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By: John Mendoza On Monday March 21st 2022, Conan Gray took over one of Toronto’s hottest new venues, HISTORY for the first of two shows here in the city. He played tracks “Heather”, “Fight or Flight”, “Maniac” and many more. Bülow opened the show. Check out my photo gallery below: Bülow Conan Gray

By: Gemma Mastroianni I can’t be the only one who has felt constantly in and out of a creative slump over these past two very draining years. I go through periods of creative bliss and euphoria where I feel an overwhelming amount of motivation and inspiration with a huge go getter attitude.Then suddenly, days after that, I draw a blank and feel nothing at all. When there is no end in sight, it’s increasingly difficult to maintain motivation. With that said, I try to take advantage of the moments where I do feel upbeat and I do my best to get back on the horse. Although these things are difficult, there are definitely some things I do to try and beat the slump. I’ve mentioned previously on my podcast how I love to capture content about my experiences, so it has certainly been a challenge at times maintaining my creativity on this platform. However, I feel accomplished for doing my best to keep up with it all, and find inspiration in other forms. Here is a playlist I’ve made to help inspire moments of bliss and creativity. Click here to listen or check it out below: The power of music is underestimated, as it can truly alter your mood. The power of a beat, bass, and lyricism is amazing. I hope this mix can make you feel like the sun is shining, and inspire something deeper within you. It features electrifying indie-pop, a bit of techno-house, and some up-beat alternative rock of course. Citrus Recently, I have found that citrus is actually bringing more buzz to me than coffee! I’ve been eating lots of Grapefruit and Oranges and I love the kick I get from it. I’ve also been using Citrus Dreams from Saje in my diffuser which helps wake me up and feel energized. Planners I’ve been using my to-do list and calendar on my phone for the past few years, but there’s something that hits different by using an actual planner. I just purchased this one from Indigo and I found it’s been really helping me keep on task over the past few days. Planners help keep you on track, inspire, and look forward. Having a nice booklet with a pretty design helps too. Journaling I’ve always been an advocate for journaling. The power of bringing your thoughts to life on paper is more than one would expect and it’s helped me through the highs and lows throughout the years. With that said, I’ve never purchased a journal that has writing prompts. I just purchased a Five Minute Journal from Indigo and can’t wait to get started! Acceptance As much as we may want to feel happy and accomplish things as often as possible, it’s freeing to accept that it is simply unrealistic. Giving yourself the necessary time to re-charge and understand that highs and lows are necessary to maintain yourself as opposed to feeling pressure from feeling off.

By: Gemma Mastroianni I am beyond excited to announce that this weeks guest on the Wavy podcast is Danish singer and songwriter, MØ! MØ’s eccentric energy and alternative electronic edge to her music makes her sound infectious, and her shows a memorable experience. She has been one of my favourite pop artists since I saw her at Wayhome back in 2015. She is dropping a brand new album titled Motordrom on January 28th. We chat mental health, fashion, and her new album. Listen below: Or, listen on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or Anchor.

By: Gemma Mastroianni The Instagram algorithm – our favourite thing, right? Ha, ha. On the first Wavy podcast episode of 2022, I go over the frustrations with Instagram and its algorithm that many artists have been expressing this week on social media. This conversation was sparked by Chelsea Cutler who made this post below (swipe to read the full post): This post sparked some deeper thinking about myself and my relationship with the platform, as it did for many artists and creators. One of my favourite bands Said the Whale also followed with their thoughts on the platform in their post here. Beyond my frustration with Instagram, I also discuss what is next for the platform along with some of the most anticipated albums that I am excited for in 2022. Listen below or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Anchor.

Another rotation around the sun means its time for yet another great Album’s of the Year list! For the second year in a row, we here at The Soundtrack present the 100 best albums. While artists were holding off on some albums last year, nothing stopped them this year. Some touring cycles started up before screeching to an end, others never left the house. But hopefully some of the music that soundtracked your life this year made the cut below. Albums were nominated by a team member and if it reached a specific threshold of votes, it was eligible to make this list. A total of 309 albums and EP’s were nominated. As The Soundtrack is a Canadian publication, we feel it is our duty to highlight the many great acts from this country as denoted with a flag (🇨🇦) next to the title. Additionally, find out which 2021 album you are by taking our quiz here. 100. Lil Nas X – MONTERO There’s no denying that 2021 was the year of Lil Nas X. Despite having won a Grammy with his 2019 debut song “Old Town Road”, it was MONTERO that really announced his arrival. Creating explosive controversy with his risquée (see: super queer) music videos for singles “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name” and “INDUSTRY BABY”, Lil Nas X has cemented himself not only as a queer icon, but as a pop superstar. Full of catchy dance tracks and sultry slow jams, MONTERO is an honest, authentic, and exciting album by an artist who seems to have only just begun his climb to the top. – Amanda McMillan 99. Justin Bieber – Justice 🇨🇦 98. Tash Sultana – Terra Ferma 97. Weezer – OK Human 96. Drake – Scary Hours II EP 🇨🇦 95. Angel Olsen – Aisles 94. Twenty One Pilots – Scaled and Icy 93. Viagra Boys – Welfare Jazz 92. Demi Lovato – Dancing With