End of Year Announcements, Pt. II

Two announcements in one month!? It's almost like we're back on my personal blog (still not 100% certain how that transitioned to an actual music site, but let's keep going with this strange, awesome flow)! Here's one last personal note to you guys this year, just for being your beautiful selves in 2015. 

I could not be more excited to share with you everything we have coming in 2016; with our album review and artist feature pages premiering in January, we're excited to continue bringing you even more ways to fall for your music in the new year. Honestly, I get butterflies just thinking about all the new stuff we have in the works (though that could be the caffeine and lack of sleep; not a real reliable measure).

Again and always, I want to pointedly thank all long-time readers for sticking with the site during our near four month slow down and three month hiatus. Getting over the mental and physical complications brought on by a decade of anorexia really sucked, but getting messages that you guys were still here waiting and knowing that there are awesome people who care enough about our site to keep it running, even during a relapse that fantastic, is just so much cooler than words can ever capture; I am super into you people. 

In 2016, I promise you more truly awesome artists, loads of music, some fun new ideas, and an ever present and always active effort to stay true to our 'Good Music, Better Artists' tagline; I would just hate if we knowingly let you fall for the music of an absolute ass of a person.

Below you will find a (relatively.. it is a year's worth) short list of some of my personal favorites from 2015 (only the ones we got in to the site, to hopefully make it a bit less overwhelming and give them a chance at equal views). Everything from beach-soaked Australian productions to jaunty English riffs to smooth, trance-like European mixes and back to sweet West coast beats, cool East coast polishes, and just perfect Canadian rock. 

So, be kind, be happy, and be super fucking excited that you've made it through one more year, I am so happy you're still here.

And, a quick heads up that our first two preview album reviews of 2016 will be those of Vandaveer's and The Gills' forthcoming albums, because Vandaveer keeps it so damn pretty it's hypnotic and The Gills' is far too fun to miss; if "Aria" and "Lemonade" don't get your attention, "La Di Da" and "Gimme" will knock you the fuck out (seriously, it's something akin to The Strokes and The Shins had a lovechild that grew up listening to Franz Ferdinand and post-2010 Phoenix but with a dash of something that can't be defined that just really guarantees them as ones to know).

Tracks That Made Us Stop

Singles that made us sit up and pay attention for more than one listen, because beyond the catchy melodies lay music with real emotion and articulate lyrics with meaning; a track that was capable of knocking you out just to put you right again. Because talking about such great tracks tends to take more than it gives, we're offering just a click through list of a handful of the best that we think you should hear at least once more before really diving into 2016.

Mieke - Sleeping Alone

Austin Plaine - Never Come Back Again

Banners - Shine A Light

Terribly Yours - Answered Prayers

Air Waves - Fantasy

Aaron Krause - Jade

Nadia Nair - Hardships

Fleurie - Sirens

Oh, Be Clever - River

Lucy Whittaker - Change Your Mind

Kimberly Anne - Show Me Love

Luka Lesson - Bones

Young Empires - The Gates

Flight of Ryan - You Are Mine

Meredith - Levels

Fred Page - Magnetically

Vindata - Own Life (ft. Anderson Paak.)

Son Little - Lay Down

Just Millie - Not OK

White Sea - Stay Young, Get Stoned

Nina Schofield - Come Down

Running Young - Did You See

Tall Heights - Spirit Cold

Common Tongues - New Moon

Vandaveer - But Enough On That For Now

Owen Rabbit - Denny's

EZA - We Keep The Lights Out

Violet Days - Screaming Colors

Flawless Full Lengths

While a Best of 2015 album list is wholly expected, it's also easy and predictable, so here's a couple of albums that are wholly, greatly listenable from beginning to end that you shouldn't miss out on if you can help it.

In true rock style, Will Toledo began his music career recording songs from inside the family car, and that lo-fi, gasping for breath from under the water, desperately clawing sound is just as present on Car Seat Headrest's Teens of Style. We'd like to very strongly recommend, of course, "Something Soon", but also, "Times To Die", "Psst, Teenagers, Take Off Your Clo", "Strangers" and "Bad Role Models, Old Idols Exhumed (Psst, Teenagers, Put Your Clothes Back O)". In all his literary greatness, Will Toledo is still a fumbling twenty-something, and that sound comes out enticingly in a great mess of perfect sound you don't want to miss.

Avid Dancer's 1st Bath is worth more than a few listens, because it's honestly one of those that only gets better with each listen. Sure, it loses its way for a beat or two in the middle, but it finds its way back with such aplomb it's almost enviable; grabbing you lovingly by the shoulders in "Whatever's On Your Mind" and leading you through the remainder of the album with careful steps, all while clinging to a sheen of breathtaking honesty before dropping you off to enjoy the sweet little two person steady dance number that is "Up Against A Wall". Plus, who can deny a mention to the guy (Jacob Summers) who put his blood into his work; that's not red paint on the album cover, folks, it's pure unyielding 'that's cool but don't bring it any closer to me' artistry. Still not convinced? Listen to "All Your Words Are Gone" until you reshape your heart and let the magic and frailty of trust overtake you; it is so, so good.

