Tuesday, October 31. 2006
Hottest bands in Canada, v. 2006
There's really not much need for introduction to this. The concept is simple: like last year (and the American concept on which it was based), music writers, bloggers and radio hosts from across the country were invited to submit their ranked lists of the hottest bands and artists in Canada for 2006. Those rankings were then compiled into one larger list using a pretty straightforward point system (10 points for first on a list, 1 point for tenth, and 3 points for every list on which an artist appeared). For the one or two instances where there were ties, they were resolved by comparing the number of lists on which the artists were named.
The only difference is the panel size -- where last year fewer than twenty people submitted lists, this year the number was twice that. The panel was composed of: Frank from Chromewaves, the mysterious Dial613, Bury Me Not's Derek, Steven at Paquin Entertainment/Permafrost Records, Kelly Bergeron of The Journey Starts Here (a documentary on Canadian indie music currently in production), Will from Scene and Heard, Kelly of Villains Always Blink, The Rock Snob's Valerie, A Reminder, Calum and Jon from Mocking Music, Tyrone from A Soundtrack for Everyone, Adrien from Pop Matters, Delineated's Carrie, Conrad from Coke Machine Glow, Caitlin Crockard (who does Chart Attack's Ottawa Buzz column), Popsheep's Ian, Rod from Bootlog, Paul Gagnon of The New Pollution, Michael from For The Records, Just Keep Blogging's Janice, Andrew Rose from The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed With The Nipple Dream/Pop Montreal, Chris Strachan from CJTR in Regina, Angela of But She's On Fire, Mike from I Am Mike and This Is My Heart, Indie Music Filter's Chris, Lisa Christiansen of CBC Radio 3, David from Torontoist, Quinn of From Blown Speakers, Regulate The Voice's Graham, Streethawk's Luisa Irene, Keith from Pregnant Without Intercourse, Sucking A Lemon's Aviva, Del from Vibes and Stuff, Pop (All Love)'s Aaron, Dan and Sean from Said The Gramophone, Razorblade Runner's Rollie (who most people now know as Cadence Weapon), and Zoilus.
And with that, on to the list...
The only difference is the panel size -- where last year fewer than twenty people submitted lists, this year the number was twice that. The panel was composed of: Frank from Chromewaves, the mysterious Dial613, Bury Me Not's Derek, Steven at Paquin Entertainment/Permafrost Records, Kelly Bergeron of The Journey Starts Here (a documentary on Canadian indie music currently in production), Will from Scene and Heard, Kelly of Villains Always Blink, The Rock Snob's Valerie, A Reminder, Calum and Jon from Mocking Music, Tyrone from A Soundtrack for Everyone, Adrien from Pop Matters, Delineated's Carrie, Conrad from Coke Machine Glow, Caitlin Crockard (who does Chart Attack's Ottawa Buzz column), Popsheep's Ian, Rod from Bootlog, Paul Gagnon of The New Pollution, Michael from For The Records, Just Keep Blogging's Janice, Andrew Rose from The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed With The Nipple Dream/Pop Montreal, Chris Strachan from CJTR in Regina, Angela of But She's On Fire, Mike from I Am Mike and This Is My Heart, Indie Music Filter's Chris, Lisa Christiansen of CBC Radio 3, David from Torontoist, Quinn of From Blown Speakers, Regulate The Voice's Graham, Streethawk's Luisa Irene, Keith from Pregnant Without Intercourse, Sucking A Lemon's Aviva, Del from Vibes and Stuff, Pop (All Love)'s Aaron, Dan and Sean from Said The Gramophone, Razorblade Runner's Rollie (who most people now know as Cadence Weapon), and Zoilus.
And with that, on to the list...
33. Patrick Watson
This is just a hunch, but I see these guys as having "it band" written all over em. You can see! Just look closely, "it"'s behind the bass player’s ear. Plus their album (Close to Paradise on Secret City Records) is totally marvelous. (Pregnant Without Intercourse)
New crooner, new corner, great album. listen. (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
Though not necessarily easily associated with the indie scene in Canada (though that's changing), this four-piece along, with its namesake frontman, had a bigger end of 2006 than most probably realize at this point. Their debut, Close to Paradise, has done hugely well in a short period of time, and more importantly the dozen or so shows the band has played at the tail end of the year (to say nothing of their tour with James Brown over the summer) have been nothing less than legendary (for those lucky enough to know about them). They were the toast of both Pop Montreal and the Iceland Airwaves festival (at times bringing up members of Bell Orchestre, Islands, the Besnard Lakes and even Gary Lucas to play with the band) and seem to be on that exciting brink of going from being a good act to a really amazing one. There's no better live band in Canada right now, and Watson himself very well could be Canada's Jeff Buckley, as people seem to suggest. (Andrew, The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed with the Nipple Dream)
Download "Giver"
32. Sloan
Still great after all these years. (Rock Snob)
Unavoidable. And still kicking. (Torontoist)
I kind of lost interest in Sloan sometime around Navy Blues, for good I thought, but I’ve found many charms in the hyperactive, jam-packed Never Hear the End of It. Yes, much of the stuff is still unabashedly retro (one song sounds exactly like T. Rex, but then I’ve been hearing T. Rex in a lot of things lately), but there’s a suppleness of tune and arrangement that I really like, and refreshingly few arena-rock power chords. And I’m always a sucker for overstocked, stylistically variant White Album-style collections. (Bury Me Not)
31. Laura Barrett
Bringing classical-piano chops to the unusual primary instrument of kalimba (African thumb-piano), this diminutive young Toronto singer won over audiences at every turn in 2006, with her self-released EP going into edition after edition and her song Deception Island Optimists' Club nominated for the Socan Echo Songwriting Prize. Also a member of the boisterous Henri Faberge & the Adorables, Barrett combines all the craft of a conventional pop songwriter with an insatiable curiosity and imagination that transports her music into its own dimensions, reminiscent of maverick ladies from Kate Bush to Joanna Newsom, but also fellow Toronto voices such as Eric Chenaux, Sandro Perri (Polmo Polpo) and Alex Lukashevsky (Deep Dark United). Barely heard at the start of the year, she's now on tour with the Hidden Cameras, which is just phase one of what Toronto observers are starting to call simply "Laura Barrett takes over the world." (Zoilus)
Laura Barrett plays with some pretty hot bands, including the Hidden Cameras and Henri Faberge & The Adorables. Solo, she eschews pop structures for the dreamy quality of her kalimba (African thumb piano) and voice. Her degree in linguistics, interest in electronics, and just plain penchant for unconventional melodies all come into play on her debut EP, The Earth Sciences, but really it's the odd loveliness of the result that matters. Oh, and the future-Christmas-themed "Robot Ponies" was apparently a hit on Myspace. (Chart)
Laura is the best thing to come out of the whole "Torontopia" scene.
Her music is sweet, powerful and carries a welcome sense of humour and she's probably the inventor of the kalimba-nerd-chic aesthetic. (Regulate The Voice)
30. Henri Fabergé and the Adorables
The definition of a live band. I have had people come up to me who aren't into the type of tight sweet pop tunes The Adorables play and tell me they still want to come see this band. Maybe it's because most photos of a typical now infamous Embassy bar show include masses of people having the bestest, sweatiest times ever and the bass player hanging almost upside down, being carried across the crowd. It's the type of thing a band could live off. However over the past few months, The Adorables released a wonderful album of everyone's favorite songs, received some well-deserved critical attention, played Pop Montreal, toured across Canada with some other Toronto success stories like The Bicycles and Born Ruffians, tore up MTV Live, and, of course, one sunny September afternoon, got all their good pals together at the Palais Royale to have the most epic CD release marathon Toronto has ever seen. (Sucking a Lemon)
On record, the Adorables may be the best band in Canada. Live...they may just be the best band in the universe. (iheartmusic)
Download "The Goddamn Light"
29. Spiral Beach
So young. But so, so, so good. And if the massive, industry-type-filled crowd at their Pop Montreal showcase is any indication, they're only just getting started. (iheartmusic)
Download "Voodoo"
28. Think About Life
I have seen this band more times than I can count because it's always the best dance party around. (Sucking A Lemon)
For sure, they are on the map now, blowing up a dancefloor near you. (Chris Strachan)
If you've heard or seen Think About Life but don't get what the fuss is about, I promise you will by the time 2007 rolls around. Graham Van Pelt (also Miracle Fortress) and Martin Cesar (also Dishwasher) are two of the most original musical minds in the country right now, embodying a really youthful and vibrant spirit that's been underestimated and mistaken for something silly at times. As Think About Life they know how to bring a serious party, but wait for their sophomore effort, or solo debuts, and you'll see what I'm talking about. They're just getting going, and it should be a pretty fascinating ride. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed With The Nipple Dream)
Download "Paul Cries"
27. The Lovely Feathers
Hind Hind Legs" may be the most fun indie pop album of the year. The Lovely Feathers came out of nowhere (some place called "Montreal" actually), and blew away audiences with their energetic live shows. If you can listen to “In the Valley” and not dance, even just a little, it’s probably a sign you were born without a soul. (Jonathan, Mocking Music)
Download "The Only Appalachian Cornfield"
26. The Arcade Fire
I think there are literally thousands of hipsters who can’t wait to hear this band’s new record so they can come up with new ways to shit on it. Dying. I can almost see the Pitchfork headline already. What is it about people who like music, do we have this burning desire to be disappointed or something? (Pregnant Without Intercourse)
I don't think this band released anything in 2006. But among my most joyous musical moments of the entire year was in the pub at All Tomorrows Parties in Camber Sands, England, some 3:30 in the morning, when amid all our sweat-and-starry dancing the DJ threw on "Rebellion" and I felt all my memories shake, just shake, splendid through my body. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
Not quite faded from anyone's memory yet. Everyone's excitedly waiting. (Torontoist)
What did they do in 2006? Ok, so nothing too publicly apparent right now. But they're almost finished recording the follow-up to Funeral. So by the time that comes out around April, it should be apparent how big they were in 2006. And activity or no, I still think they're the best band in Canada, so they had to be included here. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
25. k-os
Because his basic stance is: If you don't like me, there's something fundamentally wrong with you. Awesome. (Pop (All Love))
While many people’s views about K-OS may vary because of his often opinionated comments, there is much more consensus surrounding the quality of his music. Atlantis: Hymns for Disco proves that there is a very good reason for this. The introspective mood is tempered by K-OS willfully pushing boundaries that, despite the sonic breadth, remain rooted in a hip-hop aesthetic. (Vibes and Stuff)
24. The Golden Dogs
The Golden Dogs uncross arms and remove hands from pockets in mere seconds, and their destructive live show is a marvel of nature: it's the only place I know of where you can see a man completely sweat through a suit jacket on a nightly basis. (dial613)
Download "1985"
23. MSTRKRFT
In the space of a year, I've seen MSTRKRFT transform from playing small venues in Toronto full of curious indie kids to absolutely rocking 1500 dedicated clubbers in Melbourne, Australia, who by the end of the night at nearly 5 AM, clamoured on stage to dance, sing and shout along with Al-P and Jesse F. Keeler. They have been the definition of hot this year. (Regulate The Voice)
Strong debut for Jesse Keeler. I'm sure there are fans out there that have never heard of Death from Above. They might even think its the motto of some helicopter in Apocalypse Now. (Indie Music Filter)
Killer remixes followed by a killer album. While they may match the relentlessness of DFA1979, it does have a boatload of sexy beats. (Bootlog)
Download "She's Good For Business"
22. Nelly Furtado
