2019 Longlist Part 1

It's that time of year again. I just finished whittling an extremely long longlist down to my Top 20 albums - which I'll be revealing on December 31st on UMFM as part of the 15th annual countdown show that Station Manager Jared McKetiak and I host.

But before that, I'll be posting the rest of the albums I considered before arriving at that Top 20. Pivoting from how I've done it in prior years, where the longlist has been somewhat randomized, or alphabetized, the first post this year carries a touch more weight than the rest. THESE are the final 10 records I removed from consideration. And while they are not presented in a rank order below, if I was doing a Top 30 these are the titles that would occupy the 21-30 spots. I was particularly hard-pressed to cut these ones and it came down to the wire.

Consider these my most honourable mentions.

**Where possible I have linked to the Bandcamp for these artists so you can support them directly if you dig the preview tune. Not every artist has a page though, so you'll get the occasional Soundcloud and Youtube link.

Tiny Ruins - Olympic Girls [Milk! Records]



The Cactus Blossoms - Easy Way [Walkie Talkie]



Haviah Mighty - 13th Floor [Self-Released]



Sudan Archives - Athena [Stones Throw]



Emma Elisabeth - Melancholic Milkshake [Ferryhouse]



Black Pumas - Black Pumas [ATO Records]



Joel Ross - KingMaker [Blue Note]



Durand Jones & The Indications - American Love Call [Dead Oceans]



SPAZA - SPAZA [Mushroom Hour Half Hour]



Sarah Tandy - Infection in the Sentence [Jazz re:freshed]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 9

Hailu Mergia - Lala Belu [Awesome Tapes From Africa]



Meg Baird & Mary Lattimore - Ghost Forests [Three Lobed]



The White Blinds - Get To Steppin' [F-Spot Records]



Madeline Kenney - Perfect Shapes [Carpark]



Snail Mail - Lush [Matador]



Us, Today - Computant [it.me.music]



Uniting of Opposites - Ancient Lights [Tru Thoughts]



Hollie Cook - Vessel of Love [Merge]



Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio - Close But No Cigar [Colemine]



Chip Wickham - Shamal Wind [Lovemonk]
AND HERE'S WHERE WE GET INTO THE ENTRIES THAT AREN'T ON BANDCAMP...

Scolari / Cavalca / Scolari - Natural Impulse [Principal Records]

https://soundcloud.com/claudio-scolari-project/hemispheres

Lucy Dacus - Historian [Matador]



Yo La Tengo - There's A Riot Going On [Matador]



Robyn - Honey [Konichiwa]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 8

The Sorority - Pledge [The Sorority Sound]



Victime - la femme taupe [Michel Records]



Dan Weiss - Starebaby [Pi Recordings]



Foxwarren - Foxwarren [Anti- / Arts & Crafts]



The Beths - Future Me Hates Me [Carpark]



Beach House - 7 [Sub Pop]



Balun - Prisma Tropical [Good Child Music]



Mary Melford's Snowy Egret - The Other Side Of Air [Firehouse 12]



Kutiman - Don't Hold Onto The Clouds [Siyal]



Hearts & Minds - Eletrordiance [Astral Spirits]



Quin Kirchner - The Other Side Of Time [Astral Spirits]



The Young Pixels - Fever of Becoming [Independent]



serpentwithfeet - Soil [Tri Angle]



Georgia Anne Muldrow - Overload [Brainfeeder]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 7

Dowdelin - Carnaval Odyssey [Underdog]



Onom Agemo & The Disco Jumpers - Magic Polaroid [Agogo]



Lea Bertucci - Metal Aether [NNA]



Fjer - You Again [Quintic]



Joseph Shabason - Anne [Independent]



Christine Fellows - Roses on the Vine [Vivat Virtute]



June West - June West [Broken Circles]



Joey Dosik - Inside Voice [Secretly Canadian]



Caoilfhionn Rose - Awaken [Gondwana]



Astral Swans - Strange Prison [Saved By Vinyl]



Beatchild & the Slakadeliqs - Heavy Rockin' Steady [BBE]



Bernice - Puff LP: In the Air Without A Shape [Arts & Crafts]



Birthday Boy & Trish - Joseph [Bastard Jazz]



