Here we are folks: I’ve finally gotten off my festively-enlarged ass (seriously, between Mom’s holiday treats and Dad’s beer I gained about 8 pounds) and finished my top albums of 2008. As per usual, these are all Canadian releases, as that’s where the ground is closest to my ears.

Here they are roughly arranged in descending order (very roughly):

The Olympic Symphonium - More in Sorrow Than in Anger (Forward Music Group)

I was a huge supporter of The Olympic Symphonium’s 2007 debut, Chapter 1, so it’s no surprise that I’m all over the follow up. Warm and thoughtful, More in Sorrow Than in Anger is a somber, but engaging album brimming with grace.

The Olympc Symphonium - Intentions Alone

Fall Horsie - Devil(e)durge (Youth Club)

Having been a fan of Fall Horsie’s sparse 2007 debut, From the Seam of Doors, a Cone of Light, I was taken a back by the full and largely piano based sound of this sophomore effort. Of course, that’s not a bad thing at all and I quickly began to appreciate the richer production of Devil(e)durge, not to mention its theatrical and emoted nature.

Fall Horsie - The Devil’s Performance

Contrived - Blank, Blank, Blank (Hand Drawn Dracula)

Lush and sprawling, but with hooks in all the right places, this third release from Contrived (made up of members of both Holy Fuck and Wintersleep) is an engaging listen from start to finish that seamlessly blends pop/rock sensibilities with rich instrumental lanscapes.

Contrived - Celebrate

Tricot Machine - Tricot Machine (Grosse Boite)

“Lighthearted and fun, with witty and endearing lyrics Tricot Machine’s piano driven folk-pop is just what I needed to get my French on. In fact, as if a tuneful album full of addictive songs like “L’ours” (which won the ECHO songwriting prize) and “Pas Fait en Chocolat” wasn’t enough, Tricot Machine’s comprehensive liner notes actually include the chords required to play the songs on the album as well (previously posted here)!”

Tricot Machine - Super Ordinaire

Sleepless Nights - Turn Into Vapour (Forward Music Group)

“when it comes to Turn Into Vapour I have to admit that I was sold immediately upon having heard the first two tracks. What can I say, the one-two punch of the bouncy romp “Allyson Got Robbed” and the riff-tastic “Got Caught” (previously featured here) gives you everything you need to know to get on board with this release: the songs are upbeat and well-crafted, the backup vocals are endearing, and the guitar is explosive and melodic (all of which can be heard on “All Andrews Friends”)—that’s a pretty damn good formula for tuneful indie rock success in my book (previously posted here).”

Sleepless Nights - Allyson Got Robbed

The Bicycles - Oh No, It’s Love (Fuzzy Logic)

“Listening to Oh No, It’s Love is the equivalent of having your ears attend the biggest party of the year—it’s frantic, fun and ridiculously intoxicating. Just when you think you’ve got one song’s awesome melody in your head the next one is upon you and wreaking mental havoc. Of course, the tunes aren’t just quick throwaways. They each represent a diverse and expertly crafted dose of melodic pop and no two of which are exactly alike (previously posted here).”

The Bicycles - Won’t She Be Surprised

Castlemusic - You Can’t Take Anyone (Blue Fog)

Warm, soothing and intimate, this album from Toronto’s Jennifer Castle is pure sobriety of thought.  While other bands are heralded for their ability to intoxicate with upbeat melodies and send your consciousness into a fit, Castlemusic’s You Can’t Take Anyone, with its sparse arrangements and confidently understated vocals, is the embodiment of an album that should be lauded for the exact opposite: the humbling ability to keep you grounded in appreciation.

Castlemusic - We Always Change

Forest City Lovers - Haunting Moon Sinking (Out of This Spark)

Blissful and moving, the sophomore album from Toronto’s Forest City Lovers can just as easily lull you into vegetative satisfaction as it can invigorate. A lazy river at one bend and a driving current at another, the destination in either case the same: hands down appreciation for the effortless and intoxicating vocals, carried by charming and perfectly tempered arrangements.

Forest City Lovers - Orphans

Culture Reject - Culture Reject (White Whale)

“Lush, layered and hypnotizing, this self-titled debut from Toronto’s Culture Reject had me thinking big things from the very first time I pressed play. Think Plants & Animals meets Apostle of Hustle, but without having to try so hard (previously posted here).”

Culture Reject - Fireflies Are Fading

FemBots - Calling Out (Weewerk)

Admittedly, I wasn’t immediately struck by Calling Out, the fourth full-length from FemBots. However, compelled by my fondness for their earlier albums and spurred by fantastic live performances, when I finally came around it hit like a ton of bricks. Seductive and raucous, full of trademark unorthodox instrumentation and sing-alongs, and bleeding an amalgamation of blues and roots rock, this is a damn sexy album.

