“Librevox” by The Psychic Alliance
“Family Values” by AUSFunkt
“Walker Park” by DEARLY BELOVED
“Negative self talk therapy” by KMVP
“Dark Petal (You Can’t Say Bouquet)” by CATOLICO
“Time” by Elizabeth Shepherd
“Devil Does” by Cots
“she’s my baby” by kkidss
“carvers, farriers and knaves” by BIG|BRAVE
“lamp” by TENT CITY
Here are our ten favourite tracks right now:
“Meat” (live) by Stripmall
“Higher Than Thou” by Fountain Bather
“Son of Ugly” by Piss for Pumpkin
“Indian Cowboy” (live) by Love Language
“Tangier” by Selina Martin
“Stone Between the Lips” by Brava Kilo & Annie Sumi
“Notional Joyride” by Co-op
“twinkie” by poolblood
“PORNO CLOWN” by MASSIRRAYTORR
“The Last Working Phone Booth in the World” by Man Sardine
59. black midi – Hellfire
58. Black Country, New Road – Ants From Up There
57. Maylee Todd – Mayloo (Canadian)
56. Tovi – I Keep Floating Away (Canadian)
55. Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
54. Beyonce – Renaissance
53. Moka Only – Martian Xmas 2022 (Canadian)
52. Vinyl Williams – Cosmopolis
51. Bush – The Art of Survival
50. Cave In – Heavy Pendulem
49. Perfume Genius – Ugly Season
48. Ian William Craig – Music for Magneisum_173 (Canadian)
47. Cate Le Bon – Pompeii
46. Status/Non-Status – Surely Travel (Canadian)
45. Eliza – Straight Talker
44. KEN Mode – Null (Canadian)
43. SZA – SOS
42. Makaya McCraven – In These Times
41. Tomberlin – I Don’t Know Who Needs to Hear This
40. Fly Anakin – Frank
39. Animal Collective – Time Skiffs
38. Pusha T – It’s Almost Dry
37. Kamikaze Nurse – Stimuloso
36. D-Sisive – The Playground (one) (Canadian)
36. Jenny Hval – Classic Objects
35. Helms Alee – Keep This Be the Way
34. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Omnium Gatherum
33. Clara Engel – Their Invisible Hands (Canadian)
32. TRP.P – Mirror Soul (Canadian)
31. Junglepussy – JP5000
31. Nick Storring – Music From Wei (Canadian)
30. The Smile – A Light For Attracting Attention
29. Bjork – Fossora
28. Ravyn Lenae – Hypnos
27. Spoon – Lucifer on the Sofa
26. Thus Owls – Who Would Hold You If the Sky Betrayed Us? (Canadian)
25. Earl Sweatshirt – Sick!
24. Denzel Curry – Melt My Eyez See Your Future
24. Quinton Barnes – For the Love of Drugs (Canadian)
23. Luna Li – Duality (Canadian)
22. Wallgrin – Yet Again the Wheel Turns (Canadian)
21. Billy Woods – Aethiops
21. D-Sisive – Knoblich Gardens (1 & 2) (Canadian)
20. FKA Twins – Caprisongs
19. Softcult – Year of the Snake (Canadian)
18. Zola Jesus – Arkhon
17. Grace Ives – Janky Star
16. Ombigiizi – Sewn Back Together (Canadian)
15. Special Interest – Endure
14. The Smashing Pumpkins – Autm Part 1
13. Nilüfer Yanya – Painless
12. Snotty Nose Rez Kids – I’m Good, HBU? (Canadian)
11. Alt-J – The Dream
11. Jockstrap – I Love You Jennifer B
10. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushroms and Lava
9. By Divine Right – Otto Motto (Canadian)
8. Korn – Requiem
7. Sudan Archives – Natural Brown Promqueen
6. K. Flay – Inside Voices / Outside Voices
5. Willow – CopingMechanism
4. Nnamdi – Please Have a Seat
3. Kendrick Lamar – Mr. Morale and the Big Stepper
2. Daniel Johns – Future Never
1. Bekah Simms – Bestiaries (Canadian)
1. Ghostkeeper – Multidimensional Culture (Canadian)
by Mark Anthony Brennan
25. “Susans” by Susans
A delightful collection of harsh, art-punk mayhem from a crazy group from London, Ontario.
24. “We Found This” by Gloin
So-called “death rock” from Gloin is actually some dark, swirling post-punk with an experimental edge.
23. “Forget Your Own Face” by Black Dresses
Despite being abrasive, the noisy, industrial pop of Black Dresses (Devi McCallion and Ada Rook) is ultimately endearing.
