We love to debate music around here, and that debate, more often than not, culminates in something called Jam or Not a Jam. The rules are simple: 1. Play a song; 2. Is it a jam or not a jam?
It's simple enough, but the results and arguments are the most entertaining part. When we invited Gerry Dee and Suresh John from TV show Mr. D to play, we had no idea what we were getting into. You can watch the extremely funny results above, including an impromptu performance of a certain summer song. Just make sure to stay 'til the end.
Watch more in our Games with Bands (and actors) series here.
Do you have a suggestion for someone we should get into studio to play? Let me know on Twitter: @JesseKG
Related
Watch Schitt's Creek's Dan Levy and Annie Murphy play Jam or Not a Jam, below.
A piano, a determined mind and some heartbreak. Sometimes that's all you need to make it.
Sometimes your road has been plotted, and you don't know it, but you just follow. You pack up your belongings and your guitar and leave your comfortable life in North Vancouver. You say so long to home and family, and you go to California.
Hollywood. All those bright lights, they have to shine on someone.
Any path worth walking will have loose ground, tricks of the turn. Hollywood can eat you up. But you try, you and your music. You play bass for a pop star. You play in bands and sessions. You play until you can't.
And even when you need to put Los Angeles behind, as you watch it fade in the rear view, you can still see the sign.
(Design by Heather Collett/CBC Music)
You couldn't know this path would bring you back home. To family, to the mountainside. But that same big ocean, you can see it. You're back in Vancouver, and you have a determined mind, and your heartache.
So you write some songs on your sister's piano. You upload them to YouTube, send files around. Burn them on CD-Rs and hand them out.
It's not long until you're back in L.A., recording these songs. You're also in Nashville, and San Francisco. Your friends are there, and one of them is in the Black Keys and he is producing your songs. You make new friends, too. One is named Adele, and she loves your song. These songs are simple and direct and raw; they don't turn away from cliché or earnestness and they display their influence. And people are sharing them.
All the right blogs are writing about you. You hear the word "hype" in front of your name so often you start to think it's an honorific. And now Jimmy Fallon is introducing you. You've hardly even played these songs live, but here you are on The Tonight Show in front of millions, and you are 29 years old. This is your path.
Tracklist
1. "Can't Stop Thinking About You" 2. "How Could You Babe" 3. "Without You" 4. "Can We Still Be Friends" 5. "The Wait" 6. "Hollywood" 7. "For You" 8. "Crocodile Tears" 9. "Bad Words" 10. "Just a Dream" 11. "Leaving LA" 12. "Tell the Truth"
Tobias Jesso Jr.'s Goon will be released on March 17 through Arts & Crafts. You can pre-order it on iTunes.
"Classical? Absolutely not! Popular? Neither! Crossover? Oh no, not at all. So? I am really walking a fine line here," writes pianist Alain Lefèvre in the notes for his new album, Rive Gauche, streaming above until March 16.
When classical musicians perform non-classical music, they often feel a need to explain themselves. Rive Gauche contains nine compositions by Lefèvre, five for solo piano; four featuring musical guests. While none of the compositions is purely classical, all of them are inventive, entertaining and performed with genuine artistry by Lefèvre and his guests.
Best known for his performances of Chopin and Rachmaninoff, Lefèvre the composer surfaces now and then. (He has released four previous albums of his own compositions.)
"I have always composed to tell a story," writes Lefèvre in the album's notes. "Writing is not something I choose; the themes come flooding to my mind. Quite often, I wake up in the middle of the night and save on my phone a theme that pops to the surface just like that, without even looking for it."
It's not just the compositions that are inspired but the playing, too. Lefèvre is joined by violinist Angèle Dubeau (track 5), bassist Michel Donato and drummer Paul Brochu (tracks 6, 8 and 9) and vocalist Léane Labrèche-Dor (track 9).
Highlights include: the title track, "Rive Gauche," a pianistic love letter to Paris in which you'll hear elements of Claude Debussy and Michel Legrand; "Time Out," for piano, bass and drums, a tribute to jazz pianist Dave Brubeck; and "Parsifal le chat," a tender eulogy for the cat of Lefèvre's friends Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Pierre Tourville. "'Parsifal le chat' has become some sort of prayer for a furry little friend that brought lots of joy to two humans," Lefèvre writes.