Bonjay - Lush Life [Mysteries of Trade]



Freak Heat Waves - Beyond XXXL [Telephone Explosion]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 6

Wild Nothing - Indigo [SEE Music]



Neighborhood of Make Believe - Two Nighttimes [Five Kill]



Phosphorescent - C'est La Vie [Dead Oceans]



Tommy Guerrero - The Road to Nowhere [Too Good]



Thabang Tabane - Matjale [Mushroom Hour Half Hour]



Daniel Crawford - Revolution [Independent]



Emma Ruth Rundle - On Dark Horse [Sargent House]



Jake Mason Trio - Stranger in the Mirror [Soul Messin']



Wayne Horvitz - The Snowghost Sessions [Songlines]



Fatima - And Yet It's All Love [Eglo Records]



Sister Sparrow - Gold [Thirty Tigers]



The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra - Naming & Blaming [HopeSt. Recordings]



Charles Bradley - Black Velvet [Dunham/Daptone]



Vivian Leva - Time Is Everything [Free Dirt]



Julien Dyne - Teal [Soundway]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 5

Tunng - Songs You Make At Night [Full Time Hobby]



Leisure Centre - Mind Full [Hope Street Recordings]



Dentist - Night Swimming [Cleopatra Records]



Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Hope Downs [Sub Pop]



Whitney Ballen - You're A Shooting Star, I'm A Sinking Ship [Father/Daughter]



Low - Double Negative [Sub Pop]



Conner Youngblood - Cheyenne [Counter]



Glenn Jones - The Giant Who Ate Himself [Thrill Jockey]



Mitski - Be the Cowboy [Dead Oceans]



Ava Luna - Moon 2 [Western Vinyl]



Jonathan Something - Outlandish Poetica [Solitaire Recordings]



Fred Thomas - Aftering [Polyvinyl]



Traps PS - New Chants [Innovative Leisure]



Thalia Zedek Band - Fighting Season [Thrill Jockey]



This Will Destroy You - New Others Part One [Dark Operative]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 4

Neko Case - Hell-On [Anti-]



Marisa Anderson - Cloud Corner [Thrill Jockey]



Rosehardt - Songs in the Key of Solitude [Independent]



Shawn Lee & the Soul Surfers - Shawn Lee & the Soul Surfers [Independent]



Hilary Woods - Colt [Sacred Bones]



Oracle Hysterical - Hecuba [National Sawdust Tracks]



Natalie Evans - Better At Night [Small Pond]



Kamaal Williams - The Return [Black Focus Records]



Blood Wine or Honey - Fear & Celebration [Do Right! Music]



Chancha Via Circuito - Bienaventuranza [Wonderwheel Recordings]



Makaya McCraven - Where We Come From [International Anthem]



Boyhood - Bad Mantras [Independent]



Remember Sports - Slow Buzz [Father/Daughter]



Alekesam - Sound Proof Heart [Alpha Pup]



Hop Along- Bark Your Head Off, Dog [Saddle Creek]

2018 Year End Longlist, Part 3

Part 1 and Part 2 can be found by clicking on them or scrolling back.

The Philharmonik - The Philharmonik [Sol Life]



Cavalier - Innate [Alpha Pup]



The Sea and Cake - Any Day [Thrill Jockey]



Deva Mahal - Run Deep [Independent]



Anteloper - Kudu [International Anthem]



Jay Phelps - Free as the Birds [Ropeadope]



Middle Blue - Love Chords [Ropeadope]



BOYS - Rest In Peace [PNKSLM]



The Amazing - In Transit [Partisan]



Housepanther - Club Soda Lows [Independent]



Sarah Louise - Deeper Woods [Thrill Jockey]



Winter - Etheriality [Org Music]



Peggy Lee - Echo Painting [Independent]



ABIAH - ABIAH Sings NINA [Independent]



L Con - Insecurities In Being [Independent]

2017 Year End Longlist, Part 2

I'll be revealing my Top 20 albums New Years' Eve on the 13th annual countdown show on UMFM, but in the interim, here's a rundown on the great stuff that didn't make the cut.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER.

