Stuff I'm Listening To #62 - Reel Big Fish

Artist: Reel Big Fish

Title: Everyone Else Is An Asshole

Favourite Lyrics: 
They called it assault
But it really wasn't my fault
Everyone else is an asshole

Why?: Every have one of those days? Yeah... I'm actually not having one of those days, but I heard this song and busted a gut laughing at it. I love these guys. I first discovered them as they'd done a pretty rocking cover version of 'Hungry Like the Wolf' by Duran Duran. Very much worth a listen.

They're so much fun to listen to. Their bouncy fun delivery is the very reason I've always loved Ska. They remind me of Madness, another bouncy fun group. Happy to see this music is still alive and well.  

Stuff I'm Listening To #61 - Japan

Artist: Japan

Title: Gentleman Take Polaroids

Favourite Lyrics:
I'd like to slip away with you
And if you said you love me
How could I mind?
Is there another side to everything you do?

Why: I must sheepishly admit, the only reason I learned about Japan was because I started collecting old British music magazines with Duran Duran in them. And in those magazines, here was this gloriously beautiful man who looked a like Nick Rhodes. So naturally I sought them out. This was probably one of the first cassette tapes I found by them, in a used record/music shop, for dirt cheap. I threw it on because I needed to know what this was all about. Back in 1987 it wasn't as if I could just look them up on Spotify. None of my friends seemed to be into the same kind of music I was starting to discover. Duran Duran was already considered passe by my peers, but they were my gateway into some very good music. Had it not been for them, I wouldn't have dug my heels in, pulled away from the top 40 pop music trends, and moved backwards, seeking all that I had missed because I was too young at the time (or in some cases, not even born yet). This backwards musical journey continues today. As I'd listened to my first Traffic song just prior to posting this.

Back to 1987. Up to this point, all I knew about Japan was what their lead singer looked like. 

This song, the first track of that album, comes on. Dreamy, soft, flowy, a little melancholy and beautiful. And his voice.... This glorious, low voice. I was immediately in love. This remains one of my most favourite songs by Japan. It remains one of my most favourite songs in general.

Fun fact: Today was the first time I'd ever actually seen this video. Despite me being utterly shallow at times, after all, I still think David Sylvian's beauty is something to behold, the lack of my actual knowledge of his videos should say something about the quality of their music. It was his voice and the music that stuck with me all these years and for some reason made me decide to listen to it today and decide to post it today. Yes, the cover the book made me buy it, but it's always the substance inside that book that remains.

Stuff I'm Listening To #60 - Rustin Man

Artist: Rustin Man

Title: Light the Light

Favourite Lyrics:
Light the light when the load ain't easy, light up, don't fade it
There's much to endure, so much to cast away
How, how, how long can you leave it? 
There's a grand highway out here, waiting for you to let go

Why?: 
I've hit some kind of milestone here. I've managed to commit myself to posting a song on average once a week for the past year on Facebook anyway. That's like 'Life Event' worthy. Some songs dripping with nostalgia for many, some songs clearly greeted with a giant "WTF?", even from my beloved husband who sat confused as to why I thought a lyric about "All the dishes rattle in the cupboards when the elephants arrive" was an appropriate love song from me to him. *insert mad giggling from me*.

But if you've followed anything I've written before you know I'm wordy and weird. But dammit, I have phenomenal taste in music. Which is why for this milestone thing I've decided to post this song. I've likely said it before and I'll say it again; the whole Drift Code album is good and definitely worth a listen. Outside of Vanishing Heart and Judgement Train, as per my usual pattern, i.e. If it has a video, I probably like it (hence, Our Tomorrows also liked by yours truly) Light the Light, was the one that popped out from the rest on my first listen to this album. 

I can't tell you why it popped. It just did. Something (my subconscious mind, no doubt) was screaming 'You need to go out for a long bike ride and appreciate this. There's many levels here. You'll see!' My subconscious mind knows me best. When I'm riding, I get into this zen state and suddenly the asphalt smells sweet, the sky is a sharper shade of blue, the clouds are a softer, welcoming texture. Even the roar of my motor backs off from the aggressive city barking it does, into a lulling purr. 

