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.
Irregular Dreams 