Shanies: Album of the Year 2021

 Doing my best to just not overthink this after a year of... well, you know.

 

10. Possum - Lunar Gardens

9. Your Old Droog - TIME

8. Songhoy Blues - Optimisme

7. St. Vincent - Daddy's Home

6. Czarface & MF Doom - Super What? 

5. The Dirty Nil - Fuck Art

4. The Armed - Ultrapop

3. Ida Mae - Click Click Domino

2. Tor - Oasis Sky

1. The Blue Stones - Hidden Gems 

Shanies: Album of the Year 2020

 Hey look! The one time a year I still used a blog that I've had since 2008. I'm not sure why I keep doing this, but I guess I figure that I'm doing my top 20 anyway and so long as I keep up one post a year, it's as though I'm still active with this thing... right?

10. Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters

As mercurial as ever, Apple dropped another album this year just to remind us all that she does not give a fuck about what other people are doing with music. I'm constantly amazed by the evolution of her albums and her ability to just steer off the road and do whatever she feels like doing.

 

 

 

9. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - KG

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I'm a late-comer to the Gizzverse. However, after reading some articles about this group prolifically putting out like 5 albums in one year, I had to start to give them a listen. Their sound and exploration is all over the place and while some of their albums were a definite miss for me, KG is an absolutely incredible piece of work that pulls together diverse genres and feels from around the world.

 

 

 

8. Sault - Untitled (Rise)

This mysterious group released 2 albums around the BLM movement this summer. The first (Black Is) listens like a call to arms, whereas Rise sounds like a celebration of life. This album has such an incredible flow of songs to it that both energize and strike a deep chord with their strength and power..

 

 

 

7. Olafur Arnalds - Some Kind of Peace

Olafur is a constant source of absolutely luscious orchestral music, however, Some Kind of Peace hit me particularily well this year. He worked with a few of my favourite electronic producers and was much more experimental with sounds and instruments this time 'round... and the results are absolutely stunning.

 

 

 

6. All Them Witches - Nothing as the Ideal

ATW releases an album... Shane listens obsessively... album ends up on top 10. That happens every time. However, Nothing as the Ideal is an even deeper evolution from the usual jam-band shenanigans we've grown to expect. I don't know that I could point out a single on this album, and many of the songs clock in over 8m, but it's still a great backdrop to your mind and day.

 

 

 

5. The OBGMs - The Ends

I remember playing with the OGMS like a decade ago at Sneaks. They were a tight, awesome band, but much more poppy and experimental. Their more recent work has gone full punk and is grab-you-by-the-face-and-you'll-love-it awesome. So many anthemic bangers on this album and it's incredible that a band working so hard for so long isn't hitting it bigger yet. But wait for it...

 

 

 

4. The Cinematic Orchestra - To Believe

I had the pleasure of seeing Cinematic live at the Danforth last winter ahead of the release of To Believe. Though it was incredible to hear some past favourites, I was already falling in love with their new material live.

 

 

 

3. The Brunswick - Contrapasso

2020 wasn't a huge year for rock, but Nashville will always have a thing or two to say about music, and for those listening to The Brunswick, we heard it loud and clear. This album is so awesomely thick and heavy... plays like a trio is actually an orchestra. Start to finish, this album is chalked full of incredible hooks.

 

 

 

2. The Gaslamp Killer - Heart Math

Unquestionably the weirdest album I listened to this year, but has to be given props for also being one of the catchiest. When my friend Brielan introduced me to this LA DJ, I didn't know what to expect from this dark, brooding, and organic-electronic album that feels like an ayahuasca journey through a broken synthesizer.

 

 

 

1. Tom Misch + Yussef Dayes - What Kinda Music?

My greatest respect for musicians usually comes when they're able to take incredibly intricate, complex music and make it accessible and pleasing to the ear. This is a jazz album, and an experimental one at that... but throw in Tom Misch's incredible pop and electronic sensibilities and you bring together an absolute joy of a collection of songs that satisfy both your brain and your heart.

 

Shanies: Album of the Year

Well, after the actions of the past 24h, 2019 may be my last top 10, so let's make it a good one. Here's to still having good music, a music scene at all, venues, and you know... a globe in 2020.