the Devil… The Art of Starting Over 91. Cold War Kids – New Age Norms 3 Since 2019 LA based band Cold War Kids have been releasing projects under the banner New Age Norms, with the second coming in 2020 and the trilogy finishing off this year. CWK have a tried and true sound, they blend Alternative Rock with a bit of Blues and filtered through a Pop lens. Nathan Willett’s crooning vocals soar over smooth riffs, the same as it has on every album. The album is anchored by the single “What You Say”, but there are plenty of more hidden gems throughout. – Dakota Arsenault 90. Halsey – If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power 89. Kanye West – Donda Donda is the tenth studio album by critically acclaimed American rapper Kanye West. The album is predominantly a hip-hop record, while also incorporating gospel and pop elements. Kanye’s devotion to Jesus is a major theme in this record, as well as his struggles with addiction, family matters, and his mental health. The album features many established and up and coming artists, including the Sunday Service Choir, Jay-Z, Playboi Carti, Lil Baby, The Weeknd, André 3000, Vory, DaBaby, and Marilyn Manson. Highlights include, “Jail”, “Hurricane”, “Believe What I Say”, and “Off The Grid”. – Jared Burke 88. Gorillaz – Meanwhile EP Damon Albarn and his cartoon friends in Gorillaz have been hit or miss since their return in 2017, some people argue they jump on bandwagons a little too quickly and frequently but it shows the malleability of the group which has never stayed the same release over release. This three song EP continues to show the evolution of the band, with the highlight being “Jimmy Jimmy”, a Two-Tone Ska song with guest rapper AJ Tracey dancing all over the track while Albarn does his best English Beat and The Specials impression. – Dakota Arsenault 87. Various Artists – The Metallica Blacklist 86. Real Estate – Half a Human 85. Dee Gees – Hail Satin For 2021’s Record Store Day, the Foo Fighters released an EP covering Bee Gees songs (Dee Gees as in Dave Grohl’s, get it?). Back in 1979 when Disco Demolition Night occurred in Oakland and caused a riot of people protesting Disco music it would be unthinkable that one of the most straightforward Rock N Roll bands would record music by arguably Disco’s poster child. Grohl does a fantastic job imitating Barry Gibb, while the rest of the band flawlessly recreates the era of all things satin and velour. The B-side to the record is live versions of cuts from their Medicine At Midnight album that just barely missed the top 100 cut for us. If you don’t like the A-side, do you even know what fun is? – Dakota Arsenault 84. Angels & Airwaves – Lifeforms 83. Beach Bunny – Blame Game 82. Steady Holiday – Take the Corners Gently 81. Widowspeak – Honeychurch 80. Ron Gallo – PEACEMEAL Ron Gallo is one of the most eclectic artists out there when it comes to Alternative Rock. He incorporates elements of Jazz, Pop, Metal, R&B, and Indie Rock and somehow makes it all sound cohesive. On PEACEMEAL he meshes all of these elements and has created a record that is timeless and fun for all who enjoy such an eclectic mix. – Gemma Mastroianni Read our interview with Ron Gallo here. 79. Kacey Musgraves – star-crossed 78. Lorde – Solar Power 77. Born Ruffians – PULP 🇨🇦 76. Vince Staples – Vince Staples 75. Ben Browning – Until We Win Listen to our interview with Ben Browning here. 74. Cloud Nothings – The Shadow I Remember 73. Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself 72. Julien Baker – Little Oblivions Known for her emotional yet conversational lyrics and ambient songs, singer-songwriter Julien Baker’s Little Oblivions brings this unique style of storytelling to our ears. Dealing with topics such as substance abuse, heartbreak, and the struggles of growing up gay in a Christian home, the album is tough to listen to at times. Her storytelling is bleak and emotional, but lyrically it is heartbreaking to hear. Songs like “Faith Healer” or “Hardline” showcase Baker’s ability to shift genres yet maintain her unique sound. – Josiah Botting 71. DJ Seinfeld – Mirrors 70. The Black Keys – Delta Kream 69. The Tragically Hip – Saskadelphia 🇨🇦 This is the iconic Canadian band’s first release since the tragic passing of lead singer Gord Downie back in 2017 of brain cancer. Saskadelphia is actually six songs that didn’t make the cut for the band’s third album, 1991’s Road Apples. Originally the group wanted to call the record Saskadelphia, but the American label didn’t like it, so cheekily they submitted the name Road Apples, to which the unassuming American brass didn’t realize it was Canadian slang for horse crap, thus a legendary album title was born. This release even contains a live version of “Montreal” recorded in 2000 at the Molson Centre in Montreal. For longtime fans of the band, it’s a sad reminder of the void we feel since Downie left us on this mortal coil. – Dakota Arsenault 68. Briston Maroney – Sunflower Emotional yet effortlessly cool, Sunflower is a well-produced confessional album that feels perfect for driving late at night, windows open, and nothing but open road ahead. While not particularly remarkable in terms of a unique sound, there is a ton of Post-Punk and early Aught-Rock influence that keep it feeling familiar and likeable. Super singable melodic hooks, punchy guitar, and solid beats make this album a fun one to come back to when you’re in the mood for a drive. – Amanda McMillan Listen to our interview with Briston Maroney here. 67. Royal Blood – Typhoons Mainstream rock has been dead for quite a while now. Outside of acts like Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers, most alternative acts just don’t do business like they used to. UK’s Royal Blood has been growing with every release and Typhoons builds on their impressive base, this time adding some keyboard riffs to their guitar and drum combo. If “Typhoons” and “Trouble’s Coming” doesn’t get your heart beating faster and head banging, go see a doctor so you can get back to rocking out. – Dakota Arsenault 66. Teen Daze – Breathing Tides 🇨🇦 Listen to our interview with Teen Daze here. 65. J. Cole – The Off-Season Inspired by his time away from rapping