Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Dave Hodge's 100 Songs of 2025: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1807

Episode Date: November 27, 2025

In this 1807th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike catches up with Dave Hodge before Dave unveils his 100 favourite songs of 2025. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Nick Ainis, Blue Sky Agency, Kindling, RetroFestive.ca and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail].

Howdy music fans, this is Dave Hodge, back again to reveal my 100 favorite recordings of the year by 100 different artists. You can see and hear them all on my website, Hodge100.com. Further details to come momentarily. I'm in Toronto where you want to get the city love I'm from Toronto where you want to get the city love. I'm in Toronto, Mike, you want to get the city love. So my city love me back for my city love. Welcome to episode 1,807 of Toronto Miked,

proudly brought to you by retrofestive.ca, Canada's pop culture and Christmas store. Great Lakes Brewery, 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 Blue Sky Agency Ask Doug Mills about how Silen

delivers the space to focus, collaborate, and recharge. Nick Aini's, he's the host of Building Toronto Skyline and Building Success Two podcasts you ought to listen to. Kindling, to shop kindling.ca for free one-hour cannabis delivery.

Recycle myelectronics.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 unveil his 100 favorite songs of 2025, it's Dave Hodge. How are you, Dave? Very well, Mike. I should have said howdy sports fans, too, because I'm guessing we'll have a little bit of a conversation about the past few months in Toronto and all that the World Series meant to so many people here and across the country. I'm not planting the questions for you, but there's that. There's our history here. Eight years of doing this, all available at Hodg's. 100.com, thanks to the tireless work of Tyler Campbell, whom I will thank now and in the middle of the show and at the end of the show. And I'm really honored to have it there and to be able to tell people that my music tastes can be viewed and criticized. And believe me,

I get some of that too narrow, too narrow. And I say, these are my favorite songs. They don't need to be yours, but give them a listen, they just might be. Anyway, World Series, or you take it from here. Oh, I'll take it from here, Mr. Hodge. I got to say, again, echo your sentiments. Tyler Campbell has his finger on the publish button. So hodge100.com is, it's up to date, and it's going to go live literally right after I publish this episode of Toronto Mike, so there's a bit of a domino effect here.

So we're going to record, I'm going to publish this, then Tyler, is going to publish his. We're going to turn our key simultaneously, and everybody can see the Hodge 100 for 2025, of course, at Hodge100.com. So thank you to Tyler. I just pulled a 12-second clip of you on the Hodge 100 for 2024. So about a year ago,

I was lucky enough to be visited by you, Dave, and you said this at the very end of the episode. When we're here 12 months from now, I don't want to make a political statement. one, but God damn it. I hope number one isn't YMCA by the village people. And that was a legit belly laugh from yours truly. A great line.

Will we hear some village people on the Hodge 100 for 2025? I didn't think things could get worse. But we've, I wouldn't try to describe the past year in the United States of America with any piece of music. is that it disrespects even, even the village people. Let's stay away from that. We have a rule at the dinner table, no Trump, and we break it four or five times a week.

Yeah. Actually, I just, I just listened on the way in. It's always a good question to me. What did you listen to when you drove work? I was driving. I listened to Frank Turner singing a song called Sand in the Gears, which is basically four more years of, and that was,

you know, before we knew it was going to be four more years. Right. Frank, we'll talk about Frank. We'll talk about Frank. You bet. It's not a Hodge 100.com without Frank talk,

so for sure. But a great line from the VP of sales. He says, the Americans have Thanksgiving. We have the Hodge 100. It should be a national holiday here. as well. Well, and it does line up very nicely that I have this, which is going to be one highlight of the day. I have National Football League, the rest of the day and night, which is

going to be another highlight. And I have my dinner here beside me, and my wife is going to be thrilled, not by the football. She will hear what we're talking about now and know all of these songs because they play them all the time, but her highlight will be lasagna that she doesn't have to cook. So thank you to Palma Pasta for sending over the lasagna for Dave Hodge and his wife. She doesn't have to make. She has to heat. He has a heat.

That's right. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour, as I recall. Now, let me ask you, you mentioned the 2025 Blue Jays. So before we get to the nuts and bolts there, in your many years of following, professional sports. Can you recall a more surprising result for a team where you compare what you thought of the 2025 Blue Jays in April, for example, April 2025 in the result we got? There's probably a bigger surprise somewhere. Certainly this wasn't expected. At the start of the year, where the J's going to make the playoffs, probably 70, 30, no. Where they're going to be in

Game 7 of a World Series, you know, 991, no. But what I'll take with me from the 2025 World Series will be, first of all, the best World Series I've ever seen from the standpoint of a baseball fan who appreciates all that the game can provide, especially the unexpected. And there is crying in baseball. I mean, there were about 10 things that could have gone right and given the Blue Jays the World Series title and one by one by one to at least 10 they went wrong and somehow they didn't win. But watching all of that unfold and watching baseball all my life and realizing that you never know what the game can be. produce in terms of how did that happen? Why did that happen? And then talk about it afterwards as

if you're talking football and it is Monday morning quarterbacking. It was an amazing event. And yeah, the Jays were crying and they had a reason and so did the fans. But standing back from all of that and looking at as a baseball fan, it was amazing. And so many, you know, so many, veteran baseball writers, reporters, commentators have said best world series ever. And that's how I'm going to remember it. The other day I was biking with my 9-year-old and my 11-year-old, and they started telling me, Daddy, do you remember when you were running around the house?

