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Bruce Springsteen – We Take Care of Our Own (2012)

In 1984 Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” became an unofficial national anthem for Americans of many opposing beliefs, even Presidential candidates were rallying around the power it had over people. The irony of course was that while people like that were trying to steal some of the song’s mojo for themselves, the song itself was laced with raging social critique about many things: most notably the government and the type of people who wanted so badly to be associated with it. Just a few weeks ago we saw that old school passion and social commentary from Bruce Springsteen’s music when he performed this brand new song on The Grammy’s. His newest album, “Wrecking Ball”, is being called some of the most patriotically angry and politically driven music he has ever made…..look for Mitt Romney to try and use whatever single hits highest on the charts while the rest of us laugh at the 2012 irony of it.

Hey Rosetta! – New Sum (Nous Sommes) (2011)

In the Fall of 2010 I suggested in a Matt Track that Mumford and Sons would be the next big arena band (*cough cough*) I was right. Almost 6 months before the Civil Wars became everyone’s new favourite band after their Grammy performance, we featured them as a Matt Track, twice, and prophesized their wide success. What can I say? Maybe I have a golden ear, maybe I’ve been lucky, or maybe I’m just picking the obvious. Nonetheless, the next big story in music, as I’ve said before, will be Hey Rosetta!. #rememberisaidit

Taylor Swift & The Civil Wars – Safe and Sound (2012)

Taylor Swift has gone through an interesting journey in her career, and keep in mind that she is only 22 years old. First she was sort of like the country star for teens; she was dating a Jonas brother for god’s sake. Then she starting crossing over to pop, winning every music award she was nominated for, and then there was the Kanye West incident. It was all a bit much. So what do people think of Taylor Swift now? Well the standing ovation she received at the Grammy Awards for her performance was pretty telling, the fact she likes the Civil Wars is a good thing …..oh no……I think I like Taylor Swift.

Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe (2012)

Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Boogie Down Productions, and hundreds of other Matt Tracks have helped define me, to you, over the year and a half or so Matt Tracks have been alive. There has also been a scattered song that many have questioned along the way, I’ve taken my lumps for that time I suggested “Love you Like a Love Song” by Selena Gomez, and there was also some Phil Collins flack from a soulless reader or two out there. The truth is, I like a good song, I don’t care by who….a good song is a good song is a good song. The only thing that bothers me about this song is not how much I like it, I fully own my soft spot for songs like this, I just hate that Justin Bieber found it before me. Cut to me dancing in my kitchen with my 5 year old daughter to “Call me Maybe”.

The Heelwalkers – El Camino (2002)

Sometimes I like to daydream about my days hosting a show called Going Coastal on Much Music and relive it by letting you hear some of the music I got to check out on a regular basis when I was living in Halifax. Way back in the year 2000 you’ll remember there was this garage rock revival happening in music with all of the “The” bands: The Vines, The Hives, The Strokes etc. In Halifax there was a band just a little bit dirtier, a little bit raunchier, and they called themselves The Heelwalkers. They were a great live band who left us, at the very least, with the memory of this amazingly….disturbing video.

enjoy
=m