Best of: Top 30 of 2016: My favourite albums of 2016

Here are my 30 favourite albums of 2016. And, yeah, they're kind of in order this year. Best at the top!

The Zolas Swooner

July Talk Touch

Yuck Stranger Things

Wintersleep The Great Detachment

Sate RedBlack&Blue

Warpaint Heads Up

Bob Mould Patch The Sky

The Kills Ash And Ice

Public Animal Palace Arms

Dinosaur Jr. Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not

The Temperance Movement White Bear

Sunflower Bean Human Ceremony

White Lung Paradise

White Denim Stiff

Weaves Weaves

Split Single Metal Frames

Ron Hawkins Spit Sputter and Sparkle

Pup The Dream Is Over

Catfish & The Bottlemen The Ride

Sleigh Bells Jessica Rabbit

Frightened Rabbit Painting of a Panic Attack

The Balconies Rhonda

Marlon Chaplin Wanderer By Trade

Eagulls Ullages

TacocaT Lost Time

John Moreland In The Throes

The Joy Formidable Hitch

The Strumbellas Hope

Drowners On Desire

Viola Beach Viola Beach

Best of: Top 50 of 2016: My favourite songs of 2016

I loved 2016.

Lots of other people didn't. And that's okay. There was lots to get down about. Lots of aging (and not so aging) rockers that dove into the inevitability and lots of pretty shitty human behaviour, just to name a couple of things.

But there was lots to be very, very happy about. Life was pretty damn good to me, personally. I spent much of the year bathed in art. Lots of real "me time". I attended more shows and saw more bands in 2016 than I have in any other year. I spent a lot of time with a lot of very cool people. It's a concert-going record I don't think I'm going to break any time soon. Or any time at all.

And there was great music. So much great music. This year, I probably listened to less recorded music than I have in many, many years, but I made up for it with live shows. This is reflected in the fact that my favourite songs of the year came mostly from acts I saw live. Many of them I saw multiple times, giving their tunes more time to wedge themselves into my consciousness.

The bonus that comes with this post is that you're also getting a preview of my favourite albums list if you notice the number of repeat songs by certain artists that appear amongst my favourites. It'll be coming soon. And so will a post of my favourite concert photos of 2016. Which comes with a special announcement.

And so, here they are, at long last, my latest ever best of list, except for the ones for my favourite albums and favourite concert photos, which are still in progress... These are my favourite fifty tunes of 2016:

50. "Break My Heart Sweetly" John Moreland

49. "In Stars" Marlon Chaplin

48. "Radio of Lips" The Joy Formidable

47. "Blank Ribbons" Split Single

46. "We Had Everything" Broods

45. "Personal Weekend" Partner

44. "City Club" The Growlers

43. "Molotov Girls" The Zolas

42. "Voices In My Head" Bob Mould

41. "Kiss Me When I Bleed" White Lung

40. "Coo Coo" Weaves

39. "Cannonball" Yuck

38. "Fossils" Marlon Chaplin

37. "Money Money" The Balconies

36. "Easier Said" Sunflower Bean

35. "Swooner" The Zolas

34. "Beautiful Girl" Ron Hawkins

33. "Santa Fe" Wintersleep

32. "Goin' Down" Dinosaur Jr.

31. "Doing It To Death" The Kills

30. "Lemontrees" Eagulls

29. "White Bear" The Temperance Movement

28. "Miracle" The Darcys

27. "Silence" Sate

26. "Beck + Call" July Talk

25. "Swings and Waterslides" Viola Beach

24. "CV Dazzle" The Zolas

23. "Cruel Ways" Drowners

22. "DVP" Pup

21. "Pen to Paper" Modern Space

20. "Wall Watcher" Sunflower Bean

19. "Soundcheck" Catfish and The Bottlemen

18. "Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah)" White Denim

17. "Human" Weaves

16. "Blood In The Cut" K.Flay

15. "Give It Up" The Beaches

14. "Get Out" Frightened Rabbit

13. "It Don't Seem Right" Public Animal

12. "It's Just Us Now" Sleigh Bells

11. "Hold Me Closer" Yuck

10. "Tiny" Dinosaur Jr.

9. "The End of Things" Bob Mould

8. "Heart of a Dog" The Kills

7. "Warrior" Sate

6. "Amerika" Wintersleep

5. "Invisible" The Zolas

4. "Hearts In Motion" Yuck

3. "New Song" Warpaint

2. "Spirits" The Strumbellas

1. "Push + Pull" July Talk

Yuck at The Silver Dollar Room - Concert Pictures

London, England's Yuck is one of my favourite bands. The music they create, with it's grungy, grimy chords, cool melodic guitar hooks, great vocal melodies and driving beats is an elixir for my ears. It was two years ago, and very early on in my concert photography adventure, that I caught the band at The Garrison. I loved that show and I've been looking forward to seeing the band again ever since.

They recently released their newest album Stranger Things and of course they headed out on tour. They were here at Toronto's Silver Dollar Room on April 9. Their set spanned their 3-album discography and almost every one of my favourite Yuck songs. Hearing the magical noise the band creates in a club full of like-minded people is incredible. It lifts my heart and helps me face the world.

Enjoy my favourite tunes from Yuck's setlist. They finished up the setlist pictured below and then started their encore with their tight tease of Metallica's "Enter Sandman". They finished up the night with "Georgia".

