31
votes
What were your favorite Canadian bands of the 1990s?
Always a fan of Sloan here, but I was recently reminded of Pure and have been grooving to “Spiritual Pollution” and “Anna”. So make me a virtual mix tape: What were your fav Canadian bands, albums, or songs of the ‘90s?
Barenaked Ladies are one of the obvious mentions here. Some of their biggest hits feel representative of the decade and they were able to churn out multiple albums with hits. Too bad they went crazy
What’s the context of this?
Cocaine. Paige said it caused problems in the band but also was found using again later.
Barenaked Ladies are one of my favorite bands. There were periods of my life where I probably would have claimed they were my favorite.
There was always a difference between Ed's songs and Steven's songs. I think the contrast of the two, paired with the songs that combined their voices and styles made the old albums really unique. After Steven left they really lack that second voice. I don't just mean as in his vocals, but the second ingredient that flavored their music. It all sounds very samey now. It's a weird sound too. It's like the songs were written for a pop country artist, and then given to BNL. It has retail store muzak vibes.
Steven Page has done some solo albums, and he's also part of the Trans Canada Highwaymen. I prefer his solo stuff, but don't hate the Highwaymen. It feels like he's trying to stick truer to the old BNL vibes.
I definitely prefer his solo career to that of the Post-Page BNL stuff, but I'm biased. I've always liked his songs better than Ed's songs.
I'm 30 now.. So I figure I'm in prime position to be a middle aged guy showing up to the eventual reunion tour in another decade.
I mean, they were Crazy from the start :)
I really liked the band when I was younger! I don't think they did much that was of note after the first few albums, but it seems that Steven Page put out an album not too long ago. I've been meaning to check it out.
They released a new album a few weeks ago. I've been listening to it and it's got some pretty good songs.
I really liked the Crash Test Dummies, in particular the album God Shuffled His Feet.
The Ghosts That Haunt Me is a pretty solid album too.
How about I Mother Earth? My favorite song of theirs is Rain Will Fall, but they did a bunch of other great tunes, as well. Obvious names like BNL, LEN, Tragically HIP. If you're looking for something kinda wacky, check out Moxy Fruvous. King of Spain is my favorite of theirs. I have this Spotify playlist that I think Spotify auto-generated or something? Some neat stuff in there, if you want it here
Tragically Hip for sure! We lost a true treasure when Gord Downie passed.
Oh man. I remember when an American on reddit brought up how he was somewhere on the east coast when CBC aired that last concert everywhere. He said he wished that America had a band that really brought everyone together like that. It was very touching for someone not-Canadian to say that but also very true. I really need to download that concert.
I came late to the game. I had heard them before but seeing them live at Sasquatch festival in Washington in 2006 really made it click for me. I saw that CBC concert at a bar. It was very hard to watch but still amazing.
There can only be one answer to this question.
Nickelback
I think you misspelled RUSH.
Way to cover for that huge faux pas...
Propagandhi
The Weakerthans
Two of my favourite bands right there! I def learned how to clean everything! There was a band from Quebec called Reset that I loved too.
The podcast Heavyweight uses The Weakerthans' "Sun in an Empty Room" as its theme song. Always gives me bittersweet (but mostly sweet) feels.
Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. The [not a surf] band that did the Kids in the Hall theme.
NoMeansNo was one of the greatest punk bands ever. Their biggest album came out in late 1989 but the followups were in the 90s. Here's a clip of them playing live from 1990.
Spirit of the West. One of the more underrated Canadian 90s bands.
Best feeling is being at a campfire and playing the first four bars of "Home For A Rest" super-slow on an acoustic. The eyes go off like popcorn as people recognize the melody, then you don't have to sing more than "You'll have to..." before the circle goes nuts and sings the rest. You only really need to play the fills.
TAKE ME HOME!
"And if Venice is sinking I'm going under, 'cause beauty's religion and it's christened me with wonder."
Surprised no one has mentioned The Tea Party. Such a unique rock band with the most interesting use of exotic instruments. I heard The Bazaar on the radio and was immediately hooked! Sister Awake is another banger of theirs. Growing up near Windsor (but still US based) gave me access to Canadian artists on the radio that never really hit it big in the States.
They had a few songs on the Big Shiny Tunes albums that @Handshape reminded us about!
The first 3 albums were very interesting and had great tunes. The last of the 3 was pretty much ripping off NIN but that wasn't a bad thing since almost no one was doing it and I think it was released not long after the Downward Spiral and a long hiatus.
My interest in the dropped hard with the later albums. I don't know if the lead singer just ran out of ideas or just wanted radio play but they were so shallow and poppy that they seemed like parodies.
Great Big Sea!
