The Gandharvas - Best Canadian Songs of All time No. 7

This series of posts will be offering the definitive list of the best Canuck tunes ever recorded, scientifically tabulated, collated and obfuscated by the Brain of Scruff, in absolutely-not numerical order.

The Gandharvas hailed from London. Ontario, that is. The band often went against the grain of the time period in which their albums were released (1994-1997). Singer Paul Jago had an unusual voice which some likened to Perry Farrell's, and he sometimes wore a mask for entire shows. They put the inside of a urinal on the cover of their album. I once did an interview with Jago and another band member in which the singer maybe spoke 10 words at most - he just stared at me intensely for about 45 minutes.

But most of all, The Gandharvas rarely went for that big bombastic rock sound in an era where Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Green Day ruled the roost. No, The Ghandarvas often went for a subtler sound, with hypnotic riffs, a rhythm section that knew when to hold back, and a singer that knew a whisper can be as effective as a scream. Singalong choruses did not abound, but the band did create some unstoppable grooves, and unusual songs and videos such as the one for Masochistic Minstrel helped carve out a little niche in the rock landscape.

 However, First Day of Spring is the song that sidles up, passes you an intriguing note, meets you outside and hands you your favourite frosty beverage on a late Friday afternoon. From promise to jubilation in under 5 minutes.

First Day of Spring