jjremone

Every few years people ring the death knell, bemoaning that “rock is dead.” 2018 was no exception, but this year there seemed to be more credence to this sentiment. At least in terms of record sales (is that even a thing anymore?) and streams, it’s evident that the kids these days are listening to more hip-hop, country, and pop. Cranked up guitars, bass, and drums seem to cater to more of a niche/older audience these days. When compiling my yearly Best Of list, I’m pretty surprised at how few “rock” bands made my list. This year I found myself listening to more roots, singer/songwriter stuff. Plus, I’ve always been a sucker for electro-pop music, and this year was a great year for that genre.

Unlike in recent years, there wasn’t that one album that instantly stood heads and shoulders above the rest for me. However, thanks to the magic of Spotify’s algorithms I have to pick Metric’s Art of Doubt as my fave album of 2018. Emily Haines and company have been one of the most consistently great bands of the last 15-20 years, and this album is no exception. Their last couple of albums have been fairly polished, but this one has a more raw, live, urgent, and off-the-cuff feel. Synths will always be a huge part of Metric’s sound but it’s nice to see Jimmy Shaw’s guitars getting some more love this time around. I still get chills every time I hear “Now or Never Now.”

Grunge pioneers Mudhoney never achieved the commercial success of their Seattle peers Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, or Alice in Chains, but they’ve been plugging away left of the dial, cranking out their fuzzed out, sardonic brand of rock. This year they released the perfect album for our time. In the age of Trump, Digital Garbage is a scathing, yet darkly funny look at everything wrong with the world today. Corporate greed, climate change deniers, flat earthers, evangelical wingnuts, NRA gun nuts, selfie culture, you name it. To quote an early Mudhoney classic, the world truly is flat out fucked. This is one album that George Carlin would enjoy and that’s a good thing.

Locally, Saskatchewan artists proved once again that they can more than hold their own against major artists around the rest of the world. Colter Wall proved that he is the real deal with the exceptional Songs of the Plains. When Steve Earle calls you the best songwriter out there today then you know you’re doing something right. After being such a talented and compelling live act for the last few years, Belle Plaine released a studio alum that properly showcased her stunning voice and songwriting. Malice, Mercy, Grief & Wrath is pretty darn close to roots/country/jazz perfection. Not to be outdone, Nick Faye & The Deputies, Dagan Harding, Blue Youth, Deaf Idols, League of One, Port Noise, Braindead Rodeo, and so many more put out stellar albums and EPs to make Saskatchewan proud.

Without further ado, here are the 40 albums and EPs that made my ears happy. Enjoy!

 

1. Metric – Art of Doubt
2. Mudhoney – Digital Garbage
3. Colter Wall – Songs of the Plains
4. First Aid Kit – Ruins
5. Belle Plaine – Malice, Mercy, Grief & Wrath
6. Brandi Carlile – By The Way, I Forgive You
7. Dear Rouge – PHASES
8. Brian Fallon – Sleepwalkers
9. CHVRCHES – Love Is Dead
10. Kasey Musgraves – Golden Hour
11. Death Cab For Cutie – Thank You for Today
12. Lindi Ortega – Liberty
13. Snail Mail – Lush
14. Courtney Barnett – Tell Me How You Really Feel
15. Robyn – Honey
16. Dagan Harding Band – I Learned How
17. Sloan – 12
18. Ruby Boots – Don’t Talk About It
19. Nick Faye & The Deputies – Stumbling Distance
20. Mother Mother – Dance and Cry
21. Blue Youth – Dead Forever
22. Lykke Li – so sad so sexy
23. The Decemberists – Traveling On
24. Juliana Hatfield – Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia Newton-John
25. Lone Wolf Dreamer – Tonight (EP)
26. Arthur Buck – Arthur Buck
27. Sean Burns and Lost Country – Music For Taverns, Bars, And Honky Tonks
28. Ghost – Prequelle
29. Greta Van Fleet – Anthem of the Peaceful Army
30. The Deaf Idols – Blasphemy (EP)
31. Beach House – 7
32. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – Tearing at the Seams
33. 54-40 – Keep On Walking
34. Port Noise – (a Disco Moose)
35. A Perfect Circle – Eat The Elephant
36. The Smashing Pumpkins – SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL 1.
37. The League of One – Dispatch
38. Anderson East – Encore
39. Braindead Romeo – War Is What We’re Good For
40. The Breeders – All Nerve

I’m not one for making New Year’s Eve a big deal because January 1 is just one of 365 days of the year. Millions of people have good intentions of starting from scratch and making resolutions about eating healthier and working out more, but usually old habits come back within a couple weeks and people carry on as they were. Normally I write off January 1 as a time to rest, but this year is different. Why? Because 2017 was literally ass for me.

