The Esplanade Riel in Winnipeg, Canada, just before daybreak; walking to work, I stopped and stood atop a picnic table to get the right angle. Photo taken on an empty stomach, before caffeine, with an iPhone 6s, on October 7, 2015, 6:56 am.
Land Acknowledgement
This blog is composed on Treaty 1 territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and the national homeland of the Red River Métis. The clean drinking water that sustains those living in this place comes from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation and Iskatewizaagegan 39 Independent First Nation in Treaty 3 territory. The hydroelectricity that powers my community is generated on ancestral lands and waters in the First Nations of Treaties 1, 3, and 5.
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“I hope there are days when your coffee tastes like magic, your playlist makes you dance, strangers make you smile, and the night sky touches your soul. I hope there are days when you fall in love with being alive.“
– Brooke Hampton, writer
Welcome…
… and thanks for stopping by. I sure hope you’ll stay here for a while and listen to some music with me.
I decided to start off the year 2020 by sharing a song each day, from my music collection or music I’ve recently discovered. I spend a lot of my time listening to music and learning about the songs and bands, though I haven’t yet taken the jump to actually learning to play music, like my boys have done/do.
It’s not possible to share physical albums with you virtually, but I’ve come up with my own “liner notes” of a sort, as that’s how I recall listening parties from my youth: holding the LP, reading the cover and sometimes, if lucky to have a really chatty artist, the inside fold or sleeve notes, taking it all in while hearing the new sounds. However, my notes are often as much about memories the songs evoke as they are about the songs themselves. I don’t identify the people in those memories, unless they are performers or other public figures who have put their names out there.
And, here’s a plug for the artists… many of us know that streaming services pay artists very little money, so it is really important for us music lovers to support musicians’ incomes so that they can continue making their art for our sustainment and enjoyment. Go and buy their records/CDs from them at shows, from their websites, Bandcamp pages (especially on Bandcamp Fridays), the iTunes Store or other places where we pay so that musicians get some cash for their efforts. Buying gets money to musicians, unlike streaming which pays only fractions of a cent per play. Would any of us want to work for that kind of money?
While you’re here, why not scroll down this page to see my recent posts. And please check out my Index of Songs/Search page, to find something by your favourite artist among my more than 1,075 posts! Also, I’d love to hear from you if you have comments about my posts.
Maybe through my sharing of these songs and pieces, you’ll discover some music that’s new and enjoyable for you, and adds something to your life, too. I do hope so. It’s my wish that you’ll enjoy these songs as much as I do.
Thanks again for stopping in, and I hope you enjoy your stay…
Steve
PS: If this were one of my 1970s listening parties in my parents’ living room, I’d of course take requests! (My sweety has made a few already!) Let me know about a song you’d like to see here: go to the Contact page, or leave a comment in one of the daily posts. (The site will ask for your email; that just enables it to let you know if there’s a reply to your comment. I’ll never share or sell your address.) If the song is in my collection and I can think of something to say about it, I’ll post it. And if I don’t yet own it, I’ll check it out and you may just see it here…
PPS: On every post, I link to an official YouTube video or audio, or the Bandcamp or SoundCloud post of the song that I’ve chosen for that day from my music collection. I try to find official releases out of respect for the artists’ ownership of the music, but if I cannot find an official version of a song I’m determined to feature, I’ll use another as many of them are properly credited to the artist. I again say: if you like the song, please support the artists who created it. Thank you.
