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Matt Tracks Aug 8-14: Maybe I’m Amazed (by how good Matt Tracks are).

Maybe I’m Amazed – Paul McCartney (1970)

The world of music can thank The Beatles for many many things, here’s the one we could do without; every band who have come after The Beatles to this day, with any kind of rock star potential, are plagued with the notion that they “could be the next Beatles”. It has become a music industry cliché created by the industry constantly hoping for the next sensation, failing to realize that you can’t create something like The Beatles, it just happens. So imagine how hard it was for a former Beatle to try and make new music with those types of expectations. When Paul McCartney released his first solo album in 1970 the idea was to keep it low key because no matter how good it was, it would remain in the shadow of The Beatles. Part of this plan was to release no official singles but because he is Paul McCartney songs like Maybe I’m Amazed still got a lot of radio play and that particular song eventually became a radio hit for his band Wings. This might be one of the greatest love songs of all time.

Jealous Guy – John Lennon (1971)

John Lennon’s album “Imagine” is considered one of the greatest albums of all time and even though he had released post-Beatles music before it, “Imagine” really was his first collection of songs outside of the experimental music he was making with Yoko Ono. The story goes that the seeds of the song “Jealous Guy” were actually planted during the writing of The White Album by The Beatles but it didn’t make the cut when it was called “Child of Nature”, and that version is the ONE song that seems to be left out of any special Beatles collection of “unreleased songs and demos”. It’s probably left out of those collections because it later resurfaced with new lyrics and a new title; Jealous Guy (via Child of Nature) when it finally did make it out of the studio and into the world has gone on to become a song that has been covered almost 100 different times.

Wake Me – Rusty (1994)

I’ve been thinking about doing a Rusty Matt Track for a little while but never got around to it for one reason or another but one day not too long ago through the power of twitter, someone suggested it and I could no longer deny that grimy Canadian garage band in the early to mid 90’s who somehow made it on to radio in between Celine Dion, Jann Arden and Snow. While the US had a bubbling underground scene in Seattle, we had our own in Canada with bands like Sloan, Eric’s Trip, Hardship Post, The Inbreds and Rusty. With thanks to @bunny_la_joya, let’s re-visit the track got things started for them: Wake Me.

Little Bit of Red – Serena Ryder (2009)

Let me tell you a little something about Hawksley Workman and let me first be clear-this is not a Hawksley song I’m about to suggest (you should listen to ALL of his songs) but I would like to point out that man’s ability to spot talent. Before anybody else in Canada really heard of Hey Rosetta! Hawksley had produced their breakthrough Polaris nominated album. Before that Hawksley’s golden ears heard a young singer songwriter from Ontario and he immediately signed her to his own record company and helped set her career in motion…you may have heard of her.

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Posted: August 8th, 2011 | Category: Matt Tracks | Comments: No Comments
Tags: John Lennon, Matt Tracks, matt wells, Paolo Nutini, Paul McCartney, Rusty, Serena Ryder

Matt Tracks Aug 1-7: Mr. Hurricane

Mr. Hurricane – Beast (2009)

You know those moments when you hear a song and it instantly becomes your new favorite? You listen to it over and over and even though it’s the exact same 4 minutes (ish) repeated in your ears with each listen, it doesn’t matter because it hits you different every time. This is what happened to me when I first heard the track “Mr Hurricane” by the Montreal band Beast and I was excited at the prospect of many more years of music from this new band…..unfortunately they have gone on indefinite hiatus after their 1st album. This project started just as a musical experiment between Betty Bonifassi and Jean Phi Goncalves; Betty is best known for being part of the Oscar nominated soundtrack for the animated film The Triplets of Belville and Jean Phi as a producer working with people like Lauryn Hill. Hopefully The Beast will return.

ps. This video was nomintaed for a Grammy.

Jane Says – Jane’s Addiction (1988)

I watched Jane’s Addiction at Ottawa Bluesfest a few weeks back and it reminded me of a few things I’d like to share: 1. Perry Farrell is one of great front men in the history of rock and roll, end of story. 2. While Nirvana gets a lot of credit for changing music, what we have to remember is that there were bands like Jane’s Addiction who were putting cracks in the wall that made it possible for Nirvana to be the band who happened to break through and take all the credit. 3. You can write a great song with just 2 chords kids, Jane Says is G and A and repeat for 6 minutes (give or take).

Panic – Sublime with Rome (2011)

ACDC continued on with a new front man after the passing of original singer Bon Scott; 2 years ago Alice in Chains released a new album with a new singer 7 years after losing Layne Staley; and INXS found a new singer through a reality show and released new music 8 years after the death of Michael Hutchence. Well, now after settling with the estate of their late singer, Bradley Nowell, the surviving members of Sublime are able to release new music with a new singer named Rome Rameriz but only under the name Sublime with Rome. I was listening to this song on the radio while driving with a friend and he really liked it, when I told him it was Sublime with a new singer he stopped liking it……weird how our minds work.