1. "Ciné Lumière" 2. "Élou" 3. "Rive Gauche" 4. "Le chemin" 5. "Paris de mes souvenirs" 6. "Time Out" 7. "Parsifal le chat" 8. "Mad About You (A Nod to Elton John)" 9. "Au bout de mes rêves" (lyrics by Johanne Martineau)
Each week, staff from CBC Music, Radio 2, 3, Sonica, CBC Hamilton and Whitehorse collect songs they just can't get out of their heads, and make a case for why you should listen, too. Press play below and you may just find your new favourite track.
Let us know in the comments what catches your ear, or if you have new song suggestions. Last week we requested Carly Rae Jepsen's newest in a Canadian-friendly format, and you delivered. What if we ask for St. Vincent's new track in an embeddable format — the one that just aired on Girls? Pretty please.
Jenn Grant, 'Bring Me a Rose'
I'm so happy we're premiering Grant's new music video for this gorgeous song, one of my favourite tracks from her Juno Award-nominated beauty Compostela. The bittersweet longing of lines like, "When I grow up I wanna be/ a picture of my mother holding on to me," tucked against the winter-white landscape is a perfect juxtaposition, visually and emotionally, of working through the grief of losing a parent. — Andrea Warner
Carly Rae Jepsen, 'I Really Like You'
The internet was ablaze last week with the release of Carly Rae Jepsen's "song of the summer," "I Really Like You." The video for the song features Tom Hanks living my dream: walking down the street and singing along to a catchy song in a music video, like Richard Ashcroft in "Bittersweet Symphony" (a more affable version). As down-to-earth as Hanks is in the video, who could compete on a happy scale with pop star Jepsen, whose BFF Justin Bieber shows up at the end to join in the happy dance? All the fun! Oh Carly Rae, we really really really really really really like you. (I get paid by the word.) — Nicolle Weeks
Leon Bridges, 'Coming Home'
Press play and step back. Sink into the sound of Detroit, Chicago and Memphis in the '60s. Step back into struggles and innocence, into old tensions and new love. The sound of Motown and Stax and SAR Records. If you're an emerging artist and you're going to pay homage to that sound — if you're going to tip your hat and heart to the greats — then you had better do it right. Here it is, courtesy of Texas-based singer-songwriter Leon Bridges and his lo-fi sound, hi-fi soul. — Brad Frenette
Kacey Musgraves, 'Biscuits'
"Mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy." Kacey Musgraves is back to tell truths, y’all, so listen up. "Biscuits" is the first single off Musgraves’s upcoming full-length, and it’s a lyrical sequel to "Follow Your Arrow," off her Grammy-winning debut. Her words travel straight and true, and that country twang is helping me crawl out of winter. Time to own your own crazy, and listen to the future of country. — Holly Gordon
Oh Wonder, 'Technicolour Beat'
While building the newly launched SYNTH stream, I've discovered some incredible up-and-coming artists who are bound to have huge years in 2015. My favourite discovery so far has been Oh Wonder, a duo out of London, England, that is currently releasing a new track each month for a year. They remind me a lot of Until the Ribbon Breaks, with added female vocals that just perfectly complete the tracks.— Matthew Fisher
Son Little, 'O Mother'
We covered Son Little once before in SYNTH, but he drops tracks that are so hot we just can't ignore them. First, he made us dance. Now he's back with another track that will commandeer your mind, opening the song with the plea, "O mother, why do they treat me like I'm not a man?" The timing of the release of this track, days after a damning report on racist police practices in Ferguson, Mo., is poignant, as Son Little comes off sounding like Marvin Gaye's long lost son. Timely and tuneful, this is a song we need for now but, hopefully, not for long. — Judith Lynch
Adam Washburn, 'Dead of Winter' (Searchlight contestant)
Thomas D'Arcy has taken over lead vocals for the Killers — or at least that's how it sounds in the chorus of this jam from Halifax Searchlight contestant Adam Washburn. "Dead of Winter" will make you want to dust off that old tambourine and play along, even if the song is set in the coldest months of the year.— Kerry Martin, Searchlight associate producer
Wiz Khalifa associate Chevy Woods leaves it all on the floor on his new single, "Gold Chainz Gold Daytons," eschewing clever wordplay for a high-impact delivery filled with raw emotion and unbridled passion. The beat, meanwhile, is full of lush synths and strings, and comes from two Canucks: Rich Kidd and Arthur McArthur. — Chris Dart
Editor's note: language warning, NSFW.
