Category Music
Haunting Words
“The cross or the machine. It’s always the same choice.” – Marcus Mumford, “Conversation with my Son” That line has been haunting me since the end of February, when I first heard Prizefighter, the latest album from Mumford & Sons. So much richness in a few words. I am not going to review the album, […]
Thought Provoking
I went to see Switchfoot Friday night at Ottawa’s Cityfolk festival. I was struck by the lasting power of their lyrics and the band’s ability to speak hope into a hurting world. I’m not sure how many times I have seen Switchfoot since they first began their rise at the tail end of the last […]
Rock DNA
What’s in a name, Shakespeare asked. I’m pondering that in advance of a concert in Ottawa tonight. It was the names that attracted me. Three seventies powerhouses, two with sixties roots. Jefferson Starship, Kansas and Deep Purple are sharing the stage. I have seen these bands before. But not there versions. There is one original […]
Following Up
The call was a bit late in coming, to put it mildly. By about 27 years. I was forwarded a voice mail message yesterday from a musician looking for feedback on some songs he had submitted for airplay. He said I had told him the station would play them, and he was wondering what the […]
Friday’s Question
Canada has announced it will be taking part in the 2027 Eurovision song contest. I’m not sure how I feel about that. We aren’t in Europe after all. Then again neither is Israel. I guess anyone can participate if they pay the fees. So why not Canaada? I’m not sure about a competition that mixes […]
Choosing To Hope
In a summer of heat and disappointment comes a call to prayer as U2 gives us a preview of their new record. For 50 years they have preached a message of hope and love, with the understanding that we can’t make it on our own. If this feels like a Psalm to you, it is […]
Urban Hazards
Went for a walk with my wife and found these signs. Ottawa is obviously a dangerous place to live! Coyotes generally leave people alone, but that wild parsnip (hogweed in the U.K.) is another matter.
A Song For Our Times
When I first heard this, a couple of days after its release, my first thought was “what a brilliant song!” my second thought was: “there is no way radio will ever play this.” Amy Grant hasn’t released any new music in a decade. Probably most people have no idea who she is – her heyday […]
The Ear Worm
This one’s been running through my head for a few weeks. It won’t leave. Steppenwolf’s “Monster” was released in 1969, a call for America to live up to its ideals. Almost fifty years later it is as if the song was written for today. Once the religious, the hunted and wearyChasing the promise of freedom […]
The Mighty Ninety Three
At midnight tonight the clock will stand still. And the song will begin to play once more. A new year and a new era will begin. At midnight, as November 14, 1975, became November 15, Joni Mitchell’s “You Turn Me On I’m A Radio” became the first song broadcast on radio station CKCU-FM. It has […]
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