Fish ‘n music
Catchy tunes: Homepage of the Swim Drink Fish Music Club, this month featuring new music from Dave Bidini of the Rheostatics
Like music as much as fishing? Then you’re sure to be interested in The Swim Drink Fish Music Club, a music Web site developed by environmental group Lake Ontario Waterkeeper to raise money to “fight for swimable, drinkable, fishable water in the community.”
Exclusive new songs are created by musicians who care about clean water, and are uploaded to the site once a month. Artists including Broken Social Scene, Sarah Harmer, Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, Chris Brown and Bruce Cockburn have all contributed exclusive songs.
September’s featured artist is Dave Bidini, one of the founding members of the band Rheostatics. Bidini, an avid angler and accomplished author as well (Outdoor Canada published a piece of his in May 2007), has uploaded a suite of 30 short songs about Lake Ontario. Says Bidini of the project:
“A lot of the songs are about living close to water – youthful summers on Toronto Island; a misspent teenagehood hanging out at the Leslie Street spit; as an adult sailing with my dad out of the Etobicoke yacht club– as well as the polluted soup that is our city’s lake. Almost all of the pieces here were created through the ‘instant song’ technique– basically writing and singing whatever came into my head– although a few were more obviously crafted. Whatever the case, enjoy, and please help support the Waterkeepers. I do and will and will continue to, evermore.”
Bidini’s songs will be available to both members and non-member of the site, though only members will be able to download all 30 tunes. Of course, an annual membership costs just $10, and promises to include more than 50 songs, uploaded monthly, which can be downloaded and played on any portable music device. (You can expect music from the likes of Apostle of Hustle, Attack in Black, Emma Lee, Ghost Bees, Gord Downie with The Sadies, Tony Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers, Holy Fuck, Land of Talk, Matt & Jill Barber, Neko Case, Ohbijou and Wintersleep in the future.) Plus, you’ll be helping a great angling-related cause.