Breaking out of the tiresome shell of a tastefully exotic songbird, Nelly swooped into pop stardom on the wings of some top producers in 2006 as perhaps this country's boldest contribution to mainstream R&B ever. Yeah, it was manipulative. Yeah, it wasn't all top-shelf. But it was unCanadianly sassy and sexy and rude and a hell of a lot of fun. If she can drop some of her earlier musicianship back into the mix while keeping the thump and bump, she'll really be on to something. (Zoilus)
I can take or leave a most of what I've heard from the album, but I don’t think there’s any single this year that I enjoyed more than "Promiscuous". (Bury Me Not)
Before Loose invaded the airwaves on both sides of the border, when was the last time one of our Top 40 exports hasn't been at least a bit embarrassing? (I bet Aaron Wherry knows the answer.) If "Promiscuous" and "Maneater" don't make you want to dance you're either devoid of rhythm or a snobby bore, maybe both. (From Blown Speakers)
With all the kerfuffle over her new image, Furtado’s music, despite its unqualified success this year, seems to have been overshadowed by the obsessing over her new togs. A focus in the music reveals the partnership with Timbaland seems to have given her the edge to release the inner b-girl that we knew was always there. (Vibes and Stuff)
Congratulations, you're no longer a one-hit wonder. You're a two-hit wonder. Who was out-sung by your producer on the latter. (Pop (All Love))
21. Ladyhawk
If it were possible to cram everything I love about Vancouver onto a single 38-minute CD, it would sound something like Ladyhawk's self-titled debut. (From Blown Speakers)
They released one of the best rock records of the year with their self-titled debut. (For The Records)
The return of the honest, hard working and purely enjoyable bar (in the best sense of the word) band. "The Dugout" is probably the best Canadian rock song of the year. (Regulate The Voice)
Download "The Dugout"
20. Frog Eyes
The latest Frog Eyes EP is probably one of the most underrated releases of the year. Toning down the jangliness of their usual sound, Carey Mercer and crew instead delve into calmer pastures and quite successfully too. Their live show continues to be one of the best in the country too. (Regulate The Voice)
Maybe the most overlooked Canadian act out there. Frog Eyes put on two of the best performances I've seen this year, and with the huge year Spencer Krug has had, Carey Mercer looms as a kind of godfather or harbinger of this surge of Canadian talent. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
My #1 last year, Frog Eyes takes a bottom seat this year because they released a rather un...offensive EP. but I'm saying right now, that whatever year their new album comes out in (I'm thinking 2010, at this point) they will be #1 for that year. Get ready. Eat now, get strong. (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
Download "The Oscillator's Hum"
19. The Dears
I was skeptical of their new music, not because I didn’t trust this Montreal band. No, it was just that I still listen to No Cities Left all the time. But Gang Of Losers won me over. No less tragically romantic, but without the orchestrated lushness - more lo-fi. A nice choice. (Lisa Christiansen)
Captivating and intriguing musical landscapes.Memorizing lyrics and possibly one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Gang of Losers not only lived up to all expectations, but in true Dears style the band continues to challenge themselves with there approach to songwriting and reveals hidden emotion not yet tapped by frontman Murray Lightburn. (Chris Strachan)
It's the year of The Dears. I caught them live on Canada Day at Harbourfront, at the Toronto Virgin Festival at Olympic Island, and at an intimate gig at The Mod Club as part of Edge 102.1 FM's Next Big Thing Concert Series. And they released a confident rock record with their new album Gang Of Losers. (For The Records)
18. Junior Boys
They released their new album So This Is Goodbye, a scintillating follow-up to their 2004 debut Last Exit. The new album is the most "human" electronic record I've heard all year, and it's one of my favourites of the year as well. (For The Records)
A potent combination of sexy and smart. Their latest release "In the Morning" makes you love electronic music and seduces you into believing you could do it, just because you want to be like these guys.(Lisa Christiansen)
Having given us some of the most soulful Canadian music to come out in years, before long the Junior Boys' "indie darling" tag could very well be replaced by the much more deserving title, "national treasure". (Adrien Begrand)
Two years ago, when Hamilton, Ont.'s Junior Boys released Last Exit, it seemed like the kind of perfect moment that could never be recaptured - a tuneful pop sense meeting an up-to-the-minute awareness of innovative electronic techniques. Stunning, but probably a one-off. Well, right and wrong: This year's So This Is Goodbye wasn't a retread of the formula, but a maturing project (under singer-songwriter Jeremy Greenspan) unafraid to take up unhip notes of nostalgia to stay true to its muse. And unlike Last Exit's mid-Atlantic feel, this one seemed distinctly Canadian. As deliciously sad and sweet as it is in itself, it was even more exciting in its promise of great music for a long time to come. (Zoilus)
Download "When No One Cares"
17. The Diableros
Sugar-laced soul coated in delicious white noise. (Chromewaves)
Last year somewhere around this time, there was buzz around Toronto's former Jesus and Mary Chain cover band The Diableros, who had self-released their debut album You Can't Break The Strings On Our Olympic Hearts. Then in 2006, they played a pile of high-profile gigs, put out an amazing video for "Sugar-Laced Soul," signed to UK label Wi45 and put out a 7" of "Working out Words." And did I mention they are awesome? Yeah, Muchmusic is next, for sure. (A Soundtrack for Everyone)
Download "Sugar-Laced Soul"
16. Swan Lake
Canada's penchant for indie rock "supergroups" continues. Expectations are high and their record mostly delivers. (Regulate The Voice)
Genius plus genius plus genius does not always equal exponential genius, but it'll get damn close. Like the best live show of the year (in the entire universe) caught on tape. (Dan, Said The Gramophobe)
Maybe a little premature, but anytime you get Carey Mercer, Dan Bejar and Spencer Krug together in a studio, you know you've got something special on your hands. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
The most anticipated Canadian 'super-group' record of the year is more than the sum of its parts (so is Frankenstein's monster, a pocket-watch, or beast moans captured in a mason jar). Dan Bejar and Carey Mercer's music is reined in, songs made into something coherently pop; the screws on Spencer Krug's songwriting, meanwhile, are loosened - and all sorts of windy ghosts get in. It's a record of stray sounds and automaton laughs, beautiful and weird and wintry-warm. And it's the best LP that Krug (who's become one of the country's best lyricists) has ever made. And not yet released! (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
Download "The Freedom"
15. Land of Talk
Applause Cheer Boo Hiss is one of the best things I've heard by anyone from anywhere in any year. (Chromewaves)
They are the band that I heard for the first time this year that I'm most excited about. I actually find it hard to explain why, but see them live and you'll get what all the fuss is about. (From Blown Speakers)
Download "Breaxxbaxx"
14. The Hidden Cameras
Blindfolds, gogo-dancers, ridiculously infectious songs. (Sucking A Lemon)
A rotating cast of characters, sure, but a prolific, talented, and instantly loveable band that is starting to mellow and branch out. (Torontoist)
Like The Dears above, The Cameras stayed in the spotlight (at least in the Toronto area) with appearances at both Harbourfront and the Toronto Virgin Festival. Their new album "Awoo" is a grower. (For The Records)
Shame on Pitchfork for slamming one of the most delightful albums of recent memory. The Hidden Cameras' live show is a real treat, too. (Calum, Mocking Music)
Download "Learning The Lie"
13. Jon-Rae and The River
Phenomenal live band with a new home at Baudelaire. (Indie Music Filter)
From a raw, raucous, whiskey-addled country-folk shambles to an ecstatic, psychedelic-gospel 2006 answer to The Band - how did Jon-Rae Fletcher and his merry band of brigands get there? The old-school way: Driving and drinking their way from venue to shitty venue across the country and refusing to think any show good enough unless it left them giddy, sweaty, exhausted wrecks. The nation's unlikeliest testimony to the power of the work ethic. And extra points for going after the big subjects - faith, fucking, love and death - without the self-protective coyness that makes most indie musicians seem scared of both their bodies and their feelings. (Zoilus)
Half country rock, Half blue-eyed Memphis soul; Knows What You Need did not give many other records this year a fighting chance. You know that feeling of listening and caring about a band for a good while and then the new record comes out and you wish it had all these little things that would just make it so much more extra special? It's all there. If Now Magazine's annual Best Of issue had a music category for best boot stompin' soul band, then maybe this River would have gotten a mention. (Sucking A Lemon)
Download "Just One More"
12. Metric / Emily Haines
The indie girl that seams to make all the right choices. Who to play with, when to release a solo album, what to wear. Emily Haines has had an amazing year. Metric's release of Live It Out introduced the band to new people. It even got them a spot opening for The Rolling Stones in NYC. Her solo album is beautiful and is sure to be heard in every lonely teenaged indie girl's bedroom for years to come. (Chris Strachan)
Strip away all of Metric's bells and whistles and you realize that Emily's making the poet in her father pretty proud (From Blown Speakers)
Losing steam fast, but 2006 was a big, big year regardless (Torontoist)
Emily Haines is one beautiful fucked-up genius! (Rock Snob)
Download "Doctor Blind"
11. Born Ruffians
Amazing double signing to Warp and XL. (Indie Music Filter)
Being a teenager is so much fucking fun. (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
My girlfriend is in love with lead singer Luke Lalonde, yet I still can't help but wish nothing but the best for Born Ruffians. Their recent signing to Warp and XL should secure their spot as Canada's Next Big Thing, and rightfully so. (Calum, Mocking Music)
Back in March, I predicted Born Ruffians would be the buzziest band in North America by the end of the year. One Warp/XL single later, and that suddenly doesn't seem so absurd. (iheartmusic)
One of the tightest and best indie rock bands I’ve seen all year. The Born Ruffians recently got signed to Warp Records without much of anything to show for themselves, except a few demos and an amazing live show. Since then they’ve released a brilliant EP and have become the band to watch for 2007. By this time next year, they’ll be signing women’s breasts on a regular basis and will sit comfortably in Pitchfork’s "Best New Music". (Jon, Mocking Music)
Download "Mr. Agnostic"
10. Shout Out Out Out Out
Great album, even better live shows. SOOOO is taking over the country one dance party at a time. (Bootlog)
Last year it was Edmonton’s Whitey Houston that produced my favourite song of 2005 -- "Liarbird". Now the drum and bass duo have been absorbed into the best multi talented and multi instrumental dance band from the prairies. (Lisa Christiansen)
Huge act out west, can even make Torontonians dance. (Indie Music Filter)
Have you heart Not Saying/Just Saying" by Edmonton's Shout Out Out Out Out? If you haven't here's the jist: two drummers, four bass players/synthesizerers. These guys made Edmonton cool, an uneasy feat for sure. (A Soundtrack for Everyone)
9. Islands
By far the most entertaining live band I've seen all year! (Rock Snob)
Managing to get past all the Unicorns references, Islands put out a fantastic album, survived imploding after J'aime Tambeur unexpectedly left the group, and have toured extensively (and to great acclaim) in 2006. (Bootlog)
Islands not only match the output of the Unicorns but, for me, they surpass it, bringing in all sorts of new elements to their mix, discarding or trimming others and refining their sound with the spiritual guidance of Paul Simon's Graceland LP. (Regulate The Voice)
Many lamented the death of The Unicorns. But, you know what? That’s what unicorns do, they die tragic deaths. It’s their thing. Out of that tragic death came Islands. Yeah I guess it doesn’t make much sense as a metaphor—I mean unicorns to islands?!? Still, it’s all I’ve got. So now these unicorns that have transformed into islands came out with a really great album called Return to the Sea. Why would islands need to return to the sea? Honestly, I don’t really know. Anyways, all I really wanted to say is that Islands are at least the ninth best Canadian band of the year. You can just ignore all that other stuff. (Jon, Mocking Music) (Ed. note: Jon had Islands ninth on his list, so the fact the band ended up ninth overall was just a weird coincidence.)
