Bridges: Aug. 16, 2011

When we took our summer break here at Variations on a Theme, we went with a Bridges theme to bridge the gap between shows.

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We start things off on a nice, heavy note.

Puya - "Bridge" - Union (2001)

k-os - "Burning Bridges" - Yes! (2009)

As the last song suggests, you might not always want a bridge to somewhere or someone. In that case, maybe you shouldn't build it in the first place.

Immaculate Machine - "Don't Build the Bridge" - High on Jackson Hill (2009)

The Rural Alberta Advantage - "The Dethbridge in Lethbridge" - Hometowns (2008)

Bridges can be a way to escape and find change.

The Gourds - "The Bridge" - Cow Fish Fowl or Pig (2002)

Jets Overhead - "Bridges" - Bridges (2006)

Bridges can also be a way to unite people and places.

Tanya Morgan feat. Elucid - "The Bridge" - The Bridge (2008)

Black Eyed Peas - "Bridging the Gaps" - Bridging the Gap (2000)

As noted before, bridges can be avenues of great change, whether good or bad.

Cowboy Junkies - "Brothers Under the Bridge" - Early 21st Century Blues (2005)

Guy Clark - "Water Under the Bridge" - Cold Dog Soup (1999)

A bridge can also be a place simply to find love.

The Chiffons - "Up on the Bridge" - Sweet Talkin' Guy (1968)

Aretha Franklin - "Bridge Over Troubled Water" - Aretha Live at Fillmore West (1971)

Let the bridges take you home.

Cub Country - "O Holy Bridge" - Stay Poor. Stay Happy (2004)

Storms: Aug. 9, 2011

The Kootenay region sees its share of storms, so for this summer episode we went with a Storms theme.

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First, there's a storm on the horizon.

Gnarls Barkley - "Storm Coming" - St. Elsewhere (2006) 

Black Mountain - "Stormy High" - In the Future (2008)

We check in with those signature features of storms: thunder and lightning.

We Were Promised Jetpacks - "It's Thunder and It's Lightning" - These Four Walls (2009) 

AC Newman - "Thunderbolts" - Get Guilty (2009) 

Quiet Parade - "Thunderstorm" - Labour Day (2008)

Lightning can strike at a moment's notice.

Treelines - "Lightning" - Treelines (2009) 

Jimi Hendrix - "Midnight Lightning" - South Saturn Delta (1997)

Thunder can be a metaphor for a powerful force in your life.

Lucy Love - "Thunder" - Kilo (2011) 

The Prodigy - "Thunder" - Invaders Must Die (2009)

The storm rages on.

Ziggy Marley - "Still the Storms" - Love Is My Religion (2006) 

The Wailin' Jennys - "Storm Comin'" - Bright Morning Stars (2011)

Let's close the show by finding shelter from the storm.

Bob Dylan - "Shelter from the Storm" - Blood on the Tracks (1975)

Swimming: Aug. 2, 2011

When the heat of summer was upon us, the only thing to do was go swimming.

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Let's dive right in with a joyful tale of summer swimming.

Kate & Anna McGarrigle - "Swimming Song" - Kate & Anna McGarrigle (1975)

Said the Whale - "Strong Swimmers" - Bear Bones (2010)

Florence + the Machine - "Swimming" - Lungs (2009)

We take the plunge and examine swimming as a metaphor for love.

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - "When We Swam" - Know Better Learn Faster (2009)

Crash Test Dummies - "Swimming in Your Ocean" - God Shuffled His Feet (1993)

Broken Social Scene - "Swimmers" - Broken Social Scene (2005)

Time for a nice, mellow swim.

Eyes Lips Eyes - "A Good Swimmer" (2010)

History Books - "Love the Swimmer" - Love the Swimmer, Hate the Swim (2010)

The swim isn't always enjoyable, though.

Paper Rival - "Swimmer King" - Dialog (2008)

Hot Panda - "Gold Star Swimmer" - Volcano... Bloody Volcano (2009)

Starfighter - "Swimmer" - Make a Sex Noise (2002)

The sun is setting on our show, but that doesn't have to stop you from taking a dip.

R.E.M. - "Nightswimming" - Automatic for the People (1992)

Surfer Blood - "Swim" - Astro Coast (2010)

In the end, there's nothing that soothes quite like spending time in the water.

Breathe Owl Breathe - "Swimming" - Magic Central (2010)

Lakes: July 26, 2011

On Variations on a Theme, we round out our month of themes focusing on the natural beauty of the Kootenay region here in BC. Starting at the top with Mountains, we grew into Forests, spilled down Rivers and now flow into Lakes.

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Let's start with the biggest freshwater lake in the world.