to hone in on his craft, J. Cole’s The Off Season shows the improvement of an already impressive artist’s style and flow. The beats are some of the best on a rap album released in 2021 with full and deep bass, and lots of hi-hats. Songs like “t h e . c l i m b . b a c k”, which blends the story of his love for rap and addresses some of his past trauma, or “p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l” that features Lil Baby and is a highlight from the album. – Josiah Botting 64. Men I Trust – Untourable Album 🇨🇦 63. willow – lately I feel EVERYTHING An unexpected genre exploration from willow, who has quickly become an Internet darling. The addition of pop-punk legend Travis Barker (Blink-182) on three tracks, including the single “t r a n s p a r e n t s o u l” brings an energy and polish to an album that is intentionally youthful. Catchy hooks, killer melodies, and smart lyrics bring together a super fun album, packing a refreshing punch and ushering in a new generation of diverse artists during what appears to be a Pop-Punk revival. – Amanda McMillan 62. Luna Li – jams EP 61. Houndmouth – Good For You Houndmouth was the heir apparent to boozy Alt-Country to shout and sing along to, but after the departure of founding member Katie Taupin (who put out the excellent EP Little Heart this year) the band went on an uninspired Pop escapade. Thankfully they went back to their roots, with Roots music. Good For You sounds like the band woke up with a bad hangover and kept things low key while getting back to the basics. This isn’t the band that made “Sedona” but thankfully it’s also not the band that made Golden Age. – Dakota Arsenault 60. Cadence Weapon – Parallel World 🇨🇦 An experimental and engaging LP with elements of hip-hop and electronica, influenced by the upside down world we are currently residing in. It features a variety of collaborations which adds a ton of flavour to this already exciting collection of tracks, including last year’s Polaris winner Backxwash. – Gemma Mastroianni Read our interview with Cadence Weapon here. 59. Hayley Williams – FLOWERS for VASES / descansos Intimate and warming, this folk sophomoric album has melancholic melodies over through modest, sparse production. Here, she speaks gently on the past, old heartbreaks and self-reflection but there’s an air of desperation and in her lyricism. A tribute to her own healing and her pain, this project is boldly unique compared to her previous works. – John Mendoza 58. Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever Eilish’s sophomore album takes on a more sophisticated and mature sound, representing growth from her debut album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP WHERE DO WE GO. This album tackles heartbreak, transitioning into womanhood, and empowerment. The title track is certainly the highlight of this album, and possibly one of the most impactful songs released in 2021. – Gemma Mastroianni 57. Keys n Krates – Original Classic 🇨🇦 56. BACKXWASH – I LIE HERE BURIED WITH MY RINGS AND MY DRESSES 🇨🇦 55. James Blake – Friends That Will Break Your Heart 54. Wild Pink – A Billion Little Lights 🇨🇦 53. Taylor Swift – Red (Taylor’s Version) 52. Little Simz – Sometimes I Might Be Introvert 51. Lord Huron – Long Lost While best listened to uninterrupted from front to back, Lord Huron’s Long Lost sounds both nostalgic and uniquely original. Made to sound like an old television program or an old radio station from the 50’s, the album features intros and outros from a talk-show host to make the hour-long album runtime feel like a performance or program. Whether you like upbeat tracks like “Mine Forever,” a sad ballad like “I Lied” or a 14-minute instrumental “Time’s Blur” that perfectly closes off the album, Long Lost has something for everyone to enjoy. – Josiah Botting 50. Jon Batiste – WE ARE Most people likely only know Jon Batiste as the band leader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with his adorably awkward laugh and great fashion sense, but he is one of the most accomplished modern jazz musicians working today. He won an Oscar back in April for his scoring work on the Pixar film Soul. He’s back with a new solo record documenting the modern black experience in America that allows him to look at the current political landscape, into the past of his community and into the future for the next generation. It’s a poignant and touching album of celebratory resistance and banging tunes with plenty of fellow New Orleans friends. – Dakota Arsenault 49. Citizen – Life in Your Glass World Bands like Royal Blood and Citizen are keeping the torch burning of rock and roll. Sure Citizen likely has more in common with such subgenres like Emo, Dance Punk and Pop Punk, but whatever you want to call Life in Your Glass House, it rocks really hard. Hailing from Ohio and Michigan, the three piece put out their fourth album and big breakthrough this year allowing guitar aficionados to rejoice. Go ahead and head bang your way through “Pedestal” and “Fight Beat”. – Dakota Arsenault 48. Taylor Swift – Fearless (Taylor’s Version) Say what you want about Taylor Swift, the woman knows how to make money. It’s admirable, for lack of a better word, that she has decided to re-release her music in her own way. Released 12 years after the original, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) has an undeniable maturity infused within it. Her voice, now that of a 32 year old, brings with it a new wisdom, even as she sings about boys from high school. Now, the songs feel like she’s reading back old diary entries, a knowing understanding of how it all turns out in the end, rather than singing as these things happen in real time. For fans of her catalogue, it’s a new take on old classics. For haters, it’s nothing special. But then again, Taylor Swift has shown, if nothing else, that she takes her work very seriously even when the haters hate hate hate. And that kind of integrity has to count for something. – Amanda McMillan 47. Lucy Dacus- Home Video Nostalgia is spoken through soft and poetic words with Home Video as Lucy Dacus recalls memories of childhood and coming of age throughout the album. Dacus takes on a fresh approach towards the