I’ve never thought of “Americana” as an adjective that would make me want to buy anything. I’m not given to effusive patriotism, and it’s really not a word that seems to mean very much in particular. In this case, the word was “Canadiana,” but the principle seems to be same. Just the same, one listen to “There Is A Light” on NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and I was hooked. And despite the fact that that song (in a close tie with “Changing Colours”) is my absolute favorite from the album, I want to draw your attention to the single – “Your Rocky Spine.”
Great Lake Swimmers, “Your Rocky Spine”
2
I used to know you when we were young
Sometimes, you just have to take a chance on music you wouldn’t normally give a second thought to. This is an accepted truth, and a necessary one if you’re ever going to break free of a musical rut. Yet, at the same time, it can be hard to overcome long-embedded musical prejudices. Take, for example, the above-mentioned song. I’m a bit done with all of the “The…” bands, frankly, and, even though this band promised to deliver two of my favorite things (marsupials and Joy Division), it took me some time to warm up. This snobbery, I admit, is the danger with becoming so very attached to specific types of music – and, yet, without this “Barry in High Fidelity” syndrome, I’d be worth almost nothing as a music commentator. Tricky, tricky…