1. Coldplay – Paradise
2. Katy Perry – The One That Got Away
3. Flo Rida – Good Feeling
4. Bruno Mars – It Will Rain
5. Nickelback – When We Stand Together
6. Lady Gaga – Marry The Night
7. Pitbull f. Chris Brown – International Love
8. Britney Spears – Criminal
9. Victoria Duffield – Shut Up And Dance
10. Beyonce f. J. Cole – Party
11. Hedley – One Life
12. Rihanna – You Da One
13. Foster The People – Call It What You Want
14. Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
15. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger
16. Jessie J – Domino
17. Carly Rae Jepson – Call Me Maybe
18. Gotye f. Kimbra – Somebody That I Used To Know
19. Anjulie – Stand Behind The Music
20. Drake – Headlines
21. Mia Martina – Burning
22. Arkells – Michigan Left
23. Rihanna f. Calvin Harris – We Found Love
24. City And Colour – Weightless
25. Snow Patrol – Called Out In The Dark
26. Aleesia f. Big Sean – Kiss It Bye Bye
27. M83 – Midnight City
28. Down With Webster – Royalty
29. Kreesha Turner – I Could Stay
30. Marianas Trench – Fall Out

In 1998 I wore thick black eyeliner and a Marilyn Manson t-shirt in my school photograph. My mother has never forgiven me. Despite my abrasive appearance I was a happy teenager, just overflowing with creative energy and terrified of being lumped into the same breath as the majority of my seemingly brainless, superficial counterparts. I was trying express my individuality before I had fully defined it (thanks to the feverish impatience of adolescence) and the only way I thought this was possible was to completely rebel away from anything deemed normal or safe. Look at me, pay attention to me, don’t ignore me – I AM SPECIAL AND DIFFERENT, YOU GUYS.

(Watch this episode of Metal Evolution HERE if you missed it.)

This is just one of the ways shock rock unified hundreds of thousands of misfits in the 90s. It created a world that made outcasts feel safe and everyone else uncomfortable while sparking a cycle of negative publicity that turned the genre into a sinfully sweet forbidden fruit. Every other genre that has been examined during Metal Evolution so far has been differentiated from its peers based on its sound. Shock rock is the only one that stands alone because of its visuals; images of the Devil, death and destruction. What deep part of the human psyche is resonating with the dark, horrific imagery of shock rock? And perhaps the more important question: why?

Long before Alice Cooper was scaring the living sh*t out of parents and politicians, people were relishing in the dark and twisted imagery of traveling circus sideshows featuring freakish human oddities and animal anomalies. In the 1880s, PT Barnum was the biggest name in the sideshow scene, drawing massive crowds to his traveling freakshows. He was a master of self-promotion, capitalizing on the belief that any press was good press; the same philosophy that would help fuel the fire under shock rock’s ass over 100 years later. People flocked to see these twisted sights, reveling in the exhilaration they felt when seeing something so abnormal. “I just think people want a thrill, they just want a f*cking thrill in life,” says Rob Zombie.

Shocking imagery began to find its way out of the big top and into music as far back as the 1950s. Early rock-n-roll artists used what would now be considered a very small amount of shock to grab audience attention. Any remnant of gay culture and men dressing up to look like women were two taboos so offensive they were relegated to only being deep underground movements, until Little Richard and his unquestionable knack for songwriting brought them up above surface level for the first time. In Georgia, no less.

Another habitual envelope-pusher who brought an essence of the macabre into the American music scene was Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Despite the conservative nature of the 1950s he was singing about cannibalism and voodoo, truly creating the bridge between rock-n-roll and horror. And then there was the flamboyant Arthur Brown, whose dark theatrical style was a major influence on future shock rockers including Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson and Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, who says that watching Arthur Brown was like taking acid without actually needing to ingest it. High praise.

Credited as the forefather of modern shock rock, Alice Cooper’s gruesome stage show had the media and concerned conservatives everywhere in an uproar. At the time, he says, there were only rock heroes. Where were the villains? Using everything and anything he could get his hands on, Cooper developed a notorious spectacle of a stage show that became a self-perpetuating hype machine.