modern indie rock scene as Home Video takes on melodic instrumentals but not before having catchy guitars with the song “VBS”. Dacus’s lyricism is strong and descriptive throughout the album giving a visual image of her personal anecdotes with songs such as “Thumbs”, which Dacus describes as a personal story of her relationship with her Dad. – Jayben Favila 46. St. Vincent – Daddy’s Home 45. Kiwi Jr. – Cooler Returns 🇨🇦 44. Pinegrove – Amperland, NY 43. Jeremiah Fraites – Piano Piano 42. Rhye- Home 🇨🇦 When Robin Hannibal left Rhye after their first album, Mike Milosh failed to make the same quality of music as heard on Woman, but he seems to have finally nailed the landing with Home. We get the lush strings, flirty reeds and of course sensual falsetto from Milosh that we have come to expect. Next time you’re looking for some good bedroom tunes, light up some candles, close the drapes and press play on Home. – Dakota Arsenault 41. Selena Gomez – Revelacion 40. The Beaches – Future Lovers 🇨🇦 Toronto’s own The Beaches don’t need a lot of runway to make a big impact. Their latest release is a five track EP that goes hard all the way through. Lead singer Jordan Miller brings pop punk energy to tracks like “Blow Up”, “Bad Behaviour” and “Slow Mo” while the rest of the band provide punchy backing vocals and musically landing somewhere between alt-rock and synth vibes. The band never needs to put out another full length album again if they keep putting out plenty of head banging singles and EP’s. – Dakota Arsenault Listen to our interview with The Beaches here. 39. Dizzy – Separate Places 🇨🇦 If you enjoyed Dizzy’s previous album, The Sun and Her Scorch, you’ll be in for a treat with their latest EP release, Separate Places. Dizzy takes five tracks from their sophomore album and reimagines them, each with a little help from their friends. Separate Places sheds new light and brings fresh meanings to each song, making it a real gem of a listen. – Stephanie Prior 38. Dominique Fils-Aime – Three Little Words 🇨🇦 Three Little Words is a warm, lush, soulful album overflowing with emotion. Fils-Aimé’s vocals are pure and beautiful, taking centre stage amongst some great acapella work and grounding drums. This album manages to balance between old nostalgic genres without being too warm and fuzzy, by bringing in modern arrangements and contemporary lyrics. It’s a heartfelt listen that’ll leave you wanting more. – Stephanie Prior 37. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – The Distance EP An EP filled with dance bangers from front to back. Producer Orlando Higginbottom’s talented skills present a collection of songs with lush layers, synths, and exciting beats. – Gemma Mastroianni 36. Monowhales – Daytona Bleach 🇨🇦 Monowhales came in strong with their debut LP Daytona Bleach. The Alternative Pop/Rock record features a variety of upbeat tracks that will have all listeners singing along. Highlights include ‘Out With The Old” “RWLYD (Really Wanna Let You Down)” and “All Or Nothing” which have all received radio play. This is truly just the beginning for them- an exciting one! – Gemma Mastroianni 35. Beach House – Once Twice Melody EP (Part’s 1 +2) It has been an agonizing four years since Beach House last put out music (7), and Dream Pop’s greatest band finally returned to give us two parts of a four part project, with the rest scheduled to come out next year. Singer Victoria Legrande sounds more hopeful than ever on the eight tracks released so far. On the first part we get traditional soaring guitars and twinkling beats, while the second part sees them playing with their formula a bit. This is shaping up to being an excellent project, and who knows maybe it appears on our list again next year! – Dakota Arsenault 34. Half Moon Run – Inwards & Onwards – EP 🇨🇦 33. Chet Faker – Hotel Surrender After releasing one album and several EP’s under the name Chet Faker, singer and producer Nick Murphy decided to drop the moniker to start putting out music under his real name. He unexpectedly returned to the Chet Faker moniker in 2021 with Hotel Surrender along with making sensual electro tinged RnB like he used to at the start of his career. He led the era off with “Low”, a song that could have been a B-side to “No Diggity”, his original breakthrough hit. – Dakota Arsenault 32. Clairo – Sling Clairo’s sophomore album Sling represents a huge change in sound moving from lo-fi Bedroom Pop into a collection of Folk inspired songs produced as sleek as ever in collaboration with Jack Antonoff. The album is intimate and quiet, as Clairo shares some of her most personal struggles transitioning into womanhood. – Gemma Mastroianni 31. Somni – Somni Presents: Up Too Early Vol 2 30. Japanese Breakfast – Jubilee 29. CHVRCHES – Screen Violence The Scottish Synth Rockers put out their fourth album Screen Violence and got a healthy dose of inspiration from their favourite horror movies. The band used the movie lovers social media site Letterboxd in order to promote the record and create lists of movies that influenced them. The band even got horror icon and synth master John Carpenter to remix “Good Girls” making a deadly (and fun) combo! – Dakota Arsenault 28. Leon Bridges – Gold-Diggers Sound While he returns to his roots in 60’s soul music in this project, Bridges’ old school crooner vocal stylings are paired with 808’s, trap drums and synths. It’s a refreshing, anachronistic take on alternative R&B and a glimpse of what Leon has in store for the coming years. – John Mendoza 27. Arkells – Blink Once 🇨🇦 Despite the omnipresence of Arkells on Canadian radio and media, it has actually been three years since the Hamilton, Ontario band put out their last record. They are now three albums into being a pure Pop/Rock band in the mold of modern Coldplay and the genre suits them well. The band brought in singer/rapper K. Flay to add a jolt of energy to “You Can Get It”, while the band shows off their stadium ready chops on tracks like “Years in the Making”. Songs that feature the Northern Soul Horns, the band’s brass backing band, are ones that rock the hardest. – Dakota Arsenault 26. Snail Mail – Valentine 25. Durand Jones and the Indications – Private Spaces The soul