Jason Collett - "Lake Superior" - Rat a Tat Tat (2010)

Rae Spoon - "Great Lakes" - Superioryouareinferior (2008)

We move from the Great Lakes in the East to some lakes down South in Louisiana.

The Be Good Tanyas - "Lakes of Pontchartrain" - Blue Horse (2001)

Lucinda Williams - "Lake Charles" - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (1998)

Lakes can be the perfect place to let go and feel at ease.

The Grouch and Eligh - "Lake Release" - No More Greener Grasses (2003)

Supersystem - "The Lake" - A Million Microphones (2006)

However, lakes can also be rather ominous places.

Ravenna Woods - "Demons and Lakes" - Demons and Lakes (2010)

Nirvana - "Lake of Fire" - MTV Unplugged in New York (1994)

Let's continue to explore the dark depths of lakes.

Calexico - "Man Made Lake" - Carried to Dust (2008)

The Rosebuds - "Silence by the Lakeside" - Night of the Furies (2007)

Now we circle our way back to some mountain lakes closer to home here in the Kootenays.

McCoy Simonson - "Jasper Lake" - Jasper (2011)

Graham Wright - "The Lakes of Alberta Pt. II" - The Lakes of Alberta (2008)

We end with a beautiful meditation on the calm, reflective power of lakes.

The Innocence Mission - "The Lakes of Canada" - Birds of My Neighborhood (1999)

Rivers: July 19, 2011

We continue our month of themes focusing on the natural features of the Kootenays here in BC. First we did Mountains, the dominant feature of the area, and then we moved on to the Forests covering those mountains. This week, our theme is the Rivers flowing through those forests.

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Rivers can be a great place to relax and let it all go.

Hooded Fang - "Green River" - Album (2010)

David Byrne and Brian Eno - "The River" - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (2008)

We move on from the Talking Heads singer to a soul classic likely best known as a Talking Heads tune.

Al Green - "Take Me to the River" - Al Green Explores Your Mind (1974)

Judy Mowatt - "Silent River Runs Deep" - Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae (2009)

Rivers are often used as metaphors for love—and sometimes as a barrier to love.

Lucero - "Across the River" - That Much Further West (2003)

Ocean Colour Scene - "The Riverboat Song" - Moseley Shoals (1996)

We now come to the Neil Young portion of the program with an amazing live performance from 1970.

Neil Young - "Down by the River" - Live at the Fillmore East (2006)

We move from a murder ballad to another tragic tale on the river.

The Deep Dark Woods - "River in the Pines" - Hang Me Oh Hang Me (2007)

PJ Harvey - "The River" - Is This Desire? (1998)

In the end, the one constant with rivers is change.

Destroyer - "Rivers" - Trouble in Dreams (2008)

Forests: July 12, 2011

Continuing with our month of themes focusing on the natural features of the Kootenays here in BC, this week's theme is Forests.

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One of the reasons people come visit the Kootenays is that they're tired of concrete streets and civilized gardens.

Editors - "I Want a Forest" - In This Light and on This Evening (2009)

The Fiery Furnaces - "Evergreen" - EP (2005)

Let's check out a variety of evergreen tree found in these here forests.

Boats - "Arms As Straight As Cedar Trees" - Intercontinental Champion (2007)

Ha Ha Tonka - "Thoreau in the Woods" - Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South (2009)

The woods are often a place to find and foster love.

Stars - "The Woods" - Heart (2003)

A.A. Bondy - "I Can See the Pines Are Dancing" - When the Devil's Loose (2009)

Old Man Luedecke - "Sad As a Forest" - Proof of Love (2008)

However, forests can also be menacing places.

Logan Whitehurst and the Junior Science Club - "The Forests Are Plotting Their Revenge" - Very Tiny Songs (2008)

Dead Kennedys - "Forest Fire" - Plastic Surgery Disasters (1982)

Hellblinki - "Don't Go Down to the Woods Tonight" - These Bubbles Come from Ants (2010)

Let's continue in a scary direction.

Benjy Ferree - "In the Woods" - Leaving the Nest (2006)

Ohbijou - "The Woods" - Swift Feet for Troubling Times (2006)

Blood Meridian - "In the Forest, Under the Moon" - Kick Up the Dust (2006)

We end with a classic forest song.

The Cure - "A Forest" - Seventeen Seconds (1980)

Mountains: July 5, 2011

Our first episode of July kicks off a month of themes focusing on the natural beauty of the Kootenay region here in BC. With that in mind, Mountains is the theme this week.

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Let's start with a song that captures that mountain feeling, even though it's about mountains on the other side of the continent.