Yasmine Hamdan - Al Jamilat [Ipecac]


Half Waif - form/a [Cascine]


Bottle Tree - Bottle Tree [International Anthem]


Harriet Brown - Contact [Innovative Leisure]


Quantic & Nidia Gongora - Curao [Tru Thoughts]


Girlpool - Powerplant [Anti-]


Mac DeMarco - This Old Dog [Royal Mountain / Captured Tracks]


She-Devils - She-Devils [Independent]


Arve Henriksen - Towards Language [Rune Grammofon]


Dustin Wong & Takako Minekawa - Are Euphoria [Thrill Jockey]


Binker & Moses - Journey to the Mountain of Forever [Gearbox]


Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up [Nonesuch]


Golden Retriever - Rotations [Thrill Jockey]


Ex Eye - Ex Eye [Relapse]


Kacy & Clayton - The Siren's Song [New West]


The Accidentals - odyssey [Sony Masterworks]


Partner - In Search Of Lost Time [You've Changed]


St. Vincent - MASSEDUCTION [Loma Vista]


Destroyer - ken [Merge]


Roadkill Ghost Choir - False Youth Etcetera [Freakout]


Les Filles De Illighadad - Eghass Malan [Sahel Sounds]


Wares - Wares [Double Lunch]

My Polaris Prize Ballot - 2017 Round One

It's that time of the year again. The first ballot for the Polaris Prize is due tomorrow and from the initial 5 selections submitted by each juror, we'll get the 40 entry Longlist (which will be announced June 13th in Ottawa).

From hundreds of possibilities that were released during the eligibility period (including stuff that crossed my plate at UMFM, as well as all the suggestions made by my fellow jurors), I whittled things down to a personal longlist of 25 entries.

They are (alphabetically):

 A Tribe Called Red - We Are The Halluci Nation [Radicalized Records]
 Austra - Future Politics [Domino]
 BADBADNOTGOOD - IV [Arts & Crafts]
 BEYRIES - Landing [Bonsound]
 Black Atlass - Haunted Paradise [Fool's Gold]
 Louise Burns - Young Mopes [Light Organ Records]
 Castle If - Plant Material [Independent]
 Chocolat - Recontrer Looloo [Dare To Care Records]
 The Cosmic Range - New Latitudes [Idee Fixe]
 The Courtneys - II [Flying Nun]
 Mac DeMarco - This Old Dog [Captured Tracks/Royal Mountain Records]
 DJ Shub - Pow Wow Step [Independent]
 Duotang - New Occupation [Stomp]
 Figure Walking - The Big Other [Disintegration Records]
 Fleece - Voyager [Independent]
 Homeshake - Fresh Air [Royal Mountain Records]
 Japandroids - Near To The Wild Heart Of Life [Arts & Crafts]
 Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion: Side B [Interscope]
 Aleem Khan - Urbana Champagne [Independent]
 Klo Pelgag - L'Etoile Thoracique [Coyote Records]
 Northern Cree - It's A Cree Thing [Canyon Records]
 Lou Phelps - 001: Experiments [Independent]
 Alejandra Ribera - This Island [Pheromone]
 The Shiverettes - Dead Men Can't Cat Call [Transistor 66]
 Tasha The Amazon - Die Every Day [The Truth Music Group]

One thing I strive for in coming up with my Polaris ballot is consistency with my Year-End lists so it shouldn't be surprising to reveal that not only was We Are The Halluci Nation my #1 album of 2016, it's also the top spot on my Polaris 2017 ballot.

Here's my 5 in order:
01 A Tribe Called Red - We Are The Halluci Nation [Radicalized Records]
02 BADBADNOTGOOD - IV [Arts & Crafts]
03 Klo Pelgag - L'Etoile Thoracique [Coyote Records]
04 BEYRIES - Landing [Bonsound]
05 Alejandra Ribera - This Island [Pheromone]

P.S. I want to give a special shout out to some albums I quite enjoyed that the jury brought to my attention:
Alain Lefevre - Sas Agapo
Booji Boys - Booji Boys
Le Couleur - P.O.P.
Leanne Simpson - f(l)ight
Hooded Fang - Dynasty House
Sarah Davach- All My Circles Run

and finally, the self-titled record from She-Devils that came my way mid-May and I really didn't get enough time with to make the cut.