Latest posts (click on the song title to open a post)
Today, I’m returning to my Shazam captures from Saturday night’s installment of David Marsden LIVE. I joke with one of my friends who I listen to the show with that I could basically just post songs I hear on NYtheSpirit since Marsden plays so many terrific songs. (And he says, “Why not?!”) Many of the…
Today’s selection is one I heard on Saturday night on David Marsden LIVE at NYtheSpirit. The Marsbar played it along with others aligned with the theme of summer or the last day of astrological summer (based on the movement of the earth around the sun as opposed to meteorological dates). It hasn’t been long since…
Welcome to Classical Sunday at Song of the Day for Today. Yesterday, after reading a blog that featured a piece of classical crossover music played on the cello, I looked for some pieces for that instrument, a longtime favourite of mine. The piece I heard was played by the Croatian cellist Stjepan Hauser (b. 1986),…
Yesterday, I was looking into an improvisational jazz track that a friend had recommended some time ago but I didn’t really get into it (those who follow the blog know that I’m not a big jazz person). Maybe I’ll revisit it in the future. Anyway, I ran out of time to write a post as…
Content warning: Today’s song is based on a historical assassination attempt. Today’s selection is by English singer, songwriter and human rights activist Peter Gabriel (b. 1950). I’ve listened to it many times over the years, though I’ve always been more focused on the changes in the tone and tempo of the music and voice as…
My selection for today came on random play on Apple Music this morning as I was puttering around. I thought the title was a nice segue from yesterday’s post, so here we are… Today has been a really full day. At noon, I accompanied a friend to provide support at a very important meeting. And…
This past weekend, following my usual custom, I spent some time online with radio host and DJ extraordinaire David Marsden and his faithful crew and friends as he spun music and shared a few greetings and stories on Friday and Saturday evenings at NYtheSpirit. Saturday’s show, in particular, was a succession of fantastic songs, and…
Welcome to Classical Sunday at Song of the Day for Today. Recently, my sweety and I resumed watching the HBO series Succession (2018-2023). We picked it up again in season 3 and now, are most of the way through the fourth and final season. In case you haven’t watched the show yet, don’t worry, I’m…
Content warning: This post contains references to Canada’s Indian Residential Schools system. This morning, after a few tidying chores and while enjoying my morning cup of coffee, I listened passively to random selections on Apple Music. That is, until I heard the voice of the late Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, activist and frontperson of the…
I started browsing some heavy metal songs today but just wasn’t feeling the magic in anything I found. Some songs I remember from my youth are really dated with juvenile or sexist and misogynist lyrics that don’t seem right to promote. Anyway, metal is not a genre I know well, so if anyone has any…
Yesterday was a beautiful day. In the morning, I was busy on the computer with a fair bit of volunteer work, and then in the afternoon my sweety and I took off for a trip to the beach as the weather was hot and clear. It’s a tradition of ours to make at least one…
Sitting in the summer porch this afternoon with the warm glow of the late summer sun, I’m grateful to be cold-free and more mobile than last week. Coming out of a sickness or injury (or both!) is always a time to celebrate good or improving health. I now look forward to resuming long-distance biking, once…
I have often remarked on this blog about songs that have a call-and-answer structure within them. Sometimes, like in Roxy Music’s “Oh Yeah,” it’s between the guitars and keyboards, while others like Cab Calloway’s “Minnie the Moocher” have the audience repeating the lead singer’s lines. At any rate, it’s a favourite feature of mine that…
It’s been an interesting week so far. No sooner was I recovering from the brain fog of weeks ago, then on Tuesday I pulled a muscle or something in my back/hip, maybe when helping our grandson into the car on Tuesday (not our usual day with him, for those who remember that, but it was…
Serendipity is such a cool thing. One of my brothers and I talk about so-called coincidental occurrences almost every time we speak (which we’re overdue for, and last night, started sorting dates for a call). And it seems the more we are aware of them, the more they happen. Or is it like when you…
So far, it’s a fairly lazy day, sitting in the summer porch enjoying shelter from the late-summer sun. I ended up biking 55 kilometers yesterday, motivated by the three friends I met up and rode with. Today, my sweety and I might get out for a ride, or maybe a walk, we’ll see… It’s pretty…
On Thursday, my sweety and I took our youngest grandson to our favourite shared space, The Leaf conservatory at Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, Canada. He calls the place ‘Nana Tree as he associates the building with the dwarf banana tree whose clusters of small fruit capture his attention on each visit. We hadn’t been there…