Grimes, 'REALiTi'
Grimes released a new song from her abandoned followup album to 2012’s critically acclaimed Visions, and it's making us wish she had never abandoned it in the first place. Called "REALiTi," it’s dark and dreamy while also being catchy and totally danceable. — Jesse Kinos-Goodin
Swim Deep, 'To My Brother'
Sick of these late-winter gloomy blues? Birmingham, England's indie-pop hippies Swim Deep have returned, two years after their dreamy debut, with summer vibes cranked to the max on their latest single. "To My Brother" is a kaleidoscope of sparkling synths and groovy riffs tucked under soaring vocals, all inspired by late '80s acid house and even a sprinkle of Motown. It's the soundtrack to your impatient wait for June. — Emma Godmere
Sevdaliza, 'That Other Girl'
UGH. That's what Dutch electronic artist Sevdaliza is saying in "That Other Girl," but in an eloquent, powerful way. The artful technique used in the production of the song alongside tools like Auto-Tune takes it to the next level and draws you in, delivering an emotional sucker punch. At three minutes, the track leaves you wanting more. Because really, who hasn't wanted to be that other girl? — NW
Joni Fatora, 'Blueless Bird'
The vocal talents of Brooklyn native Joni Fatora have previously been featured on synth-driven track "Broken Record," produced by SoySauce, an EDM duo. As a change of pace and style, Fatora’s "Blueless Bird," from the EP Navigator, to be released later in March, highlights her dreamy, soft voice, which complements the gentle acoustic sound. The bossa nova guitar strums and barely there percussion are lulling and warm; the lyrics and rhymes are sweet and simple. It is a beautifully breezy song. — Joan Chung
Keiffer Mclean, 'Jive Turkey'
For being a landlocked province, Saskatchewan is sounding like a beach vacation getaway in this Searchlight entry from Regina's Keiffer Mclean. "Jive Turkey" gives you a laid-back jam from a guy who, though he sounds like he has the musical experience of a longtime veteran, is only 20 years old! — KM
As you may have heard or read yesterday, CBC Radio 3 is going through a change in format.
In keeping with our 15 year history, this is something Radio 3 has done many times to evolve and change as per the current media landscape, the situation within the CBC, and to reflect your changing tastes and habits when it comes to enjoying Canadian music.
With that said, we thought it'd be a great time to look back at the many different eras of Radio 3 to tap your memory of your favourite musical discoveries, live events, hosts past and present, and favourite features, interviews, and moments.
With your suggestions in mind, in the coming weeks we'll put together a Radio 3 Timeline of the best of the best.
So... how long have you listened to or engaged with Radio 3? What was your "entry band" or song? Have you attended a live Radio 3 event? Made out with Grant Lawrence? What's your favourite Radio 3 memory?
Share your thoughts and recollections in our comment section below, or tweet us @cbcradio3 and you could win a HIGHLY collectible and coveted CBC Radio 3 toque with pom pom recovered from the vaults!
Drake started from the bottom now he's here. And by "here," we mean to say that the Toronto rapper is finally getting his own Heritage Minute. Well, sort of.
From the people who brought you such classic videos as John A. Macdonald uniting Canada and "Doctor, I smell burnt toast," Historica Canada has mashed up of all their Heritage Minutes to create video for Drake's anthem, "Started from the Bottom."
Clearly they are on to something, as Drake is no stranger to having his every moment turned into an internet meme. It also follows closely on parody Twitter account Drake Heritage Moments (@OVOHeritage), which launched in February and charts the rise of the rapper from Degrassi to the Grammys and beyond.
Our only question: when will Drake get his real Heritage Minute?
Listen to the audio version of Rear-view Mirror by hitting the Play button
One night in 1955, legendary singer Etta James met a young man who was eager to break into the music business. She was struck by the fact that he carried an old tattered napkin with him. He said he took it with him everywhere he went. Written on the napkin were three words written by another legend. Little Richard. The three words? "Please, please, please." The young man's name was James Brown and he told Etta James he was going to take those words and turn them into a hit.
