Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Dave Hodge's 100 Songs for 2021: Toronto Mike'd #954

Episode Date: November 24, 2021

The annual tradition continues as Dave Hodge unveils his 100 songs of 2021 after catching up with Mike.

Toronto Mic is brought to you by the Yes We Are Open podcast, a Moneris podcast production. Telling the stories of Canadian small businesses and their perseverance in the face of overwhelming adversity. Subscribe to this podcast at yesweareopenpodcast.com Welcome to episode 954 of Toronto Mic'd. Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. A fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer. Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. Chef Drop. Access top chef and restaurant prepared meal kits shipped across Southern Ontario.

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who's ripping up the GTA real estate scene. Learn more at realestatelove.ca. I'm Mike from torontomike.com and joining me this week to unveil his top 100 songs of 2021 is Dave Hodge. Welcome back, Dave. How many years, Mike? Several, several. And it's become an absolute annual tradition,

and I'm glad that this annual tradition continues. As am I. The enjoyment is in the music and also talking with you and sharing our love of music with others and perhaps introducing

new artists to new followers because that's sort of my aim in making this list and in talking and sharing music discussion from the beginning. And that happens every year, as you know. Absolutely. And here's some big news for the listenership before we have a little chat

and then we talk about your top jams of 2021. But I want to let everybody know that Hodge100.com so that's Hodge and then numeric 100 so Hodge100.com we will be updating that

with the Apple and the Spotify playlists for all 100 songs on your list this year. And you can even see previous year's lists there, and you can see Dave Hodge's 100 of all time. So let me just take a moment to thank the VP of Sales, Tyler, for his efforts in this regard. He's been an immense help keeping this updated.

Well, I would add my thanks to Tyler Campbell and to you for doing that. My all-time 100 was done, what, three years ago, maybe? At least. Four years ago. Yeah, about four years ago. It's not necessarily updated with all that has happened in recent years, but it stands for my thoughts at the time, and I shouldn't suggest that there be too many changes, but anyway, look at that, and then look at what's happening for years 2020 and now 2021, and realize that some of these songs we're talking about today would probably

be mentioned in an all-time list. So I look forward to talking about what I think is a great year for music in 2021. And as society has opened up, obviously the voices and the musicians that are now able to tour and are able to talk about some of these records in person as opposed to virtually, that's all good. Now, I should let everybody know we're going to hear the top 10. So Dave Hodge's top 10, we're going to hear these songs in this episode in their entirety. But of course, all 100 will be listed at hodge100.com. We're

going to chat about it in a moment. I have some questions from FOTMs and I have some questions myself for Dave Hodge because I don't want to waste an opportunity to pick your brain, Dave. But in fact, on that note, right off the top, speaking of the VP of sales, Tyler Campbell, right off the top, speaking of the VP of Sales, Tyler Campbell, he helps me with these, we're calling them Mikeumentaries. And we did one on Harold Ballard. We did another on the Team 1050. And there's a new Mikeumentary coming very soon that's all about the pen flip.

And I'm curious, what is your reaction? How do you feel about the next Mikeumentary topic being the subject of the Pen Flip, which, by the way, turns 35 years old early next year? It's not something that is the first thing that I like to talk about, but it's not something that I won't talk about. talk about. I realize that people are interested in the incident and what led up to it, my reaction at the time, my reaction since. So I'm not going to sit here and protest the fact that that you want to develop more detail. And I'm anxious to hear people's reaction to it then and now and to check and make sure the detail is correct

because almost step by step I can relive that night and other people too from various perspectives. So, yeah, go ahead and make it interesting for me and for anyone else that might want to hear more about it. The first thing you got right that a lot of people get wrong about this is that it was indeed a pen and not a pencil. that it was indeed a pen and not a pencil. I keep hearing from people who talk about that time you tossed the pencil.

And right off the bat, I have to say, well, a correction is needed. It was a pen, not a pencil. Okay, so we get that straight. But as I say, I didn't have to correct you because you've always referred to it as a pen. But just realize that a lot of people talk about a pencil. And speaking of the pen flip, the first question comes from Mark Fabish, and he asks, do you still have the pen? No, the pen was donated to charity and i am told oh i don't have the full details that it it produced a significant amount of money for uh somebody's uh favorite charity so

i um i'm happy for that amazing, here's a question from me. Rick Westhead. Rick Westhead is credited with shining a light on the Chicago Blackhawks sexual abuse story, and I'm wondering your personal thoughts and opinion on whether you think Sportsnet should have been more actively pursuing this story. I think we're talking about a rights holder

and certain constraints that everybody assumes goes with the holding of those rights. And it's a reality, whether we like it or not, that this is the way things go in sports television. However, I think some stories transcend those bounds and are so important that they must be covered and investigated by everyone who believes that they are reporting on sports

or are in the sports journalism business. I know that the term journalism drives some sports TV executives crazy because they think entertainment would better apply than journalism. But a story like this, I think, no matter be it TSN, Sportsnet, CBC, go up and down the list, needs to be covered, needs to be followed, needs to be investigated. Whether another network has the resources, the means, or the interest in doing what Rick Westhead and TSN have done

is a question for them, I guess. But kudos to TSN for supporting Rick's efforts. And obviously great praises do Rick for dogged determination in bringing this to light and for continuing to follow it. If there's some kind of prize, I don't know if there's a Pulitzer Prize for sports TV recording, but Rick Westhead deserves some sort of recognition that would put this at the top of really any investigative reporting that I've seen from a sports person in my lifetime. Ron McLean sat down with Gary Bettman on live television last spring and did not ask him about this story. And I'm wondering if you think he should have asked Gary Bettman about the Chicago Blackhawks sex abuse story. I don't think there would have been a response from Gary or Gary's response would have been, we don't have time in the allotted five or six minutes to delve into this subject.

