Febuary 11, 2010. OH Canada, OH MY!

Have you ever noticed what a terrible song "Oh, Canada" really is? How it's stilted and awkward and obvious beyond any acceptable excuse? I remember it clearly as the bane of my existence in high school: its nasally-congested notes squeaking their way through the PA system every morning as I raced down the halls, trying to make it to class on time. I usually slammed to a halt just outside my homeroom door to saunter in calmly on that final, squawking ping of "gaaarrrd foooorrr theeeee".

At least back then on the few occasions we were actually required to sing it we only expected to stumble through in one language or the other, but now it's a humiliating tumult of BOTH.

Oh, travesty.

Still, as Canadians we are innately resourceful (c'mon, we made this frozen wasteland not only livable but awesome, see "friendly wildlife"). As such, we have not let our awful anthem stand in our way, nor have we let it define us musically. Instead we have seen its challenge and risen to the occasion magnificently with our own set of honest, beautiful, clever and brutal songs, each reflecting this country from a new perspective.

So, this week on My Frozen Headphones it's songs by Canadians, for Canadians, about Canada. It's the Canadinan Indie answer to the anthem featuring music from Portico, and Said The Whale, Martha Wainwright and more... What's your favourite supplement for the Canadian anthem? What song reminds you most of Canada? And what do you think of the anthem we've got? Drop by the Facebook page and let me know!

I once created a whole Podcast that tracked the Greyhound bus route from Ottawa to Toronto via the music that came from along or near that path (The Greyhound Diaries podcast). My Dad drove across the 100th meridian while listening to the Tragically Hip song "100th Meridian". That's about as Canadian as it gets.

Listen live to My Frozen Headphones on Thursdays from 3-4 pm on SPIRITlive.net

UPDATE: Episode cancelled, see March 11, 2010

January 28, 2010. COVER ME! I'M GOING IN!

The first song I ever learnt to play on guitar was Jimmy Eat World's "Hear You Me", off the album "Bleed American". I was 15 and my guitar was a blue, Takamine acoustic from the G-Series. Together, I thought we were pretty awesome.

When I first started learning "Hear You Me" (sitting at my computer, staring at Ultimate Guitar and experiencing that sense of foreboding that comes with the early stages of tab reading) the goal was to know the song in full and play it exactly. Every intonation, every pattern: it was my job to recreate Jim Adkins' original plan.

Weeks passed and my calluses hardened. I learnt songs by The Distillers and The Goo Goo Dolls. I teenage dirt-bagged with Wheatus and I wonderwalled with Oasis, but still I would always go back to Jimmy and "Hear You Me".

Slowly the song began to change. Verses were re-ordered then added or dropped at will. The vocal pattern on the chorus changed completely. It didn't take long before I started playing Dominoes with the lyrics...

I have been playing that song for 6 years now. Together we have been through hundreds of stages and I know we'll go though hundreds more. I'm still hanging onto it, waiting to see where it will take me next.

From tribute to cover, remix to sample, what is it we love so much about revisiting and revamping songs? This week on My Frozen Headphones it's an exploration of the reiteration of music. It's a tribute to covers (pardon the pun) featuring songs from The Acorn, Feist, Woodhands and more.

So, drop by the Facebook page and let me know what makes a good cover or remix. I want to hear about your favourites and least favourites, ideas and pet-peeves. Of course, if there's a particular Canadian cover you'd like to hear, let me know! Or if there's a band you think would be amazing covering a particular song, tell me about that too!

Personally, hearing Stars pull off a dreamy, layered and tinkling cover of Mindless Self Indulgence's totally PC and child-friendly song "Faggot" would make my day, but that's just me...

Listen live to My Frozen Headphones on Thursdays from 3-4 pm on SPIRITlive.net

Check out the podcast here.

January 14, 2009. It's a new year. This again?

Ah the glorious possibilities of the new year. We are barely 5 seconds into 2010 and already I have gotten my car stuck in snow banks of TWO provinces, eaten my weight in leftovers, and put outrageous expectations on myself for the coming year. So my car is a little worse for wear, I'm a bit fatter, and have I have set myself up for imminent and soul crushing defeat: sounds like the holidays.

But I know it hasn't been all bad, no matter how grim I might like to paint it. A trip to Montreal, 2 human pyramids, 3 fantastically memorable meals, 6 familial outbursts (good and bad), and about 100 rounds of Ping Pong later: this holiday has been an adventure.

Thus, to celebrate the New Year, this week on My Frozen Headphones we're going to listen to some of my top picks from 2009 along with my favourite tunes from the holiday, and take a look at what Canadian bands are promising excitement in 201o. Expect some old favourites and new possibilities with Tegan and Sara, Bela, Two Hours Traffic and more.

While we're on the topic, here are the questions I put to you: why do we make New Year's resolutions and what is the trick to making them stick? Have you ever made a resoloution that you kept? What about one that failed miserably? What are your resolutions this year?

One of my New Year's resoloutions is to keep up this blog and integrate it with the show. Oh, and listen to/share MORE CANADIAN INDIE MUSIC THAN EVER BEFORE. It's in all caps, so you know I'm serious.

Happy New Year everybody, and welcome to a new season of My Frozen Headphones!

Check out the podcast here.