Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside

Normally I blog about music every third post, but with the New years count down and special crowdfunding post from Monday, it has been a while.  To make up for this, I have chosen a definite crowd pleaser.

I’ve already talked about some songs that I love to sing in karaoke, and this post falls into a category similar.  Flooding the radio waves in 1999, ‘Otherside’ was from the legendary Californication album that marked the huge come back of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers.  'Otherside' is a song that comes out of a period of turmoil where members were plagued by drug addictions that threatened to break up the band.  In fact, the song itself is about addictions, specifically from the point of view of former band mate Hillel Slovak whom died earlier in 1988.

From the first listen, the song became one of my personal  favourites and I never got sick of it despite its constant radio play.  With Keatis’s long drawling voice throughout the song, ‘Otherside’ is hard not to sing.  Still, I try to reserve screaming along with this song in solo car ride karaoke sessions.  No doubt this will be a popular pick, and it really shows the quality of rock music and how far it's fallen off the main stage lately.  Even today the surreal and dark video holds up and shows just how creatively strong the Red Hot Chili Peppers were in their return.

Big Sugar - Better Get Used To It

To me, Big Sugar will always be one of the most underrated bands out there.  Big Sugar plays rhythm-heavy rock with blues and reggae undertones.  This leads to music that is as confident as the Canadian weirdos that play it.  Whenever I want to blast some great driving music or just want to feel boss walking down the street, I turn to songs like 'Digging a Hole' or 'The Scene'.  My favourite from the band is 'Better Get Used To It', a perfect mix of swinging guitar riffs, bouncy drum rolls, and cool bass lines.

I was first introduced to Big Sugar from my older sister, who will perpetually have better taste in music than me.  Big Sugar was always in my periphery because she would always play it back in the early aughts, which is why it shocks me how few people remember this band.  The group disbanded about a decade ago, but has since reunited.  I can't peg down why they never broke out of the Canadian market but with dread locks, harmonica, and double necked guitars, you can bet it wasn't due to a lack of personality.