2016 - Longlist Part 7

Oddisee - The Odd Tape [Mello Music Group]



While nothing rises to the stratosphere of "That's Love" from his last record, the latest beat tape from Oddisee is quality through and through.

Alsarah and the Nubatones - Manara [Wonderwheel Recordings]



Sudanese singer Alsarah and her Nubatones craft "East African Retro-Pop" and it is the sound of now.

Quilt - Plaza [Mexican Summer]



Four piece pysch rock outfit from Boston that made a beautiful mess.

Tacocat  - Lost Time [Hardly Art]



Seattle punk-rockers crafted one of the most visceral and quick records of 2016.

Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith - A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke [ECM]



The other record Wadada Leo Smith released in 2016, the a collab with long-time fave Vijay Iyer.

Yellowjackets - Cohearance [Mack Avenue]

Unfortunately I can't find an embed of this great jazz record, but you can stream samples on the group's website here.

Thumbscrew - Convallaria [Cuneiform]



Thumbscrew are a dynamite trio and Mary Halvorson had a particularly terrific year.

The Claudia Quintet - Super Petite [Cuneiform]



Speaking of having a terrific year, Cuneiform placed about a half-dozen records on my longlist including this one from the John Hollenbeck -led quintet

Lucy Dacus - No Burden [Egg Hunt Records]



Virginian acts made a mark on my year-end longlist (and Top 20) including this great rock record from Richmond.

Ross McHenry - Child of Somebody [First Word Records]



His last record, Distant Oceans, placed on that year's Top 20 and composer / bass player McHenry almost repeated with Child of Somebody.

Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus [Brownswood Recordings]



The London (UK) jazz scene is booming and it's no surprise to find Gilles Peterson and his label Brownswood Recordings in the thick of it. Yussef Kamaal is not one person, but two: drummer Yussef Dayes and keyboardist/drummer Kamaal Williams (aka Henry Wu).

Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp [Yellow K Records]



This one first caught my attention at the beginning of the year when I came across a couple tracks on Soundcloud. I played some on TGIFR and then it dropped off the radar for awhile. Good thing I keep a running list or I wouldn't have revisited this swirling LP.

A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here, Thank You 4 Your Service [Epic]



While I wasn't as taken with it as some folks who placed this in the Top 10 on year-end lists, any release from ATCQ (even partially posthumous) is a welcome addition to my listening list.

Angel Olsen - My Woman [Jagjaguwar]



It's a great record - it's on a bunch of year-end lists, and while I quite enjoyed this one (and bemoan missing her Winnipeg gig), I think there's a similar release that did a similar thing better and you'll find it on my Top 20.

2016 - Longlist Part 6

Basia Bulat  - Good Advice [Secret City Records]



Bulat has earned a lifetime spot in my longlists. I have never not enjoyed one of her albums.

Lily and Madeleine - Keep It Together [New West]



The "keep it together" of the title refers to the sisters' perspective on the struggles their millennial peers are dealing with. It's also the secret to their harmonic success. Great interplay between the pair.

Jenny Berkel - Pale Moon Kid [Pheromone]



Berkel called Winnipeg home at one point and her latest, Pale Moon Kid, contains a swan song of sorts for the city. Beautiful and dark.

Yes We Mystic - Forgiver [Independent]



Speaking of Winnipeg, one of my favourite acts in the city is Yes We Mystic. Great live, great on record and just great people.

John K. Samson - Winter Wheat [Anti-]



While we're on the Winnipeg run, is there an artist more emblematic of / associated with the city than John K. Samson?

Paul Simon - Stranger To Stranger [Concord]



2016 was a bizarre year, and few things were as surprising as Paul Simon making one of the hippest, most interesting sounding records of the year. It's been a while since that was the case, but unfortunately you'll only get a taste on the Soundcloud preview.

Okkervil River - Away [ATO Records]



It's interesting that Will Sheff chose to lead the album off with "Okkervil River R.I.P." - it's like a eulogy for the group followed by a rebirth over eight more songs.

