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: 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: EP of the Year

A couple of years back, Jesse introduced me an incredible band known as All Them Witches. Almost immediately, I fell in love with this group's slow-moving, progressive, layered rock developments that typically give way to a burst of guitar-riff euphoria. They were some sort of strange stoner-rock meets blues, meets funk, meets double-the-fuck-triple-yeah. Needless to say, I was hooked.

Thus, when said band decided that in the past 2 years, the group decided to release a full length LP, 2 EPs, 1 properly mastered live album, and countless bootleg live recordings... it sat perfectly well with me. And beyond sheer quantity, these guys delivered the goods every time. Thus, without hesitation, my EP of the year went to their 2015 EP release, A Sweet Release.

Sweet indeed, but hardly an EP. Granted the release only contained 5 tracks, but still clocked in at over 55 minutes of music (I did mention the words prog and stoner, no?). With minimal vocals, it's the kind of album that you can throw on in the background and lose yourself within. Sounding almost more like a post-rock album a-la Godspeed, this simple little EP highlights the diversity and musicianship of this talented, Nashville-based quartet.

And like so many bands I love, the best way to get into this is to stop reading my tripe words and listen:


-Always push my mind to the darkest place so that I feel disgraced by things I haven't even done

Shanies: EP of the Year

Alright, I'm the first who's happy to admit when my gut is wrong... especially when it results in one of my favourite bands returning to full form. I had my concerns about this band when they suffered a huge blow by losing half of the amazing female vocal equation that made up their sound. I had even bigger concerns when their drummer, part of the founding duo and the hard stomping drive behind the group, left to start a family.

I had my concerns, but this fall, they were put to rest.

When Little Foot Long Foot released their EP, Woman, my mouth was silenced and my jaw was dropped. Part of the difficulty with LFLF losing both Caitlin Dacey and Isaac Klein was that so much of the sound and pressure now rested on the shoulders of frontwoman Joan Smith. The band did struggle for a little as they settled into their new sound, however, in my opinion, their true transformation was when when Smith was able to step up and own the role... and own it she did.

Woman comes across as an album that stands in opposition. Sonically and lyrically, it seems to represent a backlash to a world, and even a music scene, that has traditionally been a boys game. Though far from being meek, apologetic, or conciliatory, Smith's songs cut through your speakers like this is the way that music has always been and has always supposed to be. It can't have hurt to have The Trews Colin MacDonald producing, but at the end of the day, it was the power trio of LFLF that pushed forward these 5 incredible tracks - each could be a single of it's own on a different day of the week.

In short, one of my favourite Toronto bands is back, in a way that makes me question whether they even left. Maybe it wasn't them... it was me.


-So I've stopped playing games someone else told me to play

Shanies: EP of the Year

A new award this year, I wanted to create the EP nod so that newer, indie bands who were still in their infancy but already doing incredible things could get a bit of acknowledgement. That, and there were a ridiculous number of EPs that I fell in love with this year, and I simply couldn’t let them go unrecognized.  Sharing is caring, afterall.

A rare thing happened this year – I actually started getting solicitations from labels and artists requesting reviews. Some of the reviews may have been a bit unappreciated, however, when a band like The Blue Stones fell in my inbox, I considered myself lucky. Somewhat skeptical of being pushed an album, I listened to the opening track from their 2012 EP, How's That Sound?, with a lot of reluctance. However, my walls were broken down within 30 seconds of the opening track and I was sold. This Windsor two-piece hits a great balance between writing songs that are graspable and comfortable, while still pushing the envelope just enough to make for interesting, dynamic and original tracks.

 I can’t wait to see this band live, however, in the meantime, I’m happy to keep listening to the recording of my EP of the year. Granted, at 7 tracks, I may be stretching the definition of EP, but blow it out your ass... this is my blog.

Honourable mention must go to sludge masters, The Great Sabatini, for their epic (and free!) release The Royal We.



-Keep my head above the water, but never let me climb too high