10. Brittany Howard - Jaime
Much more raw and introspective than anything she's done with the Shakes, Jaime is lyrically far more vulnerable and sonically much more experimental. Stay High is a chill masterpiece and the opener, History Repeats, grooves deep.

9. The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger
Round 3 from my favourite JW3 project continues to impress. The album wasn't necessarily that progressive, but White's & Benson's songwriting always gives me hope and love for rock n roll. The title track and Now That You're Gone left a great mark on my mind.

8. Tim Baker - Forever Overhead
As a long lover of Hey Rosetta!, I'd always been curious to see what front man Tim Baker would do on his own. This album showed that what he really wanted to do was something far more delicate, open, and heartfelt... and for my money, few better songs than Dance were released this year.

7.Ian Blurton's Future Now - Signal Through the Flames
Yup. Blurton released anything... so it's on this list. Channeling his inner Sabbath, this album gives a much faster, more metal drive than I'm used to our of Sir Ian... all while keeping that signature tone. That said, my favourite track of this recording session was actually not on the album, but released as a single, Space is Forever.

6. Cinematic Orchestra - To Believe
I have long love for this band and finally had the chance to see them live this year. In addition to being in my top 3 live shows of the year, this album was another piece of emotional outpouring. The hypnotic, trance-like beat of Lessons defines this band's mantra-esque musical quality.

5. White Denim - In Person
I didn't like this album the first time I listened to it. It's a live album, and something was weird about it. Then I saw White Denim live for the first time this year (which was the best show of 2019 if not the past decade) and it immediately made sense. The live album sounded strange because it was too perfect. This album sounds like a studio album because this band is THAT tight live. The whole thing is a masterpiece, but getting to hear them play Farm live was out of this world.

4. Kaytranada - BUBBA
Just when you thought 99.9% couldn't be topped... he found 100%. This album is so fucking ass-shakingly, head-bobblingly incredible and made all the more better by being straight out of MTL. Listen to the whole thing, but if you ever want to get a group of people moving, throw on Go DJ.

3. Michael Kiwanuka - KIWANUKA
Watching Kiwanuka's sound evolve each album has been incredible and the bold statement that is KIWANUKA seems to indicate that he's finally found a confident stride and sound that he considers his own. The album is all over the genre-map, but to me, Rolling, defines this album and man.



2. Moon Tooth - Crux
I haven't fallen hard for a really heavy album in a while. Moon Tooth's Chomaparagon was what drew me into this band, but the release of Crux solidified them as one of my favourite bands. Intricate musicianship meets catchy hooks alongside scathing lyrics... what more could you want? Just listen to Rhythm & Roar or Musketeers and thank me later.

1. Sturgill Simpson - Sound & Fury
I had only heard mutterings of this country artist named Sturgill, so when I saw something called 'Sound & Fury' on netflix, I decided to give it a whirl. This album / samurai anime was one of the most unique album experiences of recent memory and made all the better by Simpson's genre-bending masterpiece. Play Remember to Breathe when you want to feel like the coolest motherfucker in the world and play A Good Look at my funeral, please. And you'd better be dancing.

Shanies: Album of the Year

Here we go again. This year was a tremendous year of music, if only for the sheer quantity of noteworthy new albums that came out. That said, no fucks left to give for "noteworthy"... who made the top 10?

10. All Them Witches - ATW
Doubly impressive considering that ATW has been pumping out a new album almost every year, but their first self-title finds them continuing to explore bluesy, drawn-out, progified track after track. The perfect companion for Canada's new laws or just a great way to lose yourself in music, check out Harvest Feast.




 

9. Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood - With Animals
I've always adored Lanegan's voice from his early days with Screaming Trees or guesting on a QOTSA album, however, in Garwood, he seems to have found a muse for his older years. His body has finally caught up to his soul and the two now seem to be writing deeply introspective music that both haunts and delights.




 

8. Fantastic Negrito - Please Don't Be Dead
FN's breakthrough first album was a tough act to follow, however, Please Don't Be Dead was up to the challenge. Though not as ambitious, the album is still chalk-full of gospel-laden rock n roll, all centered around a man who seems to be an unstoppable ball of energy.

