Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Dave Hodge's 100 Songs of 2024: Toronto Mike'd #1594

Episode Date: December 6, 2024

In this 1594th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike catches up with Dave Hodge before Dave unveils his 100 favourite songs of 2024. Learn more at hodge100.com. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, The Yes We Are Open podcast from Moneris and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]

Welcome to episode 1594 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 Palma Pasta Enjoy the taste of fresh, homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville Season 7 of Yes We Are Open An award-winning podcast from Monaris, hosted by FOTM Al Gregor, RecycleMyElectronics.ca,

committing to our planet's future means properly recycling our electronics of the past, and Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today, returning to Toronto Mike to share his 100 songs of 2024, it's Dave Hodge. Dave Hodge, good to see you, buddy. Well, no COVID, no weather, no traffic, no Zoom. It is a pleasure to be back sitting across from you, Mike. And I look forward to this episode, perhaps more than any other.

The tradition continues. Yeah, we should probably lay out what we do here and how it works for anybody that hasn't listened before. I hesitate to call them rules, but I list my 100 favorite songs of 2024 by 100 different artists, mind you. There is something else added this year. I'll explain that later,

but we'll play some of these songs. We'll name some of them. And you'll get several reminders that everything can be seen and heard on hodge100.com. Thanks to you, Mike, and to the painstaking efforts of Tyler Campbell, whom I thank once more. I don't deserve that. The listeners perhaps do, lovers of music certainly do enjoy it. And I look forward to seeing the finished product again.

I don't disagree very often with you, Dave, but I would say you absolutely do deserve that. So a big thanks to Tyler Campbell, also known in our community as the VP of Sales. So shout out to the VP of Sales for helping maintain hodge100.com. And as we speak, as people hear our voices right now, they can go to hodge100.com. In fact, Dave, when I got excited seeing my calendar, oh, a visit from Dave Hodge, because you know, it's been five years since you've been here, but I did learn from hodge100.com

that this is the seventh year in a row we started doing this, your 100 songs of the year in 2018 and we haven't missed a single year, even though there was a pandemic, we kept it going remotely for a few years, but this is your first visit here since 2019 and shout out to Colin James. It's been five long years. Oh, well, the first mention of a song from years past. Anyway, I do want to identify 2024 as a special year for me and I think for music generally one of the biggest reasons was the Gordon Lightfoot tribute concert at Massey Hall in May there was so many notable performers too many to list I know that's what we do here we we have lists but I'd probably forget somebody so when Alex Lyson and Geddy

Lee of Rush play it at the end as surprise guests I believe it could be called the greatest assembly of legendary Canadian musicians ever on one stage. Now with respect to all the others the one performance that had everybody talking was this one backed by Blue Rodeo Gordon Lightfoot's Black Day in July sung by Allison Russell. Through the smoke and cinders, you can hear it fire and wild The doors are quickly bolted, the children locked inside Black day in July, black day in July And the soul of Motor City is built across the land The Book of Law and Order is taken in the hands of the sons of the fathers who were carried to this land

Black day in July, black day in July In the streets of Motor City there's a deathly silent sound As the body of a dead youth lies stretched upon the ground Upon the filthy pavements no reason can be found That day in July That day in July Older city madness has touched the countryside And the people are rising angry and the streets begin to burn And there's gunfire from the rooftops and the blood begins to spay

Back day in July At the mansion of the governor there's nothing that is known for sure The telephone is ringing and the pendulum is swinging And they wonder how it happened And they really know the reason And it wasn't just the temperature And it wasn't just the season Black day in July, black day in July, oh the city's burning and the flames are running wide They reflect upon the world, the river and the lake and everyone is listening and everyone's awake Black day in July, Black day in July, Black day in July Black day in July, the print with dresses turning And the news has quickly flashed

And you read your morning paper And you sip your cup of tea And you wonder your morning paper And you sip your cup of tea And you wonder just in passing Is it him or is it me? Black day in July Black day in July

In the office of the president The deed is done, the troops are sent. There's really not much choice, you see. It looks to us like anarchy. And then the tanks go rolling in to patch things up as best they can. There is no time to hesitate. The speech is made, the do's can wait That day in July That day in July The streets of Motor City are quiet and serene But the shapes of gunning bills strike terror to the heart And you say how did this happen? You say how did it start? Why can't we all be brothers? Why can't we live in peace?

With our hands on the hat, not keep biding our reams Black day in July, black day in July Oh, city man, as the tension of the country said And through the smoke and soot You could feel it falling wide And the doors were quickly bolted And the children locked inside Monday in July

Monday in July Monday in July, Monday in July. Thank you. I love you, Rodeo. I love you, Gordon. Dave, that was fantastic. Well, your reaction was the same as I got from just about everybody that night. A lot of one-word wows.

It was powerfully stunning, and I can't stop watching it, listening to it. And I'm glad your reaction, I'm not surprised, was the same as everyone else's. Now I have a story about seeing Alison Russell in concert in March and managing to meet her backstage. Here's how that came about. My wife and I were attending the concert and a few days prior I said at dinner, we're going to meet Alice and Russell because her music has enthralled me so much the last couple of years.