The height of this spectacle came during a show the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival. Alice Cooper is busy covering everyone and everything in feathers as he maniacally rips apart a pillow when suddenly a chicken is thrown on stage. He figured it fit so nicely into the feathery theme he had no other choice but to pick it up and throw it back into the crowd, hoping it would fly. You know, because chickens are REALLY good at flying. Anyways – spoiler alert – the poor thing was torn to pieces by the first five rows of the audience. And this is why it’s so great to hear this story told by Alice Cooper himself, because apparently: everyone in the first five rows were people in wheelchairs. The tabloids the next day were claiming that Cooper had actually torn the head off the chicken and drank its blood. The band began getting death threats and was met with heavy protests at every show but this only added to the mystique and allure, serving as incentive for anyone with even the slightest hint of rebellion in them to go out and see it for themselves.

Feeding this cycle of negative publicity also worked wonders for the face-painted entertainers known as KISS. Taking a cue from the Ringling Brothers, magicians and famous entertainment acts, they created a phenomenon that struck the perfect balance between art and commerce. But as their on-stage antics escalated, the band was somehow linked to Satanism – and they never denied it. People began protesting their every show and burning their records in public. But to the guys in KISS, this only meant that they had bought their record in the first place. And that meant they had won. They used the controversy to their benefit and the protests ultimately backfired. But why was the behavior of KISS so pervasive and offensive to the greater part of America anyways? This can be summed up emphatically in one beautiful quote from the band’s producer/manager Kim Fowley:

“Let’s say you’re the hottest guy in your little town, and you meet the hottest girl in your little town and you work at the Dairy Queen and you decide to get married and you have a beautiful little girl… you don’t want her to have sex with Gene Simmons.”

As the commerce side of KISS grew out of control, it began to overshadow the art and the music. The band that was once considered devilish and sinful was now headed to school with children on their lunchboxes and the demographic of the band’s audience began to change. Alice Cooper began to amass more fans in Middle America as well, and the two former powerhouses opened the doors for a new, even more controversial generation of shock rockers.

In the 1980s, shock rock began really exploiting the character most famously linked to the genre – Satan! Yay. Bands like Venom integrated references to Satanism in their music, pushing it in the public’s face with the goal of pushing boundaries as far as possible. Sam Dunn also speaks to the legendary King Diamond from Mercyful Fate who was notorious for not just including it in the music, but fully living what most would call a “Satanic” lifestyle including residence in a castle that was lit with nothing but candles. Because the Devil hates electricity. Obviously. He tells us of course, that these urban legends only served to fuel him further.

The shock rock genre began to encounter even more systematic opposition, most notably from the Parents Music Resource Centre (or Rich Wives of Prominent Politicians, more aptly) who created a list of what they deemed to be the MOST offensive and deplorable songs called “The Filthy 15.” The group was also responsible for influencing the government to introduce explicit labeling on any album that contained controversial material. So basically, they just clearly labeled the “worst” music and made it more easily identifiable than ever before. Now if you were a kid going into a record shop to find the latest tunes, that black and white “explicit” sticker is EXACTLY what you’re headed for first. Job well done, parents.

This panic subsided at the end of the 90s, until Marilyn Manson emerged with something even scarier than a headless chicken: he had a brain. He was a conceptual, theatrical artist who was putting out songs and music videos so disturbing they even scared Alice Cooper himself. But the most powerful thing about Marilyn Manson was that unlike KISS, he wasn’t just after kids for their money. As author Gavin Baddeley notes, he didn’t want them to just buy his records – he wanted them to think.

He was mocking shock rock at the same time as he was creating it and was far more vocal against his critics off stage than any of his shock rock predecessors. So it was no surprise that when the Columbine school shooting shook the entire world in April 1999, the polarizing Marilyn Manson was being referenced by almost every major network and being used as a scapegoat for media pundits who were left scrambling to make sense of the unthinkable. They referred to his music as “gruesome” but as Manson points out in an interview clip seen in this episode, it was the media coverage of this terrible event deserved that title; showing grieving family and friends, weeping at the loss of their loved ones while indicting entertainers in the same clip. The entire event shook Marilyn Manson to his core, and as a result the band stopped making music for the time being and fell out of the public eye.