7. Everything is Recorded - Everything is Recorded
This album was a sleeper for me, however, when I caught news of the fact that Richard Russel, long-time founder and owner of XL records, would be putting his money where his mouth was and releasing his own album, excitement was the obvious choice. Russel seems to have taken inspiration from his favourite XL artists (as well as taken their guest spots) and the resulting album is an absolute diverse masterpiece. Check out Close But Not Quite below, as well as Bloodshot Red Eyes.




 

6. A Perfect Circle - Eat the Elephant
We should no longer be surprised by anything in the life of Maynard Keenan, especially as it pertains to long hauls between albums, however this last 10 year-plus APC break even puts Tool to shame. Still, the album was worth the wait and the global and political climate could not have been better for a "you're fucking everything up again, people" album from Howerdel and Keenan. The album ventures through a number of harder and softer tracks, but for my money, Delicious takes the cake for it's infectious chorus.



 

5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Sex & Food
Though I loathe one of the early singles off this album, Honeybee, UMO still managed to produce an absolute gem, even in spite of a weak track or two. In addition to their usual, soulful sound and dark, piercing lyrics, this album also featured some of the most aggressive songwriting of UMO's career in tracks like American Guilt.



 

4. Temperance Movement - A Deeper Cut
Let's be honest; these guys could shit on a piece of vinyl and the ensuing bumps would likely still make my top 10. I adore this band and while this album is nothing overly ambitious (and does feature a song that I want to kill someone when I hear the opening 10 seconds), the album is still overall a polished, thoughtful, harmony-laden, guitar rich, motherfucking rock album. That's enough for a simple boy like me.



 

3. White Denim - Performance
I heard a rumor that the White Denim crew has been ghost writing for Leon Bridges. While that may explain their slight delay in releasing Performance, it doesn't explain the fact that this album was a return to young form for the band, likely coming off as one of their weirdest bodies of work since their first two albums. Performance is every bit the guitar masterpiece you expect, however, gets super weird in a super incredible way, that I can only urge you to listen to, start to finish. If you're in a rush, check out Double Death, but when you have the time, give the full LP a spin.



 

2. Khruangbin - Con Todo El Mundo
Khruangbin has been on my radar for years, however, I never totally fell for their sound as it always seemed to be lacking something and even unique projects like History of Flight just seemed to fall short of my expectations. Con Todo El Mundo, however, has well exceeded my expectations and found the band crafting one of the most melodically-laden, catchy albums you can imagine for a group that avoids vocals. I still find myself singing along to this album... I'm just singing guitar and bass riffs.



 

1. The Dirty Nil - Master Volume
Holy fuck. While this needs to stand the test of time, I'm going to be a bit hyperbolic for a second: this albums is as important to saving rock n roll as was QOTSA's Songs for the Deaf. Our Canadian heroes broke through in a HUGE way this year, touring all over the continent and releasing their first major (A&C) led album. And they did not skimp on the toppings. The Nil can unquestionably rock your face off, however, this album proved that they can write lyrics that capture the realities of modern living, and still somehow manage to tell an entire crowd to go fuck themselves and have the crowd not only be ok with it, but lap that shit up. I can't pick a favourite off this album betwen Bathed in Light, Auf Wiedersehen, Pain of Infinity, That's What Heaven Feels like, I don't want that phone call... seriously... it's one of those albums. Enjoy this, dig into their back-catalog, and all hail the Nil.




-

Shanies: Song of the Year

Since the top 10 album of the year award is a bit of a pain to pull together, the song of the year is likely my favourite award. Laziness aside, it also pushes me to really deconstruct a song and consider it from so many angles and interpretations. Usually this is also one of the hardest awards to decide on since I'm comparing such dissimilar tracks, but almost inevitably, one song wins out, if only for the repeat factor of how frequently I listened to it in the past year.

A past shower on the album of the year award and previous runner up to song of the year, White Denim took this year's award with the masterfully funky Double Death. For me, what ultimately makes this song work is that it is a heavy, riff-rock track, only played in the styles of soul and funk. That description is basically WD's sound in a nutshell, however, for some tracks it just works more. From the saxophone jamming over the entire track to the infinitely head-bobbable beat to the uncontrollable hook matched by both guitar and bass to the joyfully macabre lyrics... Double Death is straight up my jam. It's the kind of song that without even trying puts you in a good move and gets your ass moving a bit.