Early the next year, in 1956, James Brown and his band, The Famous Flames signed a record deal with Cincinnati-based label Federal Records. The first song the band recorded was the one James Brown crafted from Little Richard's note. When the president of his label, Syd Nathan heard the song, he hated it. He refused to release it. He said it would never be a hit. But after James Brown and other label executives fought for the song, Nathan relented. He said he would release it, if only to prove to everyone that it wasn't a hit.
He couldn't have been too upset over how wrong he was after the song became one of the biggest hits of 1956 and sold well over one million copies.
The song lives on as a classic and is regarded as one of the greatest songs ever recorded.
Here's the song that introduced the world to the man who would come to be known as "The Godfather of Soul." This is "Please, Please, Please."
Here are some other great editions of Rear-view Mirror:
"I’m not down on my luck or behind on my dues. I’ve got some kind of f--ked up illegitimate blues."
The Strombo Show ran the gamut this Sunday night, keeping the spirit of radio alive by delivering the best records in the best order. It's a show for music lovers by music lovers, ranging over three hours of commercial-free music to honour both old and new.
George Stroumboulopoulos was joined by our friend, the prince of Dartmouth himself, Joel Plaskett, for an acoustic performance and intimate interview in the House of Strombo.
Plaskett is one of our nation's finest music makers. He is known best for his Juno Award-winning activity as a solo artist, for the sounds he cranked with the beloved Thrush Hermit and his production skills behind many singer-songwriters, such as Halifax's Mo Kenney.
Ahead of his upcoming album, The Park Avenue Sobriety Test, and another extensive Canadian tour, Plaskett will delve into the past, explore his formative record collection and debut a handful of brand-new tracks in the House of Strombo.
Also, we premiered a B-side off Cancer Bats' upcoming album, Searching For Zero, and were visited by some good friends who include Wade MacNeil (Alexisonfire, Gallows) and Liam Cormier (Cancer Bats).
As always, we'll be tipping our hats to those groundbreakers and game-changers with a Nod to the Gods, spinning the best new tracks, paying tribute to Tom Waits on Ten with Tom and we'll send you into the horizontal with the Big Lie Down.
Lock it. Crank it. Join the collective!
Magnificent Seven
M7 JOEL PLASKETT, "Alright/OK" M6 BLACK ZONE MYTH CHANT, "He Evil" M5 CANNIBAL OX, "Harlem Knights" M4 WARPAINT, "No Way Out (Redux)" M3 GALLOWS, "Bonfire Season" M2 GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR, "Peasantry or Light! Inside of Light!" M1 CLARE MAGUIRE, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Carole King cover)"
Playlist
JOAN JETT, "Bad Reputation"
NINA SIMONE, "No Woman, No Cry (Live)"
JOEL PLASKETT, "Alright/OK"
BLACK ZONE MYTH CHANT, "He Evil"
ARCADE FIRE, "Joan of Arc"
CANNIBAL OX, "Harlem Knights"
NAS, "NY State of Mind"
THE POPPY FAMILY, "Where Evil Grows"
BORNS, "10,000 Emerald Pools"
NICOLETTE LARSON, "Lotta Love"
ALTHEA & DONNA, "Uptown Top Ranking"
SISTER NANCY, "Bam Bam"
WATERS, "Stupid Games"
THE GO! TEAM, "The Scene Between"
JOEL PLASKETT EMERGENCY, "North Star"
JOEL PLASKETT EMERGENCY, "Snowed In/Cruisin'"
THOSE BASTARD SOULS, "All I Ever Wanted Was To Show Up And Blow Your Mind"
ANN PEEBLES, "Until You Came Into My Life"
KRISTY MACCOLL, "He’s On The Beach"
ANIMALS, "We Gotta Get Out of This Place"
ROD STEWART, "Angel"
THRUSH HERMIT, "The Day We Hit The Coast"
JOEL PLASKETT, "Broke (Acoustic Performance)"
JOEL PLASKETT, "I Lost It (Acoustic Lucinda Williams Cover Performance)"
TOM WAITS, "Johnsburg, Illinois"
PATTI SMITH, "After the Gold Rush"
FRENTE, "Bizarre Love Triangle"
MILLIE SMALL, "My Boy Lollipop"
CANCER BATS, "Rust & Bone"
DAN DEACON, "When I Was Done Dying"
WARPAINT, "No Way Out (Redux)"
QUICK O TIC, "Ice Cream Sundae"
THE REPLACEMENTS, "Unsatisfied"
GALLOWS, "Bonfire Season"
ALEXISONFIRE, "No Transitory"
GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR, "Peasantry or Light! Inside of Light!"