Fleet Foxes - "Blue Ridge Mountains" - Fleet Foxes (2008)

Neil Young - "Sugar Mountain" - Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968 (2008)

Let's check in on some mountains closer to the Kootenays with a group from Calgary.

Miesha and the Spanks - "Up in the Mountains" - Gods of Love (2011)

Wilco - "Remember the Mountain Bed" - Mermaid Avenue Vol. II (2000)

Mountains are often used as metaphors for love.

David Vertesi - "Mountainside" - Cardiography (2010)

Ingrid Michaelson - "Mountain and the Sea" - Everybody (2009)

Sometimes mountains represent an impossible task.

Lucero - "The Mountain" - Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers (2006)

Heartless Bastards - "The Mountain" - The Mountain (2009)

Yet we're still always trying to scale the mountain.

Bedouin Soundclash - "Mountain Top" - Light the Horizon (2010)

Jane's Addiction - "Mountain Song" - Nothing's Shocking (1988)

We end with a hard funk take on an old classic.

Funkadelic - "Comin' Round the Mountain" - Hardcore Jollies (1976)

Holiday: June 28, 2011

Following up on the School and Summer themes, now that school is out and summer is in full effect, it's time to go on Holiday.

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Let's get things started on a happy, upbeat note.

The Films - "Holiday" - Oh, Scorpio (2009)

Pink Mountaintops - "Holiday" - Outside Love (2009)

We go a bit further afield for our holiday.

Jazz Liberatorz feat. J-Live - "Vacation" - Clin d'oeil (2008)

The Hangers - "Postcard" - Get Your Ticket (2011)

Mother Mother - "Getaway" - Eureka (2011)

Sometimes you need to get away to escape love gone wrong.

Small Sins - "Holiday" - Mood Swings (2007)

Stars - "Toxic Holiday" - Nightsongs (2001)

As the last song suggests, not all holidays are enjoyable.

Pantera - "Psycho Holiday" - Cowboys from Hell (1990)

Dead Kennedys - "Holiday in Cambodia" - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980)

Even though holidays aren't always great, sometimes they're still better than your day-to-day life.

Franz Ferdinand - "Jacqueline" - Franz Ferdinand (2004)

Weezer - "Holiday" - Weezer (1994)

All in all, your best bet may be to treat all of life as one big holiday.

My Morning Jacket - "One Big Holiday" - It Still Moves (2003)

Summer: June 21, 2011

With this week's Variations on a Theme episode falling on summer solstice, we couldn't let the occasion go by unnoticed—hence our Summer episode.

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We start with what everyone says when they first feel the hot sun.

The Undertones - "Here Comes the Summer" - The Undertones (1979)

Phoenix - "Summer Days" - United (2000)

Mean Tangerine - "Summertime" - Wolf Sampler (2011)

Now we check in with the urban summer experience.

Shy Child - "Summer" - Noise Won't Stop (2007)

Animal Collective - "Summertime Clothes" - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

Jimi Hendrix - "Long Hot Summer Night" - Electric Ladyland (1968)

We transition into the subject of summer love.

The Rural Alberta Advantage - "In the Summertime" - Hometowns (2008)

Jason Collett - "High Summer" - Rat a Tat Tat (2010)

We continue on the subject of summer love—often temporary and fleeting, only lasting as long as the season.

Kathleen Edwards - "Summerlong" - Back to Me (2004)

Pete Yorn - "Last Summer" - Back & Fourth (2009)

Even though summer is just starting, eventually it must come to an end.

Passwords - "Life After Summer" - Passwords (2011)

New York Dolls - "End of the Summer" - Dancing Backward in High Heels (2011)

Sound Dimension - "Summertime" - Mojo Rocksteady Beat (2008 compilation)

Of all the seasons, summer may be the best one in which to let your mood reflect the weather, no matter how you might be feeling.

The Flaming Lips - "It's Summertime" - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)

Teenagers: June 14, 2011

Following up on our School theme last week, this week's theme concerns those individuals who are now out of school and marauding around your town: Teenagers.

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We start at the beginning of the teenage years.

Big Star - "Thirteen" - #1 Record (1972)

Stars - "14 Forever" - Sad Robots (2008)

The Square Waves - "Fifteen and Done" - Amplified to Landscapes (2011)

Let's continue with the middle years of teenage life.

Super Wild Horses - "Fifteen" - Fifteen (2010)

Buzzcocks - "Sixteen Again" - Love Bites (1978)

The Indelicates - "Sixteen" - American Demo (2008)

We detour from the specific ages of the teen years to delve into the general teen experience.