"Cannonball" from Stranger Things


"Hearts in Motion" from Stranger Things

"Holing Out" from their eponymous début

"Lose My Breath" from Glow & Behold

"Get Away" from Yuck

"Middle Sea" my favourite Yuck song, from Glow & Behold

"The Wall" from Yuck

"Hold Me Closer" from Stranger Things

"Operation" from Yuck

"Georgia" from Yuck

Five years ago: Yuck's eponymous début

Five years ago today, London's Yuck released their eponymous début album. It crossed up grunge and power pop in all the best ways. On my favourite tunes. the guitars were dirty as hell, but they unleashed massive hooks. The vocals expressed angst with melody. The songs were massively well-crafted, high-energy pop songs. Along with many of the band's influences, Yuck's music is the kind of music I like best.

I didn't catch their live show until after the departure of Daniel Blumberg and their next album, Glow & Behold, was released. That was when they played Toronto's Garrison in the winter of 2014. They're back on tour in a couple of weeks and are hitting up Toronto's Silver Dollar Room on April 9. Their new album Stranger Things comes out February 26 and you can hear some of those great songs here and here and here.

Here are my favourite tune's from Yuck's Yuck.

"Get Away"

"The Wall"

"Holing Out"

"Georgia"

"Operation"

Pic from Wikipedia.

Another new Yuck song: Cannonball from Stranger Things

This is the third cut we get to hear from Yuck's forthcoming Stranger Things album. This high energy alt-rock tune is called "Cannonball". We also heard awesome tracks "Hearts in Motion" and "Hold Me Closer". The album is out February 26. You might be able to tell that I'm really looking forward to it.

Check out the tune below. 

I'm hoping to catch them on tour, when the hit up The Silver Dollar Room in Toronto on April 9.

 

New music from Yuck: Hearts in Motion from Stranger Things

One of my favourite bands, Yuck, has a new album coming out on February 26. It's going to be called Stranger Things and we get to hear a very cool track called "Hearts in Motion" right now. It's got those great, dirty guitars and cool, addictive melodies that this band is known for. We also got to hear the album's opening track, "Hold Me Closer" back in July.

It sounds like they had a good time recording the album, taking their time and doing it on a low budget at their own pace. Sounds like the right way to do it and I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of the disc.

Of course, a new album means new tour dates, including a stop at The Silver Dollar Room in Toronto on April 9. I just wish there wasn't also another band that I've been dying to see playing the same night. Decisions, decisions.

New Yuck: Song called Hold Me Closer

Yuck is one of my favourite bands. I love their heavy guitar power pop. They were one of the first bands I got to shoot with a "real" camera back in January of 2014. They've got a new album wrapped up for an early 2016 release and they've just let the tune "Hold Me Closer" loose on the world.

Take a listen. It's got big fuzzy chords, cool little guitar lines and a soon-to-be addictive melody. They've got a few summer tour dates planed, but sadly nothing in Toronto. Can't wait to see these guys live when they do hit up Toronto next time.

New Yuck EP Southern Skies - check out two songs

Yuck have released a new EP called Southern Skies. The title track is a quiet, delicate song with a skipping guitar line and subdued vocal. "Another One" features more of the wall-of-guitars and upbeat delivery that the band is known for.

Engage your senses:

Yuck make a joyous noise at The Garrison

It was a relatively warm January 17 in Toronto when I ventured down to my first ever show at The Garrison. Yuck from the UK were the headliners. I have loved this band's music since the first time I heard their grunge influenced tunes on their début and I've been quite certain that they would shine in a live environment. Let me tell you, they do not disappoint.

If you know about this band at all you know that they've gone through some change over the past while with the departure of their lead singer, their guitarist stepping up to fill that spot and the addition of a second guitar player. In the midst of all that upheaval, they managed to release a new album. A great one at that.

Their setlist started off strong with some of my favourites including "Middle Sea" and "Holing Out". They also hit up "Get Away", "Rebirth", their cover of New Order's "Age of Consent" and many more from across both Yuck and Glow & Behold before closing the main set with "Operation". After a short break they returned to the stage for an encore of "Memorial Fields" and "Georgia".

Awesome stuff! I'm so glad I made it out to the show.

Here are some tunes:

"Middle Sea" from Glow & Behold

"Holing Out" from Yuck

"Get Away" from Yuck

"Rebirth" from Glow & Behold

"Age of Consent", their New Order cover, and

Set closer "Operation" from Yuck

And here's the new tune "Athena" from their forthcoming EP Southern Skies. Busy guys!

New clips from Yuck

Earlier this year, Yuck released their second album, Glow & Behold. Here are a couple of recent videos from the album.

The quiet and lovely "Somewhere".

The cute-filled "Lose My Breath"

and the tough-buy tennis video for the brilliant "Middle Sea"

They're here in Toronto at The Garrison on January 17.

Wicked cover: Yuck do New Order's Age of Consent

Yuck are a great band. They're coming out with a new album Glow & Behold on October 1 and I posted "Middle Sea" and "Rebirth". Here's Yuck doing a blistering cover of New Order's "Age of Consent". They also get to show off new guitarist Ed Hayes. I have got to see this band live!

New Yuck album Glow & Behold on the way; new tune!

Yuck released the aptly titled tune "Rebirth" last month. Now they've released another tune as well as the October 1 release date for their new album Glow & Behold. Check out the loud, swirly guitars and cool melodies of "Middle Sea" below.