Every week, CKUA’s hosts submit their songs for our weekly House Blend playlist: an exciting new release, a beloved classic or just an old personal favourite. We mix it all together to create a sonic concoction that’ll help kick off your week. Check out what’s on this week’s playlist.
The Playlist
The Picks
Tom Coxworth: Buffy Sainte Marie, “The War Racket”
A song for the now time — a song that is still needed today. Why does this keep happening ?
Orest Soltykevych: Ashley Wass and Arnold Bax, “Gopak” from “Two Russian Tone Poems”, Piano Works Vol. 3
In 1910, the English composer Arnold Bax had a youthful fling with a Ukrainian girl, who brought him to St Petersburg, Moscow and Kyiv. His music was so influenced by this journey, that two years later he wrote two works for solo piano. This is one of them: a Ukrainian dance called “gopak” in Russian, or “hopak” in Ukrainian.
Meg Wilcox and Lisa Wilton: Reuben And The Dark, “Bobcaygeon”Meg:
Meg:
It’s hard to beat Mr. Downie at his own game, but Reuben’s take on this classic Hip song is a lovely tribute to the original.
Lisa:
During their homecoming set at the recent Calgary Folk Music Festival, singer Reuben Bullock told the crowd he got shivers the first time he performed this Tragically Hip classic live, and knew right away he had to record it. It’s a moving version of the song and all proceeds from sales of the track will go to the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund.
Cathy Ennis: Elizabeth and the Catapult, “Ambrosia”
Elizabeth Ziman is the singer-songwriter for Elizabeth and the Catapult. From New York, living and working in Brooklyn, she’s a classically trained pianist and, to my ears, a terrific lyricist. “Ambrosia”, from the fourth album, Keepsake, is deceptively simple, catchy and profoundly tender. A tricky combo to pull off but she does so, beautifully.
Baba: Lucy Rose, “Intro (Chartreuse Remix)”
Young singer-songwriter moves to a big city, a flood of new influences wash over you. That’s what Lucy Rose’s music is like. Full of discovery and newness!
Roy Forbes: Abby Lincoln with Stan Getz, “You Gotta Pay The Band”
A delightful track from Abby’s 1991 Verve-Gitanes LP of the same name, featuring Stan Getz – one of his final recordings.
Amy van Keeken: White Denim, “Moves On”
Super innovative and engaging four-piece rock band from Austin. The vintage(?) synths add a neat psych-prog dimension to this jam perfect for summer days and road trips.
Mark Antonelli: Clare Howick, “Bumblebees” by Cyril Scott
I seem to be on a roll of some kind. We had spiders, we had snakes, and now we have “Bumblebees”. The piece is more realistic than the more famous Rimsky-Korsakov piece and we even get stung at the end — be careful!
David Ward: Eberhard Weber, “Fluid Rustle”
Working late into the night a few weeks ago, I stumbled across an example of the new music that was typical of what CKUA was airing in the late 1970s on programs hosted by Bill Coull, George Vaitkunas, Mark Vasey and others. Bass, vibraphone/marimba, electric guitar, voices — magic! Still sounding fresh and innovative almost 40 years later.