I have to do this because I hate the term bucket list but I need to do this. I was asked how, I said I have no idea. But I was determined, so one email led to a phone call, another email, another phone call, and I was speaking with her tour manager, the next thing I knew, who said meet me at the side of the stage after the show, and you intend to congratulate Alison

on her Grammy victory uh... that it was a message and i said yes absolutely and i expected to be in a line of twenty five other people who might have been doing somewhat the same uh... much to our surprise uh... mister mrs hodge were ushered backstage into a large room that uh... wound up including three people the two of us and

Allison Russell. Wow. In what amounted to a private audience for 15 minutes and it could have lasted a lot longer if I had been, if I hadn't been so polite to say thank you very much for for all of your time and I wore an Expos hat that you know well from here. I have it again. And before Alison and I ever said hello to each other, she exclaimed Montreal. And I said, I wore this for my birthplace and yours. We are both native Montrealers and

also for the name of the first song that I ever heard by Alison Russell entitled Montreal. So it was a nice way to start and we talked a little baseball actually and then we talked music and I said what I had come to say. on winning a Grammy Canadians don't often do that we talked her Joni Mitchell music in general and and I just got starstruck and and said I'd

I'd better leave I was so happy that I did it I've never talked my way backstage before. I've been backstage, but I've always sort of felt that I belonged. But I kind of like myself for what I did and the way I did it, and I'll never forget it. And I should mention that Alison Russell, as we speak, is performing on Broadway these days

in the Tony Award winning musical Hadestown which was based on a record by Anais Mitchell. So Alison Russell has made her debut I think two or three weeks ago playing the part of Persephone which is the title of another great Alison Russell song. If you weren't so polite, Dave, you might still be backstage chatting up Alison Russell. I can't say enough about the show, about our meeting, and about every song that she's written and sings.

And her life story is one that we have no time to detail here, but it's, I think it's gonna be the subject of a book at some point or a documentary. And it gives you hope for humanity, shall we say. She's a special person, engaging, It gives you hope for humanity, shall we say. She's a special person, engaging, isn't enough, a good enough adjective to talk about how lovely a person she is.

So, the year was special for many reasons. Going to now mention the amazing four-part documentary, No Dress Rehearsal. Maybe I'll chime in there, rudely interrupt the legend that is Dave Hodge to say that Alison Russell is quite the talent, but that Black Day in July cover that she performed at Massey Hall, Blue Rodeo, of course, is on that song. And I wanted to shout. Blue Rodeo of course is on that song and I wanted to shout out Blue Rodeo. I was at Massey Hall fairly recently to see Jim and Greg inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and that was a very special evening for me and as great as Alice and Russell is I just want to shout out Blue

Rodeo who continue to impress. Well and she mentioned obviously her backing band as it were for for that song but the hip. Yes. No dress rehearsal. As I say a must-see for any fan of the band and for for any fan of filmmaking I congratulated by note and I'll do it again to Mike Downey, Gord's brother for something really special. If you want to see it in one sitting, it's gonna take four plus hours, but I think that's the way to see it, as opposed to four different episodes.

And as part of the 35 year anniversary release of the album Up to Here, which was the first studio release the band made. And now in box set form, there was an unearthed song included on the box set release, a song called Get Back Again. Now it does get the first mention of this year's top ten for me it's number nine on the list and I think we should hear a new old song by the tragically hip and appropriate title Get Back Again. What's the deal with your dad? He don't even know my name

Didn't know he'd be bad Didn't know we'd been bad No one's dead to share the blame I didn't mean to do that She won't even come around Every time I look back Didn't realize that Every time I look back, getting realized that I was better off then now Mothers came and cried for April Brother Cain survived the centuries and All the time that I thought was my friend

We are right till we get back again Heaven knows you're alright They will never drag you down There ain't time to lose sight Getting lost in the light Is more than ever being found Mothers came and cried forever Brother Cain survived the centuries there

All the time that I thought was my friend Be alright till we get back again We never could go back I could never leave my home Why'd you change your face like that? Why'd you change your face like that? If I'd never seen ya I could always dream that I'd be better off alone Mothers came and cried for him all Brother Cain's a bop, the Santer is in All the time that I thought was my friend

Be alright till we get back again Be alright till we get back again I'll be alright till we get back again Dave, I, as you know, I'm a big tragically hip fan like yourself. And when I heard that song all, cause I had heard like bootlegs of it in the past, but they, you know, this cleaned up proper studio version of get back again. I couldn't believe it was left. I think it was intended for road apples and it was what are you sure? Because I think it was road apples and I think a member of the band said that the

song, oh no, you're right. Why would I ever challenge you, Dave Hodge up to up to here? It was intended for, but the song 38 years old was similar enough that they decided to pick one over the other and get back again was left off the album. But what an amazing song. It sounds great today. And it just blew my mind how good that song sounds. Well, Gord Sinkler says music never gets old.

And this could have been, yeah, this could have been a song from from twenty, twenty four. And I'm going to I'm going to say it is, and it was because it's on, uh, it's on the list and, uh, to be excluded from up to here, uh, New Orleans is sinking, blow it high dough. Uh, you can't put everything on it. And, um, I think get back again is so terrific that it's, uh, uh, that it's got to be on any album that they're considering, but finally, we get to hear it. We've heard it live a few times and on bootlegs, but terrific.