And it was on the first long ride this year, I managed to queue up my playlist in such a way that this song came up just in time for a long, uninterrupted stretch of highway. I think I must have Instagrammed Rustin Man immediately once we'd stopped for a break. He needed to know how perfect this song was on a motorbike! (And he, being a gentleman, replied and made my day!) The song was this playful romp across a piano, backed by this subtle jazzy drumming that permanently pasted an image of a smoke-filled speakeasy from the 1920s wherein these guys would have been the house band. The lyrics perfectly match my feeling of being out on an open highway, the strife and troubles left behind, for a little while anyway. You can tell I'm listening to this song as I start to do these full lane sweeps in time with the song. It's akin to me dancing on my bike. I am still listening to this song and the rest of the album and there is still more to be discovered. 

As for why it took so long for me to post anything off Drift Code... Simply put, I was a little embarrassed. I'm not great at articulating why I like certain music without some motorcycle or childhood/teenage anecdote attached to it. And I'm good at completely missing the point of songs at times (so apologies if I've done that here). This album deserves a far better review than I'm likely able to give. Also, me grunting "Good album, go buy", while perfect for the current attention span of people like me, just wasn't going to cut it.

Stuff I'm Listening To 57 - New Order

Artist: New Order
 
Title: Blue Monday
 
Favourite Lyrics:
I thought I told you to leave me
While I walked down to the beach
Tell me, how does it feel
When your heart grows cold? 

Why?: I’ve always enjoyed New Order’s music. This is the second song I had heard by them, the first being ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’. It’s a good dance song. Very much a part of my youth where it would be a regular part of the playlist at the clubs I would frequent, and late 80’s early 90’s CFNY, when the Edge played decent music. They still play ok music, but I’ve become an old cantankerous woman, bitter at the world and find myself unable to relate to what the younglings call music these days *get off my lawn, ya damn kids!* I liked, and still enjoy depressing songs. I understand that this song’s title is in reference to the day the news broke about Ian Curtis. Ian Curtis committed suicide on May 18th... um... a long time ago. I think I mentioned before I really dislike commemorating sad events which is why this post didn’t go up back in May, along with all the other Ian Curtis commemorative posts. FYI, I didn’t know who Joy Division were until after I’d discovered New Order. Also, this song should have been posted along time ago, but Mondays back in February were just intent on delivering shitty news to me, so I held off, and this song got buried in my list of songs until today, the day after Ian Curtis' birthday. That's me, late to the party and bad at  timing.

Happy Canada Day! Peace and Love and Kraft Dinner!

I love Canada. 

My Canada includes KD, and Deadpool.

I remember growing up with all my friends and I remember how it never mattered where are parents were originally from. We were all kids and we liked a lot of the same things and we were all Canadian.

And we all ate our Kraft Dinner and hotly debated on the need to have ketchup on it or not. Did you add Cheese Whiz too? Velveeta? Hot Dogs? Fried Bologna?

And that was it. Kraft Dinner. Ketchup and whatever else you had or not. We can argue up and down about the right way to eat it. And in the end, despite our differences, it was still Kraft Dinner, it was Canadian and we all ate it (or in some cases, didn't like it at all...Eyes those people suspiciously) and we're all still friends.

Here's hoping eventually everyone can enjoy the KD and love each other just the same despite our differences in ourselves or in the way we have our mac and cheese. 

Peace. Happy Canada Day! 

Also for your listening pleasure - Stuff I'm Listening To: The Canada Day Edition: 


Artst: Barenaked Ladies

Title: If I Had Million Dollars

Favourite Lyrics: (which is actually part interchorus banter...)

If I had a million dollars we wouldn't have to eat Kraft dinner 
But we would eat Kraft dinner  
Of course we would, we'd just eat more
And buy really expensive ketchups with it
That's right, all the fanciest dijon ketchups.
 
Why?: Well, it's Canada Day, it inspired me to write the above and because I can think of nothing more of my generation Canada than this.

