I’d like to think my little newsletter has universal potential appeal although c’mon…Canada is where ROCKthusiast’s music loyalties ultimately lie. However, instead of overloading your day off playlists with standard, maple leaf flag-waving fare from the likes of The Hip et al., I wanted to give props to Great White North bands who are sometimes ignored. Not just because some talent is bound to be missed due to us being the second largest country in the world by area, but because all the groups selected have only two individuals each. Not to hijack the overall positivity of Canada Day, but discrimination against those with the minimum number of people to be considered plural needs to stop. Press play on the toonie to do your part for domestic rock.
In all good fun, it was either put up this holiday post or go see Magic! in Vaughan. I’m very happy with the decision I’ve made, and hope you appreciate the playlist.
Japandroids – The House That Heaven Built
Representing Canada’s west coast, these are definitely the droids you’ve been looking for! I don’t follow hockey as much as I used to (let alone Free Agent Frenzy on July 1st), but is this rousing anthem still used as the Vancouver Canucks’ entrance theme?
The Inbreds – Any Sense of Time
If ever there were O.G.s of two-member rock, it’s these Kingstonians whose last album predates the efforts of everyone else on this list. The biggest small band of the ’90s pretty much set the template for CanCon’s indie contributions of the 2000s too.
The Standstills – Orleans
I’ve espoused the virtues of this Oshawa-bred, 2-piece extra spicy combo on a previous patriotic playlist. May just be my humble opinion, but I feel Jonny and Renee improved exponentially as a band since meeting Meg White at a Detroit concert back in 2013.
Crown Lands – Mountain
Land acknowledgements in Canada are long overdue, and a step towards reparation. Won’t be long until the rest of the world starts recognizing how good this indigenously-rooted twosome is. Jack White sure knows, having Crown Lands open for him late in 2018.
Black Pistol Fire – Level
Fun fact; despite their awesomeness, Spotify does not have an official “This Is Black Pistol Fire” playlist, so I created one based on the last time I saw these two Torontonians who’ve known each other since kindergarten but now call Austin Texas home.
The Blue Stones – Rolling with the Punches
No, not those other Stones who just played Burl’s Creek north of Toronto for 70,000+ people. These Windsor neophytes have been known to do a mean cover of “Satisfaction”, so it’s a wonder why they weren’t invited to be part of the big #CanadaRocks event.
cleopatrick – hometown
Hailing from the relatively tiny “hometown” of Cobourg, Ontario, cleopatrick’s MO as leaders of the self-proclaimed New Rock Mafia is one determined to turn music as Canadians know it on its head, and not just through spelling everything without capitals.
The Pack a.d. – Cellophane
Becky Black and Maya Miller have spent 2019 playing everywhere but Canada to make a name for themselves outside their Vancouver HQ or even Detroit, where a garagey blues foundation was laid by working with Jim Diamond. You’re welcome at the ’Shoe anytime!
Cousins – Thunder
Has anyone seen Halifax’s Cousins lately? They garnered their greatest buzz as a drums-and-guitar pairing consisting of non-relatives Leigh and Aaron (not Lee Aaron), playing rock and roll music of and for 2014, which was the last we heard from them, sadly.
Death from Above – Trainwreck 1979
Not to brag or date myself, but I’m old enough to remember having to flee where I lived as a kid because of the “Mississauga Miracle”. No casualties came about from the derailment containing chemicals and explosives that gave birth to this DFA 1979 banger.
The Carps – Bo Jackson
Let’s be honest, the Canadian rock landscape has a distinct vanilla taste to it. The seemingly-dormant Carps brought much-needed R&B flavour and political consciousness to their local scene while also killin’ it. Trust a pro opinion – Bo Knows Good Music.
PS I Love You – Meet Me at the Muster Station (Pt. 2)
There may not be a Canadian musician who’s a bigger fan of the Toronto Raptors than Paul Saulnier, whose initials are the “PS” in PS I Love You. There isn’t a better guitar player on this list either, a statement I’m so willing to have a friendly war over.
As an added bonus, here is my favourite song about Canada (not necessarily by a two-piece band). If The Thermals hadn’t disbanded last year and actually lived here, they would already be a good four sheets to the wind celebrating Canada Day!