And it is number nine on this list, so I get us to a first mention of the top ten list. But we've got lots of ways to go. Right, but I've got to chime in to say you know it's an oldie because Paul Langlois, who does a great job doing the backgrounds on that song that Gord Downey's singing, sounds so young. Like when you hear Paul Langlois' voice, it's like okay, that's Paul Langlois from the the late 80s. And again, you and I agree, Get Back Again sounds as good as anything in that tragically hip catalogue. For this year's show, I decided to add a separate list of 20 cover songs,

like we didn't have enough with, with a hundred from, from this year, because there's so many good cover songs released in 2024 for whatever reason, maybe COVID backed everything up and people had these songs sitting around. In fact, the number one cover was sitting around for a while. Before we hear some of it, because it happens to be a Springsteen song, let me hear your 24 highlight if I can guess that it was that. Bruce, am I right? I feel like I'm late to this party. I've always appreciated the man, but I'm a little bit younger than you, so when I'm growing up this party. I've always appreciated the man, but you know, I'm a little bit younger than you

So when I'm growing up discovering top 40 radio, it's all born in the USA. So that's sort of I'm coming of age I'm discovering primarily on 680 CFTR. I'm listening to top 40 I'm hearing a lot of Bruce but it is born in the USA Bruce and it's great and dancing in the dark and born in the USA and all that stuff cover me all the Glory days. That's what I'm hearing. So I kind of live my life appreciating Bruce. I have people on to kick out the jams and often people will kick out a Bruce Springsteen song and I'm like, Oh yeah, that's pretty good. I kind of get it. But then I saw Bruce live in 2024, just this past month, I saw Bruce Springsteen live and I am so fully converted.

He blew my mind. He's 75 years old, has far more energy than I do. He went, you know, three hours. He was so amazing. I just can't stop talking about this concert I saw and I'm completely converted. I just hope he comes back again soon and I can see him again, take my kids to see him. I'm a Bruce head now Well, why wasn't I there quick answer because the last time I saw him I had the very best seats

I could possibly imagine and I said I can't beat this so No, Scotiabank Arena where I was sitting beat Wherever I might have been sitting at the Rogers center. And I might as well answer the question, why wasn't I at Taylor Swift apart from, uh, maybe the obvious that, um, the cost, what wasn't, uh,

w wasn't really being digested too well in our household, but I like Taylor Swift. I think all too well is a great song. The last great American dynasty cardigan. Uh, but again, I can't have the best seat, uh, for Taylor Swift at Roger's center, but I can at home when I'm watching the arrows tour movie for three hours and 20 minutes, which I have done a couple of times

and I appreciate again we're back to great filmmaking which I think was exhibited there but also the appreciation of Taylor Swift's talent is is best done when you can see her up close which I did on my tv screen so speaking of tv screens before we get to the uh the cover of the Bruce Springsteen song I have an eight-year-old who is a Taylor Swiftie, as they're called. Okay, so I have an eight-year-old Swiftie. I knew that. Well, you're a Swiftie, Dave. I know that. We played Lover on the program just earlier in the week. So I watched this movie as well and it's, yeah, she's incredible talent, mind-blowingly

great talent. But I didn't want to breeze by the tragically hip documentary without just just a little further coverage because I like you I inhaled this thing and I had high Expectations, but Mike Downey exceeded my expectations like this thing was so incredible the Discussion about Fiddler's green for example and some of that insight just I needed a tissue nearby Fiddler's Green, for example, and some of that insight just, I needed a tissue nearby. But what was really interesting to me was this talk of when Bob Rock enters the fray and how it fractures the dynamic of this band, these brothers from Kingston, Ontario. And it's kind of interesting to watch it and say, you know, in an alternate universe where everybody remains healthy, maybe they need to take a break, maybe what would

have happened? But the Bob Rock expose on this tragically hip documentary, I did not know any of that and it was quite enlightening for me as a tragically hip fan since 1989. Well the guy spoke so well and they spoke from the gut on a lot of issues. I thought it was terrific. Mike got everything the best he could out of, uh, out of great guys and great musicians. And Canada loves the hip.

I was asked by a major, what I consider a major U S, a star the other, the other week, um, greatest band ever in Canada. There are others to be mentioned and I think it has to be, uh, it has to be the hip. Anyway, back, uh, back to the list of covers. Um, it is Springsteen is done by Kathleen Edwards, whose Hamilton show in October was more powerful than any I have seen of hers. And I've seen more Kathleen Edwards shows than any other over the past 20 years.

She rocked and really rocked. That said, she on the Springsteen cover, with the help of Bahamas does not rock. Let's listen to Human Touch. Well the world just trips away Ain't no kindness in the face of strangers Ain't gonna find no miracles here Well you can wait on your blessings but darlin' I got a deal for you right here I ain't lookin' for praise or pity

I ain't comin' around searchin' for a crush I just want someone to talk to And a little of a human touch Ain't no mercy on the streets of this town Ain't no bread from heaven or sky Ain't nobody drawn wine from this blood It's just you and me tonight Tell me in a world without pity Do you think what I'm asking for is too much? I just want something to hold on to And a little of the human touch Just a little of the human touch That feeling of safety or price Well it conded a hard hard price You can't shut off the risk and the pain Without losing the love that remains Cause we're all riders on this train

So you've been broken and you've been hurt Show me somebody who ain't Yeah, I know I ain't nobody's bugging But hell, a little touch up and a little paint You might need something to hold on to All the answers, don't amount too much Somebody you could just talk to Can a little of that human touch Tell me in a world without pity Do you think what I'm asking for is too much? I just want to feel you in my arms.

Share a little of the human touch. Feel a little of the human touch. Give a little of the human touch. Okay, Springsteen fan, way in. Excellent. Now that is some Bruce I remember. That's the follow-up to, that's from the follow-up album to Born in the USA and well done Kathleen Edwards and it just reminds me I got to get Kathleen Edwards on Toronto Mic today. She's long overdue. That's one single, uh, recorded a bunch of other covers. They're coming out one at a time. People are asking when, when, when's the last one? And, uh, she told me that it'll be available on vinyl once they're all there.

