying too much for cheap goods, and smarmy salesmen who just want to take your money and give you little in return.

It’s true, there’s a lot of gimmicky stuff out there that ain’t worth the package it comes in. But gimmicky doesn’t automatically have to be a negative. In fact, when executed properly, it can be one of the best ways to draw a crowd – and a paying one at that.

Rock and roll music has been around since the 1950s, we all know that. Guitars, drums, bass. Sometimes a keyboard or organ thrown in for good measure. Men and women, grooving, bopping and moving us with their beats and lyrics. There was a point in the late 60s where rock and roll music had become so commonplace that new bands were cropping up every other week, it seemed. Rock and roll, though still extremely popular, started to feel like a pair of old shoes….comfortable and worn, but maybe a bit tired.

Then, in the early 1970s, four young guys from New York City changed all that.

It’s not that their music was so much different. It was still rock and roll, and even though it was the hard stuff – the screaming electric kind of music our parents cringe at – it didn’t have a hugely unique sound compared to the other heavy rock bands of the day.

What was different about these boys? It was how they looked, and how they performed. They were dramatic and scary, with their black and white and silver painted faces, their huge black hair, and their giant platform boots. They towered over the crowd on a stage flooded with lights and smoke and exploding stuff. They broke their guitars and launched rockets. They spit (gasp) blood!

KISS was all about the gimmick.

Think about it. If these guys had come onto the scene as your run of the mill rock band, in a time when the world was inundated with rock machines like The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath, how hard do you think they would have had to climb to reach the top?

Now I’m not saying that KISS couldn’t have done it on their own merits. They are tight as heck, have powerful vocals and great stage energy. All the elements of a great rock band. But perhaps they sensed that rock fans were ready for something more. So they donned wild costumes, and took stage show performance to a whole new level. They found a gimmick, and they took it to the extreme – making it mysterious, a little frightening, and definitely fun.

KISS has sold over 85 million albums in the past 35+ years (source: Wikipedia). They must be doing something right. I think part of their secret is they don’t take themselves too seriously. Just check out this video of Gene Simmons on the Mike Douglas show in 1974 and that is pretty clear.

Gimmickry is an art. And like any art, that means that when it’s executed well, it is brilliant. When executed poorly, it’s laughable.

So how can a gimmick work? Let’s use “KISS” principles:

Be really really good. KISS is not just a gimmick trying to be a really good rock band. They are a really good rock band, with a gimmick. They work hard at being good at what they do as musicians. Then they put the gimmick on top of that, and make it something extraordinary.

Don’t sell the gimmick, sell the product. People aren’t buying the KISS Army. They aren’t buying the makeup, the weird hair, or the platform boots. They are buying the experience that those things create. The gimmick is what gets their attention. The experience is what keeps them around. For 35 years. (Now THAT’S sticky!)

Be over the top, but be practical about it. Ace Freely did an interview once where he said he can’t go on his knees anymore when rockets shoot out of his guitar, because his doctor told him he was wrecking his knees. He said “I’m sorry to my fans for not being able to do this, but I want to be able to walk.” The rocket-guitar-knees thing was a trademark. But practicality (and safety) had to overrule. Make your gimmick something nobody has ever seen before. Be 100% unique, but be 150% practical. Don’t let the gimmick get in the way of health, sanity or profits.

Gimmicks. They aren’t so bad after all. As media makers, marketers and storytellers, sometimes a little gimmick is all we need to get the kind of attention we seek. But over the top doesn’t have to mean giving up value. Provide value first, and use gimmick as a tool. And who knows, before long, you may just be ready to rock and roll all night (and party every day).

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Here’s the thing about Canada. We have great music. You can’t deny it! Someone mentioned to me the other day that there must be something in the water here, that allows us to produce so many great musical artists. I thought I’d put together an All-Canadian playlist for iTunes, of some of my favourite (with a “u”!) Canadian artists. Some you’ll probably know well, even if you are from other countries. Some may be new to you, even if you are Canadian. But what they all have in common is they are just simply great tunes. I’ve provided links and background on each artist/song, because I think that knowing a bit about the artists really enhances the appreciation of the music.