22. “Ghost Woman” by Ghost Woman
In a year of excellent psych-rock, the western Canadian based group Ghost Woman rank highly with their self-titled album of blues-rock inflected psychedelia.
21. “Water & Tools” by Jairus Sharif
A startling album in its originality and execution, ‘Water and Tools’ is a wild trip through experimental hip-hop and free-jazz.
20. “Something’s Gotta Give!” by The John Denver Airport Conspiracy
The JDAC offer up track after track of exquisite garage-pysch, complete with some Grateful Dead-style instrumental excursions.
19. “LP1” by GODFREE
Montreal producer GODFREE brings in a host of collaborators on his album of irresistible beats, delivered with tongue-in-cheek charm.
18. “Recalibrate” by Eccodek
This album of electronic world music from Eccodek is both playful and meticulous in its execution.
17. “Lemons” by Fake Palms
Fake Palms (Michael le Riche) hits new heights in an exciting collection of angular post-punk.
16. “Five Fathom Hole” by PAPAL VISIT
A staggering 25 tracks (all short, however) of PAPAL VISIT’s inimitable lo-fi garage rock.
15. “Heaven’s Mini Mart” by Troll Dolly
A work of delicate beauty and intricate detail from Vancouver’s Troll Dolly (aka Jen Yakamovich).
14. “The Zug” by Yves Jarvis
Yves Jarvis has always had a fiercely creative mind, and ‘The Zug’ is chock-full of his wild creations.
13. “Say Laura” by Eric Chenaux
Canadian artist residing in France, Eric Chenaux unleashes five tracks of highly inventive jazz, folk and beyond.
12. “Chiac Disco” by Lisa LeBlanc
A highly spirited album that explores the realm between disco and chiac (a Creole variety of Acadian French).
11. “Fluxus Pop” by Rip Pop Mutant
A gem of distorted, warped pop from Alexander Ortiz & Adrian Popovich (aka Rip Pop Mutant).
10. “(Self Titled)” by Sam Jr.
A terrific collection of doomy, fuzzed-out psychedelia.
9. “Panis Angelicus” by Ultra Mega
Canadian slacker spoken-word from Winnipeg that is bound to appeal to the true Canuck in all of us.
8. “Who Would Hold You If the Sky Betrayed Us?” by Thus Owls
An ambitious work of experimental jazz/rock with elaborate and intricate arrangements from the duo of Erika and Simon Angell.
7. “Twenty Twenty Twenty Twenty One” by Spencer Krug
Veteran Spencer Krug concocts a variety of exotic beats to go along with his strange lyrics and mournful, but engaging, vocals.
6. “Staying Mellow Blows” by Eliza Niemi
Singer-songwriter Eliza Niemi shares her personal musings over sparse arrangements, with the ultimate reward found in the details.
5. “Tracer” by JEEN.
A shimmering, sparkling explosion of clever pop-rock from Toronto’s JEEN.
4. “The Elephant in the Room” by Sargeant X Comrade
Sly, slick and groovy experimental R&B, from Calgary’s Yolanda Sargeant and producer Comrade.
3. “Turn to Rust” by AUS!Funkt
An anthemic post-punk/disco ride. Dance music for the disaffected.
2. “Tongues” by Tanya Tagaq
Tagaq combines the visceral thrall of the wilderness with modern experimental instrumentation. Mind boggling.
1. “I Keep Floating Away” by TOVI
Rebecca Emms’ album of dark, rhythmic trip-hop takes the cake. Excellent songwriting and production throughout.
by Mark Anthony Brennan
25. “Blue Juniper” by The Sylvia Platters
Abbotsford/Vancouver band The Sylvia Platters hit a career height with this ’60s sunshine rock-inspired gem.
24. “In Between the Bars” by Krill Williams
A breezy breath of shoegaze air from the brilliant Krill Williams from Calgary.
23. “Box of Glass (ft. Zara Marie)” by Nigel Young
The quirkiness of this track, featuring vocals by Zara Marie, will pull you in, so enjoy the slacker/psych ride.
22. “ARGUING WITH STRVNGERS” by MVLL CRIMES
The raw, angry sounds of London’s MVLL CRIMES are a fun blast.
21. “Late Night Streamer” by Bad Pop
The band formerly known as Hot Panda weave low-key, slightly warped magic.
20. “Motorbrains” by Ultra Mega
The Winnipeg band’s endearing and hilarious recollection of a childhood menace known as Motorbrains.