But another one is my favorite John Prine song, which is out. Hello in there. Uh, and crawling back to you by Tom Petty has been released. A human touch was the first, uh, so-called favorite John Prine song, which is out. Hello in there. Oh yeah. Uh, and crawling back to you by Tom Petty has been released, a human touch was the first, uh, so-called single of a bunch of singles. Now, Mike, with your patient permission, uh, I'd like to mention some other shows that I attended and or hosted

or introed this year. And it allows me to, uh, to mention some of the songs that are on the list at the same time in my role at Redstone Winery. They called me a co-presenter this year. We had Sam Roberts, Ron Sexsmith, Elliot Brood on this year's list with, uh, out of time and Joel Plaskett on this year's top 10 with Rainy Day Janey.

And I, uh, I should not forget, uh, just, uh, last week, Royal Wood was there, uh, indoors, of course, otherwise we're all outdoors and Pretzel Logic, which is a Toronto based Steely band cover band, uh, Steely Dan cover band, uh, is an annual, uh, visitor to Redstone and sells out every year. Um, so that was 2024 at Redstone, a great, great, great lineup at Taws Winery, Jim Cuddy, uh, top 10 on my list this year with, um, really a poignant song called impossible written about and for the family of John Mann the beloved

singer of spirit of the West who died far too young I had not seen or heard Justin Rutledge in a while his song good man top this list in 2019 saw him at Jackson Triggs winery in 2024 he never sounded better. I saw rural Alberta advantage there. This is why they call themselves RAA, much easier to say. I saw Rustin Kelly at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern, number one here in 2020 with Radio Cloud, which he didn't sing that night.

That's his choice. He's on this year's list also with the watcher. Actually he's on twice, a little bit of a shady, uh, rule break here because so is Katie Pruitt and we're going to have more on her later. Leave that with me. Um, I'll cue you, but Rustin Kelly and Katie Pruitt combined on a, on a single called stand Still, and I couldn't leave it out.

I'd like to praise the hell out of a 5,000 seat theater at Falls View Casino. It's called the OLG Stage. If you haven't been there, what a venue. I saw Jason Isbell in the 400 unit there, and he's got a Tom Petty song on my cover list here. Also it falls you at the smaller Avalon theater I saw Cat Power do Bob Dylan's 1966 Royal Albert Hall show from front to back as she has done on record a cut from that was top 10 here last year, Ballad of a Thin Man. I would pay to hear you sing Dylan, like really.

How much would you pay? Taylor Swift prices? More, more. Now speaking of Dylan, I want you to watch out for the film. I don't know if you know about it. Is it The Chalamet? It is. Yeah. The film A Complete Unknown. It is due in theaters, I believe December 25th. I don't know how widespread the release is, but Timothy Chalamet is an Oscar contender, if not favorite. I have not entered a movie theater in many, many years. I will see A Complete Unknown as soon as I can after Christmas. Well, I'm highly anticipating that release.

And I'm going to just shout out a movie I heard is in development on younger Bruce Springsteen's life. And the gentleman playing Bruce is the, I've got to Google his name, but the gentleman from The Bear. So the star of The Bear, Jeremy Allen White, that's off the top of my head. I hope that's correct, but he's going to play Bruce and I'm looking forward to that one maybe next year. I didn't miss a minute of the bear and I loved it and him and everybody that played a role in that. Now another best ever concert for me, I said this was going to take

a bit of time. How many Wilcos have I seen over the years? Uh, I can't, I can't count. Too many to count. Massey hall in July, 2024 was Wilco at its best. Uh, and at times this year, I thought I was an East coaster. I mentioned, uh, Joel Plaskett. I spent a night with fellow Nova Scotian, Adam Baldwin. And then, uh, for a while I was an honorary Newfoundlander with Alan Doyle. He's on the list here with Welcome Home and my friends Jerry, Phil and Andrew

in the band called The Once. They are on the list with The Bend. I spent time with one of my favorite bands, my very favorite bands. 35 years ago, they were that. And still today, the Jayhawks performed at the Burlington Arts Center. I thank lead singer, Gary Louris and wife Stephanie Louris for two special nights. And, uh, one more concert is going to bring me full circle back to the Lightfoot tribute at Massey Hall.

Blue Rodeo was one backing band that we've talked about. The Lightfoot band was the other. And I recently enjoyed the Lightfoot band's own full show. Bassist Rick Haynes and my very good friend drummer Barry Kean, over a hundred years between them with Gordon. Mike Heffernan on keyboards, Carter Lancaster on lead guitar, and a new vocalist Andy Mock, a fan and friend of Gordon for almost 50 years, now treating with reverence some of the greatest songs ever written. Now, uh, let's deal with, uh, with a show of a different sort that we both attended.

Mike, the premiere of what I called a play with music, beautiful scars, the gripping life story of Tom Wilson has created and scored by Tom Wilson. I had one word for him afterwards, Bravo. Well it was worth the drive to Hamilton that's for sure. Oh it always is. I live in Ancaster. I know for me, for me, for me, for me. I couldn't bike it, I had to actually drive. But that's the last time I think I saw you was at that show. It was great to see you there. I saw so many, I mean for Stephen Brunch, so many great Hammer residents there. But you know I love Tom Wilson, like this man,

just love it when he visits, he comes to my events, just I think the world of Tom Wilson, and I loved beautiful scars. And I thought the guy who played Tom Wilson did like a smash-up job, a great job. That's not an easy guy to portray. Pete Slauson Sheldon Elter is from Edmonton, and the backstory is there was a big question.