Here’s the link to the iMix in iTunes, so you can go and download. I’ve included 15 songs, so if you buy them all it’ll only cost as much as a CD.

Enjoy!

1. Fly By Night – Rush
Now what would an all-Canadian playlist be without a little Rush? Undoubtedly one of the most world-famous Canadian bands of all time, Rush continues to rock hard. What I love about Rush is how just 3 guys can make so much noise (and good-sounding noise at that). And deep down, I’ve always wished I could sing like Geddy Lee.

2. Tango Shoes – Bif Naked
Oh, how I enjoy a good Bif Naked song! Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Bif is one tattooed rockin’ chick with a great voice. She’s hugely fun to see live, and well, I just like her. I think you will too.

3. Tournament of Hearts – The Weakerthans
If there’s truly something in the water that makes Canada have such great musical talent, then there must be a lot of it in Winnipeg’s water. The Weakerthans are probably my favourite Canadian band in the past few years. I love their genuinely Canadian songs about beer, cold weather and this one, which is about our other winter pastime – curling. If you’ve never hung out at a curling arena on a Sunday afternoon, this song will put you right in the moment. Love these guys. They are coming to Ottawa March 28th and I’m sad because I’ll be in Indiana and have to miss them.

4. Forever - Bran Van 3000
I have a confession to make – I’m a closet electronica fan. BV3 is awesome – they are from Montreal and although I don’t know much about what they are up to these days, I can tell you that this is the music I like to dance around the house to.

5. Feel for the Driver - Ron Sexsmith
Ron is Canada’s quintessential singer-songwriter. I mean, the guy just oozes talent. You know that feeling you get at a live show when it’s like the whole world fades away and it’s just you and the performer in the room? Well, you get that just listening to Ron’s albums. This is the kind of music where you go and sit in a dark room with the headphones on and just exist with it. Brilliant.

6. Sleepy Maggie - Ashley MacIsaac
Ashley MacIsaac is our resident strange guy. He’s kind of a weirdo, but his talent on the fiddle is unmatched. This is an old AMac song from I think, his first album. I love songs in Gaelic, and this one has such a great backbeat I just had to include it.

7. Watching Planes Come In -  Hippie Campfire
How can you not love a band whose name is Hippie Campfire? I had to include one local Ottawa band on this list. These guys aren’t too well known outside the bar scene in this town, but they have a big sound and their lead linger “Filthy” Rich Rankin has an amazing voice. They are piles of fun and this song, Watching Planes Come In, will stick in your head for weeks, I promise.

8. Excursion around the Bay  - Great Big Sea
Well, geez, b’ys – ya knew I had to include a Newfoundland band in this list! Great Big Sea is undoubtedly Newfoundland’s biggest export. Aside from being so cute you could eat ‘em up, they are exceptional vocalists and musicians. I think they’ve won just about every Canadian music award you can imagine, and for great reason. This is my all-time favourite GBS tune, and again, it’ll stick in your head for weeks!

9. A Case of You - Joni Mitchell
Of course, we all know Joni. Not too much to say about her that hasn’t already been said. This is my favourite Joni tune, what’s yours?

10. Democracy  -  Leonard Cohen
A man ahead of his time. A master. A genius. I thought this tune from Leonard Cohen was particularly fitting to add to the list, in light of recent Presidential events in the U.S. Can’t say too much more about Leonard that he hasn’t already been saying in the 40+ years we’ve had the privilege of hearing his music.

11. Innocent -  Our Lady Peace
I am all about Our Lady Peace.This is my favourite tune, Innocent. But they have so many more. Take a plow through their web site and see what you can find online of their music. If you aren’t already a fan, I bet you’ll become one!

12. Brandy Alexander -  Feist
Nothing I like better than a good pint of draught beer and a few Feist songs on a Sunday afternoon. Though I admit to being a little tired of “1,2,3,4″, I do love this song, Brandy Alexander. It’s just wispy enough to put me in a great mood.

13. What a Good Boy - Barenaked Ladies
Much like I couldn’t not include Rush, I most definitely couldn’t NOT include a little BNL on this list. I’ve been a fan of these guys since BEFORE the beginning – when they were a struggling Toronto band doing the small club circuit and looking for their big break. What a Good Boy is definitely my all time favourite tune of theirs. Mostly because it’s the only time I’ve ever heard the word “hairshirt” used in a song.

14. The Rest of My Life -  Sloan
Stop the presses. These guys ARE the best band in Canada, in my opinion. They just crank it out, great song after great song. The Rest of My Life is an oldie but a goodie, and you’ll be a fan, I’m sure.

15. Weighty Ghost - Wintersleep
Rounding out the list, a great song to end off on. Weighty Ghost is kind of haunting, with an awesome beat, and you won’t be able to help but tap your feet. Or play the air drums. Or both.

So there you have it – All Canadian music to spice up your music library. I’d love to hear from you – do you have any Canadian artists that you really love? Who have I missed? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

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It all started with a simple tweet.

I was reminiscing on Twitter about the four years I spent as part of an a capella quartet. I get a bit nostalgic about it this time of year, as Christmas was our high season…we’d perform Christmas carols at concerts around town, house parties and on street corners in Ottawa’s Byward Market. I happened to tweet something about a vocal ensemble called The King’s Singers, who were such an inspiration to me at that time, mostly because of their song, “New Day”. This is one of the songs that made we want to sing a capella music. Have a listen, I’m sure you’ll see why.

Well, it seems my tweet was seen by none other than Jennifer Covert, someone I met briefly at Podcamp Ottawa this year, and eMarketing Officer at the National Arts Centre. She asked if I was going to The King’s Singers show on Monday night. I confess I had missed that announcement entirely, so I replied that no, I wasn’t, sadly! I went on about my business, and about 20 minutes later received a message from Jennifer saying that she had a couple of extra tickets and was giving them to me! Talk about a wonderful early Christmas gift!

I’ve been thinking a lot about online relationships. Lately, I’ve had a lot of really good experiences with relationship building and I’ve also seen a lot of really good examples of how NOT to build online relationships. Last night, and while I was sitting in the audience listening to the amazing, beautiful, heart-swelling sounds of this amazing vocal ensemble, along with some incredible pieces by the NAC Orchestra, I learned some important lessons about relationship building.

It starts with you. A capella music only works if each person in the ensemble knows exactly what they are doing. This takes a lot of individual work up front. In my quartet, we would get our music and a cassette tape of our part. The first thing we’d do is go home and practice and practice our part until we had it nailed. Only then, would we be able to come back as part of the group and put the pieces together. Last night it was obvious to me that the 6 guys in The King’s Singers know their individual parts so well, they could probably sing them during a hurricane with a tsunami and a tornado at the same time and not miss a note. This means, when they put the pieces together, 6 voices become one. It was an unbelievable experience.

Relationship building works in much the same way. In order to truly be able to build solid relationships online, you must know your own part first. You must know what you have to offer the rest of the network. You must practice, and think, and get focused. Then, you are ready to join the chorus.

Blend, but be unique, too. The King’s Singers are six voices: 2 countertenors (super high), one tenor (high-ish), 2 baritones (low-ish), and one bass (super low). Much of the time, they are all singing different notes. The real power of their sound is when all six different notes come together to sound like one voice. This is a result of their impeccable skill at blending. They are truly one of the best groups in the world at the art of the blend. Blending in a vocal ensemble is extremely difficult to do well. The key is to listen to the other voices, and find where your voice needs to fit in. Not just by singing the right note (which is helpful!) but by adjusting the tone and intonation of your singing to hit just the perfect balance of sound.

At the same time, it’s important not to blend in too much; that can be boring. Each of the men in the group (David, Robin, Paul, Philip, Christopher and Stephen), brings their own unique style and voice to the ensemble. As much as you can hear them as one voice, each of their individual voices makes the whole unique sound come to life. Stephen’s awesome bass resonates in your chest. David and Robin’s fantastic high notes sit up like they are on top of a mountain; refreshing and exhilarating. Paul, Philip and Christopher provide the inner workings – complex harmonies that fill the air and send shivers up your spine.

In our online relationships, blending is crucial. It’s how we get things done. It’s how we are able to come together at events like Podcamps, create incredible projects like 12for12k, and how we are able to successfully co-exist on tools like Twitter. We blend, we merge, we learn, and we move forward. But, at the same time, our networks would be nothing if it wasn’t for the uniqueness of all the voices. We’ve got the high vocals and the low key. We’ve got the nuances and harmonics of the in between. The power of social media is in the sum total of each unique voice. Without that uniqueness, the resulting blend is not possible.

Be Original. The thing I love most about The King’s Singers are their original arrangements of songs. This was a Christmas concert, so there were a few traditional arrangements of songs, like my personal favourite, “O Holy Night”, which you can hear them perform with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, here. It was astounding and magical.

But what I love is how they take a traditional song and give it a remarkable twist. For instance, they took “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and mashed it up with Dave Brubeck’s famous “Take Five” , creating something 100% unique and memorable. Their speedy, “let’s just get this over with” take on “Jingle Bells” was also funny and silly, showing that even though they are very serious musicians, they don’t take themselves too seriously. Their encore performance was a “drunk and debocherous” version of Deck the Halls, where, with each verse, they fell more off the wagon, but somehow managed to still show their unmatched technical skill.

Originality is what makes the online world what it is. Sure, we might all have different opinions on things. Sometimes, we might not all get along. But that’s just the thing makes the social web so amazing. We all have the opportunity to be unique and individual here. We all write our own arrangements. We mash things up, we create something new. At times, we tend to take ourselves too seriously, but soon, we’re made to see the lighter side of it all. Originality is expected and encouraged here, and in the end, the space is richer because of it.

If you ever get the opportunity to see The King’s Singers in concert, do not hesitate to do it. They are incredible, and even if vocal ensembles aren’t your thing, I guarantee you will be moved by their performance. And, as I did – you just might learn something, too.

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One final note. Canada’s National Arts Centre has many wonderful things to offer online. Their multimedia section is home to many interesting and insightful video clips, audio clips and podcasts. They are extremely well produced and if you are at all interested in music and the arts, definitely worth listening to and subscribing to. Check it all out on their web site.

Photo by kingssingers6 on Flickr.

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Last night I was fortunate to be able to attend my first house concert, put on by Bobcat House Concerts. Bob LeDrew and his wife Cathy open their home about once a month and host an intimate gathering for an evening of live musical performance. For those of you who have never been to a house concert, it’s a truly wonderful thing. Bob and his wife, who both hail from Cape Breton,  describe the mood of their house concerts as “part coffee house/part kitchen party” – and I have to agree. 

Bobcat brings in artists from all over – past performances have included the likes of the legendary Penny Lang, incredible blues guitarist David Gogo and the always amazing Suzie Vinnick. Last night marked the furthest anyone has ever travelled to play a Bobcat show, with David Ross MacDonald, who hails from Southern Australia, making this house concert a stop on his Canadian tour.  

After a drink and a chance to mingle and meet some of the other 25 or so guests, we settled in to our seats. The opening act was Bob LeDrew himself, with a friend who had just flown in from Iqaluit a few hours earlier. They did a couple of wonderful songs with fiddle and guitar and really set the mood for the rest of the evening. 