Fembots - Good Days

Snailhouse - LIes on the Prize (Unfamiliar)

I knew from the first listen that Lies on the Prize was good, but I’m ashamed to say that it took a few months for just how good it actually is to sink in. That latency is likely due to the trademark humility inherent in all Snailhouse releases. His music is just so effortless that it doesn’t have to demand attention—good music for good music’s sake—as though it’s of no consequence who listens. Unlike the attention starved, in your face cries for adulation of pop/rock, Lies on the Prize is full of the sort of laid-back, graceful and undemanding songs that you can imagine still thriving when your back is turned.

Snailhouse - (Not) Superstitious

Bruce Peninsula - A Mountain Is a Mouth (Independent)

The simplest testament to the greatness of Bruce Peninsula’s debut full-length that I can offer is the fact that it has made it on to this list after only being released (digitally) a few weeks go. Rife with anthemic choir-folk, A Mountain Is a Mouth manages to be undeniably epic, while still remaining humbly down to Earth.  Add to that a driving sense of urgency and the result is simply invigorating.

Bruce Peninsula - Steamroller

The Violet Archers - Sunshine At Night (Zunior)

I missed out on The Violet Archers debut, but was all over Sunshine At Night when it came out. In fact, at one point I had listened to the title track so many times that I had to take a breather.  In the end Sunshine At Night became the audio equivalent of an all-you-can-eat buffet, as I gorged myself until sick, but couldn’t help going back for more.  With each trip I’ve become further and further incensed by the album’s subtle and sweet dynamic. This is endearing folk-pop at its finest: blissfully effortless and undeniably tuneful.

The Violet Archers - Listening

Plants & Animals - Parc Avenue (Secret City)

My pick for the 2008 Polaris Prize upon seeing the short list (for what it’s worth), the debut full-length from Montreal’s Plants & Animals was the first album in a long time to give me tingles on first listen. It’s a wonderfully diverse blend of jam and roots rock that is just as content to jam-out for a while as it is to intoxicate with irresistible melodies (of which there are many).

Plants & Animals - Faerie Dance

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns (Independent)

Hot damn this album is fantastic! Diverse and unorthodox, yet accessible and intoxicating, The Rural Alberta Advantage have crafted an enviable debut of indie folk/pop that is tireless and far too easy to recommend.  Simple as that.

The Rural Alberta Advantage - The Air

Entire Cities - Deep River (Independent)

“Deep River is the epitome of energy and rootsy charm. I can play this album ad nauseum without a single complaint (previously posted here).”

That pretty much sums it up. Deep River has easily been among my top listened-to albums of the year which is a simple testament to how enjoyable it is from start to finish. Loose and raw at times while endearing and sweet at others, Entire Cities have made one hell of a debut.

Entire Cities - Coffee

Chad VanGaalen - Soft Airplane (Flemish Eye)

No surprises here, as Chad VanGaalen’s latest is getting the nod all over the place. Of course, that’s not so much a reflection of the blog hive-mind as it is that Soft Airplane is just damn good.  There’s definitely a particular aesthetic to VanGaalen’s tunes, as they are often fascinatingly morbid and eerie, but are usually also firmly planted in upbeat melodies and quirkily uplifting instrumentation.  Life and death, horror and science-fiction all collide at every turn and on Soft Airplane those dynamics are pushed even further. Diverse and challenging, but always enjoyable, this is the sort of album that makes me proud to stand up for Canadian music when onlookers berate our Celines, Avrils and Nickelbacks.

Chad VanGaalen - City of Electric Light

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Once again, most of these (all but The RAA, in fact) are available from Zunior.com, so show some support for these excellent Canadian bands.

There you have it, my top Canadian albums of the year. On that note, I’m off to a farmhouse near Kingston for New Year’s Eve, so enjoy giving 2008 it’s severance package and remember to get a good breakfast on January 1st. There’s nothing worse than starting the new year with a bad meal.

Sweet peanuts, 2008 is running out fast! I’ve only got a couple of days to get the rest of my lists in order before the year is in the books. In the spirit of pressing on, here are my favourite EPs of the last twelve months. 

Initially a much larger list, I scaled it back to my top 5 (not really intended to be in a particular order, but turns out its a good indication of my favourites from top to bottom).  Looking at it now I realize these are all similarly upbeat, hook-laden doses of indie pop, so I’ll add a few other recommendations at the end to diversify my portfolio slightly.

