26 March 2023 - Tommy Genesis - 100 Bad

Tommy Genesis is the type of artist that plays the Pornhub Awards.

That's true.  She absolutely did that.  

No, they weren't held in Canada.  She had to cross a border to attend.  

Yes, she's Canadian.  Vancouver.  

Yes, you've heard her before.  

Tommy Genesis is a literal walking embodiment of a Wicked Guilty Pleasure, and "100 Bad" is her supporting evidence. This song is like a car crash: you know it's bad, but you just can't look away. It's a mesmerizing, hypnotic track that sucks you in from the very first beat.

The song is built around a sparse, bass-heavy beat that throbs throughout the track. Over this beat, Tommy Genesis lays down a series of blunt, confrontational verses that are delivered with an unapologetic swagger. The production is minimalistic, but it's incredibly effective in creating a menacing, almost eerie atmosphere that perfectly matches the song's dark themes.

Lyrically, "100 Bad" is a celebration of bad behavior. It's all about living life on the edge, taking risks, and doing whatever you want, consequences be damned. The chorus is catchy as hell, with Tommy Genesis repeating the refrain "I'm 100 bad, bad, bad" over and over again. It's a simple, effective hook that will get stuck in your head for hours on end.

Of course, the subject matter of "100 Bad" is not for everyone. The song is full of explicit lyrics and graphic descriptions of sex, drugs, and violence. It's not a song you'd want to play for your grandmother, unless your grandmother happens to be a badass who loves a good bassline.

Despite its controversial content, there's no denying that "100 Bad" is a great example of Tommy Genesis' unique sound and style. She's a boundary-pushing artist who's not afraid to take risks and challenge the norms of the music industry. Love it or hate it, "100 Bad" is a track that demands your attention and refuses to be ignored. So go ahead and indulge in this guilty pleasure – just be sure to turn down the volume if your boss walks by.

25 March 2023 - Les Louanges - Qu'est-ce que tu m'fais

Les Louanges is a Canadian band that has been making waves in the music industry with their unique sound and undeniable talent. One of their most popular songs is."Qu'est-ce que tu m'fais".

Les Louanges is a band from Quebec, Canada, and they have been creating music that is both innovative and captivating since their inception. The band consists of lead singer and guitarist Vincent Roberge, bassist and keyboardist Philippe Fleury, drummer and percussionist William Côté, and saxophonist and keyboardist Mathieu Leclerc.  You know we love a band with a saxophonist.

Their music is characterized by a blend of genres, including jazz, rock, and pop. They use a variety of instruments to create their unique sound, and their lyrics are often introspective and thoughtful.

It's easy to see why this song is so well-received. The song begins with a simple beat and a catchy guitar riff, but it quickly evolves into a complex and layered composition. The lyrics are in French, and they explore themes of love, desire, and the ups and downs of relationships.

The song has a distinct Canadian flavor, with lyrics that are both poetic and introspective. The band's use of multiple instruments and intricate arrangements adds depth to the song, and it is a perfect example of their unique style.

Les Louanges is a truly special band.  Check them out!

24 March 2023 - The East Pointers - Save Your Lonely

For those who haven't been here for a while, you might not have heard of The East Pointers, 2017 Juno Award winners and 2023 nominees, and Canadian treasures.  

We last posted about this great folk group in 2021, during our first #MapleLeafMarch.  Since then, there has been huge changes for the greatest folk group to ever come out of Prince Edward Island - and unfortunately, the biggest one isn't positive.  

Founding member Koady Chaisson passed away in January 2022, while the group was working on their latest EP, House of Dreams.  Koady did work on all seven songs on the EP before he passed, which means his music and his image live on in this song and video.  

As of this writing, we have heard that the band is going to continue as a duo, and we hope they do for years to come - because they're making wonderful, award-worthy music. 

23 March 2023 - Alessia Cara - Scars To Your Beautiful

During Maple Leaf March, I recognize that I feature a lot of artists that haven't really been heard outside of Canada.  They SHOULD be guilty pleasures everywhere, but in a lot of cases, they just aren't.

Today's artist is not one of those.