The most interesting part of this segment, however, is during the interview with the band’s former lead guitarist, Daisy (although it should be noted he didn’t leave the band on the best of terms). Marilyn Manson wanted to be the villain, he says, and if the media was using him as a scapegoat it was almost his duty to accept that and welcome it. Easier said than done though, Daisy.

In the early 2000s, shock rock continued to resonate with the darkest corners of the human condition. Sam Dunn admits that he was actually terrified when he first saw Slipknot on stage, in large part (I’m assuming) to the incredible freaky masks that the band wears. Struggling with their own inner demons, anger and pain, Slipknot used their live show as an outlet; wreaking havoc and leaving it all on the stage. From Germany, Rammstein brought the circus sideshow back and introduced shock rock to its most industrial sound yet, motivated simply by inciting a reaction of any sort.

But in this day and age, when the media, movies, video games and the Internet have made desensitizing yourself easier than writing an email, what would it take to truly SHOCK audiences today? Alice Cooper doesn’t even expect the public to be shocked anymore, calling even the most wildest of antics “family entertainment” at this point. Arthur Brown feels as though everything is already out there. Even the most sick and twisted thing you could think of – one quick Internet search later it will be at your fingertips. But Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann is asked this question and with just the slightest smirk, gives a reply that sent shivers down my spin: “A public suicide on stage.”

Ultimately, this episode is summed up nicely at the end by Donny Vomit (gotta be his legal name, right?), a sideshow performer at the Coney Island Circus. “As long as there are young people, there will always be people who are willing to scare the old to entertain the young.”

Boo.
- Sarah Dawley

Phil Collins – In the Air Tonight (1981)

In the movie Risky Business, a young Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay had a hot make out session to this song on a subway and it reminded me how much I dig Phil Collins (and I’m not afraid to admit it). He is one of the most successful male artists of all time; as a member of Genesis and as a solo artist he’s sold 100’s of millions of albums, however, thanks in part to years of criticism in the press he has virtually disappeared from music. He did a Rolling Stone interview about a year ago that you should read, fan or not. I refuse to accept any Phil Collins hating, the man sings like bird and if you don’t like this song your heart is made of stone.

Van Halen – Hot for Teacher (1984)

When it comes to Van Halen the only question is: David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar? I pick Sammy, all night and any day of the week (as you know I’m biased)- but this is NOT a Van Halen with Sammy Hagar Matt Track. To be honest, I contemplated this Matt Track being the new Van Halen tune called Tattoo but try as I might; I could not in good faith suggest you add it to your playlists. However, the video for that song shows some glimpses of old David Lee Roth when NO-ONE could touch him on stage as a front-man. So I’ve decided to pick a David Lee Roth era tune to show that just because I choo-choo-choose Sammy Hagar…..I still have respect for the Roth.

Sloan – Unkind (2011)

There’s a lot of chatter right now surrounding the possible reunion of I Mother Earth and Treble Charger. The 90’s Can-Rock renaissance has already experienced a resurgence with other blasts from the not so distant past like Big Sugar, The Doughboys, Rusty and The Tea Party re-forming for shows, and this got me thinking. Who are some bands from that era that never actually broke up? Some obvious ones are Our Lady Peace, The Tragically Hip, and Sloan: Sloan has continued releasing great albums over the past 20 years while many of their contemporaries have called it quits. They released their 10th album last year and remain one of the great rock and roll bands……anywhere.

Kathleen Edwards – Change the Sheets (2012)

The romantic lives of musicians and celebrities don’t usually interest me…unless of course it brings insight into my repeated failures at dating Alicia Keys OR when it is a big part of the story or the music of an artist. Kathleen Edwards has just released her 4th album called Voyager, the sounds and direction of which have been helped greatly by co-producer Justin Vernon the voice behind Bon Iver. What began simply as a working musical relationship has turned into Kathleen and Justin sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. So there, this can go on my resume when applying for a job at eTalk.