The Day Doesn’t Die – Classified featuring David Myles (2011)

I never need as good reason to talk about Enfield, Nova Scotia MC Classified, but it just so happens I have a good one. His latest single features award winning singer/songwriter (and East Coaster) David Myles on a track called “The Day Doesn’t Die”. Aside from his own music Classified is gaining a reputation for producing other artists, about 5 years back he found and produced music for a singer named Jordan Croucher who you’ll now recognize as just JRDN, and it was producing a David Myles track called “Simple Pleasures” that led to this collaboration.

Sweet City Woman – The Stampeders (1971)

This song has not left my head for months. I find myself singing the chorus at least once a day and it’s become a bit of a problem so I figure the best way to exercise this ear worm is to try and send it to you. The Stampeders from Calgary Alberta had a Canadian mega hit with Sweet City Woman in 1971 and it also cracked the top ten in the US, but that was kind of it for them in America. In Canada they continued to have big success and they even had a few singles creep into the bottom of the American charts but this tune was their one taste of US Rock and Roll fame.

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Posted: August 1st, 2011 | Category: Matt Tracks | Comments: No Comments
Tags: Beast, Classified, David Myles, Jane's Addiction, Matt Tracks, matt wells, Sublime with Rome, The Stampeders

Matt Tracks July 25-31: Fragile Blog

Never Tear Us Apart – INXS (1987)

My first concert ever was Tina Turner at Memorial Stadium in St. John’s and the next one was Huey Lewis and the News in that same building, but the first big rock band I ever saw was INXS at The Spectrum in Montreal when I was 13 years old. I was hooked on that band immediately and no matter what they did musically in the following years I remained a fan purely based on the impact that rock show had on me. I even stuck it out through Rock Star INXS many years later which I know would piss off a lot of purists who thought it hurt the legacy of Michael Hutchence and the band, but I was just happy that the songs were hitting a new generation. They have recently released an album of classic INXS tunes re-visited with a collection of different singers including Rob Thomas, J.D Fortune and Ben Harper who calls this tune one of the best soul songs of all time……and who’s gonna argue Ben Harper?

Calgary – Bon Iver (2011)

About a year ago during one of my many geek out moments over The Band I was digging deep through YouTube for interviews or performances that perhaps I had never seen before (my obsession is in it’s 6th year-I have issues). This time however, instead of getting lost in The Band I ended up spending my time on Bon Iver because of a TMZ style gorilla question that Robbie Robertson answered while signing autographs at an airport. He was asked what music he was listening to and he said (in the 4th different pronunciation I have heard) Bon Iver (he said it as all one word-bonnavur). I was intrigued and started my own journey but it wasn’t until very recently that there was a video for me to be able to use for a Matt Track…..so here we go.

A few short years ago a singer/songwriter named Justin Vernon was having a bit of life moment and needed some time away from everything, literally. He said after a break up with his band, a girl, and himself (kind of depressing) he needed to just be alone; so he ended up spending 3 months in his father’s hunting cabin in Wisconsin. Bon Iver was born in those 3 months. Since that time the project has become one of the most talked about in music and if you haven’t heard the name yet believe me, it’s all you are going to be hearing about for the next little while…..with varying pronunciations.

Fragile Bird – City and Colour (2011)

Once Alexisonfire infiltrated radio in Canada a lot of people were very happy (myself included) but a lot of people didn’t dig the sound which across the board pretty much had to do with the screaming vocals of lead singer George Pettit. The band was definitely an acquired sound and something very unique to radio in this country but even for those people who didn’t get it, there was no denying the OTHER voice in that band- Dallas Green. His voice sounds oddly soothing amongst the heaviness and chaos of Alexisonfire and that’s the voice which drives City and Colour; something that began simply as a side project for Dallas who would pass out EP’s at solo shows in bewteen touring the world with Alexisonfire. City and Colour is a bit more than that these days to say the very least; his new album “Little Hell” debuted at #1 in Canada and #28 in the US.

Children’s Story – Slick Rick (1989)

Growing up in Mt. Pearl Newfoundland and Labrador, musically, I was inspired by many things: the roots/traditional music and beautiful scenery of my homeland of course, but perhaps even more than that……Rap Traxx 2. Do you remember this shit!!!!???? This cassette (yes cassette) had everything!! LL Cool J, Boogie Down Productions, RUN DMC, De La Soul and….Slick Rick. The first time I heard Slick Rick was because of Rap Traxx, and his song “Children’s Story” blew my mind. Now let me school all the 90’s club retirees who would go out every weekend in 1995 and shout “THAT’S MY JAM” every time they’d hear Montell Jordan sing “This is How We Do it”. What song do you think he samples? “Children’s Story” by Slick Rick God Dammit.