2017 was the year when I realized that I’m not invincible. Apparently when you turn 40 your body decides to be an asshole. In recent years I’ve battled depression and anxiety, but physically I’ve been in pretty great shape. Running and working out have been essential tools in keeping my mental health in check. But in early August I started experiencing pain and discomfort in my ass. I initially thought it was hemorrhoids, but it ended up being a nasty abscess, which developed into a horseshoe abscess and fistula. I’ll leave it you to Google it, but trust me… it’s not fun! You take something as simple as the act of sitting down for granted, so when you have a job that requires sitting down in front of a computer for 8 hours a day and you’re in varying degrees of pain and discomfort for a few months, well… it just flat out sucks.

Needless to say, running hasn’t been an option lately. I’ve done some limited workouts and a bit of yoga, but for all intents and purposes I’ve pretty much worked as much as I can and been resting my butt on the couch for the last few months. I’ve done pretty decent putting on a happy face and joking about my situation and being the “butt of jokes,” but these last few months have really had a negative effect on my mental health. Thankfully, I’ve had amazing support from my parents, friends, and coworkers to help me cope. Hands down, my biggest source of support this year has been my mom. She had a battle with breast cancer this year but despite going through chemo and radiation and ultimately kicking cancer’s ass, she was legitimately more concerned about my arse during her ordeal. If that’s not enough inspiration to keep plugging away then nothing will be. What a fighter she is!

I recently had the surgery I needed to rectify the situation and I have another followup with my surgeon next week so (knock on wood) I should have a clean bill of health in early January. After having this health scare and my mom’s battle with cancer, I will never take being healthy for granted ever again.

2017 has been super crummy for me on a personal level, but I am chomping at the bit to get back in the groove in 2018. I went through struggles this past year but I never lost hope. So I’m not sad that 2017 is done. But I know for a fact that 2018 will kick *ahem* ass! I’m excited for what my team at work will do, I’m amped up to get more freelance writing gigs, and I’m pumped up to get back to running again. 2018 will be great… even if I have to see Donald Trump in my newsfeed every day. 🙂

 

2017 was a shit show. Donald Trump, endless mass shootings, the rise of white nationalism, natural disaster after natural disaster, #MeToo, the deaths of Gord Downie, Tom Petty, and Chris Cornell… turning on the news or logging onto Facebook or Twitter these past 12 months have made it pretty damn hard to put on a happy face. Needless to say, the world just needs a great big hug. Thankfully, Broken Social Scene brought a Hug of Thunder. In a time when sadness, despair, and anger are the easy default emotions, Kevin Drew and his extended Broken Social Scene family had their hands in many of the year’s best albums, spreading much needed love, joy, and positivity.

Broken Social Scene came back after a long hiatus with the triumphant Hug of Thunder, featuring prominent contributions from Emily Haines of Metric and Feist. Kevin Drew produced Gord Downie’s beautiful epitaph Introduce Yourself. Feist released her first album in a few years, the spare and haunting Pleasure, while Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton unveiled the stunning Choir of the Mind. Along with Stars’ There is No Love in Flourescent Light, it’s safe to say that the Broken Social Scene collective weren’t slacking in 2017.

Speaking of indie Canadian collectives, The New Pornographers released one of their finest albums to date with Whiteout Conditions. Carl Newman had to do the heavy lifting for songwriting since Dan Bejar was focusing on Destroyer and he more than rose to the occasion. This album is a power pop masterpiece.

Ryan Adams continues to be the busiest man in the music biz. Not only did he release the flawless Prisoner, but he released a full album of b-sides that most artists would be proud to release as a proper album. That, and he’s produced the upcoming Liz Phair and Jenny Lewis albums. I guess if you get divorced you have to keep busy.

The biggest pleasant surprise for me this year was the latest Rancid album. I was expecting a fun listen, but I still listen to Trouble Maker nonstop. It’s inspiring to see a band, especially a punk band, at this stage of their career release music that stands toe to toe with their best work. This album is perfect from start to finish. Joe Strummer would be proud.

Other highlights include Wolf Alice creating the perfect blend of grunge, shoegaze, and pop with Visions of a Life, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit releasing an instant alt-country classic with The Nashville Sound, and Matthew Ryan channeling his best Springsteen with Hustle Up Starlings.