It was a point of pride for younger me that I knew all the words to “Mari-Mac” and could deliver them at speed without getting tongue tied.
Grapes of Wraith, Blue Rodeo, Cowboy Junkies, Loreena Mckennitt and 54-40 come to mind. It was an exciting time for the Canadian music industry,
I had never heard of Blue Rodeo. I like their best of collection songs on Youtube.
my sister was crazy for Grapes of Wrath / Ginger! Nettwerk had a nice little BBS back in the day.
Gotta get some Godspeed You! Black Emperor in here
And they’re still touring! Saw them about a year and a half ago and it was great
How about Big Shiny Tunes 2? Every track was a banger.
EDIT: Not a single-band album, but a staple in the CD player for road trips along the 401.
Just read through the track listing on Wikipedia - sounds like a great lineup (although only a few Canadian bands). I can see why you’d road trip to this! Also, there were 14 Big Shiny Tunes albums‽
Big Shiny Tunes...there's a name I haven't heard in about 20 years. Those albums were a staple of life when I was in high school.
Most of my favourite music from Canada during the 90s is metal.The first two albums by Cryptopsy are metal classics and I haven't found a tech death album that matches the brilliance of None So Vile. Obscura by Gorguts is another classic in the tech death genre.
I am fond of Voivod 90s output as well. Biomech by Ocean Machine is a pretty good alt metal album from the 90s. One Eyed God Prophesy s/t is a somewhat obscure screamo album from the 90s
The Tragically Hip.
Surprised that this hasn't been a top level answer so far...
Besides some mentioned here, back then I really was into Our Lady Peace, Moist, Age of Electric - then Limblifter, but there are some smaller ones I would definitely recommend. Rusty had an amazing album that, thankfully, someone posted on a website because there are literally no torrents of it. It's funny how much harder it is to find self-titled albums now.
IMO it's funny to see how many bands got progressively worse just because their lead singer either/or got so full of themselves/into drugs (Our Lady Peace, Barenaked Ladies, Moist, I Mother Earth...)
I just found Rusty on Apple Music. I totally remember "Wake Me"! What a memory rush.
Groovy Dead is pretty great also.
My absolute favourite was Mysogyny and Groovy Dead, but Wake me and Rusty Cage are also great tracks. I'm glad I was able to give someone else a memory rush. I can't remember what gave me the same thing but 15 years later I remembered that track I had to find that album.
The Flashing Lights are a great East Coast band and I can't believe Treble Charger isn't on this list. I also loved a local Toronto ska band spinecracker. But mostly because their live shows were so much fun!
I haven't seen Big Wreck in this thread yet. They are a really great rock band fronted by Ian Thornley (widely respected for his guitar and vocal skills), and they are still going today.
Here's a live performance (check out that amazing slide guitar solo!).
Just found a few more old gems while looking up the many, many recommendations here!
"Today I Hate Everyone" - Killjoys
"Watchin' You" - Hardship Post
"Surrounded" - Chantal Kreviazuk
"Hated It" - Thrush Hermit
"First Day of Spring" - Gandharvas
"Shine" - The Doughboys
"Hard Sun" - Indio
"Ali" - Jale
"What Is this Love" - Blue Rodeo & Sarah McLachlan
"Any Sense of Time" - The Inbreds
"Someone Who's Cool" - The Odds
"Wash Your Face in My Sink" - Dream Warriors
"Paste" - Pluto
"Beautiful" - Joydrop
"Sinker" - Mystery Machine
"Judy Staring at the Sun" - Catherine Wheel
"Karate Man" - The Super Friendz
"The Naked Rain" - Waltons
Thank you for reminding me that Indio exists. I'm going to give Big Harvest a spin again.
For me, Alanis Morissette is up there. Catchy music, often snarky and biting and real, and my older sister listened to her constantly, so I really think of her as one of the big 90s artists for me. I love "You Oughta Know" (who doesn't?), "Ironic" and "You Learn".
The Trews. Their album "House of I'll Fame" absolutely slaps. It's just really good, straight ahead alt. rock.
Hanson and that damn catchy mmmbop.
Voivod.
Wide Mouth Mason is the one that always springs to mind for me, their first two albums were absolutely solid and their next three, while more dance focused from their touring, were very decent. I think they're still doing something but I always come back to Where I Started (their second album, haha).
Our Lady Peace was a weird but fresh breath.
I also like Three Days Grace, though typically didn't like that type of music. I guess it's the lyrics that drew me in. I still play some of their stuff when I'm feeling back in that mood. And the radio plays it whether or not...
Finally, not a band, but Alanis' Little Jagged Pill album is on par with anything not-grunge that I loved in the 90s.