Stuff I'm Listening to #54 - Manic Street Preachers

Artist: Manic Street Preachers
Title: Love’s Sweet Exile
Favourite Lyrics: 
Our lives drift into a faceless sense of void
Everything of meaning becomes destroyed
There's too much concrete for us to breathe
We are kept down 'cos we hate
 
Why?: I’m not 100% sure what it was about this song that slapped me across the face. There are a handful of songs where upon first hearing them, I sit and am awed into stunned silence and just listen. One day I will eventually sit down and toss out a list of the songs I consider to be perfectly crafted songs/albums. In the meantime, there is this song. I love it. I have no explanation why, only that it pulls at my heartstrings whenever it is on and if I listen hard, I might be brought to emotional tears. And sometimes, it is as simple as a progression of guitar notes or chords. There are a few songs that can do this to me. This is one of them. I just wanted to share. Sorry if you were expecting some deep rooted reason or meaningful explanation. And for those who believe it might have something to do with the video, you’re probably right. I have a weak spot for hot men wearing makeup. ;)  #childofthe80s

Stuff I'm Listening to #51 - Captain Sensible

Artist: Captain Sensible

Title: Wot

Lyrics:

It went bang, I said rap up.
Well I'm aware that the guy must do his work
But the piledriver man drove me berserk.
He said captain
I said wot
 
Why?: I was up at 5:00 am today. I don't do mornings. I don't like 5:00 am unless I'm going to bed. I had to drop off my car for a service appointment, so I figured I'd try to nap in between. Well, thanks cityworks for deciding to tear up a sidewalk outside my window at 9:00 am. This song was the perfect compliment to what was happening to me today. Captain Sensible is a prized track of silliness for me and during summer construction season, the fitting soundtrack to my life. I am only missing a red beret and some sassy backup singers.

Stuff I'm Listening to: May 24 edition

Artist: The Fall

Title: Victoria

Favourite Lyrics: 
I was born, lucky me
In a land that I love
Though I am poor, I am free
When I grow I shall fight
For this land I shall die
Let her sun never set
Victoria

Why?: Happy Victoria Day all! This was the first version of the song I’d ever heard and shall forever remain my favourite. For those not in the know, we celebrate Victoria Day in Canada to the closest weekend to May 24th. We also have cases of 24 beer in Canada. So naturally, it's a fitting holiday to kick off the unofficial start to the summer here. And there are fireworks. 

So it should be of no surprise that today, it's cold, a little miserable and threatening rain. There may even still be frost warnings. Summer indeed. 

#RIPMarkESmith

Stuff I'm Listening To - Birthday Track - Andrew Eldrich - Sisters of Mercy

Artist: Sisters Of Mercy
 
Title: The Temple of Love
 
Lyrics:
And the devil in black dress watches over
My guardian angel walks away
Life is short and love is always over in the morning
Black wind come carry me far away
 
Why?: Happy birthday Andrew Eldritch. My many days of misspent youth at Sanctuary would not be the same without your rocking tunes to which I would grove happily to.

Stuff I'm Listening to # 41 - Cake

Artist: Cake

Title: Love You Madly

Favourite Lyrics:
I don't want to jump in unless this music's thumpin’
All the dishes rattle in the cupboards when the elephants arrive

Why?
This is the kind of love song I would have written for my husband if I had any ounce of song writing talent. Love songs are awesome. But real love, isn’t a giant soppy 'making love out of nothing at all' and 'my heart will go on' kind of mess (Note: Both perfectly good love songs, albeit way over the top for the likes of me!). If you can laugh because you’re just having that much fun, you’ve got something good. Bonus, the video is clearly an homage to one of the many cooking shows he likes to watch. If you follow my Facebook or Instagram, you know #thisiswhypaulcooks

Stuff I'm Listening To # 14 - Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet

Artist: Shadowy Men on A Shadowy Planet
 
Title: Having an Average Weekend
 
Why?: Kids in the Hall

Stuff I'm Listening To - Special Cat Day Edition

Artist: the Cure
 
Title: the Lovecats
 
Lyrics: 
😸We slip through the streets while everyone sleeps 
getting bigger and sleeker and wider and brighter 😸

Why?: Special Cat Day Edition: 😻

I always enjoyed this Cure song and video. It’s one of those many happy pop tracks that appealed to me. Since they are one of those staple/required listening goth bands from near the beginning of the movement and, I was a regular at Sanctuary, this and the rest of their library was always in heavy rotation. Not all goth needed to be so dark. This was one of those happy-go-lucky goth tunes for me. Happy Cat Day everyone! Adopt!