The Virgins - "Teen Lovers" - The Virgins (2008)

Apex Manor - "Teenage Blood" - The Year of Magical Drinking (2011)

We Are Wolves - "Teenage, Bats & Anthropology" - Total Magique (2007)

We dive back into the teenage ages. Adolescence bring change—and it's not always appreciated by your friends, and vice versa.

Broken Social Scene - "Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl" - You Forgot It in People (2002)

Hey Rosetta! - "Seventeen" - Seeds (2011)

Arguably the biggest change of the teenage years comes when you turn the supposed age of adulthood: 18.

I Blame Coco - "Eighteen with a Bullet" - Island Life: 50 Years of Island Records (2009)

Tegan & Sara - "Nineteen" - The Con (2007)

We end with a beautiful song that perfectly captures that teenage feeling: a million emotions you can't name, swirling in radiant colors that inspire you, depress you and surprise you at every moment.

Sonic Youth - "Teen Age Riot" - Daydream Nation (1988)

School: June 7, 2011

With the school year winding down and many people graduating from high school, college or university, this week Variations on a Theme went with a School theme to usher those plucky graduates into their wide-open future in style.

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We start with the ostensible reason we go to school in the first place: education.

The Metros - "Education Pt. 2" - More Money Less Grief (2008)

Modest Mouse - "Education" - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (2007)

Pearl Jam - "Education" - Lost Dogs (2003)

Now we delve into the day-to-day school experience. What's it really like at school?

Jawbreaker - "Chemistry" - Dear You (1995)

Nirvana - "School" - From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah (1996)

The Evaporators - "I Quit School" - Ripple Rock (2004)

Let's continue our examination of life at school.

Hot Chip - "Boy from School" - The Warning (2006)

Destroyer - "School, and the Girls Who Go There" - City of Daughters (1998)

Belle & Sebastian - "We Rule the School" - Tigermilk (1996)

Now we hear about those central figures of schools: teachers.

Leonard Cohen - "Teachers" - Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)

The Joel Plaskett Emergency - "Come On Teacher" - Truthfully Truthfully (2003)

School is certainly an institution in modern life.

Rheostatics - "Churches and Schools" - Greatest Hits (1987)

John Hiatt - "Graduated" - Little Head (1997)

As you graduates make your way in this brave new world, remember that it's not all about academics and achievement. You've also got to get your...

Jamiroquai - "Soul Education" - Synkronized (1999)

Fruits and Vegetables: May 31, 2011

Following up on last week's Gardens episode of Variations on a Theme, this week our theme is the products of those gardens: Fruits and Vegetables.

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Let's start with fruit in general—sometimes a source of contention.

Ridley Bent - "Fruit Pickers (In Dubious Battle)" - Blam (2005)

Christine Fellows - "What Makes the Cherry Red" - Nevertheless (2007)

Jess Hill - "Apple Tree" - Orchard (2011)

Now we drop down from the fruit trees to see the vegetables on or in the earth.

The Wilderness of Manitoba - "Golden Beets" - When You Left the Fire (2010)

Alison Krauss & Union Station - "The Boy Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn" - New Favorite (2001)

We stay with vegetables but go a little more general—and a little noisier.

The Flaming Lips - "March of the Rotten Vegetables" - Zaireeka (1997)

Opposite Day - "Vegetables" - What Is Is? (2009)

Barenaked Ladies - "The Canadian Snacktime Trilogy Part III: Vegetable Town" - Snacktime! (2008)

Getting back to vegetable varieties, but with a hip-hop take.

Noisy Stylus - "Broccoli Wars" (2001)

Freestyle Fellowship - "Hot Potato" - Innercity Griots (1993)

Time to hop off the vegetable train and get back to some sweet fruit.

The Presidents of the United States of America - "Peaches" - The Presidents of the United States of America (1995)

Pink Floyd - "Apples and Oranges" (1967)

Apostle of Hustle - "Blackberry" - Eats Darkness (2009)

We end with a classic fruit song.

The Beatles - "Strawberry Fields Forever" (1967)

Gardens: May 24, 2011

With spring in full effect, Variations on a Theme continues its run of spring themes with a theme of Gardens. Get out there and plant something!

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We start with an old-fashioned murder ballad from a new band.

Zeus - "The River by the Garden" - Say Us (2010)

The Minus 5 - "The Family Gardener" - Down with Wilco (2003)

Gardens are often used as political metaphors as well, addressing issues like climate change and war.

Hayley Sales - "Not in His Garden (feat. Donavon Frankenreiter)" - When the Bird Became a Book (2010)

Neil Young - "After the Garden" - Living with War (2006)

The Dresden Dolls - "The Gardener" - No, Virginia... (2008)

We continue in the vein of gardens being dark, ominous places where trouble is taking place.