So I'd rather not start because we can't get very far. far. However, I don't think that prevents Ron from asking the question and basically being shut off by the commissioner, simply for the fact that Ron could say, I tried, and here's what I got, which was virtually nothing. But not to try suggested in people's minds that Ron was either told not to, which he denies, or made a decision on his own not to try, which, yes, I would question. Peter B. would like me to ask you if you had any ideas you wanted to pitch

while you were at Hockey Night in Canada that never became realized. Peter B. adds that he loves you. Yes, I had when Philadelphia Flyers goalie Peli Lindbergh was killed in a car accident and was found to be considerably intoxicated, shall we say. I wanted Hockey Night in Canada to do, perhaps you could say similar to what Rick West had done, an investigation into what then was perceived by me to be a problem in the NHL with alcohol, with excessive drinking.

And the sponsor at the time was Molson, and I anticipated a quick no based on that. And I tried to sell the idea that Molson should embrace a report of this kind for the ability to emphasize the need for safe drinking, don't drink and drive, we are responsible citizens of society, and yes, we want you to buy our products, but we want you to use them properly. And yes, we want you to buy our products, but we want you to use them properly. That idea went nowhere. And I look now at billboards here, there, and everywhere from beer companies, alcohol makers saying this. it's almost a necessity to be in this business to promote the fact that the products must be used safely.

So I regret that Hockey United Canada wasn't sort of ahead of the curve on this and willing to deal with what was then, I think, a real problem. And people would have and could have talked about it, and the Pelley Lindbergh death was a shame, and the idea was to prevent another one. So that didn't go anywhere. That's an interesting question, and I don't think publicly I've ever answered it the way I just did. Now, Stephen Robert, I hope I don't butcher this gentleman's last name, Dave. You'll correct me if I do, but he says, did Dave Hodge get hit in the face by a pitch from Eddie Fainer?

It was a story I heard years ago and always wondered if it was true. Fainer. It was a story I heard years ago and always wondered if it was true. Well, Eddie Fainer was famous for being one of the great fast pitch pitchers in the world. And Eddie would tour with an act he called the king in his court, Eddie the King Thainer. And it would be a pitcher and I think only three fielders. And they would take on full nine-member teams and beat them regularly because Eddie was so good on the mound. And Eddie was an act unto himself. He would pitch from second base and strike people out. He would pitch blindfolded and strike people out.

And Eddie Fainer, the king in his court, played the CFRB, now known as News Talk 1010, celebrity all-star. We weren't all-stars in any way other than what we did on the radio, not what we did on the Diamond, but it drew a crowd at the exhibition grounds, the CNE, and I went to the plate determined to get a hit off Eddie Fainer. And that meant I dug in it at the plate and wasn't about to be backing out, bailing out, if anything was too fast, too high, too hard.

So there I was, stuck near the plate, and his pitch hit me squarely under the left eye. squarely under the left eye and why it didn't break my cheekbone or shatter several teeth or who knows. It left me with the blackest eye I've ever seen on anyone. It left me with no feeling in that side of my face for about six months because of nerve damage that luckily was my nerve, Luckily, my nerve, the feeling was restored. And later I talked to Eddie and said, how often does this happen? And he said, all the time. Because people are so anxious to get a hit off me that they do what you did, and that is nothing. So there were thousands of people in the stands and you had to be you know you had to be old you have to be old now to remember it but yeah that's that adds to my

my list of famous things that have happened well dave i'm astounded by how we can talk regularly and here we are how many times have we had a conversation on Toronto Mic'd? And I've got two great brand new stories I had no idea about. Like, Dave, you could have been killed. Like, you could have died. Oh, absolutely. As I say, a miracle. I mean, I went straight to the hospital, obviously.

I think I was, you know, I had to be checked for concussion and other things. But I was at the hospital in and out and back to a reception that was being held post-event. And it was there that I walked in with my face looking like it should have. And it was there that I conferred with Eddie, and he showed really no sympathy, which bothered me a little bit, and then just sort of said, yeah, you're another of my victims almost. But did explain, and I understood the explanation for why it happened,

did explain, and I understood the explanation for why it happened, that I was determined to get a hit off Eddie Fainer. I think a guy named Pryor Smith, anybody who remembers radio way back then, CFRB news reporter, did get a hit off Eddie Fainter and presumably talks about it to this day. But, um, wow. Yup. Um,

that, that happened. And that could never happen today because of lawyers. Like I feel like there'd be too much liability to put your staff members in, uh, in the batter's box against somebody like Eddie Fainter. No chance. Yeah, well, my employers, you know, they took a picture of me

and built a plaque that had, I don't think I still have it, but it said, if anybody needs to know how black your eye was, and of course, black eyes are really purple eyes, yellow eyes, all sorts of different colors as things changed. But my concern was that, you know, I couldn't drink or sip soup from a spoon for the longest time. Went to doctors and said, what can you do about this? And they said, well, unless you want to scar in half of your face, we can't or shouldn't do anything. And all we would do if we cut you open was give you an idea of whether the

nerves would regenerate or not. You're better to find out by waiting. Right. So sure. I didn't want to scar and I waited and it took six months but everything came back to normal. Wow. Okay. Shortly, very soon, I'll have Hazel McCallion on this show. Hazel's 100 years young and she will be the oldest

guest in Toronto Mike's history. But the current holder of that esteemed title, don't worry Dave, it's not you. It's Brian. Not even close. Could be. Brian McFarlane has the title right now. And I have a question from Stompin' Tom Songs. That's his Twitter

handle. It's Banjo Dunk, of course. And Banjo Dunk says, what is Brian McFarlane really like? Brian and I talked about Dave during our get-together yesterday, so I have the inside scoop on Dave Hodge. Apparently, there's lots of love and respect between these two Canadian broadcasting giants.