Hello, friends and a very happy Play Music on the Porch Day 2024 to you all! I’m glad you’ve stopped by. Cruising through my YouTube feed this morning, I was drawn to the still image in the video for a song called “Darling” by the Ridgewood, New Jersey, USA-based indie rock/jangle pop band Real Estate.…
Another week has flown by, and one where I sat a few days out, still not feeling my usual level of stamina after getting sick two weeks ago. But this afternoon, Sweety and I are enjoying sitting in the summer porch, warmed by late summer sun. Good for what ails ya… Oh yeah… it’s the…
I’m pretty sure that at some point while going to shows and attending local music festivals over the past decade, I would have met the Winnipeg, Manitoba-based singer, songwriter and musician Liam Duncan, who since 2021 has performed under the moniker Boy Golden. Last summer, I heard a Boy Golden single, “Mountain Road,” and wondered…
With all the excitement of Sweety’s and my bigger summer plans now in the rear-view mirror, I’ve refocused on some of my hobbies and interests. While I haven’t yet returned to my usual amount of cycling after being ill last week, this past weekend, I enjoyed sitting through David Marsden’s 7 PM (Central) Friday and…
Welcome to Classical Sunday at Song of the Day for Today. A couple of weeks ago, while scrolling through a weekly music news digest by the British daily newspaper The Guardian, I saw an article about the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. While I’ve mentioned this orchestra once before, I thought I’d share a little more about…
I often hear remarkable songs in the car, the rare number of times we actually use it. Occasionally the CarPlay connection acts up, and there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason about it: sometimes restarting the car infotainment system works; other times, restarting my phone does the trick. Or giving the cord a…
Well, hello there… and welcome back to Song of the Day for Today! What a month it has been! And it’s hard to believe almost that much time has passed since I last published a post. I had planned a blogging break due to the wedding of our youngest son, as well as a visit…
In late May, when I was working on my post about the Bryan Ferry song “Slave to Love,” a charming love ballad called “Quiet by Your Side” played on my randomized personal station on Apple Music. The song is by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA-based folk rock/psychedelic folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist Jude Flannery. He’s an artist…
Lately, this classic medley has been made a few appearances on my personalized Apple Music station. When the American hard rock/arena rock band Boston’s 1976 debut, self-titled album hit the shelves, I was fortunate to be in a record store the day they were unboxing copies of the record. (Likewise with The Cars’ debut, also…
Well, the best intentions fell off the rails or, in the case of today’s selection, off the road? It’s been several days since I posted, and hopefully today’s song makes up for that. I heard “Caravan of Love” for the first time this past Friday night on NYtheSpirit, a little before midnight on Live Earl…
Sweety and I spent two days caring for our youngest grandson this week. One of his favourite places we visit together is The Leaf to walk (or often, run in his case) through the tropical and Mediterranean biomes in the beautiful new(ish) conservatory. Sometimes, we tour the outdoor gardens and visit a nearby totem pole…
Well, that was a slightly longer break than I planned… thanks for waiting so patiently for me to get back to the blog! The good news is our home renovation work that began in January is finally completed; well, except for a few minor touch-ups. We did a few extra bits of work like freshening…
Welcome to Classical Sunday at Song of the Day for Today. It’s been a hectic week, which will explain my absence from the blog for the past few days. This coming week is even busier, with four full days of grandchild care and three important writing projects (two of them related to our son’s wedding……
The Thompson Twins were a post-punk British new wave/synth-pop band that formed in Sheffield, England in 1977, though it wasn’t until about 1982-1983 that they achieved notoriety in new wave and synth-pop music. Or at least that’s how I recall it… It’s a while ago, but I have a strong recollection of being introduced to…
If you’ve been following along closely, you may remember that in mid-April I shared the title of a book I had started reading, This is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You (2022) by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas. You may be pleased to know I’m within 20 pages of finishing…
Content Warning:Today’s post contains discussions of exclusion and hatred based on sexual orientation. Two nights ago, I did what I often do on a Saturday night, and that’s tune into David Marsden LIVE on the internet at NYtheSpirit, and hang out in the chat room where the conversations are always interesting and often amusing and…