While the real hype was swirling at the tail end of 2005, Return to the Sea was released in early 2006, and the band has been touring at a fevered pace ever since. There's no denying Nick Diamonds' dedication (even after losing Jamie Thompson), and Islands have turned into a really tight orchestra of sorts. Really great new songs are starting to emerge, and people are even starting to -- gasp -- not mention the Unicorns anymore. They'll be recording the follow-up to Return to the Sea in December. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
Download "Humans"
9. Wolf Parade
As long as Wolf Parade are drunkenly teetering on the brink and playing shows, they'll make my list. Still the rawest most desperate band out there. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
Even if you just took into account all the amazing stuff being produced by Wolf Parade members outside of the band itself -- Handsome Furs, Johnny and the Moon, opening up a studio in Montreal, everything Spencer Krug is involved in -- you'd have a pretty reasonable argument for them being the most talented group in Canada. Factor the Polaris nomination and the cross-Canada tour, and that argument becomes pretty difficult to refute. (iheartmusic)
Download "Shine A Light"
7. Tokyo Police Club
Do I really have to justify this one? I didn't think so. (Chris Strachan)
I love the way Tokyo Police Club can cram seven minutes of song into about one and a half. Their debut EP A Lesson in Crime was released on Paper Bag, and they've signed to UK label Memphis Industries, who are about to release a 7" of "Nature of the Experiment," release the EP and put out another 7" of "Cheer it On" in February. Pitchfork loves these guys, bloggers love these guys, and the live shows are amazing. I only see things on the up and up for this band. (A Soundtrack for Everyone)
Even if A Lesson in Crime is ridiculously short, it's still better than nearly everything else out there. (iheartmusic)
Filled to the brim with exuberance and promise, TPC could very well be one of the biggest acts in Canada in the not-so-distant future. They have a teeny-tiny EP under their belt and a live show of great renown. Hopefully, they capitalize on the success they have had to date. (Bootlog)
Using vocals as instruments kind of makes me wet. (dial613)
Download "Citizens of Tomorrow"
6. Broken Social Scene
BSS have toured non-stop for the entire year to support what was arguably the best album of 2005. They were everywhere this year, bringing their love-in to every major stage and festival in North American and Europe. (Bootlog)
In a big game of backlash dodgeball, I'm not too sure how Broken Social Scene avoided getting hit in the nuts a bunch of times. For stepping up to the challenge of following up an "unfollowupable" album, for putting on a whole bunch of shows that highlighted most people's summer festival experiences, if not entire years, and for fogging up innumerable pairs of hipsters' glasses, they should be proclaimed the hottest band in Canada. (dial613)
The touring machine that they are, I think the general consensus is that we're all sick of 'em now but at the core, still love 'em to death. Go away, but come back and our love for you will be ten times stronger. And thanks for stepping up to the plate to close the Toronto Virgin Festival (in the wake of Massive Attack being forced to cancel). (For The Records)
They toured like crazy this year, and by all accounts are coming apart as a result. And I like this: this playing something till it breaks. (Eventually it's all going to break.) (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
We have you surrounded. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. Plus they put Geddy Lee in their video, that’s pretty cool. (Pregnant Without Intercourse)
They represent everything I love about Canadian music and a lot of what I love about Canada. (A Reminder)
Download "Swimmers"
5. Cadence Weapon
The Edmonton rapper, producer, critic and blogger's Breaking Kayfabe turned heads in 2005, but 2006 was when everyone else found out that Canada at last has a forceful black hip-hop artist who doesn't seem like an echo of any American blueprint - whether gangsta or "positive," underground or mainstream - but an inimitable northern hybrid. He won't yield or slow down for anybody, whether it's the music industry or the hip-hop-cred police, and he's just getting started. (Zoilus)
Equally amazing live as recorded, not an easy feat. His songs hypnotize you with their minimalist approach to hip-hop, but there’s nothing minimal on stage. I can’t think of many artists that have this kind of ease with a crowd. He owns the audience when he plays. And he’s only 20. (Lisa Christiansen)
I think Michael Barkley put it best when he said that this kid has better albums in him than this year's Breaking Kayfabe. If he does (and who’d be dumb enough to bet against him?), I’m very VERY much looking forward to hearing them. (Pregnant Without Intercourse)
He singlehandedly proved that not only can hip hop come from the prairies, but it can also produce the most promising MC this country has seen in a while. Cadence has a biting wit, a gift for storytelling and egghead allusions, and a hard-edged delivery that matches his grinding beats. Live, he's prickly and hilarious all at once. And, it must be noted, he only recently exited his teen years. Cadence Weapon's debut album, Breaking Kafaybe, dropped in 2005, but it's taken a year for the critical hype to bloom, the Polaris Prize nomination to come rolling in, and the general listening public to become converts at his live shows. He's only going up from here. (Caitlin Crockard)
Rollie didn't put out anything new in 2006, but he had no trouble riding the strength of his debut through a year's worth of live shows. It seems like he's just getting started, too. I saw him three times this year, and he's been better and better each time. And those new songs he's doing live are some serious next level shit. (From Blown Speakers)
I ran into Cadence Weapon (aka Rollie Pemberton) seemingly around every other corner during 2006. He opened almost every shit-hot show in the Toronto area, sharing the stage with Lady Sovereign, Hot Chip, Raekwon the Chef and Islands (among others) and his amazing record was constantly in the headphones and speakers of everyone I knew. Seeing him play every few weeks was a revelation: each show would feature a better version of Rollie, with more stage presence and ability to move the crowd ... in short, in 2006, I witnessed the growth of a once promising aritst into a veritable force. (Regulate The Voice)
Huge year for this Edmonton innovator. His debut, Breaking Kayfabe, dropped in the U.S. and started getting domestic attention (including being nominated for the Polaris prize), he toured extensively, and maybe more than any other Canadian artists, made his personality blast onto the Canadian landscape in a refreshingly burst of sound that shouldn't just be marked down under hip hop. He's big now, but what I really want to see is the album he'll release 4 years from now. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
Download "Black Hand"
4. Malajube
The sheer force of Malajube's rawk is getting them noticed outside of Quebec. Their hook-filled powerpop will continue to win them an even wider fan base as their second album is set for release States-side at the end of October. (Bootlog)
For a French Canadian band to break the language barrier and connect to the rest of the country there needs to be something special. I remember seeing Malajube’s video for "Le Metronome" playing on Musique Plus last year. It took another year and a nomination for the Polaris Prize before they would catch on in English Canada and the U.S. Thankfully, they did catch on. Malajube represents everything that is good with indie rock today and none of the bad. The band’s latest album, Trompe-l’oeil, is one of the most fun collections of songs you’ll hear all year. (Jon, Mocking Music)
Their surrealist-rock approach is nothing especially new, but the confident joy with which it's played made Malajube that very rare case of a francophone band that anglos outside Quebec have taken to heart, and that demands celebration. (Zoilus)
Every anglophone's token French band after their Polaris performance. (Pop (All Love))
Trompe-L’Oeil is one of my favourite releases of the year. Each listen gets better and better. It’s the most amazing combination of carnivalesque pop rock that moves from infectious hook to infectious hook. It’s like a sound I didn’t know even existed and now can’t live without. And every lyric is sung entirely in French. (Lisa Christiansen)
I don't know what the fuck they're saying but it sure sounds good! (Rock Snob)
When I saw the Polaris short list, I thought it was a token nod to Quebec's Francophone music scene. When I heard Trompe L'Oeil, it quickly became apparent that it's the best Canadian indie rock album of 2006, hands down. (Adrien Begrand)
Tromp l’oeil ce n’est pas juste une des meilleurs disques francophones fait cette année, c’est une des meilleures disques, point finale. Ne me croyez pas ? Ecoutez la pub récent – et naisant, mas pas à cause de la musique -- de Roger’s sans fil. C’est pas mal de tout comme pop! (pwi)
No idea what they're saying but sounds great regardless. (Chromewaves)
Thank you, Malajube, for putting the 'jub' in 'jubilant', and the 'French' back into 'CanaFRda's muENsic sCHcene.' And for inspiring me to ditch spell-check! (dial613)
Download "Montréal -40°C"
3. Sunset Rubdown
Capable of bridging the languid soundscape with the intense rock out, Sunset Rubdown have put out one of the best albums of the year. (Regulate The Voice)
A thorough disappointment - after their ramshackle debut and an EP with spots of utter brilliance, the first 'full band' album of Sunset Rubdown is terribly inconsistent, very Sufjan-like in its reliance on mere aesthetic. And yet, and yet, and yet - the best songs bloom glorious, acheing and sharp and realer than a knifecut, sunrise, tonguekiss. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
Is there anyone in Canadian music as prolific as Spencer Krug right now? Spencer not only toured extensively with Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown this year, but he also played a ton of shows with Frog Eyes, and recorded with Dan Bejar and Carey Mercer as Swan Lake. Oh, and released two Sunset Rubdown recordings: an EP, and the outstanding Shut Up I Am Dreaming -- which in my opinion is the best Canadian album to come out this year, and make second only to Joanna Newsom's Ys for the best anywhere. Anyone who saw him perform with Sunset Rubdown in 2006 knows this is no side project. (The Mass Is Secret Obsessed...)