Certainly, Brian was great to work with. The first thing, really, that comes to mind when Brian McFarlane's name is mentioned, well, I guess it's Peter Puck. But the second thing is how great a hockey player he was at St. Lawrence University. And a lot of people who know Brian as a broadcaster never knew of his ability on the ice. And in old-timers games or whatever, he was able to show that late in his years. I last saw Brian at the last two years ago, I guess,

at the Hockey Hall of Fame inductions. And he may be second to Hazel in terms of age on your list, but he looks fantastic. He looks a lot younger than his real age. And I guess always did. Doesn't have his own hair. He wears somebody else's, but, but Brian and, and, and his wife, Joan is, is just one of my favorite people as well.

So lots of good things to say about Brian, but don't forget what he was as a college player, what a great player he was. Brian, by the way, is now 90 years young. So keep rocking. I hope to be there at some time. I don't think I'm going to challenge Hazel's record. I think she's going to be your all-time oldest guest, but I'll give it a try to be higher than where I am now, which is probably third. I don't know. Well, listen, it's a miracle we're doing this at all now that I've

heard the story of you taking that pitch to the noggin there. So I'm just glad we can do this at all now that I've heard the story of you taking that pitch to the noggin there. So I'm just glad we can do this at all. Ken Coward asks, I love this question, will Dave follow Brandi Carlile's lead and write a memoir? We're going to talk a lot about Brandi Carlile when we get into music. The answer is no. I investigated the possibility and found that publishers, for whatever reason, hate the word memoir and want me, if they wanted me to write anything, wanted me to write something different, something that I didn't want to write or wouldn't want to write. And it came to the point in a discussion with a certain publisher

that need not be mentioned, that they wanted to publish a book I didn't want to write, and I wanted to write a book that they didn't want to publish. So that project was discussed and has been shelved. And, you know, I'd rather talk this stuff than write this stuff, I guess, because not that I don't think I write well, but this is in the moment, and I have no idea whether a Dave Hodge memoir would sell. They have a better idea than I do because that's their business. And no, I wouldn't want to write a book that sat on the shelves and people ignored.

So I have other things I can do with my time. That was one thing that I thought about, but it didn't come to fruition. Okay, so we're going to segue to music here. And you mentioned, well, we talked about books there and a new book out. In fact, I had David McPherson on to talk about it, but he wrote a book about Massey Hall. I think there's another book about Massey Hall circulating. Are you going to be seeing Gordon Lightfoot at Massey Hall tomorrow night? Unfortunately not. And we don't need to get into a lot of details about scheduling conflicts and difficulty in getting there.

For lots of reasons, I wish I could go. But those reasons need not be itemized here. But, you know, I would miss seeing Gordon. I certainly would miss seeing the new Massey Hall. I'll do that at some point, but there's only one first time to do it. I was there at the last Gordon Lightfoot Massey Hall concert in the old hall. And as you may have read, Gordon has had to prepare daily in a regimentation that has taxed him physically. This will not be easy for him to perform, but he is determined to be there and to do his best.

And I'm sure the audience will, the emotion will be overwhelming when he walks onto the stage. And yeah, for all of those reasons, I wish I was there. And for too many reasons, I can't be. I like Cambrio's question because it really leads into the rules of engagement here with your top 100 we're going to start chatting about but Cambrio

would like to know how do you Dave Hodge stay current with your music? I have probably 25 websites that I'll check in on most days just to see what's being released, to see what's being reviewed, to listen to things that I think I should listen to, to make a list month by month that allows me to wind up with a hundred to talk to you about.

that allows me to wind up with 100 to talk to you about. And those 100 come from, I can tell you, the 2021's list of songs that I considered. The list is above 400. Wow. So as I see an album or a song that I think I should listen to and like and consider, write it down. Almost every day there's something that goes on that list, and then probably early November I'll say, okay, let's get it down to 100,

which sounds kind of funny because a lot of people would be trying to build it up to a hundred, but for me, it's the opposite. And again, we're going to play your top 10. We're going to play the songs. In fact, we're going to hold on to the, the answer to Keith's question because Keith wants to know if you're a war on drugs fan and what you thought of the new album, but we're going to put a pin in that because we'll spoiler alert. We might talk about war on drugs later. Oh, there's lots of spoiler alerts. We've now, uh, uh now yeah brandy carlisle is one more on drugs is two right um i just told you more than i should have

so with that answer so let's talk about songs 100 to 11 which again if you go to hodge100.com you get they're going to be playlists, Spotify, Apple, the playlists will be there. You can dive in yourself, of course, and you should listen to all this fine music. But maybe can we shine a light maybe, Dave, on the Canadian content that made your list? Well, there's always a lot of it.

