the poet’s playlist :

“name three of your fav/current fav songs”

for some of us there’s a connection between other art forms and our writing. i decided to explore one of these, music, which for me is a vital part of my life and a jumping off point or inspiration for my own work. this is another in a series of round ups where i send out e-mails to a bunch of poetry writers (who are either local or have a reason to be here) and ask them for a quick answer. enjoy the tunes...

Featured Readers at the pre-book fair reading on June 20, 2008, 7:30 pm
Carleton Tavern, 223 Armstrong, upstairs

Jason Camlot

Current (and frequent) favorites:

"Call the Doctor" by Sleater-Kinney
"Life is a Rehearsal" by The Country Teasers
"Supplique pour être enterré à la plage de Sète" by George Brassens

Jon Paul Fiorentino

All You Need Is Me - Morrissey
My Favourite Chords - Weakerthans
Everything Is Average Nowadays - Kaiser Chiefs

David McGimpsey

Alice Cooper - Novocaine
George Strait - I Ain't Her Cowboy Anymore
Beyonce - Irreplaceable

Mike Spry

Three CURRENT favourites:

1. "Strange Victory, Strange Defeat" by the Silver Jews
2. "Johnny Appleseed" by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
3. "Your Rocky Spine" by the Great Lake Swimmers

Stuart Ross

Note that Stuart Ross is also reading on the 20th. A CD of his poems has just recently come out and should likely be added to everyone’s playlist: “An Orphan's Song: Ben Walker Sings Stuart Ross.”

Ottawa Poets

Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm

My current favourite songs are:

"Waking Hour" performed by Laura Crema (i wrote the lyrics - inspired by the more than 500 missing Aboriginal women in Canada and specifically by those missing from The Highway of Tears in BC). It's from a compilation called "Dirty Bottom." Laura has an incredible voice. You can hear the track at www.myspace.com/kateriakiwenziedammthenswp

"snowblood" by Olmecha Supreme (singer is Captain Imon Star) from the Life Muscle album. I like a lot of their songs but this one makes me laugh so it's my current favourite of theirs. You can also check them out on Myspace.

Tied for 3rd are:

"1840" written and sung by Himiona Grace. I can't remember the name of the album. It's a song protesting the 150 year celebration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (in Aotearoa aka New Zealand). It's an oldie but i still really enjoy it.

and

"Please Hold My Hand" written and performed by Kinnie Starr. I really like Kinnie's ballads and this one is my current favourite.

Mike Blouin

When writing I listen almost exclusively to Miles Davis, Buck 65 and Matt Good. They all seem to share the same rythm as the stuff I write. Buck is just damned good, My Funny Valentine by Miles is endlessly fascinating and heartbreaking and Matt Good is a true Canadian hero. Matt has been such a companion in composition that I put him in the ackowledgements for my novel.

Jamie Bradley

Bob Dylan, "Like A Rolling Stone"
The Clash, "Spanish Bombs"
Leonard Cohen, "Famous Blue Raincoat"

Stephen Brockwell

52 Vincent Black Lightning, Richard Thompson

Broke Down Engine, Blind Willie McTell

London Calling, The Clash

Megan Butcher

this is how we kiss - throw me the statue
hit that - m.i.a.
peacebone - animal collective

Marie Clausén

1. fading maid preludium, composed and performed by Esbjörn Svensson Trio
2. Flugufrelsarinn, composed by Sigur Ros, performed by Kronos Quartet
3. Rites, composed and performed by Jan Garbarek

Jim Davies

"You Can Do It" By Ice Cube (Featuring Mack 10 and Ms. Toi)
"Pump Up The Volume" by M/A/R/R/S
"Push It" by Salt 'n Pepa

Andrew Faulkner

Date With The Night by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Furniture by Final Fantasy
Federal Mail by Justin Rutledge

Jeff Fry

Such an impossible task! But just for fun here are three that come to mind that i adore:

1) Vancouver by Jeff Buckley
2) Harrowdown Hill by Thom Yorke
3) Crazy by Tori Amos

Warren Dean Fulton

[note that Warren is a former Ottawan but has been in town so often recently i consider him an Ottawanian/Ottawanagonian]

Break On Through (To The Other Side)
The Doors
James Douglas Morrison

Heart-Shaped Box
Nirvana
Kurt Cobain

The Alphabet Lost & Found
They Might Be Giants

Danielle K.L. Grégoire

Hallelujah- Jeff Buckley (Leonard Cohen)
Leather- Tori Amos
Bad Feelings- The Robot Ate Me

Kathryn Hunt

My favorite songs change on a nearly hourly basis. But I'll put some down. Right now off the top of my head these three pop up:

Jerusalem by Matisyahu

Mary Ellen Carter by Stan Rogers, because I'm learning to play it on the guitar and still manage to usually play it about three times through.

Inner Universe by Yoko Kanno, performed by Origa - it's the title track for an anime series I really like (Ghost in the Shell, Stand Alone Complex Second Gig, if you really want to know.)

Dunno if those are favorites, but they're the first three that I thought of when I thought, "tunes I like."

rob mclennan

currently? currently is always current;

music is essential to my living, therefore writing (which is part of living)

today:

dan wilson, breathless
coldplay, viva la vida
u2, faraway, so close (a longtime fave)

Sean Moreland

Currently, I've been listening to these songs on compulsive repeat:

1) I am the Sun, by Swans
2) Wolf Like Me, by TV on the Radio
3) House of Cards, by Radiohead

(I've tried to steal rhythms/lyrics from each of 'em, too ;>)

Jennifer Mulligan

These are just three of my top 1 million (or something close)

Shine by Andy Stochansky (2000's)
Closer by Nine Inch Nails (90's)
Lay Your Hands on Me by Bon Jovi (80's)

Pearl Pirie

I don't know if I can see a cross-pollination between music an poetry but maybe someone else could? My top plays have a 3-way tie in iTunes for 3rd place...

Let It Go by Great Big Sea
My Give A Damn's Busted by Jo Dee Messina
I'm In A Hurry (And Don't Know Why) by Alabama
Fuck It by Deni Bonet
She Took It Like A Man by Confederate Railroad

Or to make it to two lists
fav:
Living Out Loud by Aaron Lines
Let It Go by Great Big Sea
My Give A Damn's Busted by Jo Dee Messina

current:
I'm In A Hurry (And Don't Know Why) by Alabama
Fuck It by Deni Bonet
She Took It Like A Man by Confederate Railroad

Or, in a mellower mood of afternoon

current:
Keepin' Out of Mischief Now by Dave Brubeck Quartet Brubeck Time
Gwando Deh (Mi'kMaq) by Sweet Water Women Sweet Water
Different by Tony Hightower

fav:
Creme Brulee by Vagabond Orchestra
Blue Alert by Anjani Thomas
Purple People Eater by Sheb Wooley

Rob Winger

Here's three recent tunes that I keep listening to in my car:

My Marie of the Sea by Jim Bryson
Tournament of Hearts by the Weakerthans
Papa Hobo by Paul Simon
tunes from Sufjan Stephens Illinoise album (especially "Jacksonville", "Predatory Wasp...", & "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders")
tunes from the Clash's first album
woops. that's more than three, isn't it? damn. and I didn't even get to Cash or Emmylou!

Andrea Wrobel

Breathe Me by Sia
Stay Out of Trouble by Kings of Convenience
Weird Fishes/Arpeggi by Radiohead

Sean Zio

"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" Starship
"Hejira" Joni Mitchell
"Generous Palmstroke" Bjork

Steve Zytveld

It depends on what I'm writing, actually, but here goes:

3. 401 Theme / Float / Condor -- nero

2. Low Spark of High Heeled Boys -- Traffic

1. Layla -- Derek and the Dominoes