Every song has a reason. This is never more true than with Sunset Rubdown. The purpose of each song comes at some point or another, a point at which you feel quite obviously and undeniably, "Oh, that's why this song was written." (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
Releasing both an EP and full-length album this year, Sunset Rubdown is far from "merely" a Wolf Parade side project. Krug and company deliver epic tales which balance Krug's trademark manic vocals with lushly orchestrated melodies. (Bootlog)
Like Final Fantasy, Spencer Krug’s Sunset Rubdown started as a little side-project with modest expectations. Also like Final Fantasy, it quickly became so much more than that. Krug quickly released a very good LP, Snakes Got a Leg, and quickly followed it with an equally strong self-titled EP. Both were solo projects with only modest production value. Then Krug surpassed everyone’s expectations and released the amazing Shut up I Am Dreaming. This time he had the full backing of a band and all the depth that that entailed. Now, it’s no longer blasphemous to say that Sunset Rubdown is better than Wolf Parade. That alone means Krug deserves a high spot on this list. (Jon, Mocking Music)
Download "Stadiums and Shrines II
2. Destroyer
I'm a latecomer to this party but I finally get it. (Chromewaves)
Destroyer released a dense, sprawling, and utterly wonderful album. Certainly one of the year's best. (Bootlog) Best Canadian record of the year, hands down. Try and beat it. you still have time (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
Dan Bejar is the musical equivalent of a trapeze artist. His music travels from one extreme to another almost without effort. It’s as though gravity is guiding his lush lyrics from one end of the human condition to the other. Indie music’s most talented lyricist hasn’t lost his edge with one of the year’s best albums, Destroyer’s Rubies. One of Canada’s most unique voices came out in full force with one of his best albums. By Destroyer standards, that makes Rubies a bloody masterpiece! (Jon, Mocking Music)
Other than his work with The New Pornographers, I was a newbie to Mr. Bejar's solo work until I heard Destroyer's most recent album Destroyer's Rubies. But yes, it was a fantastic pop record.(For The Records)
Vancouver's Daniel Bejar may get less than his due in end-of-year polls because he made most of his impact very early in 2006. But after nearly a decade as Canada's most distinctive and commanding songwriter, the part-time New Pornographer finally got some of the attention he deserves this year with his latest album Destroyer's Rubies. Touring with his own band for the first time ever, including high-profile appearances at summer festivals in Europe and the U.S., Bejar also showed off the strides he's made as a live performer, long his weakest point. And all without dumbing down his brilliantly allusive and jovially barbed literary style by one iota. Bejar is also a third of the triumvirate behind November's much-anticipated disc by Swan Lake, with his compadres in outsider rock, Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes and Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown, whose Shut Up I Am Dreaming was an unhinged masterstroke in its own right. (Zoilus)
It wasn't as though Dan Bejar did anything all that exceptional for Dan Bejar with Rubies, but an average Destroyer record is still leagues ahead of what most musicians are putting out. (From Blown Speakers)
Dan Bejar is one of if not the best lyricist working today. His words spill out like poetry and, finally on his Rubies record, he has the band to match the lyrics. (Regulate The Voice)
Download "European Oils"
1. Final Fantasy
What can be said that hasn't already. "He Poo's Clouds" is a brilliant album.(Chris Strachan)
Final Fantasy, a.k.a. Owen Pallett, had a very good year. In May he released the awesomely titled He Poos Clouds, and in September the album won him the inaugural Polaris Music Prize. Final Fantasy is like one of those happy accidents that don’t make any sense in theory but make your world all the better regardless. Some guy playing pop music with a violin and a couple of looping pedals?!? That isn’t supposed to be anything more than a cute gimmick! Thankfully, Owen makes it work. He Poos Clouds is easily one of the best albums of the year. It has deserved every bit of attention it has gotten. (Jon, Mocking Music)
Owen Pallett's clinching of the first-ever Polaris Prize this fall was just a dusting of sugar atop the year that saw him release He Poos Clouds, an album using metaphors drawn from Dungeons & Dragons and video games to evoke truly courageous emotional themes of sexuality, mortality and the family romance, all folded into string-quartet arrangements closer to Sondheim or Bartok than to any of the collegiate cliches of indie folk-pop (insert mutterings about Sufjan Stevens here). Forget novelty value - what Pallett's making are works of art as sophisticated as what any novelist or visual artist in the country has achieved. And yet, as the Polaris and his live shows prove, he does it all with a disarming charm and subversively potent nerdy self-assurance. (Zoilus)
Melodies so complicated, bridges so obscure you can't see across them, let Final Fantasy carry you by the hand into his world. Where foggy blue forests can be navigated only by his sure foot, his confident, flashing glance. (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
For being able to reach the success he has with such a dorky name, and also for not being sued for copyright infringement in the process (knock on wood?). (dial613)
Pallett's absolutely brilliant, and as a deserving winner of the Polaris prize, he commands everyone's attention now. (Torontoist)
The key moment in my appreciation of Owen Pallett's Final Fantasy happened at a show in January. Pallett was headlining the Over The Top Festival launch party and he was to follow Akron/Family who had played way over their allotted time and they whipped the crowd into a frenzy of singing and dancing. Accompanied by a string quartet, he proceeded to calm, charm and then amaze the crowd through the alchemy of his live performance. His Polaris-winning album He Poos Clouds wasn't too shabby either. (Regulate The Voice)
Might actually be more impetuous than k-os. Not really a big fan of the music, but I encourage his success because it will inevitably be interesting. (Pop (All Love))
Only in Canada could a gay, violin-playing, loop-spinning elf become the darling of critics for an album that has a sixth-grader’s word for crap in the title. Is he the best, most critical or most important artist in Canada right now? Probably not. Would his record have been my pick for the Polaris? Nope. Is he the hottest artist in Canada right now? It’s hard to argue that he’s not. (Pregnant Without Intercourse)
100 Canadian music critics can't be wrong! Still warming to the record but breathtaking live. (Chromewaves)
Owen Pallett probably doesn't need any more praise given his success this year with being awarded the Polaris prize for He Poos Clouds. He certainly tends to splits opinion, but there's no denying that's he's doing something that no one else in the country comes close to. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
The Polaris Prize alone would qualify Owen Pallett as "hot." To my mind, there wasn't anyone more deserving of an inaugural award that aims to reward and reclaim "the album" as a work of art. He Poos Clouds is an arty work, for sure, but one that contains little melodic delights, a sense of humour, and an originality that burned these songs on the consciousness of many a rock critic this year. Pallett's attitude toward this is pretty hot too--he spent his prize money on his collectively-run record label and his boyfriend's student loans. (Caitlin Crockard)
Owen Pallett's sophomore album is operatic in scope and sound. Added bonus, it has the word "Poo" in the title. Combined with his utterly mesmerizing live show that adds up to Hottest in Canada in my books. (Bootlog)
Download "This Lamb Sells Condos"
This is just a hunch, but I see these guys as having "it band" written all over em. You can see! Just look closely, "it"'s behind the bass player’s ear. Plus their album (Close to Paradise on Secret City Records) is totally marvelous. (Pregnant Without Intercourse)
New crooner, new corner, great album. listen. (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
Though not necessarily easily associated with the indie scene in Canada (though that's changing), this four-piece along, with its namesake frontman, had a bigger end of 2006 than most probably realize at this point. Their debut, Close to Paradise, has done hugely well in a short period of time, and more importantly the dozen or so shows the band has played at the tail end of the year (to say nothing of their tour with James Brown over the summer) have been nothing less than legendary (for those lucky enough to know about them). They were the toast of both Pop Montreal and the Iceland Airwaves festival (at times bringing up members of Bell Orchestre, Islands, the Besnard Lakes and even Gary Lucas to play with the band) and seem to be on that exciting brink of going from being a good act to a really amazing one. There's no better live band in Canada right now, and Watson himself very well could be Canada's Jeff Buckley, as people seem to suggest. (Andrew, The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed with the Nipple Dream)
Download "Giver"
32. Sloan
Still great after all these years. (Rock Snob)
Unavoidable. And still kicking. (Torontoist)
I kind of lost interest in Sloan sometime around Navy Blues, for good I thought, but I’ve found many charms in the hyperactive, jam-packed Never Hear the End of It. Yes, much of the stuff is still unabashedly retro (one song sounds exactly like T. Rex, but then I’ve been hearing T. Rex in a lot of things lately), but there’s a suppleness of tune and arrangement that I really like, and refreshingly few arena-rock power chords. And I’m always a sucker for overstocked, stylistically variant White Album-style collections. (Bury Me Not)
31. Laura Barrett
Bringing classical-piano chops to the unusual primary instrument of kalimba (African thumb-piano), this diminutive young Toronto singer won over audiences at every turn in 2006, with her self-released EP going into edition after edition and her song Deception Island Optimists' Club nominated for the Socan Echo Songwriting Prize. Also a member of the boisterous Henri Faberge & the Adorables, Barrett combines all the craft of a conventional pop songwriter with an insatiable curiosity and imagination that transports her music into its own dimensions, reminiscent of maverick ladies from Kate Bush to Joanna Newsom, but also fellow Toronto voices such as Eric Chenaux, Sandro Perri (Polmo Polpo) and Alex Lukashevsky (Deep Dark United). Barely heard at the start of the year, she's now on tour with the Hidden Cameras, which is just phase one of what Toronto observers are starting to call simply "Laura Barrett takes over the world." (Zoilus)
Laura Barrett plays with some pretty hot bands, including the Hidden Cameras and Henri Faberge & The Adorables. Solo, she eschews pop structures for the dreamy quality of her kalimba (African thumb piano) and voice. Her degree in linguistics, interest in electronics, and just plain penchant for unconventional melodies all come into play on her debut EP, The Earth Sciences, but really it's the odd loveliness of the result that matters. Oh, and the future-Christmas-themed "Robot Ponies" was apparently a hit on Myspace. (Chart)
Laura is the best thing to come out of the whole "Torontopia" scene.