I lean heavily on Canadian content and I think we should celebrate the greatness of Canadian music. I thought that from the beginning. In looking at the full list though, I should tell the people who are used to me picking a hundred songs from a hundred different from 100 different artists that this year some artists get more than one mention, just because I like them that much. And I didn't also rank these songs 1 through 100. 1 through 10, yes, you can hold me to that and debate all you want when we get to that. But it has always seemed to me a bit ridiculous to say,

you know, this song is at 59 and really should be at 54. So 11 to 100 are in random order, as you will see them. And yeah, you will see more than one artist mentioned, more than one mention per artist in about half a dozen ways. But let me get to the Canadian aspect in a bit of a roundabout way. As I'm talking about people's names that appear more than once, it will be obvious to anybody who scans this list that Brandi Carlile's name does appear several times. And I want to talk about the fact that she is a multiple Grammy

nominee again as of yesterday. But it appears on this list, she does for her own work, for her collaborative work. She sings a very give of the BeeGs with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit doing an REM cover. She covers the last song the late John Prine wrote. She covers Soundgarden. And not on this list, she is nominated for Grammys for her work with Alicia Keys and with Brandy Clark. And she's nominated for three major Grammys. And we will get to that

a bit later. But I want to stop here and ask you a question. Sure. I'm ready. If I suggested that the greatest singing voice of our time might be Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Whitney Houston, or Barbra Streisand. Would you pick one of those four? Wow, it's funny. This is in the shadows of the Adele performance that I watched, and I was thinking during the Adele performance that that is quite the voice that Adele has.

But Aretha Franklin would be right up there for sure for me. All right. Well, I was going to say that if you wanted to add to the four that I mentioned, you might want to include Adele or Donna Summer or Etta James or Lady Gaga or Patti LaBelle. But I'm going to tell you that you would pick a female voice, wouldn't you? Probably. Sure. Absolutely. Well, I'm going to include Brandi Carlile. The first time I heard her voice, it struck me that it was quite raw. About 15 years ago, she was starting out, but powerful and with such possibility for greatness as she matured and her voice developed. And now I think that voice rules just about every corner of the music world

in which it appears. And there are many of those corners. And once again, the Grammys have taken notice. And as you said, she's a best-selling author as well. So Brandi Carlile heads a list of many female singers who are on my top 100. And as you say, I try to recognize as many Canadian artists as possible. So continuing the concurrent themes of females and Grammys, I'm really happy to see that Montreal-born Alison Russell is a three-time nominee in the Roots and Americana categories, twice for the song Night Flyer that is on this list, on my list. And following your lead about Canadiana, how about a special mention of the Tragically Hip song that appears here? The tracks that went unreleased with the Road Apples album

did surface twice this year, magically. Once on the EP called Saskadelphia, and then in the 30-year anniversary deluxe edition of the Road Apples album. And I picked the song Not Necessary because it was necessary. It is always necessary to salute the hip again. So that is one mention, 11 through 100, that I think needs to be talked about when we discuss Canadian talent. And because this is Toronto Mic'd, we have a little bit of a bias

towards the big smoke here. There's a couple of Toronto bands getting a lot of buzz as well. Well, more than a couple, but Kiwi Junior that we've talked about in other years appears here again. There's a Ducks Limited band that I don't know a lot about other than the fact that I like what I hear, and a band called Motorists that did not make this list but could easily have done so. Those are three Toronto bands that have emerged recently. And I want to also mention, since we're talking about Toronto-based artists, that anybody who's been to a Justin Rutledge concert has left singing the song Jelly Bean. I'm going to call it a novelty song.

Now there is a nicely produced version of Jelly Bean from Justin's album entitled Islands, and Jelly Bean is on my list. And yeah, as I say, anybody who knows Justin Rutledge and has been to his show has sung with him, standing in the middle of the audience on a chair, by the way, no microphone,

and just strumming a guitar and singing a song called Jelly Bean. So look for that on the list. Anything else that caught your eye? Well, there's a question that came in. Mark was interested in your take on the Taylor's version, the takeovers by Taylor Swift. What say you about Taylor Swift and the Taylor's versions?

Taylor Swift. What say you about Taylor Swift in the Taylor's versions? I confess I have dismissed Taylor Swift for all these years. Don't ask me why. I guess it was, you know, I don't want to say she was like Britney Spears 2.0,

but yeah, I didn't pay a lot of attention to Taylor Swift. And until I started listening to all of these re-recorded albums, otherwise known as Taylor's versions, I didn't appreciate her writing. I didn't appreciate her singing, her talent, her intelligence. And now I do. And now I do. White Horse from the album Fearless slash Taylor's version is the song that I've picked. It's not a prominent song for anybody else, maybe, but it's the one that I like to listen to most from that album. She is a Grammy nominee as well for her album, Evermore.

So there's all sorts of Taylor Swift material out there. And the song All Too Well is, maybe should have made my list as well. But a good question. And maybe I wouldn't have liked Taylor Swift no matter how hard I tried back then, but I don't have to try very hard now. Love it. Last question before we get to your top 10,

because I know everybody's anxiously awaiting the big moment, but last night, so last night I recorded with Brother Bill, Cam Gordon, and Ralph Alfonso, and we dove deep into the origins of punk in this country. So late seventies, when punk comes to Canada, essentially, and we talk about the diodes and the viol tones

and a lot of great punk chat. I urge people to check it out. But I am now curious, after that episode last night, if Dave Hodge listens to punk. Well, because my son does, I always have. And I like punk to a certain degree. I mean, you know of my love of Frank Turner, and some people could consider him a punk rocker or a folk rocker or a rock rocker or whatever, and we're going to talk about Frank in a minute. But this list of mine does include another British punk band called Pet Needs that I discovered indirectly via Frank Turner, another British punk band,

older gentlemen, shall we say, making a comeback called the Wild Hearts that I recommend for any punk lover. The Dropkick Murphys are here. And so, yeah, I'm a punk fan. Not as much as my son and not as much as your recent guests, but I can handle some of that. And I've seen the Dropkick Murphys in person a couple of times and love the show and watch them on livestream.