Welcome to Classical Sunday at Song of the Day for Today. I usually rely on the excellent YouTube channel Deutsche Grammophon — DG as they have a vast catalogue of official audio and video for their recordings. Today I thought I’d look elsewhere for a change, and I was pleased to find a beautiful piece…
The first video I noticed in my YouTube suggestions today was “Can I Believe You,” by the Seattle, Washington, USA band Fleet Foxes. Sometimes it makes sense to just go with the first thing you see, and let it take you where it does… I looked up what album the song came from and realized…
It seems like the stars, the universe and our planet have been recurring themes lately with some songs lamenting the state of the world with scientific evidence that climate change is evolving more quickly than ever theorized, and the stars a symbol just how small we are, yet at the same time, all precious. Two…
Our youngest son will be married in just over a month, and that means a lot of preparation is underway, and excitement is building. Today my sweety and I took the dress she will wear to have it shortened slightly, and I’ll soon be taking my best suit in for alterations (many of my dress…
I haven’t scrolled through my to-do list of songs lately, so went through and sampled some this afternoon. I landed on today’s selection, a cover version of the 1967 Bee Gees hit, sung as a duet by French Canadian singer-songwriter Bobby Bazini (b. 1989), featuring Canadian singer-songwriter Serena Ryder (b. 1982). I first heard the…
Yesterday was a fun day, as I went on a group bike ride with my sweety! She’s not nearly the bike fanatic I am, so it was fun to have her come out and do her first-ever group ride. She did great! A few weeks ago, I registered to volunteer as a marshal and suggested…
Welcome to Classical Sunday at Song of the Day for Today. Today, I found a video version of a movement from Symphony No. 3, Op. 90, by German pianist, conductor and composer of the mid-Romantic period, Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). Today’s selection is the third movement, Poco allegreto (which means “little by little; faster than Andante…
It’s great to get back to my blog after a busy week. We cared for our four-year-old grandson from Monday to Thursday, out of the house from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm each day, then on Thursday we also had the two-year-old with us from 8 am to 8 pm. On top of that, I…
Well, I’m finally breaking the radio silence over here… I had mentioned last week’s posts might be sporadic due to all the events I was involved in during Bike Week. (As part of the fun, I attended my first-ever bike jam, which was a ton of fun riding in a well-disciplined and joyous group of…
While yesterday was getting there, today has been the first clear, sunny, hot day in Winnipeg, Canada where Sweety and I live. It was a perfect day for cycling. I was out the door before 7 am to hang out for coffee with bike people until 9, then came home and did some work on…
Back in February, listening to David Marsden LIVE on NYtheSpirit, he spun a track by Irish singer, songwriter and political and social activist Bob Geldof (b. 1951) that I don’t think I’d ever heard before. “This Is the World Calling” is anthemic, with a catchy beat and soaring, angelic vocal harmonies courtesy of Scottish singer,…
A bit more than a month ago, I listened to today’s selection after seeing its music video pop up on my YouTube feed. The upbeat toe-tapper caught my attention and I sought to find out information about it and its creators, a duo named SISTERS. After searching for quite a while, all I could find…
Welcome to Classical Sunday at Song of the Day for Today. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to share music and words with you most of the past week. It was a hectic and eventful week, mostly cycling-related, with some organized rides leading up to Bike Week Winnipeg (June 9-15). So, posts this coming week…
The Icelandic indie folk/rock band Of Monsters and Men appears occasionally on a few algorithmically personalized playlists I play on Apple Music. I love the band’s sound, vibe, depth, and mood, and there’s a youthful creativity to their music that is catchy and inspirational. I’ve previously written about another song of theirs, “Slow and Steady.”…
I think there’s something special about listening to music by an artist I’ve seen in concert; especially one who I might never see again, as in the case of Scottish alternative folk singer, songwriter and musician Kenny Anderson (b. 1967), who goes by the stage name King Creosote. In my post on the song “Round…
I was introduced to the music of Irish indie rock/folk rock singer, songwriter, and musician Damien Rice (b. 1973) in the mid to late 2000s when one of our lads was living with us and going to university. I was drawn to the simple acoustic music and the husky-soft quality of Rice’s vocals, and I…
Every year, it seems spring weather means windy days, and in the past few years, these conditions have extended into summer. And this spring, the winds have often been strong. When I go cycling, I generally head out in the direction the wind is coming from so that on the return trip, I have a…
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Song of the Day for Today 