PINK FLOYD, "Another Brick In The Wall (Part 3)"
DOROTHY MELTON, "I Want Jesus To Walk With Me"
VENOM, "In League With Satan"
JUSTICE, "Waters of Nazareth"
CLARE MAGUIRE, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow (Carole King cover)"
MASSIVE ATTACK, "Teardrop"
For further musical exploration with George Stroumboulopoulos, tune in to The Strombo Show every Sunday night on CBC Radio 2 or CBC Music from 8 to 11 p.m. for three hours of uninterrupted music for music lovers.
Back in 2004, Montreal DJ A-Trak got the break of a lifetime: Kanye West, who hadn't yet released his debut album, asked him to be his DJ on tour.
That invite spurred a professional relationship that lasted years, and now in a series of annotations on Genius, A-Trak is revealing some of the secrets behind some of Kanye West's most famous tracks, including "Gold Digger" and "Stronger," which he helped create.
Here's a sample:
On how he came to work with Kanye West:
Kanye saw me do this routine with one of his beats, and got excited. That’s how we met. We talked after and he just said like, “Have you been on tour?” I said “Yeah,” because I’d been touring as a DJ for eight or nine years at that point. He said “With who?” I said “Just me, and my DJ buddies,” and he was like “No, no. I mean with a rapper.’ I told him as far as rappers I only toured with the guys I came up with, from Montreal. He was like, “Alright, well, I want to take you on tour. I need a DJ, I’m doing my first tour this summer, and my album just came out.” I was like “Yeah, I know. It’s very good.”
His first tour was opening up for Usher on the Truth tour, the year that Usher had the Confessions album with “Yeah!” and all those songs. I did that tour, and he just kept me on for every tour after. We became close. I was his ear to what was going on, whether it’d be the streetwear in downtown New York or cool music or whatever. And he’s just an inspiring guy for me. We would just trade ideas and resources.
On the story behind "Gold Digger":
We got back together to play the Sasquatch Festival, and were catching up in the trailer. He said, “Let me play you something. I put my vocals on all these songs.” For “Gold Digger,” he had this rough version, but it felt too pop to him. He wanted to give it some hip-hop cred. I had an idea for a scratch, for the part where he raps “Get down girl, go ‘head, get down.” I knew which sample to use. He said, “I think it could be cool. We’re going to LA this week to finish things up.” But he was over budget, Def Jam wouldn’t pay for any more flights for that album.
Next thing you know, it’s show time at Sasquatch. At the last minute, he gave me the track for “Gold Digger,” because he wanted to perform it. I ended up live-auditioning. I pulled up the sample for “get down” and I scratched during the choruses, and as soon as we got off stage he was like “Alright, you’re coming to LA, we gotta record this. I’ll pay for the flights, I don’t care.”
I went to L.A. and recorded the scratches, and the rest is history.
On how he couldn't believe Kanye had never heard of Daft Punk:
I gave him that sample. I’m the culprit. And I didn’t want him to sample it, that’s what’s funny.
It sort of happened because Swizz Beats sampled “Technologic” for that Busta Rhymes record, “Touch It.” We were on tour in Europe in 2006, spending a lot of hours on the bus listening to the radio. Kanye heard “Touch It” and thought that beat was cool. I said, “He just swooped up Daft Punk.” And Ye said, “Who?” I just couldn’t believe that Kanye had never heard Daft Punk.
On "Robocop," and how Kanye asks everyone:
I stopped being Kanye’s DJ gig in early 2008, and jumped on some of my own tours for a while. When I caught up with him later in 2008, he was just finishing 808s and Heartbreaks, even though had just started it a few weeks prior. He made that album fast — it was a feeling and an idea that he wanted to just jot out on paper and wrap up. But, as usual with Kanye, there are always two or three songs that he’ll be struggling to get right, and he starts delegating them to other people. Something wasn’t quite right with “RoboCop,” he thought. The beat was constant the whole way through, and he wasn’t sure about that. He was listening to TV on the Radio, and had become friends with one of the guys in the band. He said something like, “How would someone in one of those bands arrange this song? I’m producing it too much like a rap beat.” I said, “Why don’t we take the drums out for a whole section and let the strings live? Let’s forget about hip-hop production tropes or whatever.”