Sam Roberts – I Feel You (2011)
Sam Roberts has been a constant on Canadian radio since his first single in 2003 called Brother Down. In the almost 10 years that have past we have become accustomed to hearing those up tempo and catchy as hell songs that Sam has become known for such as “Don’t’ Walk Away Eileen”; Where Have all the Good People Gone”; “Them Kids”; and “Bridge to Nowhere”. The latest album however ,Collider, is a much darker sounding album for the Sam Roberts Band and this particular tune was released as their first single and was at least partly inspired by a dream Sam had about Leonard Cohen.

Do you feel me?
=m

1. Drake – Headlines
2. Coldplay – Paradise
3. Katy Perry – The One That Got Away
4. Flo Rida – Good Feeling
5. Bruno Mars – It Will Rain
6. Nickelback – When We Stand Together
7. Lady Gaga – Marry The Night
8. Britney Spears – Criminal
9. Pitbull f. Chris Brown – International Love
10. Beyonce f. J. Cole – Party
11. Victoria Duffield – Shut Up And Dance
12. Rihanna f. Calvin Harris – We Found Love
13. Hedley – One Life
14. Foster The People – Call It What You Want
15. Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
16. Rihanna – You Da One
17. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger
18. City And Colour – Weightless
19. Jessie J – Domino
20. Kreesha Turner – I Could Stay
21. Carly Rae Jepson – Call Me Maybe
22. Arkells – Michigan Left
23. Gotye f. Kimbra – Somebody That I Used To Know
24. Rich Aucoin – It
25. Anjulie – Stand Behind The Music
26. The Sheepdogs – I Don’t Know
27. Lights – Toes
28. Mia Martina – Burning
29. David Guetta f. Usher – Without You
30. Snow Patrol – Called Out In The Dark

Thirteen albums, two EPs, 26 singles, 32 music videos, four compilations, and one box set later, we’ve got Megadeth performing live in Kingston, Hamilton and Oshawa, Ontario!

That’s a lot of history, and a lot of awesome heavy metal to rock out too, so come and get it! We’ve got TWO PAIRS of tickets to see them take over Kingston, and we want two lucky Megadeth fans to win them!

Megadeth is the K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario on Sunday, February 5th, 2012, then the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario on Tuesday, February 7, 2012 and then the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario on Wednesday, February 8, 2012!

All you’ve gotta do for your chance to win is follow @muchmore and follow the instructions posted on its Twitter! We’ll be picking the winner after 5PM ET this afternoon to get tweeting! Make sure you read the rules and regs.

Read rules & regs

And if you can’t wait that long for your heavy metal fix….DON’T MISS THE FINALE OF METAL EVOLUTION TONIGHT @ 10PM ET!

Mark you calendar and grab your wallet! Tickets for the 2012 Juno Awards will go on sale Friday, February 10 at 10 am. Fans will be able to purchase tickets to the awards show, taking place on Sunday, April 1 at the Scotiabank Centre in Ottawa, both online and on the phone.

Though more artists will definitely be added to the line up, the stage is already set for an impressive 2012, with performances from Feist, City and Colour, Blue Rodeo and deadmau5 confirmed. The full list of nominees will be announced on February 7, days before tickets for the show go on sale. For more information on how to purchase tickets to the 2012 Juno Awards click here.

Pearl Jam – World Wide Suicide (2006)

For the most part, the lead singer of a band becomes the person most associated with the music. In the case of Pearl Jam that certainly has been the case (and deservedly so) Eddie Vedder is one of the great front men of all time. But the reason we have Pearl Jam with Eddie Vedder is because Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament were in a band together called Green River followed by Mother Love Bone. Mother Love Bone were and are the MOST important piece of the grunge movement. It’s because of that band and the impact of their late singer Andy Wood that today we have Pearl Jam. This is one of the many things you will learn in class January 27th, 730 pm ET, for the Canadian Broadcast Premier of “Pearl Jam Twenty”. Don’t skip class kids.