Her music is sweet, powerful and carries a welcome sense of humour and she's probably the inventor of the kalimba-nerd-chic aesthetic. (Regulate The Voice)
30. Henri Fabergé and the Adorables
The definition of a live band. I have had people come up to me who aren't into the type of tight sweet pop tunes The Adorables play and tell me they still want to come see this band. Maybe it's because most photos of a typical now infamous Embassy bar show include masses of people having the bestest, sweatiest times ever and the bass player hanging almost upside down, being carried across the crowd. It's the type of thing a band could live off. However over the past few months, The Adorables released a wonderful album of everyone's favorite songs, received some well-deserved critical attention, played Pop Montreal, toured across Canada with some other Toronto success stories like The Bicycles and Born Ruffians, tore up MTV Live, and, of course, one sunny September afternoon, got all their good pals together at the Palais Royale to have the most epic CD release marathon Toronto has ever seen. (Sucking a Lemon)
On record, the Adorables may be the best band in Canada. Live...they may just be the best band in the universe. (iheartmusic)
Download "The Goddamn Light"
29. Spiral Beach
So young. But so, so, so good. And if the massive, industry-type-filled crowd at their Pop Montreal showcase is any indication, they're only just getting started. (iheartmusic)
Download "Voodoo"
28. Think About Life
I have seen this band more times than I can count because it's always the best dance party around. (Sucking A Lemon)
For sure, they are on the map now, blowing up a dancefloor near you. (Chris Strachan)
If you've heard or seen Think About Life but don't get what the fuss is about, I promise you will by the time 2007 rolls around. Graham Van Pelt (also Miracle Fortress) and Martin Cesar (also Dishwasher) are two of the most original musical minds in the country right now, embodying a really youthful and vibrant spirit that's been underestimated and mistaken for something silly at times. As Think About Life they know how to bring a serious party, but wait for their sophomore effort, or solo debuts, and you'll see what I'm talking about. They're just getting going, and it should be a pretty fascinating ride. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed With The Nipple Dream)
Download "Paul Cries"
27. The Lovely Feathers
Hind Hind Legs" may be the most fun indie pop album of the year. The Lovely Feathers came out of nowhere (some place called "Montreal" actually), and blew away audiences with their energetic live shows. If you can listen to “In the Valley” and not dance, even just a little, it’s probably a sign you were born without a soul. (Jonathan, Mocking Music)
Download "The Only Appalachian Cornfield"
26. The Arcade Fire
I think there are literally thousands of hipsters who can’t wait to hear this band’s new record so they can come up with new ways to shit on it. Dying. I can almost see the Pitchfork headline already. What is it about people who like music, do we have this burning desire to be disappointed or something? (Pregnant Without Intercourse)
I don't think this band released anything in 2006. But among my most joyous musical moments of the entire year was in the pub at All Tomorrows Parties in Camber Sands, England, some 3:30 in the morning, when amid all our sweat-and-starry dancing the DJ threw on "Rebellion" and I felt all my memories shake, just shake, splendid through my body. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
Not quite faded from anyone's memory yet. Everyone's excitedly waiting. (Torontoist)
What did they do in 2006? Ok, so nothing too publicly apparent right now. But they're almost finished recording the follow-up to Funeral. So by the time that comes out around April, it should be apparent how big they were in 2006. And activity or no, I still think they're the best band in Canada, so they had to be included here. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
25. k-os
Because his basic stance is: If you don't like me, there's something fundamentally wrong with you. Awesome. (Pop (All Love))
While many people’s views about K-OS may vary because of his often opinionated comments, there is much more consensus surrounding the quality of his music. Atlantis: Hymns for Disco proves that there is a very good reason for this. The introspective mood is tempered by K-OS willfully pushing boundaries that, despite the sonic breadth, remain rooted in a hip-hop aesthetic. (Vibes and Stuff)
24. The Golden Dogs
The Golden Dogs uncross arms and remove hands from pockets in mere seconds, and their destructive live show is a marvel of nature: it's the only place I know of where you can see a man completely sweat through a suit jacket on a nightly basis. (dial613)
Download "1985"
23. MSTRKRFT
In the space of a year, I've seen MSTRKRFT transform from playing small venues in Toronto full of curious indie kids to absolutely rocking 1500 dedicated clubbers in Melbourne, Australia, who by the end of the night at nearly 5 AM, clamoured on stage to dance, sing and shout along with Al-P and Jesse F. Keeler. They have been the definition of hot this year. (Regulate The Voice)
Strong debut for Jesse Keeler. I'm sure there are fans out there that have never heard of Death from Above. They might even think its the motto of some helicopter in Apocalypse Now. (Indie Music Filter)
Killer remixes followed by a killer album. While they may match the relentlessness of DFA1979, it does have a boatload of sexy beats. (Bootlog)
Download "She's Good For Business"
22. Nelly Furtado
Breaking out of the tiresome shell of a tastefully exotic songbird, Nelly swooped into pop stardom on the wings of some top producers in 2006 as perhaps this country's boldest contribution to mainstream R&B ever. Yeah, it was manipulative. Yeah, it wasn't all top-shelf. But it was unCanadianly sassy and sexy and rude and a hell of a lot of fun. If she can drop some of her earlier musicianship back into the mix while keeping the thump and bump, she'll really be on to something. (Zoilus)
I can take or leave a most of what I've heard from the album, but I don’t think there’s any single this year that I enjoyed more than "Promiscuous". (Bury Me Not)
Before Loose invaded the airwaves on both sides of the border, when was the last time one of our Top 40 exports hasn't been at least a bit embarrassing? (I bet Aaron Wherry knows the answer.) If "Promiscuous" and "Maneater" don't make you want to dance you're either devoid of rhythm or a snobby bore, maybe both. (From Blown Speakers)
With all the kerfuffle over her new image, Furtado’s music, despite its unqualified success this year, seems to have been overshadowed by the obsessing over her new togs. A focus in the music reveals the partnership with Timbaland seems to have given her the edge to release the inner b-girl that we knew was always there. (Vibes and Stuff)
Congratulations, you're no longer a one-hit wonder. You're a two-hit wonder. Who was out-sung by your producer on the latter. (Pop (All Love))
21. Ladyhawk
If it were possible to cram everything I love about Vancouver onto a single 38-minute CD, it would sound something like Ladyhawk's self-titled debut. (From Blown Speakers)
They released one of the best rock records of the year with their self-titled debut. (For The Records)
The return of the honest, hard working and purely enjoyable bar (in the best sense of the word) band. "The Dugout" is probably the best Canadian rock song of the year. (Regulate The Voice)
Download "The Dugout"
20. Frog Eyes
The latest Frog Eyes EP is probably one of the most underrated releases of the year. Toning down the jangliness of their usual sound, Carey Mercer and crew instead delve into calmer pastures and quite successfully too. Their live show continues to be one of the best in the country too. (Regulate The Voice)
Maybe the most overlooked Canadian act out there. Frog Eyes put on two of the best performances I've seen this year, and with the huge year Spencer Krug has had, Carey Mercer looms as a kind of godfather or harbinger of this surge of Canadian talent. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
My #1 last year, Frog Eyes takes a bottom seat this year because they released a rather un...offensive EP. but I'm saying right now, that whatever year their new album comes out in (I'm thinking 2010, at this point) they will be #1 for that year. Get ready. Eat now, get strong. (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
Download "The Oscillator's Hum"
19. The Dears
I was skeptical of their new music, not because I didn’t trust this Montreal band. No, it was just that I still listen to No Cities Left all the time. But Gang Of Losers won me over. No less tragically romantic, but without the orchestrated lushness - more lo-fi. A nice choice. (Lisa Christiansen)
Captivating and intriguing musical landscapes.Memorizing lyrics and possibly one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Gang of Losers not only lived up to all expectations, but in true Dears style the band continues to challenge themselves with there approach to songwriting and reveals hidden emotion not yet tapped by frontman Murray Lightburn. (Chris Strachan)
It's the year of The Dears. I caught them live on Canada Day at Harbourfront, at the Toronto Virgin Festival at Olympic Island, and at an intimate gig at The Mod Club as part of Edge 102.1 FM's Next Big Thing Concert Series. And they released a confident rock record with their new album Gang Of Losers. (For The Records)
18. Junior Boys
They released their new album So This Is Goodbye, a scintillating follow-up to their 2004 debut Last Exit. The new album is the most "human" electronic record I've heard all year, and it's one of my favourites of the year as well. (For The Records)
A potent combination of sexy and smart. Their latest release "In the Morning" makes you love electronic music and seduces you into believing you could do it, just because you want to be like these guys.(Lisa Christiansen)
Having given us some of the most soulful Canadian music to come out in years, before long the Junior Boys' "indie darling" tag could very well be replaced by the much more deserving title, "national treasure". (Adrien Begrand)
Two years ago, when Hamilton, Ont.'s Junior Boys released Last Exit, it seemed like the kind of perfect moment that could never be recaptured - a tuneful pop sense meeting an up-to-the-minute awareness of innovative electronic techniques. Stunning, but probably a one-off. Well, right and wrong: This year's So This Is Goodbye wasn't a retread of the formula, but a maturing project (under singer-songwriter Jeremy Greenspan) unafraid to take up unhip notes of nostalgia to stay true to its muse. And unlike Last Exit's mid-Atlantic feel, this one seemed distinctly Canadian. As deliciously sad and sweet as it is in itself, it was even more exciting in its promise of great music for a long time to come. (Zoilus)
Download "When No One Cares"
17. The Diableros
Sugar-laced soul coated in delicious white noise. (Chromewaves)
Last year somewhere around this time, there was buzz around Toronto's former Jesus and Mary Chain cover band The Diableros, who had self-released their debut album You Can't Break The Strings On Our Olympic Hearts. Then in 2006, they played a pile of high-profile gigs, put out an amazing video for "Sugar-Laced Soul," signed to UK label Wi45 and put out a 7" of "Working out Words." And did I mention they are awesome? Yeah, Muchmusic is next, for sure. (A Soundtrack for Everyone)
Download "Sugar-Laced Soul"
16. Swan Lake
Canada's penchant for indie rock "supergroups" continues. Expectations are high and their record mostly delivers. (Regulate The Voice)
Genius plus genius plus genius does not always equal exponential genius, but it'll get damn close. Like the best live show of the year (in the entire universe) caught on tape. (Dan, Said The Gramophobe)
Maybe a little premature, but anytime you get Carey Mercer, Dan Bejar and Spencer Krug together in a studio, you know you've got something special on your hands. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
The most anticipated Canadian 'super-group' record of the year is more than the sum of its parts (so is Frankenstein's monster, a pocket-watch, or beast moans captured in a mason jar). Dan Bejar and Carey Mercer's music is reined in, songs made into something coherently pop; the screws on Spencer Krug's songwriting, meanwhile, are loosened - and all sorts of windy ghosts get in. It's a record of stray sounds and automaton laughs, beautiful and weird and wintry-warm. And it's the best LP that Krug (who's become one of the country's best lyricists) has ever made. And not yet released! (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
Download "The Freedom"
15. Land of Talk
Applause Cheer Boo Hiss is one of the best things I've heard by anyone from anywhere in any year. (Chromewaves)
They are the band that I heard for the first time this year that I'm most excited about. I actually find it hard to explain why, but see them live and you'll get what all the fuss is about. (From Blown Speakers)
Download "Breaxxbaxx"
14. The Hidden Cameras
Blindfolds, gogo-dancers, ridiculously infectious songs. (Sucking A Lemon)
A rotating cast of characters, sure, but a prolific, talented, and instantly loveable band that is starting to mellow and branch out. (Torontoist)
Like The Dears above, The Cameras stayed in the spotlight (at least in the Toronto area) with appearances at both Harbourfront and the Toronto Virgin Festival. Their new album "Awoo" is a grower. (For The Records)
Shame on Pitchfork for slamming one of the most delightful albums of recent memory. The Hidden Cameras' live show is a real treat, too. (Calum, Mocking Music)
Download "Learning The Lie"
13. Jon-Rae and The River
Phenomenal live band with a new home at Baudelaire. (Indie Music Filter)
From a raw, raucous, whiskey-addled country-folk shambles to an ecstatic, psychedelic-gospel 2006 answer to The Band - how did Jon-Rae Fletcher and his merry band of brigands get there? The old-school way: Driving and drinking their way from venue to shitty venue across the country and refusing to think any show good enough unless it left them giddy, sweaty, exhausted wrecks. The nation's unlikeliest testimony to the power of the work ethic. And extra points for going after the big subjects - faith, fucking, love and death - without the self-protective coyness that makes most indie musicians seem scared of both their bodies and their feelings. (Zoilus)
Half country rock, Half blue-eyed Memphis soul; Knows What You Need did not give many other records this year a fighting chance. You know that feeling of listening and caring about a band for a good while and then the new record comes out and you wish it had all these little things that would just make it so much more extra special? It's all there. If Now Magazine's annual Best Of issue had a music category for best boot stompin' soul band, then maybe this River would have gotten a mention. (Sucking A Lemon)
Download "Just One More"
12. Metric / Emily Haines
The indie girl that seams to make all the right choices. Who to play with, when to release a solo album, what to wear. Emily Haines has had an amazing year. Metric's release of Live It Out introduced the band to new people. It even got them a spot opening for The Rolling Stones in NYC. Her solo album is beautiful and is sure to be heard in every lonely teenaged indie girl's bedroom for years to come. (Chris Strachan)
Strip away all of Metric's bells and whistles and you realize that Emily's making the poet in her father pretty proud (From Blown Speakers)
Losing steam fast, but 2006 was a big, big year regardless (Torontoist)
Emily Haines is one beautiful fucked-up genius! (Rock Snob)
Download "Doctor Blind"
11. Born Ruffians
Amazing double signing to Warp and XL. (Indie Music Filter)
Being a teenager is so much fucking fun. (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
My girlfriend is in love with lead singer Luke Lalonde, yet I still can't help but wish nothing but the best for Born Ruffians. Their recent signing to Warp and XL should secure their spot as Canada's Next Big Thing, and rightfully so. (Calum, Mocking Music)
Back in March, I predicted Born Ruffians would be the buzziest band in North America by the end of the year. One Warp/XL single later, and that suddenly doesn't seem so absurd. (iheartmusic)
One of the tightest and best indie rock bands I’ve seen all year. The Born Ruffians recently got signed to Warp Records without much of anything to show for themselves, except a few demos and an amazing live show. Since then they’ve released a brilliant EP and have become the band to watch for 2007. By this time next year, they’ll be signing women’s breasts on a regular basis and will sit comfortably in Pitchfork’s "Best New Music". (Jon, Mocking Music)
Download "Mr. Agnostic"
10. Shout Out Out Out Out
Great album, even better live shows. SOOOO is taking over the country one dance party at a time. (Bootlog)
Last year it was Edmonton’s Whitey Houston that produced my favourite song of 2005 -- "Liarbird". Now the drum and bass duo have been absorbed into the best multi talented and multi instrumental dance band from the prairies. (Lisa Christiansen)
Huge act out west, can even make Torontonians dance. (Indie Music Filter)
Have you heart Not Saying/Just Saying" by Edmonton's Shout Out Out Out Out? If you haven't here's the jist: two drummers, four bass players/synthesizerers. These guys made Edmonton cool, an uneasy feat for sure. (A Soundtrack for Everyone)
9. Islands
By far the most entertaining live band I've seen all year! (Rock Snob)
Managing to get past all the Unicorns references, Islands put out a fantastic album, survived imploding after J'aime Tambeur unexpectedly left the group, and have toured extensively (and to great acclaim) in 2006. (Bootlog)
Islands not only match the output of the Unicorns but, for me, they surpass it, bringing in all sorts of new elements to their mix, discarding or trimming others and refining their sound with the spiritual guidance of Paul Simon's Graceland LP. (Regulate The Voice)
Many lamented the death of The Unicorns. But, you know what? That’s what unicorns do, they die tragic deaths. It’s their thing. Out of that tragic death came Islands. Yeah I guess it doesn’t make much sense as a metaphor—I mean unicorns to islands?!? Still, it’s all I’ve got. So now these unicorns that have transformed into islands came out with a really great album called Return to the Sea. Why would islands need to return to the sea? Honestly, I don’t really know. Anyways, all I really wanted to say is that Islands are at least the ninth best Canadian band of the year. You can just ignore all that other stuff. (Jon, Mocking Music) (Ed. note: Jon had Islands ninth on his list, so the fact the band ended up ninth overall was just a weird coincidence.)
