Ah music. Without music, I would probably wither and die. My walkman and/or my discman go with me practically everywhere. Whenever I'm on long trips, I look forward to the actual traveling more than I do the arriving. The travel time usually gives me the perfect opportunity to sit back, listen to music and enjoy the scenery.
I mostly listen to Rock/pop and most mainstream stuff: REM, U2, Live, Tonic, Matchbox 20, Gin Blossoms, Goo Goo Dolls, The Wallflowers, The Tragically Hip, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers to name a few. Some of my favorite songs are Round Here, American Pie, Allison Road, What A Good Boy, Black Balloon, Brian Wilson, All I want, Video Killed the Radio Star, Walking in Memphis, Under Pressure and Consequence Free.
My 3 favorite bands are (obviously): The Barenaked Ladies, Counting Crows and Great Big Sea. It's here that you'll be able to find why I like them so much, which songs of theirs are my favorites, some of their lyrics and other stuff.
You can also check out what I think should be the soundtrack to my life by clicking on My Soundtrack.
This section is dedicated to my 3 favorite bands:
For many of us, there are very few bands out there which really have the power to touch our souls. For me, Barenaked Ladies, Great Big Sea and Counting Crows are some of these bands. They have all helped me through hard times and made me smile. Each band has touched my life in a different way. The Barenaked Ladies have the power to make me laugh. With their softer songs, they also have the ability to understand exactly how I feel and put those feelings into words. This makes their songs very powerful. The Counting Crows have the power to infuse their songs with raw emotion. While their songs usually tend to be melancholy, they are filled with spirit and honesty. You can't help but feel what Adam Duritz feels and you can always understand what he's going through. Great Big Sea has the power to sweep you up with their music and never let you go. Their upbeat songs have always put a smile on my face and made me glad to be alive. You can't help but dance when you hear them and feel the happiness they exude. Their softer songs are filled with thought and emotion are all stunningly beautiful. They can bring a tear to your eye or a smile to your lips.
The Barenaked Ladies, Counting Crows and Great Big Sea all have a distinct style to them which I believe separates them from other bands. One can argue, that all bands and singers have their own distinct style or sound, but that isn't true. 'N Sync, Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees are clearly the same band. An 'N Sync song is indistinguishable from a Backstreet Boy song which is indistinguishable from a 98 Degrees song, etc. Any ways, I'm not going to start bashing the Backstreet Boys and their clones. If you really want to see Backstreet Boy bashing, then you can check out my friend Sari's Unofficial Anti-Backstreet Boys and Anti-Spice Girls Page.
Ok, I got a little side tracked there. As I was saying... while most bands and singers have a distinct sound or style to them, the sounds of BNL, CC and GBS are especially meaningful to me for different reasons. Their styles are very different, but equally as fantastic. Also, I find that their lyrics are much more meaningful and well thought out than most bands.
The Barenaked Ladies are a hilariously great band which can also play surprisingly sad and touching songs. BNL's funny songs are great fun to listen to and are often more full of pop culture references than a Dennis Miller standup routine. BNL's sad songs are often much more serious in tone but are equally as incredible to listen to. I think one of the things that makes BNL such a great band, is that you can really relate to their songs, both funny and serious. You'll find that the lyrics to their songs often strike a cord within you.
Jim Creeggan - double bass, bass guitar, singing
Tyler Stewart - drums, singing
Steven Page - singing, acoustic and electric guitars
Ed Robertson - acoustic and electric guitars, singing
Kevin Hearn - keyboards, accordion, singing, electric guitar
Gordon |
Maybe You Should Drive |
Rock Spectacle |
 Born On A Pirate Ship |
 Stunt |
 Maroon |
Disc One
Here are my favourite BNL songs. I got the sound clips from various places, so you may encounter some broken links. You are going to need RealPlayer to listen to most of them (I think). Lovers in a Dangerous Time and McDonald's Girl were taken from a concert, so the quality isn't great (the website I got those from can be found here). Falling for the 1st Time and Pinch me are the full songs and are taken from BNL's official website.
What a Good Boy
Brian Wilson
You
Will Be Waiting
The Old
Apartment
When I Fall
This
is Where It Ends
Call And
Answer
If I had
$1000000
Lovers
In A Dangerous Time (I know it's a remake, but I like their
version much better)
Falling For
the 1st Time
McDonald's
Girl
Pinch Me
BNL are hilarious in concert. I've seen a number of bands in concert who just sit and play their songs without ever interacting with the audience. BNL isn't like that at all. They put on a fabulous show to match their fabulous music. You can expect lots (and I do mean LOTS) of jokes and stories. BNL loves to take these jokes and stories and turn them into great little songs there on the spot. That means every BNL concert you go to will be a completely new experience. They also like to splice together some of the most popular songs currently played on the radio and then play them with completely different tunes as one song. It comes out being incredibly funny and is really something you need to experience! They will always play If I Had A $1000000 but will change the lyrics in many places. They have also started to discourage people from the tradition of throwing Kraft Dinner at them during the "We wouldn't Have to Eat Craft Dinner" "But We Would Eat Craft Dinner" part of the song. I think they've been hit in the face one too many times. Now, they have food bank counters when you walk in so you can donate the Craft Dinner to Charity! BNL is a band one should not miss in concert!