I guess my arms were flailing over my head and I was running, it's happening, it's happening. I guess I was doing this thing as we entered the bottom of the ninth of game seven. And it's happening, it's happening. And they reminded me, that was, like you said, what an entertaining series. So many moments that I look at, you know, you're kind of haunted by moments,

the force out at home, the Clement hit, so many moments of weird base running errors. Like, I don't think I've ever heard a good explanation for George Springer, kind of getting caught walking to second. There was a moment early in Game 7 where he got picked off,

but he wasn't really trying to steal. It's like he got confused or something. Anyway, there were so many moments you can point at and say, How the heck did we not win the World Series in 2025, but what an entertaining ride? Well, it made history in lots of ways, I think the one that I'll remember most is that no World Series until now has ever ended with double plays game six and game seven. Right.

And the double play game seven was, I guess, predictable with first and third and Kirk at the plate. If it's on the ground, there you go. The series is over. But the double play, obviously, that ended game six was out of the blue, not to make any kind of a pun with respect to the Blue Jays or the Dodgers who wear the same color. But let's hope, hey, now the Jays have just given $200 million to. Dylan Cease, who is a durable strikeout first pitcher who has some inconsistency in his past, but he'll make every start. He'll strike out a lot of batters. And he has a history of good year after bad year, bad year after good year.

Last year his ERA was four and a half. You'd like a two and a half. You'd take three and a half. Four and a half is no good. So if he bounces back from that, the Jays are. are in luck and I think it's good. It's not a left-hander.

They would like a left-hander, I think, or would have liked the left-hander. I would have liked to see them sign a lefty. Maybe that's still in the card somehow, but I think the next signing, if there is one, is going to be a bat. And yeah, as soon as the 25

World Series ended, baseball fans were starting to make their Blue Jays hopes and dreams for the next year. What of Bo Bichette? Well, I think, A, he says he'd like to be back. Why wouldn't he say that? I think they can do without him. That doesn't sound quite right, but I don't think he's a shortstop anymore in their plans. I don't know about other teams, but they can put Clement at second

base every day. Barger at third base every day. I'd like to see Barger be an everyday player with Jimenez at shortstop. It doesn't mean that they won't miss Bo Bichette's bat because before he got hurt he had more hits than anybody in Major League Baseball. So you can use a guy like that and you don't want to say you don't need him or want him. But somebody else is just liable to pay him more money than the Jay's will because, as I say the jays do have an alternative that makes some sense and then that money can go to you know Kyle Tucker or whatever kind of maybe that's at the top of the free agent list and they're not quite there but they can add a bat somewhere else if they don't if they don't sign

well I think it's I think it's 50-50 he'd like to be back they'd like him back but that doesn't mean it's going to happen. The question came in from Toronto Boris, no relation to Toronto Mike, but Toronto Boris writes in, can you ask Dave Hodge, what would be his entrance music, your walk-up music, if you were playing for the Blue Jays? You know, I don't even, I pay no attention to that, and yet some people, oh, it's terrific that, who does the pink? Oh, David Schneider, I believe.

Oh, yeah. No, I was with a friend at the game. and that's all he could talk about was, isn't it great that Davis Schneider picks that walk-up music? What would it be? I don't know. It wouldn't be, it wouldn't be appropriate.

It would be alt-country indie rock, Americana, having nothing to do with the excitement of the 96-mile-an-hour fastball that I was going to swing and miss at. So I'd have to give a lot of thought to what. Actually, it might be. be, okay, I'm wearing Skinny Lister hat today, so I'm going to say it's a song called Kathy by Skinny Lister.

Okay, there you go. Now, I know you love your baseball and I know you love your hockey and of course you could be watching football all afternoon. Are you a big basketball fan? Not really, although I know that the Raptors are as hot as can be and that's a bit of a surprise given what was expected and given the way they started. and I know some people who were at last night's game and there's nothing better than a buzzer beater to win

and Brandon Ingram has been terrific and Scotty Barnes so but do I watch every game no do I watch the last two or three minutes of many games yes if you know what I mean I do I do it's funny because I think the moment that buzzer beat and that's the ninth win in a row I believe I think around that same moment William Nealander was scoring in overtime to get the, the Leafs a couple of points. Well, there you go. So what's all the fuss? The Leafs won. The Raptors won. The Jay signed

a big pitcher. You know, everything is, everything is great. It's cold outside. It's crisp and bright. And here we are talking, talking music. Well, hey, let's get to the music. As you said, and I got the records here, I had the aforementioned Tyler Campbell go through the archives. And he tells me the first top 100 of the year that you did on Toronto Mike was 2018, which makes this our eighth year in a row. And I want to make sure you know, Dave, that it's an absolute honor and privilege to have you visit every year and share your love of music. Why do you do this? Why do you assemble a list of 100 and not just 100 new songs, but 100 different artists? Well, I used to do albums and I thought that was too easy. I wanted to, uh, I wanted to, uh,

Yeah, I do it because I like it. Obviously, it keeps me up to date with the music of the day. And I think that keeps me feeling younger, if not actually being younger or looking younger. And I can relate to younger people who like this same kind of music. I enjoy doing it. I enjoy presenting it here, being with you and unveiling it the way we do. and I enjoy thanking Tyler Campbell every year and I enjoy lasagna for dinner,

but that's somebody else's biggest reasons for me being here. So, yeah, it's a labor of love and how difficult is it? Obviously, I don't sit down two days ago and decide which hundred songs I'm going to pick. I start on January 1st, and nothing comes out on January 1st.

