Olivia Newton-John was my first celebrity crush. When “Physical” was a big hit in 1981 – a Jazzercise anthem – I was just eight years old. It’s probably one of the first pure pop songs I really loved. It was also the first time I was really aware of her and I remember thinking, “Wow, that’s a pretty lady.” And it made me feel kind of good, but simultaneously embarrassed. Continue reading
Maybe something good is coming.
Two and a half years ago I began my first review of a Dear Rouge show with almost the same line. It just wasn’t quite right. I misremembered it because it was from a new song they were playing while touring their first album, Black to Gold. I’d never heard it before, but I immediately loved it. I misremembered it as, “Maybe something good is gonna happen.” Continue reading
My exceedingly well documented Dear Rouge obsession started almost three years ago, after I bought their debut album, Black to Gold. That album brought all kinds of fun things to mind for me, inspiring my post on the Top 10 Things Dear Rouge’s Black to Gold Reminds Me Of. Not surprisingly, I love their new album, Phases, and it’s got my mind racing again. So here we go… Continue reading
If ever there was a year when we needed a little extra dose of happiness in our lives, 2017 was it. Here are the 10 songs that injected the most joy into my life, whether I was sitting on a train heading to work, walking around the city with my headphones on, or driving around town with my boys. Continue reading
One of my favourite moments in last night’s blazing celebration of rock at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre was not even a musical one, and yet it perfectly illustrates what this night was about. Continue reading
I was delirious with joy when I first heard The Beaches’ “Money” on Toronto’s Indie88. First, because it’s an amazing song. Second, because there’s not enough crunchy guitar rock coming from young bands. And third, because there aren’t enough female voices in rock – especially kickass garage-y power-chord-driven rock. Continue reading
I didn’t realize how much I loved his song until it popped up on shuffle today. The second the repeating eighth-note guitar pattern, which never lets up throughout the song, struck my ears, I actually felt tears of joy well up in my eyes. It was a completely unexpected reaction. Continue reading