While we were working, he would just call me many times a day. Ye was on the other side of the world, in China, so I got calls at the oddest hours. He just wanted to try more stuff. Even once we took out the drums entirely for the second verse, he still wanted to try new things. “What if we did this? What if we did that?” I would get these calls from Kanye at like 4 in the morning and I’d pick up. My girlfriend at the time would just look at me like “Really, you’re taking this call?” I remember telling her that I was like the detective who gets the call in the middle of the night. That’s how I felt. When you’re working with Kanye, you feel like you’re a part of this greater mission. So I worked on “Robocop.” He hadn’t really started crediting everyone on those albums. I feel like Cruel Summer is when he suddenly put everyone’s names on the album’s credits. But there’s definitely some songs from albums before that where I helped out here and there.
What’s super interesting about Kanye’s approach is that, yeah, he does ask everyone. On the one hand, he’s super confident because he knows at the end of the day that he’s the only one with the vision of what the song should be. On the other hand, he’s honest enough about his own limitations that he doesn’t let his cockiness blind his sight. He knows that if he brings some of the greatest people into the room, the end work will be better. He’ll ask anyone — a bystander, someone’s girlfriend. “What do you think of this? Okay, cool. How would you do those drums?” And then he puts his confidence cloak back on and assembles it. It goes back to questioning what the term producer is. Because ultimately, he could choose to not even list any of the people around him, and just say he’s the producer, because he’s the one with the idea. I like the statement of the team effort, though.
Alexisonfire has revealed that it's returning with a heavy series of festival performances.
Last week, the band teased an image via their social media accounts hinting at big news to be revealed on March 9, and the followup announcement confirmed that the band will be hitting the big stage for several festivals worldwide — some Canadian (Heavy MTL, Edmonton's Sonic Boom, Calgary's X-Fest and Toronto's Riot Fest) and some overseas (Reading and Leeds). There'll also be an American festival announced at a later date.
These are the first Alexisonfire shows since the self-proclaimed "only band ever" played its last concert at Hamilton's Copps Coliseum on Dec. 30, 2012.
Earlier last year, band members George Pettit and Wade MacNeil visited their old friend George Stroumboulopoulos for an exclusive interview in light of their vinyl box set release. Listen below.
There weren’t any “Blurred Lines” in a Los Angeles court today, where a jury ordered music stars Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams to pony up a whopping $7.3 million, because their 2013 megahit too closely resembled the aptly named Marvin Gaye song “Got to Give It Up.”
The decision follows a lengthy court battle that saw Gaye’s estate pursue $25 million in damages over the song, which topped charts around the world, after Thicke, Williams and T.I. had preemptively sued Gaye’s side for threatening legal action.
“The intent in producing 'Blurred Lines' was to evoke an era,” Thicke's lawyers wrote in the suit. “In reality, the Gaye defendants are claiming ownership of an entire genre, as opposed to a specific work, and Bridgeport is claiming the same work.”
According to Rolling Stone, Gaye’s estate in turn claimed that Thicke had not only unlawfully borrowed from “Got To Give It Up,” but also “After the Dance” and “I Want You.” The family also pointed to interviews where Thicke said he’d borrowed from Gaye, that “Got to Give It Up” was one of his favourite songs, and that he wanted to create a song with Williams that had the same groove.
In court, it was revealed that the song earned its composers almost $17 million—$5.6 of which went to Thicke, $5.2 million went to Williams, and $700,000 went to T.I. Williams earned an additional $4.3 million in publishing and $860,000 for producing.
Representatives from both sides have not yet commented on the decision.
There's so much talent in Canada, and you know that because you're reading this post about Juno Award nominees. You're probably already into one of the nominated acts, at least, and that's awesome.
But this playlist crosses genres and boundaries, real or imagined, and every song is on a CBC Music artist page. We don't have every nominee, of course, but we do have something for everyone and we guarantee you'll find a new artist with whom you'll fall in love.