so I wait a week or two or a month and make a list. And this year's list, a hundred songs came from a list that is about 150 songs on the list. Wow. So I could make, you know, a second 100, third 100, whatever, but I am not crazy enough to do that. I'm just crazy enough to do this. I get so many posts, either comments or emails or posts on social media,

of people who anticipate this. Like, they can't wait for the Hodge 100 for 2025. And I always get, you know, notes following the publication of that year's Hodge 100. And I did get a note from a gentleman who I hope to see Saturday at Palma's Kitchen in Mississauga. I hope he comes out to TMLX21, noon to 3 p.m. by the way. Everyone eats for free. And we got Great Lakes beer there, too. But I digress.

Okay, so his name is Greg Siskinen. And Greg Siskinen posted comments. And then following that, he sent a question for you. But he wrote, Dave Hodge's last 100 turned me on to Waxahatchee big time. And then he showed me a screen cap. He says he called it the Hodge effect. His top artist of 2024 was Waxahatchee.

And that's because he learned about Waxahatchee from the Hodge 100. Well, and that's another reason that I do this to introduce your listeners. and maybe their friends to music that they might not otherwise know. And here we have an example of somebody who has become a big fan of somebody who topped my list last year. This may get a little confusing for people who aren't familiar with Waxahatchy, but that is a stage name for a singer named Katie Crutchfield can also double as the name of her band.

and she has, you know, been a favor of mine, really, for a few years. She is also in what we'll call a supergroup called Snowcaps. What if I... Follow along here. Yeah, so, okay, you just said Snowcaps, but I'm going to read Greg's question because then it'll... You can pick it up since you're talking snow caps. Because Greg's question for you is, again, he says, thank you for introducing me. me to Waxahatchie a year ago.

By far my most listened to artist, oh, of 2025. So I gave a credit for 2024, but apparently 2025, it's his most listened to artist as well. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the surprise Snowcaps album. She recorded with her twin sister in M.J. Lenderman and released on Halloween, quite the combo of indie rock and Americana. Well, he's right up to date. So, uh, uh, snowcaps, yes, uh, Waxahatchie, plus, twin sister Allison Crutchfield plus M.J. Lenderman, indie rock sensation for the last

couple of years. And a song by Snowcaps happens to be in my top ten, and it's going to be the first song that we play here. Thank you very much for allowing this, Mike, and Tyler. So let's play Doom by Snowcaps with Waxahatchie Katie Crutchfield on lead vocals. It's as big as a rising moon Whisperin' Fitting through We can't act At scenes got on a hot tin roof

All my son's sweet bird of you What's nebulous What's in the grave No one's thinking about as big if you can swear the illusion that you crave across the line you turn it like it is in your suffocate every side it's right with a jet black big sky emptiest night I won't call you, I won't lie in.

I know I will be just fine. You can close this sight, but I'm all out of breath saying my goodbyes. Bring up all back into fiction Always do Mixed me no one's immune I'm an antide, don't you? Hopeless sleepin' soon

No love lost no love doom and it's a miss you beg me not to leave this in a memory I'm casual

I'm not crying rescue for love I can cross the line you tell it like it is it knows something Can't ever say that's right with a jet-black big sky empty a snake? I won't call you, I won't lie, and I know I will be just fine.

I blow this eye, but I'm a letter pressing my best. Doom by Snowcaps is number nine on my list. Maybe it's number one on Greg's list. And that's great. And back to Waxahatchee for a minute to tell Greg if he doesn't know, but it sounds like he probably does, that she has a Massey hall date in 2026. It is April 25th,

and she'll be there with. the aforementioned MJ Lenderman. Hot ticket, tough ticket, they all are these days, but there you go. Now it's my turn. Oh, but I do have a note on that because I'm glad you mentioned it. We both took the same note. But Waxahatchee and M.J. Lenderman, they'll be performing solo sets and together. Yes.

So you said hot ticket, you can bet on it. Will you be there? I certainly hope so. Nothing is certain when it's that far in advance, but I have my request in shall we say, and I can't miss that, basically, is the bottom line. Right. Now my turn for how the word and the notes can spread from here. Speaking of Massey Hall, there I was for the tribute to Neil Young on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

I'm going to have more to say about that. Fantastic show a little bit later. But beforehand at the Neil Young show, I was approached and greeted with a handshake by a fan of Joel Plaskett who thanked me and you for making him a fan of Joel. And there he was that night to hear Joel and his dad, Bill, perform along with so many others. I'll get to that. but a little bit more about Joel because I'd like to talk about my album of the year, having said I don't do albums anymore,

but I do pick an album of the year in this case because it has produced two of the songs on this year's list. The album is called Songs from the Gang. It contains 22, Joel Plaskett's songs, none of which is sung by Joel on this record over a year in the secret making songs from the gang was a surprise and a big surprise, believe me,

birthday gift for Joel from his longtime manager Sherry Jones and all of the contributing artists. And furthermore, really an unexpected treat for his fans. So one song from the gang on the list is by Alan Doyle, who visited earlier in the week. Yes. And isn't that nice? I listened to that.

The song, Hey Moon, a Campfire song, Um, you will not hear here, but you, you did hear a couple days ago if you were listening. The other song, uh, from that album is, uh, number eight on my list. And, uh, I think we should listen to Joel Plaskets. Come on, Teacher, as performed by Arkells. Come on, teacher, teach me something. Don't just fill my head with nothing. No, no, teacher.

