Cubicle Tunes - Week of March 4, 2008

Oh, Canada! Oh, women! Oh, Canadian women!

This week, as I celebrate the release of Asking for Flowers by Kathleen Edwards, I dedicate this week's feature to some of my favorite songstresses from north of the border.

Be sure to crack a Blue or a Molson as you listen. So let's get to it, eh?

1. Asking for Flowers - Kathleen Edwards (2008)

Wow. Not much more to say than I already said here, other than I was up at 4 AM to pull it down from iTunes.

2. Slightly Haunted - Lynn Miles (1996)

Lynn Miles sings sad and beautiful songs - just the way I like them. "The Ghost of Deadlock" was one of the first songs I heard as I was being drawn into the contemporary folk/singer-songwriter genre, and it remains one of my favorites. Her show at One Trick Pony in Grand Rapids, Michigan is also one of my favorite concert experiences.

3. Colour, Moving & Still - Chantal Kreviazuk (2000)

Although I am a fan of all 4 of her albums, this one is my favorite. "Souls" is the highlight, with a gorgeous extended intro and the great lyric "Covenant, we will always grow, our skin will fade, transcend beyond all we've been told". Another favorite is "Little Things", where Kreviazuk's voice soars above string arrangements with lines like "Misery's turning my luck around" and "The past holds the truth like a lost and found".

4. All of Our Names - Sarah Harmer (2004)

Harmer's gentle voice can detract you from some very biting lyrics. See my earlier post dedicated to the song "Greeting Card Aisle". "Tether" is a pretty ballad of lament with lines like "Living this close to the road, you question your vulnerability" and "another melody is aching for a few pretty words to let it be". "Go to Sleep" is a perfect album closer.

5. Bound by the Beauty - Jane Siberry (1989)

Siberry can be eclectic (i.e. "Everything Reminds Me of My Dog") but she can certainly write some beautiful songs. "Life is the Red Wagon" is one of my all-time favorite ballads ("maybe it won't work this time, but that's the risk you take, and you want to take it). Other soothing numbers include "Hockey" and the title track.

I'm out-
KWass