oh Canada pt.1 of 7. Lead in to Canada Day

      When I've had access to satellite radio, I always gravitate toward the 'Lithium' (90's) channel when I'm in a nostalgic mood.  Although the channel does a good job covering a half dozen or so bands, it differs from my 90's music memories because of its lack of Canadian content.

     During the decade when the powerchord underground and popular music universes collided and merged, I was spending 50-60 hours per week in a roll form machine shop with a blasting radio fixed on CIMX 89x from Windsor, ON.

     Radio stations in Canada are required by law (CanCon law) to have at least 20% of their playlist comprised of Canadian content.  As a result 89x played not only the mega-selling bands of the US and Great Britain but also under-the-global-radar bands from the home of the North Magnetic Pole.  

   With Canada Day, July 1, coming up next week it is time to spotlight what is lacking from any 90's retrospective filtered through American lenses.

    First off is 'Trust' by 24 Gone, a Vancouver band that very few folks outside 89x's earshot have heard of.  In fact if you google their name or read the comments on their youtube videos you will almost certainly see 89x mentioned by someone who first heard the band on that station.  The reason is that one of the DJs at the station actually was at the studio when their album 'The Spin' was recorded.  Then shortly after the recording session ended and a minimal number of copies of the cd were released, the record label went out of business and no more copies were made (until a reissue was released in the 2000's, mostly by demand of 89x listeners).  

  Next is a song from one of my favorite CDs of all time....Generation 6-pack by Pure, although the copy I have has a retro photo of  a couple of children (presumably at least one band member) one of which is holding a beer.  

  Lastly, we have 'Moment of Weakness' by Bif Naked.  Bif's Canadian credentials are not 100% perfect as she was born in New Delhi and adopted by an American couple before the family eventually settled in Manitoba.   Although settling in Manitoba should qualify you for bonus points and perhaps an Arctic Circle all access pass.

  Besides all the bands having significant Canadian pedigree, they also have a connection to one individual...the late Pure guitarist Todd Simko.  Mr. Simko was in an early incarnation of 24 Gone, a founding full-run member of Pure and he contributed his guitar skills on Bif Naked's first album.