Canadian Albums Going To Space

06/10/09 5:14pm

by Bianca Marcus (CHARTattack)

Who says there's no sound in space?

Montreal astronaut Julie Payette has made a list of Canadian albums she'll be bringing with her when she boards the Space Shuttle Endeavour on June 13.

The records Payette has chosen to take on her 16-day trip to the International Space Station include releases from Theory Of A Deadman, Great Big Sea, Jann Arden, Suzie McNeil, Sierra Noble and Jill Barber.

"My management received an email from the Canadian Space Agency," Barber told CBC Radio 3 after announcing on her Twitter account that her latest album, Chances, was among Payette's picks.

"It said that Julie is a big fan, and wants to throw her support behind Canadian independent music and would love to get [a hold] of this record to take up with her on this mission as part of her personal satchel of Canadian artifacts... I was thrilled."

The album will be returned to Barber when Payette comes back to Earth.

When asked what one does with an album that has journeyed to the International Space Station and back, Barber laughed, "I have no idea. But it's pretty cool."

You can hear Barber's outta-this-world tunes at these upcoming shows:

June 24 Los Angeles, CA @ Canadian Consulate
June 25 Los Angeles, CA @ Room 5 Lounge
June 28 Winnipeg, MB @ The Winnipeg Jazz Festival
July 10 Montreal, QC @ Montreal International Jazz Festival
July 11 Ottawa, ON @ LeBreton Flats (Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest)
July 18 London, ON @ Home County Folk Festival
Aug. 8 Edmonton, AB @ Gallagher Park (Edmonton Folk Festival)