Should Tom play himself or should he, um, uh, save time for everything else that he put into the show? And, uh, the decision was somebody else should play Tom and somebody put up his or her hand and said, there's one person and one person only who can do this. And they picked that person out of Alberta. And he was great. It was to know Tom and to know his story

and to see it portrayed that way, good for him and good for everybody who took part. I was glad that we could be there and see you. You know, I would just say, I think it's easier to, it's easier for Jeremy Allen White to portray Bruce Springsteen in the 70s than it is for anyone to try to portray larger than life, living legend Tom Wilson.

So what's the name of the gentleman from Edmonton? Sheldon Elter, I believe. Sheldon Elter, hit it out ofeldon Elter hit it out of the park. Love the music. Love the story. Of course. What a story and loved all the great people I saw at that show. Beautiful scars.

Right now. Why don't I mention a few titles that show up on the list between the numbers? A hundred and 60. Now again, numbers don't really mean anything beyond the first 10 but they help when you want to find something on the website hodge100.com so every song has a number attached to it so how about a bunch of titles we'll see where we are and then we'll play something and I'll celebrate Canada with as many of these mentions as possible. Cuff the Duke with Keep Going Anyway. It's nice to see Wayne Petty back on record and on stage. Basha Boolat, the

song is Baby, early release single with the album coming next year. Toronto's Wild Rivers with Anyways I Love You. Montreal's Laughing, the song is The song is narcissist blues, Toronto's Julian Taylor aided by Alison Russell, I might say. And, uh, Julian was, uh, was a performer at the, at the Lightfoot tribute, the song on this list is pathways. Um, Japan droids final recording, the song title D and T strum Bellas, hold me per nice brothers. I don't need that anymore. final recording the song title D&T, Strumbelos, Hold Me, Pernice Brothers, I don't need that anymore, Tyler Ramsey formerly of Band of Horses, New Lost Ages

and Michael Kiwanuka, Small Changes, anything he does reminds you of one of the great soundtracks ever on TV, Big Little Lies, this Small Change is terrific. Now let's play something. Number two on the covers list. Why not? Because you were going to get me to Eddie Vedder if I didn't get you to Eddie Vedder. So we'll have a little talk afterwards, but this Eddie Vedder with Tom Petty's Room at the Top. And well, let's hear it. We got a room where everyone can have a drink And forget those things that went wrong It their lives Get their lights

I got a room at the top of the world tonight I got a room at the top of the world tonight I got a room at the top of the world tonight And I ain't coming down No, I ain't coming down Coming down I got someone who loves me tonight I got about a thousand dollars in the bank And I'm alright And I'm alright Look deep in the eyes of love

Look deep in the eyes of love And find out What you were looking for I got a room at the top of the world tonight I got a room at the top of the world tonight I got a room at the top of the world tonight And I'm late, coming down What is Then Done I wish I could feel you tonight

You're so far away I wanna reach out And touch your heart You know I like the doing those things on TV I love you, oh please love me I love you so? I got a room at the top of the world tonight We got a room at the top of the world tonight I got a room at the top of the world tonight And I ain't coming out Do I be crammed up?

Do I hang, wait, coming love that cover, but I heard that you watched every episode of The Bear as I did. And as you know, because you've watched, season three of The Bear has a Eddie Vedder cover of a wonderful The Beat song, Save It For Later, all over that season. And I think that cover is amazing. And I'm just going to shout out an event I was just at at the Masonic Temple to celebrate Gary Topps new book. The Gary's brought the beat to Toronto several times and I will just let the listenership

know that I will eventually get the audio from this panel that I moderated and I will drop it in the Toronto Mic feed. So you will get to hear the discussion at the red room at the Masonic temple soon, but the bear was great. And the, um, the cover of the beat song, save it for later was great. As is room at the top. As is room at the top. Uh, we should also mention the Pearl Jam album this year, uh, dark matter.

The title track seemed an obvious choice for my list, but I found myself listening to the last track more than any other. And I, you seldom do that. I think I can speak for most music lovers and getting to the last track on a lot of albums is, uh, is, is not easy, but obviously I listened to everything Pearl Jam does. And the song was called Setting Sun and I don't know what it did for me, but did more than Dark Matter did.

What did you think of the album and those songs? Yeah, I haven't listened to it. I'm not going to say I'm living in the 90s here, but I need to give it a more thorough listen, but I was struck by the fact that Dark Matter, I believe, is the first album in Pearl Jam's extensive catalogue named after a song on the album. Like, I think Pearl Jam's, titles of Pearl Jam's albums are never songs on the album. I think it's the first time. Well, it is this time for sure. Now I'm gonna pick it up back back on the main list at number 55 with Dave Hawes Not hodge. I don't belong here, but Dave Hawes pretty good year is the name of the song. I'll say Maggie Rose a beautiful song called no one gets out alive

Jack white I might as well say Jack White Stripe. This is back to the beginning. Really that's how I'm feeling is the name of the song, Rae La Montagne and they called her California. Mike Campbell and the dirty knobs, speaking of Tom Petty, uh, angel of mercy, Josh Ritter, only a river. The old 97s where the road goes. Zach Brian has to be here somewhere.

Pink skies, Toronto's red hot band ducks limited with a grim symmetry. And now, um, before we get back to covers, uh, we've forgotten something, Mike, there has been no mention of sports, uh, that can be corrected by going all the way back to number 100 on the list. A band called the baseball project writes and sings songs about baseball and only baseball. And here's a perfect offering for the 2024 list by the baseball project.

Oh, oh, project, O.O. Ohtani. Oh, oh, oh, Tony! Oh, oh, oh, Tony! Oh, oh, oh, Tony! Oh, oh, oh, show-hailing Tony! Pitcher Penny was a tight pitcher too, Didn't give it up to be a slugger like Ruth. Man, he swings and it's like he can fly Oh, Tawny is a first two sword samurai Oh, oh, oh, Tawny Oh, oh, oh, Tony!

