2017 is nearly over and while it wasn't always the best year, at least we got some great music along the way! Some of our hosts have put together their favourite music of 2017, so check it out to find your new faves!
Clara Benedek – Hosts Kill Yr Idols, Monday 2pm – 4pm
Favourite Albums of 2017
- The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
- Ariel Pink - Dedicated to Bobby Jameson
- Louise Burns - Young Mopes
- Alvvays - Antisocialites
- Pink Milk - Purple
- Wavves - You're Welcome
- L.A. Witch - Self Titled
- Japanese Breakfast - Soft Sounds From Another Planet
- Looping - Self Titled
- Cherry Glazerr - Apocalipstick
Katie Bennett – Hosts Wake Up Western, Tuesday 9am – 11am
Favourite Songs of 2017
10. Hey! Ya, You // The Elwins
9. Another Sad Love Song // Khalid
8. Get You // Daniel Caesar
7. pink skies // LANY
6. Homewrecker // Vic Mensa
5. Fantastic // Flume
4. Spirit // The Belle Game
3. List of People (To Try And Forget About) // Tame Impala
2. BLEACH // BROCKHAMPTON
1. Warm // Strange Ranger
Warm is the perfect mix between summer nights and early winter mornings, between happy and sad, between the beginning and the ends of an era. A very fitting song to describe my 2017.
Phoenix - Hosts Elektribe, Tuesday 8:30pm - 10pm
Favourite Canadian Electronic Dance Music Albums of 2017
10 ---- Live - Audiation (Ottawa/Kingston)
9 ---- The Shell - Snails (Montreal)
8 ---- Mass Manipulation LP - REZZ (Niagara Falls)
7 ---- The Bridge - Rainer + Grimm (Toronto)
6 ---- Memories EP - Billboard (Montreal)
5 ---- Metropole EP - Anomalie (Montreal)
4 ---- State - Overwerk (London, ON)
3 ---- Hold On, Let Go - Pat Lok (Vancouver)
2 ---- Persistence EP - Whipped Cream (Vancouver)
1 ---- Two Hearts LP - Dabin (Toronto)
Dabin's Two Hearts is an 11 track LP that explores a wide variety of genres while staying true to his "signature" sound, which has an ambient quality and often features slick guitar solos by none other than the artist himself. He often performs live with guitar in one hand and decks in the other. This is my favourite album since Nigel Good's epic progressive effort, Space Cadet (2016, also Canadian and worth an ear) and whenever I listen to it, it puts a big smile on my face. There's nothing better than endorphin-releasing music. Happy 2017! On to a great new year filled with amazing Canadian music.
Michelle Balderston - Hosts Wake Up Western, Wednesday 9am - 11am
Favourite Albums of 2017
10. Liars - "TFCF"
9. The National - "Sleep Well Beast"
8. Fleet Foxes - "Crack-Up"
7. Sam Tudor - "Quotidian Dream"
6. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - "Flying Microtonal Banana"
5. Wolf Parade - "Cry Cry Cry"
4. Rostam - "Half-Light"
3. Alvvays - "Antisocialites"
2. Father John Misty - "Pure Comedy"
1. Protomartyr - "Relatives in Descent"
Post-punk is definitely not a genre I often find myself exploring, which you may have been able to gather from the rest of my list. I'll make an exception for Relatives in Descent. Protomartyr's fourth LP is just as dense as its predecessors. It carries this undeniable tension and unease, but those feelings thrive through the most energetic, catchy, anthemic choruses. See: "Don't Go to Anacita," trust me. Seriously, I was so pleasantly surprised by this album. Existential dread never sounded so friggin' good!
Kellen Couzens - Hosts Panty Shots every other Friday, 2pm - 4pm
PUNISHING debut from King Coffey (butthole surfers) and co. HEAVY as all hell but with enough odd twist and tricks lacking from the tired 3 piece gtr/bass/drum loud rock trope. Seriously this shit sounds like getting hit by a falling nasa space station that is inhabited some vile life forms from some pissed off dimension. Vocals sound like a Dalek on the fritz that wants nothing more than to obliterate our inferior human race. Glad to see the old time weirdos still putting these new age heavys to shame. I would almost call it blown out if it weren’t for the fact i don't think we as mankind have invented the necessary technology to truly capture this assault on the senses. A real deal paint peeler here for the 2 0 seventeen. PLAY LOUD JUST LIKE YOU SHOULD
If you listen to my show its no secret i have a serious affinity for female fronted post punk. Especially if it's from the UK or EU. With Trummerfrauen we find ourselves in Berlin. The year 1980. When 4 young women came together to yelp, scream and clammer out some truly wild and art damaged post punk. Like an angrier and more inept Kleenex with a synth thrown in the mix at times. I'm a sucker for this stuff. The good folks at Danger records have compiled their lone 7” and tape as well as some unreleased material into one tidy package even if the music ain't so tidy itself. Killer.
I miss drugs and booze sometimes and this record makes me miss em more. I want to be in some dank warehouse losing my shit to this. 80s/early 90s EBM sound that’s done so so right. Bumpin, thumpin. Tell me hotter than hell doesn't get the blood flowing to all the right places. Two serious dudes (brothers?) from the ATL cranking out some serious bangers to be taken seriously. Sick record and my fav album cover of the year too.