revival is in full swing. You have acts like Black Pumas, The Revivalists, Leon Bridges and others. One of them is Durand Jones and the Indications who put out their third album this year. They are probably the best group currently at making their music sound fresh and exciting while still eliciting classic Stax and Chess label vibes. Jones’ soaring falsetto transports you to another world. If you enjoyed this album, make sure you check out the band’s percussionist Aaron Frazier who put out his own solo album in 2021 Introducing… – Dakota Arsenault 24. Arlo Parks – Collapsed In Sunbeams 23. The Dirty Nil – Fuck Art 🇨🇦 Fuck Art mixes mundane life events with buzzy Metal-Rock riffs and it’s just the right combo that everyone needs. Throw away all your cares and just rock along with lead singer Luke Bentham as he sings about Dodge Caravans, concussions and that dude that stole his bike. – Stephanie Prior 22. The Staves – Good Woman 21. Madison Beer – Life Support Beer has been on the come up for a while now, but Life Support is actually the singer’s first album. Her music is more ambitious and experimental than someone like Ariana Grande, who occupies the same realm of RnB Pop. While “Selfish” may have been the big breakthrough on TikTok, other songs like the trippy “Follow the White Rabbit” or the empowering anthems “Boyshit” and “Good in Goodbye” all deserve top marks. – Dakota Arsenault 20. DARKSIDE – Spiral DARKSIDE is the project of Nicolás Jaar and Dave Harrington. The duo put out only one full length studio album back in 2013 called Psychic and immediately were heralded as the best thing in electronic music. Then they broke up. Jaar continued his ascent into one of the best electronic artists by making music like an ominous cloud surrounding you late at night and always propelled by deep foreboding bass lines. With the surprise return of DARKSIDE it is great to hear the jangly guitars Harrington brings to Jaar’s production. The music still sounds like a dream ever teetering towards a nightmare, but it was well worth the wait. – Dakota Arsenault 19. DijahSB- Tasty Raps, Vol 1 🇨🇦 Following up their 2021 Polaris Music Prize nominated album Head Above the Waters, Toronto rapper DijahDB keeps the train moving with their excellent follow up EP. DijahSB gets some high profile friends to drop guest verses in Mick Jenkins and Harrison. If you’re looking for the freshest hip hop to impress your friends who you get passed the aux cord, add Tasty Raps Vol 1 to your rotation and watch as everyone gets their head bobbing on “New Balance” and “Here to Dance”. – Dakota Arsenault 18. Olivia Rodrigo – Sour Olivia Rodrigo’s debut album Sour, is the definition of Gen Z within this new decade of music. Rodrigo gives a fresh approach to pop music with the hit single “Drivers Licence” that created a spark with power ballads that made us fall in love with her. The track list of the album starts out sour with the opening track “Brutal” and slowly transitions to sweet with songs like “Deja Vu”. Sour has a feeling of a modern day 2000’s aesthetic and sound giving deja vu to a time period where you would drag your parents to the local music store just to get the CD and play it in the family car driving home. – Jayben Favila 17. The War on Drugs – I Don’t Want to Live Here Anymore 16. Zoon – Bleached Wavves 🇨🇦 Shoegaze has typically been, like many genres, dominated by a sea of same (ie mostly white artists). With Bleached Waves, Hamilton-based Anishinaabe musician Zoon makes way for new voices, new creative inspiration, and a new name for the sound: Moccasin-gaze. – Amanda McMillan 15. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – The Future What started out as a last ditch effort to make a living off of music, Nathaniel Rateliff’s side project The Night Sweats ended up bringing him the most notoriety of his career with the breakout “S.O.B.” back in 2015. After taking a short break and releasing a solo album, The Night Sweats returned with their third album The Future. While the group is still a world class Rock N Soul band, here we get more Alt-Country and Folk influences more often found in Rateliff’s solo records. Rateliff’s ever present gravelly voice that is always yearning continues to soar over the bands horn section and blistering guitar work from Joseph Pope III. -Dakota Arsenault 14. Jungle – Loving In Stereo Buckle up for one of the grooviest rides of 2021 yet when you put on “Loving in Stereo.” Through another long and hard year, this album was like this are a breath of fresh air. With a ton of disco and dance hits scattered throughout this record, it has all listeners moving and grooving in a great mood with their bold instrumentals, and choir like sound. – Gemma Mastroianni 13. BADBADNOTGOOD -Talk Memory 🇨🇦 Our favourite Toronto based alternative Jazz group has done it again. Talk Memory is a gorgeous album from front to back that features elements of Psychedelica, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Electronica, and more. They never fail to impress me with introducing jazz to younger audiences in a modern light. – Gemma Mastroianni 12. Inhaler – It Won’t Always Be Like This The long awaited debut album from Inhaler has finally arrived and it is absolutely magnificent. It Won’t Always Be Like This is filled with infectious melodies and a ton of Alt-Rock songs that are energetic, atmospheric, and have some experimental aspects as well. This is just the beginning of the Dublin based band. – Gemma Mastroianni Watch our interview with Inhaler here. 11. Twin Shadow – Twin Shadow George Lewis Jr. returned with his fifth studio album and diversified his sound even more. He frequently flirts with the sonic landscapes of RnB, Blues, Soul, Rock and Disco, which are all present here, but he also goes back in time to the 1970’s to bring a purple haze vibe to sugarcoat everything. He also taps into his Dominican heritage by incorporating Latin influences sprinkled throughout the album. Twin Shadow is what you get if Frank Ocean kept making groovy bedroom music and didn’t get all introverted. Standout tracks include “Johnny & Jonnie” and “Lonestar”. -Dakota Arsenault 10. The Antlers – Green To Gold A gorgeous down-to-earth return