Happy Canada Day! We are so excited to have Toronto’s Papermaps on board for the latest Weekend Sequence – they were even kind enough to write you all a little note – check it out below and be sure to stream this amazing mix at the bottom of the page!

We just released our debut self-titled album way back in April (April 19, on Sparks Music/EMI) and have been supporting it with live shows all around Ontario and have our sites set on more far-away places in late October. Meanwhile, we will be visiting Windsor on July 9th, Guelph on July 12th and Toronto (Horseshoe Tavern) on Sept 8.

Love,
Dean, Wendy, Bobby and Todd
Papermaps

1. Dick Dale – Misirlou
Perhaps best known as “the guy who played the theme song to Pulp Fiction”, Dick Dale pretty much invented the genre known as “surf rock.” He was a lefty guitarist who played his guitar backwards (but not restrung like Jimi Hendrix or Dean and Todd). He’s responsible for igniting a whole movement that spawned a myriad of instrumental bands (like The Ventures) and eventually The Beach Boys, who would educate us with their monumental Pet Sounds. Surf Rock is still influencing modern music – just check out the latest Walkmen album Libson, for example. Thank you Mr. Dale.

2. Iggy Pop – China Girl
Iggy Pop is the godfather of punk and a living icon. He originally penned “China Girl”, a song that would become a massive hit for his good friend and producer, David Bowie. He is also a south paw.

3. Paul McCartney – Temporary Secretary
This song is perhaps the “most leftest” (as in strangest) song from the most “toppermost” lefty of them all, Sir Paul McCartney. It appeared on “McCartney II” the follow-up to his original first solo effort “McCartney” (ten years later in 1980).

4. Bobby Womack – Monologue (They Long To Be) Close to You
Bobby Womack was known as the Preacher of Soul, next to his funk contemporaries, Godfather James and Poet Curtis. Here in this track, Mr. Womack preaches to us one of the most philosophically insightful monologues on the meaning of “commercial” music, while masterfully careening a rambling tour anecdote into one of the most soul searing covers of a Burt Bacharach tune in the history of recording. Can you dig it? “And a little, engineer…”

5. Talking Heads – Crosseyed And Painless
Remain In The Light is my favourite Talking Heads album – way ahead of it’s time. Under the tutelage of producer Brian Eno, the Heads began to experiment with Afro-beat rhythms and loops. Plus, David Byrne is a lefty!

6. Doves – Satellites
Did you know British band, the Doves used to be a dance-pop band called Sub Sub? Then they had a big fire, lost their studio and changed their musical direction forever – it’s like a brush with death changed their whole perspective. Jim Goodwin plays his bass left-handed.

7. Black Sabbath – War Pigs
This sh!t is heavy! Black Sabbath invented the two finger power chord, allowing aspiring guitarists everywhere to form their own bands. I have a feeling the simplicity they added to the “heavy blues” genre paved the way for bands like The Stooges, The Mc5 (and perhaps, in an indirect way, punk rock). Toni Iommi is a lefty.

8. Public Image Ltd. – Death Disco
Without punk their would be no post punk and without post punk there would be no new wave, no new wave means no alternative rock and so on and so on . . . PIL is the true original post-punk band (ok maybe that honour goes to Magazine) but Johny Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) was THE face of the punk rock movement for a while there, so his post Sex Pistols project must have blown quite a few minds. Johnny is a south paw, oi!

9. Devo – Gates Of Steel
Speaking of post punk and new wave, this is Dean’s favourite Devo song. Dean is the only devotee in the group (Devo nearly made him late for the Papermaps NXNE appearance at the Rivoli this year). Gerald Casale plays a mean lefty bass.

10. At The Drive-In – Rolodex Propaganda
The fact that Omar Rodríguez-López is a lefty and Iggy Pop sings backing vocals on this track brings this mixtape full circle.