
!earshot charts - top 200 of 2015 -
Every year is a good year, it seems, in Canadian music. For 2015 we had some familiar and perennial favourites, some fresh new favourites and even a dose of controversy. More than 7000 releases charted on campus/community radio stations this year. Fortunately, more than 1500 deejays at stations across the land sorted through it all and played the best they could find on their programs throughout the year. We have added it all up to bring you the collective wisdom and airplay of all those music lovers in the Top 200 of 2015. Make sure to check out the specialty charts too: Electronic, Hip Hop, International, Jazz, Loud and Folk, Roots & Blues. Edited by Magnus Thyvold
1 | ![]() ![]() Viet Cong - (Flemish Eye) htthttp://vietcong.bandcamp.com/ @VietCongtheBand 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. 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. 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. |
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2 | ![]() ![]() Another Eternity - (Last Gang) http://thepurityring.tumblr.com/ @PURITY_RING 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! Purity Ring - Another Eternity review by Steve Marlow |
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3 |
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. All chart appearances for Deep in the Iris |
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4 |
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. All chart appearaces for On Blonde |
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5 |
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. Faith Healer - Cosmic Troubles reviewed by Steve Marlow |
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6 |
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. All Chart Appearnaces for Poison Season |
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7 | ![]() ![]() Leave No Bridge Unburned- (Six Shooter) http://whitehorsemusic.ca/ @WeAreWhitehorse 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. Highest Rank: #2 Top 50 (March 10, 17 & 24, 2015) |
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8 | ![]() ![]() Shit Sucks- (Mammoth Cave) http://www.bajohnston.ca// @bajohnston 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. All chart appearances for Shit Sucks |
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9 | ![]() ![]() The Park Avenue Sobriety Test- (Pheromone Recordings) http://www.joelplaskett.com/ @joelplaskett 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. All chart appearances for The Park Avenue Sobriety Test |
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10 | ![]() ![]() II - (Sub Pop) http://www.metzztem.com// @METZtheband 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. All chart appearances for METZ - II |
Asterisk (*) denotes Canadian artists. All !earshot charts in this issue reflect actual airplay on campus/community stations from January to December 2015. Charts are weighted according to broadcast range and market size. To view older charts from as far back as 1999, go to our charts main page.
top 200 >> 51 to 100 >>101 to 150 >>151 to200 | electronic | hip hop | international | jazz | loud | folk/roots/blues | main charts page
Rank | Artist | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Viet Cong * | Viet Cong | Flemish Eye |
2 | Purity Ring * | Another Eternity | Last Gang |
3 | Braids * | Deep In The Iris | Flemish Eye |
4 | Yukon Blonde * | On Blonde | Dine Alone |
5 | Faith Healer * | Cosmic Troubles | Mint |
6 | Destroyer * | Poison Season | Merge |
7 | Whitehorse * | Leave No Bridge Unburned | Six Shooter |