Honourable mention goes to Dirty Nil's Auf Wiedersehen and to Unknown Mortal Orchestra's American Guilt, but for my money... drop this track and get yerself movin.


-And my body keeps on ticking back, in my vestigial heart

Shanies: EP of the Year

My favourite part of this award is that it often gives a chance for the little guy to shine. I don't believe in giving out participation awards, so I'm not about to pat the back of a friend's band just because they did good when I'm comparing them to some of the sonic genius this world has to offer. That said, as a form that lends itself more to independent bands, the EP often sees some fun moves.

And some years, even I surprise myself when I realize that major, signed bands didn't do as well as someone I know. This year's runner up, Nine Inch Nails' Bad Witch, is a perfect example of a great EP reminiscent of the early days of depressed, drugged out Trent. However, for my money, I still enjoyed monarch's The Memory of Trees more.

This EP is a fascinating evolution of monarch's signature early 00s post-rock infused, progressive sound. It does well what I respect ambitious albums for doing by combining flavours of prog, hardcore, punk, and post-rock, but also has its own unique signature. Alternating between spacey, guitar-led stoneresque explorations and deep, unified, heavy head-bobbing sessions, the album demands attention but gives back what it takes. The musicianship of each member of the band is undeniable, as is their ability to take exceptionally complex and challenging music and present it in a way that sounds easy and accessible. I constantly found myself playing the "what time signature is this" game, however, when turning my nerd-brain off, was still able to sit back and enjoy the groove that each instrument seemed to contribute their own chaotic piece to the peaceful whole.

I love listening to this album, but I think even moreso, I respect this album for how ambitious it is and how seamlessly it seems to have come together. The whole album deserves a spin, but if you're in a hurry, take a listen to my favourite track, Chrysalis, to get a sense of what I'm talking about.


-Addicted to pain and I've got more where that came from

Shanies: Concert of the Year

As I get older, this awards gets trickier every year, because I have to be able to dig back into my memory and recall which shows I actually went to in the last year. My calendar has become a fairly reliable source of verifying that it was indeed in 2018, however, given that I'm not always even following my calendar's orders and getting a healthy dose of rock n roll at least once a week, even some of those entries are suspect.

However, fortunately, there is usually at least one or two stand-outs that jump to mind quite quickly, and this year was no different. A great find of a band from a few years back - Unknown Mortal Orchestra - finally came to Toronto this year to play the Danforth Music Hall in support of their new album, Sex & Food. While previous years of this award have found me headbanging along to epic riffs, what drew me into the UMO show this year was how infectious their tunes were and the uncontrollable urge by me, and everyone in the audience, to want to dance. I recall bumping and grinding to the melodies of Ruban Nielson, all set to a strange backdrop of their stage setup that seemed to involve actual living plants.

Perhaps most beautifully about the show, when I searched YouTube, I was only able to find 3 videos that were published. My hope (and belief for my enjoyment) was that this meant that maybe, for once, a group of people simply lost themselves in the music and were having such a good time that they forgot to pull out their fucking phones. :-)


-So I'll give you more than I got; try so hard and refuse to stop

Shanies: Video of the Year

Historically one of two types of videos have usually won this award: they are either hilarious or dark and mysterious. This year is unquestionably the former.

Anderson .Paak released his third full-length this year (not including Breezy Lovejoy or NxWorries), Oxnard. The true tragedy of this was that the best song on the album, and my pick for video of the year, wasn't even on the album. Bubblin was released as a teaser single a few months ahead of Oxnard to build hype and have me in stitches on the ground.

The video follows a relatively simple question of "what would you do with all the money in the world" through a hilarious mechanic of an ATM that won't stop spitting out money. It sees Paak going through pretty much every single ridiculous hip hop stereotype in the book and somehow both simultaneously mocking it and paying homage to it. This is likely due to the most important differentiator of the video: Paak himself. His spastic, confident, happy, and in-your-face energy is infectious even through 560 pixels, and one can't help but find themselves glued to this man's every move as he shuffles from one ridiculous context to the next.



-Error on line 85, you said you want to be alive but you never really tried.

Shanies: Rookie of the Year

Is this thing on? Oh good... it still works even when I leave it dormant for a full year.

Anyhoo, pretense be damned, let's talk about music in 2018. It was a pretty incredible year, if not for quality then at minimum for quantity. Usually when pulling these annual awards together, I consider and re-listen to around 25-30 albums, and this year I had almost 50 make the long list.

