one in ten words

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre

49. Foals "Exits"

48. Frank Turner "The Lioness"

Massey Hall

Royal Mountain Records BBQ

47. Hollerado "Time on Earth"

46. Sharon Van Etten "Seventeen"

45. Nilüfer Yanya "In Your Head"

44. Methyl Ethel "Trip the Mains"

43. Kid Bloom "LEMONHEAD"

42. Screaming Females "Let Me In"

The Silver Dollar Room

41. FONTAINES D.C. "Boys in the Better Land"

40. Low Hum "Strange Love"

39. Charly Bliss "Capacity"

The Rec Room

38. The Effens "Human"

The Baby G

37. Pottery "Lady Solinas"

36. Broken Social Scene "Can't Find My Heart"

Osheaga

35. The National "Rylan"

Riot Fest

34. Ex Hex "Rainbow Shiner"

33. Alice Merton "Lash Out"

32. pronoun "temporary tantrum"

31. girl in red "dead girl in the pool"

30. The Japanese House "We Talk All the Time"

29. Clairo "Bags"

28. King Princess "Cheap Queen"

27. Pkew Pkew Pkew "I Don't Matter at All"

26. FIDLAR "Can’t You See"

25. Angel Du$t "On My Way"

24. Ian Blurton "Days Will Remain"

23. allusinlove "All My Love"

22. The Anti-Queens "Worse Than Death"

21. Miss June "Twitch"

20. Control Top "Chain Reaction"

19. Tallies "Easy Enough"

18. Bob Mould "Sunshine Rock"

Riot Fest

17. Ra Ra Riot "Bad to Worse"

16. Alex Lahey "Don’t Be so Hard on Yourself"

15. PUP "Kids"

Echo Beach

Osheaga

Royal Mountain Records BBQ

14. Barrie "Clovers"

13. Mannequin Pussy "Drunk II"

12. SOAK "Knock Me off My Feet"

The Drake Underground

11. Ludic "My Love"

10. Dizzy "Twist"

The Mod Club

Wolfe Island Winter Ball

Baby Teeth Album Release Party

9. Hatchie "Without a Blush"

8. Better Oblivion Community Center "Dylan Thomas"

7. K.Flay "Bad Vibes"

6. SWMRS "Trashbag Baby"

5. The Twilight Sad "I'm Not Here [Missing Face]"

4. The Regrettes "California Friends"

NXNE Yonge-Dundas Square

NXNE Portlands

3. Sunflower Bean "Come for Me"

2. Bleached "Hard to Kill"

1. Billie Eilish "Bad Guy"

January 20, 2019

Best of: Top 50 of 2018: My favourite songs of 2018

I had a great time in 2018, in spite of the negativity that was flowing so heavily from so many sources. The music and the bands and the friends that surround them were my salvation. The positive energy and empowering messages coming from stage and speakers did a lot to help me from spiralling into the despair that politics, and the ugliness it emboldened, encouraged.

Please check out my other "best of" posts. My 20 Favourite Albums of 2018 list is here and I'll link my Favourite Concert Photos of 2018 when I have that finalized.

The hyperlinks in the song titles will take you to the tune itself if you want to check it out, the hyperlinks below each song link to my coverage of the artists, including my photos from those particular performances.

As always, thanks so much to the promoters, publicists, bands, management, festivals and venues that allow me to do this thing that I love to do.

All the best as we sail into 2019, whatever it happens to hold for us. Let's be positive, encouraging, empowering and above all, kind and understanding. It will go a long way to making the world a better place.