8 | B.A. Johnston * | Shit Sucks | Mammoth Cave |
9 | Joel Plaskett * | The Park Avenue Sobriety Test | Pheromone Recordings |
10 | METZ * | II | Sub Pop |
11 | Suuns & Jerusalem in my Heart * | Suuns & Jerusalem in my heart | Secret City |
12 | Alabama Shakes | Sound & Color | ATO |
13 | Ought * | Sun Coming Down | Constellation |
14 | Freak Heat Waves * | Bonnie's State of Mind | Hockey Dad |
15 | The Weather Station * | Loyalty | Paradise Of Bachelors |
16 | U.S. Girls * | Half Free | 4AD |
17 | Humans * | Noontide | Hybridity Music |
18 | Mac DeMarco * | Another One | Captured Tracks |
19 | Dilly Dally * | Sore | Buzz |
20 | Siskiyou * | Nervous | Constellation |
21 | Great Lake Swimmers * | A Forest of Arms | Nettwerk |
22 | Moon * | Moon | Bruised Tongue |
23 | Lindi Ortega * | Faded Gloryville | The Grand Tour |
24 | BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah | Sour Soul | Lex |
25 | Dan Mangan + Blacksmith* | Club Meds | Arts & Crafts |
26 | Patrick Watson * | Love Songs For Robots | Secret City |
27 | Tough Age * | I Get The Feeling Central | Mint |
28 | Buffy Sainte-Marie * | Power In The Blood | True North |
29 | Samantha Savage Smith * | Fine Lines | Pipe & Hat |
30 | Belle And Sebastian | Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance | Matador |
31 | Sleater-Kinney | No Cities To Love | Sub Pop |
32 | Metric * | Pagans in Vegas | Universal |
33 | Father John Misty | I Love You, Honeybear | Sub Pop |
34 | Godspeed You! Black Emperor * | Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress | Constellation |
35 | Courtney Barnett | Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit | Mom + Pop |
36 | Kappa Chow * | Collected Output | Self-Released |
37 | Tame Impala | Currents | Interscope |
38 | Seoul * | I Become A Shade | Last Gang |
39 | Frog Eyes * | Pickpocket's Locket | Paper Bag |
40 | Fountain * | Fountain II | Self-Released |
41 | Crosss * | Lo | Telephone Explosion |
42 | Grounders * | Grounders | Nevado |
43 | Kathryn Calder * | Kathryn Calder | File Under: Music (FU:M) |
44 | Twin River * | Should the light go out | Light Organ |
45 | Moon King * | Secret Life | Last Gang |
46 | Jamie xx | In Colour | Young Turks |
47 | Kurt Vile | b'lieve i'm goin down | Matador |
48 | Modest Mouse | Strangers To Ourselves | Epic |
49 | Old Man Luedecke * | Domestic Eccentric | True North |
50 | Mauno * | Rough Master | Self-Released |
top 200 >> 51 to 100 >>101 to 150 >>151 to200 | electronic | hip hop | international | jazz | loud | folk/roots/blues | main charts page
Rank | Artist | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
51 | The Souljazz Orchestra * | Resistance | Do Right! Music |
52 | Fist City * | Everything is a Mess | Transgressive |
53 | Hey Rosetta! * | Second Sight | Sonic |
54 | No Aloha * | No Problemo | Poncho Records |
55 | Panda Bear | Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper | Domino |
56 | Teen Daze * | Morning World | Paper Bag |
57 | Majical Cloudz * | Are You Alone? | Arts & Crafts |
58 | Ariel Pink | pom pom | 4AD |
59 | The High Dials * | In The A.M. Wilds | Self-Released |
60 | Jose Gonzalez | Vestiges & Claws | Mute |
61 | JOYFULTALK * | MUUIXX | Drip Audio |
62 | Unknown Mortal Orchestra | Multi-Love | Jagjaguwar |
63 | Leon Bridges | Coming Home | Columbia |
64 | Hag Face * | R.I.P. | Psychic Handshake |
65 | Beach House | Depression Cherry | Sub Pop |
66 | Grimes * | Art Angels | 4AD |
67 | Doldrums * | The Air Conditioned Nightmare | Sub Pop |
68 | Young Rival * | Interior Light | Paper Bag |
69 | Jerusalem In My Heart * | If He Dies, If If If If If If | Constellation |
70 | Colin Stetson And Sarah Neufeld* | Never Were The Way She Was | Constellation |