I'm still. sitting in this desk no I'm not quitting no no teacher I won't give up I just hope that I can live up to your expectations of me teacher you'll be so proud of me if you'll be so proud of me I just don't understand it. I should just be reprimanded. Make me stay here after school while my friends go to the pool. Come on, teacher, just admitting you think that I will never get it. I'm the badass of your classroom.

Now you've got to. badass classroom Come on teacher Won't you tell me Why somebody just Don't expel me I am so much slower than the others

It's a good thing I don't have any younger brothers Yeah Blame it all my adolescence in it for some reason I am tired well it's because I went out last night to party Down the French clashes sweet terrible I pray la Colette coming up to see you Oh my gal that don't you

Like grandma say a basket talking French Blaskin' talking French blaskin' talking French Let's work out. Make it more, let's woo I just noticed something lately I've been here since 1980. Come on teacher, teach you, teach me. Something to teach me anything. Come on, teach you. I told Plaskin this already, but...

So I told Plaskin this already. We had this song called Tad Gats are coming, and it's ripped off entirely from the song, Tough Glove. Plaskin, 2012. Just want you all to know that. Anyone's curious. He can come back for the Roy's easy for us. Come teach you

Barkel's doing Joel Plaskett And the album Pick it up if you haven't And especially if you're a Joel Plaskett fan It is terrific Not that the originals aren't better But this is really something

The way these songs have been treated by others And Max Kerman, the lead singer of Arkell's Is as big a Joel Plaskett fan as there is. So the album had to include Arkells, and so did my list. When you listened to the Alan Doyle episode, and I thought Alan was fantastic, it was great to get him here in the basement. I hope you caught the hello from Alan to you. I did. I think he called me Dear Dave or Sweet Dave or something like that. Tender moment there. And it sounded like, yeah, it sounded like the entire province of

Newfoundland was, was welcoming me. And of course, he gave quite a bit of a detail of regarding, because I played the song, and I mentioned it will be on your, the Hodge 100 for 2025, but I thought he gave some great, you know, detail on the song. And I'm glad that you, you know, sent me the list ahead of time so I could ask Alan about it. Well, you must see the video, which he talked about. They did it in Hubbard's Nova Scotia, which I didn't know until I heard it here, and sat around a campfire because the real name of the song is Hey Moon, in brackets, It's a campfire song, and it is a perfect song to sing around the campfire, and that's what they did to record.

So YouTube, video, Alan Doyle, Hey Moon, whatever, and you'll watch it a few times because it's for the song and for the way they treat it on the video. Now, when you listen to that song the first time and you heard the crackle of the fire, didn't you, like, I assume they add that in post? Like, this is a set effect. I've seen the, pretty soon I'd seen the video, but I didn't know all of the details until I heard them here. So, great that we have Allen on the list and we have Arkells doing Joel Plaskett. I also have Eddie Vedder on the list. Does that surprise you at all?

I love, I think this man could sing the phone book, and I would thoroughly enjoy it. And I'm glad to see Eddie Vedder on your playlist. Well, I do it for you, and I do it for. me. It was a little hard to first of all, Pearl Jam nothing. I think there was a soundtrack to The Last of Us or something like that that I didn't think

qualified. But I found a single by Eddie Vedder, one single. And as far as I know, that's the only thing he released this year. It just happens to be, oh, this is flowing nicely together, a

cover of a Neil Young song so why don't we hear the needle and the damage done by Eddie Vedder. I caught you knocking on my cellar, oh, I love you, baby, can I have some more? Oh, damage home. I hit the city and I lost my beer. I've seen the needle take a after me. Oh

There I'm a storm I'll sing the song I'll sing the song because I love for me I know that some of you won't Understand Run to keep from running out I feel in the needle and the dam is door A little part of it in every one

Because every chunk is like a sitting in the soul So at the Neil Young 80th birthday party at Massey Hall, that song was given to Serena Ryder, who captivated the audience with her rendition. And that night, as I told you, Mike ranks with some of the most memorable Massey Hall shows of all time, in addition to, and a list is coming here, to Joel Plaskett and Serena Ryder, the lineup included

Jim Cuddy Dallas Green Tom Wilson Sarah Harmer William Prince Matt Mays Julian Taylor Peter and Leah

of July Talk and a string of guitar gods Luke Doucette Colin Cripps Gordy Johnson Big Sugar and your friend

Ian Blurton who kind of stole a show at times so it was just amazing stuff musical director was Aaron Goldstein, and he put it all together in a few days, and it was magical. I know I've forgotten some people, for one at least on purpose, because I want to lead to

Kathleen Edwards, who sang my favorite Neil Young song, that night powder finger, and she has had quite the year completing her collection of covers, and then releasing the Jason Isbell-produced album, Billionaire, from which comes. number three on my list. Here's Kathleen with when the truth comes out. These days, the truth is a fleeting thing. It depends who you talk to. Most days, most days you hide away.

And you shouldn't have to end back then. Back then when you walked in the room, Everyone turned and noticed Yeah, back then Back then everyone knew He was lucky to have you Kings lose their crowns And their body wants to stick around

When the truth comes out When the truth comes out Time will be on your side Back when they sailed across the ocean they'd find something perfect, magic, magic wild and cool, yeah, you wouldn't believe. and legs for days in the summer The way you light up the room Laughing holding court like you do

Guess the queen wouldn't happen Kings lose their crowns And the body wants to stick around When the truth comes out When the truth comes out Time will be on your side We lock the doors and turn their backs, steal your cards, and stack your decks while you were holding on to your race, oh, spades. And kings lose their crown

And nobody wants to stick around When the truth comes out When the truth comes out When the truth comes out When the truth comes out When the truth comes out Time will be on your side Time will be on your side

It will be That is Kathleen Edwards My friend of 20 years Better than ever And it does not hurt To have Jason Isbell in the studio Jason himself is on the list With Foxes in the Snow

Title track of his solo acoustic album so he was and is always busy. When I finished the list, Mike, I realized I was listening to a lot of music from the UK this year, not quite Beatles-style invasion, but I counted 15 songs by Brits. Thankfully, my Canadian list was larger,

but the British Wave did put two songs in my top 10 as if you couldn't guess. Skinny Lister as one of them. It's number 10 song from the yonder, and a very interesting song by Frank Turner that I'll talk about after we hear it is number six, Leopatra in Brooklyn. Wake up every morning and feel out of place, put on your face, once more with resignation. greatness today but there's bills to be paid so you stumble to the station you're wearing your most imperceptible frown these people are adjectives to your proper now as you under the streets of this funny old town it's wearing you down yet there you are like a dream in your favorite blue dress

Your hair is a mess, but nevertheless Cleopatra in Brooklyn You casually shed poetry like your clothes A neat little rose On the floor of my hotel room. You never wanted to be a princess, said you'd accept less. Holding court, hold up in your bedroom. I'd say I was Anthony begging at your door,

but I'd know that you'd laugh and just ask me what for? You'd roll your eyes as I fell on the floor Just sland up yours And yet there you are Like a dream in your favorite blue dress Your hair was a mess And nevertheless Cleopatra in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Bridge for your king to return You wait by the Brooklyn Bridge for your king to return You wait by the Brooklyn Bridge for your king to return Then return to your pass on Smith Street is the old bronze vines And yet there you are Like a dream in your face Dreaming your favorite blue dress Hair is a mess

But nevertheless Cleopatra in Brooklyn Yes, there you are A glittering star You couldn't care less Who you impress You might through your sole princess

Cleopatra in Brooklyn I'll come Fortunes fail you I'll die with you and the gods desert you. I'll come find you and your fortunes fail you.

I'll die with you and the gods desert you. Frank Turner wrote that music when he was a kid a teenager, barely, 13 years old. But when it came to the lyrics, he really struggled. He said they made him cringe.

So he tried again. He settled for a finished product that never really satisfied him. And the song made it on a B-Sides and Rarities release long after. But I, and I'm sure a lot of other people liked it, liked it a lot. and at least twice I asked him to sing it. And he politely declined. He said, I don't do that. It's not one of my favorite songs.

One of the times was in Brooklyn. And I thought, this is pretty cool. I'll ask for Cleopatra in Brooklyn in Brooklyn. And he gave me a glass of whiskey and said, you know, that's the best I can do this before the show. And then one night at the Phoenix here, Toronto, I had a gift for him, and I said, we've got to pay for this a little bit by taking a request.

What is it? Cleopatra in Brooklyn. Well, he wanted the gift. He tried it. Politely, I will say, it didn't go so well. But here it is on his latest album, which is called The Next Ten Years, which is another bunch of rarities in B-Sides, I must say,

but re-released Cleopatra in Brooklyn still great for me and always will be and I hope those who just heard it realize that it should be heard by more and Frank Turner may never know that or believe that but his fans I think love to hear the song. Those I talk to anyway.

You go to the movies a lot? Not very often at all, no. I doubled my total of the last 10 years this year by seeing a complete unknown with Timothy Shalame as Bob Dylan and then deliver me from nowhere, Jeremy Allen White, as Bruce Springsteen. Have you seen one or both? I have seen the Bob Dylan biopic, absolutely, yes. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. What did you think?

Loved it. I own it. I've seen it more than once. Bob Dylan is number one and always will be on my list from the time I really started to collect in a serious way and I don't know that I have missed anything that has come out I mean there have been so many bootlegs I'm sure but this latest release not really connected to the movie was eight compact discs that that chronicle Bob Dylan from 1956 to 1963.

So you see how he developed from, well, from 56, which was pretty raw to 63, which had him on his way. And there really was where the movie picks up. So that was great. And I had to, I had to buy that for myself. I still have a machine that'll play. a compact disc and so do you as you as you as you and the uh the the the the springsteen movie is different um mixed reviews i didn't enjoy it as much but i'm glad i saw it let's uh i will see it dave like it's absolutely on my list i'm going to see it well and he uh he he released a box set

uh which his fans have been waiting to hear electric versions of nebraska songs for all this time And so the electric version of Atlantic City is on my list this year. And a Bob Dylan from the box set, the song is called Lay Down Your Weary Tune, which he sang at his 1963 Carnegie Hall concert, and apparently for the first and only time live, never again sung live. so the recording is really is really special and and so is the song so a lot of listening in the in the Dylan set and and Springsteen I'm glad we had a chance to do you have popcorn at the movies

listen the only time I get to the movies now is because the kids want to see something like wicked for example and it always you know you go big or go home if you're going to be there once a year you know get the popcorn good I resisted you know good for you but you know good for you but It's a whole new experience when you haven't been to the movies in all those years and reserved seats, really? Yeah. Okay, I'll reserve my seat. I didn't need to. It was a noon screening.

So me and my wife and a few other Bob Dylan fans of a certain age, shall we say. So that was great. But then you get there and you see, wait, I just want a popcorn and a drink. What do you mean it's $30? Right? That wasn't the reason I didn't have it. No, I was disciplined for other reasons. Another highlight for me this year was spending time on a few occasions with Gary Luris,

the lead singer, one of my all-time favorite bands, the Jayhawks, the privilege of spending part of an afternoon at a recording session for the next Jayhawks album. And it was not just at any studio, but rather that of the last, legendary Bob Ezrin. Wow. And you know what follows, all of the credits that go to Bob Ezrin. Well, it hit the big ones, right? It's Pink Floyd.

You got Alice Cooper in there. Who else you got? I know he's a kiss, of course. Well, and Pink Floyd, not just any Pink Floyd, but the wall. And to watch Bob work and to watch Gary work with him and lay down some vocals for the next Jayhawks album was really a treat for me. Bob actually did produce what some may call the Jayhawks best work 25 years ago, I think at least, the album called Smile.

So they worked together before Gary released a solo album this year and number four on my list is from it. Let's call the title appropriate, getting older. Let's hear Getting Older by Gary Lewis. you thought you'd thrown your life away the blacks of abuse in its own way you haven't come this far to end up who you are

dark days and you came face to face Your dreams They ran Insec crazy There's life Outside that door Old fear Kills slow but

short The time won't wait for you to make Positions that lurk in the dark While breaking each of heart eyes and we're just getting older you hear that you hear that voice

inside your head don't ground out what is being said so blue yet seeing rest love yet feeling then

the time won't wait for you to make incisions that lurk in the dark while breaking each us hearts and we're just getting on us

Always giving, never taking, never taking, seems you walk through days, just faking. Intending everything will be okay You're no mere chauffeur, a force of nature, Colchairs From so-called flames Made through a broken lens The time will be For you to make

The solutions that lurk in the dark While breaking each other's heart It's time to make a new star And we're just getting on my That was Gary Luris with number four. We have heard Kathleen Edwards at number three. And now, if I count right, we have two and then one. Mike, I'm going to ask you and all the listeners to spend a little more than nine minutes with number two.

It is quite something by a group called Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band. and that sounds like one of many bands that you've seen and heard, Roadhouse Band. It doesn't sound like it is anything big, but this band, based in Jeffersonville, Indiana, showed up on many, many reviewers lists this year. I mean, getting four and four and a half and five stars and obviously high on my list.

The song was a big part of the reason. So dig into it as we play. New Threats from the Soul by Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band. I jolted up to some new transference from a sliding door on a sister vessel and just let it play through. I left my wall in El Segundo. I left my true love in a West Lafayette escape room. She had the kind of smile to get a blue swine in trouble

The kind of smile to get a violent one or two-time felon boy My little Jessica Rabbit, my Betty Rubble my mokey chair And my Peggy Bundy, my Helen Troy But I thought that I could make a better life with bubble gum and drift water. Her sweet nothing's were nothing more than dead sourdoll. She once said that nothing could make her feel quiet as love is wanted to want her and want a kiss could. But I've been up to a late one. Too many nights why I let myself let her go

And for who I'll never know Right there and then that's where they begin these new threats from the soul You can see the kingdom from the tailgate If you stack a couple coolers But you're never going to see it from the front of the line Well, I've seen some of the suckers They've been letting them there And I think that the firmaman bouncer was a rock pile

Buddy of mine I will never be Anything Other than a king birds swinging from chain swing whistling for my pace see pecking on a doubly night singing one-of-a-kind love affair is love a fair is one of a kind love affair is one of a kind and forever it goes new threads from the soul A new sheriff in my heart's wild west

A slew of mismeasurements Between the place where I stand and the place Where I will rest If you need me Nowhere to find me North of a puddle And west of a hole And what was once our home

But is now just a house for all these New threats from the soul New threats from the sun New threats from the sun I jolted up to some new transference from a sliding door on a sister vessel it's hard to know sometimes

If I'm on the right course I'm scrambling to find Christ In all the places I'm told he likes Tomorrow is a white dwarf shining what's left of its light Forth from a life once bold and bright And I will never be Anything Other than a cage bird

Swinging from a chain swing Whistling for my pace Spinning like a carousel ride If up's still Up and down, still down Don't you tell me where the hell am I I'm getting threats on top of threats

From within I've been bullied Bullied by parallel time Because I thought that I could make a better light A bubble gun and drift wood Turns out whatever we had Was the best success I would know Now nothing can make me feel quite as unheard

As one early morning wish could when I'm wishing someone could quiet down these death and threats from the soul. Even threats from the soul. I was a cactus flower Had Heismund bugs Now it's a pissing competition Between the man I am And the guy I was

We nothings are still souring the sheets on the bed and the threads of my clothes As I lie entrenched in my own ignorance and drenched From my head to my toes And your threads run to soul You crushes forming at the center point The sky's getting rurred And I'm only getting silence From the idols that I didn't know

I'll find what a peace there is To find here North of a puddle West of a hole As I ramble on Place blame upon That which I've yet to be a hold But can one really blame the sun?

strange positions I have put in I led to miss measurements between the place where I am and the place where I could have been sliding the doors I've slid and how long I can do is do my best to control the cruel

transferences from the mirror world And new threats from the soul new threats from the soul. New threats from the soul. So there you have some of the soul. Yeah, yeah, that's from the soul. by Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Ben. I'm going to call it my discovery of the year.

Listen to the album because they're not all nine minutes long, but inventive stuff from what these guys and girls do. So what beats it, you say? It's a singer who now has the distinction, drum roll, please, of being the only one to be number one on this list for a second time. Wow. In 2020, Rustin Kelly was number one with a song called Radio Cloud,

and he has number one in 2025 with Waiting to Love You. I spent some time with Rustin Kelly after his show at the Horseshoe Tavern, and I predicted that someday this song will be his most requested song, and that's a tall order I admitted to him. It's early, but we'll see. I first saw him at a midnight show in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, solo acoustic, and that way was great the next time, too, at the horseshoe, but this time it was full band, and Waiting to Love You is really powerful.

That way, great song, anyway, here is the recorded version of my number one song, Waiting to Love You, by Rustin Kelly. Like a quick draw shot, straight to the heart. You finish everything I can never start It's like watching magic happen Ain't saying a word just holding my hand talking to tongues, but I understand Just from hearing you laughing You're like a night train flying out of Memphis

Oh-run swinging for the fences, dancing, and your living room, slow to fire and rain. You're like a long worse. Love out of nowhere, the thing you never find, you make me feel alive, and I know why. I've been waiting to love you my whole life. I've been waiting to love you my whole life. I was addicted to red, couldn't hold back

I take every risk and put it all in black Losing hands is automatic But she came in, changed my mind Like a thunderbolt falling bright from the sky And cut through all the static You're like a night, train, flying out of Memphis, home on, swinging for the fences, dancing, and you're living really slow, fire, and rain. You're like a long, lost, love out of nowhere, the thing you never find, make me feel like, and I know why, I've been waiting to love you my whole life. I've been waiting to love my whole life

I can't explain it if your love keeps on raining on a man I know why you're like a night train flight out of Memphis home run swinging for the fences dancing in your living, I'm slow, fire and rain. You're like a long rush, love out of nowhere,

the thing you never fight. You made me feel alive, and I know why. You made me feel life, and I know why. I've been waiting to love you my whole life. I've been waiting to run my whole life. I've been waiting to run my whole life. Okay, that's it. We have played only a few of this year's top 100,

all of which are available at Hodge100.com. A couple more plugs before we say. Well, actually, I was hoping I could just do a little mop-up before we get to... Well, the floor is yours. You could take as long as you want. But a few quick things. you did allude to the fact that we both love Pearl Jam. So if people haven't heard, you know, every episode of Dave Hodge on Tronamiked,

and that's a shame on you. You can find all the episodes of Dave Hodge and the Toronto Miked archive. You can listen to them now. But it was a wild moment when both of us, big Pearl Jam fans revealed our favorite Pearl Jam song is a cover called Crazy Mary. I think of all the entire catalog, the odds that we would both gravitate towards this cover, I think the odds were astronomical.

It was a revelation, and we kind of validated each other, I think, by being able to go that deep into the Pearl Jam collection. Well, they have so much great original material. It's wild that we would say our number one song is a cover. And because we talked a lot about that song and played it, I researched or tried to research. a little more about where Crazy Mary came from. It was on a tribute album to a singer named Victoria Williams, and the tribute album was basically to support her in her battle with MS. Right.

Sweet relief. Yeah. And I saw one note on the Internet that said every song on the album was a Victoria Williams song except Crazy Mary. which told me, wait a minute, Victoria Williams didn't write Crazy Mary because I know Eddie Vedder didn't write it. And then I saw a note that the keyboard player for Toto

was the writer of the song Crazy Mary. There was only one mention of that. I think his name was David H, B-A-I-C-H, I think if you want to look it up. But everywhere else I looked, Victoria Williams wrote the song, song well as luck would have it my guest tomorrow is the biggest toto fan i know a gentleman named stew stone and we're absolutely going to talk about this yeah i i i had always assumed all of these songs on the on the on the tribute to victoria williams were yeah were her songs the same way all of the songs on the joel plaskett tribute are joel plaskett songs as tribute

should be. And I don't know, but it clearly said Toto's keyboard player wrote the song and that every other song on the record had been written by Victoria Williams. You've blown my mind, Dave, because until this moment, I just assumed that was a, excuse me, I'm all choked up, I'm so blown away.

I assumed it was a Victoria Williams original. Of course, I've heard her version a bunch of times. And it's so Untoto-like, like it's not exactly yacht rock. I don't know. You can't believe anything or everything. Well, we'll get to the bottom of this. It doesn't, yeah, it's not the biggest item of this day. I would like to mention, if I could, the other Canadian singers.

I got a couple more mop-ups here, Dave, and then... Let me do this first. Okay, go ahead. Let me go ahead. And I just want to say that each one of these artists is a reason to visit the website and to listen to the 2025 offerings. And I know most of these people, so I want to thank them for being on the list,

for doing what they do and for appearing with me, many of them, including Basha Bulat, Ron Sex-Smith, Tara Lightfoot, William Prince, Adam Baldwin, Great Lake Swimmers, Royal Wood, Altamita, Mariel Buckley, O.C. Elliott, the Headstones, Danco Jones, the Trues, the Bar Brothers. I think it was a great year in music, in Canada, and everywhere. I can't remember a bad one, though, so the mop is yours. I'm going to see the Headstones next Friday.