Sleep Forever – Portugal. The Man (2011)

There was a time in music when a record company found a band or an artist early in their careers and then developed and nurtured that act in the hopes of building them while letting the band have a natural musical growth….those days are gone. Now a band has to prove they can do it on their own and sacrifice everything to chase that dream OR build with a smaller indie and hope that they can be one of those great independent stories like Arcade Fire. Sometimes, if the stars align and the dues are paid, MAYBE they will be faced with a decision to sign with one of the last major labels and MYABE they will be one of the bands that signing with a major label actually helps. After releasing 7 albums in 6 years on independent labels and touring their asses off, “Portugal. The Man” were faced with that decision and now have released their first major label album on Atlantic Records. Let’s see what happens.

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Posted: July 25th, 2011 | Category: Matt Tracks | Comments: No Comments
Tags: Bon Iver, City and Colour, INXS, Matt Tracks, matt wells, Portugal. The Man, Slick Rick

Matt Tracks July 11-17: Smitten and the man-crush.

Monument – The Frames (1995)

I’ve expressed my musical man crush for Glen Hansard before; Glen is one half of The Swell Season, who shot to fame for starring in and providing the music for the movie “Once”. Along with his other musical half Marketa Irglova, The Swell Season won the Academy Award for best original song in 2008 providing one of the best moments in music ever. However, Glen had already found success in his Dublin based band The Frames and as an actor for his role in the movie The Commitments but please allow me to geek out even further: Bronagh Gallagher, an actress from Dublin was also in The Commitments and 4 years later she wore a Frames T-shirt in the movie Pulp Fiction…which is just my way of telling you to listen to The Frames, The Swell Season, watch Once, Pulp Fiction and that I heart Glen Hansard.

There Goes My Love – The Blue Van (2010)

In 2003, after just one record, The Blue Van were plucked out of Denmark by the biggest American indie label at the time, TVT records. The band, who hadn’t even broken in their home country yet, were shipped off to NYC with a plan to break them in the US. They lived and did some residencies in Brooklyn for a few years which is how I found out about them when my old band was added to one of their shows and I watched them tear up the stage of a place called The Trash Bar-they were really really good and I was filled with hope to see a band actually being developed by a record label. That hope didn’t last long unfortunately because after building them for few years, investing a ton of loot and getting them on tours with Jet and The Killers, TVT records decided to drop the band (then TVT records went bankrupt because of a Pitbull lawsuit- *cough cough* musical karma). However, this all went down a few years ago and I’m sad to report that while Pitbull is still kicking around, The Blue Van continue making the rock and roll …. but now from the safety of Denmark.

Pushing Up Daises – My Son the Hurricane (2011)

My Son the Hurricane is (at the very least) a 13-piece band from St. Catherine’s, Ontario and 8 of those pieces is just the horn section!!!! It’s kind of hard to describe the sound but I think it would have to go something like this: picture a parade of jazz musicians jamming with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, marching through the streets of New Orleans with a live drummer, an MC and a beautifully sampled voice providing the hooks. The only thing to point out however is that sample is a real voice. Seriously, I asked the drummer what the sample was from this song because I loved it and wanted to find the original and he said….”ahh dude, it’s our singer.”

Chasing Pirates – Norah Jones (2009)

I am smitten with Norah Jones and I’m not afraid to say it (I’m also smitten with the word smitten). I’m not just smitten because her voice is so damn beautiful that she can sing about ChexMix and make you fall in love – which she actually did on a Lonely Island track called “Dreamgirl” –it’s because she has one of the last romantic record industry stories left in the business. She was a waitress singing in coffee houses and jazz clubs when she was introduced to the boss of Blue Note Records by an account executive. The record label boss (who I picture smoking a cigar and using words like baby and hip) hears her sing, signs her on the spot, and her debut album wins five Grammys and sells 8 million copies. I worked at a restaurant called Jungle Jims followed by a stint at a TGI Friday’s and all got was the skill of carrying 4 plates of food at once.

Everlong – Foo Fighters (1997)

For the past month or so it seems like every person I know has asked me “dude, have you seen the new Foo Fighter’s documentary”? It got to the point that I was getting repeat askers “Wells, have you seen it yet?!” I started thinking to myself “It can’t be THAT good, can it?” Well it IS that good, it’s called “Back and Forth” and you NEED to see it, just to hear Dave Grohl talk about Nirvana so candidly will make it worth your while but above and beyond that, the story of the Foo Fighters that is told is pretty amazing, I promise. Now, speaking of The Foo Fighters, this gives me an opportunity I like to seize as often as possible: their 1997 album “The Color and the Shape” is the best rock and roll album of the past 20 years and this is the best rock song. Period.

