!earshot Top 200 of 2020

Rising from an extensive musical resume, including involvement in Chad Vangaalen, Ghostkeeper, Azeda Booth, and most notably, Women, one of Calgary’s biggest buzz-bands from 5 years ago, came Viet Cong. Work in that variety of previous projects prepared the four members for the success of their debut self-titled full-length album on Flemish Eye this year, if a seven-song release can be considered such. Media seemed not to mind the brevity as the band managed to garner coveted Pitchfork ‘Best New Music’ recognition, a Polaris Prize shortlist nomination, and numerous #1 Earshot Top 50 appearances. The controversy that arose due to their choice of band name likely only brought more ears upon their noisy brand of post-punk, since it didn’t seem to greatly affect their busy schedule of international touring and festival appearances. Announcing that they will be changing their name, their final tour under this title is set to take place in early 2016 after a year of incredible hype.
By Sean Warkentine

Viet Cong's self-titled debut record was one of the most interesting stories this year. I interviewed Viet Cong for my show, The Interview Show, at the beginning of 2015 just before they released their debut record. Back then, Viet Cong was a new project which had risen out of the ashes of Calgary's Women, a band that had imploded onstage in a fistfight in Victoria, but the guys in Viet Cong were hopeful that a powerful self-titled record would be a new start for these dedicated musicians. 

The debut record found both positive reactions from passionate post-punk fans AND controversy. The record received many great reviews from indie publications like Pitchfork and The Guardian and the record even made Canada's prestigious 2015 Polaris Prize short list. However members of Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American communities were offended by the band name and this led to shows being cancelled. In September, the members of Viet Cong vowed to change their name to avoid any more pain. 2016 should be even more exciting for the band formerly named Viet Cong as everyone waits for the rebirth. 
By Scott Wood.

Viet Cong talks to Erin Flynn for !earshot in March 2015: Viet Cong - Band on the Run

One of the reasons Viet Cong is #1 for 2015 is the dominance they showed on the first part of the year. They charted on more stations and charted higher than any other artist by a wide margin. It wasn't even close for weeks and weeks.
All chart appearances for Viet Cong
9 weeks at #1 (January 20 to March 17, 2014)

Purity Ring made a big splash with their debut Shrines released in 2012 so expections lwerer high when a new album was announced for 2015. The duo of Megan James (vocals) and Corin Roddick (instrumentals) did not disappoint when Another Eternity arrived in February. Working together in-person in Edmonton rather than collaborating long-distance as they did for Shrines has yielded a sound that is warmer and more human with the new record. Purity Ring have shown with their growth and development that they are a force to be reckoned with. Lucky us!
By Magnus Thyvold

Purity Ring - Another Eternity review by Steve Marlow
All chart appearances for Another Eternity
7 weeks at #1 Top 50 (March 24 to May 5, 2015)
7 weeks at #1 Electronic (March 24 to May 5, 2015)

Braids
Deep in the Iris - (Flemish Eye)
http://braidsmusic.com/ @braidsmusic

When Calgary-raised, Montreal-based BRAIDS debuted in 2011 with Native Speaker, critics described them as "Animal Collective at their most hormonally charged". The band returned with a second record in 2013, Flourish // Perish. I talked to the band during this time. The group had gone through a painful reduction from a four piece to a three piece, yet had stepped forward in a new direction.

BRAIDS returned this year with the more confident third release Deep In the Iris. Songs like "Miniskirt" prove the band (Raphaelle Standell-Preston, Austin Tufts and Taylor Smith) is now fearless enough to release a single dealing with objectification, the male gaze and female empowerment.
By Scott Wood

All chart appearances for Deep in the Iris
10 weeks at #1 Electronic (May 12 to July 7, 2015)
8 weeks at #1 Top 50 (May 19 to June 30, 2015)

Yukon Blonde
On Blonde - (Dine Alone)
http://yukonblonde.com/ @YukonBlonde

When I first met Vancouver's Yukon Blonde back in 2013, they were an indie rock band who made music that would be perfect for a sunset after a hot summer day at the lake cottage. They told me about how they had once been known as Alphababy, but a name change had proven to be a game changer for the band. 

Fast forward to this summer when Yukon Blonde released their latest record On Blonde. Their single "Saturday Night" was embraced by both PBR drinkers and Molson Canadian drinkers--meaning this former indie band is ready to conquer mainstream radio. 
By Scott Wood

All chart appearaces for On Blonde
6 weeks at #1 (July 14 to August 11, 2015)

Faith Healer
Cosmic Troubles - (Mint)
http://faithhealer.ca/ @FayeThealer

What does it take to make a great album of gentle 60s sounding pop songs? Start by being among the prolific circle of artists in the Edmonton music scene and by possessing a mild interest in the mystical. Perhaps play guitar in a few other bands --Tee-Tahs and Punk Explosion would do fine. After you’ve created a solo album with that circle of artists, including Renny Wilson and Doug Hoyer, under your own name, titled Brother Loyola, the trick then is to sign to Mint Records under the title Faith Healer. Work with Renny Wilson again to create an album of light and catchy tunes. Call it Cosmic Troubles. If you do that, you’ll be well on your way. Jessica Jalbert, the main creative force behind Faith Healer, became a favorite this year due to the albums substantial doses of psych pop, garage rock, and French pop. With its lovely and jangly guitar-pop sensibilities, it easily caught ears by making regular appearances on Earshot charts for most of the year following its March release.
By Sean Warkentine