PJ Harvey - "The Garden" - Is This Desire? (1998)

Pearl Jam - "Garden" - Ten (1991)

We keep on rocking but take it in a punk direction.

SNFU - "Better Homes and Gardens" - If You Swear, You'll Catch No Fish (1986)

Bad Religion - "Atomic Garden" - Generator (1992)

We travel back in time to the late '60s to discover that gardens can also be happy, fun, carefree places—even if they're underwater.

The Beatles - "Octopus's Garden" - Abbey Road (1969)

The Byrds - "Mind Gardens" - Younger Than Yesterday (1967)

The Guess Who - "A Wednesday in Your Garden" - Wheatfield Soul (1968)

We conclude with a Southern rock epic from an up-and-coming indie group.

The Bright Light Social Hour - "Garden of the Gods" - The Bright Light Social Hour (2010)

Radio (Kootenay Co-op Radio Membership Drive): May 17, 2011

This week is Kootenay Co-op Radio's membership drive, so Variations on a Theme went with a Radio theme, while also interviewing a few special guests about the importance of co-op radio: yoga teacher Karuna Erickson, musician Lyndon Schiewe and singer/songwriter Frazey Ford.

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NOFX - "Radio" - BYO Split Series Volume III (2002)

Karuna Erickson interview, discussing the benefits of being a KCR member and why co-op radio is worthy of your support.

Operation Ivy - "Sound System" - Energy (1989)

Michael Franti & Spearhead - "Listener Supported" - Stay Human (2001)

Lyndon Schiewe interview, on his experience in campus radio and why community radio matters, plus a song from his band Random Device.

Random Device - "Rebuild" - Digital Attack (2009)

Sweatshop Union - "Radio Edit" - Natural Progression (2004)

Frazey Ford interview, in which she discusses community building and why co-op radio is much more nutritious and better for you than mainstream schlock.

Frazey Ford - "I Like You Better" - Obadiah (2010)

The Velvet Underground - "Rock & Roll" - Loaded (1970)

In all, $430 in member contributions came in over the course of the hour. Thank you everyone!

Flower Varieties: May 10, 2011

We conclude our two-part flower series on Variations on a Theme with a show focusing on the many different varieties of flowers.

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Let's start with a song that runs through a number of flowers before settling on...

Falcatross - "Tulips" - Sprung (2009)

The Seedy Seeds - "Dandelion" - Count the Days (2008)

Ron Sexsmith - "Dandelion Wine" - Retriever (2004)

We transition into flowers as metaphors for love.

The Wailin' Jennys - "Cherry Blossom Love" - Bright Morning Stars (2011)

The Honeycutters - "Lilies" - Irene (2009)

From one L flower to another.

Radiohead - "Lotus Flower" - The King of Limbs (2011)

Nina Simone - "Poppies" - Emergency Ward (1972)

Now we feature a couple of tracks from singer-songwriter Dan Bejar.

Destroyer - "Blue Flower/Blue Flame" - Trouble in Dreams (2008)

Hello, Blue Roses - "Hello Blue Roses" - The Portrait Is Finished and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty... (2008)

Let's continue with a rose of a different color.

Abigail Lapell - "Yellow Rose" - Great Survivor (2011)

Lucinda Williams - "Like a Rose" - Lucinda Williams (1988)

And we conclude our show with one more run for the roses.

Ween - "Roses Are Free" - Chocolate and Cheese (1994)

Flowers: May 3, 2011

Following last week's Bees episode, Variations on a Theme chose to focus on the object of bees' affections: Flowers. Herein is the first part of a two-part series on flowers. This week's episode deals with flowers in general.

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Camper Van Beethoven - "Flowers" - Key Lime Pie (1989)

Shotgun Jimmie - "Too Many Flowers" - Transistor Sister (2011)

Wilco - "Forget the Flowers" - Being There (1996)

What role do flowers play in a relationship?

Kathleen Edwards - "Asking for Flowers" - Asking for Flowers (2008)

Jim Bryson - "Flowers" - Where the Bungalows Roam (2007)

Cross Canadian Ragweed - "Flowers" - Soul Gravy (2004)

We continue to examine how flowers play into love and life.

Mazzy Star - "Flowers in December" - Among My Swan (1996)

Animal Collective - "In the Flowers" - Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

Now we get a little more esoteric on the subject of flowers.

Frog Eyes - "A Flower in a Glove" - Paul's Tomb: A Triumph (2010)

Radiohead - "Last Flowers" - In Rainbows (2007)

Last Flowers transitions us to the subject of flowers and mortality.