Performing Ferret Band - LP and 7
Ya sure i have the OG press of both these but man the Ferret lp was my top want for so many years. And after dropping over $200 on a copy they reissued the damn thing a month later. Shennanigins. Well i have an original that's what counts right? Right? Whatever. This is or was the holy grail of british post punk DIY. There is a playfulness and exuberance on this record that wasn't matched by any of the janggly art brits doin this kinda stuff at the time. and as much as i love so many of those bands this still remains the cream of the crop. Witty, dry and all over a brilliant listen. I'm glad these are both available but for short time i was part of an elite handful of people who owned the og lp. And after the reissue Now i'm just a regular schmoe like the rest of you. Please welcome me back with open arms. Stand out tracks for me are NUDEs and FIZZY DRINKS. Get down with those and you're in for a treat at tea time with these FERRETS.
Snotty Portland garage/hardcore that for me is a cut above the rest. Fast dumb and bratty. I'm kinda bored with most new punk right now actually. stuff like this at this point in my life just isn't clicking with me the way it used too. Maybe i'm getting old. Well we all are. Every minute that winds down brings you closer to death. And if life is too short to waste time on the shitty lumpers/coneheads fallout bands then waste sometime with this one. It's a wonderful waste of time. You wont be disappointed.
2017 Official vinyl reissue of my favorite release from 2015 (initially released in limited pressing on cassette). Lots of british love on my list. Well from one London to another this had me hooked first listen. When i heard “almost anything” for the first time it was like falling in love with music all over again. It was like that song had been crafted for me. Angular detuned guitars, thick groovy bass and drums that kind of chug along. at times the whole thing sounds like a train trying to gain momentum. Seriously i'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I am a believer that repetition can be the most powerful song structure. Keep beating that drum without diversion and watch the trance insue. This tune only proves that point. Once that groove sets in and has you hooked youre no longer the conductor of your own vessel. Youre a passenger now who doesnt want to dare step foot off this loose locomotive. As for the Vox thyer delivered perfectly in a talk/shouted deadpan approach with a slight reverb that is actually necessary and not arbitrarily used. This band is making some of the most interesting music i've heard in a while and the fact that they exist in this day and time and not 35 years ago is mindblowing. You could have told me they were some obscure band who shared the stage with Neubauten/The Fall/Palais Schaumberg or bands of that ilk back in the day and i would have believed you. A+ band with nothing but A+ releases but i had to take it all back to where is started for me. Thank you ever/never records for this one.
Manchester Mekon - No Forgetting the Album
Even MORE UK DIY love and yet another reissue with unearthed gems. Hmm maybe i should just move to the uk already. Naw if i do move it will be to Detroit but still…
Manchester mekon cover a lot of ground while still retaining the post punk sensibilities of the era and area in which it was recorded. Traces of prog/pop/folk can be found within these walls. Hippies goes post punk i guess would be the way to sum this one up. Really interesting and delightful stuff.
Christopher Durham /Quilt boy 7”
The bibs LP from last year was my top record. AndIi've loved everything this dude has done. From roach clip to the bibs and pretty much every release on his own All Gone label i could get my hands on. The Christopher Durham tape is as close to the bibs as you can get without the other dude being in the band. Lo-fi bedroom jams that are as warm and soft as they are weird. Minimalistic and sorrowful tunes buried under warbled tape hiss. His vocal delivery has always hindered on some kind of calm desperation. Its personal, beautiful amd melancholic stuff. i'm always excited when he puts new music out. Quilt boy is his alias for the more experimental side. Very weird stuff indeed but still subtle in its delivery. with broken to even no song structure at times it's still very interesting and fulfilling to listen to. As someone who makes their own bedroom recordings i'm always stoked to see other peoples minds at work when they are alone with their equipment. Might make for a difficult listen for some but for me, i get it. That's just where my heads at and im glad its there.
NOTHING - demo
I can not express how giddy i become seeing this mysterious figure live (hint: it's kyle). Bedroom electronic black metal of the highest order. Mournful organ dirges, double bass machine gun drums, raspy guttural vox. The whole package. Surprised he didn't summon some kind of cloven hooved shit disturber at his last set. Either live or on tape (the tape RULES) do not sleep on NOTHING. In my opinion the coolest local act we got in this city.
NOTHING yet hahahahahah get it?
SHORELINE MAFIA - SHORELINE DO THAT SHIT
A bunch of kids who rap about drinking cough syrup and xanax. Seems to be all the kids are doing these days. What happened to weed and 40s? Must be hard to run from the cops when youre so loaded on downers youre drooling allover your new nikes. Anyway as most the rap i hear these days is complete dreck aside from the odd banger here and there but these dudes have surprisingly struck a cord. Theyre not the best rappers by any means but its the production and delivery that really set them apart from the all the other youtube famous hooligans out there. The two main rappers are Fenix and Ohgeesy and when Ron Ron is on the boards it makes for a good time. Reminds me a bit of something you'd hear on one of those Kingpin Skinny Pimp comps but definitely in tune with the current times and trends in rap. A few clunkers but the tracks that work are the smooth ones, must be the lean.
Honorable mentions to other stuff i enjoyed this year
Cheap wings at the soho
WET?
New layout of x videos
Seeing dan the radio man about town with his amazing hats
Smokin cigs inside a bar (painted lady in detroit) with no hassle, such a pleasure