from The Antlers after a six year wait (well worth it.) This collection of songs is an intimate representation of how we undergo change in our lives, often aligning with the seasons in an abundance of different aspects. Although a bit calmer and quieter than previous albums, both the instrumental and vocal intensity/ build ups are still just as strong. All songs pair together seamlessly and it is best enjoyed listening from front to back to soak in every aspect of this album. – Gemma Mastroianni Read our interview with The Antlers here. 9. Goodbye Honolulu – Goodbye Honolulu 🇨🇦 Toronto based rockers Goodbye Honolulu dropped their third album this year, this one being self-titled despite being around for over half a decade. It’s filled with a ton of groovy licks, Punk influence, and an overall sharper and more professional sound. It represents their incredible growth as a band and what seems to be a funkier direction in sound. – Gemma Mastroianni 8. Rüfüs Du Sol – Surrender From the very first listen to this album, you will be completely immersed in a new emotional experience. The rich lyrics are expressed in a delicate yet powerful way. The songs are moving and will bring listeners to face the depths of any heartache or yearning over a lover: present or former. The feeling is visceral and cannot be explained until you have listened for yourself. Rüfüs Du Sol has outdone themselves once again and it will be a pleasure to listen to the album on repeat for years to come. – Sydney Scott 7. Brockhampton – Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine Brockhampton’s third studio album under RCA rips off the self proclaimed title of America’s Favourite Boyband on Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine. The album represents the group in a new light with the single “BUZZCUT” where Kevin Abstract has an Andre 3000 motif rapping his hardest bars to date and Danny Brown being featured. The album does not hold back but fully immerse on more dark and personal subject matter paired up with members such as Joba having the most outstanding parts of the album compared to the groups previous projects. – Jayben Favila 6. Tyler, The Creator – CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST Tyler, the Creator has hit a home run yet again with CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. The album follows a mixtape aesthetic with the ad libs from DJ Drama, which paired with Tyler’s most versatile flows and lyricism is similar to his early work on albums such as Wolf and Cherry Bomb. CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST is fast paced with hard hitting features then slowly trickles down to slow paced songs that make the album cohesive. Tyler is at his most ambitious on this project and comes back to form with his old style of rapping but more polished from his two of his latest albums. – Jayben Favila 5. Ralph – Gradience EP 🇨🇦 Ralph delivers another strong album, as always chock-full of bouncy beats and playful lyrics. Gradience will have you dancing and singing along straight through every listen, even with a soulful, slow dance to accompany the album’s beautiful final track “Rules of Love”. – Stephanie Prior 4. Teen Daze – Interior 🇨🇦 Jamison Isaak aka Teen Daze, who hails from Abbotsford originally, is a master chameleon. He put out Interior and an EP (Breathing Tides at #66) this year and you wouldn’t guess they were from the same artist. The same can be said for most of his work. The only through line is that he makes electronic music, just over every spectrum of it. On Interior he has a mostly Chillwave approach, but the music is still quite bouncy for such a lowkey subgenre. He flirts with Tropical and Deep House and at times even sounds reminiscent of early Daft Punk with cascading vocals and smooth bass synth lines. Put some headphones on and walk around your city while you blissfully vibe out. – Dakota Arsenault Listen to our interview with Teen Daze here. 3. Silk Sonic – An Evening With Silk Sonic An Evening with Silk Sonic gives us a much-needed pick me up after enduring through the second year of the pandemic. This collection of vibrant, energetic grooves and silky smooth production had me smiling through the whole project. – John Mendoza 2. Charlotte Day Wilson – ALPHA 🇨🇦 The wait was well worth it for Charlotte Day Wilson’s debut album “Alpha.” You may have discovered her through her previous band Wayo, or in one of her many collaborations over the years featured on tracks with BADBADNOTGOOD, King Princess, KAYTRANADA, and more. She has delivered a full length record with her infectious vocals, intimate topics, and a combination of jazz, soul, r&b, and alternative influences. This record is not only powerful, but it is a wonderful introduction and representation of the power and talent Charlotte Day Wilson encapsulates in all of her projects. This is only the beginning! – Gemma Mastroianni 1. Parcels – Day/Night The sophomore double album is a bold step from their debut. While it channels their live show performances, the album is more raw, groovy, loose, and up-lifting. The aptly name Day/Night, Parcel’s explores duality with infusing jazz, disco, and rock over a one hour and 36-minute journey. The meticulous production channels the disco-like hopefulness contrasting it with somber jazz. The progression of the album encapsulates a person’s journey during this pandemic with themes of love, isolation, change, loss, and identity. The expedition explores new sounds while traveling back to the 6O’s and 70’s as the listener hears elements of Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers, Marvin Gaye, and the Beach Boys. Day/Night is a daunting album is a multi-faceted disco funk album that leaves one hopeful for your future. – Kyle O’Keefe Thank you for checking out our list of the best albums 2021. Hopefully some of your favourites made the cut, if not let us know your favourites! Special thanks to Dakota Arsenault, Gemma Mastroianni, Amanda McMillan, Stephanie Prior, Jayben Favila, John Mendoza, Josiah Bottling, Kyle O’Keefe, Sydney Scott and Jared Burke. Special thanks to Katelyn O’Brien for the custom graphic. Which 2021 album are you though? Take the quiz here!