71 | Caribou * | Our Love | Merge |
72 | Milk & Bone * | Little Mourning | Bonsound |
73 | Coeur De Pirate * | Roses | Dare To Care |
74 | The Decemberists | What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World | Capitol |
75 | Weed * | Running Back | Lefse |
76 | The Golden Dogs * | 3 1/2 | Self-Released |
77 | Rah Rah * | Vessels | Hidden Pony |
78 | Fake Tears * | Nightshifting | Mint |
79 | Sufjan Stevens | Carrie & Lowell | Asthmatic Kitty |
80 | New Order | Music Complete | Mute |
81 | Hot Chip | Why Make Sense? | Domino |
82 | Nancy Pants * | Total | Self-Released |
83 | C and C Surf Factory * | Garage City | Six Shooter |
84 | Wilco | Star Wars | dBpm |
85 | Slim Twig * | Thanks For Stickin' With Twig | DFA |
86 | Ryan Hemsworth * | Alone for the First Time | Last Gang |
87 | Ben Caplan * | Birds With Broken Wings | Coalition Music |
88 | Babysitter * | Babysitter | Psychic Handshake |
89 | The Elwins * | Play for Keeps | Hidden Pony |
90 | Various * | Native North America: Aboriginal Folk, Rock & Country 1966-1985 (Vol.1) | Light In The Attic |
91 | Tough Age * | Plays Cub's Hot Dog Day | Mint |
92 | The Dodos | Individ | Dine Alone |
93 | The Sheepdogs * | Future Nostalgia | Warner (WEA) |
94 | A Tribe Called Red * | Suplex | Pirates Blend |
95 | Yo La Tengo | Stuff Like That There | Matador |
96 | Esmerine * | Lost Voices | Constellation |
97 | The Acorn * | Vieux Loup | Paper Bag |
98 | Del Bel * | Del Bel | Missed Connection |
99 | Deerhunter | Fading Frontier | 4AD |
100 | Telstar Drugs * | Sonatine | Egg Paper Factory |
top 200 >> 51 to 100 >>101 to 150 >>151 to200 | electronic | hip hop | international | jazz | loud | folk/roots/blues | main charts page
Rank | Artist | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
101 | Basic Nature * | Circles and Lines | Dub Ditch Picnic |
102 | City And Colour * | If I Should Go Before You | Dine Alone |
103 | Pharis & Jason Romero * | A Wanderer I'll Stay | Lula |
104 | Heat * | Rooms | Kitsune |
105 | Slow Down Molasses * | Burnt Black Cars | Culvert |
106 | Human Music * | Sup | Dub Ditch Picnic |
107 | Shamir | Ratchet | XL Recordings |
108 | David Gogo * | Vicksburg Call | Cordova Bay |
109 | Michael Feuerstack * | The Forgettable Truth | Forward Music Group |
110 | Leaf Rapids * | Lucky Stars | Black Hen |
111 | Ibeyi | Ibeyi | XL Recordings |
112 | Jenn Grant * | Compostela | Outside Music |
113 | Bjork | Vulnicura | One Little Indian |
114 | Renny Wilson * | Punk Explosion/Extension | Mint |
115 | D'Angelo and the Vanguard | Black Messiah | RCA |
116 | No Joy * | More Faithful | Arts & Crafts |
117 | Nap Eyes * | Whine of the Mystic (2015) | You've Changed |
118 | k-os * | Can't Fly Without Gravity | Dine Alone |
119 | Danko Jones * | Fire Music | New Damage |
120 | ttwwrrss * | ttwwrrss_2 | Maisonneuve |
121 | King Khan & BBQ Show * | Bad News Boys | In The Red |
122 | Metric * | The Shade EP | Metric Music International |
123 | Will Butler * | Policy | Merge |
124 | Toro Y Moi | What For? | Columbia |
125 | KEN mode * | Success | New Damage |
126 | Corb Lund * | Things That Can't Be Undone | New West |
127 | Ratatat | Magnifique | XL Recordings |
128 | Waxahatchee | Ivy Tripp | Merge |
129 | Amelia Curran * | They Promised You Mercy | Six Shooter |
130 | Adrian Teacher and The Subs* | Sorta Hafta | Self-Released |
131 | Thee Oh Sees | Mutilator Defeated | Castle Face |
132 | Black Spruce Bog * | Confluence | Self-Released |
133 | Blonde Elvis * | On Vanity | Pleasance |
134 | Ponctuation * | La r�alit� nous suffit | Bonsound |
135 | M&M Meats * | Runner's Love | Transistor 66 |