Simon & Garfunkel - "Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall" - Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (1966)

Attack in Black - "Leaving Your Death in a Flowerbed" - Years (By One Thousand Fingertips) (2009)

We end with a vision of what the world will be like post-civilization—covered in flowers.

Talking Heads - "(Nothing But) Flowers" - Naked (1988)

Bees: April 26, 2010

As spring continues to take hold in the Northern Hemisphere, we will start seeing more of our busy little friends, Bees. Variations on a Theme celebrates bees on this episode.

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We start with something sweet.

Feist - "Honey Honey" - The Reminder (2007)

Warpaint - "Bees" - The Fool (2010)

Let's continue in a bit of an experimental vein.

Animal Collective - "Bees" - Feels (2005)

Shitt Hottt - "Foreign Bees" - Are You There God? It's Me, Shitt Hottt (2007)

Now we check in with a few songs using bees as metaphors for love and relationships.

The Stills - "Killer Bees" - Rememberese (2003)

Bishop Allen - "The Envy of the Bees" - November (2006)

Wool on Wolves - "Honeybee" - Grey Matter (2010)

Let's go down a blues path for a minute.

Muddy Waters - "Honey Bee" - The Anthology: 1947-1972 (2001)

Bobby "Blue" Bland - "Honey Bee" - The "3B" Blues Boy: The Blues Years, 1952-1959 (1991)

We get stung with love.

Paul Curreri - "Bees" - Are You Going to Paul Curreri (2006)

Laura Cantrell - "Bees" - Humming by the Flowered Vine (2005)

And we sign off with an epic bee song.

Wolf Parade - "Kissing the Beehive" - At Mount Zoomer (2008)

Elections: April 19, 2011

Canada has a federal election in less than two weeks (Monday, May 2), so VOAT went with an Elections theme to get you ready to cast your vote.

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We start with what you'll be hearing a lot of over the next two weeks: campaign promises from candidates who just want to be elected.

Alice Cooper - "Elected" - Billion Dollar Babies (1973)

Chumbawamba - "Always Tell the Voter What the Voter Wants to Hear" - Never Mind the Ballots (1987)

Radiohead - "Electioneering" - OK Computer (1997)

Let's move on to the people campaigning for your vote: politicians.

Cream - "Politician" - Wheels of Fire (1968)

Emanon - "Politician" - The Waiting Room (2005)

Now let's check in on the political system that requires voting: democracy. Heralded by many as the ideal system of government, it is nonetheless vulnerable to exploitation and corruption, as we hear here.

Bruce Cockburn - "Call It Democracy" - World of Wonders (1986)

Killing Joke - "Democracy" - Democracy (1996)

We continue in a punk rock/hardcore vein with some opinions on politics in general and Canadian politics specifically.

D.O.A. - "Logjam" - Loggerheads (1993)

Bad Religion - "Politics" - Bad Religion (1980)

Propagandhi - "Resisting Tyrannical Government" - Less Talk, More Rock (1996)

Now we circle back to what you'll be doing on election day: voting.

Tokyo Police Club - "Your English Is Good" - Elephant Shell (2008)

Sunset Rubdown - "They Took a Vote and Said No" - Shut Up I Am Dreaming (2006)

North of America - "Voting 'No' on the Warming of Antarctica" - Brothers, Sisters (2003)

Despite the cynicism and hopelessness that is associated with politics, VOAT still encourages you to get out there, cast your vote and hope that we won't get fooled again.

The Who - "Won't Get Fooled Again" - Who's Next (1971)

Rain: April 12, 2011

Finishing off our two-part weather series, VOAT went with a theme of Rain this week. Always lots of that in the spring!

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We start just before the rain comes.

Neil Young - "See the Sky About to Rain" - On the Beach (1974)

Mississippi Live and the Dirty Dirty - "Rain Keeper" - Way Down Here (2010)

Now we have a song featuring the words of the infamous Imelda Marcos, former Philippines first lady: "When it's poor, it's like you're naked, and every drop of rain you feel."

David Byrne and Fatboy Slim feat. Candie Payne and St. Vincent - "Every Drop of Rain" - Here Lies Love (2010)

k-os - "The Rain" - Atlantis: Hymns for Disco (2006)

Parliament - "Come in Out of the Rain" - Osmium (2001 reissue)

People can certainly find the rain gets them a bit depressed or angry, and out of that comes some pretty heavy music.

Alice in Chains - "Rain When I Die" - Dirt (1992)

Thom Yorke - "And It Rained All Night" - The Eraser (2006)

At a point, though, you have to stop fighting the rain. There's nothing you can do to change it, so why not embrace it?