While the real hype was swirling at the tail end of 2005, Return to the Sea was released in early 2006, and the band has been touring at a fevered pace ever since. There's no denying Nick Diamonds' dedication (even after losing Jamie Thompson), and Islands have turned into a really tight orchestra of sorts. Really great new songs are starting to emerge, and people are even starting to -- gasp -- not mention the Unicorns anymore. They'll be recording the follow-up to Return to the Sea in December. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
Download "Humans"
9. Wolf Parade
As long as Wolf Parade are drunkenly teetering on the brink and playing shows, they'll make my list. Still the rawest most desperate band out there. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
Even if you just took into account all the amazing stuff being produced by Wolf Parade members outside of the band itself -- Handsome Furs, Johnny and the Moon, opening up a studio in Montreal, everything Spencer Krug is involved in -- you'd have a pretty reasonable argument for them being the most talented group in Canada. Factor the Polaris nomination and the cross-Canada tour, and that argument becomes pretty difficult to refute. (iheartmusic)
Download "Shine A Light"
7. Tokyo Police Club
Do I really have to justify this one? I didn't think so. (Chris Strachan)
I love the way Tokyo Police Club can cram seven minutes of song into about one and a half. Their debut EP A Lesson in Crime was released on Paper Bag, and they've signed to UK label Memphis Industries, who are about to release a 7" of "Nature of the Experiment," release the EP and put out another 7" of "Cheer it On" in February. Pitchfork loves these guys, bloggers love these guys, and the live shows are amazing. I only see things on the up and up for this band. (A Soundtrack for Everyone)
Even if A Lesson in Crime is ridiculously short, it's still better than nearly everything else out there. (iheartmusic)
Filled to the brim with exuberance and promise, TPC could very well be one of the biggest acts in Canada in the not-so-distant future. They have a teeny-tiny EP under their belt and a live show of great renown. Hopefully, they capitalize on the success they have had to date. (Bootlog)
Using vocals as instruments kind of makes me wet. (dial613)
Download "Citizens of Tomorrow"
6. Broken Social Scene
BSS have toured non-stop for the entire year to support what was arguably the best album of 2005. They were everywhere this year, bringing their love-in to every major stage and festival in North American and Europe. (Bootlog)
In a big game of backlash dodgeball, I'm not too sure how Broken Social Scene avoided getting hit in the nuts a bunch of times. For stepping up to the challenge of following up an "unfollowupable" album, for putting on a whole bunch of shows that highlighted most people's summer festival experiences, if not entire years, and for fogging up innumerable pairs of hipsters' glasses, they should be proclaimed the hottest band in Canada. (dial613)
The touring machine that they are, I think the general consensus is that we're all sick of 'em now but at the core, still love 'em to death. Go away, but come back and our love for you will be ten times stronger. And thanks for stepping up to the plate to close the Toronto Virgin Festival (in the wake of Massive Attack being forced to cancel). (For The Records)
They toured like crazy this year, and by all accounts are coming apart as a result. And I like this: this playing something till it breaks. (Eventually it's all going to break.) (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
We have you surrounded. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated. Plus they put Geddy Lee in their video, that’s pretty cool. (Pregnant Without Intercourse)
They represent everything I love about Canadian music and a lot of what I love about Canada. (A Reminder)
Download "Swimmers"
5. Cadence Weapon
The Edmonton rapper, producer, critic and blogger's Breaking Kayfabe turned heads in 2005, but 2006 was when everyone else found out that Canada at last has a forceful black hip-hop artist who doesn't seem like an echo of any American blueprint - whether gangsta or "positive," underground or mainstream - but an inimitable northern hybrid. He won't yield or slow down for anybody, whether it's the music industry or the hip-hop-cred police, and he's just getting started. (Zoilus)
Equally amazing live as recorded, not an easy feat. His songs hypnotize you with their minimalist approach to hip-hop, but there’s nothing minimal on stage. I can’t think of many artists that have this kind of ease with a crowd. He owns the audience when he plays. And he’s only 20. (Lisa Christiansen)
I think Michael Barkley put it best when he said that this kid has better albums in him than this year's Breaking Kayfabe. If he does (and who’d be dumb enough to bet against him?), I’m very VERY much looking forward to hearing them. (Pregnant Without Intercourse)
He singlehandedly proved that not only can hip hop come from the prairies, but it can also produce the most promising MC this country has seen in a while. Cadence has a biting wit, a gift for storytelling and egghead allusions, and a hard-edged delivery that matches his grinding beats. Live, he's prickly and hilarious all at once. And, it must be noted, he only recently exited his teen years. Cadence Weapon's debut album, Breaking Kafaybe, dropped in 2005, but it's taken a year for the critical hype to bloom, the Polaris Prize nomination to come rolling in, and the general listening public to become converts at his live shows. He's only going up from here. (Caitlin Crockard)
Rollie didn't put out anything new in 2006, but he had no trouble riding the strength of his debut through a year's worth of live shows. It seems like he's just getting started, too. I saw him three times this year, and he's been better and better each time. And those new songs he's doing live are some serious next level shit. (From Blown Speakers)
I ran into Cadence Weapon (aka Rollie Pemberton) seemingly around every other corner during 2006. He opened almost every shit-hot show in the Toronto area, sharing the stage with Lady Sovereign, Hot Chip, Raekwon the Chef and Islands (among others) and his amazing record was constantly in the headphones and speakers of everyone I knew. Seeing him play every few weeks was a revelation: each show would feature a better version of Rollie, with more stage presence and ability to move the crowd ... in short, in 2006, I witnessed the growth of a once promising aritst into a veritable force. (Regulate The Voice)
Huge year for this Edmonton innovator. His debut, Breaking Kayfabe, dropped in the U.S. and started getting domestic attention (including being nominated for the Polaris prize), he toured extensively, and maybe more than any other Canadian artists, made his personality blast onto the Canadian landscape in a refreshingly burst of sound that shouldn't just be marked down under hip hop. He's big now, but what I really want to see is the album he'll release 4 years from now. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
Download "Black Hand"
4. Malajube
The sheer force of Malajube's rawk is getting them noticed outside of Quebec. Their hook-filled powerpop will continue to win them an even wider fan base as their second album is set for release States-side at the end of October. (Bootlog)
For a French Canadian band to break the language barrier and connect to the rest of the country there needs to be something special. I remember seeing Malajube’s video for "Le Metronome" playing on Musique Plus last year. It took another year and a nomination for the Polaris Prize before they would catch on in English Canada and the U.S. Thankfully, they did catch on. Malajube represents everything that is good with indie rock today and none of the bad. The band’s latest album, Trompe-l’oeil, is one of the most fun collections of songs you’ll hear all year. (Jon, Mocking Music)
Their surrealist-rock approach is nothing especially new, but the confident joy with which it's played made Malajube that very rare case of a francophone band that anglos outside Quebec have taken to heart, and that demands celebration. (Zoilus)
Every anglophone's token French band after their Polaris performance. (Pop (All Love))
Trompe-L’Oeil is one of my favourite releases of the year. Each listen gets better and better. It’s the most amazing combination of carnivalesque pop rock that moves from infectious hook to infectious hook. It’s like a sound I didn’t know even existed and now can’t live without. And every lyric is sung entirely in French. (Lisa Christiansen)
I don't know what the fuck they're saying but it sure sounds good! (Rock Snob)
When I saw the Polaris short list, I thought it was a token nod to Quebec's Francophone music scene. When I heard Trompe L'Oeil, it quickly became apparent that it's the best Canadian indie rock album of 2006, hands down. (Adrien Begrand)
Tromp l’oeil ce n’est pas juste une des meilleurs disques francophones fait cette année, c’est une des meilleures disques, point finale. Ne me croyez pas ? Ecoutez la pub récent – et naisant, mas pas à cause de la musique -- de Roger’s sans fil. C’est pas mal de tout comme pop! (pwi)
No idea what they're saying but sounds great regardless. (Chromewaves)
Thank you, Malajube, for putting the 'jub' in 'jubilant', and the 'French' back into 'CanaFRda's muENsic sCHcene.' And for inspiring me to ditch spell-check! (dial613)
Download "Montréal -40°C"
3. Sunset Rubdown
Capable of bridging the languid soundscape with the intense rock out, Sunset Rubdown have put out one of the best albums of the year. (Regulate The Voice)
A thorough disappointment - after their ramshackle debut and an EP with spots of utter brilliance, the first 'full band' album of Sunset Rubdown is terribly inconsistent, very Sufjan-like in its reliance on mere aesthetic. And yet, and yet, and yet - the best songs bloom glorious, acheing and sharp and realer than a knifecut, sunrise, tonguekiss. (Sean, Said The Gramophone)
Is there anyone in Canadian music as prolific as Spencer Krug right now? Spencer not only toured extensively with Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown this year, but he also played a ton of shows with Frog Eyes, and recorded with Dan Bejar and Carey Mercer as Swan Lake. Oh, and released two Sunset Rubdown recordings: an EP, and the outstanding Shut Up I Am Dreaming -- which in my opinion is the best Canadian album to come out this year, and make second only to Joanna Newsom's Ys for the best anywhere. Anyone who saw him perform with Sunset Rubdown in 2006 knows this is no side project. (The Mass Is Secret Obsessed...)
