Best of: My favourite songs of 2015

I feel like 2015 has flown by and I have missed a lot of the music it had to offer. I've seen a lot of shows by a lot of great bands. Not as many as in 2014 mind you, and I've purposely slowed down in the past month or so, but still a lot. There's so much great music that was produced this year, and there's so much that I've yet to discover. Every year, I bookmark the best of lists from other sites and I don't look at any of them until after my own list is up. Most years, I don't get through reading all the others, either.

Follow the links in the song titles below to listen to the tunes, and click the links in the artist name to get to my posts of concert coverage and pictures of the artists. In some cases, where I've seen a band multiple times and they've got multiple songs in the list, the links are distributed. In cases where I've seen a band more than once but they only have one song below, you'll see a second link. Please click away and have fun!

All the best to everyone for 2016. May there continue to be more great music that brings smiles to our faces, joy to our hearts and gets our bodies moving. And more great artists that indulge my desire to photograph them delivering that music. Happy 2016 everyone!

50. "I Want To Feel Alive" The Lighthouse and The Whaler

49. "Let It Burn" by Magic Giant

48. "Sprinter" by Torres and more

47. "Cataract" by Dirty Ghosts

46. "Pony" by Wavves

45. "Saturday Night" by Yukon Blonde

44. "So Down Low" by The Elwins

43. "Begin Again" by Purity Ring

42. "Young Blood" by The Districts

41. "Gold" by Clavvs

40. "Ripe" by Screaming Females

39. "Bury our Friends" Sleater-Kinney

38. "Marks to Prove It" by Maccabees

37. "Freazy" by Wolf Alice

36. "The Graduates" by Speedy Ortiz

35. "Poison" by Waxahatchee

34. "Moaning Lisa Smile" by Wolf Alice

33. "My Backyard" by Taylor Knox

32. "Swell Content" by Speedy Ortiz

31. "Dreaming" by Smallpools

30. "When You Were Mine" by Night Terrors of 1927 featuring Tegan & Sara

29. "Heard Good Things" by Julian Taylor Band and more

28. "Peaches" by The Districts

27. "Way Too Much" by Wavves

26. ​"Hope Is Made of Steel" by Northcote

25. "Fluffy" by Wolf Alice

24. "Stained Glass Heart" by Public Animal and more

23. "The Kids Are All Wrong" by Lowest of the Low

22. "Josephine" by Frank Turner

21. "Return to the Moon" by El Vy

20. "4th and Roebling" by The Districts

19. "Under a Rock" by Waxahatchee

18. "City on the Hill" by Desaparecidos

17. "Royal Jelly" by Deap Vally

16. "Raising the Skate" by Speedy Ortiz

15. "Heaven Sent" by Best Coast

14. "Cocoon" by Ash

13. "In the Blink of an Eye" by Lowest of the Low

12. "I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)" by The Dead Weather

11. "Never Ending Circles" by Chvrches

10. "Dangerous" by Big Data featuring Joywave

9. "You're A Germ" by Wolf Alice

8. "24 Frames" by Jason Isbell

7. "Things Happen" by Dawes

6. "Warrior" by Sate and more

5. "Giant Peach" by Wolf Alice

4. "Leave a Trace" by Chvrches

3. "Flesh without Blood" by Grimes

2. "Get Better" by Frank Turner

1. "Bros" by Wolf Alice

Brave Shores at The Phoenix Concert Theatre - Concert Pictures

I first heard of Brave Shores as I'm sure many others have - from their most excellent, hook-filled and funky single "Never Come Down". I caught their live show at Harbourfront Centre as part of Panamania during the Pan Am Games. I caught this show at The Phoenix Concert Theatre as they opened for Wolf Alice. They had the crowd swaying to their dreamy, synth laden tunes.

Of course, their proper set ended with the groove and hooks, the perfect piece of pop that is "Never Come Down". They then played us a brand new tune because they finished early. Don't worry. It happens to everyone now and then. Fun show.

Here are some tunes:

"Never Come Down"

"More Like You"

TURF 2015 Day 3: Sate on the South Stage - Concert Pictures

I was sold when I first heard Sate's powerful and soulful music. I pretty much freaked out when I saw the band live for the first time as they opened for Fishbone (who I had the honour of photographing at both The Horseshoe Tavern and the South Stage at TURF). I spent the next few days looking forward to how Sate and the band would translate that show from the sweaty and dark Horseshoe Tavern to the great outdoors under the Gardiner Expressway on the South Stage for an early afternoon slot on Day 3 of The Toronto Urban Roots Festival.

I'm going to get to the point quickly by saying that the kind of show that Sate puts on is incredible in any venue. Sate is a force of nature. The band deliver the heavy with the groove and Sate gives it her all every time. The songs are incredible and the on-stage chemistry is insanely good. Check out these shots I captured, listen to Sate's music and make sure you don't miss their next show.

"Warrior"

"What Did I Do?"

Jordan Alexander at The Horseshoe - Concert Pictures

Jordan Alexander took to The Horseshoe Tavern stage first on the night of November 28. She was helping to get the crowd warmed up for Julian Taylor Band and she did a fantastic job with her incredible singing, approachable and immediately likeable songs, and her fun yet vulnerable nature. She has a beautiful voice; the kind that you feel like you could just listen to forever.

That night, Jordan Alexander became an artist that I want to see again and to hear more of her music. Check out some below and go see her live if you get the chance. She was heading into the studio the week following the show so I'm looking forward to more music in the not-too-distant future.

"Take Me Out Tonight"

"Need Your Love"

"Callouses"

"Love & Alcohol"

Billy Moon at The Horseshoe Tavern - Concert Pictures

Billy Moon are a garage rock duo from Hamilton. I caught Billy Moon at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern opening for Nada Surf. I enjoyed Graham Caldwell's great crunchy power chords and the solid drumming. Their efficient garage pop tunes feature great chord melodies and riffs. Hooks abound in these fun songs.

You can grab them for yourself at their bandcamp.

Check out some tunes:

"Video Girls"

"Cold"


"Emma Lee"


"If You Don't Read Books"