Locally, 2017 was an unbelievable year for bands in Regina and the rest of Saskatchewan. Colter Wall proved once again that he’s the real deal with his self-titled album. If Steve Earle says that you’re one of the best songwriters around then you’re doing something right. Blake Berglund delivered the stunning concept album Realms. This is an album that needs to be listened to front to back, and then repeat. It’s that good. As well, Megan Nash, Johnny 2 Fingers & the Deformities, the Snake Oil Salesmen, Brodie Moniker, Lunar Lander Dance Commander, Joe O’Connor, Jeffery Straker, Grim, Justin Sheppard, Val Halla, Wanda Gronhovd, and Chris Real are just a few of the artists who released stellar albums or EPs.

With all the incredible music that came out this year, one album has been on my mind the entire time. Keeping in the spirit of giving the world a hug, Japandroids released hands down my favourite record of the year, Near To The Wild Heart Of Life.  This album just bursts with positive, life-affirming energy. It boggles my mind that two Canadian guys can make a sound this big and far reaching. In a perfect world they’d be one of the biggest bands on the planet. But in a time when the world seems to be going down the shitter it’s important to remember that there is still lots of beauty in it. Japandroids, Broken Social Scene, and every other artist or band on this list are pleasant reminders of that.

Without further ado, here are 50 albums that made 2017 worthwhile. If you want to dip your toe into each album I created a playlist on Spotify. Enjoy!

1. Japandroids – Near To The Wild Heart Of Life

2. Ryan Adams – Prisoner

3. Rancid – Trouble Maker

4. Broken Social Scene – Hug of Thunder

5. Wolf Alice – Visions of a Life

6. Gord Downie – Introduce Yerself

7. The New Pornographers – Whiteout Conditions

8. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – The Nashville Sound

9. Colter Wall – Colter Wall

10. Matthew Ryan – Hustle Up Starlings

11. Headstones – Little Army

12. The Pack a.d. – Dollhouse

13. Steve Earle – So You Wanna Be an Outlaw

14. U2 – Songs of Experience

15. Micah Schnabel – Your New Norman Rockwell

16. Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton – Choir of the Mind

17. Blake Berglund – Realms

18. Feist – Pleasure

19. Alvvays – Antisocialites

20. Jade Jackson – Gilded

21. The National – Sleep Well Beast

22. Lorde – Melodrama

23. Chris Stapleton – From a Room Volume 1

24. Chris Stapleton – From a Room Volume 2

25. St. Vincent – MASSEDUCTION

26. Greg Graffin – Millport

27. Death From Above – Outrage! Is Now

28. JJ Shiplett – Something to Believe In

29. Filthy Friends – Invitation

30. Foo Fighters – Concrete and Gold

31. Future Islands – The Far Field

32. Megan Nash – Seeker

33. LCD Soundsystem – american dream

34. Bash & Pop – Anything Could Happen

35. Royal Blood – How Did We Get So Dark?

36. Johnny 2 Fingers & the Deformities – Built to Rock ‘N Roll

37. The Snake Oil Salesmen – Dead and Breathing

38. Phoenix – Ti Amo

39. Stars – There is No Love in Fluorescent Light

40. Lunar Lander Dance Commander – Liquid Smooth EP

41. Cherry Glazerr – Apocalipstick

42. Queens of the Stone Age – Villains

43. Brodie Moniker – Nowhere Left To Ghost

44. Whitehorse – Panther In The Dollhouse

45. Laura Marling – Semper Femina

46. Arcade Fire – Everything Now

47. Whitney Rose – Rule 62

48. Joe O’Connor – No Turning Back Now

49. Sarah Slean – Metaphysics

50. Spoon – Hot Thoughts

 

There’s an old saying that if you love what you do you never work a day in your life. For a guy like me with few practical, real world skills and whose head is always in the clouds, winding up being a Creative/Copy Writer in radio is as close to being my ideal job as you can get. I’m a huge music nerd and I love writing so being able to pay the bills by being creative, being around music, and being surrounded by fellow weirdos is pretty mind blowing for me. Like any job it comes with its share of bullshit, but I honestly never dread coming into work on a Monday. As someone who deals with depression and anxiety, this is HUGE. Working in radio (or any other form of media) is a truly unique experience. I’ve worked at a grocery store, a call centre, a group insurance office, a bar, and an ad agency, and nothing compares to the vibe that exudes from working in radio. I wish the pay was a little better (who doesn’t?), but spending 37.5 hours of my life with people I would dodge a bullet for is pretty amazing. Radio attracts some seriously twisted, funny, broken, warped, and big hearted people. In other words, I’ve found my tribe. It’s a job where being a weirdo is a virtue, and I excel at being a weirdo!

