I don’t know how to write this one. I just don’t. I know that depression is a terminal disease. If you are lucky, something else will get you first, but sometimes the depression will take you. I know this because bipolar disorder is a terminal disease. I have to actively fight to stay alive. Bulimia … More Chris Cornell: 1964-2017
Where would I be without the Monkees? Quite possibly dead. Throughout my life, the Monkees have been a source of comfort and laughter even in the darkest of moments. I cringe at the racist and sexist plot points, but there is an anarchy in the humour I appreciate, and the music remains absolutely perfect fifty … More Soundtrack of My Life: Top Ten Songs from the Monkees
If I want some snark, some verbosity, some damn fine songwriting, I turn to Elvis Costello. There is something about how his songs play out. He’s fearless about genre (and occasionally language itself). And sometimes he shows up in the most random of places. Austin Powers cameo? Sure, why not! Host my own talk show* … More Soundtrack of my Life: Ten Best Elvis Costello Songs
My Irish side is hidden by my very Danish name. It’s the side of melancholy, lamb stew, and whisky. It’s also the side of black humour, sarcasm, and avoidance. But the Irish side of me is what probably fuels my love of music, as the very first music I remember, aside form what I heard … More Soundtrack of my Life: “The Unicorn” by the Irish Rovers
Sigur Rós is my meditation music. So I’m well aware of Jónsi’s penchant for falsetto and ethereal prettiness. But the reason that “Go Do” is my favourite Jónsi song is because it is so damn euphoric. Over a dominant percussive line, he tosses out line after line of optimism and support. “We should always know … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Go Do” by Jonsi
I’ve spent the last several weeks knowing I had to end my “Friendship” with the man I have been deeply and most emphatically in love with for the past two years. So of course, I’m not in the best head space (to put it mildly). We were never actually friends. I not sure what we … More Soundtrack of My Life: “A Different Corner” by George Michael/ “Freedom ’90” by George Michael
I know I said no posting for a while. But… I am a simple girl with simple pleasures. Skippy on vinyl. One more must have record down. I wish it was the original Columbia recording instead of the Sundaze re-release, but I like my kidneys. In one way that 2017 is already better than 2016: … More Yeah. I Know.
I have an unabashed love for Blue Rodeo. They are one of the quintessential Canadian bands, part of my life as much as the Smiths and the Clash are. They write perfect little roots-influenced, country-twinged songs. Their best album, Five Days in July, can stand with any other Alt country album an American can produce. And … More Soundtrack of my Life: “5 Days in May” by Blue Rodeo
Wham! is one of my first music memories. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” is such an iconic song, not just in my life, but in the world in general. A fluffy little dance pop number,but so catchy and ridiculously memorable. I was seven when it was a huge hit. And then Faith. People forget how … More “There’s no comfort in the truth, pain is all you’ll find.”
When you love someone set them free. Over two years ago I met the most amazing person. I rarely meet people I can tolerate for longer than thirty seconds, so the fact I liked this person was a miracle unto itself. Yeah. I fell in love with him, breaking every single rule I set up … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Goodbye To You” by Michelle Branch
As we are all very aware now, I love Dylan. So very much. But this song choice is basically coming down to this: It’s fine. It’s cool. I get it. Really I do. You win. I give up. And that is that. It’s pointless to fight for something when it only seems to really … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” by Bob Dylan
I had also started this piece in the last couple of months, but I’ve had a hard time writing it. But I’ve started again, and will complete it so I don’t think about it anymore. All I’ve ever wanted in life was to matter to someone. To be considered worthy of someone’s love and attention. … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Hope There’s Someone” by Antony and the Johnsons
I started writing this before all the hell of November began, so I decided to finish it. I’ll write the 2016 year-end stuff next month and then that’s it until I find some sort of joy or purpose. When I discussed Skip Spence’s exquisite and underappreciated OAR, I mentioned a fondness for the broken and lost geniuses … More Soundtrack of my Life: “War In Peace” by Skip Spence
The world is bleak. There has been little of the past few years of my life that has lent itself to hope and optimism, and the one thing I had hope and optimism about backfired spectacularly. This reinforced what I had always been told about myself, both by actual people and what my unending internal … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen… and John Cale… and Jeff Buckley… And Rufus Wainwright… and k.d. lang…
I’m getting to the point where I’m running out of synonyms for sadness and loss. Just listen to this voice, the voice of the incomparable Sharon Jones, with her devoted Dap Kings. She made it big late in life. But she always had that voice. Godspeed, Sharon. And thank you for sharing everything. Go … More “I’m telling the story, and if I can’t tell the story, I’m not going to sing it.”
Leaving this here. Fight the good fight.