On this playlist you'll find big indie rock acts like Arcade Fire or Bahamas and exciting next-gen groups like Alvvays and July Talk, homegrown rap stars Tre Mission and Saukrates, Nashville-bound country upstart Kira Isabella, young punks Single Mothers, world phenom Pierre Kwenders, delightful Francophone artist Philippe B, folk favourites the Barr Brothers, the Weeknd's wickedly smooth neo-soul and so much more. Electronic, classical, blues — and even a full-on brass band.
There's a lot to celebrate and so much to discover. Press play to keep the music going as you peruse the gallery above and make sure to spread the word to your friends and family. If you find a new band you love, tell everybody you know. Keep the Canadian music scene a vibrant and supportive home for our country's artists.
Everyone’s a critic, but some critics get it wrong when it matters most. Take Kaiser Joseph II, enlightened emperor of the vast and powerful Austro-Hungarian Empire. After hearing Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio, a work he himself had commissioned, the emperor said what many thought: "Too many notes, my dear Mozart!" And he has, perhaps unfairly, paid the price for criticizing unarguable genius.
But the Kaiser was only one in a long line of critics who got it wrong. In the early 13th century, French music theorist Jacobus de Liège saw fit to write a few volumes criticizing the imperfections of ars nova, the modern music movement, and in the late 16th century Claudio Monteverdi endured the wrath of Giovanni Maria Artusi, who accused him of playing fast and loose with the rules of composition.
But things really got crazy in the 19th century, when music was considered the highest of all art forms, and the purple prose of critics oftentimes outshone the complicated bombast of composers, a trend that continued into the 20th century. Herewith, 11 great composers who were panned by the critics.
It's Comedy Week here at CBC Music, and although Canada is world famous for the export of our, you know, actual comedians, our musicians are certainly no shrinking violets when it comes to hilarious on stage banter.
There's plenty to choose from, but we think we've come up with a pretty definitive list of Canada's funniest musicians from a range of genres.
What do you think? Who is the funniest musician you've seen in concert, intentionally or not, Canadian or not? Did we miss anyone? Do you like your musicians cracking jokes or keeping it straight?
Oh, and what's the difference between a drummer and a large pizza?
Let us know in the comments section below or tweet @cbcradio3.
Listen to the best in new and emerging Canadian music as well as some HILARIOUS hosting from Louise Burns, Grant Lawrence, and Lana Gay today on CBC Radio 3.
Every week, Rich Terfry looks back in our Rear-view Mirror at a great song from the good ol’ days. This week, Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone."
In the summer of 1965, Bob Dylan was the most famous folk singer in the world. But he was also tired. He was worn out and weary from a long world tour and he was itching for change. He wrote a song that not only changed his career, but the entire pop music landscape.
Rich Terfry digs in to one of the best songs ever written, Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone"
The seed was planted when Dylan listened to a Hank Williams song called "Lost Highway", in which Williams sings, "I'm a rolling stone, I'm alone and lost..." Dylan was inspired to write a sprawling, angry, rhyming screed over 20 pages in a note book. He then distilled the writing down to four hard-hitting, confrontational verses. Next he wrote a chorus that would take the listener to task and cut to the bone. He called his composition "Like a Rolling Stone".
The starting point for the melody of the song was, of all things, "La Bamba" by Ritchie Valens. Once the song took shape in Dylan's mind, he called some young, hot shot musicians into the studio. He didn't have parts written out for them. He just asked that they follow his lead and not play anything blues based. He said that if that was a problem for any of them, they could leave.
As soon as the recording was finished, Dylan knew he had done something great. In an interview he gave a few days after the studio session, he said, "I wrote it. I didn't fail. It was straight." And at the end of 1965, after the song changed the world, Dylan called it the best song he ever wrote.
Here's the song that transformed Bob Dylan from a folk singer to a rock god and a song widely regarded as the greatest song of all time - this is "Like a Rolling Stone" on Rear View Mirror.
Here are some other great editions of Rear-view Mirror:
Have you ever found yourself in a serious setting — a meeting or, God forbid, a funeral — and noticed something really funny? You try holding in your laughter but it just makes things worse?
Welcome to the world of classical musicians, who spend a lot of time rehearsing, performing and concentrating on all this great music and its lofty emotions and ideas. When there's so much serious work being done, the potential for cracking up is high.
We're sure this is why the classical music joke evolved, to relieve some of that tension. You'll find eight of our favourites in the gallery above, illustrated by our designer Heather Collett.
