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Filed under: Irked Audio

Singer-songwriter Dan Mangan, speaking to Q radio host Jian Ghomeshi about the song Basket:

It’s a bit of an ode to my grandfather. After he passed away, I kind of came up with this idea that your life is a basket, and throughout your life you’re putting greeting cards and letters and notes into this basket. And every story, every  experience that you’ve ever shared gets fueled into this basket that becomes you. And you are shaped by everything that’s ever happened to you or around you. He started to lose his memories, he started to mix things up, he started to call me his own brother’s name, and he’d confuse my brother and I. And I thought, y’know, that’s really tragic, and what do you do when the basket starts falling apart, and all those letters and stories fall to the ground? So the song is about getting old and pissed off, but then at the same time it’s about the redemption, it’s about holding on to those memories.

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Listen to Dan Mangan’s overwhelmingly-moving live performance of his song Basket off the new album “Nice, Nice, Very Nice” (Then go buy Dan’s music on iTunes!):

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Learn more at DanManganMusic.com

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Filed under: Themes, Bum Deal, The Wandering Agoraphobe, Books & Book Reviews

A hermit’s home

by Joan Baxter

(an excerpt from the book The Hermit of Gully Lake: The Life and Times of Willard Kitchener MacDonald)

“The world knew him as the Hermit of Gully Lake, a lean and bearded elderly man in rags who lived on his own for more than half a century in the deep woods wilderness of northern Nova Scotia. By the time he disappeared in December 2003, his legend had spread across Canada and beyond.”

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Filed under: Irked Audio, Themes, Blind Visionaries 

Jeff Moyer’s Music from the Heart

“Jeff Moyer’s show raises consciousness …” Billboard Magazine

Jeff Moyer is a visually-impaired songwriter, producer, author, historian, passionate public speaker, disability rights activist, publisher, and champion of the dignity of all people. He is a National Public Radio “Morning Edition” commentator in the United States, has been featured on the CBS Evening News and 20/20, in National Geographic, and in a BBC documentary.

Jeff’s unique blend of humour, music, and powerful ideas has been heard by audiences across the globe. His performances are Click to continue »

Filed under: Irked Audio 

“She’ll pull you in with melody and grace to a sacred place forgotten.”

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Filed under: Uncategorized

Custom Irked Playlist: 50 Amazing Protest Songs

1. Gonna Be An Engineer, sung by Peggy Seeger
2. Outside Of A Small Circle Of Friends, sung by Phil Ochs
3. Working Class Hero, sung by John Lennon
4. Mercy Now, sung by Mary Gauthier
5. With God On Our Side, sung by Bob Dylan
6. I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag, sung by Country Joe & The Fish
7. Hello Birmingham, sung by Ani DiFranco
8. Strange Fruit, sung by Billie Holiday
9. Universal Soldier, sung by Buffy Sainte-Marie
10. Sam Stone, sung by John Prine
11. Where Have All The Flowers Gone?, sung by Pete Seeger
12. Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution, sung by Tracy Chapman
13. Closer to Fine, sung by Indigo Girls
14. Big Yellow Taxi, sung by Joni Mitchell
15. Gulf War Song, sung by Moxy Fruvous
16. Cops Of The World, sung by Phil Ochs
17. Me And A Gun, sung by Tori Amos
18. If I Had A Rocket Launcher, sung by Bruce Cockburn
19. Redemption Song, sung by Bob Marley
20. Guantanamera, sung by The Weavers
21. The News, sung by Jack Johnson
22. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, sung by Bob Dylan
23. Send The Marines, sung by Tom Lehrer
24. Imagine, sung by John Lennon
25. Free At Last, sung by Joan Baez
26. Is This The World We Created?, sung by Queen
27. The Junkie Song, sung by The Be Good Tanyas
28. Pastures Of Plenty, sung by Woodie Guthrie
29. Burn One Down, sung by Ben Harper
30. Across The Lines, sung by Tracy Chapman
31. Military Madness, sung by Graham Nash
32. Blowin’ In The Wind, sung by Peter, Paul and Mary
33. One Grain Of Sand, sung by Odetta
34. For What It’s Worth, sung by Buffalo Springfield
35. John Henry, sung by Harry Belafonte
36. How Many People, sung by Paul McCartney
37. Bread And Roses, sung by Utah Philips
38. And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, sung by Eric Bogle
39. We Shall Overcome, sung by Bruce Springsteen
40. Goodnight Saigon, sung by Billy Joel
41. Fortunate Son, sung by Creedence Clearwater Revival
42. Beautiful People, sung by Melanie
43. Freedom Road, sung by Josh White
44. Goodnight Irene, sung by Leadbelly
45. Blessed Be The Nation, recited by Studs Terkel
46. Who Killed Davey Moore, sung by Bob Dylan
47. Political Science, sung by Randy Newman
48. Come Away, Melinda, sung by The Weavers
49. Fragile, sung by Sting
50. Behind The Wall, sung by Tracy Chapman

Filed under: Irked Audio 

Empathetic Tunes by an Award-Winning Music Therapist

Meet Cathy Bollinger!

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