Favorite Canadian Acts #5 - Cowboy Junkies

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We are at #5 in my Favorite Canadian Acts series, #5 being Toronto's Cowboy Junkies. Cowboy Junkies (vocalist Margo Timmins, guitarist Michael Timmins, drummer Peter Timmins, and bassist Alan Anton) formed in 1986, and are probably best known for their haunting remake of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane." The band has played with the Boston Pops, adding a little alt-country to the symphonic setting. Rather than providing yet another link to "Sweet Jane," I turn instead to their 2001 album, Open, which features Over the Rhine vocalist Karin Bergquist and husband/guitarist/keyboardist Linford Detweiler as part of the band. Open features my favorite Junkies song, "Dragging Hooks (River Song Trilogy Part III.) This song finds the band in a psychedelic mood, a far cry from the sparseness of "Sweet Jane." Margo Timmins' sweet voice is as velvety as ever, while Michael's guitar work is as stellar as usual (talk about underrated guitarist's. Michael Timmins should be part of that conversation.) An ex-girlfriend and I got to meet Margo and Michael Timmins after a Cowboy Junkies show in Denver. They couldn't have been nicer (although it seemed like Michael was serving more as a bodyguard than a guitarist signing autographs.) If you've not seen the band live, you should do so at the first opportunity. They are worth every penny.