What’s good. homies? This week we’re kicking it and finally chatting about one of the biggest and probably the most “Canadian” of Canadian bands, The Tragically Hip. Haven’t heard of them? Well, you’re probably not from here. Almost every Canadian has heard of them if they haven’t heard their music. Have no fear, though! The Bird Boys are here to give you the 411 about one of the best bands our great nation has to offer. PALMREADER also managed to not tear up, which is good.

The Tragically Hip is a pillar of Canadian rock that formed in 1984 in Kingston, Ontario. They became one of the most beloved musical acts in the Canadian music scene with 13 studio albums, one live album, one EP, and over 50 singles over a 33-year career plus an extra EP of recovered songs in 2021. This band was a constant in Canadian music from the late ’80s until their amicable break-up and the death of their frontman Gord Downie in 2017. Plus, this band is a real rock band. It was the same five guys just ripping it for over three decades. Incredible. Nine of their albums have reached No. 1 on the Canadian charts and the band has won 17 Junos, been inducted into the Order of Canada, put on our Walk Of Fame, and they continue to be the soundtrack to summer nights in the garage, on the porch, or sitting on the dock by the lake.

To say they are important to Canada is an understatement. This band shut down the country for an emotional summer night in August 2016 as they played their last live-streamed show from their hometown… attended by our Prime Minister… streamed uninterrupted on our national television channel… to over 11 million people. Yeah.

So, this episode is mostly us recounting how crazy that was, sharing our connection to and love of The Hip, reminiscing on some of our favourite songs, talking about how beloved the band is and the surprising number of people who really love this band, and a lively discussion on what makes them so Canadian (aside from being, well, Canadian). This leads to a discussion of what it means to be a Canadian artist and why we feel The Hip shows Canadian patriotism so well. We also praise Gord Downie’s lyrical content and writing style, their overall musicianship, the consistency of their music and releases, their growth as a band, their willingness to talk about the darker side of humanity and our country, the way they tackle the historic mistreatment of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, and a whole lot more.

Then we talk about the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” trailer, the recent Marvel announcements, “Stray” on PS5, PALMREADER reiterates that this season of “Westward” slaps, Otis doesn’t understand “Black Adam”, Nathan Fielder’s return to TV with “The Rehearsal”, and other ramblings.

CHECK OUT THE SINGLES FROM “ON INFINITE REPEAT”:

https://soundcloud.com/cemetery_sound/sets/anxiety-weekend-on-infinite?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

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