There is a delightful and underlooked gem of a film called Grace of My Heart, directed by Allison Anders and starring the incomparable Illeana Douglas. Anders is a highly acclaimed independent film maker responsible for the amazing Gas Food Lodging and Mi Vida Loca, but my favourite is the still Grace, a film of warmth and tenderness filled with incredible … More Soundtrack of my Life: “God Give Me Strength” by Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach
I am not a people person. I am bad at people-ing. I avoid them. If I let someone into my world, even just a bit, it means I would tear out my insides and set the world on fire for them. I don’t throw around the word “love” callously. If I say it to someone, … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Days” by the Kinks
Frank is the guy I go to when my heart has been ripped out of my chest and mocked mercilessly by men, God, and just about anything and anyone else you can think of. While the go to album is In The Wee Small Hours, Frank’s ode to his crumbling relationship with Ava Gardiner, for … More Soundtrack of my Life: “One For My Baby (And One For the Road)” by Frank Sinatra
I have done this exercise on both Twitter and Face book in the past. I listen to the years entries and write quick blurb, usually about how terrible the song is, and leave. It irritates the normal people of this planet- you know, the ones who think Eurovision is some sort of trashy pop music … More Eurovision 2016- The Music
I’m still walking around stunned by the news of David Bowie’s death. I haven’t been able to fully process it. I’ve tried to write something for days, as shock and sadness propelled me into a bout of insomnia. Words left me. I couldn’t even attempt to put a sentence together. Denial is beginning to turn … More David Bowie -“I’m always amazed that people take what I say seriously. I don’t even take what I am seriously.”
In the wake of tragedy, in trauma, in revisiting trauma, it is easy to succumb to paranoia and fear and not see the bigger picture. I wrote a poem of sorts in the aftermath of Paris about not being afraid. And then I put on Billy Bragg and other protest singers and listened to anti-war … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Light & Day/ Reach for the Sun” by the Polyphonic Spree
I hate love songs. I generally hate love, mostly because I’m a bitter old hag who hasn’t dated in thirteen years. I’m damaged beyond words and to say I have trust issues might be a drastic understatement. I know this song list is overflowing with love songs. So, the first thing you need to know … More Soundtrack of my Life: “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” by the Smiths
Boy George never gets enough credit as a singer. He nails songs that cry- “Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?” is a classic for a reason and it has nothing to do with the cheesy 80s production surrounding George’s tearful voice. That vocal style is amplified in his biggest solo hit, a cover of … More Soundtrack of my Life: “The Crying Game” by Boy George
There are things that those who love me know about me: 1. The Kinks are my favourite band. 2. This is my favourite album of all time, and I often proclaim it the greatest album ever created. 3. My kids prefer Katy Perry to Ray Davies and I feel like a failure as a parent because … More Soundtrack of my Life: “The Village Green Preservation Society” by the Kinks
I have tried to write about this song for a while now. I absolutely love it, but it spring from a darkness and it feeds my brain in its more painful and damaging days. The problem I have is that when my depression amps up, I favour songs that may make people question where I … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Weightless Again” by the Handsome Family
The guy is essentially known now as Jeff Buckley’s junkie dad. That’s just so wrong. Anyone who has heard the incredible Starsailor album knows that. This song is also now better known as a This Mortal Coil song. This Mortal Coil were music execs playing dreamy electropop, but “Song to the Siren” was essentially a one-off from … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Song To the Siren” by Tim Buckley
I discussed Teenage Fanclub’s Bandwagonesque here. The lyrics are twenty-one words repeated over and over on top of a sunny melody, topped with grungy guitars. They were so Big Star that it hurt. It’s a juvenile love song- “What you do to me, I know, I can’t believe, there’s something about you that’s got me down on … More Soundtrack of my Life: “What You Do To Me” by Teenage Fanclub
Someone on the web, in some comments section somewhere, recently criticised Van Morrison as a singer. Limited range, nasal tone, the usual things said when someone hates a singer. Now, the guy wasn’t totally wrong on those points- Van is nasally, and does not have a huge range. But Van is an amazing songwriter, and … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Into The Mystic” by Van Morrison
1991 was when Tori Amos unleashed Little Earthquakes on to an unsuspecting public. A fiery red-head who could play the piano like it was her bitch, spawned from Debussy and Rachmaninoff and inspired by Zeppelin and Bowie, she unleashed a torrent of feelings on the universe. I will be speaking about songs from Little Earthquakes later- it is … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Cornflake Girl” by Tori Amos
Sheer exhaustion, work, life, and a totally broken down computer have taken me from my goal, but I am back several weeks later with more songs and records to discuss. It’s good to be back. I decided to come back and discuss one of my all-time favourite songs, the glorious and bold swaths of synths … More Soundtrack of my Life: “The Whole Of The Moon” by the Waterboys
This American Masters embedded above pretty much says it all…
Because reggae is a man’s world. And girls occasionally sing cool songs about looking awesome on the dance floor. I’m guessing that’s what this song is about- it’s sung in a Jamaican patois in quite dense accents. But the music swings and sways. It’s cool. I like cool. I’m not cool. Not even close. I … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Uptown Top Ranking” by Althea and Donna
