Big in Canada

Bienvenue to an alternate universe of our own alternate universe of song. Lili Fatale were not big in Canada, but in Quebec they were as cool as it gets, and popular too. Jasamine White-Gluz aka No Joy is on the show to give us a peek into the world of music that was Big in Quebec.Also discussed: MusiquePlus, the influence of Cirque du Soleil, bands with many members, Bran Van 3000, the state of Francophone pop in Quebec in the late 90s, the long shadow of France, Francophones singing in English and much more.No Joy's new album Bugland is out now via Hand Drawn Dracula. Get it!

Whether in song, print, or on daytime television, Bif Naked is never afraid to bare the truth. After cutting her teeth in the Winnipeg and Vancouver punk scenes, Bif emerged as a singular, genre-blending, solo artist in the mid-90s. She played Lilith Fair and Warped Tour in the same year, has conquered cancer, and released a bunch of great records - rock on, Bif. Also discussed: Snow Job, Summersault Fest, Done With Dolls, the Canadian Circuit, and much more.

It's Big in Canada's first ever Summer Gab Fest! Laura and Mac somehow have even more to say about Wavin' Flag, wonder if Katy Perry is CanCon Coded, and talk new music from Ada Lea, Pig Pen, Billianne, No Joy, and Yawn. 

In this special episode of Big in Canada, we rank the performance of every soloist featured on the Young Artists for Haiti version of "Wavin' Flag." We consider their artistic merit, effort, and the flare they add to their lines. Who will come out on top? Who did not care enough? Who added too much sauce?Also discussed: "Wavin' Flag", the choir, snubs, celebrity charity songs, the meaning of life, and much more.

Bongos. Drama. Three Strong Words. These are just some of the defining features of 90s alt-rock band I Mother Earth. For Mac, the band's psychedelic and latin infused tunes open his third eye while Laura is just happy this episode is over.Also discussed: The 90s alt-rock explosion, Edwin's Himbo Energy, bongos, Canadian songs about California Hall of Fame, terrible album art, riffs, prog, switching singers and more.

Does Amanda Marshall have another GOATED album? No! But that hasn't stopped us from digging into the hits (and misses) from the latter part of her career, her 20 year absence from the circuit, and her triumphant (and joyful) return to stages across Canada forever. Also discussed: the Federal Bureau of Canada Day Concerts, SWAG, Neil Young vs. Lynyrd Skynyrd, a (not so) brief history of Canadian diamond albums in Canada, Don Was, over production, not caring about sound, pivoting to clown, the purchasing power of suburban moms and more.

"First Amanda Marshall album GOATED." Given this undeniable fact, we go track by track through Amanda Marshall, an album that features at least one, but probably 4 or 5 songs, you didn't know you know.Also discussed: Amanda's early career, Jeff Healy, not the Globe and Mail's list of albums "you should hear now", Barenaked at Blockbuster, Emily Haines...just shy?, the Christian to bisexual pipeline, Mark Spicoluk, album sequencing, Neil Young covers and more.

Bass is Base burst onto MuchMusic brandishing rap and music nerd credentials, with a sound that was jazzy, funky, soulful, technical and that you might almost classify it as hip hop. Did this Cancon super group (in hindsight) prove that hip hop could go pop in Canada? Laura and Mac rev up the funkmobile to find out. Also discussed: Barenaked in America, celebrity chefs, even more Three Strong Words, the meaning of "base", Lou Reed's Cancon connections, the "California" streaming controversy, Young Artists for Haiti's "Wavin' Flag", the days of the week and much more.

Lights has never had a mega hit, but she has won a bunch of JUNOs, maintained a cult following (in Canada and beyond), and has low-key been ahead of her time at various points of her career. How did this happen? Was it the Cancon connections? The confused aesthetics? The comics? Christ? The cursive singing? We run down the 5 Cs of Lights.Also discussed: "True Colors", Drake trending towards Cancon, Three Strong Words (Underground Operations edition), One Weak Word, MySpace, Old Navy, plagiarism, inspiring Taylor Swift, and much more.

In part two of our dissection of professional Canadian rock band Metric, we reach a final verdict on whether or not Haines, Shaw and co., are indeed Cancon. Can this FACTOR-funded, Juno-winning outfit overcome their deep desire to be cool and a professional NOT Canadian rock band? Seems unlikely! Also discussed: cursed Cancon artifacts, Brian Wilson, the albums of Metric, theatre kid energy, Emily Haines' bad wrap, periods, war metaphor, the spectre of Broken Social Scene, FACTOR grants, touring with Billy Talent and new albums by Jimmie Kilpatrick, Kicksie and Emma Goldman.