The Abrams Brothers – Northern Redemption (2010)

More than ever the lines are blurred between what is considered straight up country music and what could crossover. Obviously artists like Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum are a distinct type of pop country that is working on different radio formats in a big bad way, but then there are Mumford and Sons, The Civil Wars, and Fleet Foxes who are more roots based but could just as easily have the same type of success. Canada’s own The Abrams Brothers, despite their young age, have performed at The Grand Ole Opry already but are also getting love on rock radio with their version of a classic Alex Chilton tune. Bluegrass is the backdrop of this group but they fit somewhere nicely in between the country and non country worlds that could potentially find them love from both.

Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains beyond Mountains) (2010)

Before all the indie music geeks get all bent out of shape and take to the internet to rip me a new one, let me say this: I like Arcade Fire, I love that they have broken through with a sound that doesn’t sound like the typical band that breaks through on radio, it’s good for music. However, I haven’t been as enthralled with their records as many have, I like them but I’ve yet to flip out over their songs the way many people have….until now. This song is incredible, the video is fantastic and it all just makes me want to start the campaign to make Régine the new lead singer of the band. Sorry Win.

k-os – Man I Used to Be (2004)

Some of the most interesting conversations I’ve had over my past 9 or 10 years of interviewing musicians have been with k-os. We have covered many topics but the most interesting has always been the dichotomy between making music just for the love of making music, and making money from that music. He has always seemed conflicted with his own success and the idea of a hit song and I respect that, and those conversations, for me, have made listening to his music and lyrics that much more interesting. This is one of my favorite k-os Tracks, he’s a great singer and doesn’t seem to get the credit he deserves for that.

The Guess Who – These Eyes (1968)

As infamous Rock and Roll partnerships go Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings are right up there with Jagger & Richards or Tyler & Perry. Burton Cummings joined The Guess Who in 1965 when they were still called “The Expressions” and after some massive international success, in 1970, Randy Bachman left the group and both men had successful post Guess Who careers. Along the way however they kept coming back to the band but it’s always difficult trying to figure out when they actually came back to the band together. But before all that went down, before the egos took over, together they wrote one of the great love songs of all time.

enjoy,
=m

Throughout this series, it’s become evident that Sam Dunn is a traditionalist when it comes to metal, for lack of a better term. A purist, if you will. He hails from a very distinct camp of metal appreciation; one that values the pioneering sounds of the genre and not so much the various species it spawned over time.

Just like the grunge episode, this edition of Metal Evolution (which you can watch HERE) begins by questioning whether the nu metal genre even belongs in the story at all. Did nu metal really have any lasting impact on the genre or is it collectively agreed to be an embarrassing, ugly sore spot in the family’s history that everyone ignores until someone awkwardly brings it up?

As a hip-hop head, it’s hard for me not to take this episode personally. On the surface, the negativity portrayed towards nu metal seems to only convey the following: rap music came along and tainted metal forever. It assumes that these musicians were simply throwing one popular genre on top of another for no other reason than to capitalize on the commercial viability of both. But this attitude largely discounts the power and relevance of hip-hop and the social, political and cultural environment of the early-to-mid-90s, when rap music was reaching its own peak as a genre.

The roots of nu metal are anything but embarrassing. The crossover track that is most widely credited with sparking the nu metal movement is “Bring The Noise” by Anthrax and Public Enemy. But one can’t help but think the two genres were meteors on an inevitable crash course due to their rising popularity and the essence of rebellion they shared. Anthrax was formed in Queens, NY – an epicenter for hip-hop. As Scott Ian notes, they had a deep appreciation for the genre and so “Bring The Noise” was simply a dream come true: getting to collaborate with one of their favourite groups at the time, despite the vast differences in their music.

Around the same time, funk and R&B influenced grooves were also finding their way into heavier music thanks to bands like Faith No More. But the band who perfected the blend between groove and heaviness was undoubtedly Rage Against the Machine. The band’s incomparable guitarist Tom Morello took his love of 70s riffs and filtered it through his love of punk and hip-hop to push the idea of what a guitar could sound like past any point your ear was previously accustomed to. This blend of sonic styles, combined with Zack de la Rocha’s rap-infused vocals that were laced with highly political dissidence, made Rage one of the most unique bands the decade had seen yet. Pantera emerged as another pioneering band skirting along the edges of traditional metal, with a new rhythmic dynamic that was (and still is) virtually impossible to categorize. Bands began to add the word “DJ” to their lineup, introducing the turntable as a bona fide heavy metal instrument while continuing to push traditional instruments to innovative new heights. This emerging genre was combining rhythm with the rebellious nature of both hip-hop and metal, and turning it into a Molotov cocktail of extremity and accessibility.