The rookie award is always a bit of a tricky one, since in this day and age, defining a "rookie" is a bit of a creative exercise, what with people releasing singles and teasers on the internet all the time. Still, as an old man, I hold the LP in highest regard, so that's where we draw the line.

This year, my friend Jamie introduced me to Tash Sultana. In addition to Sultana's fascinating and incredible life story (read: never eat pizza without knowing the toppings) Tash legit plays the guitar like Prince. Flow State is a full length followup to an earlier EP and features all kinds of reverb-heavy guitar led tracks with gloriously tormented vocals riding the sonic waves behind.

Guitar chops shine on tracks like Blackbird, grooves dig on Salvation, pop hooks dig on Murder to the Mind, but for my money, Big Smoke is the haymaker song.




-Senorita, pour my margarita, lick it with salt and make it so much sweeter

Shanies: Album of the Year

It's official... this blog is dead. The last post I wrote was 1 year ago with an identical title, thus flushing almost a decade of music blogging down the drain. But, in one final death rattle, why not at least throw up a top 10 from 2017, right?

10. Propagandhi - Victory Lap
Call me a sucker for angry, Manitoban punk rock, but don't you dare say that this band is any less needed when they came on the scene ~25 years ago. Victory Lap represents another step in the continuous progression of this band where they continually balance between sticking true to their roots on tracks like Failed Imagineer while still pushing the boundaries on musicality and lyricism.

9. Triggerfinger - Colossus
My crazy 'ol favourite Belgians put forth yet another riff rocker this year. Though it is also tempered with a new fusion of electronic music and beats (presumably after a collaboration with Method Man), their true nature of being beautifully sleazy old men still shines through and reminds us why they're Belgium's best (ok, maybe only) hard rock band.

8. Dirty Projectors - Dirty Projectors
One might have thought that the end of David Longstreth and Amber Coffman would have been the end of Dirty Projectors. However, this album came back stronger than ever and with all kinds of exceptionally diverse influences from hip hop, pop, and techno. As with all DP albums, it makes no sense, and yet is somehow incredibly accessible.

7. Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark?
I love this band, and I even love this album, however, the fact it only made #7 on this list after topping my list with their debut 3 years ago, I see as a minor failure. Again, it's still a great album, and I dig the direction they're going in with more groovy, turned-down songs like She's Creeping, however, I worry that this band may run out of things to say before too long.

6. Daniel Caesar - Freudian
I'm sad to say that I was late to the game on learning about this incredible artist in my own backyard of Toronto. I only started listening to Daniel Caesar 2 weeks ago, yet already in that time, I'm hooked. I'd call this man a modern-day incarnation of D'Angelo, but even that might be putting limitations on what he's capable of with his elegant mix of R&B, gospel, rap, rock, and lord knows what else.

5. Alert the Medic - Let Them Have Their Fun
I just love this band. They consistently put out albums chalked-full of infectiously happy rock n roll with beautiful harmonies, catchy riffs, and ever-shifting rhythms. It's pop-rock at it's finest and I'll not apologize for worshiping how damned good AtM are at it.

4. Queens of the Stone Age - Villans
Yes, Josh Homme is an asshole who likely has a drug problem and he kicked a photographer in the head a couple of months ago. That sucks, and so does he. But we've always known he was a bit of an asshole, and that's part of what makes him so intriguing. Moreover, hate me if you must, but this albums is REALLY FRIGGING GOOD. Working with producer Mark Cuban, QOTSA has tamed their sound a bit, but added in all kinds of strange dixie and swing influences to rock n roll that make for yet another head rocking, ass-swinging album.

3. All Them Witches - Sleeping Through the War
Epic epicness continues. Their albums seem to string together like one long, stoner-rock arc that continuously blends the beautiful sonic evolution of this band. This is likely their most diverse album from a songwriting perspective, but it still holds together as an exceptional piece of music and leaves plenty of tracks to chomp in on (personal favourites of Alabaster and 3-5-7)

2. Death From Above - Outrage! Is Now
It's official The Physical World  was not a one-off or flash in the pan - DFA is here to fucking rock. This album blends so many of the influences that you've heard across their previous albums (and remixes) into a cohesive sound that jumps back and forth between epically-headbang-worthy and infinitely-all-night-danceable.

