The Highlight:
For the unfamiliar, Ron Hawkins is somewhat of a legend in Canada. He fronted an indie band called Lowest of the Low that released a debut record called Shakespeare My Butt in 1991. It’s filled with unpretentious, in your face punk rock folksongs set in pre-condo era Toronto. It’s proven popular over two decades. In 1996, 2000 and again in 2005, Chart Magazine honoured the recording with spots in the top 10 of the Top 100 Canadian Albums of All Time. Outside LOTL, Hawkins has released three records on his own and five full length albums as front man for bands The Rusty Nails and The Do Good Assassins. Our highlight this week is a great tune called Prairie Girl from Ron’s 2011 solo record Straitjacket Love. Follow the link for a live version of the song recorded at Mohawk Place in Buffalo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWBt_dXCucU
The Canadiana Classic:
Ron Sexsmith is one of Canada’s greatest singer-songwriters. He’s recorded 13 albums over two decades featuring songs that have been covered by the likes of Rod Stewart, Feist, Nick Lowe and Sheryl Crowe. Other admirers include Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney, Steve Earle and Elton John. I’ve been a fan since his days as a bike courier in Toronto. This week’s Canadiana classic comes from Ron’s debut album, Grand Opera Lane. It’s a song called Trains that I remember hearing for the first time at a very empty Ultrasound Showbar on Queen West sometime in 1990. Together with three friends and two other people at the bar, we were the only ones in the house. I’m sure Ron’s memory of that period is less than glorious, however, for me, it was a young privileged moment in my life when I stumbled upon true greatness and felt an absolute duty to let everyone else know about it. I must have dragged a couple dozen people out to hear him after that. Of course it wasn’t long before the rest of the world knew about Ron Sexsmith, but for that short period of time he was my coveted discovery. Do checkout his latest record called Forever Endeavour with longtime producer Mitchell Froom. However, tonight, just before Trains, you’ll also hear a song from Ron’s 2011 release called Long Player, Late Bloomer, produced by Bob Rock. Enjoy.
Everything Else:
Also on tonight’s show you’ll hear up and coming singer-songwriters Melissa Payne from Peterborough, Ontario, Elisapie from Salluit, Quebec, Joel Battle from Toronto, and a Vancouver poet and songwriter who deserves a bigger spotlight, C.R. Avery. Oh yes, the one and only Leonard Cohen has tonight’s second song. We’ll end the show with power pop from Thunder Bay and Toronto courtesy of Poor Young Things and Teenage Kicks as well as songs by Regina’s Library Vocies, Vancouver’s No Sinner, and Montreal’s Galaxie. Stay up and enjoy.
The playlist for the program posts before midnight and features links to all of the artists featured. You’ll also find videos and artist info by following the links above. LIKE the program’s Facebook page and you’ll get video previews of what you can expect to hear on the coming week’s show. NOTB is also on Twitter. FOLLOW for random tweets and re-tweets relating to the artists on the show.
See you at 11!
Wayne
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