As for the top 5, I’ve pretty much written about all of these at length before, but here’s a brief recap of each:

Boxer the Horse - The Late Show

“Simply put, with its six diverse tracks The Late Show exhibits more potential and vivacious know-how than most bands can fathom.  Sure, there are comparisons to be made—The Kinks and Bob Dylan come to mind immediately for me—but that’s not to say Boxer the Horse are lacking originality. In fact, any influences are clearly just a jumping off point, as The Late Show never pigeonholes itself in one style. (previously posted here)”

Boxer the Horse - Jackson Leftfield

Ruby Coast - Projectable Collections

The last time I wrote about Ruby Coast at length it was based on their hastily recorded, yet highly enjoyable demo EP. The boys have since re-recorded a number of those tunes for a more proper go around by way of the Projectable Collections EP and my previous wholehearted recommendation is unwavering. 

Upbeat, charismatic and exuberant, Ruby Coast can do no wrong. 

Ruby Coast - More than Television

The Magic - The Magic EP

The Magic’s EP is probably the least like anything else on this list. Sure, it’s just as upbeat and vivacious as the rest, but there’s an aged quality about it that sets the Guelph band apart—what some would call an old soul, I suppose. In any case, the songs are diverse, catchy and very well crafted.

The Magic - No Sound

Hooded Fang - Hooded Fang EP

“There isn’t enough hyperbole available for me to lavish on this EP. Effervescent, uplifting and infectious, Hooded Fang prove themselves to be a new musical collective definitely worth keeping tabs on. There’s an effortless quality to songs like “The Pageant” that you just can’t undervalue. Add to that the casual interplay between male and female vocalists on “Land of Giants” and the undeniably intoxicating swagger of “Fall Leaves” and there’s nothing here not to like. In fact, probably the highest praise I can give the EP is that it simply sounds like people having fun (previously posted here).”

Hooded Fang - Land of Giants

Incidentally, I’m not really sure how the above track was left off my favourite songs of 2008 mixtapes. A thousand kicks to my own butt for that gaff. 

Bells Clanging - The Law of Averages

“…Bells Clanging have an innate ability to craft excellent and compelling melodies. The result is an EP free of misteps. Whether it’s the sugary-sweetness of the excellent title track, the arpeggiated intensity of “Morning Episode” or the slowed-down ease of “Little Star” and “Undone” (the latter of which is currently envelloping me with its seductive rhythm), The Law of Averages is a must listen (previously posted here).”

Bells Clanging - Even Stars Burn Out

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Here’s a quick take on some runners up:

Brasstronaut - Old World Lies EP - Lengthy, complex and highly rewarding jazz-pop.

Jenny Omnichord - Pregnancy ‘P - Wonderfully endearing and under-polished tunes with irresistible melodies. 

J’envoie - J’envoie - Lavish and moving instrumentals (read more here).

The Weather Station - East - Haunting and eerie roots-folk.

The Superfantastics - Choose Your Destination - Uplifting, fun and undeniably charming indie pop (read more here).

Just about all of the above EPs are available for download at Zunior.com, so give them a try, as they’ll only cost a few dollars and these are all new(ish) bands that need your support!

It’s Christmas Eve and the festive-booze is about to start flowing. The next few days are likely to be packed, so I thought I’d better get the second part of my favourite Canadian songs of 2008 done before the holiday fun starts.

If you missed part 1, here it is. Otherwise, on to the second half. Once again, these songs are arranged in a mixtape order that I found pleasing (download the whole thing in a zip file here):

Human Highway - The Sound (Moody Motorcycle, Secret City)

The Paper Cranes - I’ll Love You Until My Veins Explode (Halcyon Days, Unfamiliar)

Forest City Lovers - Don’t Go (Haunting Moon Sinking, Out of This Spark)

The Magic - No Sound (The Magic EP, Independent)

Shad - The Old Prince Still Lives at Home (The Old Prince, Black Box)

The Great Outdoors - Sping Flower (Spring, DDG)

The Wet Secrets - Get Your Own Apartment (Rock Fantasy, Independent)

Peter Project - Fair and Square (Peter Project, Fuzzy Logic)

Valery Gore - Shoes of Glass (Avalanche to Wandering Bear, Do Right)

Paul LInklater - Hard Time of Year (Smooth Sailing and How, Jibcut)

Hey Rosetta! - There’s an Arc (Into Your Lungs, Sonic)

Snailhouse - Dollar Signs (Lies on the Prize, Unfamiliar)

The Violet Archers - Sunshine At Night (Sunshine At Night, Zunior)

Culture Reject - Inside the Cinema (Culture Reject, White Whale)

Elliott Brood - Miss You Now (Mountain Meadows, Six Shooter)

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Seriously, I took time putting these things in order, so download all of part 2 in a zip here and go back for part 1 here.

