TOP 10 ALBUMS GETTING A CANADIAN THROUGH THE PANDEMIC
2020. What else can I say? Missing out on live music really made me unmotivated to get into new music. Even though, throughout the year I always saved new albums on Spotify when they came out so then eventually I’d get to them. And I have! So here are short and sweet summaries of my favourite albums from these unpredictable times.
#10
ARTIST: DEAR-GOD
ALBUM: 1-844-4DEAR-GOD
RATING: 6.5/10
Recently signed to Dine Alone Records, DEAR-GOD (Robert Oritz) from Brampton, Ontario, Canada stamps his signature sound and look down on his first EP 1-844-4DEAR-GOD. Not afraid to experiment, his sound definitely isn’t for the average listener - a sort of ADHD mood with an abundance of distorted guitars, glitches, and thrashing. If you could put 90s grunge, Beastie Boys rap vocals, and a power drill together, you’d get DEAR-GOD. In his lyrics he encapsulates the frustration, loneliness, and weirdness of being at that age he’s currently at (19-20) in his lyrics. In a live setting, a crowd would be very much involved with the lyrics and thrash. It’s going to be interesting to see where he evolves from here. Sound Bites Media covered him in 2019 when he opened for The Dirty Nil.
#9:
ARTIST: Ela Minus
ALBUM: acts of rebellion
RATING: 8/10
The world is smaller than you think! I saw Ela Minus way back in 2017 when I was first starting as a concert photographer and she was opening for Canadian artist Austra in a dive bar in Waterloo. Now she’s appeared in many top lists of albums from 2020! And now she’s on my list. This album is too cool. It’s a vibe - like when you’re kind of drunk at a club and everything is kind of hazy and you’re hopping around lost in it. But, this music dives deeper than your average club beats. It’s moodier, sharper, and takes its time to get to its release. Ela tackles the problems of today, her self-awareness in struggling in her lyrics. Her voice is super soothing and the production is top. Key tracks are “they told us it was hard, but they were wrong”, “el cielo no es nadie”, and “megapunk.”
#8
ARTIST: ZIG MENTALITY
ALBUM: THE SESH
RATING: 7/10
I have been following ZIG MENTALITY’s journey since their last days as the band “dubé”. Here on Sound Bites Media, we covered them opening for Cleopatrick back in 2018. The EP serves as a reintroduction to these brothers. 3 of the songs are from their dubé days and 2 are new. Collectively, these songs set in stone Zig’s vibe and mood, and they came to sesh on, and to sesh hard (sesh = mosh). Buzzing with treble on all fronts including guitars and vocals, the band didn’t come to play, they came to make some loud noise. The EP is a foundation for what’s next to come. The band prides itself on DIY work and have been producing their own music and lyric videos from their basement. They’re just a grunge, rocking band who love making noise and feeding energy to crowds. Exciting stuff moving forward.
#7
ARTIST: PUP
ALBUM: This Place Sucks Ass
RATING: 7.5/10
PUP kept busy in 2020 by releasing this EP that were songs left out of 2019’s successful Morbid Stuff. In typical PUP fashion, their sense of apathy, descriptions of unfortunate events, and daily monotonous life are present in their lyrics keeping them on brand. Their sound is from their Morbid Stuff era so… it’s still freakin’ awesome - the best amount of mosh-ability and sing-a-long-ability. There is something about them that is so Millennial. Even their art on the cover of this EP looks like comics from The Oatmeal. They encompass the realities of Millennial life including growing up before the Internet, struggling to maintain a good lifestyle because we’re scared of being pretentious, and general dystopian feelings about the future. No doubt that when concerts come back, PUP will conquer the world and bring rock back into the mainstream. They were definitely on that track before the pandemic hit. Key tracks are ”Rot”, “Anaphylaxis”, and “Edmonton”.
#6
ARTIST: Moses Sumney
ALBUM: grae
RATING: 8/10
Moses Sumney released his second (very) full length record in 2020 - 20 songs. The indie/folk darling compliments his 2017 debut record with confidence and ambitious style. His voice is sultry and elegant as he struggles to grasp concepts of existence, life in the future; the deep stuff. He has a similarity to Sufjan Stevens with a more gospel twist, but his voice has much more range. The album could have done without a couple tracks, it feels like it goes on a little long. Nevertheless, it is a very beautiful and soulful record, plus his music videos and general aesthetic are very forward and fashionable! Key tracks are “Cut Me” and “Polly”.
