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... 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: 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.

Shanies: Album of the Year

Yup... it's that time again... time for the big one, or should I say... the big 10. 2014 was a huge year for music, especially heavy music. There were so many incredible releases from acts like Band of Skulls, Jack White, The Barr Brothers, D'Angelo, and Rival Sons didn't even make the cut... but sometimes, hard calls have to be made, and I'll be damned if I'm going to second guess myself.

10. Michael Cera - True That

I hated myself a little bit for enjoying this album as much as I did, but you know what... I was eventually able to divorce Michael Cera the actor (save his part in The End...brilliant) from the musician. This creepy album feels at times like it's dredging up the Ghosts of the Beatles, not just because it kinda sounds late-Beatlesque, but also because it's really gloomy and weird. But I like it.



9. Baptists - Bloodmines

And now for something completely different. What blows my mind the most about this album isn't how drivingly heavy it is, nor is it even Nick Yacyshyn's monsterific drumming, but the fact that Bushcraft was only realeased a year before in 2013. This is how you do loud music... thanks again BC!



8. Death From Above 1979 - The Physical World

10 years between albums? Did waiting suck? Yes. Was it worth the wait? No. This album could have easily been released in 2007, but that doesn't stop it from still being one of the best releases of 2014. What do we get after waiting 10 years? Likely a lot less anger and a lot more groove, but that really works for this gritty two-piece's sound.



7. Black Jesuses - Black Jesuses

Who? A random side-project of one of my favourite bands, The Parlor Mob, Black Jesuses' release was met with a bit of a whimper, but it still contained an album full of incredible hard rock tunes, especially for a two-piece (though I feel like that excuse doesn't hold weight anymore after the incredible history of rock duos we've seen now). Either way, go listen to 7 to 3 right now.



6. Obliterations - Poison Everything

Just when you thought Baptists were going to have the hardest album of the year, you could not have been more wrong. As a huge Black Mountain fan, I remember being very excited with the early news of Stephen McBean's new loud-as-shit side project. To add to that excitement, after producing a couple of mind-blowing EPs, the crew went into Grohl's Studio 606 to lay down Poison Everything. Throw 'em on Southern Lord and you've got a recipe for sexy.



5. Napalmpom - The Unconditional Love of Napalmpom

In addition to winning the award for greatest band name ever, Napalmpom was a band I stumbled upon a couple of months ago thanks to Public Animal. This Calgary 5-piece is a great reminder of what rock n roll is... not just in sound, but in spirit, effort, and fun! You can hear their massively contrasting influences in their debut LP, yet somehow, these Westerners manage to pull it together into a record that rocks, inspires, moves, cries a little, hugs you, bitch slaps you in the mouth, dumps a beer on your best friend, punches your girlfriend in the left tit and drops the mic and leaves this dimension. But in a really fun, cool way.



4. Destrage - Are you Kidding Me? No.

I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO THIS ALBUM FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HELL IT IS OR HOW THE HELL THESE CRAZY ITALIAN BASTARDS DO WHAT THEY DO. WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IS THAT I ENJOY IT IMMENSELY AND THEREFORE WILL NOT FURTHER QUESTION THE ITALIAN MADNESS-NOISE.



3. Alert the Medic - The Phantom Moves

From the moment I heard the opening drone of this album, I was hooked. While I would nearly wear out the first two tracks on the record, the entire album would become a place of comfort and solace that I would return to whenever I wanted to feel good about myself. These easterners know how to write exceptional, harmonically layered rock that can in one moment bring a crowd to their feet, and in another, bring a tear to your eye.



2. Public Animal - Habitat Animal

The live shows, while amazing, are simply not frequent enough to keep my inner animal satiated. Fortunately, this disc unleashes the beast with great volume. Who would have ever thought that a supergroup formed of some of my favourite bands of all time could come together to produce another of my favourite bands of all time who would make one of my favourite albums of all time? Funny that, huh?



1. Royal Blood - Royal Blood

Granted this British duo are sweeping up awards and acclaim across the globe at an unprecidented rate. Their meteoric rise to fame is ridiculous given the recent state of the music industry, however, when you listen to their self-titled debut, you understand why: this album is near perfection. Nearly each of the 10 tracks could have stood alone as a single and may still - 5 of them already have, with each breaking the UK top 50 and 2 hitting the #1 spot. Yes, look at me raving about this album just like everyone else... aren't I so unoriginal? Shouldn't I be focusing more of obscure music?

Deal with it. Sometimes there's a reason shit gets insanely popular, and if you can't hear it, I don't understand how you hear the world... you and I just got different ears, son.



Thanks for reading! It was fun as always to spout my musical tripe all over the internet... see you in 2015!

-Bow down to my thick cerebral cortex, don't let logic get in the way

Shanies: Album of the Year

Looking back upon releases, 2013 at first glance felt a bit unassuming, however, was actually an incredible year of quality albums. To prove my point, note that the list below does not include epic 2013 releases from the likes of Clutch, Red Fang, NIN, BMRC, Gov't Mule, or either one of JT's 20/20 experience. That said, hard decisions must be made but as we all know and understand, the list below is undeniably perfect.

10. The Bronx – The Bronx (IV)

I’ll level with you – this was far from my favourite Bronx album and was even a stretch to make my top 10 when you consider just the album alone. However, given that the band has been so focused on mariachi music as of late and this is their first rock album since 2008, it was just good to have them back. The album didn’t really push any boundaries, but it was a solid, loud, hard-driving, Bronx album. With over half the songs clocking in at under 3m, you could tell that the band didn’t want to fuck around, but instead make their point and then drop the mic. This was enough to crack the edges of my top 10.



