Sunday February 8th, 2009

The exercise:

And now for something completely different.

Today's exercise: musical linkstravaganza! Inspired by the discovery of A Fine Frenzy through Ana and Mutemath from Irish, I'm going to share some links to some of my favorite music, hopefully some of which you've never heard before and, even more hopefully, most of which you'll enjoy.

Your job is to fill up my comments with music that you love so that I can be introduced to more great music and learn a little bit about you fine folk in the process. Link away!

Mine:

My taste in music could best be described as 'eclectic'. So hang on tight, we're about to go rip roaring across the musical spectrum.

Our first stop on today's journey is that oft-beleaguered category: rap. Let's get this out of the way right off: most rap that gets radio play is utter crap. That's not what I listen to. What I listen to is Mos Def's Kalifornia and Katrina Klap. I listen to Talib Kweli's Just To Get By and Listen!

Yes, I listen to listen. Hush.

I groove to Lupe Fiasco's Dumb It Down and Superstar.

I could list more but we've got a long way to go. Next stop: the man in black, Johnny Cash. Hurt and God's Gonna Cut You Down are two of my more recent addictions, but you can't go wrong with San Quentin.

In a similar vein is Matthew Santos (who appears on Superstar with Lupe) in this recording of Daughter of the Sun. I enjoy almost everything CandyRat has put up on YouTube actually - have a poke around in the More From: rpoland sidebar.

Moving on down the road, we find two artists I was introduced to while bumming around New Zealand - Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. Here's Jack with Banana Pancakes, here's Ben singing With My Own Two Hands, and here they are together covering Ben's Please Me Like You Want To.

Getting hungry? Have some Cake - either Short Skirt/Long Jacket (quite possibly the greatest music video ever made) or Frank Sinatra should fill you right up.

I was introduced to The Weepies by a free compilation released by the Vancouver Sun which included Gotta Have You. I think Nobody Knows Me At All is equally brilliant.

How about a quick jaunt down to Cuba? Yes, I think the Buena Vista Social Club will keep you entertained with Chan Chan and El Cuarto De Tula.

Let's finish the trip up with some good Canadian content for you - The Weakerthans song My Favorite Chords was the last song at a good friend's wedding reception last summer and I fell in love with it immediately. I find Left And Leaving equally spellbinding.

Great Big Sea is a whole lot of awesome - try on Mari-Mac and The Old Black Rum for some maritime magic.

Sarah Harmer's Don't Get Your Back Up and Escarpment Blues are insisting on being included on the list.

And The Tragically Hip must be included in the fine Canadian music category - let's go with Bobcaygeon and Nautical Disaster as your introduction to the boys.

I might have got a bit carried away there. I'm rather fond of music, did you know? I'll probably do this again at some point so that I can include some more tunes. I hope you enjoy these ones.