Valerie – Twin Flames
Reminiscent of Deerhunter’s “Desire Lines,” Valerie’s “Twin Flames” tells us how it feels to be two halves of a lost soul seeking to reunite.
Skeleton Club – Punch Lines
If you don’t die rich, what’s the point of even trying? Skeleton Club‘s “Punch Lines” is the funkiest Bonnie & Clyde story we’ve ever rocked out to.
Spoutnique – Téléscope
Whatever this song is about is unimportant; it is the soundtrack to every summer festival we experienced this summer.
Beauts – The City Loves Me
That’s a bold statement from a band who in the same breath sing about their growing sense of isolation. But the other side of doubt is hubris, so we might as well lean into it.
Logan Richard – Running (Feat. Vince the Messenger)
This retro-style groove reminds us of how hard it can be to find yourself losing interest in a relationship and having to be the bad guy.
Corey Isenor – Ladyslipper
Folk-pop artist Corey Isenor sings from his heart in “Ladyslipper,” giving it a genuine and honest feel to go with its catchy and almost psychedelic sound.
Sundae Girl – Sandbar
Immediately drawing Joy Division to mind, “Sandbar” — from the newly rechristened Sundae Girl (nee The Drug Rugs) — brings us all the synth-pop sounds of the 80s with a modern twist.
Honeymoon Driver – My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad
Giving off a bit of a Queens of the Stone Age vibe, “My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad” hits with a strong bassline and heavy guitar riffs while vocals sing to us about how frustrating it can be for kids to find out that the beliefs they’ve grown up holding may not actually be their own.
Dazor – Corrosive
Dazor’s “Corrosive” pleasantly reminds us of the Foo Fighters. It’s clean and yet grungy in the best of 90s ways, while remaining 100% free of Foo.
June Body – River Never Runs Dry
“River Never Runs Dry” revolves around the idea of finding ways, intentional or not, to race towards your own demise. Some of us are just naturals.
Brandon Howard Roy – Little Reasons
Embracing all the messy parts that go along with being loved (the mistakes, the regrets, the overreactions and more), Brandon Howard Roy has thrown us a potent dance party with “Little Reasons.”
Còig – Uncle Leo’s Jigs
Would this even be an east coast list without with a traditional jig? Còig tapped Tom Rowsome’s famous uncle Leo for this lively tune.
Layne Greene – Resolutions
Through a dreamy veneer of guitar and strings, Layne Greene begins with a simple question about departing a party and leaves us questioning everything we’ve done that has led us to this point.
Scientists of Sound – The Beginning (Of the Beginning of the End)
The Beginning (Of the Beginning of the End) is largely instrumental, with the Scientists of Sound going full mad scientist on their album’s titular track, pairing choir-like harmonies to the violin skills of The Stanfields’ Calen Kinney.
Devarrow – Heart Attack
Gentle finger-plucked acoustic guitar serves as a backbone for this track that dives through our ears hits on our deepest emotions as Devarrow sings about the types of stresses and anxieties that keep us all awake at night.
Dave Sampson – Gets Me Through the Night
With “Gets Me Through the Night” Dave Sampson reminds us how important it is to cherish those moments when you’re simply able to wake up next to the person you love.
Jon Samuel – Jonny Panic And The Bible Of Dreams
Not to be confused with the English band nor the Tears for Fears song by the same name, but pulling from the source material of poet Sylvia Plath, Jon Samuel’s “Jonny Panic And The Bible Of Dreams” laments the death of pop music… or perhaps celebrates what comes next.
Soap Opera – Tension Mountain
Newfoundland group Soap Opera are back with “Tension Mountain,” signalling a new direction for the band. The song wraps the idea of striving for an untouchable yet imminent climax that can never be reached in a neatly-tied indie-groove ribbon.
Mauno – Half It
Mauno happily define themselves as avant-garde, but a song about Zeno’s Dichotomy Paradox is so retro it’s new again. Frankly, we’re surprised they ever got around to finishing it.
Spoutnique – L’agneau et le moineau lunaire
Soft and sultry, this track from Edmunston space rockers Spoutnique has lured us directly to their groovy planet.
Kill Chicago – Flying Home
Hands down the filthiest guitar solo of the year. Kill Chicago tear the back end out of “Flying Home” with a shredded mess amidst abandonment issues and the remaining vestiges of our dwindling youth.
Menoncle Jason – Florida
Painting a picture of how much nicer life would be in Florida, this track by Menoncle Jason acts as a social commentary on small-town mindsets and helps outline why the artist has chosen to step away from his former lifestyle.
Adam Baldwin – No Rest for the Wicked
As part of Adam Baldwin‘s album with a whole theme of finding salvation, “No Rest for the Wicked” sees Baldwin come to terms with a lack of resolution by way of poetry and rock ‘n’ roll.
Kim Harris – Once You Were Wondrous
Amidst the polyrhythmic pitter-patter of piano and the mountainous vocals that defy comprehensions is Kim Harris‘s message that each of us possess, at our core, a solid foundation crafted on everything we have endured before, and in that we can find strength.
Walrus – Cool to Who
Off Walrus’s 2019 album Cool to Who, this title track combines catchiness with lyrics that are maybe more relatable than we’d like them to be. Sometimes we need these types of reminders to stop trying to be anything we’re not.