Faith Healer - Cosmic Troubles reviewed by Steve Marlow
All chart appearances for Cosmic Troubles
Highest Rank #2 (May 5,May 19 &,June 23, 2015)

Destroyer
Poison Season - (Merge)
http://www.destroyersongs.com/

Poison Season is Destroyer's 11th studio album since 1996. Destroyer is Vancouver's Dan Behar and the loose and changing group of bandmates. The sound is dominated by Behar's unique and idiosyncratic singing and songwriting style. His songs are unmistakable, even when they show up in the middle of a New Pornographers record. Even as Poison Season spent most of September and October at the top of the !earshot Top 50, you could see Dan Behar dropping off his young daughter at school most mornings in Vancouver. This is how it goes when you have reached the level of respect and admiration that Destroyer has acheived. Pitchfork gushes, radio deejays can't get enough, attention is paid regardless of how he spends his time. It is a good place to be. It must be great for him, but it is certainly great for us.
By Magnus Thyvold

All Chart Appearnaces for Poison Season
6 weeks ar #1 (September 30 to October 20, 2015)

Whitehorse, the folk-rock band started in 2011 by successful solo artists (and husband and wife) Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland, has produced two EPs and three studio albums, basically one per year.  Their latest release, Leave No Bridge Unburned, was released  by Six Shooter Records on February 17, 2015. They have already announced another EP for early 2016 release. Leave No Bridge Unburned was long-listed for the 2015 Polaris Prize, their previous release The Fate Of The World Depends On This Kiss was shortlisted for the 2013 Polaris.

Luke and Melissa each have a fairly large body of recorded material from previous band and solo work, which is useful to show that sometimes it is true, the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts. The combination of the strengths of these two, Luke's guitar playing and Melissa's voice (and the fact that even second best in this group is better than most), means that whatever they take on, whether a cover or an original, is not him or her but distinctively them. Their must-see live show showcases their multi-instrumental talents as they utilize looping pedals and other technology to bring all or most of the studio sound to a duo performance. 
By Arbie Fru

Highest Rank: #2 Top 50 (March 10, 17 & 24, 2015)
5 weeks at #1 Folk/Roots/Blues (March 10 to April 7, 2015)

It was an interesting year in some indie circles, which, amidst a swirl of support via the #ShortlistBA outcry, highlighted industry bias against musical comedy albums. While there’s rarely anything really new to say about the more than a decade long career of B.A. Johnston, one of the hardest working artists in the nation, he did succeed in completing his nine hundred and ninety-ninth and his one thousandth cross-Canada tours this year while supporting his latest album, Shit Sucks. If you’ve ever listened to a B.A. Johnston album, you know what to expect: a synthpop dance number, a rapid-fire strumming acoustic song, the same with an indie rock backing band, and plenty of laughs all the way through. Though his mother has had to settle with a son that was merely long-listed for the 2015 Polaris Prize, she should be proud of the Stompin’ Tom-quality of Canadiana he continues to espouse and gain acknowledgement for, all while creating these atop lines that get into your head and stay there.
By Sean Warkentine

All chart appearances for Shit Sucks
Highest Rank: #2 (March 10, 2015)

Who doesn't like Joel Plaskett? The Park Avenue Sobriety Test seemed to land with less buzz than previous efforts. Despite, never holding the #1 spot, The Park Avenue Sobriety Test cruised near the top of the Top 30 for weeks on end, peaking at #2 several times. For this record, Plaskett took a back to basics approach " Most of the album was cut in November live off  the floor in my studio with The Emergency or with some other players, with six to seven players at once on live vocal takes." he said in an interview with !earshot from April 2015. "That was fun and half the record was done that way." Plaskett is a powerhouse and every recent record has made the year-end Top 10 including a #1 ranking in 2009. He may not be a household name in Canada but he is a Canadian teasure.
By Magnus Thyvold

All chart appearances for The Park Avenue Sobriety Test
Highest Rank: #2 (April 7, 14, 21 and May 12, 2015)

Toronto’s chaotic trio, METZ, formed in 2007 and began releasing 7” peeks at their music in 2009. They were suddenly/finally scooped up by Sub Pop records in 2012 to release thier first noise-rock full-length album, which was released later that year to much acclaim. The self-titled album reflected the more punk elements of grunge and resulted in a 2013 Polaris Prize nomination. Performing worldwide over the next couple years, they toured with the good company of bands like Fucked Up, Cloud Nothings, and Titus Andronicus. A physical release from Lids this year, a project featuring METZ guitarist and vocalist, Alex Edkins, alongside members of Holy Fuck and Constantines, has also given a slightly more stripped-down noisy electronic-rock sound to embrace. Perhaps to compensate for the relative softness of this sideproject, it eventually brought about the second METZ full-length, II, and while it didn’t break any new ground per se, it gave fans exactly what they liked about the former with even more raw intensity, creating a second winner in their discography.
By Sean Warkentine

All chart appearances for METZ - II
Highest Rank: #2 (May 26, June 2 & 9, 2015)

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