2014 Favourites

song of the summer from Calvin Harris (choice remix by Diplo x Grandtheft)

POP

Taiga by Zola Jesus
(Mute)
looks like / what I wrote before / what I wrote after / live review

"Beggin for Thread" by BANKS (Harvest) remixed
In the Lonely Hour by Sam Smith (Capitol)
"Go" by Grimes (Arbutus) watch
"Hideaway" by Kiesza (Island) watch

INDIE

"Heartbeat Overdrive" by Ballet School (Bella Union) watch
The Tone by BLAUS (Tricycle) what I wrote
"Malachite" by Lydia Ainsworth (Arbutus) watch

ALTERNATIVE

"They Don't Know" by White Sea (Crush) what I wrote

Neuroplasticity by Cold Specks (Mute) what I wrote

ROCK

Familiars by The Antlers (ANTI-)
looks like / what I wrote

FUNK

"Jealous (I Ain't With It)" by Chromeo (Last Gang) live review
"Walking With Elephants" by Ten Walls (Phonica) stream

PUNK

For Those Who Stay by PS I Love You (Paper Bag)
what I wrote before / what I wrote after

Feel Something by The History of Apple Pie (Marshall Teller) what I wrote

ELECTRONIC

"Horus" by SLUMBERJACK (onelove)

Alone for the First Time by Ryan Hemsworth (Last Gang) what I wrote
"Seeya" by deadmau5 feat. Colleen D'Agostino (Ultra) stream
How to Run Away by Slow Magic (Downtown) what I wrote
"Bill Murray" by Phantogram (Republic)
Our Love by Caribou what I wrote

FOLK

"Looking Too Closely" by Fink (Ninja Tune) what I wrote

"Glacier" by James Vincent McMorrow (EMI)

HIP HOP

"Fancy (Motez Edit)" by Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX (Island) interview

"0 to 100 / The Catch Up" by Drake (OVO) stream / remixed

POST-ROCK

Rave Tapes by Mogwai (Rock Action) live review
Awake by Tycho (Ghostly International) what I wrote

SCORE

Palo Alto by Devonté Hynes

time melts like snow off the porch

2014's been a game changer. The last time this occurred was in 2011; coincidentally, I haven't felt quite this way about a year in music since then.

2014 was a year that finally put this blog title to use, with the arrival of producers such as Porter Robinson and SLUMBERJACK alongside electronic pop and alternative artists Black Atlass, Tove Lo, Lydia Ainsworth, Vaults, and YOUNG & SICK. It was Last Gang Records' 10th year anniversary; it saw the rise of Fool's Gold, Mad Decent, and the revival of DFA, Mute. There was the surge of English and Australian electronic, French club bangers and tropical house. Everything was remixed... again and again. We went to mass raves.

But beneath this EDM bubble, and if you looked for it, stayed the reassuring presence of sound indie rock, tasteful pop, experimental minimalism, PBRNB / new soul, and skate punk shenanigans. To 2015 we go.

2010 in Canuckland: Second Half

Tra la la... if you don't have a Tumblr yet, you've fallen seriously behind. Older audiences and people who possess a life excepted, of course. Yeah, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup.

06.30 The first band signed to Velocity Rock (Rise Records division), Abandon All Ships is said to be a groundbreaker for the dancecore(?) genre. Here's to their become a recurring feature in our music industry; I would like this to happen but can't envision it. Geeving is released several months later.


08.02 Montrealers Arcade Fire releases The Surburbs via Merge Records. It proceeds to annihilate all obstructive matter on indie alternative charts.

09.09-19 The 35th Annual Toronto International Film Festival.

09.28 Bedouin Soundclash releases Light The Horizon and I still have trouble spelling "Bedouin". Snazzy promo cards are distributed by their street team at various downtown show venues. They are subsequently found in trash cans.

10.05 The local boys churn out a sixth album (but I suppose it's only their fifth as Finger Eleven). Check out the video for the really electric single "Living In A Dream"; and tell me, do you hear similarities to "Porn Star Dancing"? Both songs are anthems, but I prefer F11's for once.

10.12 Hot Panda's How Come I'm Dead starts a serious relationship between me and indie music.

11.16 The Russian Futurists (who ironically are not a group, nor Russian) release The Weight's On The Wheels. Also on that day were ten years of versatile pop from singer Nelly Furtado. Everything from folk to R&B is sampled on the compilation.

12.03 After several unsuccessful ventures into the United States, Timmies has finally conquered their own nation. What, were you expecting another doughnut scandal? (Tim Hortons lands in Iqaluit.)

We're one year closer to the 2012, guys.

2010 in Canuckland: First Half

Well, it's the last year of the decade. Should I feel any different? I kinda wish I did, but no- I'm still flimsy, bored, and wanting to change my nail colour. Another 200 or so eleven-year-olds were admitted to Hogwarts this year. Maple syrup? None.

01.14 Celebrated poet P.K. Page dies at 93. Good on you if you know who she is- I only do because I did a project on her a couple years ago. Inspirational work. From "Planet Earth":

The trees must be washed, and the grasses and mosses.
They have to be polished as if made of green brass.
The rivers and little streams with their hidden cresses
and pale-coloured pebbles
and their fool's gold
must be washed and starched or shined into brightness,
the sheets of lake water
smoothed with the hand
and the foam of the oceans pressed into neatness.

02.01 We begin seeing changes made to the social networking site, Facebook. A typical, negative response. People warm up to it later, only to have their profiles fucked again just before the end of the year. (Facebook Begins Rolling Out Latest Redesign).

02.12-28 Vancouver 2010 started on a low note- the untimely death of Georgia's Nodar Kumaritashvili during a practice at the Whistler Sliding Centre- but with all respect, the Olympic spirit escalated through to the end. Oh, the one day I might've cheered for Sidney Crosby.

03.19 Bieber Fever at its peak, with My World 2.0. A large blow to the credibility of Canadian music, but life goes on.


04.06 One of my personal favourites, although delayed, Secret & Whisper's Teenage Fantasy. It's very screamy-punk pop, but with better guitar. LIYL: Saosin, Anberlin, Tokio Hotel.

04.18 (I was at a 30 Seconds To Mars concert?) The 2010 Juno Awards held out in St. John's this year. Not a bad turnout, despite appalling nominees. Thank God Arkells won "New Group" over the softpunk bands in the category. It was rather boring, and expected as a civilized awards show.

04.19 The nation's spun into a hypnotic thaw following the close dates of Swim and Crystal Castles (II). Strategically confusing those who doubted after March.

04.26 Born Ruffians premiere the electric video for the first single off their upcoming June album, titled Say It.

05.13 The Habs: If they win, they riot. If they lose, they riot.


06.08 Newmarket indie-hoppers Tokyo Police Club release what will be a very successful follow-up album. It proves to be fun, catchy, and very radio friendly. Especially convenient for that Canadian content regulation on national radio stations.

06.23 AHHH! Earthquake!

06.26-27 G20 Summit weekend in Toronto. People yelled things, broke things, burned things, and were arrested. Somewhat comically, @HUMANKEBAB of USS is out tweeting quite peacefully around the city.

Hmm, I'm not sure if I'm done yet. I may update this tomorrow or the second half will be posted within the next three days.