DOMINIONATED proudly presents DOMINIONATED IV, the fourth in a series of music compilations where contemporary Canadian artists cover their favourite Canadian songs (started by our spiritual predecessor blog, Quick Before It Melts).
We kept the concept the same as the last three years: ask some of our favourite artists to choose a Canadian tune close to their heart and give us their interpretation of it. In the spirit of Engaging in Canadian Music Conversations that DOMINIONATED’s embraced, we engaged some of our contributing artists – The Burning Hell, Rob Dickson, Blackpaw Society, Pick a Piper, and Snake River – in some #CanadianMusicConvos about the inspiration and motivations behind their song choice.
These observations and conversations with our contributors revealed that, even though the experiences and stories are individual and unique, music is the common language that connects us all. While compiling this year’s compilation and thinking about DOMINIONATED’s first year as a blog, a passage from J. C. Villamere‘s excellent Is Canada Even Real? came to mind, one in which she quotes from Adrienne Clarkson’s 2014 Massey Lecture, “Belonging: The Paradox of Citizenship”: “[Clarkson says in her lecture:] ‘We are most fully human, most truly ourselves, most authentically individual, when we commit to the community. It is in the mirror of our community – the street, the neighbourhood, the town, the country – that we find our best selves.’ And if we can find ourselves there through music, then so much the better.”
We’re all the better for the generosity and support of this year’s contributors, and to the community that’s come up around our little project. Thank you to all our contributing artists for the time and dedication they’ve put into re-interpreting these songs, all so that we can release them as a free download for the next 150 days.
- The Garrys “Dusty Boy” (The Peelies)
- Rob Dickson and Merganzer “Melody Day” (Caribou)
- Harfang “Your Name” (Bernache)
- The Burning Hell “Thing Game” (Wax Mannequin)
- Oiseaux “Hunger of the Young” (Attack In Black)
- Snake River (featuring Lizzy Burt) “Where Evil Grows” (The Poppy Family)
- Blackpaw Society “White Lightning / Old Tattoo” (Danny Michel)
- Toui Manikhouth “Between Us to Hold” (Hayden)
- Pick a Piper “Ice on the Windowsill” (Teen Daze)
