Skeleton Club – Doomfox
Aside from the merits of its jangly pop sensibilities, Skeleton Club‘s “Doomfox” is a curious one. What is a “Doomfox” anyway? Is that an Instagram handle?
bleu – yurt
bleu’s “yurt” places listeners squarely in the headspace of being caught up in an intimate yet potentially fleeting connection.
Juicebox – Bad Boyfriend
It’s not quite crust punk, but Juicebox show that you can get away with a whole lot as far as being a disappointing partner so long as you look cool on stage.
Spoutnique – Solace
As the title track of Spoutnique’s newest album, “Solace” brings just the right amount of spacey pop rhythms and, best of all, cowbell.
Chris Kirby – Better Not Let Me Down
Chris Kirby’s “Better Not Let Me Down” is a dark and dance-worthy number featuring Caveboy’s vocalist Michelle Bensimon and asking for a call to action in the wake of the last American election. Looks like that ship has sailed.
Voodoo Sometimes – Trust Fund Funk
With nods to Vulfpeck and George Clinton, Voodoo Sometimes show off their own musicianship with an instrumental balancing act: sharing the limelight and bringing democracy to funk.
Mauno – Take Care
Mauno hit us with a double entendre in “Take Care,” a track simultaneously about caregiving as a woman and about saying goodbye.
norc – Arizona
In a bid for sponsorship from a certain brand of iced tea, norc’s “Arizona” follows a female character during her introspective journey through the forest.
Sleeping Machines – Houston
This track off Halifax band Sleeping Machines‘ double-single release comes as a welcome introduction to their new member lineup. Their heavy-hitting and droning riffs draw us in and keep us interested while the lyrics touch on the weight of self-induced alienation and isolation.
Tomato/Tomato – Kite Song
Recorded in Nashville, Tomato/Tomato‘s “Kite Song” has the duo’s habitual adorableness writ large and resplendent with accompanying banjo and horn section.
Aquakultre – I Doubt It
Big message. Big groove. Prepare yourself to receive the knowledge of Aquakultre while experiencing a full-blown case of stank face.
Slowcoaster – Once in a Big Blue Moon
Written during a winter storm, Slowcoaster channelled warm energy into their track “Once in a Big Blue Moon,” which sounds like a tropical island getaway.
Pallmer – Grass Garden
Painting a vivid soundscape for us with strings and percussion, Pallmer’s “Grass Garden” creates a flamenco-gypsy feel that’s half carnal, half ethereal.
Kill Chicago – Two Drinks Behind
With half of Kill Chicago settling into dad life, they seem to find themselves out of step with the ambitions of their livers and with their wilder days behind them.
Walrus – Anymore
Off the band’s Cool to Who album, “Anymore” romances us with the feeling of needing to move on from people or things in life that no longer serve us.
Jamie Comeau & the Crooked Teeth – Left Behind
The opening track to Jamie Comeau & the Crooked Teeth‘s debut album, “Left Behind” rips through the blues-rock genre like a chainsaw. Comeau lays down an end-of-life service contract that sounds like first-hand knowledge, but it’s the drumming of Nick Drake that keeps things afloat.
Little Cities – Forever
Little Cities warn us about the potentially long-lasting side effects of catching the feels and the other dangers of falling in love on their fast-paced pop-punk number “Left Behind.”
Chris Kirby – Pot of Gold
Chris Kirby’s “Pot of Gold” holds a place of honour as one of the funkiest tracks on our list, with a pleasantly indulgent amount of wordplay.
Juicebox – Wasted Youth
Perfectly reckless and impeccably slapdash, Juicebox’s “Wasted Youth” is an anthem for everyone who wishes they could go back to playing with Ninja Turtles and eating dirt.
Jon Samuel – Lesser Evils
Jon Samuel’s beautiful album Dead Melodies is still pulling at our heartstrings. Track “Lesser Evils” strips down the party lines as Samuel weighs the fate of Canadian politics.
Roxy & the Underground Soul Sound – Show Me
“Show Me” is the single we needed at the end of 2019. Unlike Roxy & the Underground Soul Sound‘s 2018 single “Helpless,” which emphasized a need for change, “Show Me” put a positive spin on how we could all make things a little bit better.
Beauts – Good Measure
Halifax’s Beauts seem to be feeling that pervasive sense of disconnect that has coloured 2019, and with “Good Measure” they’ve expressed it through some mellow synths.
Rich Aucoin – The Mind
Rich Aucoin’s instrumental track “The Mind” doesn’t even require him to bring a parachute; he’s painting alien worlds for us instead.
Kiwi Jr. – Leslie
This post-punk whodunnit answers its own question and continues to hold a place on our list of this year’s best tracks.
Sleeping Machines – Suitcase
As the second track from their double-single release, “Suitcase” sends listeners spiralling into its sounds and polyrhythms and keeps them there, lost, for the duration of the track. And as would be suggested by its name, the song discusses the toll of putting up with carried baggage, whether your own or that of others.