Oh, oh, oh, show hey, oh, Tony! It's been 100 years now, getting paid to specialize too much He said it's gotta be both ways, or no ways His actions have spoken loud enough, there's nothing more to say But show hay, show hay! Oh, but show hey, show hey Oh, oh, oh, Johnny Oh, oh, oh, Johnny Oh, oh, oh, Johnny

There's a dodge of blue sky in LA What's this 50-50 club you say? It's anywhere number 17 plays But say hey show hey Do it your way today Oh, oh, oh, Donnie Oh, oh, oh, Donnie Oh, oh, oh, Tony! Oh, oh, oh, Tony! Oh, oh, oh, show hey, oh, Tony!

Oh, oh, oh, show hey, oh, Tony! Oh, oh, oh, show hey, oh, Tony! Dave, hearing that song, I'm reminded almost about exactly a year ago, I had a live event at Palma's Kitchen and my first guest at this live event was your friend and mine, Stephen Brunt. And the big conversation was this phantom flight the night before when everybody was excited that Otani was on his way to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays and literally during this conversation, uh, Shoaib Otani put on Instagram that

he was signing with the LA Dodgers. But that's what I think about when I hear, Oh, Otani. Well, the baseball project is a kind of a super group. I think, uh think if anybody is wondering. Steve Wynn from Dream Syndicate, Peter Buck and Mike Mills formerly of REM and how many songs about baseball can you can you write and sing and record? They got a bunch of albums and

everything is baseball, baseball, baseball. Back to the list. And we're going to stop at number 11 and say a couple of things about it and her. But otherwise on the way to 11, Lemon Twigs, are you old enough to remember the Everly Brothers? Well, I know of them because of greatest hits, sorry, like golden oldie compilations, et cetera. The modern day version of the Everly Brothers, I think everyone would agree is the Lemon

Twigs. My Golden Years is the name of the song. Johnny Blue Skies is the stage name for this record anyway of Sturgill Simpson. And the song is called Who I Am. Being Dead is a band from Austin, Texas. How many bands are from Austin, Texas? The song is Godzilla Rises. Dead, one word and not spelled the way it should be, it's D-E-H-D. Dead, they're from Chicago. The song is called Mood Ring. I get a little obscure if, uh, if I wish. And I think people want that. Uh, phosphorescent, another one word name.

Uh, revelator is the song X, which is a one letter band, uh, formed in LA in 1977. This is the final album for X, which, uh, broke up for a while there. This song is called the way it for X, which broke up for a while there. This song is called The Way It Is. MJ Lenderman, I think people think of as the golden boy of indie rock in 2024. She's Leaving You, much critical acclaim for him. Sarah Jarros, Jealous Moon, she's been on this list a few times. And number 11 is Katie Pruitt with a song called All My Friends and you pick it up from there on Katie Pruitt and what she means to this show, at least one listener and to what

we do and why we do it. Yeah fantastic but how many times have you seen Katie Pruitt live? None. Okay, so is this on the bucket list? Well, I have learned there is a bucket list. I need it here. Let me see the bucket list. First of all, I hate the term. And secondly, if it included, was included in my list of my life, I couldn't, I couldn't name. I'm taking enough time. There's a lot of people I haven't seen that I would like, but there's there are

Katie Pruitt fans out there at least one. Right. Oh yeah. Of course. Of course. It listens here. Yeah. You.

No, no, but you sent me a note from a listener who said, because of Toronto Mike, I learned about Katie Pruitt and thank you for what you do and tell Dave Hodge the same thing. Okay. So this did happen, but of course I guess so many notes about people celebrating your appearances. I had, it had slipped my mind, but can you please remind me? Cause you're right.

I did forward that over and I did get this note, but please remind me. I don't have it at my. Well, that's it. I mean, it's, it just, I did forward that over and I did get this note, but please remind me, I don't have it at my. Well, that's it. I mean, it just, it's. A listener did say thank you to Dave Hodge on Toronto Mic'd. You did the countdown last year and you mentioned Katie Pruitt and this turned this listener onto Katie Pruitt.

And then this listener not only dove in and absorbed all the Katie Pruitt that she could, but she went to see Katie Pruitt live and thanks you. And that's really the reason we do this, right? Pruitt that she could, but she went to see Katie Pruitt live and thanks you. And that's really the reason we do this, right? That's exactly right. I mean, I'd do it anyway, but if, I mean, I can't tell you how many people have said, thank you for Alice and Russell.

We're back to that. And Sarah Jarosz, which is the name I mentioned before Katie Pruitt, when she was first on this list and nobody had ever heard of her, uh, not nobody, but very few had, and years later, uh, an audience member at a concert came to me and said, boy, you really know your music. And I said, well, I'm, you know, that's a matter of, uh, of opinion and, uh, relatively speaking, whatever, what, what do you, uh, to what do you refer? And he said, I heard you mentioned Sarah Jarosz and play a song years and years

ago, and she just won a Grammy. Right. How did you know that that was going to happen? I said, I didn't. Um, but, uh, thank you for remembering and, um, and thank you for becoming a fan because of what you heard here. So hopefully we're going to, you know, that's going

to happen again from something we do here today. I want to thank you again. We've been doing this several years now, but, uh, you introduced me to Frank Turner. So we're getting to that. We'll get to that. So that's a teaser, but I'll also take this moment because I know you did a great job setting the table, but I will just let the

listenership know right now that the whole list, all 100 songs can be found right now at hodge100.com and 100 is numeric. So it's hodge100.com. And again, much love to the vps sales for helping to maintain this and we do it with great pleasure and we can't wait to do it again next year. Thank you Tyler. Let's get back to covers. I want to play number three paramour doing the talking heads burning down the house. Let's hear some and then I'm going to talk about or suggest that you find the video burning down the house.