The first band to be bestowed with the label of “nu metal” was Korn. Building off of an admiration for bands like Faith No More and Pantera, Korn created their own groove-based sound that was punctuated by the raw and revealing lyrics of front man Jonathan Davis. His personal struggles were revealed via haunting whispering vocals, contrasted by deep and guttural screams. Davis was seemingly using Korn’s music as a form of therapy, which captivated their audience. Further adding to the nu metal roster was the Sacramento band Deftones. A true product of their environment, Deftones blended heavy metal with the inescapable riffs of early rap music that had taken over the west coast of the United States. With a handful of bands that were quickly becoming household names, nu metal was ready to evolve into its very own sub-genre of the heavy metal family tree and the catalyst for that would be “Roots” – the sixth album from the influential Brazilian heavy metal group Sepultura.

What made Nu metal different was that it captivated the attention of a teenage generation who felt the same rebellious energy that comes with the territory of pubescence but who were also growing up alongside hip-hop: a radical new genre of music that was breaking barriers of race and class, not just sound. With multiple audiences engaged, it’s no surprise that the genre blew up as quickly as it did. Nu metal was an underground movement, a sub-genre that appealed to the metal, goth AND hip-hop communities. This is what made it both prolific and ripe for the mainstream. And mainstream it went…

In the late 90s, Limp Bizkit was everything that traditional metal fans hated (Sam Dunn thoroughly included). In contrast to the innovative, musical mash-up that Rage Against the Machine and Sepultura had developed, they were a more structured and compartmentalized combination of the two genres. Their music appealed to those who had never given metal a chance before, and told existing metal fans that the genre could be a party while still being aggressive. And if you try to tell me that you don’t know all of the words to at least the first verse of “Nookie” I will call you a liar. Limp Bizkit hit their commercial stride with this song and their second album “Significant Other” and at this point nu metal as a whole had been launched into a musical phenomenon. And then Woodstock ’99 happened.

Among other acts, Woodstock ’99 featured the biggest names in nu metal: Rage Against the Machine, Korn and Limp Bizkit. It also featured an unfortunate amount of violence, rape fire and destruction. During Limp Bizkit’s set (specifically during the performance of their hit song “Break Stuff”) the crowd turned ugly, tearing off pieces of plywood from the walls and setting fire to anything in sight.

In this episode of Metal Evolution (and in popular opinion, overall) the blame for this turn of events is placed on Limp Bizkit and more specifically – on Fred Durst. Many claim that he incited the violence and continually encouraged the crowd to, well, break stuff. And although the violence did indeed began during Limp Bizkit’s set, this episode doesn’t touch on any other factors that may have contributed to the situation, nor does it acknowledge the fact that the violence and destruction escalated the night after Limp Bizkit’s performance as well, during a set by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

It’s easy to vilify Fred Durst and it’s easy to point the finger at the nu metal. This genre was born out of two groups of outcasts and therefore set up to be hated from the beginning. And suddenly, the genre was directly linked to destruction and disrespect as if this was the first time a small group of idiots had tainted an event for hundreds of thousands of people. But despite the vilification of nu metal, whether justified or not, the genre continued to evolve and even influenced a few traditional thrash metal bands like Slayer into adapting their sound on their album Diabolus in Musica.

A second generation of nu metal bands appeared in the early 2000s after the initial wave of nu metal subdued, including bands like Papa Roach and Disturbed but spearheaded by the biggest band the genre has seen to date: Linkin Park.