1. Bonobo - Migration
Never one to surprise my rock disciples with my top picks, one of my most spun albums and artists this year was British DJ Simon Green, better known as Bonobo, and his 2017 masterpiece, Migration. In some moments, this album is pure to its electronic roots, however, in the true style of this mischievous monkey, other tracks come off as ambient, epic orchestrations. At first glance, this album is great background to a long day, however, as you dig deeper, a wealth of treasures and audio delights await you with each listen.

Shanies: Album of the Year

Here we go again... hit me back with your list from this crazy, fuggin' year.

10. A Tribe Called Quest - We Got it From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
A sad year to lose Phife Dawg, but an incredible year to watch your idols from eons ago prove that they can still kick it.

9. PUP - The Dream is Over
Fuck yeah, Canadian punk is alive and kicking. Through trials and tribulations, PUP has survived against all odds and their sophomore album shows their struggle and growth.

8. White Denim - Stiff
Once again, the epic White Denim returns with another guitar tour-de-force. The incredible, frantic guitar work is only topped by the catchiness of these tracks.

7. Tax the Heat - Fed to the Lions
Fall slave to the riff and worship these new UK players as they march onto the scene. Watch for them to blow up in 2017.

6. Fantastic Negrito - The Last Days of Oakland
This album came out of nowhere for me but quickly became one of my most played of the year. It's depth, soul, and experimentation make it a full end-to-end listen at least a few times.

5. Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
Third try was a charm for Chance - he showed growth leading up to this album but Coloring Book has become his opus, gaining both critical and popular success. He is redefining hip hop with heavy influences of gospel, soul, and R&B, but in a way that feels authentic.

4. Monster Truck - Sittin' Heavy
I don't know how the hell these guys keep producing album after album of wall-to-wall, riff-heavy hits, but Sittin' Heavy shows that they have no plans of slowing down. Once again, I'd have trouble identifying a weak track on this album and, while it definitely has that stereotypical Monster Truck sound, they continue to produce tunes that are fresh and engaging.

3. Public Animal - Palace Arms
What? Blurton and crew produced another album and Shane lost his shit? No one could possibly have seen that coming. The only reason this album didn't take spots 1 through 10 is that this is a band that is best experienced live - the albums are but a reminder of what you're missing.

2. The Temperance Movement - White Bear
This sat for nearly the entire year as my album of the year. It is without question one of the most solid, complete, and interesting rock albums I've heard in the past decade. TM proved that they well overcame the 'sophomore slump' by completely outdoing themselves and making an album that shows serious range across the whole of the sonic spectrum.

1. Childish Gambino - Awaken, My Love
However, my rock album of the year would not be my album of the year. In fact, I don't even know how to categorize this album. I'll level - I wasn't previously a fan of Gambino; liked a few tracks, but generally his style never really meshed with mine. Then Awaken dropped... and I lost my shit. I've listened to this album nearly every day since it was released and I keep finding things buried beneath this strange fusion of soul, R&B, hip hop, jazz, funk, and god knows what else he stuffed in here. This album didn't simply defy genres, it re-wrote them.

Shanies: Song of the Year

Everyone always raves and roars about their albums of the year (settle the fuck down, that's tomorrow), but personally, I'm always one to get lost in songs. There's something so elegantly beautiful about the handful of minutes that bring together such a beautiful array of noises into one cohesive, elegant masterpiece. 2016 had some incredible tracks like Childish Gambino's sultry R&B track, Redbone, Tax the Heat's driving riff-fest, Fed to the Lions, or White Denim's frantic-funky guitar masterpiece, Ha ha ha ha (yeah). But they were all my runners up.

This year my song of the year found a way to blend so many genres, so many instruments, so many sounds, and so many emotions into a simple, driving 2-beat that still completely owns your ears. I'm talking about Fantastic Negrito and his soulful ripper, Lost in a Crowd. Opening with some simple humming that give way (after a totally necessary piano slide) to a basic but aggressive stomping beat. This song is unquestionably led by the vocals and drums, however, during the verses, one can almost picture the pianist, guitarist, and bassist elbowing each other in the face to vie for more play time as their instruments battle back and forth. It's aggressive, it's subtle and kind, it's soulful, it's powerful, and it's weak - it's what an incredible song should be.