By: Gemma Mastroianni We are fast approaching the end of the year! It’s been another unpredictable one but we are all pulling through together. Despite the challenges we face as a society, it has still been a wonderful time filled with amazing memories. I’ve taken the time to think on my favourite things from the year in music, lifestyle, and wellness and chat about them all in this episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Anchor, or below:

By: John Mendoza Thundercat is a Los Angeles based Grammy winning singer and songwriter. His most recent album “It Is What It Is” dropped in 2020. For the first time, Toronto got to hear tracks from this funky album live at HISTORY on Saturday, December 11th. Check out all photos from the gig below:

By: Gemma Mastroianni Somehow the holidays are just around the corner already! You probably have some shopping to finish up (don’t we all?) I have a few people left to shop for, whom are all creative people. With this in mind, I’ve put together a list of 30 different gift ideas for creatives. Check it out below: 1.) Polaroid Camera Decal Many people own a Polaroid camera by now, so spice it up with a cute decal. This one is on sale for just $8 on Urban Outfitters right now. 2.) Lighting Is the Youtuber or photographer in your life in need of some new lighting? Perhaps its a ring light or they are looking to work with some new colours. Hit up the lighting section on Henry’s. 3.) Record Player If you’re really looking to spoil and/or upgrade the set up for a music lover in your life, grab them an Audiotechnica record player so that they can listen with the highest quality. This one is my favourite. 4.) Polaroid Camera Who doesn’t love taking Polaroids? Although most creatives in my life own them by now, there are definitely a few that don’t. 5.) Backdrop Visual artists and Instagram influencers can never have enough backdrops. Pick one that they’ve been needing, or one that you think would jive with their style. 6.) Pretty Shitty Cakes These custom cake sculptures made by Texas based artist Jasmine Archie are the perfect gift for a friend who loves eclectic home decor. I’m not sure when her next cake drop is but keep an eye on her Instagram page. She drops a variety of her own pieces for sale on a regular basis, and also takes custom orders. Check out her website here. 7.) Film Camera Film camera’s are becoming trendier every single day. Pick out one from moment here. 8.) Polaroid Film Because you can never have enough! This trio pack is a great deal. 9.) A record they’ve always wanted Music lovers can truly never have enough! Support your local record store while making your bestie or loved one be impressed that you DO indeed pay close attention to their music taste. Pick up one of their favourite albums on vinyl. My favourite shop in Toronto is Kops Records. 10.) Record Credenza Record Credenza’s are widely popular home item that are becoming increasingly popular for creatives, and typically ones that are vintage. Thrift one off of Facebook marketplace and consider even adding your own touches to it to make it extra special. If you have a bigger budget, go grab this sleek one on Etsy. 11.) Concert tickets Concerts are back in FULL swing and it’s time to celebrate. All of our favourite artists are touring so there are plenty of options! Check out all upcoming concerts in Toronto (big and small) here. 12.) Canvas’s Even if the person you are buying for isn’t an artist, painting every now again is a fun and calming activity. Grab some canvas’s from your local art store. 13.) Pinot’s Palette class Sip and paint! Experiences are always a wonderful present to gift, especially when you also can take something home out of it. Pinot’s Palette has locations across North America and two locations in Toronto. Click here to learn more. 14.) Portable speaker Whether you’re working from home, at a photoshoot, or an afterparty, we can ALL use a portable speaker, or even upgrade hours. My personal favourite is the House of Marley Get Together Mini. 15.) Spacefy gift card Every now and again (even if you’re not a photographer or videographer), us creatives need studio time. Spacefy is an awesome platform that has thousands of spaces available for rent in cities across the country. 16.) Music streaming service gift card We all use these! Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, or Soundcloud. Whatever their platform is, they will appreciate a contribution. 17.) Movie tickets With so many of us addicted to our home streaming services, we’ve forgotten about the magic of a night out to the movie theatre. Grab tickets to a movie your loved one would like and a gift card to cover the food and drinks. 18.) YETI Mic A couple of years back and it’s been an excellent podcasting microphone. The sound is clear and crisp and it is totally easy to use. If you have someone in your life who loves podcasting or wants to start podcasting, this is an amazing gift! 19.) Hand Painted Retro Vinyl Record How abstract is this!? There are only two left in stock however, a ton of similar options available on Etsy. 20.) Nanoleaf light panels These lights come in a variety of different shapes and sizes and also react to the music you play through colour changes and movement. 21.) Merch from a local band I mean really, who can’t use another band tee? With the pandemic affecting the music scene so much, especially on a local level, support your local scene and also impress your pal with a cool band tee! 22.) Portable Diffuser If you want to add scent to your home, you might as well benefit from it if you can. Diffusing essential oils can help with relaxation, boost your mood, clean the air, and so much more depending on the oils you choose. These diffusers from SEASONS is not only portable, but so aesthetic. Grab yours here. 23.) Adobe Creative Cloud gift card Many Adobe programs come at a necessary monthly cost for us creatives. Help ease up their monthly bill and grab a gift card here. 24.) Voluspa candles I grabbed some mini Voluspa candles during the Sephora sale and have been obsessed ever since. They provide the nicest scents and add a sense of calmness to the room when I’m working and creating. My favourite so far has been French Cade Lavendar. Check out this gift pack here. 25.) Garment rack These always come in handy for any photo/video shoot, and also a nice piece of decor for the bedroom. 26.) Mini Projector So that the visual artist in your life can take their work wherever they go. This one is currently 50% off at Indigo and comes with a backdrop and other accessories. 27.) Journal Because we all need to pause and reflect sometimes. Indigo has a TON of options that can suit all types of creatives. Browse their selection here. 28.) We’re Not Really Strangers Card Game Most creatives like to get in their feels, making this the perfect gift and game for all. Grab it for 25% off now on their website. 29.) Tripod Browse Henry’s selection here. 30.) Airpods Case Airpods cases are becoming just as trendy as phone cases. Casetify has a huge selection here.

By: Josiah Botting Neck Deep took their worldwide tour to the Danforth Music Hall on Tuesday, November 30th. Before taking the stage to play songs from their new album “All Disortions Are Intentional, both Oxymorrons and Boston Manor opened up the show. Check out photos from all sets below: Oxymorrons Oxymorrons are an American alternative hip hop band from Queens, NY. Boston Manor Boston Manor are a British rock band formed in Blackpool, Lancashire, England Neck Deep

By: Gemma Mastroianni I’m back for another episode of the Wavy Podcast featuring a discussion about Timbiebs, and an interview with one of my favourite Canadian bands Said the Whale. I review all the Timbiebs flavours and have a lovely chat with Tyler from Said The Whale! We chat their new album Dandelion, their merchandise collaboration with Landyachtz longboards, tour plans, and Adele asking Spotify to remove the shuffle feature. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, or below: Follow Said the Whale on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and listen to their album ‘Dandelion’ on Apple Music or Spotify.