Every song has a reason. This is never more true than with Sunset Rubdown. The purpose of each song comes at some point or another, a point at which you feel quite obviously and undeniably, "Oh, that's why this song was written." (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
Releasing both an EP and full-length album this year, Sunset Rubdown is far from "merely" a Wolf Parade side project. Krug and company deliver epic tales which balance Krug's trademark manic vocals with lushly orchestrated melodies. (Bootlog)
Like Final Fantasy, Spencer Krug’s Sunset Rubdown started as a little side-project with modest expectations. Also like Final Fantasy, it quickly became so much more than that. Krug quickly released a very good LP, Snakes Got a Leg, and quickly followed it with an equally strong self-titled EP. Both were solo projects with only modest production value. Then Krug surpassed everyone’s expectations and released the amazing Shut up I Am Dreaming. This time he had the full backing of a band and all the depth that that entailed. Now, it’s no longer blasphemous to say that Sunset Rubdown is better than Wolf Parade. That alone means Krug deserves a high spot on this list. (Jon, Mocking Music)
Download "Stadiums and Shrines II
2. Destroyer
I'm a latecomer to this party but I finally get it. (Chromewaves)
Destroyer released a dense, sprawling, and utterly wonderful album. Certainly one of the year's best. (Bootlog) Best Canadian record of the year, hands down. Try and beat it. you still have time (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
Dan Bejar is the musical equivalent of a trapeze artist. His music travels from one extreme to another almost without effort. It’s as though gravity is guiding his lush lyrics from one end of the human condition to the other. Indie music’s most talented lyricist hasn’t lost his edge with one of the year’s best albums, Destroyer’s Rubies. One of Canada’s most unique voices came out in full force with one of his best albums. By Destroyer standards, that makes Rubies a bloody masterpiece! (Jon, Mocking Music)
Other than his work with The New Pornographers, I was a newbie to Mr. Bejar's solo work until I heard Destroyer's most recent album Destroyer's Rubies. But yes, it was a fantastic pop record.(For The Records)
Vancouver's Daniel Bejar may get less than his due in end-of-year polls because he made most of his impact very early in 2006. But after nearly a decade as Canada's most distinctive and commanding songwriter, the part-time New Pornographer finally got some of the attention he deserves this year with his latest album Destroyer's Rubies. Touring with his own band for the first time ever, including high-profile appearances at summer festivals in Europe and the U.S., Bejar also showed off the strides he's made as a live performer, long his weakest point. And all without dumbing down his brilliantly allusive and jovially barbed literary style by one iota. Bejar is also a third of the triumvirate behind November's much-anticipated disc by Swan Lake, with his compadres in outsider rock, Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes and Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown, whose Shut Up I Am Dreaming was an unhinged masterstroke in its own right. (Zoilus)
It wasn't as though Dan Bejar did anything all that exceptional for Dan Bejar with Rubies, but an average Destroyer record is still leagues ahead of what most musicians are putting out. (From Blown Speakers)
Dan Bejar is one of if not the best lyricist working today. His words spill out like poetry and, finally on his Rubies record, he has the band to match the lyrics. (Regulate The Voice)
Download "European Oils"
1. Final Fantasy
What can be said that hasn't already. "He Poo's Clouds" is a brilliant album.(Chris Strachan)
Final Fantasy, a.k.a. Owen Pallett, had a very good year. In May he released the awesomely titled He Poos Clouds, and in September the album won him the inaugural Polaris Music Prize. Final Fantasy is like one of those happy accidents that don’t make any sense in theory but make your world all the better regardless. Some guy playing pop music with a violin and a couple of looping pedals?!? That isn’t supposed to be anything more than a cute gimmick! Thankfully, Owen makes it work. He Poos Clouds is easily one of the best albums of the year. It has deserved every bit of attention it has gotten. (Jon, Mocking Music)
Owen Pallett's clinching of the first-ever Polaris Prize this fall was just a dusting of sugar atop the year that saw him release He Poos Clouds, an album using metaphors drawn from Dungeons & Dragons and video games to evoke truly courageous emotional themes of sexuality, mortality and the family romance, all folded into string-quartet arrangements closer to Sondheim or Bartok than to any of the collegiate cliches of indie folk-pop (insert mutterings about Sufjan Stevens here). Forget novelty value - what Pallett's making are works of art as sophisticated as what any novelist or visual artist in the country has achieved. And yet, as the Polaris and his live shows prove, he does it all with a disarming charm and subversively potent nerdy self-assurance. (Zoilus)
Melodies so complicated, bridges so obscure you can't see across them, let Final Fantasy carry you by the hand into his world. Where foggy blue forests can be navigated only by his sure foot, his confident, flashing glance. (Dan, Said The Gramophone)
For being able to reach the success he has with such a dorky name, and also for not being sued for copyright infringement in the process (knock on wood?). (dial613)
Pallett's absolutely brilliant, and as a deserving winner of the Polaris prize, he commands everyone's attention now. (Torontoist)
The key moment in my appreciation of Owen Pallett's Final Fantasy happened at a show in January. Pallett was headlining the Over The Top Festival launch party and he was to follow Akron/Family who had played way over their allotted time and they whipped the crowd into a frenzy of singing and dancing. Accompanied by a string quartet, he proceeded to calm, charm and then amaze the crowd through the alchemy of his live performance. His Polaris-winning album He Poos Clouds wasn't too shabby either. (Regulate The Voice)
Might actually be more impetuous than k-os. Not really a big fan of the music, but I encourage his success because it will inevitably be interesting. (Pop (All Love))
Only in Canada could a gay, violin-playing, loop-spinning elf become the darling of critics for an album that has a sixth-grader’s word for crap in the title. Is he the best, most critical or most important artist in Canada right now? Probably not. Would his record have been my pick for the Polaris? Nope. Is he the hottest artist in Canada right now? It’s hard to argue that he’s not. (Pregnant Without Intercourse)
100 Canadian music critics can't be wrong! Still warming to the record but breathtaking live. (Chromewaves)
Owen Pallett probably doesn't need any more praise given his success this year with being awarded the Polaris prize for He Poos Clouds. He certainly tends to splits opinion, but there's no denying that's he's doing something that no one else in the country comes close to. (The Mass Is Secretly Obsessed...)
The Polaris Prize alone would qualify Owen Pallett as "hot." To my mind, there wasn't anyone more deserving of an inaugural award that aims to reward and reclaim "the album" as a work of art. He Poos Clouds is an arty work, for sure, but one that contains little melodic delights, a sense of humour, and an originality that burned these songs on the consciousness of many a rock critic this year. Pallett's attitude toward this is pretty hot too--he spent his prize money on his collectively-run record label and his boyfriend's student loans. (Caitlin Crockard)
Owen Pallett's sophomore album is operatic in scope and sound. Added bonus, it has the word "Poo" in the title. Combined with his utterly mesmerizing live show that adds up to Hottest in Canada in my books. (Bootlog)
Download "This Lamb Sells Condos"
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Awesome job throwing this together. I'm really surprised that some people ranked so low (I was almost positive that Emily Haines and Metric'd be in the top three, but I'm kind of glad they're not.)
Note to self for next year: expand on details.
Note to self for next year: expand on details.
Pretty decent list, and not nearly as cringe-worthy as it could be. Nice to see a lot of up-and-comers on there.
Easiest ride to a high rank: BSS
Most under-ranked: Think About Life
Most glaring ommission: Ohbijou
Most unwarranted inclusion: Nelly Furtado (way to go, Carl...)
Also, maybe next year you should disclose all the conflict-of-interest voters, hmm?
Easiest ride to a high rank: BSS
Most under-ranked: Think About Life
Most glaring ommission: Ohbijou
Most unwarranted inclusion: Nelly Furtado (way to go, Carl...)
Also, maybe next year you should disclose all the conflict-of-interest voters, hmm?
Oh Bijou were #36 or so...one more vote from anyone, and they'd have made it on. I had Think About Life ranked pretty highly on my list, but you and I were the only ones. And as for BSS...I didn't think they'd done much this year at all. At most, I'd have ranked them somewhere around Arcade Fire in terms of great last year/not-so-much this year...but I think people voted for the idea of Broken Social Scene as much as they voted for the band. or something. I didn't vote for them, so I have no idea what helped them get so high up.
5/10 of mine were on the list. Next year I'll get my shit together and actually write something about my choices. Good job, Matt.
good list! im glad patrick watson made it on and im sad about ohbijou because they were my number 11. maybe next year a hardcore band will make it on. also horray for the adorables. and my biggest surprise is no justin rutledge and no sadies.
cheers
cheers
Nelly Furtado was totally warranted.
If Rollie had voted for himself would he have edged out Owen?
If Rollie had voted for himself would he have edged out Owen?
The Sadies and Oh Bijou were both just barely off the list...in both cases, one more vote and they'd have made it on. And there were a few hardcore bands (most notably Fucked Up) who came pretty close.
And Rollie actually voted for Owen, too...but the way the voting worked was that Final Fantasy had nearly twice as many votes as anyone else, and then Destroyer, Sunset Rubdown, Malajube and Cadence Weapon were all very firmly entrenched in their spots, too. The spreadsheet is at home, but there were about 30 points separating each of them.
And Rollie actually voted for Owen, too...but the way the voting worked was that Final Fantasy had nearly twice as many votes as anyone else, and then Destroyer, Sunset Rubdown, Malajube and Cadence Weapon were all very firmly entrenched in their spots, too. The spreadsheet is at home, but there were about 30 points separating each of them.
Glad to see we finally have this oft awaited list. It seems it turned out alright!
Okay, I just finished reading all those little blurbs. I'm glad to see I was right with my Islands prediction.
Now I'll use my newfound powers of prediction to fight crime and win the lottery.
Now I'll use my newfound powers of prediction to fight crime and win the lottery.
This list is all sorts of fun, Matt. Thanks for compiling it again, and let's do this again in 2007.