19. “SUNAUVVA” by Beatrice Deer
Beatrice Deer’s track bristles with originality and energy.
18. “Sarajevo” by Eamon McGrath
A gripping epic about the city of Sarajevo.
17. “Gentle on My Mind” by GODFREE
Country EDM? Check out Montreal producer GODFREE’s take on an old Glen Campbell song.
16. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” by TRUTH
Nanaimo’s Monica McGregor (aka TRUTH) renders a sparse but highly imaginative take on a movie classic.
15. “Tourist Town” by JP Lancaster & Jared Jackel’s Bad Vibrations
This tune strikes a wonderful balance between Lancaster’s cool, jazzy vibes and Jackel’s warped psychedelic leanings.
14. “Pull Me Up” by dumb
An ingeniously crafted tune that captures the slacker soul of Vancouver.
13. “Never Been” by Darkometro
A gorgeous tune with eternal grace, from the new duo Darkometro.
12. “Hail Mary (ft. Rasheed Chappell)” by Sargeant X Comrade
A startlingly original work of contemporary R&B, from Calgary’s Yolanda Sargeant with producer Comrade.
11. “Tyrants Palace” by Dead Tired
A stupendous riff highlights this joyride of growling menace.
10. “Mirror” by Russell Louder
Russell again brings their magical touch to experimental dance music.
9. “I Don’t Think We Can Be Friends” by TOVI
Rebecca Emms (aka TOVI) with an electronic blast fuelled with trip-hop angst.
8. “Two Faced” by Megamall
Vancouver garage band Megamall hit a grungy/emo sweet spot.
7. “Chattels” by Brava Kilo & Annie Sumi
A charming tune which is deliberated jumbled to represent the chaos created when goods were confiscated from prisoners at Internment Camps for Japanese/Canadians during WW II.
6. “High Five” by Abby Sage
A lysergic folk groove with an enticing kick.
5. “Teeth Agape” by Tanya Tagaq
Tagaq visceral growled vocals combined with exciting electronics makes for a cinematic experience.
4. “The Weeping Man” by By Divine Right
This beautiful track by the Toronto art rockers is mournful and ethereal.
3. “Chemical Emotion” by JEEN.
Absolutely spellbinding work of pop-rock from singer-songwriter JEEN.
2. “Set yourself free” by AUS!Funkt
Killer rhythms power this post-punk call to the masses.
1. “Walking Feels Slow” by Eliza Niemi
A soft folk charmer with a delightfully eccentric delivery.
by Mark Anthony Brennan
25. ‘Dislocation’ by danes
The abrasive rumbling of Vancouver’s danes does not detract from the post-rock artistry at work, in fact it enhances it.
24. ‘Attention Span’ by hundredmillionthousand
A dazzling, eclectic mix from Edmonton experimental composer Noel Fanaeian.
23. ‘Stonedhenge’ by DRUG SAUNA
Calgary stoner duo DRUG SAUNA play doom metal at a funeral’s pace.
22. ‘Both Feet in the World, At Least I Can Stand‘ by Laura Hickli
Hickli’s artful chamber pop is delightful in unexpected ways.
21. ‘The Fool‘ by Krill Williams
Krill Williams’ innate quirkiness draws you into their dreamy, bedroom goodness.
20. ‘185 on the Corner’ by Paul Jacobs
More woozy, psych-pop from Montreal’s Paul Jacobs.
19. ‘nutty grotto’ by divorcer
Crazy unconventional song structures make this outing by divorcer a post-punk pop treat.
18. ‘Private Lives’ by Private Lives
Composed of members of Pale Lips, Lonely Parade and Priors, Private Lives hits the sweet spot between jangling post-punk and experimental noise rock.
17. ‘Sham Family’ by Sham Family
Things go from direct in-your-face rock to the downright strange on this debut from Sham Family.
16. ‘Visibly Choked’ by Visibly Choked
Refreshingly inventive art-punk, occasionally melodic and occasionally abrasive.
15. ‘Le voyage de M. Lonely dans la lune’ by Elephant Stone
Elephant Stone sing in French in this delightful psych-rock adventure.
14. ‘Joyful Joyful’ by Joyful Joyful
Cormac Culkeen and Dave Grenon (aka Joyful Joyful) gift us this combination of unique soaring vocals and electronic drone.
13. ‘Tired and Unwell at Pandora’s Box’ by SoyJoy
An intimate recording of SoyJoy’s idiosyncratic confessional strange-folk.
12. ‘I’ve Never Met a Stranger’ by Picastro
Veterans Picastro still entrance us with their off-beat charm.