But I would recommend from the UK, any punk fan, to check out Pet Needs and the Wild Hearts. Dave Hodge's 100 of 2021 is proudly brought to you by the fiercely independent people at Great Lakes Brewery. Speaking of fiercely independent, that describes Palma Pasta. Go to palmapasta.com for delicious Italian food. And speaking of family-run businesses that help to fuel the real talk, that describes Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of this community since 1921. Go to ridleyfuneralhome.com. And speaking of this community, Mike Majeski has reserved 200 beautiful full-size Christmas trees, and you can have one in exchange for a donation

to the Daily Bread Food Bank. Register by emailing mike at realestatelove.ca with Christmas tree in the title. Al Grego is a fantastic FOTM and he hosts a podcast called Yes, We Are Open. That's a Moneris podcast and he travels the country interviewing small Canadian businesses and tells their story of their origin, their struggles, their future outlook. Go to YesWeAreOpenPodcast.com to subscribe to this inspiring podcast. The latest episode features FOTM Stephanie Wilkinson. Speaking of inspiring podcasts, that describes the CEO Edge podcast from McKay CEO Forums.

I post a new episode on TorontoMic.com every week. Have a listen. Subscribe. Be inspired. StickerU.com every week. Have a listen. Subscribe. Be inspired. StickerU.com. Get quality stickers and decals online. StickerU.com. Upload your image. Order your stickers, etc.

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the real talk. Now let's get back to Dave's top 10 of 2021. Okay, here's the big moment everybody. Dave Hodge, I pass the microphone to you. In the words of the Beastie Boys, I pass the mic. Please unveil

for us your top 10 jams of 2021. Okay, Mike, thank you very much for this opportunity. And obviously, we're going to start at number 10. One of my best friends in the music business, the best rock and roller almost my age that I know, is Willie Nile, who has a song that puts on notice anybody and everybody who has let us down during the pandemic. Willie Nile sings Blood on Your Hands. Well, you can dance with the devil And you can run with the Lord And you can buy all the glory

That your conscience can't afford Yeah, but there will come a day When the pony gets played, when the goose gets cooked, when the popper gets paid. Blood on your hands, there's cracks in the walls of your best laid plans. Blood on your hands, blood on your feet, there's bodies piling up down the New York street. You can do the boogie woogie And the hippie hippie shake You can paint the town red You can call the truth fake

Yeah, but there will come a time When the whip comes down. When the papa is king and the king becomes a clan. Blood on your hands, blood on your hands. There's cracks in the walls of your best laid plans. Blood on your hands, blood's cracks in the walls of your best laid plans, blood on your hands, blood on your feet, there's bodies piling up down on Duloc Street. High, high, yeah, yeah, yeah Heaven can't count all the times you tried

To fill your pockets with your foolish pride And numbers can't count all the tears we cried But hell will remember all the times you lied and lied and lied and lied Blood on your hands, blood on your hands You can't wipe it off with your one-night stands Blood on your hands, blood on your hands. There's little old ladies dying in the heartlands. Blood on your hands, blood on your hands. There's cracks in the walls of your besieged plans. Blood on your hands, blood on your feet As bodies piling up down a good luck stream That's Willie Nile with Blood on Your Hands at number 10.

Number nine, you knew, as I said, Frank Turner had to be here somewhere. This is from a forthcoming album, February 22nd, I believe. And by all accounts, it is harder and especially punkier than usual. A single has been released that I would call more straight ahead Frank Turner. It's also a bit of a downer, the title and lyrics, but not the way it's performed when it is performed by Frank Turner. Here is Haven't Been Doing So Well. It's a day with a why in it, so obviously I'm over it I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired

And I'm trying not to worry and I'm trying being sorry For being born in the wrong place at the wrong time Cause I've been messed up, stressed out, talking to myself again Locked up, left out, terrified of everything Wound up, found out, waiting round for something to give Don't you ever wake up and suspect That you were simply never called out to be The kind of person they expect

The person you intended to be And I keep it all in with my idiot grin And I'm doing my best but there's very little left So call me some slack if I crawl back into my shell I haven't been doing so well I haven't been doing so well I've got a brand new name for an old old friend The doctor said it's anxiety

And it makes a lot of sense cause I've been so tense Some days I find it difficult to see Cause I'm hemmed in, penned out Struggling to find myself Caved in, cut down, scared of everybody else Dragged in, dragged out, searching for a reason to live Don't you ever wake up and suspect That you were simply never caught out to be

The kind of person they expect The person you intended to be And I keep it all in with my idiot grin And I'm doing my best but there's very little left So call me some slack if I crawl back into my shell I have been doing so well Can you tell? If that clothing was a sport, I'd be Muhammad Ali

Cause I can sting like a butterfly and sink like a bee But they don't hand out medals to monsters like me Oh well, I haven't been doing so well Maybe I could do some help I haven't been doing so well Or maybe I could do some help Cause everyday I wake up and suspect That I was simply never gonna be The kind of person they expect