Shadrach Kabango, a.k.a. Shad, a Juno Award-winning rapper from London, Ont., was named the new host of CBC's Q, and we couldn't be happier. He's long been a favourite of CBC Music (we put him at number two on our list of all-time greatest rappers), but we realized, miraculously, that not everyone is familiar with his canon. That's why, in the service of the public, we present a primer on the Canadian rap sensation who "hates the catchphrase Canadian rap sensation."
Initially, this was going to be my list of Shad's top 10 tracks, from his studio albums and mixtapes, but it just couldn't be contained. Scroll down for 13 songs that have made Shad one of the most respected rappers in the country. Best of luck on Q. Keep it dope.
'Out of Love'
Any song that contains the line, "I want a Claire Huxtable," gets my vote. Also, how perfect is this lyric: "I'm like the letter Q ..."
'Old Prince Still Lives at Home'
Many people’s introduction to Shad, this song contains Shad’s two greatest strengths: his humility and his humour.
'Brother (Watching)'
Shad was born in Kenya to Rwandan parents and grew up in London, Ont. This song deals with all of the feelings that go with that, and is probably his most poignant work. Also, that Isley Brothers sample is pure gold.
'Fam Jam (Fe Sum Immigrins)'
I mean, what’s not to absolutely love about this song? An anthem about the Canadian immigrant experience, built around a flipped Jay Z lyric, and it's also impossible not to dance to. "Not bad, huh, fe sum immigrins?"
'Outta My Head'
A lot of my favourite Shad songs happen on his mixtapes. Maybe it’s the freedom to use massive samples without worrying about licensing. Maybe there’s freedom in giving out a free song, like you really can just do your thing without any worries. Maybe it’s both. Either way, this track, which is from a collaboration EP between Shad and Skratch Bastid and samples Shuggie Otis, is one my all-time favourites.
'Rose Garden'
Ask any non-rap fan what their favourite Shad song is, and this will be it. And for good reason: it's universal. Bonus points for a truly impeccable video.
'Get Up'
"The important thing isn’t what you die for, it’s what you live for today." Enough said.
'Hang On'
Another mixtape cut, this time from his Boarding Pass collaboration with DJ T.Lo, and another instance of Shad just speaking his mind — from the state of the music industry to the unrest in Ferguson, Mo. — over some killer throwback soul samples.
'Always Winning'
This is another Boarding Pass track that showcases Shad's straight lyrical ability, his skill at jamming verses full of punchlines and references (obscure and pop culture). It's no wonder that when he got a spot on BET's 106 & Park, he did this song.
'A Good Name'
Shad’s not a rap name, it’s his real name, and on this song he not only tells you where it’s from, but why it’s important. As he puts it: "I represent more than my rap."
'Intro: Lost'
It’s rare that the intro to a rap album is one of the standout tracks, but that’s exactly the case with this one from his Polaris Prize shortlisted Flying Colours. It also contains the one lyric that sums up his entire career best: "This is like Red Fox mixed with a TED talk."
'Stylin'
Nobody else is writing such self-aware, on point lyrics like this one:
"See I got fans that say, Oh hey Shad, I hate rap but I like you. Well I hate that, but I like you, at least I like that you, Like me so I won’t spite you, it`s not your fault you’re a white dude, Likes white music I like too, just don’t be surprised by my IQ."
'Yaa I Get it'
Yeah, Shad’s big on old-school beats and introspective lyrics, but he’s also capable of straight bangers like this. It’s also a great example of the Canadianisms he’s always instilled in his lyrics: "Well my name ain’t Lil Wayne Gretzky, but ya’ll know better than to check me."
Bonus track
As was pointed out to me on Twitter, somehow "Keep Shining" slipped through the cracks. It actually is a favourite, too. Not only is it a powerful song about love and respect for the powerful women in our lives (which I relate to 100%), but the need for more women in rap.
What else did I miss? Let me know on Twitter: @JesseKG
Judging by its new trailer, the forthcoming Kurt Cobain documentary, Montage of Heck, is an emotional, visceral, heart-punch of a film.
Montage promises rare, exclusive and intimate access to never-before-seen aspects of the Nirvana frontman's tragically short life. That's in no small part thanks to Courtney Love and Frances Bean Cobain, both of whom signed on as executive producers of the film.