I’ll try to be back with more of my favourites from 2008 shortly, but for now it’s time to kick the Christmas shindigs into high gear. Happy holidays!

It’s about damn time I got around to looking back on 2008. What can I say, December’s a busy month. That said, I’ve spent the last few weeks pouring over the music that passed my way this year and am finally ready to divulge my favourites.

There’s nothing like diving in head first, so here are my 30 top Canadian tunes of the last 12 months. For ease of posting I’ve divided this list into 2 parts—essentially two mix-tapes, each subjectively arranged in a way that I thought would make a nice listen all the way through. Here’s the first half (grab it in a zip file here):

Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree (Soft Airplane, Flemish Eye)

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Don’t Haunt This Place (Hometowns, Independent)

Sleepless Nights - Got Caught (Turn Into Vapour, Forward Music Group)

Tricot Machine - L’ours (Tricot Machine, Grosse Boite)

Bells Clanging - The Law of Averages (The Law of Averages, Independent)

Plants & Animals - Feedback in the Field (Parc Avenue, Secret City)

HILOTRONS - Lovesuit (Happymatic, Kelp Records)

The Bicycles - Once Was Not Enough (Oh No, It’s Love, Fuzzy Logic Recordings)

Construction and Destruction - Ring Around the Moon (The Volume Wars, Independent)

Final Fantasy - The Butcher (Spectrum, 14th Century, Blocks Recording Club)

Old Man Luedecke - Proof of Love (Proof of Love, Black Hen Music)

Entire Cities - Dancing with my Brother (Deep River, Independent)

The Human Soundtrack - Babies Are the New Pursedogs (Organs for Sale, Independent)

Born Ruffians - I Need a Life (Red Yellow & Blue, Warp)

The Rest - Apples & Allergies (Apples & Allergies Single, Auteur Recordings)

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Enjoy part 1 (once again, here’s a zip of the whole thing). Check back tomorrow for pt.2 and keep an eye out later in the week for my favourite Canadian albums, EPs and international albums of 2008.

I should also mention that I was to lazy to bother with the whole “Best Songs” list until I saw the one posted by cvilleMUSE and that got my motor running—thanks for inspiring me to get off my ass, Shaun!

I’ve been hoping to add a “favourite songs of 2008″ feature to this year’s best-of retrospective. In that regard I’ve been digging through some standout tracks of the last 12 months and just couldn’t help but give this excellent song by Paul Linklater a chance to shine on its own first.

Taken from his epic 2008 release, Smooth Sailing and How (which I talk about here), “Hard Time of Year” is seductive, catchy and undeniably full of funk. It’s evident from the first note of the “Superstition”-esque riff that this track means business.

Of course, this song and the timing of choosing it are made all the more appropriate in the sense that the fall is a diffucult time for us bloggerly types (boo hoo), as it means digging back through the year’s best in honour of the almighty year-end lists. The thought if overlooking an album or artist weighs heavy on our keyboards—hard time of year indeed. That said, you better believe I’ll be squeezing this song onto any list I can.

Paul Linklater - Hard Time of Year

Hear more at Paul Linklater’s Myspace page, as well as the dedicated pages for each disc (Disc 1, Disc 2, EP), or grab a digital copy of Smooth Sailing and How from Jibcut Records right here.

It’s December, so that pretty much means fighting through crowded shopping malls, going crazy with last minute work before the holidays and trying to convince your mom that they should by you another guitar pedal (ok, maybe that’s just me).  Whatever the case, we’re all busy this time of year. Thankfully, the good folks at Pop Echo Records are making it a bit easier for me to get off my lazy butt and post by announcing a free compilation in honour of the holidays.

Available here for a limited time, the compilation features a song from each of the first 10 releases by the growing the Edmonton, Alberta label.  These are the guys who brought you The Whitsundays, Tim Gilbertson and The Golden Hands Before God, so this is nothing to sneeze at!

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Not convinced? Give Tim Gilbertson a try and quit stalling on some great free music:

Tim Gilbertson - Palm Trees & Postcards

For an album full of such short songs it sure has taken me a long time to get around to writing about Oh No, It’s Love, the sophomore effort from The Bicycles.  Admittedly, I was initially put off by the large track listing, but this is one of the few bands that can pull of 19 songs and still come in at an easily digestible 37 minutes.  Add to that the fact that it’s a diverse, upbeat and highly enjoyable outing from start to finish and I’ve got nothing but praise for this Toronto band.