 

Today is the annual Bell Let’s Talk Day, a day which holds a deeply personal significance to me. I attribute the public outpouring of millions of people sharing their stories of dealimg with mental illness a few years ago with helping plant the necessary seeds in my head to finally get the help I desperately needed for depression and anxiety four years ago. Seeing the likes of Clara Hughes and Michael Landsberg open up about battling crippling depression really opened my eyes and made me gradually come to grips with the fact that I might have the dreaded ‘d word.’

In January of 2013, after my second mental breakdown within a couple of months (due to an assortment of pent up factors like money stress, uncertainty with a change in employment, the winter blues, etc), I finally reached a breaking point and went to see my doctor to help start me on the path to healing. Because I kept everything bottled up inside for so long the floodgates opened and I HAD to get help or I might not be here to tell the tale. But I am so happy I had enough wherewithal to take that first step and ask for help. My folks were so amazing during that major period of transition and they’ve been my rock ever since.

Within a week of getting officially diagnosed with depression and starting the journey of returning to normal (well, as normal as I ever was) it happened to be Bell Let’s Talk Day. You have no idea how much it helps someone suffering with a mental illness to hear other people’s stories and how therapeutic it is to share your own. You quickly find out that once you are open about your illness that you are not alone. People who you think are super confident and have it going on are secretly broken inside. Like you they are usually able to put on the mask while they’re in public. In a weird way knowing that there are tons of other awesome people who are just as fucked up as you are is pretty liberating.

When I first went public I had so many family members, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances give me kind words of support and helpful tips on reading material and medication. And now that I’m used to officially living with depression and anxiety I’ve payed it forward by reaching out to others who are taking that important first step in getting help. It feels incredible to be able help others who are in the same boat.

Now, of course it is easy to be cynical about Bell’s alterior motives behind this massively successful campaign. In fact, CBC just reported a story about a woman who was fired at a Bell radio station for needing some time off work to adjust to her new SSRI medication for depression and anxiety. It’s nerve wracking trying a new medication. I’m currently on my second antidepressant but I was able to plan ahead and take some days off just in case my body didn’t react well to them. Not everyone is so lucky. So if this woman’s story is true then Bell should be ashamed of themselves. If it is strictly an individual station manager making a shitty decision then Bell should rectify the situation and rehire that woman and fire or transfer that station manager. If Bell promotes a wonderful message like ‘Let’s Talk’ then they better damn well practice what they preach.

Regardless of any nefarious reasons behind this corporate giant’s campaign, credit still has to be given due because this campaign has raised millions of dollars towards mental health initiatives, plus the stigma of mental illness is gradually fading away. The number one reason all major corporations engage in philanthropy is to improve their brand and make them seem like there are human beings behind the monolithic corporate machine. But if the end result does some legitimate good and helps thousands of people and changes the public discourse, then it’s worth it. It’s helped me and a I know firsthand that it’s helped lots of other people so you can’t be cynical of that.

“People are wonderful. I love individuals. I hate groups of people. I hate a group of people with a ‘common purpose’.”

     – George Carlin

Donald Trump. The two ugliest words in the human language. It’s no secret that the two things that get people riled up the most are politics and religion. Well, this last American election cycle has succeeded in dividing not only our neighbours in the U.S., but right here in Canada, as well as the rest of the world. People throughout the political spectrum have been at each other’s throats and it won’t stop any time soon now that Trump has the keys to the kingdom.

A couple weeks ago I was watching a political discussion on CBC Newsworld and one of the guests said something that gave me a glimmer of hope. The man, whose name I can’t recall for the life of me, said that there are five things that divide us: politics, religion, race, class, and sex/gender. That’s it. But we have over 500(!) things that we have in common. The average person just wants to go to work, pay their bills, have good health, enjoy good food, you name it. If we remove the labels associated with politics, religion, race, class, and sex/gender then the vast majority of people would get along, or at least smile and nod and keep walking.

Unfortunately, these five things seem to be all that people focus on nowadays. The world has become a case of Us vs Them throughout all walks of life. With the rise of social media, ‘The Left vs. The Right’ has always been a case of lowest-common-denominator in the comments sections, where lame terms like CONservatives, LIEberals, and the always classy libtards get tossed around. However, things have escalated these last couple of years. There has been a scary trend of xenophobia, racism, and white nationalism brewing in North America and Europe. Thankfully in Canada we elected a Liberal government that campaigned on compassion and inclusiveness and we didn’t fall for fear mongering tactics presented by the Conservatives, but our American neighbours were hellbent on fucking shit up that they went with the only candidate remaining who was considered an outsider to the system. People wanted to feel the Bern, instead they get to see the world burn.