50. Calpurnia "City Boy"

49. The Beaches "T-Shirt"

48. King Tuff "Psycho Star"

47. Ash "Annabel"

46. Hatchie "Sure"

45. Inheaven "Sweet Dreams Baby"

44. Casper Skulls "O My Enemy"

43. The Joy Formidable "The Wrong Side"

42. Soccer Mommy "Your Dog"

Longboat Hall

41. Meg Myers "Numb"

40. Blood Red Shoes "God Complex"

39. Middle Kids "Mistake"

38. Snail Mail "Pristine"

37. Hop Along "How Simple"

36. Art d'Ecco "Never Tell"

35. Cloud Nothings "Another Way Of Life"

34. The Dirty Nil "Bathed In Light"

33. Young Fathers "Toy"

32. Restorations "The Red Door"

31. Fatherson "Charm School"

30. The Interrupters "She's Kerosene"

29. Ellevator "Voices"

28. Dinosaur Jr. "Hold Unknown"

27. The Zolas "Bombs Away"

The Ex
The Opera House
Riverfest Elora

The Portlands

26. Dream Wife "Fire"

25. Ought "Disgraced in America"

24. Johnny Marr "Hi Hello"

23. Frank Turner "Be More Kind"

Massey Hall

22. Marlon Chaplin "Elevation"

The Piston

Cherry Cola's

21. Yuno "No Going Back"

20. Weakened Friends "Blue Again"

19. The Wombats "Turn"

18. Screaming Females "Step Outside"

The Silver Dollar Room
The Garrison

17. Tancred "Queen of New York"

16. Yungblud "I Love You, Will You Marry Me"

The Rivoli

Yonge-Dundas Square

15. Culture Abuse "Bee Kind To The Bugs"

14. Little Junior "Denial"

The Danforth Music Hall
Wayhome Festival

13. Chvrches "Get Out"

Yonge-Dundas Square

12. Bob Mould "Sunshine Rock"

The Horseshoe Tavern
Riot Fest
The Horseshoe Tavern
The Mod Club

11. An Horse "Get Out Somehow"

10. Charly Bliss "Heaven"

The Rec Room

9. King Princess "1950"

8. The Dirty Nil "That's What Heaven Feels Like"

7. The Twilight Sad "I/m Not Here [missing face]"

6. Sunflower Bean "Crisis Fest"

5. Dream Wife "Let's Make Out"

4. Ellevator "St. Cecilia"

3. Screaming Females "I'll Make You Sorry"

The Silver Dollar Room
The Garrison

2. Pale Waves "Heavenly"

The Baby G

1. Dizzy "In Time"

Album Release Party at Ildsjel Collective

Best of: Top 20 of 2018: My favourite albums of 2018

2018 was a pretty damn cool year in music. There were so many beautiful souls trying their best to fill the world with beauty, empowerment, kindness and positive strength. While looking at the ugliness, racism, intolerance and just plain outright stupidity that so many people were trying, and unfortunately succeeding, in promoting, I loved the positive messages that I was hearing from the stage and from my speakers. The list below is the 20 albums, plus 2, that hit me the hardest, in the best way, in 2018.

And I guess I should explain the "top 20, plus 2" thing. It's because there were two albums that really only came to my attention in the past year, even though they were released in 2017. They're just so amazing that I had to recognize them; to put them on this list, kinda, sorta.

Check out my other "best of" posts of 2018. My Top 50 Favourite Songs of 2018 list is right here. And I'll link my Favourite Concert Photos of 2018 when I have that finalized.

The hyperlinks below each artist and album name link to my coverage of the artists, including my photos from those particular performances.

Here's to hoping we can all make 2019 a kinder, more empowering and inclusive year.

20. Lykke Li So Sad So Sexy

19. Restorations LP5000

18. Frank Turner Be More Kind

Massey Hall

17. Cloud Nothings Last Burning Buildings

16. Culture Abuse Bay Dream

15. The Wombats Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life

14. Ought Room Inside the World

13. Weakened Friends Common Blah

12. Tancred Nightstand

11. Sunflower Bean Twentytwo in Blue

10. Marlon Chaplin The Circle

The Piston

Cherry Cola's

*. Alex Lahey I Love You Like A Brother

9. King Princess Make My Bed

8. The Dirty Nil Master Volume

7. Little Junior Hi

The Danforth Music Hall
Wayhome Festival

6. Chvrches Love is Dead

Yonge-Dundas Square

5. Pale Waves My Mind Makes Noises

The Baby G

*. Sam Coffey & the Iron Lungs Sam Coffey & the Iron Lungs

4. Dream Wife Dream Wife

3. Ellevator Ellevator

2. Dizzy Baby Teeth

Record release party at Ildsjel Collective
Field Trip
Hillside Festival

1. Screaming Females All At Once