-Grab hold of the circle and ride it round and round to the end

Shanies: Artist of the Year

2016 was a weird (kinda shitty) year. Aside from canonizing the laundry list of incredible musicians who died this year, for me, there was one individual who, in the face of all odds, lived for the year like no other. And, as a Canadian who grew up in the 90s, even if he'd sat back and done nothing all year but through simply existing, encouraged us all to listen to the words, "If I die of vanity, promise me if they bury me someplace I don't want to be, you'll dig me up unceremoniously," it may have still been enough.

I'm of course talking about Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip. We all know the story. After being diagnosed with a terminal form of brain cancer, Downie did more in a year than most of us hope to do in a lifetime. Releasing Man Machine Poem in June, the Hip then set off on a cross-Canada tour that would act as some sort of strange pilgrimage-meets-goodbye to the country that embraced them for so many years. But for Downie, the end of the Hip was only the beginning of his year.

He would release Secret Path in collaboration Kevin Drew (BSS) and illustrated by Jeff Lemire. This was a concept album about a young Anishanaabe boy who died in 1966 trying to escape a native school to his home. This project would both fund and raise awareness for the Truth & Reconciliation movement in Canada and do a great deal to raise the profile of this crucial cause.

However, what Downie did in all of these acts is remind us of the Canadian spirit. The never-say-die, look-out-for-the-little-guy, love your neighbour, challenge your country, and push yourself, spirit that lives within all of us. I still remember watching the final Kingston concert with a group of coworkers on a camping trip in the middle of Ontario, huddled around my tiny smart phone. It was a moment of shock and sadness, but also a celebration of life and meaning in the world.

Gord Downie is my artist of 2016 because he reminded us all to be artists of our own sort.


-Topple the days through the uncertain haze around the back of this maze and to you.

Shanies: EP of the Year

I'll start by saying that there weren't a huge number of EPs that crossed my path this year, however, that doesn't diminish the quality or accomplishment that was Dan Mangan's Unmake.

Strangely, of the five tracks on this album, I became nearly obsessed with four of them except the album's "single," Race to the Bottom. The remainder of the EP was textbook Mangan, however, done through the lens of a man who had evolved so much after the harder and more experimental explorations of Club Meds. This EP was like a return to innocence and a softening of songs new and old, to remind himself as much as us of what he stands for.

Of my favourite of the album, his two redux songs from Club Med, Kitsch and Forgetery, cut through you and leave everyone involved - player and listener - a bit revealed. Tegan Quin's vocal matching alongside Mangan provide a particularly fragile and haunting background to a song seemingly about catching but mear glimpses of a better version of one's self... but never being able to keep hold.

-There will be a day when wrong will be right

Shanies: Concert of the Year

This thing almost never gets swept by a single set and this year is no different. Few things will bolster the ranks of seeing one of my favourite bands live as getting to see another of my favourite bands along side them and this year was a wall of rock n roll that graced the Phoenix in Toronto on Friday, March 11, 2016.

When Monster Truck and The Temperance Movement play a small tour together, Shane goes. However, life is even better if Shane goes with his best friends. Life is even better if the stars align and the evening turns into one of those beautiful nights where inhibitions flutter away and you dance like everyone's there but no one's watching. And hell, it never hurts if Phil from the Temperance Movement sneaks out into the audience and decides to party with you for a while. These are the makings of incredible nights.

The sound, the energy, the people, the lights, the drinks... all just right. That's why this night was, without a doubt, my concert of the year.

-Connected end to end and in between to hide the things that see unseen

Shanies: Video of the Year

Ahhh the video of the year... like the best actor at the Model of the Year awards. Still... something to be said for a group that can pull it all together with a beautiful visage that so perfectly describes the sound they pour out into the world.

And few did it as well this year as PUP. Already with the song If this Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will, they perfectly encapsulate so many of the joys and frustrations of being in a band. Essentially speaking to the difficulties of life as a musician and the hardship one faces on the road, paired against being locked in close quarters with 2 or 3 people whom, if you didn't love before, you will learn to either love or hate, this song kinda just nails it and the graphic video only pushes that forward. Perhaps it's just me, but the entire time watching a group of friends stab each other, light each other on fire, and genrally try to kill each other, there is a beauty in the bond and connection that one could come so close to another person so as to need to kill them to get away.