Now, with someone as divisive as Trump in the White House, you would think that ‘the Left’ would do everything in their power to unite against a common enemy. You’d think. Instead, a gradual splintering of ‘the Left’ has only intensified. With the Idle No More, Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock, and Million Woman March protests this past year, it’s clear that the marginalized sections of our society are pissed off, and rightfully so. With Trump in power, if you’re not a white, rich, straight guy in the U.S., you’re fucked. The shitty thing is that as a white, straight, male liberal, I run the risk of being labelled a misogynist while showing support for women’s rights. White female liberals run the risk of being called racist for showing support for Black Lives Matter. If we show support and solidarity for those who aren’t our race, sex, or gender, we get told by some liberals to keep our mouths shut. The message sent is that if we observe some shitty things in the world we’re not supposed to comment on it unless we’ve experienced it ourselves. But turning a blind eye doesn’t help the situation. So instead, we bicker at each other.

Everyone seems so angry and bitter, so what are we left with? Now it’s no longer just ‘the Left’ vs ‘the Right’ or conservatives vs liberals. It’s liberals vs liberals, conservatives vs conservatives, Black Lives Matter vs LGBTQ, women vs women, working class vs elites, blue collar workers vs hipsters, Generation X vs Millennials, Catholics vs Muslims, Catholics vs Atheists, etc etc etc. It’s maddening. And every time I turn on Facebook these days I get sickened by the racist, xenophobic comments of those on ‘the Right,’ and get fed up with those on ‘the Left’ who tell people who are on their side to shut up while they are on their soap box.

So when it comes to politics, I’m done. At least for now. I’ve realized that being politically engaged is bad for my mental health. I can get annoyed with people every now and then but when I dive into politics I get angry with some people. And for what? George Carlin was a hero of mine and he had no political attachments. He was skeptical and critical of every political party. Instead of engaging in the political process he sat back, grabbed the popcorn, and watched the shitshow.

“Sooner or later, the people of this country are going to find out the government doesn’t give a fuck about you. All they are interested in is keeping and expanding their own power.”

     -George Carlin

The above Carlin quote became evident today when Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, Rachel Notley, and Brad Wall were all on the same page in going forward with the Keystone XL pipeline. Any supposed concerns for the environment by the left leaning Liberal and NDP governments fell by the wayside because Big Oil has all these politicians bought and paid for. So all this bickering with our friends, family, and internet strangers over politics just isn’t worth it. I’m going to just grab the popcorn and watch the world burn.

Not stressing about the things I can’t control is one tool I’ve tried to implement in my battle with depression and it’s been extremely helpful, but it’s easier said than done. With politics it’s obvious I can’t control what our elected officials do so I am going to try my best to disengage and say fuck it. I will try to focus less on labels like ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative.’ Instead, I will attempt to see people more as individuals who are separate from their self-imposed tribe because people have waaaaaay more in common than differences.

“Every person you look at, you can see the universe in their eyes, if you’re really looking.”

     – George Carlin

 

“I’m just around the corner to the light of day.”

     –  Bruce Springsteen, “Light of Day”

 

The music of Bruce Springsteen has been one of the few constants in my life since I was an only child glued to the TV watching MuchMusic in the mid-‘80s. Like 99% of the planet I was first exposed to The Boss with his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. I can’t even count how many times I saw the videos for “I’m on Fire,” “Born in the U.S.A,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “Glory Days,” and “My Hometown.” The album was a juggernaut, selling an unbelievable 20 million albums to date. Along with Prince’s Purple Rain and Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Born in the U.S.A. ruled the world for a couple of years. Add in classic deeper album cuts like “Working on the Highway” and “I’m Goin’ Down” and you have an album that is absolute perfection from start to finish.

In Wayne’s World 2, Mike Myer’s titular character Wayne Campbell is flabbergasted that his girlfriend Cassandra has never heard Peter Frampton’s Frampton Comes Alive. His response is classic: “Everybody in the world has Frampton Comes Alive. If you lived in the suburbs you were issued it. It came in the mail with samples of Tide.” It’s safe to say that Wayne Campbell would react the same way if Cassandra instead said Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen’s album was, and still is, that iconic. If you collected every copy of Born in the U.S.A. it would need its own zip code.

The Boss was still a big part of my musical DNA for the remainder of the ‘80s, but then I hit high school. In 1991 grunge and alternative music exploded, so the music of an earnest, man-of-the-people troubadour from New Jersey wasn’t as hip or cool as R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden or Smashing Pumpkins. I started taking The Boss for granted for a few years. I was still aware of the music he was releasing but it didn’t resonate with me as much as it did when I was a wee lad. However, that would change with his 2002 album The Rising. After a few years of working without his E Street Band and releasing more introspective music and movie soundtrack singles, Springsteen reunited his longtime backing band for this “comeback” album. The time seemed right to give The Boss another chance. With songs like “Nothing Man,” “The Rising,” “Empty Sky,” and “Lonesome Day,” I had flashbacks to hearing The Boss as a kid. For the second time I was hooked. From that moment forward I made it a point to buy every subsequent Springsteen album and dive more into his stunning back catalogue. Very few artists or bands have released music on par with Nebraska, Born to Run, Darkness on the Edge of Town or The River.

An added bonus to being a Springsteen fan is that one of my favourite songs, and a song that has meant so much to me since treating my depression, was a Springsteen song without me originally knowing it. In 1987, Joan Jett co-starred with Michael J. Fox in Light of Day, a drama that didn’t exactly break any box office records or impress the critics. However, the title track and video from the film got lots of airplay on MuchMusic. How could you not love Joan Jett and Marty McFly rocking out? Well, it turns out that Springsteen wrote the song for Jett, and he would eventually release a version of himself performing it live for his MTV Plugged special. I loved this song as a kid, but the simple message that things may be dark right now, but the light of day is right around the corner has especially resonated with me these last few years and has been a rallying cry for me when I’m feeling off:

     Well, I’m a little down under, but I’m keeling OK

     Got a little lost along the way

     I’m just around the corner to the light of day

     Well, I’m just around the corner to the light of day.

           – Bruce Springsteen, “Light of Day” from MTV Plugged

As I write this I am reading Springsteen’s autobiography, not surprisingly titled Born to Run. In the book and interviews promoting it, The Boss goes into detail about how he has been battling depression over the years. In particular, he reveals that he was in a really bad head space when he was writing his phenomenal 2012 album Wrecking Ball. In retrospect, I should have clued in that he might have the black dog when one of the songs on the album was titled “This Depression.” The lyrics are an open admission that he is in a low point and needs comfort and help:

Baby I’ve been down, but never this down

     I’ve been lost, but never this lost

     This is my confession

     I need your heart

     In this depression

     I need your heart

           – Bruce Springsteen, “This Depression” from Wrecking Ball

When someone called The Boss has to battle the black cloud and is open about it, it gives so many people like myself assurance and hope that things will get better. And most importantly, WE’RE NOT ALONE. I still have my good days and bad days with depression and anxiety, but I keep reminding myself that I’m just around the corner to the light of day. Thank you, Boss. He really is like the rest of us.

 

 

 

***UPDATE:  I originally wrote this on December 1st. Since then I’ve had a chance to listen to some albums that passed my radar earlier in the year so I have modified my original list just a wee bit. I can’t believe I never listened to Regina punk pioneers The Extroverts’ new album until this week! It is crazy good. After seeing Maren Morris kill it on Saturday Night Live I had to check out her album, and it is pretty darn fantastic. And then The Rolling Stones released an off-the-cuff album of blues covers. Plus, senility must be kicking in because I just flat out forgot about some albums until the last few days. Better late than never. At any rate, here is my new and improved list of my 50 favourite albums of 2016. It’s non-GMO, gluten-free, and pairs well with a pint of Rebellion Lentil Cream.***

David Bowie. Leonard Cohen. Prince. Lemmy. Merle Haggard. Glenn Frey. Leon Russell. Sharon Jones. Phife Dawg. All… RIP. And when you add in Gord Downie’s terminal brain cancer and John Mann’s early onset Alzheimer’s disease? Well, it was pretty heartbreaking being a music fan in 2016, to say the least. When music is such a vital part of your life it can feel like losing a friend or family member when one of your music idols dies because over the years their music becomes a part of the very fabric of your being, conjuring countless memories and feelings. There’s a reason why music is said to be the soundtrack to your life.

But at least everything else in the world went swimmingly in 2016, right? Right? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Shit.

Right… Donald Trump will be the next American President. A Simpsons joke is now becoming a reality. Most of the world is still scratching their heads and trying to process this. In Canada, lefties weren’t thrilled with Harper and now righties aren’t fans of Trudeau, but collectively us Canadians are counting are lucky stars we don’t live south of the border. However, the U.S. election just highlighted the fact that so many people are pissed off and fed up with the establishment. Americans were so disenfranchised with the system that they gave a free pass for racism, xenophobia, homophobia, and misogyny by voting for any kind of change to shake things up.