By: Gemma Mastroiann Imagine the milk man but for sparkling water, oat milk, and specialty beverages; pretty cool, right? This is why I’m excited to introduce you to lark. Lark is a Toronto based biz on an eco friendly mission selling sparkling and still spring waters with floras, all natural sodas and barista standard oat milk in their premium branded glass bottles. How does it work? You order online and they deliver it to your door. When you’re done, they pick up and drop new, if you wish!. I discovered lark in the beginning of the pandemic on social media. Impressed by their mission and aesthetically pleasing marketing, I knew I had to try it. I was unable to do so for a-while because I lived outside of the delivery zone. However, since moving to downtown Toronto it was finally my time! It’s common knowledge that there is an overabundance of waste in our country, especially from bottled water and pop cans. I greatly appreciate the mission lark is on not only to reduce waste, but also to deliver higher quality and fluoride free waters in sustainable packaging. Even their delivery crates are made from recycled materials, check it out below: The order process was as seamless as ever. I placed my order online and by the next day just shortly after 1 PM, it was on my doorstep. The delivery driver sent me a text message fifteen minutes before delivery, and I retrieved it via contactless drop off. I tried every single flavour. Check out my review of each below: Bestill Bestill is definitely the smoothest and freshest water I have ever tasted. Did you know that Ontario has some of the hardest (yes, water can be ‘hard’) water in the country? I never understood this until I tried Bestill. It’s fluoride and after-taste free. pH is 8.0 Air Oats She’s beauty, she’s grace, she is Miss Air Oats. I mean really, who doesn’t love oat milk these days? If you love oat milk in your coffee, then you need Air Oats in your life! It’s creamy, smooth, and filled with so much goodness. Let’s just say that my homemade oat milk hasn’t even come close to this! Ingredients: ​​Barista Standard, Frothing Oatmylk 1L, Filtered water, Canadian oats, High oleic sunflower oil, Chicory root fibre, Avocado oil, Himalayan salt, Organic Maple syrup. Inside Job I was SO impressed with this one. This incredible mixture of sparkling water, bluebelle vine, herbs, and lemon is basically a ‘healthier’ tasting version of a lemon-lime soda. Inside Job is perfect on its own or mixed with your favourite vodka or gin. As a bonus, it’s beautiful blue colour is so aesthetically pleasing. Ingredients: Sparkling, Ontario spring water augmented with bluebelle vine and herbs. Eco friendly alternative to colas. Taste profile: subtle earthy cola. 8 CALS 0.5 CARB 0.5 FAT 0.5G SUGAR PER 500ML 0.13% ALCOHOL to extract flavour in herbs. Mandarino Picture yourself on your favourite beach on a sunny day with a refreshing citrus cocktail in hand – that’s how Mandarino makes me feel. I typically shy away from juice cocktails because of how potent they are in flavour and sugar but, Mandarino is a beautiful and refreshing option. Made with a mixture of carbonated water and freshly squeezed tangerine and orange juice, this is the drink for us Orangina lovers. If you want it to pack on a bit more of a bunch, squeeze in some lime! Ingredients: Lightly carbonated Ontario spring water with a 30% *FRESHLY squeezed citrus juice mix of tangerine and orange. *Juice is bottled the same day of it being squeezed. No artificial colour. No artificial flavour. No bitter OJ from concentrated taste to ruin the vibe. Forever Endeavor Rose – one of the most beautiful flowers. Forever Endeavor captures the essence of a rose with a hint of lemon, while pretty in pink. If you love floral drinks and flavoured still sparkling water, you totally need to try this. It’s a refreshing and lighter tasting alternative to pink lemonade. Ingredients: Still, Ontario spring water augmented with roselle, elderflower and citrus. Eco friendly alternative to lemonade and ice tea. Taste profile: subtle floral lemonade Ginger Sour Lark’s ginger sour is definitely one of my favourites out of their options. Looking to impress your friends with a fun cocktail night? Well, it’s time to mix with the Lark Ginger Sour. Imagine turning your favourite ginger beer down just a couple of notches and also making it fresh and organic tasting; that is ginger sour! Ingredients: Sparkling, Ontario spring water with ginger juice, agave nectar, naturally derived citric acid and NFLD sea salt. Eco alternative to ginger ales and citrus drinks. Taste profile: ginger beer meets sour patch kid. 50 CALS 8G CARBS 0G FAT 9G SUGAR PER 250ML. Bubba Who else loves popping champagne? Basically you can have your champagne popping moment with Bubba every single day, and feel good about it. Similar to Bestill but sparkling and a great option for San Pellegrino fans. I was extremely impressed with lark. From contactless delivery in their eco-friendly crates to the freshness of all drinks, and of course their stunning branding, you can say this is most definitely my new favourite local business. If you’re passionate about creating a better environment and also putting better ingredients in your body, give lark a try. Learn more about lark and place your order today by visiting their website. Follow lark on Instagram.

By: Gemma Mastroianni I’m back with another episode of Wavy! This week I spend the first half of the episode talking about how I’ve changed up my lifestyle over the past few months. I go into a bit of detail of the slump I fell into, and the things that I did to get out of it. I hope these tips can help listeners out! In the second part, based on my own research, I go over the weirdest merch items you can buy right now from some of the biggest artists out there. From Bring Me The Horizon BBQ sauce to Weezer slime, it’s a strange time to be alive. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, or below: