10 Great Songs You Might Not Have Heard

I love hearing new music. Whether it's a brand new song or a song from the past that just slipped by my radar, finding those gems that get get stuck in my head makes me happy. I'm not going to be so brash as to label this blog as song you've never heard, how do I know that? It's possible you haven't heard them, so as my Canadian Thanksgiving gift to all you, here are 10 Great Songs You Might Not Have Heard.

1. The Zombies - "This Will Be Our Year"

Way back in the 60's, before the whole Zombie Apocalypse fascination was everywhere you looked, came a band out of Britain called The Zombies. Best known for their flower-child anthem "Time Of The Season" from the album Odessey and Oracle released in 1968. Another great track lies waiting on that album however, the Chris White penned "This Will Be Our Year" is one of my all time favourite classic rock tracks. Clocking in at just over 2 minutes, it's a sweet yet musically interesting little ditty. A good song to remind you to make the most out of your short time with that special someone.

2. Josh Ritter - "Wolves"

I love me some Josh Ritter, it's difficult to catagorize him into a single genre. Singer/songwriter, folk, alternative, country and blues would all apply to this Idaho native. His album The Animal Years released in 2006 is a revelation. Start to finish it's a great record to get lost in. Track #2 is "Wolves" a fun, ear-worm of a song that can really be a good launching point for the whole album. If you like this, check any other Josh Ritter song. You won't be let down.

3. Lunchmoney Lewis - "Bills"

I'm calling "Bills" as this year's "Fuck You". Y'know that song by Cee-Lo a few years back? Lewis is from Miami, but his single "Bills" has caught fire across the world, topping charts in Australia and New Zealand. I'm sure it's just a matter of time before his home country catches on.

4. Joe Purdy - "San Jose"

Probably best known for his song "Wash Away" from 2003 that was featured in a few TV shows like Lost and Grey's Anatomy. That album Julie Blue has always been a favourite of mine and for a while my relationship with his music started and stopped there. I Picked up his 2007 album Take My Blanket and Go and it kicks off with "San Jose". I was glad to hear it sounded different form anything of Julie Blue, but still had that distinct Joe Purdy tinge. Love the piano, the harmonica and the whole package.

5. Fleetwood Mac - "Blue Letter"

Originally intended to be included on the second Buckingham Nicks album, "Blue Letter" was written by Michael and Richard Curtis. It didn't see the light of day until 1975 when Lindsey Buckingham brought it out for the self-titled Fleetwood Mac album.

6. Smog - "Cold Blooded Old Times"

Smog is the stage name of Bill Callahan, a singer/songwriter and guitarist form Maryland. Known for his lo-fi genre of underground rock, his early indie tapes became treasures for music collectors in the 60's and 70's. "Cold Blooded Old Times" is perhaps his best known song.

7.  The Meadows - "Been So Long"

In an episode of The League, one of the characters makes a reference and picks up a copy of The Meadows' self-titled record. That little nod to an obscure group was enough for me to track down a copy of the CD and give it a listen. Sweet, smooth and simple rock songs from this Californian duo. Sadly not much else is known about them, which in a way is refreshing. Letting the tunes speak for themselves.

8. The Fireman - "Sing The Changes"

The Fireman is a musical side project of Paul McCartney and Martin Glover (more commonly known as Youth). They've only released 3 albums together with the first one going back to 1993 and the latest one in 2008. Paul McCartney performed a few Fireman songs when he played on top of the Ed Sullivan theatre during a taping of the Late Show With David Letterman.

9. Paper Route - "You & I"

Formed in 2004 in Nashville, TN Paper Route met while attending college together. With only 2 albums on their resume you can expect more good things form this indie-rock band. "You & I" comes off their 2012 album The Peace of Wild Things.

10. The Lackloves - "The Radio's Mine"

Another super impossible song to find anywhere. I heard it once a million years ago and haven't been able to find the album anywhere. Thankfully this song is on Youtube, so I have that available to me...which is nice. Great 90's/2000's nostalgia all over this track.

There's some music (new or familiar) to go along with your long weekend celebrations!
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@jonnyzhivago

JZ