Everybody knows it and let's hear Aramore's version. Cool babies, strange but not a stranger I'm an ordinary guy Burning down the house Hold tight, wait till the party's over Hold tight, waiting for nasty weather There has got to be a way Burning down the house Well here's your ticket, pack your bags

Time for jumping overboard Transportation is here Closing up but not too far Maybe you know where you are Fighting fire with fire Ooh, all wet Hey, you might need a little shake-down Dreams walking in borderline

Three hundred sixty five degrees Burning down the house It was once upon a place Sometimes I listen to myself Gonna come in first place People on their way to work Say, baby, what did you expect? Gonna burst into flames

Burning down the house My house Out of the ordinary That's right, don't wanna hurt nobody Something's shooting, sweep me off my feet Burning down the house No fans up, all means of support And you have not seen nothing yet Everything stuck together Well, I don't know what you expect Ah! Yeah, burning down the house You gotta see the video, Mike. You will not, if you start seated, you will not finish seated.

You will be standing and you'll be clapping and your feet will be moving. And this is this is just a studio version by this by this band of a great talking head song, Burning Down the House. I highly recommend it. Well, you had me at hello. Okay. Other other covers just to mention Wilco doing David Bowie's space Odyssey Try again space oddity Arkell's Peter Gabriel sledgehammer Lucinda Williams singing something by the Beatles and a band from New Orleans loose cattle Doing my favorite Lucinda Williams song Crescent City A couple more there are 20 and all on the

covers list which is a bonus edition this year Hamilton's dirty nil with Bonnie Tyler's total eclipse of the heart and Toronto's Jane's party doing a blue rodeo cover rose-colored glasses now drum roll please as we hit the main list the top 10 and at number 10, you know, I needed a skinny Lister song and I was killing myself because my UK friends had not released anything until a couple of weeks ago. They were nice enough to release a single. so it has to be here and it's going to start the top 10. Set us straight. That will have us a hell of a good old time Finchie on a mission, a glass old politician Guy again the shots and at the bar

Returning with a tray full, lawn around the table While Billy is picking the dental on his guitar We're the chivalry pickers of, and upon the blessed day As we shuffle up and down the court we'll need a couple along the way To the good and the little I'll help raise another to celebrate And we'll struggle and level in just as thin as a trace A second long examiner, flew in quite a spanner My head was spinning and nearly lost my nerves

Scott knocked up a special, brought me on the level Can't do the devil and me in those faithful words When the devil's speakers are up and the ball is blasted dead As we shuffle up down the court we'll need a couple along the way To the credit of their well-held praise and other to celebrate But we'll smuggle a little and just to set us straight Drunk ourselves a plenty, every barrel empty Half a squilly and quid gone up the spout On Monday we'll be hanging, and then we'll be banging For an hour remedy ready to sort us out We're the shivols of Fakers up, and above the blessed day

As we shovel up down the pope we'll need a couple along the way To the good of the new I help raise another to celebrate And we'll smuggle another in just as great We're the shivols of Fakers up, and above the blessed day As we shovel up down the pope we'll need a couple along the way Do you think Dave that was released because they know you're going to be doing this on Toronto mic'd? They know, they know that everybody that listens to it is going to raise a pint of Guinness. You can't listen to that without thinking of that and doing that. These are some of my best musical friends. How can they be from

London, England, but it just so happens that we've established a friendship that I just love these. I love these guys and they are sort of associated with Frank Turner. That's how I met them initially, a terrific terrific band so number 10 skinny Lister with with set of straight number nine once again get back again by the tragically hip that we talked about number eight was Jim was mentioned Jim Cuddy impossible number seven same thing Joel Plaskett rainy day Janie number six is a New York band that you may or may not know called wild pink. The song is sprinter brain and I hear the war on drugs all over, all over this.

Now war on drugs does one of the Tom Petty covers. Um, going back to that list, uh, I should have mentioned it. You wreck me. It's terrific. Anything, uh, the war on drugs does number five is Bonnie light horseman. As I mentioned of, uh, Anais Mitchell earlier. They were number one here two years ago with California this year. Number five is I Know You Know. Number four is Alibi by Hurray for the Riff Raff. And leading to number three I have to talk about one more best ever

concert. Frank Turner at the, let me get this straight, theater at the great Canadian Casino Resort, which is next door to Woodbine, if anybody wonders, pretty new. I saw Frank in September as part of his Lost Evenings Festival, which tours the world. This was the seventh edition, first time in Canada, obviously first time in Toronto. And they were fantastic on the closing night of a four night festival.