Devendra Banhart - Ape In Pink Marble [Nonesuch]



Just like Bulat, Banhart can pretty much be penciled in for a spot on my list. He's not everyone's cup of tea, but like the Brits, I'm always game for a cuppa.

The Pines - Above The Prairie [Red House Records]



Only a band from Minnesota or Manitoba could have written this sonic picture of  wide open sky.

Laura Gibson - Empire Builder [Barsuk]



Slinky, cinematic and haunting, this is a fantastic return to recording for Gibson, whose last record was 2012's La Grande.

Sara Watkins - Young In All The Wrong Ways [New West]



Nickel Creek member Watkins apparently wrote the record as a break-up album with herself, or at least the person she used to be. When I first wrote about the album on this blog, I said I found it unfortunate she had to go through heartbreak to write a record this lovely, but it sounds like it wasn't quite the situation I pictured upon first hearing it...

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down - A Man Alive [Ribbon Music]



Speaking of cathartic writing experiences, talking with Thao Nguyen before her appearance at Interstellar Rodeo this summer, A Man Alive was just that for the San Franciscan. And if you want to hear that interview, check it out in its entirety here.

Merival - Lovers [Independent]



Looking back, I shouldn't have had this on my longlist as I don't include EPs on my Best Album list, but this gem from Torontonian Merival deserves a shout out as it stayed with me all year after I discovered it on Bandcamp back in January.

Explosions In The Sky - The Wilderness [Temporary Residence]



The cover art for this record manages to distill the music EitS make into one image - a wave crashing and shattering into the side of a red cliff. The colours, the lines, the chaos, it's all there, and it's all on The Wilderness.

Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow [Relapse]



Philadelphia rockers Nothing provided me not only with a great listen, but also one of the funnier existential moments of my life when I found myself typing "nothing" into the search bar of my computer to find the audio files.

2016 - Longlist Part 5

Myles Sanko - Just Being Me [Legere Recordings]



"My Inspiration" off his last record was among my Top 20 songs of 2014 and remains a favourite. I was hella excited to see the UK vocalist land on the great Legere Recordings and while there wasn't a Top 20 song on Just Being Me, it's a uniformly solid record.

Tanika Charles - Soul Run [Independent]



If you read this blog on the regular or listen to my Friday night radio show TGIFR, Charles' inclusion on this list should be no surprise. I played the heck out of this record and was front and centre when she played The Good Will earlier this year. Kudos to outgoing Jazz Winnipeg honcho Paul Nolin for bringing that show to town!

Lee Fields and the Expressions - Special Night [Big Crown]



Another winner from upstart label Big Crown. This one from the already established Lee Fields who killed it at Interstellar Rodeo this past August. Not sure what precipitated his departure from Truth & Soul, but glad to see him land on another quality roster.

Lady Wray - Queen Alone [Big Crown]



Speaking of folks landing at Big Crown, Lady Wray did just the same and I'm glad it happened. Nicole Wray was one half of Truth & Soul act Lady with UK vocalist Terri Walker. The duo disbanded with Walker working on a solo act back in England and Wray got to keep the Lady moniker and thus she's the Queen Alone of the title.

Emmy The Great - Second Love [Bella Union]



Just as you'll end up seeing Lady Wray and Tanika Charles above on my singles list, Emmy The Great provided one of my favourite songs of the year. Though it's not the one shared here, which was the first track I heard from this record and features Wild Beasts vocalist Hayden Thorpe. It's a great cut too that deserves a listen.

Jessy Lanza - Oh No [Hyperdub]



Hamiltonian Lanza followed up her great debut Pull My Hair Back with a great sophomore effort that garnered her a spot on this years' Polaris Prize Shortlist.

Eric Krasno - Blood From A Stone [Feel Music Group]



Krasno - guitarist for Soulive and Lettuce - makes his solo debut with Blood From A Stone and it's a fantastic first statement. Having worked with the Tedeschi Trucks Band as well recently, it's clear that the rugged blues hat group excels in has found its way into Krasno's songwriting, blending with the funk and soul he already exhibited a proficiency in.

Evan Geesman - Coils [Ubiquity]



Just as there always seems to be a silber title that finds its way onto my longlist each year, the same can be said for Bay Area label Ubiquity Records. Do yourself a favour and join their mailing list so you get updates on flash sales so you can start bulk-buying their catalog.

The Frightnrs - Nothing More To Say [Daptone]



Rough year for the Daptone Records family. The Queen, Sharon Jones, felled by cancer. But before that, recent signee The Frightnrs' frontman Dan Klein dies from complications due to ALS. The group's Daptone debut would prove to be their last.

E.GG - Alverstone [Independent]



One-third of local rap group 3PEAT (found earlier in this series of Longlist posts), E.GG was a busy dude. In addition to his group debut, dude also dropped a hella hot solo full-length that found him collabing with some talented local beat-makers (full disclosure: two of them I consider friends).

Weyes Blood - Front Row Seat To Earth [Mexican Summer]



She's on my favourite track from the previously listed Drugdealer record, but Natalie Mering is no guest vocalist. On this full-length under the Weyes Blood moniker, Mering makes a trippy record that sounds like seventies AM radio in an alternate-universe California.

The Seshen - Flames and Figures [Tru Thoughts]



What I said before about silber and Ubiquity? Same goes for Tru Thoughts - consistently good label with an interesting and growing roster. The Seshen are a San Francisco seven-piece that use production techniques and instrumentation that push classic r&b into the future.

Jimetta Rose - The Light Bearer [Temporary Whatever]



If you haven't checked out Bandcamp's Top 80 Albums of 2016, do yourself a favour and start bookmarking their recommendations, starting with one that their list and mine shares - Los Angeles soul singer Jimetta Rose.

Manu Katche - Unstatic [Anteprima]



French drummer/composer Katche was in the running for the Top 20 for quite some time. In a stellar year for challenging jazz records, Unstatic was among the best.

Naima - Bye [Cuneiform]



Do yourself a favour and bookmark this Bandcamp link. It's the homepage for Cuneiform Records. You can make worse decisions than clicking on a random release from them and delving into the soundscapes their world-class artists create. But maybe start with Spanish trio Naima...

2016 - Longlist Part 4

Un Blonde - Good Will Come To You [Egg Paper Factory]




I said there'd be another one on Egg Paper Factory and here it is. Un Blonde's LP was on my Polaris longlist this past year and thus it makes its way onto the Year End Longlist as well.

Drugdealer - The End Of Comedy [Weird World]



Here's another instance where one standout track (the above collab with Weyes Blood) kept this album in contention. Not that the rest of this one is bad. Far from it.

ELWD - There's Light Somewhere [Bad Taste]



Great hip-hop tape from an up-and-coming UK producer.

Thorn1 - The Leave of Leaves [silber]



It seems like every year there's at least one record that silber puts out that just strikes a chord - this year it's Russian act Thorn1. Shout out to Brian John Mitchell for plugging away at releasing great drone and experimental music.

Fatima Al Qadiri - Brute [Hyperdub]



Al Scorch - Circle Round The Signs [Bloodshot]



I think this is his actual last name, but damn if it's not appropriate for the blazing bluegrass the Illinoian makes.

The Amazing - Ambulance [Partisan]



The Stockholm quintet pick up right where they left off on last years' Picture You.

Classixx - Faraway Reach [Innovative Leisure]



If lead-off track "Grecian Summer" doesn't grab you, then you're unlikely to enjoy the rest of Faraway Reach, but if it wins you over, it plays for keeps.

MOP MOP - Lunar Love [Agogo]



If you ever wished that Sun Ra connected with a downtempo beatmaker for a collaboration, then weep no more m'lady. MOP MOP are the peculiar pairing you didn't even know you were searching for.

Beach Slang - A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings [Polyvinyl]



Hot on the heels of The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us, Beach Slang dropped another blistering batch of punk tunes.

Teenage Fanclub - Here [Merge]



My love for this Scottish power-pop act goes back to 1990 and A Catholic Education. That is twenty-six-frickin'-years. God am I old.

The Bad Plus - It's Hard [Okeh Records]



This jazz trio never takes a misstep and they never fail to surprise with their choice of covers and rearrangement of pop songs for jazz purposes. Sadly, all the tracks are on Preview mode.