David took the stage with his 73 year old Gibson acoustic guitar, and proceeded to completely dazzle us. It was almost like he put us under a spell. The room completely was silent, except for his intricate finger picking. Dave’s songs are reflective, talking of his family and growing up in a small town in Australia. And, he really knows how to play to this kind of small, intimate gathering. By the second song, it was as if we were old friends. 

Part way through the second set, Dave said he was going to play a cover song that he’d learned just three days previous as a birthday gift for a friend. He invited us to sing along. He said, “It’s a Canadian song, so you’ll probably all know it.” He proceeded to play Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah“. And then the most amazing thing happened. As he sang the first verse, a few people started to hum softly. By the first chorus, we had all found our place in the song, and the whole room filled with the sound of 25 voices singing in harmony. 

At the end of the song, David said something remarkable. “There’s nothing else that builds a community like singing together.” He’s absolutely right. After the song was over, something had shifted in the room. No longer were we a room full of strangers. That 5 minutes of sharing our voices had done something to us. 

Community takes on many forms. But be it music, or hobbies, or even social media, a community is created because of one simple thing; people gathering together and sharing. Last night, I walked into a room where I knew only the host (Bob) and the friend I was with. I walked out feeling like I was part of a whole new community; one brought together by a mutual love of music and an appreciation for its power to bring people together in a positive way. 

In the online world, we tend to spend a lot of time analyzing what community really is and how to create them. The fact is, building a community is simple. Bob and Cathy are doing it every month when they open their home to music lovers. How do they do it? First, they create something that people can identify with. Second, they make it open and accessible and welcoming. Third, they encourage people to participate. And finally, they sit back and allow the community to unfold as it should. 

Thanks, Bobcat, for making this community possible. I look forward to many more enjoyable evenings!

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I remember when I was in 12th grade, I lived in Trenton, Ontario and I had a boyfriend that lived in Ottawa. I would come to visit him on the weekends and he used to give me these mixtapes that he’d spent hours making for me during the week when we were apart. They were always made up of great songs, and in fact if I dug deep enough in those dusty boxes in the basement, I’d probably find a few. Of course, we quickly grew tired of the long distance relationship and broke up, but I will always remember him for his outstanding mixtapes.

Now that we have Mixwit, I’m thrilled that I get to give my blog reader(s?) the gift of a mixtape.

Click here to listen to many of my all time favourite songs.

Enjoy!

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My brother, also a big fan of Jeff Healey, has posted a very nice memorial tribute.

Update: My brother’s tribute was taken off this site, but there is a tribute now online for Jeff.

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I was bored yesterday so I made a new iTunes playlist of the BEST Canadian artists and my favourite songs from each of them. Unfortunately not all the artists are on iTunes, so I couldn’t publish it. Instead, I’m going to type it out for y’all, with links to everyone. If you are looking for some great music, check these guys out.

SuzeMuse’s Superfantastic All-Canadian Playlist

1. My Moon My Man – Feist
2. Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure – The Weakerthans
3. Weighty Ghost – Wintersleep
4. Your House (acoustic version) – Alanis Morissette
5. Tango Shoes – Bif Naked
6. A Day in the Life – David Usher
7. The Chemical Worker’s Song (Process Man) – Great Big Sea
8. These Eyes – The Guess Who
9. A Case of You – Joni Mitchell
10. Closing Time – Leonard Cohen
11. Resurrection – Moist
12. Innocent – Our Lady Peace
13. Almost Love At First Sight – Pete Webb
14. Cry – The Philosopher Kings
15. It Doesn’t Really Matter – Platinum Blonde
16. 1962 – Ron Hynes
17. Hard Bargain – Ron Sexsmith
18. Just Over This Mountain – Skydiggers
19. The Rest of My Life – Sloan
20. Sweet City Woman – The Stampeders
21. Long Way Down – Swollen Members
22. To Be An Angel – Uncle Seth
23. Sugarcane – Wide Mouth Mason

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