Whether you like this diluted, gentle version of nu metal or whether you despise it, there is no debating its success. This is what I feel was largely ignored during this episode of Metal Evolution – really digging deep into what it was about this genre that spoke to the captivated audience, besides asking a few inarticulate people in line to see Linkin Park why they like the band. Nu metal was more than two genres cross-polluting each other, it was a collision of two cultural movements. Not everyone likes the end result, and that’s (more than) fair. But to dismiss the importance of this genre as it relates to music history as a whole is to do both the metal and the rap genres a disservice but as Sam Dunn states at the end of this episode, perhaps nu metal’s lasting legacy is the way it polarized the metal community – for better or worse.

Watch an all-new episode of Metal Evolution, Friday at 10ET/7PT.

- Sarah Dawley

1. Rihanna f. Calvin Harris – We Found Love
2. Drake – Headlines
3. Coldplay – Paradise
4. Katy Perry – The One That Got Away
5. Flo Rida – Good Feeling
6. Bruno Mars – It Will Rain
7. Nickelback – When We Stand Together
8. City And Colour – Weightless
9. Britney Spears – Criminal
10. Lady Gaga – Marry The Night
11. The Sheepdogs – I Don’t Know
12. Beyonce f. J. Cole – Party
13. Pitbull f. Chris Brown – International Love
14. Victoria Duffield – Shut Up And Dance
15. Lights – Toes
16. Hedley – One Life
17. David Guetta f. Usher – Without You
18. Arcade Fire – Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
19. Foster The People – Call It What You Want
20. Kreesha Turner – I Could Stay
21. Kelly Clarkson – Stronger
22. Enrique Iglesias f. Pitbull & The WAV.s – I Like How It Feels
23. Arkells – Michigan Left
24. Rich Aucoin – It
25. Jessie J – Domino
26. Anjulie – Stand Behind The Music
27. Rihanna – You Da One
28. Carly Rae Jepson – Call Me Maybe
29. Beyonce – Countdown
30. Gotye f. Kimbra – Somebody That I Used To Know

Well known Canadian photographer Andrew McNaughton’s new book “Grace: Africa in Photographs” was inspired by a 3 week trip in Kenya and Tanzania where he photographed warrior tribes, school children, local townspeople and some of the most beautiful animals in the world. McNaughton is renowned in the music world for his photographs so the music tie-in with this book makes perfect sense. My Matt Tracks this week are inspired by this project and highlight some of the artists you can find in Grace: Africa in Photographs, sales of which will result in new child sponsors for World Vision.

Daniel Lanois – Here is What is (2008)

As a producer Daniel Lanois has helped shape great records by artists like Bob Dylan, U2 and Willie Nelson. As an artist himself he has made some amazing music such as the album “Here is What is” which was also the name of documentary released at the same time examining his music making process. You will love it.

Ron Sexsmith – Secret Heart (1995)

Not the first or last time you’ll hear me say this: Ron Sexsmith is one of the great songwriters on the planet. His songs have been covered by people like Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow and Steve Earle and this song, which he released on his 1995 self titled album, has been covered by Rod Stewart, Nick Lowe and most famously by Leslie Feist.

Fefe Dobson -I Want You (2009)

Nobody is more surprised than me that I’ve picked a Fefe Dobson song as a Matt Track, believe me. I dug this tune the moment I heard it and that’s all that matters, it’s a good song and kinda has a little Joan Jett thing happening which I like. (I really like this video too if I’m being honest).

Annie Lennox -Love Song for a Vampire (1992)

Listen up all you Vampire addicts. Here’s what you need to know before your little Twilight took over the world: The Lost Boys, From Dusk Till Dawn and Francis Ford Coppola’s take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula-that’s all you need to know. This song was used in the end credits of Bram Stoker and was written and performed by the excellent Annie Lennox.

Bruce Cockburn – Waiting for a Miracle (1987)

Bruce Cockburn has been making music since the late 60’s and is not only a renowned songwriter in this country and around the world but he’s also a well known humanitarian and environmentalist who has tackled social issues inside and outside of his songwriting. “Waiting for a Miracle” is without a doubt my favorite of his many tunes (Ps it was also one of Jerry Garcia’s favorite songs).

Buy this book and support a great cause,
enjoy
=m