Every girl has her boy band. I went through a New Kids phase like every other girl in North America, but my long-lasting love ended up being for Take That, who has had a fabulous rebirth in the last few years. “Back for Good” was a minor hit in Canada. I was and am a … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Back for Good” by Take That
Being a teenager in 1990s Canada was a different musical experience than you ever thought possible. Years of CANCON made people listen to Rush’s “Closer To The Heart” more than one should ever hear ( why didn’t my local radio station play”Tom Sawyer”?) and it also made Corey Hart a superstar for four years. The … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Red” by Treble Charger
This is on the list for one reason and one reason only. Because I used to sing this in the kitchen. My mother found it amusing. My father was horrified. I was seven. Of course, legendary song, it’s Madonna, I’m a girl child from the 1980s. But mostly, it’s because it made my dad crazy. … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Like A Virgin” by Madonna
There is only one correct answer to the question “What is the greatest John Hughes movie ever?” The Breakfast Club. It is always The Breakfast Club. The others have charm and are good, but The Breakfast Club is superior to whatever your so-called favourite John Hughes film has. Plus, it has “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” … More Soundtrack of My Life: “(Don’t You) Forget About Me” by Simple Minds
Dirty Dancing. That monster hit film with an even bigger soundtrack. For girls my age, it was a somewhat scandalous thing to watch. I mean- PREMARITAL SEX! NAUGHTY ROCK N’ ROLL! ABORTION! It was my parents worse nightmare, and it starred Patrick Swayze, who was one of my first crushes. A guy who could really … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes
I had such a Canadian childhood. Great Dirty World was one of the first albums I really, really, REALLY wanted. I got it for my tenth birthday, this little cassette tape of odd prog rock touches over strong melodies (classically trained pianists unite!). Gowan had a run of success in Canada during the 1980s into … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Dedication” by Gowan
Bob Dylan is simply one of the greatest songwriters in the history of music. I used to sing “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” to Gwen when she was a baby ( she loves Dylan’s words but hates his voice- she’s consistent on the nasal voice thing. She hates listening to Springsteen, too). But this … More Soundtrack of My Life: “Tangled Up in Blue” by Bob Dylan
“I hate ABBA” was my life’s big lie. I love ABBA. The musician in my soul appreciates just how complex those songs are structurally. Yes, the lyrics are some of the most ridiculous things ever written in the English language, but since English was the bands second (or even third) language, I think maybe we … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Dancing Queen” by ABBA
I can’t recall much about the show I saw it on – Julian Lennon was playing ” Too Late For Goodbyes”, that I can remember, because I was negotiating with my mother about staying up to watch his performance (full disclosure – I think that Valotte is a great 80s album). But somewhere sometime before that … More Soundtrack of my Life: “Two Tribes” by Frankie Goes To Hollywood
I know my music taste is unique, but never anything but totally cool. Yeah, my first album, and the one I played to absolute death, was Bullfrogs and Butterflies. I am sure there are now people out there going “Huh?” Welcome, everyone, to the world of Christian Children’s Music! Before VeggieTales, you had former 60s … More Soundtrack of My Life: “Bullfrogs And Butterflies” by Barry McGuire
If I have to explain it to you, there is something wrong with you.
My mother was twelve in 1963-1964, when Beatlemania was at its height. The Beatles were one of the few bands I remember hearing at all from my parents’ stereo. And this is the first Beatles song I actually remember hearing. The Beatles are of course the be all and end all of music. They bring … More Soundtrack of My Life: ” Ticket to Ride” by the Beatles
Another slice of mum’s musical influence on me. The Beach Boys were probably played more often than the Beatles, because I remember the Beach Boy cassettes being brought along on family vacations. Dad would bring the dreaded Johnny Horton. Pet Sounds is a genius piece of art, but the earlier surf tracks hold a charm … More Soundtrack of My Life: ” Fun Fun Fun” by the Beach Boys
All I am going to say is my late mother would sing this ad nauseam. Herman’s Hermits were a good band. They had some great pop songs. This was not one of them. It’s an irritating mess of childish sing along nonsense. But when I hear it, I can recall standing by my mother in … More Soundtrack of My Life: “Henry The VIII I Am” by Herman’s Hermits
There is a thing about harmonies. The word alone lends itself to a feeling of communion and joy. After all, we all want to live in harmony. But the vocal harmonies of a sibling act are a special thing. The Everly Brothers created some of the finest harmonies in the history of music, their … More Soundtrack of My Life: “All I Have To Do Is Dream” by the Everly Brothers
This has a two-fold meaning. The top is the dance sequence from the 1936 Astaire-Rogers film Swing Time. To be perfectly blunt- I love every single thing Astaire and Rogers did together, even The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle and Barkleys of Broadway. But Swing Time remains my favourite of their films, if only because … More Soundtrack of My Life: “Never Gonna Dance” by Fred Astaire
My dad was (and is) obsessed with the Disney Davy Crockett TV series/butchered films. As a result, I am all too familiar with this song. It’s here to remind me that not all music speaks to your heart. Sometimes you just want to hit the television or stereo with a baseball bat to stop the horror. I’m … More Soundtrack of My Life: “The Ballad Of Davy Crockett” by Fess Parker