Alessia Cara of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, has three top 10 hits in the US. This is one of them, hitting #8 on the pop chart in 2015.  It is a huge body positivity anthem.  It is, however, not your typical "you're beautiful just the way you are" anthem.  It discusses cutting, depression, and eating disorders - all real things that affect so many people.  

The video features real people struggling with all of these things - and if you look closely, you'll see another pop star - JoJo - among the real people, because being somewhat famous doesn't make these issues go away.

We found a pretty cool performance of this song, from the 2017 VMA awards.  We love how Cara starts all made up and ends up without makeup or a fancy dress.  It's quite neat.

22 March 2023 - Banx & Ranx ft. Rêve - Headphones

Banx & Ranx are from Montreal.  They are a producing/music-making duo who won the 2023 Juno Award for Breakthrough Artist - which is wild, because they aren't a new act, having created music for the better part of the last decade.  They are multiple Grammy nominees.

Their music is modern and innovative, injecting Caribbean rhythms and music into a unique electronic sound.  Their services are in high demand, with artists outside of Canada clamoring to work with them.  Their music is catchy.  This song is going to be your latest earworm.  

But let's be honest.  We used this post to feature Rêve again.  

By the way, they really did shoot this video in all the locations listed here.  

A second version of this song exists, featuring not only Rêve, but also Vancouver rap artist Tommy Genesis.  It's pretty good, too.

Rêve does a pretty dirty solo version of this song herself.  I guess we should say dirrty.

21 March 2023 - Simple Plan - Jet Lag ft. Natasha Beddingfield, Marie-Mai (and more)

Simple Plan are a power-pop-rock band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.  

Which means they are bilingual.  

So, that means they do multiple versions of some songs.

Take this fun little song about travelling a lot and missing the one you love.  This version, in English, was recorded with British singer Natasha Beddingfield - and was an international hit.  The video was filmed largely at YYZ - Toronto Pearson Airport - and Toronto Sheridan Gateway Hotel.... but they want you to think it's a hotel in Chicago, despite the Westjet and AirCanada planes and Canadian flags everywhere.   Anyway, it's a fun song. 

True story - I've flown in and out of YYZ a lot.  Great airport and I instantly recognized it.

This version is just like that version, except the female version is almost completely in French and sung by Quebec singer Marie-Mai.  Also, Simple Plan sings some stuff in French, too - although not all the lyrics. I wonder if Natasha and Marie-Mai hung out together at all in that hotel room.

It is essentially the same song and same video.

Official version #3 of this song is filmed by the band in English at YYZ still, but Chinese pop star Kelly Cha is somewhere in China singing almost entirely in Mandarin.

Other than the Kelly Cha footage, it is essentially the same song and same video.

Official version #4 is..... completely in English, but this time, the woman is in Jakarta, Indonesia, because she is Tantri Syalindri, vocalist for the band KOTAK - who all seem to be hanging out in the room with her.  

It is essentially the same video.

That's it for the official versions, but there is this French demo version we found floating around..... Vocals for the female part were provided by some obscure Canadian artist who seems to go by some French name with an œ in it.... something something Pirate.  

Apparently, when Simple Plan performs the song live, they just find whatever female pop-rock vocalists happens to be standing closest to the stage.  Here, they get Sierra Key, vocalist for the band VERSA (who at the time were VersaEmerge, standing in for Natasha Beddingfield.

For this Australian appearance, they partnered with Jenna McDougall from Tonight Alive on an acoustic version of the song. The two bands happened to be on an Australian tour together, so it made sense. 

The band is still together.  Most of these performances above are from 2011, when the song was new.  This one is from 2022, in Montreal, and yes, it's the French version, and yes, that's Marie-Mai.

20 March 2023 - Jayli Wolf - Lead Me

If you read what I wrote on Saturday, you know I think Jayli Wolf released one of the most important songs of the last decade.  

This song is a little less important - but no less about indigenous and female empowerment.  The song and video are both super dark.

But we're not going to talk about that.  

We're going to talk about why Jayli Wolf is one of my most listened to artists on Spotify.  It's not because I want to feel pseudo-Canadian guilt, or that I only listen to First Nations protest music.  No, it's because this strongly emotionally-charged music slaps, and it slaps hard.  She's a fantastic musician and a fantastic songwriter, and she paints a picture with her music and lyrics like no other artists is doing today.