So looking forward to that, seeing the Headstones with Finger 11. And, geez, Mike, another great band will come to me later. But I do want to shout out my oldest son, James, who, has been going through the Pearl Jam catalog because he knows I'm a big fan. And he texts me in real time. He'll text me these observations. And just this morning, he was telling me there was a song

and he said, Stone Gossard's amazing on this song. I'm like, you know, tell me something I don't know. Thank you. But I love the fact my oldest is discovering Pearl Jam. And you talked about the Kathleen Edwards song when the truth comes out and I love Kathleen Edwards. But I would like to tell you and the listenership that earlier this year, I was visited by Colin Cripps.

and he was absolutely amazing in his Toronto Mike debut, and we covered a lot of ground, including the work he's done with Kathleen Edwards, who he was married to for several years. So I just put this on your list if you're looking for something to listen to, Dave. Colin Cripps on Toronto mic is must listen. I wish I'd known, but I saw Colin a couple of weeks ago to Blue Rodeo show, and he is as dear a friend as Kathleen because I met them both at the same.

same time, 20 years ago. I have a headstones, but I have an admission as well. Do you know the name of the lead guitarist? No, I can't remember at this moment. Who is it? I don't, I have a mental block, but if you're at a show and you're talking, Trent Carr? Say hi to him. Okay. That's it. Trent Carr and I feel terrible I can't remember the other band I'm seeing oh okay so it's funny the headliners I forgot how does that figure so I'm going to see Headstones

Finger 11 who were just here Finger 11 so it was great to talk to those guys but also headlining this is the tea party so it's going to be a loud event at the new venue up near Woodbine there but we also we did talk Bob Ezrin and just because I know he's listening and I hope to see him Saturday

my good friend Blair Packham, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Bob Ezrin plays a huge role in recording early demos for the jitters, which is Blair Packam's band. And, you know, I've had many a great conversation with Blair about the legend that is Bob Ezrin. And I'm wondering, was this your first time watching somebody in the studio record? I think was this first experience for you, Dave? No, I've watched Arkell's one whole day.

way back when. Amazing. And even further back, when I lived in Vancouver, lover boy. I watched a whole day of love rule. It's, you know, you sit there and there's not anything for you to do other than, other than listen to take after take after take after take. but at one point I turned to Bob and said I think they were all good

and he gave me a look that you don't know what you're talking about. You got the Ezrin. And no, I didn't. And we were going on to dinner after, so maybe I wanted to get going. One last question for you, which is I have your 100 here and because you're listening to this podcast, it means you can now see Dave Hodge's complete list of 100 songs for 2025

at Hodge100.com. That is now live, but I couldn't help but notice there is neither goose nor geese on your list. There were a few people predicting you would have some geese or some goose or both. I said I have a large list of 500-some albums slash songs that I choose from. Goose was on the list Geese is just a little too out there for me Right

Right But I considered it Goose is nice and Nice and softer Right I love the predictions though That's Yeah

Somebody thought it might be number one geese Unless I'm getting my geese And my goose mixed up No but no Yeah I think I think Greg Ciskinan.

On to Waxahatchee is I think that's I think that sort of that sort of cements the reason for this in my mind that somebody out there can hear a number one song from 2024, make it their

number one artist for the following year and take the time to write and say that. So thank him for that. I will. And tell him, try real hard to get to Massey Hall in April because it'll be a fantastic show.

Speaking of one last little tidbit, but on YouTube you can find rather easily Waxahatchie covering Kathleen Edwards' 6 o'clock news from way back when. So I mentioned that to Kathleen, and she said, yeah, it was a great song. And it's a great rendition by Waxahatchy. So we started with Katie Crutchfield, and we're ending with Haxahatchee, same person.

Mike, you're great. I can't end this year the way I ended last year creatively. I just please, goodness, put that country back together again. And that brings us to the end of our 1,8007th show. Go to Hodge100.com for the complete list of Dave Hodge's 100 favorite songs of 2025. You can also go back and see the last eight such lists that I've been honored to share with you. Go to Torontomic.com for all your Toronto mic needs. I really hope I can see every single one of you at TMLX21 on Saturday, November 29th from noon to 3 p.m. at Palma's Kitchen in Mississauga.

We're taking over the second floor. It's a live recording. RetroFestive has a gift for you. Go to retrofestive.ca and use the promo code FOTM to save 10% right now. I'm bringing fresh craft beer from Great Lakes Brewery. Palma Pasta is not only hosting us. They're going to feed every single one of us. Delicious, authentic Italian food. Nick Iienes will be there.

He's the host of Building Toronto Skyline and Building Success. Kindling. If you go to shopkindling.ca and place an order, your cannabis is in your hand in under an hour. You can track the delivery. It's very discreet. Recycle My Electronics.C.A. That's where you go.

If you have old electronics, old cables, you don't throw that out. You go to Recycle My Electronics.C.A. Blue Sky Agency, contact Doug Mills. He's Doug at Blue Sky Agency.com. If you're looking for dynamic and creative work environments. And Ridley Funeral Home, hope to see Brad Jones at TMLX21. He hosts Life's Undertaking, another podcast you should subscribe to. I'll see you all tomorrow.

My special guest is Stu Stone, and we'll be talking about the 2025 Blue Jays and Crazy Mary and how it might be tied to Toto. Don't you dare miss it. Thank you. You know, I'm going to be.