9. The Motorleague - Acknowledge, Acknowledge 

The Cape Breton quartet’s sophomore effort was yet another collection of anthemic rock sing-alongs. I positively loved this album and between you and I, it likely would have been a lot higher on my list were it not for the fact that I couldn’t help but compare it to their 2009 debut LP, Black Noise. If you want an infectiously catchy, rock n roll album to sing along with on long drives across the Trans-Canada look no further. Start with more accessible tracks like North America or Every Man Needs a Cape Breton, however, be sure to check out my personal favourite, We Are All Going Directly to Hell.



8. Jim Guthrie - Takes Time

Guthrie is one of those Canadian indie icons who’s been creating innovative music since before most kids you see at his shows were born. However, he had a long lull in his career in the later noughties, where he apparently really started getting into video games. Doing soundtracks for a couple games and a documentary about video games seems to have affected his writing style and it shines through on Takes Time. The whole album is a masterfully arranged work that blends together all sorts of interesting little boops and bleeps into something that coalesces into a really beautiful, comforting and happy album. Takes Time is a testament to what one man can do if he locks himself in a room for a very long time with great passion.



7. Baptists – Bushcraft

From the opening track, Betterment, you just know that this wrecking ball from Vancouver isn’t going to fuck around. Start to finish, this album is pure, loud, insanity. Bushcraft drops a stake into the ground and proudly proclaims Baptists as Canada’s long awaited response to Converge. I often listen to Betterment to get myself hyped up and end up having to listen to the whole album since it just draws me in and takes a hold. This is what metal/hardcore should sound like.



6. HBS - In Deep Owl

When Soundgarden reunited in 2010, I was excited to hear that one of my favourite 90s bands would be making music again. However, when King Animal was released, reality kicked in and reminded me that things could never be the same again. Yet when Bassist Ben Shepard decided to release a solo album under the moniker HBS, I was completely floored. It was incredible to hear one very important writing influence from Soundgarden’s early albums ripped out of context and given the space to fill the room with dark, baritone, engaged music. This album has become my gloomy, rainy day listen for when I don’t want to be happy or sad… I just want to be. The perfect soundtrack to nothingness.



5. Mutoid Man - Helium Head

You’re probably seeing a recurring theme here: MUTOID MAN IS FUCKING AWESOME. I’ve gushed enough about this band by giving them awards for both song and rookie of the year, but I’ll just say this – keep supporting these guys so that they want to make more music and don’t deprive the world of their audio insanity. I love Cave In. I love Converge. But I think I love the combination even more.



4. Sound City Players - Sound City Real to Reel

While being the obvious choice for my video of the year, Dave Grohl’s Sound City also produced one of my favourite albums this year. The premise was simple: Grohl would write the foundations for 11 tracks and use his connections to fill the recording studio with a rotating crew of all-star musicians. There is obvious quality and novelty in hearing tracks with Paul McCartney,  Stevie Nix and Rick Springfield, but what ultimately sold me on this album were surprisingly incredible songs done with people like Alain Johannes, Lee Ving, Rami Jaffee and Corey Taylor – which ended up being one of my favourite tracks on the album.



3. BCASA - Fuck You Shredder

They wrote a punk rock concept album about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and in addition to being hilarious, it fucking rocks. Bow down and worship this band – the adult in you should be blown away by their riffs and songwriting, andthe kid in you should be giddy at thoughts of sitting too close to the TV on Saturday morning. Long live the Bill Cosby Anarchist Society of America.



2. Monster Truck - Furiosity

Even though their entire approach to being an AC/DC inspired cock-rock band has been a bit tongue-in-cheek, I love this band and really wanted to love their first full-length release. That said, I don’t think I wanted to love it this much. The first time I listened to this album, I think I put the whole thing or repeat 4 or 5 times. I was confronted with the awkward reality of my upbringing – I was a hick-town raised rock n roll farm boy and no matter how I try to escape it, I will always love riff-heavy, vocally harmonic, four on the floor rock and roll. Furiosity delivers on this and then some, with each track being able to stand on it’s own as a single and then songs like My Love is True that bring me to my feet to scream along with the repetitive, glorious ending.



1. Queens of the Stone Age - …Like Clockwork

I feel like after Josh Homme was forced to eject Nick Olivieri from the band after doing way too many drugs and being somewhat psychotic, QOTSA had to walk through the dessert in search of itself for a while. Fitting. After essentially saving rock n roll with 2002’s Songs for the Deaf, a lot of pressure was riding on their shoulders. Don’t get me wrong; Lullabies and Era Vulgaris were both incredible albums, yet I felt as though they never resolved. It was as though Homme prepared a brilliant speech to make, but never thought about what his closing, inspirational words would be, possibly because he didn’t know where to go with a band that had exceeded the expectations of nearly everyone, including himself.

Clockwork was this band becoming who they needed to be instead of clinging to the past. The first time I listened to the album, I barely recognized the sounds I heard, yet I couldn’t stop listening. Dirty, sexy and uncomfortable, this album feels like what would happen if you let a lounge singer drop acid, strip naked and sing through a fuzz pedal in front of a convention of shocked, elderly evangelicals. It feels so wrong and yet feels so right. It rocks without rocking, it makes love without loving, it hates without anger and it touches you in all the right places. This is not the QOTSA you know and love, it’s something completely different and it is glorious.

-High five now let's all go get some pancakes