Colin Linden - "Might As Well Enjoy the Rain" - Southern Jumbo (2005)

Bob Dylan - "Buckets of Rain" - Blood on the Tracks (1975)

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "One Rainy Wish" - Axis: Bold As Love (1967)

We leave you with a lovely meditation on the rain. Whenever the rain is getting you down, think back to this song and remember how beautiful the rain really is.

Led Zeppelin - "The Rain Song" - Houses of the Holy (1973)

Sun: April 5, 2011

This week's episode of Variations on a Theme was dependent on the weather; it would be either be Rain or Sun. Well, after a morning that saw rain, sun, snow and hail here in Nelson, BC, the sun started shining right before VOAT aired. Sun it is!

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We start the show how each day starts: with the sun rising.

Fleet Foxes - "Sun It Rises" - Fleet Foxes (2008)

Ox - "Fat Old Sun" - Dust Bowl Revival (2003)

We continue with a couple of reggae songs. Nothing suits a sunny day quite like reggae.

Peter Tosh - "Here Comes the Sun" - Can't Blame the Youth (2004)

Bob Marley - "Sun Is Shining" - Kaya (1978)

Who will bring us the sun?

Jason Collett - "I'll Bring the Sun" - Idols of Exile (2005)

Broken Social Scene - "Looks Just Like the Sun" - You Forgot It in People (2002)

We go with something a bit different here: a couple of instrumental tracks. Listen to these songs and ruminate on how they represent the sun.

Mogwai - "The Sun Smells Too Loud" - The Hawk Is Howling (2008)

Ratatat - "Sunblocks" - LP4 (2010)

The sun is starting to set on this episode of VOAT.

The Halo Benders - "Lonesome Sundown" - The Rebels Not In (1998)

Locomotive Ghost - "The Sunset's Golden" - Close Your Eyes and Listen (2011)

We end with a song that presents a bit of conundrum: What would night on the sun be like?

Modest Mouse - "Night on the Sun" - Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks (2001)

April Fools' Day: March 29, 2011

April Fools' Day is right around the corner, and Variations on a Theme is here to get you ready.

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We start with something we hope you'll be doing a lot of this April Fools' Day: laughing.

* Hooded Fang - "Laughing" - Album (2010)

* St. Vincent - "Laughing with a Mouth of Blood" - Actor (2009)

Now let's hear about another central part of April Fools' Day: being a fool.

* Ween - "You Were the Fool" - 12 Golden Country Greats (1996)

* Jason Collett - "Little Clown" - Motor Motel Love Songs (2002)

* Bedouin Soundclash - "Fools Tattoo" - Light the Horizon (2010)

As the last song suggests, love is one area where everyone is made a fool at some point.

* Aretha Franklin - "Chain of Fools"

* B.B. King - "Fools Get Wise"

* Sam Cooke - "Get Yourself Another Fool"

Love isn't all being fooled though—and that's no joke.

* 2 Mex - "Baby I Ain't Joking" - 2 Mex (2004)

* Eric B. & Rakim - "I Ain't No Joke" - Paid in Full (1987)

Back to laughing for a moment—sometimes you don't know whether to laugh or cry.

* The Trews - "Can't Stop Laughing" - No Time for Later (2008)

* Spin Doctors - "The Bigger I Laugh, the Harder I Cry" - Here Comes the Bride (1999)

* Neil Young - "The Old Laughing Lady" - Unplugged (1993)

Finally, we leave you with a savage Jimi Hendrix track to help you laugh all the way to April Fools' Day.

* Jimi Hendrix - "The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam's Dice"

Spring: March 22, 2011

It's spring, everyone! This week Variations on a Theme welcomes the return of spring.

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We start with a quintessential happy, sunny spring song.

* The Free Design - "Canada in Springtime" - There Is a Song (1972)

* Hey Rosetta! - "Yer Spring" - Seeds (2011)

Spring also lends itself to introspection—acoustic meditations on the wonder of nature and the beauty of the seasons.

* Bruce Cockburn - "Spring Song" - Bruce Cockburn (1970)

* of Montreal - "Springtime Is the Season" - Cherry Peel (1997)

However, it's not only the introspective singer/songwriters who like spring. The rockers, punks and freaks love it too.

* Leatherface - "Springtime" - Mush (1991)

* Eric's Trip - "Spring" - Love Tara (1993)

* The Flaming Lips - "Can't Stop the Spring" - Oh My Gawd!!! (1987)

Now we'll take a little trip to the North Country with some reflections on how relationships play out in those harsh climes.