Since Bernie Sanders was no longer in the running, Trump was the remaining option for people wanting radical change. And now the rest of the world has to deal with it. Add in ISIS, mass shooting after mass shooting, the Black Lives Matter and Idle No More movements, and Standing Rock, and it’s clear that the world is becoming even more volatile and turbulent. Oh… and don’t forget Harambe.

The one positive thing about the world going down the shitter is that artists have more material to work with and can rage against the machine. If the world was a utopia then Slayer might wind up recording an album of Air Supply covers. I’ve noticed the zeitgeist shifting this year, because 2016 has been the best year in music in recent memory, hands down. It just seems that lots of veteran artists regained their hunger and put out albums that can rub shoulders with their classic material. Local music guru Taron Cochrane and I recently had a discussion about how a swarm of punk bands will have some extra piss and vinegar when recording their next albums.

Anyhoo, enough death and politics. Let’s get to the music. 2016 was one hell of a year for tunes. The year was so stacked with amazing albums that any one of the ones that cracked my top 20 would have likely wound up in my top 10 last year.

When I heard that Iggy Pop was working with Josh Homme I figured it would be worth a couple of listens and then I’d set it aside and go back to listening to Raw Power and The Idiot. I certainly wasn’t expecting the resulting Post Pop Depression to rank up there with Iggy’s Stooges and David Bowie albums. To cement the fact, Iggy released a concert film and album from the tour and songs like “Sunday” and “Paraguay” fit in perfectly with “Lust For Life” and “The Passenger.” At 70 years old, Iggy has cemented his place in history.

Tegan and Sara followed up their commercial breakthrough Heartthrob by going into even more ‘80s pop mode with Love You to Death. They may have lost some older fans who miss their folkier, rockier material, but these twin sisters kept their trademark quirky melodies intact and produced a perfect pop album.

Leonard Cohen was not in good health when recording what will now be his final album, and it’s clear that mortality was on his mind when writing these songs. After a stunning late career renaissance, You Want It Darker gives fans one last reminder of the genius of one of the world’s songwriters and poets.

The Pack A.D. are a force of nature. This tenacious twosome rock hard and loud, and with Positive Thinking they have added some extra textures and dabbled in some psychedelia to produce their most well-rounded, and best, album to date. “Yes, I Know” is hands down my favourite song of the year.

Drive-By Truckers may have put out the most important album of 2016 with American Band. These veteran country rockers from Athens, GA haven’t sounded this urgent in years, with a batch of politically charged stompers. Album highlight “What It Means” contains the biting lyrics “If you say it wasn’t racial / when they shot him in his tracks / Well I guess that means that you ain’t black / It means you ain’t black.”

Brian Fallon put out his best batch of songs since The Gaslight Anthem’s The ’59 Sound. July Talk’s formula of Tom Waits meets Grease meets modern rock works even better than ever. The Pixies found a permanent replacement for Kim Deal in Paz Lenchantin and now the Pixies 2.0 sound loose and recharged. Against Me! likely hit a career high with 2014’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues, but Shape Shift With Me is still pretty close to perfect. Forever a critic’s darling, but under-appreciated by the masses, Alejandro Escovedo channeled T-Rex, the New York Dolls, and Neil Young with his stunning Burn Something Beautiful.

As for the rest of my list? It varies from metal to punk rock to singer/songwriter to country to pop to hip-hop and includes super talented YQR acts BELLE PLAINE, The Extroverts, Government Town, Nick Faye & The Deputies, The Dead South, The Dustin Ritter Band, and Newera. 

If you want a sample of each album check out my Spotify playlist.

Enjoy!