As for the list itself, clearly Nelly Furtado belongs on it and probably in a higher position. I screwed up and forgot to include her but her album is really really good and working with Timbaland (the best producer working today, probably regardless of genre) IS hotness and a HUGE deal.
I'm happy all of my picks made it on the list although I'm surprised that Laura B. is only #31.
As for the list itself, clearly Nelly Furtado belongs on it and probably in a higher position. I screwed up and forgot to include her but her album is really really good and working with Timbaland (the best producer working today, probably regardless of genre) IS hotness and a HUGE deal.
I'm happy all of my picks made it on the list although I'm surprised that Laura B. is only #31.
I'm really glad to see a French band on there. Félicitation Malajube!
Not a bad list and good notes/info on the artists.
Hopefully the barriers between french and english music will keep coming down and we'll have the chance to appreciate more great musicians...
Guillaume
Not a bad list and good notes/info on the artists.
Hopefully the barriers between french and english music will keep coming down and we'll have the chance to appreciate more great musicians...
Guillaume
Ha! Top two = correctly predicted. Just like last year!
Also, where the HELL are the Hylozoists on this list? Guys, you all dropped the ball.
Also, where the HELL are the Hylozoists on this list? Guys, you all dropped the ball.
oooh, lots of surprises.. ranking spots, even appearances (and lack thereof) caught me pretty off-guard.
thanks matthew, well done.
thanks matthew, well done.
Great list and just to think, many bands were left off that deserved recognition. Like I said Matt, next year: VanGaalen = #1
Thanks for asking me to participate!
Thanks for asking me to participate!
Aww, I would have voted for Ohbijou, but didn't vote at all. Thanks for putting this list together, Matthew. In the end, I decided that after being away from Canada for most of 2006, I wasn't qualified to vote...
Thanks for putting this together Matthew, I think it turned out awesome! What are the odds that we can get a complete list?
I'm working on formatting the entire list right at this very moment!
Great job, Matthew. Good to see Shout Out Out Out Out did well! I agree with Kelly, though - Chad VanGaalen!!
Angela - remind me that I have some great footage of chad at Blacksheep inn - I'll share it with you once I transfer it to my puter.
Lace panties and Cape May - nuff said.
Lace panties and Cape May - nuff said.
great list. i'm a big fan of final fantasy being number one, although i would have loved to see the golden dogs up a little higher.
Awesome work, Matt. Looks like you put a lot of effort into it.
I'd echo what someone else here said about BSS coasting to the top. To me they're definitely cooling down, especially considering they're on indefinite hiatus from being so burnt out on touring. They won't be putting out another album for some time, their last record got a lukewarm reception...I dunno, I love them as much as anyone else, but I don't hear a lot of anticipation for them right now. With my ear to the street. In my room.
I'd echo what someone else here said about BSS coasting to the top. To me they're definitely cooling down, especially considering they're on indefinite hiatus from being so burnt out on touring. They won't be putting out another album for some time, their last record got a lukewarm reception...I dunno, I love them as much as anyone else, but I don't hear a lot of anticipation for them right now. With my ear to the street. In my room.
Amazing post, thanks so much for the effort put into this, especially with the MP3 downloads. I'm from London and I'm always looking out for the indie scene in Canada, because it produces only the most melodic, layered, thoughtful and creatively exuberant music this side of the Western world.
Zing: Can I quote you on that for our film?
While we are at it - any ideas for our film`s title?
Anyone?
While we are at it - any ideas for our film`s title?
Anyone?
Shouldn't it be "Hottest bands West of Montreal, v. 2006"?
wintersleep are without a doubt the best canadian band around. i love many of the bands listed here, and even though wintersleep did not release anything in 06, they toured like madmen, and gained a lot of attention. they have a sounf all their own and write amazing songs. their next album, which will most likely be out next year is going to amazing.
wow....great selection. A whole mounty hat filled with new bands. thanks!
Apparently Nova Scotia doesn't exsist.
Also the Bicycles and the Meligrove Band should be here.
Planests Conspire warrants this without a doubt.
Also the Bicycles and the Meligrove Band should be here.
Planests Conspire warrants this without a doubt.
Thanks for including me in the poll again....I wish I'd listened to Land of Talk sooner!
Love the Ladyhawk album and I'm glad they made the list. I'm not sure if The Dugout is the best Canadian Rock Song of the year though.....My Old Jacknife gives it a run!
oh my yes, lack of Wintersleep is a crime. Still ejoyed the list. Sunset Rubdown, SOOOO, and Owen Pallet are personal favorites as well. How could you put Sloan on and not Wintersleep?? Sloan is sooo lame lately.
I cant say i have time to watch all the acts.. let alone listen so can only hear what others have to say. I could catch the lovely feathers this weekend in vancouver but am going out of town. Islands.. i would have to say was an improvement last time i saw them from the Unicorns. I saw them open for Hot Hot Heat and the other opening band was Metric and this was Nov. 2003. I dont know if i could ever like Islands after seeing that..thats just my opinion. Im impressed that Tokyo Police Club is playing with Shukov here soon.. i recently caught Shukov for the first time.. and watch out for this act. I have vid of them playing up on youtube(goooglemonster).. great live act..so watch for them. Watch for another act called Young and Sexy.. saw them open for The New Pornographers ..and was VERY impressed.
MALAJUBE should be higher on the list. I was in Montreal for the 11 days and saw their vid for -40 playing at the Museum of Contemporary Art downstairs. Right away extremely impressed.. i think that is a band we are going to see skyrocket..let alone be copied! Its hard to believe that a band like that has not escaped to the rest of Canada and the world.
Thanks for the list..its nice to see different opinions...and since so many mention ohbijou.. i will definately take a looks sometime! -b
MALAJUBE should be higher on the list. I was in Montreal for the 11 days and saw their vid for -40 playing at the Museum of Contemporary Art downstairs. Right away extremely impressed.. i think that is a band we are going to see skyrocket..let alone be copied! Its hard to believe that a band like that has not escaped to the rest of Canada and the world.
Thanks for the list..its nice to see different opinions...and since so many mention ohbijou.. i will definately take a looks sometime! -b
A few that should be mentioned that I thought deserved some credit. Wintersleep (a band im not really into, but do respect), Jason Collett (Slacker Rock at its finest), and Sam Roberts (the new Tragically Hip). But all in all really impressed with the list.
Islands, Wolf Parade, Kaos and John Rae I agree but none of the others would even be on my list.
Best Canadian band? Give me a break. N0 MEANS NO
The Dears SUCK BAD. Horribly Bad. And Final Fantasy is fun but the best. No way. Sadies is not even on the list. And where would I find BUCK 65 on there?
If I were 14 years old and watched alot of MTV I think I would agree with this list. But no way would I begin to take this seriously. This is like if Don Cherry took the prize for Greatest Canadian.
Best Canadian band? Give me a break. N0 MEANS NO
The Dears SUCK BAD. Horribly Bad. And Final Fantasy is fun but the best. No way. Sadies is not even on the list. And where would I find BUCK 65 on there?
If I were 14 years old and watched alot of MTV I think I would agree with this list. But no way would I begin to take this seriously. This is like if Don Cherry took the prize for Greatest Canadian.
On the high end: can't BELIEVE New Pornographers isn't there but Destroyer is...
On the low end: THE ACORN and SPARROW.... duh.
On the low end: THE ACORN and SPARROW.... duh.
first off, islands is a terrible, talentless turd of a band. secondly, the person who posted up there about priestess is right. they're definitely one of the best bands in canadaland.
um...Crystal Castles?
Where...? They kick more ass than boots and everyone misses them? How does this happen?
Where...? They kick more ass than boots and everyone misses them? How does this happen?
Where the heck is Hot Hot Heat!? Yeah, I'm surprised Tegan & Sara aren't up on your list too. Other than that, decent job kid.
What the hell??? How can the Music Maul collective not warrant a listing? This is easily the most original and invigorating mish-mash of styles to be heard across any country or continent, let alone lil' ol Canada alone (yeah so what if they just happen to be from the land of the frigid!).. check it out http://www.musicmaul.com
Please rename the article "33 hottest trendy bands, most of whom you won't like it 3 months". Not including Kathleen Edwards on this list shows how much depth of taste these reviewers have.
Well, hottest and trendiest really aren't that far apart...if this were a list of the "best" acts, then maybe you might have an argument. But Edwards didn't do all that much, apart from a tour, in 2006, did she? And the whole idea behind the list was to get some idea of who had the best year, not who's had the best career...
The same goes for Hot Hot Heat and Tegan & Sara...as good as they may be, I don't think anyone could argue they had phenomenally good years.
The same goes for Hot Hot Heat and Tegan & Sara...as good as they may be, I don't think anyone could argue they had phenomenally good years.
The fact that Stars is not only not on this list, but not listed at number one, is a travesty.
Dear God, no. I did Ottawa and had to endure all the backlash for that...I'd rather not experience that across the country. It'd be a fun idea, though, and if someone else wants to take part, I'm totally in...
Excellent post that partly inspired my post today. Thanks!
Nice work on the list.
I'd have snuck Black Mountain/Pink Mountaintops in there...top 34 maybe
I'd have snuck Black Mountain/Pink Mountaintops in there...top 34 maybe
Angela - you can view the footage at our myspace page: www.myspace.com/celestialmoonproductions
It's dark but the sound is good, it's pretty raw (the footage).
Cheers,
kelly
It's dark but the sound is good, it's pretty raw (the footage).
Cheers,
kelly
I'm really glad to see Ladyhawk and Jon-Rae Fletcher up there. Angela Desveaux is sorely missed.
y'know, i gave them all a try. i know all you people think you're smart and in the know etc. etc. but i am so confused. i'm canadian and an artist and openminded and maybe smart and in the know, i thought so, but i gave them all a try. i really did! and what is it with canadian bands? they all fucking totally fucking suck! all of the bands on this list are wank and they look like annoying people and i never ever want to own, let alone download for free, any of this crap.
wow... i guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but to down play a whole nations musical output and artists is a little extreme. Being yourself a "Canadian Artist", do you not find that the best music and sounds come from futher listening. The best albums always get better with time, something that someone "in the Know" may know...
Guess thats just my opinion. i personally really like this list, biggest oversights in my opinion are Woodpigeon, Soft Disaster, and the Acorn.
Guess thats just my opinion. i personally really like this list, biggest oversights in my opinion are Woodpigeon, Soft Disaster, and the Acorn.
Uhhhh, RAISING THE FAWN ???????!!!!!!!!! Most under-rated band in Canda. BY FAR. Where is everyone?
I'm really trying to appreciate Final Fantasy's work, but maybe I'm 'missing' something that the so-called experts are 'getting'. How he's ranked as #1 is beyond me. Maybe it's based on his live performances... I know that Shout Out Out Out's live shows have much more energy than their studio performances can convey.
However, I completely agree with The Arcade Fire, Shout Out Out Out Out, and the Tokyo Police Club.
However, I completely agree with The Arcade Fire, Shout Out Out Out Out, and the Tokyo Police Club.
Look forward to your take on 2008....hope I'm in it (though admittedly, I'm pretty new on the scene), but I think I'm pretty hot...actually more sweet....sweet hot.
Lara
www.larayulesingh.com
Lara
www.larayulesingh.com
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