11. ‘In Mind’ by TRUTH
Lo-fi and personal recording of Monica McGregor’s spacey, sparse creations.
10. ‘Honest Injun’ by TJ Felix
A wild collection of experimental basement numbers reflecting on growing up Indigenous.
9. ‘Hey’ by Diamondtown
Nova Scotia supergroup Diamondtown lay down an impeccable EP of shimmering psych-folk.
8. ‘Spellbook’ by Michael Slumber
Wandering through Michael Slumber’s spell-binding songs is a trippy experience.
7. ‘Hard Flirt’ by Yessica Woahneil & Danny Kidd
An irresistible collection of low-key folk-punk musings.
6. ‘Stars We Lost’ by Lammping
In a year of great psych-rock, ‘Stars We Lost’, delivered with unbridled exuberance, takes the cake.
5. ‘Escape from Lizard City’ by Megamall
Playful punk-pop with aggressive undertones in a dazzling debut.
4. ‘Psych Pedal’ by Bad Pop
A dreamy wooziness pervades this frenetic headlong drive into the realm of post-everything.
3. ‘Hard to be a God’ by Whitney K.
It sounds awfully vain, but with this collection of quirky, off-beat ballads, the shoes fits.
2. ‘Mal Casual’ by Jared Jackel’s Bad Vibrations
Nothing but good vibrations in these psychedelic cowboy blues.
1. ‘YOU EMBVRRVSS ME’ by MVLL CRIMES
Hardcore punk with an artsy edge thanks to clever lyrical statements, sometimes spoken, sometimes sung, sometimes screamed.
General Purv is the collaboration of general gruff (Adam Cantor) and Purveyors of Free Will (Mark Anthony Brennan). Without any sanity to support them they feed off each other’s manic tendencies. The result is an odd assortment of electronic-based flights of dark fancy.
“Tongues” by Tanya Tagaq
Tagaq’s song about the colonial attempt to extinguish native languages, with potent imagery by Caitlin Veitch.
“Walking Feels Slow” by Eliza Niemi
The strange simplicity of Ali Vanderkruyk’s video perfectly matches the oddly-delivered confessional prose of Eliza Niemi.
“Which Way” by Amai Kuda et Les Bois
In conjunction with Spoof Animation, Amai Kuda creates a somewhat fantastical Africa while depicting its history.
“Turn to Rust” by AUS!Funkt
Prince Amponsah is the star in this grim but stylish look at urban dystopia to the sounds of post-punk despair.
“The Weeping Man” by By Divine Right
The poignant strains of “The Weeping Man” are set against black and white images of the city at dusk, with some of the most imaginative uses of stop-motion we’ve ever seen.
“Carnival of The Ghosts” by Kobo Town
Mariano Franco’s video gets increasingly fanciful (and animated) as the calypso-rock of Kobo Town rolls on.
“God Complex” by Gentle Party
The experimental chamber pop of Gentle Party is treated to some truly inventive animation by Eva Dominelli.
“Tourist Town” by JP Lancaster and Jared Jackel’s Bad Vibrations
90’s CGI is a good choice of aesthetic for the warped tune by JP Lancaster and Jared Jackel.
“Chattels” by Brava Kilo and Annie Sumi
Chattels is in reference to the personal items confiscated from Japanese/Canadians entering internment camps. Part of the art project ‘Kintsugi’ by Brian Kobayakawa (Brava Kilo) and Annie Sumi.
“Natural” by 36?
Probably the weirdest video of the year, and that is really saying something.
“High Five” by Abby Sage
“All the Queen’s Men” by Private Lives
“New Kind of Summer of Love” by Spencer Krug
“Power” by Broken Egg
“North Battleford” by Bright Boy
“The Mute” by DA’AT
“Pull Me Up” by Dumb
“High Road” by Diamondtown
“Waste of Crime” by American Lips
“9 to 5” to Joyeria
“Fantasy (ft. Les Deuxluxes)” by ALIAS
“Enny One Wil Love You” by Pony Girl
“Ether” by Noise Unit
“Chattels” by Brava Kilo and Annie Sumi
“Subatomic Love” by Pillars of a Twisted City
“im so happy” by EKKSTACY
“Chicken Nuggets” by A Hundred Years
“Battle Cry” byAyria
“Tourist Town” by JP Lancaster and Jared Jackel’s Bad Vibrations
“Precious Life (Last Stand of the Dive Bar Hoodrats)” by TJ Felix & The Wino Delegates
Irregular Dreams 