A long time ago Canadian bands used to have a problem getting airplay on the radio. This made it hard for Canadian bands in the post British Invasion era to get heard and sell records. So the CRTC imposed a system made radio accountable for making sure 35% or its content was Canadian music.
This was great when Canadian music was getting a wide variety of play. Radio was somewhat accepting different styles and sounds and then somewhere along the way radio fell on the Nickleback crutch. This might also be referred to by the Secret Society of Commerical Radio D.J.'s (or SSCRDJ for short) as "Let's keep good music a secret" Back in the 90's however there was a steady flow of good music thanks to Sonic Youth getting Nirvana signed.
So here's my list of favourite 90's tunes that were made in Canada. They aren't necessarily my favourite songs from these bands but it was definitely the ones you would hear on the air waves.
So here is the top ten.
1.Sandbox - Curious
I don't know what happened to this band but I really loved this song. Years later people who remembered this band would then recognize it's guitar player as Bubbles from the trailer park boys. That's right Canadian musicians retire from bands and tours to trailer parks in the east coast.
2.Rusty - Misogyny
This video used to creep the hell out of me. In fact it still might. They then followed up with the Alanis Ironic spoof video for Empty Cell before their record label went bankrupt and we never heard from them again. Unless you hang out with Sproule sisters, they still hold Rusty close to their hearts. Rusty probably now resides in a trailer park with the members of Sandbox.
3.Sloan - The Good In Everyone.
A good Sloan song, not my favourite. It's important to me however, because I was maybe 9 or 10 when this song came out and I didn't really recognize any bands as Canadian. For the most part I thought Canada just had wedding bands and a few bands several decades ago. But this woke me up to knowing that we had cool music that sounded just as good as American music.
I also really related to Sloan at the time because they kind of looked like the Beatles at the time when I only really listened to the Beach Boys or the Beatles.
4.The Odd's - Someone Who's Cool
This song got a lot of rotation on my local radio station in Midland, Rock 95.7. Although as a kid for some reason I always thought was a Tom Petty song. I think it could have been the chorus. I still stand by the fact that its a very Tom Petty'esque chorus. Anyways tambourines and pop harmonies make this a good song for summer.
5.Hayden - Bad As They Seem
I heard this song just going into high school, I believe Chris Hamelin introduced me to this song. I just remember at the time I would sing along to this song and I couldn't hit the low notes. Not to mention this song had everything I longed for as a young teenager with not much of a social life and was hopelessly romantic.
6.Limblifter - Tinfoil
What's not to like about this song? I was later excited as a kid learning guitar that you could have more than one band. I just remember hanging out with my older cousins Mike and Ian and going through whatever tapes or cd's they had gotten or whatever was in the car and just loving all of it. Later I would enjoy Age of Electric and be told that two of the guys were from Limblifter. at 11 or 12 being in multiple bands that are getting videos played on Much Music seemed very cool.
7.Organized Rhyme - Check the O.R.
Best hip hop track of the 90's. Many of you will argue that I'm sure. But I love this song and was horrified one night while having drinks with some co-workers and none of them knew this song or that no one in the entire bar knew this song or that Tom Green could rap. Even my rather busty server didn't have the slightest clue what I was talking about. I would later find out that she hadn't heard of "Buffalo Stance" by Nene Cherry older sister of one hit wonder Eagle Eye Cherry.
8.Gob - Soda
I just like this song. It reminds me of summer, again on high rotation on Much Music my only outlet for new music before the internet.
9.Killjoys - Rave+Drool
Big Shiny Tunes on cassette tape. I wore the shit out of that tape. 'nuff said
10.Age of Electric - Remote Control
2 notes and you're hooked. I remember trying to learn this on guitar by ear when I was just starting to learn guitar, and thinking how does that guy play his bass so low to the ground. This must have been before I was aware of camera angles and lip syncing.
Two Honourable Mentions
Zumpano - Oh That Atkinson Girl
I wasn't aware of Carl Newman's Sub Pop endorsed band Zumpano while they were together. However I would like to think that I would have very much enjoyed them had I known of them. Therefore I did not put them on the list because I was unaware of them during the actual 90's
I mother Earth - One ore Astronaut
I liked I Mother Earth, but not the way everyone else seemed to LIKE I Mother Earth. This would probably be maybe one of three songs I liked by these guys. But knowing that IME complete's a lot of people memories of the 90's I added this in as an honourable mention.
To hear all of these golden Can-Con nuggets click on the Playlist.