Listening to Oh No, It’s Love is the equivalent of having your ears attend the biggest party of the year—it’s frantic, fun and ridiculously intoxicating. Just when you think you’ve got one song’s awesome melody in your head the next one is upon you and wreaking mental havoc. Of course, the tunes aren’t just quick throwaways. They each represent a diverse and expertly crafted dose of melodic pop and no two of which are exactly alike. Be it the quirky opening assault of “Won’t She Be Surprised,” the stunning and hipnotically sweet “Once Was Not Enough” (currently my personal favourite) or the righteously rockin’ jaunt that is “Walk Away (from a Good Thing)” this album never lets up. 

Jam packed with more hooks than a pirate convention and unaffraid to straddle the lines of genre (“Stop Calling me Baby”), Oh No, It’s Love is a musical multi-vitamin and I highly recommend upping your daily dosage.

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The Bicycles - Won’t She Be Surprised

The Bicycles - Roland

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page or grab a digital copy of Oh No, It’s Love here. Also check out the live clips from The Bicycles’ CD release party at Lee’s Palace a couple weeks ago here.

A quick update before I run off to terrorize the stage at my local open mic: Megan Hamilton, friend of WHK and ethereal Toronto musician extraodinaire, recently announced the release of her sophomore full-length album. Called See Your Midnight Breath in the Shipyard, the album is set to come out on April 7, 2009. The press releases describes it as a combination of “Mazzy Star/Joanna Newson/Beach Boys/Velvet Underground/Chad VanGaalen” so it should be pretty interesting!

Of course, April’s still far away, so what is Megan Hamilton doing for you lately? Well, on Thursday, Dec. 11 she’ll be part of the Familiar Music Holiday Party at The Boat. In fact, that show was the entire basis for this post (the album announcement was a happy coincidence), as the evening is in support of the music therapy program at SickKids Hospital. Get off your butts and head to The Boat for some great tunes and an excellent cause!

Megan Hamilton - Detroit

Hear more at her Myspace page or grab digital copies of her albums here.

Around this time every year I start combing through my music library looking for albums that I can slip on in the background of those wonderful holiday-themed family functions. What can I say? No one should have to endure multiple spins of Céline Dion’s latest Christmas outing. Basically, the goal is to spike the musical punch with the perfect blend of tunes that are hip enough to be enjoyed, but not so audacious that they alert fellow party-goers to the fact that they’re drinking homebrew instead of eggnog.

One year I slipped on some Solomon Burke and, of course, Feist is an easy sell, but it’s always nice to inject the festivities with something family members won’t recognize. Selecting the right albums can be a subtle and patient art—as much as I may want to groove to Q-Tip’s latest (aaah, yeah) that would blow my cover in an instant. Turns out my work is pretty much done this year though, as Valery Gore’s latest album, Avalanche to Wandering Bear, is the perfect candidate to keep me thoroughly entertained while casually subverting Céline, The Neville Brothers and whomever else my mom will have on repeat this month.

With catchy melodies, jaunty rhythms and an understated vocal delivery that is the icing on the cake, I can listen to Gore ad nauseam. Album opener “Shoes of Glass” is simply undeniable and tracks like “Worried Head” easily follow suit—they’re upbeat and bright without being too bombastic.  Moreover, songs like “Great Lakes” and “Angorra” exemplify the sweet subtlety that taking over the family radio would require.

Sure, it may seem a bit self-righteous to force new music on one’s family, but I’m already a blogger and that assumes a certain extent of vanity. Of course, there’s also the self-preservation angle, as I’m just trying to save myself from “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer”. Either way, all I’m trying to do is make sure there’s at least some bearable music over the holidays and with Avalanche to Wandering Bear I can’t go wrong.

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Valery Gore - Shoes of Glass

Hear more at her Myspace page or grab a digital copy of Avalanche to Wandering Bear here.

I’ve taken my sweet time coming around to The Rural Alberta Advantage (especially considering how many times I’ve seen their name mentioned in i (heart) music), but I’m trying to make good now by getting on board.

Basically, their debut album, Hometowns, is awesome. A perfect example of this is the driven and bittersweet “Don’t Haunt This Place.” To be honest, I could have chosen just about any track from this excellent release, but I figured this is a good place to start…and start you should. If you’re like me, you don’t know what you’ve been missing.

The Rural Alberta Advantage - Don’t Haunt This Place

Hear more at the band’s Myspace page or order a copy of Hometowns from the band’s homepage.