In short, I love you all... now die.

-Peel back the time that weighs on your mind

Shanies: Rookie of the Year

Well it's official. Given that my last post on this blog was my 2015 Album of the year... this little corner of the web is truly relegated to a once-a-year rant. That said, these few beautiful days we get free around the holidays afford me the time to shoot my mouth off on the internet about how much more I know about music that you do.

Let's start with the one that's always a bit awkward, since very few bands are ever born into notoriety within a year. And while these guys got their start in little 'ol Bristol back in 2012, it wouldn't be until 2016 that they'd release their debut full length, Lions. They're 60's fuzz meets modern swagger and the only thing eclipsed by their energy is their epic riffage. This is a "Shane band" through and through and I for one can't wait to see where these guys go with their sophomore effort.

So a rousing round of applause goes to my 2016 Rookie of the Year, Tax the Heat. Check the noise below.


-Ripped apart by playing cards yet smiling all the way.

Shanies: Album of the Year

Time for the big one... so without further adieu, here's what I saw as the best of the year.

10. Mutoid Man / Bleeder
Their sophomore release is just under 30m of sheer insanity, as one should come to expect from this powerhouse trio. Given that this is a side project, my only hope is that they keep making records together, otherwise the world will have a very large gap of noise.

9. Leon Bridges / Coming Home
Following in the footsteps of guys like Michael Kiwnuka, Leon Bridges reminded us that soul music is alive and well. This album is a modern take on a throwback sound that gets executed so incredibly well from both a songwriting and performance perspective.

8. Baroness / Purple 
I've already sang this band's praises for painstakingly producing this album after a couple of years of struggle and lineup change post a major accident, however, we also need to remind ourselves that Purple is an incredible album - loud, deep, dark, and complex, just like we've come to expect from the Baroness sound.

7. Dan Mangan & Blacksmith / Club Meds
I've always been a huge fan of Mangan's fun, acoustic sound, however, this album took a very different, but hugely successful turn. Darker, more intricate layering, greater use of synths, and a harder sound may seem atypical for this acoustic boy from BC, but it fits so damned well.

6. All Them Witches / Dying Surfer Meets His Maker
Though not as heavy and intense as 2013's Lightning at the Door, this album was so perfectly crafted. It pulls together some very tight, soulful tracks that seem to creep along the edge of explosion, but contain themselves and such a warm energy inside a perfectly wrapped sonic blanket.

5. Kendrick Lamar / To Pimp a Butterfly
Just wow. While I'll be the first to acknowledge my limited history and expertise with hip hop, I don't think it's at all a stretch to say that this album is actively redefining the genre. A brilliantly written piece that is simultaneously a celebration of life and a harsh wake up call amidst the racially charged environment south of the border, this was Lamar establishing himself as one of the best in the game.

4. Refused / Freedom
Was this album worth the 17 year wait? Shit no... I wish they were making music that entire time, however, Freedom was still an exceptional album that managed to both connect to their seminal Shape of Punk to Come, evolve into a sound that fit the times, and still push the envelope forward on what heavy music can be.

3. Tricky Woo / The Children Of...
ROCK AND FUCKING ROLL WILL NEVER DIE AS LONG AS TRICKY WOO IS ON MY SPEAKERS.

2. The Arcs / Yours, Dreamily, 
Dan Auerbach just seems to have my number and know how to make music I like. Needing a bit of a departure from the Black Keys, The Arcs seemed to have been the perfect outlet that still sounds very much like Auerbach's signature Akron sound, but also highlights how he's grown as a musician and his ability to write in multiple genres with different feels, lyrical explorations, and with a whole new cast of villains.

1. Alabama Shakes / Sound & Color
I was a fan of the Shakes when Boys & Girls was first released, for their signature bluesy, doo-wap sound. However, if you would have tried to tell me that their 2015 release would sound like whatever Sound & Color is... I don't think myself or anyone would have totally believed you. This band didn't so much evolve as they did completely metamorphisize and emerge to write one of the most diverse, complex, catchy, heartfelt and intense albums I've heard in ages. This is a rock album, and for 2015, this is the album that is helping to define what rock is and will become.