The person I intended to be. Because I'm not Joe Strummer, not Muhammad Ali. Not a teacher, not a builder, just uncomfortable me. And maybe, just maybe, I'll admit that I could use a little help. I've been doing so well. That's Frank Turner at number nine. We move to number eight. And, Mike, there's usually one song title that I find myself singing

or humming or whistling more than any other in a given year. And this year it is a 20-year-old John Hyatt song, redone by John Hyatt with the Jerry Douglas Band, Jerry Douglas being the world's greatest dobro player. So this is a bluegrass-y version of John Hyatt's All the Lilacs in Ohio. We met her there on the New York City stand You were throwing up on your shoe Trying to write the great book Well, it really had you shook

With a bad case of wintertime blue. So he drank her down to the ragged side town, shared a taxi to carry her home. Then she left her handkerchief there beside you on the sea, as if to emphasize that you were all alone Smelled like springtime when you were just a boy And all the lilacs in Ohio All the lilacs in Ohio There you go In the city streets in the dirty winter snow And all the lilacs in Ohio

Ohio Well she is not love snow All the light lights in Ohio Ohio Well she is the love story you speak of when you talk to Sam at the bar But it's in the details, your story often fails, you're close

but no cigar You might see your worn ass In a double whiskey glass But you cannot erase her smile And you'll never write it down Never find her in this town Of phantom dreams and fingernail vines

It was springtime And you were just a boy And all the lilacs in Ohio All the lilacs in Ohio There you go In the city streets in the dirty winter snow All the lilacs in Ohio Ohio, Ohio So you pin your handkerchief To clean white linen sheets

And you unmake your bed and crawl in. You imagine her there, and you're tangled in her hair, and she smells like flowers again. And it's springtime, and you are just a boy. All the lilacs in Ohio All the lilacs in Ohio There you go In the city streets in the dirty winter snow All the lilacs in Ohio

Ohio John Hyatt, Jerry Douglas Band, number eight with all the Lilacs in Ohio. Number seven, Mike, I won't ask how old you are, but anybody old enough to remember one of 1993's biggest hits will remember a song called Mr. Jones by Counting Crows. I like that song, not so much anything else by Counting Crows. I like that song, not so much anything else by Counting Crows then or since until now. I surprised myself by liking this so much. And maybe it helped that Frank Turner did a tour with Counting Crows and he raved about them. And I do so now about this particular song. Number seven is by Counting Crows, Bobby and the Rat Kings.

I'm an elevator kid pushing buttons when I want to go home My generation hasn't even got a name of its own We just buy what the TV sells And it almost never stopped wishing we were somebody else But tonight in the dark I can be myself When Bobby and the Rat Kings come to play We'll make them stay, we'll make them play I'll play till the stars all fade

We'll make them stay till dawn We'll make them play all night Till the light like we never see nothing Like we'll never see anybody ever again When the Rat Kings go away, it'll never be the same See, it tried to edit Reddit, instead it said it had eaten her phone She goes from Tinder to sender till she remembers she's a flame of her own. You can almost lose your heart.

Hoping for something better till it tears you apart. While the days get longer and this night won't start. When Bobby and the Rat Kings come to play. We'll make them stay. We'll make them play. I'll play till the stars all fade. We'll make them stay, we'll make them play all night Till the stars all fade, we'll make them stay till dawn We'll make them play all night, till the light like we never see nothing Like we'll never see anybody ever again And when the rat kings go away, we'll never be the same again

Oh, again Joey's gotta run for the train Says he's trying to make it back to the city by ten And Mike's on his bike with a motor running I told him trains were running all night right then In the moonlit town after the bridge fell down There were fires and we lost some power So we all dressed up for the ramble And ran those streets long past the witching hour

I saw Dorothy in drag Taking a tin man for a ride And then Z the cat said she knew where to go And then Zee the cat said she knew where to go Then she kissed me without a thought Said sometimes memories are all that we got So come on boy, let's make some at the show. There's some leather wrap fender strap kid with a pick finger twitch. He's got a recipe for radio rain, I don't know which.

rain, I don't know which In the shadows when the lights are down The cinder kids flare while they twist and shout With the sparks in the dark That'll never go out So Bobby and the

Rat Kings come to play We'll make them stay We'll make them play I all night till the stars all fade. We'll make them stay till dawn. We'll make them play all night till the light, like we never see nothing,, we'll never be the same So say hey when the Rat Kings, when the Rat Kings, when the Rat Kings go away Say hey when the Rat Kings, when the Rat Kings, when the Rat Kings go away Say hey when the Rat Kings go away, when kings go away When they go away Say hey! When the rat kings go away We'll never be the same

Again Again Oh, again Again Again Again Number seven was Counting Crows, Bobby and the Rat Kings. Hope you like that. Kind of came out of left field for me. Number six, I saved the top ten spot for my friends from the UK. The great

band, you can call them a punk band I guess, called Skinny Lister. They are mentioned a couple of other times on my list but this song is my favorite because it speaks to every parent who gazes at a baby's eyes and realizes that is

where the joy really comes from. Dan and Lorna are the husband and wife lead singers of Skinny Lister and the proud parents of daughter Bonnie, who will be two years old in a few months. So enough said. This, I think, speaks for itself. Bonnie's Eyes by Skinny Lister. I find myself in, well where do I begin? Always looking for something that couldn't be found It could never be found

Till she wisely advised me to live further now Gotta live further now Saw the world, tried to drink it dry Still there's nothing like My Bonnie's eyes Glory days Running free and wide And nothing makes me smile

Like Bonnie's eyes It's unfair to declare that I've been everywhere That I've been everywhere But of hotels and motels where I've had my share I've had more than my share All the miles that I fly in the search for the truth in the search for the truth all the while seems that i was just looking for you i was waiting for you saw the world try to drink it dry still there's nothing like