I can't talk up the impeccable purity of Young Empires enough. You've got these full sounds with breaking, relatable lyrics and building riffs that sweep over a vast, lush landscape of sounds, all vying to be the first to take your breath away. It's intricate and fully aware of that fact without coming off as 'better than the norm', something that would lay in the realm of 'too artsy for your enjoyment'. Much the opposite, actually, if there's one on this list you really need to pay attention to, it's The Gates. It's breaking, fresh, and screaming personal revolution in its own quiet way, written openly and unselfishly for the kids who need to hear something uplifting that's not just fluff. Mature and beautiful, it is really something to take note of.

Even though it's expected, Bully belongs on this list because of the faulted honesty she so freely shares on Feels Like: like in tracks "Six" (which perfectly explains the guilt of mistakes in our youth) and "Sharktooth" (that draws you in with honest lines and twisted lyrics and grown up, harsh truths, culminating in "it's time to buck up and be a man"). Honesty is the one word we would use to sum up this album, harsh honesty if you want to get specific, because the unforgiving reality of "I Remember" and the straight up truth in "Trying" (because who the fuck else is going to admit to praying for their period to come) are so straight-forward and rough that they may be the most, embarrassingly, relatable lyrics of the year. It's indie grunge at its best and we're still not tired of it.

Yukon Blonde's On Blonde, much like Bully, isn't a far reach into the ether for songs you've not heard of, but these spinning riffs and great lyrics are not to be missed. Group vocals are always a plus and the entire album is just such tacit fun and easy-without-being-monotonous listening from start to finish that it'll still be great a year from now. "I Wanna Be Your Man", "You Broke The Law", "Favourite People", and, of course, "Saturday Night" are our suggested 'don't miss' tracks. Actually, just play "I Wanna Be Your Man" anytime you're feeling low, that riff will give you new life every time.

While not a full length, Mike Water's Life EP gets an honorable mention because holy fuck is it good. Our love affair with his sound started with the release of the "Gambling Man" video and quickly spiraled from there; the track's breaking and honest and almost painful with lines as honest as "sometimes I need to sink before I swim/ I’m not really built for the world I’m in" and "I’ve a lot of secrets I can’t share/ please don’t stay away, please don’t be scared" trotted out without shame, with an unobtrusive and sneakily honest video to match. "Feels Like Home" is a  sweet self-acceptance to get yourself hooked on and singing along to, and we're just really into "Dreams"; acoustic guitar, more honest lyrics, pretty vocals - goodness it's good. With its faulted truths and pure melodies, you'll want to keep listening into the new year.

But Still Can't Get Enough of Australia

Warring against our great love of so many more Swedish acts than we could list is our ever present appreciation for those Australian tracks that just reek of beach-y productions we'll never grow tired of. Also, keep in mind that most all of these are available for free download on Triple j.

Vallee's "Cuba" has been on repeat here for a bit, but their latest track, "Jungle", is what we'd love to draw attention to. Fun, irrepressible beats and a certain liveliness has kept the track at the forefront of our minds, and made it one that we think really should be on yours.

Citizen of the World could release a twenty second film clip and we'd be able to rant about it for two days. Another we wouldn't dream of writing about too much, lest we take from their greatness, "Setting Out" and "How Far We've Come" are tracks you should add to your repertoire.

CuzN's bar sing-along of a single "Ordinary People" is just so easy to fall for, so give it a listen and be sure to follow up on his music in the new year for more self aware lyrics and catching melodies you don't want to miss; that chorus is something to hear.

REMI's "Ode To Ignorance" is pretty fucking great, and that's all you need to know. Listen to the track and look for more from REMI in 2016.

Lime Cordiale, much like Citizen of the World, will always be one of our favorites, but there's no denying that "Not That Easy" would be good even if you weren't predetermined to love everything they put out. Sweet and fun, it's made for lots of listens and maybe even a car trip or two. That chorus is just too much to pass over and that low cost video makes it that much easier to fall for.

Problems hypnotic, dreamy sound with touches of psyhedelic electronic has been ahead of its time for years, and it all comes together on their latest single "Pretending" to create something truly unique you'll be happy to have experienced. Smooth and tranquil but still hitting in its lyrics, "Pretending" is just the start of more to come from Problems in 2016.

With a youthful energy and sound that would be at home in a packed club, Youth Allowance sounds like the opening band of your dreams, but we've no doubt they're going to define their sound over the next year to come up with a headline act. Take a listen to "Hang On Tight" for a taste of their addictive style.

With catchy melodies and measured beats against vocals that feel like that of a classic rocker, The Outdoor Type's interesting mix of sounds comes together to create something we've never been able to define, but are so glad we got the chance to hear.

We would be remiss if we didn't mention Patrick James on this list. Those melodies, that voice, why we haven't been granted a US tour yet, we may never know, but we are anxiously and impatiently waiting for our chance to hear such beautifully put lyrics and desperate undertones live, because there's no better way to judge if James really is as great as this single leads us to believe.