Frank Turner. I originally picked the showstopper off the album this year, the album called Undefeated. And the song live, Do Do One has everybody going crazy but I found myself liking more and more the song that I have put at number three let's hear that it's called Cease Fun. 15 year old Francis, we need to have a word I know cause I remember that you cannot stand above But Richard Ascroft had a point Now I'm old enough to see There's a million different people You will be before you're me

I know I'm not Everything that you had hoped and imagined that I would be But I did my best And I have seen things that you don't even know that you've never seen We need to find some common ground In the ruins that still stand Between you and me Both of us one piece, see spire I'm haunted by a ghost who hides inside my body Raging, rattling chains, fifteen year old me

He judges my decisions, he scorns all I've become And the hatred that consumes me starts and ends with him I know I'm not Everything that you had hoped and imagined that I would be But I did my best And I have seen things that you don't even know that you've never seen We need to find some common ground In the ruins that still stand Between you and me

Both of us want peace Cease fire Then I came to clutching a paper map, Tattered and full of holes, Wandering through the ruins of North East London And I suspect If somehow I could hold This map up to the sun I'd somehow find new words written in the backstreets And just perhaps If I could stitch together

My evenings and my weekends like cells within a film They tell you the story that you need to hear That everything that you had hoped and imagined that you would be Might not work out You'll find yourself stuck in the ruins with maps that you cannot read So come now, let's make peace between you and me I can't leave you behind, you're always on my mind This is ridiculous

I cannot live like this Undone or diagnosed Begging forgiveness of a ghost Cease fire Cease fire Cease fire Seaside Seaside Fire I mentioned just moments ago, you turned me on to Frank Turner and I can't thank you enough. He can do no wrong.

What a tremendous musician. Nothing skinny lister. Yeah. Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Bruce Springsteen. We're talking live acts that have to be seen and obviously it's fun and okay to hear them too. Now where was I? Oh number two. Yeah the Frank Turner selection was tough.

Do One or Cease Fire and I wound up with the longer version Ceasefire. Number two was even harder, Felice Brothers. It had to be a song called Crime Scene Queen, which I recommend, or it had to be this song and this song prevailed. Number two by the Felice Brothers, Flowers by the Roadside. Are you high as Mr. Albert was? When he drove the cross town bus straight into the sky I'm just sitting in these flowers by the roadside I'm not trying to flag a ride Just happy watching the wide world go by I'm just watching the butterflies Monarchs of a monstrous scythe Flutter in the sky I'm just sitting in these flowers by the roadside I'm not trying to flag a ride

Just happy watching the wide world go by Some people think they can get the best of me Flies think they can shake a tree I pay them little minds I'm just sitting in these flowers by the roadside I'm not trying to flag a ride Just happy watching the wide world go by I'm just sitting in these flowers by the roadside I got no reason for the high.

I'm happy watching the wide world go by. Dave, one song to go here. I just want to take a quick moment here to say thank you and to make sure you realize how much I appreciate that you know when you can you make the trip here otherwise we do it remotely but I'm so glad you're here again but how much I love this and the listeners appreciate and love this and thank you well I think and applaud anybody that is here at the beginning and, and stays to the end.

You can call yourself a music lover. You can call yourself a Toronto Mike follower and lover and listener. Um, and, um, I'm all of that. Uh, number one, um, number one, there's a number one every year and I had no trouble with this. It was, it was the song I listened to the most. Mind you, it had a number one every year. And I had no trouble with this. It was, it was the song I listened to the most. Mind you, it had a headstart. It was released in, in late March.

It comes from the album that I would have made number one, if we were doing albums and we once did that, um, the album is called tiger's blood. The artist's real name is Katie Crutchfield. Her band name slash stage name is Waxahatchee. She has been high on this list before in 2024. She is the highest. Number one is Right Back to It by Waxahatchee. I was gifted in and out Bunter than the bulls, I beggin' for peace of mind I get ahead of myself Bracin' for a bombshell

Earlobes written on a blank check Wear it around your neck neck I was at low, but you come to me on a fault line Deep inside a gold mine, hovering like a mole I lose a bit of myself Laying out eggshell I've been yours for so long Come right back to it I let my mind run wild

I don't know why I do it But you just said I live Like a song, we know it If I can keep up, and out of my lane Burning up in old flame, turning, jelly say I'll fall down into a fair game Like a wound that was not ever mine I get ahead of myself Refusing anyone's help I've been yours for so long

Come right back to it And let my mind run wild, I don't know why I do it You just settle in, like a song we know it If I can keep up, we'll get right back to it Let my mind run wild I don't know why I do it But you just settle in Like a song, we know it If I can keep up

We'll get right back to you We'll get right back to you We'll get right back to you Dave, I love that song, MJ Lenderman, a great, great duet. And I listened to a podcast called IndieCast and I have heard so much chatter about both MJ Lenderman and Waxahachie. And I'm kind of could have predicted it, I think, but yeah, right back to it. We're the number one this year. Um, I, as I say, I had, I had no difficulty, which, uh, for me is, is rare,

but number one was always going to be. Number one. And we got right back to it just now. Uh, now Mike, who knows how we're going to get through 20, 25, uh, but I'm counting on music to help me do it and, um, and you too, and we'll be back here. God knows what, what else there will be to talk about, but hopefully it's just music and, um, hopefully we can, uh, we can come up with a list that, uh, that we like.

I mean, I, I like them every year, but this year, the list and all that 2024 included for, with music for me, uh, made it special. And I hope I've, um, I've demonstrated that by being too wordy. Uh, Mike, I thank you for allowing me that. You couldn't be too wordy as far as I'm concerned, I'm counting on seeing you again in 12

months as we do the 100 songs of 2025. And I'll just remind everybody on our way out here, hodge100.com. You can go there right now and hear about, sorry, you can see and hear all the songs from the past seven years. Yeah. One more thanks to Tyler Campbell. And in terms of 2025, when we're here 12 months from now, I don't want to make a political statement, but God damn it, I hope number one isn't YMCA by the

village people. Thanks Dave. And that brings us to the end of our 1,594th show. Go to torontomike.com for all your Toronto Mike needs. I'm active on Blue Sky. I'm torontomike.com over there. Much love to all who made this possible. That's Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, RecycleMyElectronics.ca, Minaris, and Ridley Funeral Home. See you all next week! I'm gonna be a star I'm gonna be a star I'm gonna be a star

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