A Mixtape for our friends

There are too many songs and genres to pick just a few favourites.  But these came to mind quickly:

Business Time – Flight of the Conchords

I’ve been lucky in my career to travel around the world. New Zealand was one of the more special places I visited.  It’s a beautiful country with beautiful people. I love Kiwi humour.  And business socks.

Piranha Pool – Blue Rodeo

I love the musicianship of this song. Especially the piano introduction. I wish I could play piano like that.

Keep on Loving Me Baby – Colin James

I am a blues guitar fan, and he’s a master.

Rock of Ages – Def Leppard

I learned to play the drums with this song and tortured my family in the process. This was before the drummer lost his arm, and he was really really good.

Scars to Your Beautiful –  Alessia Cara.

This is an amazingly confident young artist who has wisdom in her lyrics. As a father, I think the message Alessia sings about in this song is really important.

15 Step – Radiohead – I’m a long time Radiohead fan, the release of In Rainbows changed how fans interacted with their favourite bands.

The Piano is Drinking – Tom Waites – a bit cheeky but super classy blues

Bobcaygeon – The Tragically Hip  –’cause I’m Canadian eh!

Caught a long wind – Feist – Reminds me of the prairies

Awake – Tycho – good to code to – can listen to this for 6 hours and not notice the time go by.

Couldn’t do only 5, so I compiled a bit larger of a list:

Eye – Smashing Pumpkins
Introduced to me by my dad who would have The Offspring and Smashing Pumpkins on repeat in the car growing up.

Love Of My Life – Santana
One of the first artists that I remember connecting to emotionally. Also one of the better concerts I’ve attended.

Are You Gonna Be My Girl – JET
A more fun and upbeat song to balance it all out.

Many Shades of Black – The Raconteurs
Big Jack White fan, and decided to go with his work on this group rather than the White Stripes.

Holiday/Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day
   Became obsessed with the American Idiot album and remember my parents having me hide the album when we had American relatives over so that we “didn’t offend them”.Ones with Stories:

Murderer Of Blue Skies – Chris Cornell
Found this solo album when my family was dealing with some difficult stuff, and this music ended up being a big part of that whole experience for me.

Sympathy For The Devil – The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones were my first concert I attended, and this song was one of the highlights of the performance.
   
A couple of songs I can never get enough of:
White Flower – Rafferty
Drive – Incubus
Little Black Submarines – The Black Keys

Keeping my songs Cancon! These are the ones that popped in my head:

Now or Never Now [Metric]

Infinitesimal [Mother Mother] 

Keep Dancing [Wolf Saga]

Who’s with me [USS] 

Turn your love [Half Moon Run]

Closing Time [Leonard Cohen]

Wish you were here – Pink Floyd

I can listen to this all day

Stairway to heaven – Led Zeppelin

best intro ever

Meu Amigo Pedro (My friend Pedro) – Raul Seixas – It is more like a father-son thing

Is This Love – Bob Marley – Because it is Bob Marley

Over the Rainbow – Israel Kamakawiwo`Ole – Simplicity is a thing of beauty

Honorable mentions:

O Barraco Desabou – Jorge Aragão – Best “Samba” of all times

Three Little Birds – Bob Marley – “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right”

Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses

Top 5 favourite songs is impossible, so I’m going to the ditch with my picks and just giving out recent favourites you’ve probably never heard of, largely from the retrowave/synthwave genre.

ZETA – The Distance: Early fav discovery in the synthwave/retrowave genre

Gunship – Woken Furies: Started listening to Gunship around the time I watched Altered Carbon netflix series and only afterwards realized the song is based on the same novels the tv show is based on…

Gunship – Darkest Days: Uhm, because it’s awesome. The sax riffs, the bass snarls…

Gunship – The Mountain: I liked it enough to make a (crappy) chiptune version… 

B.E.R. – The Night Begins to Shine: Because how many music library songs end up inspiring a 4-part cartoon special? Discovered this gem watching Teen Titans Go! with my daughter, and she loves it too… Covered by the likes of CeeLo Green, Fall Out Boy and Puffy AmiYumi…

Wolf & Raven – Martini Magic: Favourite track off a favourite chill out album

This was an impossible request so many amazing songs and artists out there but here are a few for me:

Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin

Sweet Child O’ Mine  – GnR

All I want is you – U2

Long Time Running – The Tragically Hip

Home of a Rest – Spirit of the West

Lightness – Death Cab for Cutie

Swim by Dizzy – local artist (Oshawa), good lyrics

Anthem by Leonard Cohen – cause this is about as happy as Cohen gets

The Wanderlust by Metric – features Lou Reed, which is just the right amount of Lou Reed

Just like honey by Jesus and Mary Chain – great song to wake up to

The music sounds better with you by Stardust – played at my wedding

Wonderful Tonight: Eric Clapton

I will always love you: Whitney Houston

What a wonderful world: Louis Armstrong

We will rock you: Queen

The lazy song: Bruno Mars