* Johnny Cash - "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)" - Orange Blossom Special (1965)

* Ian Tyson - "Springtime in Alberta" - And Stood There Amazed (1993)

* Spring Breakup (Kim Barlow and Mathias Kom) - "Spring Flings" - Spring Breakup (2010)

Spring is a good time for cleaning—sweeping out the dusty corners of your house, getting rid of the gravel coming in off the streets and clearing out some of the junk that's accumulated around your heart and in your psyche over the winter.

* Bright Eyes and Neva Dinova - "Spring Cleaning" - One Jug of Wine, Two Vessels (2004)

* Greg Brown - "Spring Wind" - The Live One (1995)

* Jimmie Spheeris - "Seeds of Spring" - Isle of View (1971)

Now we come to the end of our Spring show. As color comes back into the world—flowers blooming, leaves growing, birds flitting around—and you marvel at its beauty, sometimes you realize the color and beauty was there all along. It's actually you that has changed—now you can see in color.

* Mary J. Blige - "Color" - Stronger with Each Tear (2009)

Plans: March 15, 2011

As the Northern Hemisphere heads into spring, many of us start making plans for the spring and summer to come. Thus, this week VOAT's theme was Plans.

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Built to Spill - "The Plan" - Keep It Like a Secret (1999)

XTC - "Making Plans for Nigel" - Drums and Wires (1979)

Pedro the Lion - "A Simple Plan" - Achilles Heel (2004)

Lucinda Williams - "Plan to Marry" - Little Honey (2008)

Work of Saws - "Plan Your Ninth Baloon" - Motivation and Watertower Grammar (2001)

Los Campesinos! - "Plan A" - Romance Is Boring (2010)

You Say Party! We Say Die! - "Five Year Plan" - Lose All Time (2007)

Frog Eyes - "Time Destroys Its Plan at the Reactionary Table" - The Golden River (2003)

Dead Prez - "Stimulus Plan" - Pulse of the People (2009)

Wale - "The Perfect Plan" - The Mixtape About Nothing (2008)

Arkells - "Blueprint" - Jackson Square (2008)

Sandman Viper Command - "The Best of Plans" - Everybody See This (2009)

Sleeping States - "Planning My Escape" - There the Open Spaces (2007)

Tower of Dudes - "A Plan" - A Plan (2008)

Zumpano - "Here's the Plan" - Goin' Through Changes (1996)

Dinosaur Jr. - "Plans" - Farm (2009)

International Women's Day: March 8, 2011

The second episode of Variations on a Theme coincided with the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, so I marked the occasion with a show featuring songs by women, about women.

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Judy Collins - "Bread and Roses" - Bread & Roses (1976)

Indigo Girls - "Pendulum Swinger" - Despite Our Differences (2006)

Metric - "Glass Ceiling" - Live It Out (2005)

Ani DiFranco - "Not a Pretty Girl" - Not a Pretty Girl (1995)

Bikini Kill - "Rebel Girl" - Pussy Whipped (1993)

PJ Harvey - "50 Ft Queenie" - Rid of Me (1993)

Nina Simone - "Four Women" - My Baby Just Cares for Me (1959)

Joni Mitchell - "Ladies of the Canyon" - Ladies of the Canyon (1970)

Frazey Ford - "Hey Little Mama" - Obadiah (2010)

Julie Doiron - "Mother" - Loneliest in the Morning (1997)

Wailin' Jennys - "Mona Louise" - Bright Morning Stars (2011)

Mary J. Blige - "Good Woman Down" - The Breakthrough (2005)

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - "She Ain't a Child No More" - I Learned the Hard Way (2010)

Blue King Brown - "Women's Revolution" - Worldwize Part 1 North & South (2010)

Beginnings: March 1, 2011

For the debut episode of Variations on a Theme, I went with a theme of Beginnings, appropriately enough.

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Arcade Fire - "Ready to Start" - The Suburbs (2010)

of Montreal - "So Begins Our Alabee" - The Sunlandic Twins (2005)

R.E.M. - "Begin the Begin" - Lifes Rich Pageant (1986)

The Stills - "In the Beginning" - Without Feathers (2006)

The Gerry Alvarez Odyssey - "End Is Beginning" - Omega Tea Time (2010)

Van Morrison - "Starting a New Life" - Tupelo Honey (1971)

Jill Barber - "Starting to Show" - For All Time (2006)

Counting Crows - "Anna Begins" - August and Everything After (1993)

Kevin Drew - "When It Begins" - Spirit If... (2007)

Ass Ponys - "Nothing Starts Today" - Lohio (2001)

The Velvet Underground - "Beginning to See the Light" - The Velvet Underground (1967)

The Cardigans - "Starter" - Gran Turismo (1998)

Tracy Chapman - "New Beginning" - New Beginning (1995)