Andy Shauf - The Party [Arts & Crafts]



This is probably the biggest surprise for people I know as to what didn't make my final 20. I LOVED Shauf's set opening for Low at First Avenue in 2015 where I heard some of these tunes for the first time, but as much as I enjoyed The Party, it's not where I wanted to hang out at the end of the year.

Aleem Khan - URBANA CHAMPAIGN [Independent]



I stumbled across this one during a Bandcamp deep dive and tripped out for it. While it doesn't make the Final 20 for 2016, it's still on my longlist for next years' Polaris Prize.

Charles Bradley - Changes [Daptone]



The Screaming Eagle of Soul soars on this collection of tunes including a devastating Black Sabbath cover.

2016 - Longlist Part 3

Aoife O'Donovan - In The Magic Hour [Yep Roc]




Not sure what it is with some folks not posting on Bandcamp or Soundcloud, but Massachusetts singer-songwriter O'Donovan is among that lot, though I did find this live version of "Magic Hour" from her lovely Yep Roc record.

Courtney Marie Andrews - Honest Life [Mama Bird Recording Co.]



Honest Life is Andrews' sixth album. She's 26. I'll just be picking my jaw off the floor at that fact.

Mary Halvorson Octet - Away With You [Firehouse 12]



Halvorson is prolific and proficient - this isn't the only time you'll see the jazz guitarists' name come up on my 2016 list.

Jherek Bischoff - Cistern [The Leaf Label]



Twenty-plus musicians performed with Bischoff on Cistern, though ultimately it's his creation. The bassist composed, produced, mixed & mastered the album.

Sarah Davachi - Dominions [JAZ]



No foolin, BC drone artist Davachi released Dominions on April Fools' Day and has just dropped a brand new LP called Vergers that would likely end up on this list as well if I wasn't too busy re-reviewing all the music from my longlist.

Pajaro Sunrise - The Collapse [Lovemonk]



This is the first release I've heard from Spanish artist Yuri Méndez, who I discovered thanks to his sharing a  label with Bart Davenport. Dude's voice is peculiar, but in a charming way.

Carlos Niño and Friends - Flutes, Echoes, It's All Happening! [Leaving Records]



I found out about this one because I'm on Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's mailing list and he's among the 'friends' Niño collaborated with on this record. You might not recognize Atwood-Ferguson's name but maybe Madlib and Kamasi Washington are more familiar to you? Yeah, they're on here too. It's all happening indeed.

Adrian Younge - Something About April II [Linear Labs]



Younge has worked with the Delfonics, Ghostface Killah and more in the past. April II found him collabing with Laetitia Sadier, and much as I love soul music, I also have a huge thing for (a) french vocalists, and (b) Stereolab; so my head exploded.

Emapea - Seeds, Roots & Fruits [Cold Busted]



Funky, jazzy, slick beatmaking from Poland? As I'm quoted on the album's Bandcamp page: "Hot damn."

The Heliocentrics - From The Deep [Now-Again]



I know this is a first-world complaint, but there's almost too much music on From The Deep. It's all good - The Heliocentrics don't make bad stuff - but it's just a tad overlong.

Memoryhouse - Soft Hate [Memoryhouse]



Soft Hate wasn't just a departure from their label (Sub Pop) it was also a bit of a departure from the more muted music of their past.

Laura Sauvage - Extraordinormal [Simone Records]



I had the good fortune to see her open for Aidan Knight and if memory serves she closed with "No Direction Home." One-third of Les Hay Babies, Laura Sauvage is the stage name for Vivianne Roy's solo project and she displays songwriting- and guitar-chops abound.

Lionlimb - Shoo [Bayonet Records]



Eagle-eyed RR readers are already familiar with the track above. While the rest of Shoo doesn't quite match the pop-perfection of "Turnstile" that's a hard ask and an undue expectation.

saib. - Around The World [Cold Busted]



Moroccan beatmaker saib. has been a follow on Soundcloud for ages, so I was stoked to see him release this full-length on Cold Busted.

Atlantis Jazz Ensemble - Oceanic Suite [Marlow Records]



This Canadian jazz group was one of my favourite discoveries of 2016. Hadn't heard of them before Oceanic Suite landed on my desk at the station.