If you are looking for lyrics, then you should try going HERE. This site seems to have the lyrics to almost all of BNL's songs (with the exception Get In Line and the stuff off of Maroon).
The Counting Crows are a very poetic band. Their songs carry a lot of meaning with them, and you can almost feel it in Adam Duritz's voice. You can tell that each song they sing is a very meaningful one to them. The way Adam talks about their songs, you can see that each song he writes comes straight from his thoughts and feelings. I really respect that. It shows how the Counting Crows use music as a method of expression, not just as a profession. Round Here is my favorite song of all time. It has been ever since I first started listening to August and Everything After back in 1993. I can often relate to the kind of emotions the Adam seems to be going through in a lot of their songs.
Adam Duritz - Singing
David Bryson - Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Slide Guitar,
12-string Electric Guitar
Dan Viickrey - Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Singing, Sitar
Ben Mize - Drums, Percussion, Singing
Matt Malley - Bass, 12-String Guitars, Singing
Charles Gillingham - Mellotron, Piano, Wurlitzer Electric Piano,
Hammond B-3 Organ, Nord, KT Acoustic Guitar, Chamberlain, Singing
August and Everything After |
 This Desert Life |
 Across A Wire |
 Recovering the Satellites |
Here are my favourite CC songs. I got the sound clips from various places, so you may encounter some broken links. You are going to need RealPlayer to listen to most of them (I think)
Round
Here
Anna
Begins
A
Long December
Mr.
Jones
Amy
Hit The Atmosphere
Rain
King
Colorblind
A
Murder Of One
I
Wish I Was A Girl
Have
You Seen Me lately?
Goodnight
Elisabeth
The Crows like to change their songs a lot in concert. There is both an upside and downside to this. It's good because every concert experience is different and you're not just getting exactly what's on the CD. I've also heard them play songs that I don't normally like, but they played them differently in concert and I adored the concert version. The downside to this is that they run the risk of ruining some songs which you may really like off the CD. It also makes it harder to sing along with them since they usually change the pace of their songs. As a Counting Crows fan, it's nice to see that The Crows don't just play their singles. It's fun to hear them play a song off their 2nd album which many non-Crow fans would never have heard. It shows that they aren't just there to cater to the crowd. They're there to play their music.
If you are looking for lyrics, then you should try going HERE. This is their official website and they have all their lyrics posted.
Great Big Sea is very different from most rock bands played on the radio (and if you're not from Canada or Boston, then odds are they aren't played on the radio at all). Great Big Sea are, as they like to put it, "from the tropical island of Newfoundland". Great Big Sea has the most powerful music I've ever heard. Their upbeat music is the happiest, most uplifting music you can listen to. Their songs energize you and make you feel good. Their sad songs are just as powerful and amazing. Their concerts can be exhausting, since almost every song makes you want to jump and sing. I only really started listen to Great Big Sea recently, but they quickly became my favorite band. I have yet to hear a Great Big Sea song that I don't like.
Darrell Power - Singing, Bass, Bones, Harmonica
Sean McCann - Singing, Bodhran, Acoustic Guitar, Tin Whistle
Bob Hallett - Singing, Button Accordions, Tin Whistle, Fiddle,
Bouzouki, Mandola, Irish Flute, Concertina
Alan Doyle - Singing, Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Bouzouki,
Mandolin,
Debut |
Up |
Play |
 Turn |
 Road Rage |
Sea of No Cares |
Here are my favourite GBS songs. I got the sound clips from various places, so you may encounter some broken links. You are going to need RealPlayer to listen to most of them (I think).
Fast As
I Can
The
Old Black Rum
Clearest
Indication
Boston
and St Johns
Consequence
Free
Own
True Way
When
I'm Up
The
Fisherman's Lament
Sea
of No Cares
Someday
Soon
The
Chemical Worker's Song (Process Man)
Stumbling
In
Trois
Navires De Ble
There is nothing in the world that compares to a Great Big Sea concert. No concert I've ever been to has the energy, the fun and the sense of wonder that a Great Big Sea concert has. When Great Big Sea puts on a show, it is not a concert, but an experience like no other. When you're there, everything else in your life fades away and you get swept away by the music. I liked GBS a lot when I first started listening to them, but after I went to one of their concerts for the first time, they immediately became my favourite band. Never in my life have I been so swept up in a concert. Their music grabs you and doesn't let you go. You can't help but be blown away by the experience. Even if you wanted to, you can't help but dance and sing and smile. I refuse to go to one of their concerts with someone who won't dance and sing. This is an experience which should not be missed by ANYONE.
If you are looking for GBS lyrics, then you should try going HERE. The site seems to have almost all their lyrics (although they don't have Everything Shines off Road Rage yet).
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