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Posted: July 12th, 2011 | Category: Matt Tracks | Comments: No Comments
Tags: Foo Fighters, Matt Tracks, matt wells, My Son the Hurricane, Norah Jones, The Blue Van, The Frames

Matt Tracks July 4-10: Alligator Tears.

Alligator - Tegan and Sara (2009)

Aside from the great songs that Tegan and Sara have written over the years (and that killer YTV achievement award) inevitably the topic that ALWAYS comes up whether it’s in a review, an article or an interview -is the fact that they are sisters….and twin sisters at that. It’s usually a very obvious reference or question about the novelty of sisters on the road together blah blah blah, which you’d think might get old after 6 records and 10 years or so but us media types are a lazy and sometimes uninspired bunch. If we want to focus on the sister angle of these two songwriters lets talk about the most important part when it comes to Tegan and Sara Quin “sisters making music together”; their voices. Their voices blend together in a way that is unique because they ARE sisters, and over the years it has given them a vocal sound that stands apart from all the other identical twin sisters from Calgary playing in a band together (and everyone else).

Sick of Myself - Matthew Sweet (1995)

In the early 90’s Seattle was sort of setting the musical climate. While there’s no doubt that grunge was certainly the talk of the town there was also something happening with a lot of other “under the radar” music where one time underground bands like REM, The Pixies and Janes Addiction were finding themselves thrust into the mainstream and called “alternative rock”. At the same time there was a Brit pop explosion happening with bands like Oasis and Blur. The music that Matthew Sweet was making seemed to fit comfortably somewhere between those two worlds and even though he got a lot of really good press he always remained a cult artist, but he did infiltrate the mainstream for a minute in 1995 with the song “Sick of Myself”.

The Cave - Mumford and Sons (2009)

2 years ago Mumford and Sons performed on Balcony TV, a website where bands literally perform a song on a balcony…..that was 2 years ago, and since then they have been seen at the biggest festivals in music like Bonaroo, Glastonbury AND have performed on the Grammy’s with Bob Dylan. Now I’ve said this once before when Mumford and Sons were one of the first Matt Tracks last year, but I just want to say it again before it happens (as a pre-emptive told you so): Mumford and Sons will be the next huge stadium band like Kings of Leon and Coldplay before them. It’s all about the banjo baby.

Somewhere Down The Crazy River – Robbie Robertson (1987)

Robbie Robertson has just released his first solo album in 13 years called “How to Become Clairvoyant” and it is beautiful. It features people like Tom Morello, Eric Clapton and it is absolutely killing me, it’s unbelievably good. I’ve made it no secret that I have been geeking out to The Band for the past 3 or 4 years so obviously I am a fan of Robbie’s writing but I had never really explored his first solo album from 1987 which was the first time he released music after leaving The Band. I just found it on vinyl in a fucking dollar bin which after giving it a few listens realize I might have stumbled upon the bargain of the century. It features Peter Gabriel, U2, Rick Danko from The Band and was produced by Daniel Lanois, the entire collection of songs is great and at the very least I suspect you will recognize “Somewhere Down the Crazy River”.

Set You Free - The Black Keys (2003)

Music goes through interesting cycles where a certain style dominates what’s happening and influeneces every aspect of the industry, and then before it goes away a ton of bands get pushed to the top of the musical heap; there is no real formula for breaking a band, it’s a combination of an attempted formula with the stars aligning. People right now seem to be gravitating to a throwback style of music which has certainly helped The Black Keys. They have been paying their dues and playing music rooted in pure and traditional blues rock and roll for about 10 years so it’s not that they have really changed anything they were doing since the beginning, it’s just that the musical landscape has changed which thankfully means that at this moment in music, a band like The Black Keys can be pushed to the top of that heap.

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Posted: July 4th, 2011 | Category: Matt Tracks | Comments: No Comments
Tags: Matt Tracks, matt wells, Matthew Sweet, Mumford and Sons, robbie robertson, Tegan and Sara, The Black Keys

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Posts Tagged ‘matt wells’

Matt Tracks Aug 8-14: Maybe I’m Amazed (by how good Matt Tracks are).

Matt Tracks Aug 1-7: Mr. Hurricane

Matt Tracks July 25-31: Fragile Blog

Matt Tracks July 11-17: Smitten and the man-crush.

Matt Tracks July 4-10: Alligator Tears.

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