Still there's nothing like my Bonnie's eyes Glory days, running free and white Nothing makes me smile like Bonnie's eyes I didn't know that I needed this Now it's so blindingly obvious saw the world try to drink it dry still there's nothing like upon his eyes Still there's nothing like My pony's eyes Glory days

Running free and wide Nothing makes me smile I feel more alive Nothing makes me smile Like Bonnie's eyes That's Skinny Lister and Little Bonnie at number six. Number five is from a Blue Rodeo album to be released soon, December 3rd, I believe. This is one of the singles from it, and I picked it because I think it rocks harder

than I've ever heard Blue Rodeo rock. And that's a good thing for any band once in a while where I'm concerned. So here is Blue Rodeo at number five with Criticize. Criticize. Criticize. Was I for real or just all talk? I knew my way but I got lost I had a dream but I forgot Was I for real or just all talk?

My destination within reach Burning blisters on my feet But I got careless and I stumbled I saw the palace as it crumbled Now I can't believe Anything my eyes have seen Sparkling blue, true disguise Please don't you criticize Criticize

Criticize You criticize, criticize, criticize guitar solo My limitations reveal My destination but a blur Now I can't believe A single word that I've heard Now I can't believe Anything my eyes have seen Sparkling blue to the skies

Please don't you criticize Criticize Criticize Criticize Criticized, criticized, criticized Now I can't believe anything my eyes have seen Sparkling blue, true disguise Please, don't you criticize Criticize Criticize Don't you criticize, criticize Criticize

Criticize Criticize Blue Rodeo at 5 with Prita Size number 4 is by the Felice Brothers. It is called Jazz on the Autobahn, and there is so much going on here with music and lyrics and themes of the apocalypse and what might lie ahead. So much going on here that I shouldn't try to dissect it further, but pay attention to the sax riff.

I think it'll grab you. Jazz on the Audubon by the Felice Brothers. One, two, three. He drove in a doomed Corvette Helen was in the passenger seat Eating melon and spitting out the seeds Feeling happy to be alone But still turning her saxophone It's cold as stone, kinda like

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh She said this is what the apocalypse will look like Tornado with human eyes Poisoned birdbaths and torrents of chemical rain Like the heads of state hyperventilating in clouds of methane Sundown on the human heart The sun down on the human heart And this is what the apocalypse will sound like

But it'll be loud as a mushroom cloud It'll sound like Final Jeopardy But somehow be ghostly like a glockenspiel Like the testing of bombs Or the tapping of stiletto heels. It'll sound like jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz on the Autobahn. It'll sound like jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz on the Autobahn. The sheriff disagreed

He tried to make a distinction between death and extinction They stopped off at a place called Hamburger Heaven to grab a bite to eat But Helen had no appetite, she just drank a 7-Up while the sheriff tapped his coffee cup to a distant beat kinda like Ooh ooh ooh ooh Ooh ooh ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh It won't look like those old frescoes, man, I don't think so There'll be no angels with swords, man, I don't think so

No jubilant beings in the sky above, man, I don't think so And it won't look like those old movies, neither There'll be no drag racing over the bombed-out streets, neither. No shareholders will be orbiting the Earth's man, neither. It'll be hard to recognize each other through our oxygen masks. The successful sons of businessmen will set their deaths on fire like the five-star generals of the free world leap in the oil choke tide it won't sound like jazz jazz jazz jazz jazz on the auto line it won't sound like jazz jazz jazz jazz jazz on the auto line

they agreed to disagree they zoomed off in a doomed corvette the sheriff couldn't recall feeling this way his entire life as he drove through the principalities of unreality on the run with somebody else's wife the heiress of Texas oil What is freedom, you thought? Is it to be empty of desire? Is it to find everything I've lost or have been in search of? Or is it to return to the things to which there is no more returning?

Does it feel like jazz? Jazz, jazz, jazz To return to the things to which there's no more returning Does it feel like jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz on the auto-pond? Does it feel like jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz on the auto-pond? Does it feel like jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz on the Autobahn. I feel like jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz on the Autobahn. I feel like jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz on the auto bar. I feel like jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz on the auto bar. That is, those are the Felice Brothers at number three. They're on the list further down as well,

with another great song that almost beat this one out. Number, number... That was four. Felice Brothers at number four, right? Sorry. Hey, I was going to get the countdown wrong somehow, but that's not bad. Anyway, now we're at number three.

It does require some setup. I do like to discover new artists, as I've said, and spread the word and see if anybody else likes them. And this singer's name is Shea Martin Lovett. He is from Boone, North Carolina. And everybody who has heard the album Scatter and Gather Comes back to me with Hey, I can't stop listening to this

And one very close friend said I can't tell you why But I hardly listen to anything else Because this guy is just so easy To listen to over and over again This is the title track from the album Scatter and Gather, Shea Martin Lovett. We are now at Upper Session Road Yet it moved you. Not a moment goes in vain. When one play can change the game.

You've been living this way. It's on display. It's in the air. No time here to be afraid. Don't believe the masquerade. When where we've been. We are now at Upper Session Road When you sang pretty river, I was falling back in Twilight draped her dress across the pool You're the one I try to draw, every perfect little flaw No matter where I've gone

That image takes me home from anywhere No time here to be afraid Don't believe the masquerade When where we've been wears us thin We scatter and gather again Scatter and gather We are now at Upper Session Road can change the game. We've been living this way. It's on display. It's in the air. It's in the air.