136 | TV On The Radio | Seeds | Harvest |
137 | Death From Above 1979 * | The Physical World | Last Gang |
138 | El Vy | Return To The Moon | 4AD |
139 | Speedy Ortiz | Foil Deer | Carpark |
140 | The Good Lovelies * | Burn The Plan | Six Shooter |
141 | Protomartyr | The Agent Intellect | Hardly Art |
142 | Stars * | No One Is Lost | ATO |
143 | HILOTRONS * | To Trip With Terpsichore | Self-Released |
144 | Battles | La Di Da Di | Warp |
145 | Anamai * | Sallows | Buzz |
146 | Daniel Romano * | If I've Only One Time Askin' | New West |
147 | LeE HARVeY OsMOND * | Beautiful Scars | Latent |
148 | Rain Over St. Ambrose * | Still Waking Up | Acadian Embassy |
149 | The Soul Motivators * | Free to Believe | Do Right! Music |
150 | Elliott BROOD * | Work and Love | Paper Bag |
top 200 >> 51 to 100 >>101 to 150 >>151 to200 | electronic | hip hop | international | jazz | loud | folk/roots/blues | main charts page
Rank | Artist | Title | Label |
---|---|---|---|
151 | The Dears * | Times Infinity, Vol. One | Dangerbird |
152 | Cairo * | A History Of Reasons | MapleMusic Recordings |
153 | Born Ruffians * | Ruff | Paper Bag |
154 | Emilie & Ogden * | 10 000 | Secret City |
155 | Last Ex * | Last Ex | Constellation |
156 | The Noble Thiefs * | It's Tough To Be The Bad Guy | Pipe & Hat |
157 | Chairs * | Drawn Into Mazes | Kinnta |
158 | Moss Lime * | Zoo Du Quebec | Telephone Explosion |
159 | SC Mira * | Waiting Room Baby | Pipe and Hat |
160 | Health | Death Magic | Fiction |
161 | Gregory Pepper And His Problems* | Chorus! Chorus! Chorus! | Fake Four Inc. |
162 | Scattered Clouds * | The First Empire | E Tron Records |
163 | Deerhoof | La Isla Bonita | Polyvinyl |
164 | Dan Deacon | Gliss Riffer | Domino |
165 | Dark Glasses * | Dark Glasses | Gary Cassettes |
166 | Moss Lime * | July First | Fixture |
167 | The Young Novelists * | Made Us Strangers | Self-Released |
168 | A Place To Bury Strangers | Transfixiation | Dead Oceans |
169 | Napalmpom * | The Unconditional Love Of... | Shake! |
170 | Mikal Cronin | MCIII | Merge |
171 | The New Pornographers * | Brill Bruisers | Last Gang |
172 | TV Freaks * | Bad Luck Charms | Deranged |
173 | The Backhomes * | Tidalwave | Self-Released |
174 | Language Arts * | Able Island | MapleMusic Recordings |
175 | Viet Cong * | Continental Shelf | Self-Released |
176 | Towanda * | Black Sheep EP | Self-Released |
177 | Sun K * | Northern Lies | MapleMusic Recordings |
178 | Curtis Nowosad * | Dialectics | Cellar Live |
179 | The Long Distance Runners * | Elements | Self-Released |
180 | AM Static * | A Life Well Lived | Self-Released |
181 | Gypsophilia * | Night Swimming | Forward Music Group |
182 | Beirut | No No No | 4AD |
183 | Vogue Dots * | Mauka | Indica |
184 | La Luz | Weirdo Shrine | Hardly Art |
185 | Gang Signs * | Geist | File Under: Music (FU:M) |
186 | Ghost Twin * | Here We Are In The Night | Dub Ditch Picnic |
187 | Calvin Love * | Super Future | Arts & Crafts |
188 | Colin Linden * | Rich In Love | Stony Plain |
189 | Century Palm * | Century Palm | Mammoth Cave |
190 | Terra Lightfoot * | Every Time My Mind Runs Wild | Sonic Unyon |
191 | Death Cab For Cutie | Kintsugi | Atlantic |
192 | Alvvays * | Alvvays | Royal Mountain |
193 | Best Coast | California Nights | Virgin |
194 | Conduct * | Fear And Desire | Pubic Tone Records |
195 | Grey Lands * | Right Arm | Paper Bag |
196 | The New Wild * | The New Wild | Self-Released |
197 | Steph Copeland * | Public Panic | Self-Released |
198 | Hayden * | Hey Love | Arts & Crafts |
199 | Beach House | Thank Your Lucky Stars | Sub Pop |
200 | Petunia * | Free as the Wind | Self-Released |
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