JJ’s Top 50 Albums of 2016

1. Iggy Pop – Post Pop Depression

2. Tegan and Sara – Love You to Death

3. Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker

4. The Pack A.D. – Positive Thinking

5. Drive-By Truckers – American Band

6. Brian Fallon – Painkillers

7. July Talk – Touch

8. Pixies – Head Carrier

9. Against Me! – Shape Shift with Me

10. Alejandro Escovedo – Burn Something Beautiful

11. Green Day – Revolution Radio

12. The I Don’t Cares – Wild Stab

13. Nice as Fuck – Nice as Fuck

14. Butch Walker – Stay Gold

15. Descendents – Hypercaffium Spazzinate

16. Ladyhawke – Wild Things

17. Savages – Adore Life

18. Lydia Loveless – Real

19. David Bowie – Blackstar

20. Metallica – Hardwired…To Self-Destruct

21. Colvin & Earle – Colvin & Earle

22. The Strumbellas – Hope

23. Hannah Georgas – For Evelyn

25. The Tragically Hip – Man Machine Poem

25. Conor Oberst – Ruminations

26. D Generation – Nothing is Anywhere

27. Eleanor Friedberger – New View

28. Blue Rodeo – 1000 Arms

29. BELLE PLAINE – The Unrequited Love

30. Basia Bulat – Good Advice

31. Bob Mould – Patch the Sky

32. Angel Olsen – MY WOMAN

33. Gord Downie – Secret Path

34. Nick Faye & The Deputies – Lambswool – EP

35. Garbage – Strange Little Birds

36. The Wind and The Wave – Happiness is Not a Place

37. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree

38. Margo Price – Midwest Farmer’s Daughter

39. A Tribe Called Quest – We Got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service

40. Lera Lynn – Resistor

41. The Extroverts – Supple

42. The Dead South – Illusion & Doubt

43. case/lang/veirs – case/lang/veirs

44. Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth

45. Maren Morris – HERO

46. Miranda Lambert – The Weight of These Wings

47. Government Town – III

48. The Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome

49. The Dustin Ritter Band – Can’t Turn Back

50. Newera – Inner Demons

As I write this, The Tragically Hip will hit the stage for the final time tonight in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario. Like most of Canada, I will be watching the CBC broadcast of the concert at a viewing party in what will undoubtedly be a transcendent, yet devastating night. Like most Canadians, the music of Gord Downie and company has been the soundtrack to my life, becoming a huge part of the fabric of my existence. And their music has helped me get through many rough times when depression’s dark cloud has creeped up on me and taken the wind out of me.

Along with R.E.M. and Spirit of the West, The Hip were one of the first bands that got me on the right path to listening to real music. Having gone from listening to hair metal to MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice in Grade 9 my turning point came when I purchased R.E.M.’s Out of Time and Spirit of the West’s Go Figure. After immersing myself in these two albums and diving into these two bands’ back catalogues I next turned to The Tragically Hip. Up to Here and Road Apples were incredible albums from start to finish and still sound as spine-tingling today as they did in 1991. No matter how many times I hear “New Orleans is Sinking” or “Little Bones” I always turn the radio up. When I used to host karaoke I used to sing “New Orleans is Sinking” quite often, and every time I would introduce it as “Canada’s unofficial national anthem.” No one ever argued with me. Everyone always just sang along.

The Tragically Hip, along with the likes of Spirit of the West and Blue Rodeo, shattered any notions that Canadian music paled in comparison to artists from The U.S and the U.K. “Hoser” rock was no longer just Doug and the Slugs and Trooper. Canadian music actually mattered. In 1992, R.E.M. released their most acclaimed album, Automatic for the People, while The Hip released their finest album, Fully, Completely. These two albums and bands will forever be linked to me, partly because I still have the image of the front page of the Columbia House monthly pamphlet with both bands on the front. R.E.M. and The Hip are similar in the fact that the musicians in each band come across as pretty regular guys you’d see at the local pub, but they’re fronted by two singers, Michael Stipe and Gord Downie, who are charismatic, quirky, enigmatic, and eccentric. This dichotomy is likely part of the reason both bands were able to become so popular.

In the case of The Hip, their music has spoken to people of all walks of life. Politics, class, religion, and race divides so many people, but for 32 years The Hip have managed to build a tower of song that transcends labels and speaks to everyone. At any Hip show you’ll find construction workers, oil field technicians, university professors, artists, poets, musicians, jocks, nerds, right wingers, left wingers, Christians, atheists, you name it. A Hip concert is one of the few places where a CEO of an oil company can sit comfortable next to an environmentalist. This is because The Hip don’t just speak to us, they are us. Through their gift of music, Gord Downie and his bandmates have become our friends, family, and ourselves through musical osmosis. And because of Gord’s battle with terminal brain cancer, tonight will be the last time we get to see this band in action. Cancer may be taking Gord down but he’s going out s(w)inging.

In 2011 I was crushed when R.E.M. decided to amicably call it quits. Earlier this year it was rewarding, but ultimately heartbreaking to see Spirit of the West during their final tour and watch John Mann admirably raise the middle finger to dementia. And tonight, myself and the rest of Canada will go through the whole spectrum of emotions as we watch The Tragically Hip’s final encore.

Gord Downie, thank you for three decades of integrity, poetry, emotion, eccentricity, and grace, too.

– JJ Elliott