Scatter and gather. Gather and gather. Okay, now you know who Shea Martin Lovett is, and I hope you love it. Number two is by a rock band that produces sound that goes from your head to your toes and back again, probably like no other that I know, if you happen to be in the right seat in the right venue. The band is The War on Drugs from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are to play two sold-out Toronto shows at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in February. This is not the song you hear most often from the latest album,

and it was a tough call not to go with the title track, which is I Don't Live Here Anymore. But my number two is Change by The War on Drugs. We are now at Upper Session Road To try and get to you Tell me everything that you need I've been trying so hard Ain't got no time to lose Tell me anything that you need to open the door To desperate men Easily could run from the start When you're falling I've been driving on the west side again And the rain keeps pouring down

Finally figured out my way And the rain keeps pouring down Finally figured out my way I've been living on the run cause I can't find That thing that holds and binds us tight I'm out here dying in the heat Oh, what am I to find? Yeah, you only open the door To desperate men Who easily could run from the start

Sheltered and dead I hear your call Crawl inside and wait for the fall Shelter in the doorway from rising storms Caution in the darkness Where we have fallen How can I replace it? What can be lost? I don't wanna change I'll rise above it There's so many ways our love could make it through

But it's so damn hard to make that change Maybe I was born too late For this lonely freedom fight Maybe I was born in the wrong way Maybe born on the wrong day Thank you. សូវាប់បានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបានបា Thank you. War on Drugs at number two and number one will be introduced quite simply because lots of time was taken earlier. So drum roll roll please. Nominated for Grammys in the categories of

Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Pop Solo Performance of the Year, Brandi Carlile with Right on Time. Right on Time. Come back now Even if you call me out

You might be angry now Of course you are I'm scared too Didn't mean to take it out on you I know I always do You're the strongest person in the room Turn back time Help me to rewind and we can find ourselves again

It's not too late, either way I'll lose you in these silent days It wasn't right, but it was right on time Don't look down, I can feel it when your heart starts pounding It's beyond your control, you know it is It's getting to the point where I can't carry on I've never held my breath, look why it there's an eye Don't take it back, I did what I had to do

I did what I had to do It's not too late Either way I lose you in these silent days It wasn't right But it was right On time But it was right on time It's not too late Either way I'd lose you in these silent days

It wasn't right But it was right on time Mike, I'm not that big a fan of the Grammys, except when they get it right. So I am hoping that Brandy adds to her collection. And apart from her, the Grammys have also nominated songs from this list by Foo Fighters, Yola, and the aforementioned Alison Russell, and albums that contain songs on my list by Jackson Brown, Black Keys,

and the aforementioned John Hyatt, and different songs by artists on this list, Jason Isbell, Casey Musgraves, and Sarah DeRose. So I will watch the Grammys and I'll keep listening to everything else that I found great in 2021. And I hope your followers will do that too, Mike. Dave, thanks so much. I got to say, I thoroughly enjoy this annual tradition where we hear your top 100 of the year. And here we are recording on November 24th, 2021. That's also the day this episode will drop. That's also the day that Hodge100.com will be updated

with the Apple and Spotify playlists of all 100 songs on your list. And now that means I got to start my countdown until next year when you come back to deliver the top 100 of 2022. Thanks so much for doing this, Dave. I will look forward to 2022 and some of these same artists are going to appear there again, I'm sure. But you never know. And that's why we listen to music, new music, to wait and see what greatness is lying ahead.

Thanks, Mike. And that brings us to the end of our 954th show. You can follow me on Twitter. I'm at Toronto Mike. Dave is at DaveHodge20. Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery are at Great Lakes Beer. ChefDrop is at GetChefDrop. Manaris is at Manaris.

McKay CEO Forums are at McKay CEO Forums. Palma Pasta is at Palma Pasta. StickerU is at StickerU. Ridley Funeral Home, they're at Ridley FH. And Mike Majeski of Remax Specialist Majeski Group. He's on Instagram at Majeski Group Homes. See you all next week. And drink some goodness from a tin Cause my UI check has just come in Ah, where you been?

Because everything is kind of rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold But the snow, snow Warms me today. And your smile is fine, and it's just like mine, and it won't go away. Because everything is rosy and green. Well, you've been under my skin for more than eight years. It's been eight years of laughter and eight years of tears

And I don't know what the future can hold or will do for me and you But I'm a much better man for having known you Oh, you know that's true because everything is coming up rosy and gray.

Yeah, the wind is cold, but the smell of snow won't stay today. And your smile is fine, and it's just like mine, and it won't go away. Because everything is rosy and gray. Cause everything is rosy and gray Well, I've been told that there's a sucker born every day But I wonder who, yeah, I wonder who Maybe the one who doesn't realize there's a thousand shades of gray Cause I know that's true, yes, I do This podcast has been produced by TMDS and accelerated by Roam Phone. Roam Phone brings you the most reliable virtual phone service to run your business

and protect your home number from unwanted calls. Visit RomePhone.ca to get started. Everything is coming up rosy and gray. Yeah, the wind is cold, but the smell of snow warms me today. And your smile is fine, and it's just like mine, and it won't go away. Because everything is rosy and gray. Well, I've kissed you in France, and I've kissed you in France and I've kissed you in Spain and I've kissed you in places I better not name and I've seen the sun go down on Chaclacour

but I like it much better going down on you yeah you know that's true Because everything is coming up Rosy and green Yeah, the wind is cold But the smell of snow Warms us today

And your smile is fine And it's just like mine And it won't go away Because everything is rosy now everything is rosy and everything is rosy and gray Thank you.