#5
ARTIST: JPEGMAFIA
ALBUM: EP!
RATING: 7/10
JPEGMAFIA’s next album EP! after 2019’s LP All My Heroes Are Cornballs brings us more of what we love from his niche. It’s an album full of unexpected sound effects, lyrics to rap out loud to, dirty beats and a sound closer to his 2018 album Veteran, which is a fan favourite. The album begins loud and ready for a mosh pit with lead singles “BALD!” and “COVERED IN MONEY!” and eventually settles down in a more relaxed hip-hop vibe; showing us a more chilled side of the electric rapper. These singles will ultimately become live show classics and bring uproarious energy. Can’t wait.
#4
ARTIST: The Dirty Nil
ALBUM: Fuck Art
RATING: 7.5/10
There is always a tipping point when a band reaches the brink of success; they either make an album that’s really good, but not as good as the one that brought them to where they are in popularity, or they begin the slow process of selling out. “Fuck Art” from one of my recent favourite bands The Dirty Nil is facing that first criteria. Perhaps I’m super attached to the music they made before and I need to spend more time with this album. Since its release on Jan 1, 2021, I am liking it much more than from my first listen. Initially I was in fear that they were straying away from their modern rock n’ roll/punk niche and diving too deep into the 2000’s pop punk resurgence that’s been happening throughout this new decade.
I can say now that the record may have leaned into that nostalgic 2000’s pop punk, but it still totally maintains their niche that they’ve crafted for themselves over the past few years. It’s a lighter, humourous album that is in a happy, established place versus their previous moods. It doesn’t take itself as seriously, but keeps up the rock n’ roll energy that they’ve maintained. Also, Ross Miller’s bass and screams are definitely a highlight on this record. The non-singles like “Damage Control”, “Hang Yer Moon”, and “Ride Or Die” are better than their leading singles. I found their first single from the summer “Done With Drugs” to be their weakest song on the record - too much NHL 2005 vibes for me. Looking forward to their shows again and which “Fuck Art” tunes will surprise me as bangers live.
#3
ARTIST: SM Worldwide (Single Mothers)
ALBUM: Pig
RATING: 8.5/10
Single Mothers is a band I’ve tried to get into many times, one of those bands that I know are talented, but I can’t get invested in for whatever reason. Frontman Drew Thomson released an album in a side project titled “The Drew Thomson Foundation” which showed an indie/folk rock side to him versus Single Mothers’ heavy punk noise. So imagine those two mixed together: you get PIG. Coming around to this EP feels like such an Ah-HA! This sound suits him so well. You get his usual wicked lyrics sung with his punk persona, but minimal, easy flowing beats with awesome bass lines. This EP truly brings out his versatility in such a cool and short record. I guess being locked in a state of emergency allows people to get bored and experiment!
#2
ARTIST: The OBGMs
ALBUM: The Ends
RATING: 9/10
In the Toronto punk scene, this band has been in everyone’s mouth. Shout outs from PUP and Billy Talent helped bring this band a lot of ears, and deservingly so! This punk trio brings a wicked, unapologetic attitude and demand you to know who they are. Influenced by a lot grunge, classic punk, and a dash of Stefan Babcock’s writing (super obvious in songs like “Cash”, “All My Friends”, and “Karen O’s”) They’ve constructed a labour of love that is super fresh with some hip-hop inspired beats, bongos, and wild vocals from frontman Densil McFarlane. This album gets you pumped for the mosh pit in an instant. It’s a banging record.
#1
ARTIST: IDLES
ALBUM: Ultra Mono
RATING: 9/10
IDLES were ready to take on 2020 like a tidal wave and win the best rock everywhere (that’s if award shows still know what rock music is). They bring ferocity, quick wit, political topics and onomatopoeia! These guys are so creative on their guitars and make old 80’s new wave cross with punk in a modern relevant sound. Their first three tracks are stellar wall to wall energy and ingenuity. The middle of the album gets a little samey, but “Model Village” is a dancey treat to separate the fillers. “The Lover” is the weakest track, every album has one. Then, “A Hymn” is this solemn, distorted, peace among the noise of the record which shows a possible genre venture for the band in the future. This band is important for the times we live in. They reflect the frustrations of the current political state, or even just for a single frustrated individual.