The Weakerthans Essentials

Though frontman John K. Samson served time with Winnipeg hardcore heroes Propagandhi up until the mid-'90s, with The Weakerthans, he translated agit-punk furor into pure prairie poetry. Over the course of four albums released between 1997 and 2007, The Weakerthans evolved from Samson's quiet, folk-rock sanctuary to Canada's most reliable purveyors of anthemic power pop. At the centre of it all is Samson's tenderly evocative yet wryly humourous storytelling—he may be the only songwriter in the country who could craft an irresistible sing-along out of a line like “Thank you for the flowers and the book by Derrida,” and then slap the catchy pop-punk tune with a title like “Our Retired Explorer (Dines With Michel Foucault in Paris, 1961).”