2012 March : The grass may seem greener, but it is always better at home

In Canada, if you live in a small town you want to break into the city scene.  Those who live in the big city only want to get out of this Boomtown.  Its not surprising the amount of Canadian songs there are telling these stories.

1. Andrew Cash - Boomtown - I don't want to judge my life by what I can't afford.
2. Tom Hooper (Grapes of Wrath) - Stranger in my town - Isolation is very common in Canada with the vast expanse of land and physical distance between the cities and town. This song digs deeper into isolation within our small communities. Not a physical isolation but an emotional one. "Feeling like its time to find another town"
3. Joel Plaskett - Nowhere With You - Sometimes you just want to get away from everything but not be alone, this is my favorite version of this song. The other version reminds me of the Zellers ad.
4. Joel Plaskett - Love This Town - I know two Joel in a row but this is the perfect example of the love/hate relationship with your home town
5. City and Color - Coming Home - Home is where the heart is. For City and Color, All of Canada from Halifax to Vancouver is home.
6. Death From Above 1979 - Black History Month - When we are young our little neighborhood was perfect then we grew up and it all went to crap. Did the neighborhood really change or do we just have more to compare it with.
7. Sloan - Money City Maniacs - This was Sloan's big return home after their brief time South. The grass may look greener but its not. Glad they came home. One of my favorite bands.
8. Classified - Oh Canada - Oh Canada our home and native land. We are a land of innovators, we supply talent, resources, inventions to the world then they take credit for it.  Let's start taking credit for all our accomplishments.

The playlist for this blog is available at music.cbc.ca 2012-March

2012 February : Sprinter Tunes

One day the weather outside tells us its spring and other days winter.
Some may say its normal, others will say its global warming.

These songs reflect the sprinter mood (spring/winter) not the blah of winter nor the bloom of spring but somewhere in between. 2012 February (Sprinter Tunes)

1. Sarah Harmer - Escarpment Blues - This only seems a fitting tune as it describes a quarry in Burlington that people were trying to stop.  This song is kind of bouncy but with a down to earth meaning.  This makes this song perfect for the Sprinter playlist.
   
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs - This track is all about driving around in the suburbs. Sprinter is that time of year when the snow melts the cars come out and drivers, rusty from taking public transit in the winter, forget some of the basic safety things like signaling, leaving space.
3. Jill Barber - Legacy Sprinter is all about reflection on the hardships of winter and the bright and colorful renewal of spring and the legacy we leave behind. "Whether I write three chords or a symphony, at least I'm gonna try to leave behind some kind of legacy" Jill Barber
4. Stars - Changes - Sprinter is all about the change from winter to spring, hibernation to interaction. "Changes never been good with change, I hate it when it all stays the same" Stars
5. K'naan - Take A Minute Winter is hard, but the light of spring gives us hope. This song is all about taking a minute to look at the positive things happenging around.  It is also about the hope based on seeing results no matter how little.  Noting is perfect, take the time to enjoy today. 
6. K-OS - Crabbuckit - Sprinter is almost spring: Thoughts of blooming flowers, growth, summer warmth. "no time to get down cause I'm moving up", K-OS. This song even has its token Tragically Hip reference, the ultimate summer band.
7. Chocolat - Sois Belle - Almost like a hidden track. I found this on someone's playlist. Loosely Translated as Be Beautiful. This is a Sprinter wish as we see the drab of winter but the mild of spring.
   
8. Rheostatics - The Ballad of Wendel Clark - What Sprinter playlist would be complete without a hockey song about the best hockey player of all time? Sprinter is when we are all looking forward to the playoffs. Who remembers Wendel's last game? Most fan energy in a hockey game I ever saw.

So that is the list for this month, look forward to doing the Spring List.  If you have any suggestions please email them with reasons to Susan Fischer at susan@clinchportal.com and we will consider them for the list.

CBC Music and Canadian Music

CBC has launched its music site and this is a great opportunity for Canadian Musicians to get exposure. To get their tracks listened to. Following on the same theme, I will be authoring blog post featuring some artists and tracks you may not realize are available on music.cbc.ca and why they are an important listen.

These playlists will be available with the same title as the blog post on Susan Fischer's CBC Music Profile Playlists

If you have suggestions on artist I should listen to and especially specific tracks please email them to Susan Fischer at susan@clinchportal.com or share them with me on music.cbc.ca.