Unfortunately, there isn't much selection for the actual video, so here is a link to director Tim Pope's page, where the original official video is embedded but not shareable. 

http://www.timpope.tv/portfolio/the-cure-the-lovecats-video

Stuff I'm Listening to #11 - the Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl

Artist: the Dead Milkmen

Title: Punk Rock Girl

Favourite Lyrics:
We went to the Philly Pizza Company and ordered some hot tea. 
The waitress said “Well no, we only have it iced”. 
So we jumped up on the table and shouted “Anarchy!”

Why?: I just liked the song because it was catchy and fun. They seemed to have it in heavy rotation on City Limits on Much Music. 

*Originally posted without comments on Facebook.

Stuff I'm Listening To #10 - PiL - Don't Ask Me

Artist: Public Image Limited (PiL)

Title: Don't Ask Me

Favourite Lyrics: 
No more toilet paper, it’s gone just like the trees.
Do you like the taste of honey? Isn’t best without the bees?
Be careful what you’re doing - You’re messing up my life.
And if all this world’s a cake, then you took to big a slice.

Fun Fact: This song is almost 30 years old.
Why?: This was the first PiL song I’d ever heard. It was a happy sounding pop song about something terrible. Something I always seem drawn to. I was vaguely (hahahah) aware of the Sex Pistols at the time and one or the other was my stepping stone (heh) into Punk. I like Johnny Rotten. He’s opinionated and smart. I may not agree with all of his views, like the fact he likes the Donald (Trump) but he’s articulate and not a drooling idiot like his former band mate, Sid Vicious (whom I liked also, but for the fact that he was a drooling idiot full of raw angry energy). But Listen. The song, it was a warning. This song is almost 30 years old. We knew as far as back then about the mess this planet was in. And look where we are. Poppy happy sound, terrible message. Right up my alley. 

Note: This was originally posted to Facebook without comments. 

Stuff I'm Listening To #9 - Green Day

Artist: Green Day
 
Title: When I Come Around 

Favourite Lyrics: 
Well, I heard it all before, so don't knock down my door
I'm a loser and a user so I don't need no accuser
To try and slag me down because I know you're right
 
Why?: I seem to have a knack for enjoying revenge/break up songs. I think this song came out when I was reading something with many feels (read: I was probably reading Tron fan fiction and this song fit the situation very well). 

*Originally posted without comments in Facebook.

Stuff I'm Listening To #7 - the Cure

Artist: the Cure

Title: Friday I’m In Love
 
Favourite Lyric:  
You can never get enough, Enough of this stuff
It's Friday I'm in love

Why?: Because it’s Friday! I remember listening to CFNY’s premiere of this song. What I remember were a few angry Cure fans calling in to bitch about how this song was too ‘pop’ and how the Cure was betraying their song, style etc. I was something between a mod, goth and emo at the time. I remember being somewhat offended on behalf of the Cure. Really guy? You’re offended because you don’t like this song? Let’s see you go out and create some decent music then! Artists are allowed to have fun, which was clearly what the Cure was doing here. This whole album was ‘pop’ but what’s wrong with that? The Cure had no obligation to you to be moody and depressing. Fuck. Even Depeche Mode has happy songs. FFS, get a fucking life. Music is meant to be enjoyed. It sets moods and memories. If the Cure wanted to have a happy song, so be it. Go soak your head you pretentious goth-boy emo wannabe!!!! Fuck, they used to play Wham! at Skank (our affectionate nickname for the Sanctuary Vampire Sex Bar). And goths would dance to that and be happy about it. FUUUUCK! 

TL:DR: Pretentious ass calls in because band didn’t write 'moody woe is me' song. 

Note: This was originally posted on Facebook without comments.