Shad - Front & John (July 12/'14)

With the sun beaming down on the hot pavement at Front and John, DJ Tlo and Ian Koiter performed a Flying Colours intro while rapper extraordinaire, Shad, waited visible side stage. When he did hit it the crowd warmly received him for though it wasn't all that well advertised he does have a devout following. He didn't disappoint throwing down racks like Yes!, Me, Myself & I, and I Get It. All smiles, as usual, he played his established role of good-time emcee while we threw our hands in time to old favourites like Rock To It and Old Prince (holla!) For flair he performed a recently added cut to the repertoire, Draft Day, and a sharp new one that goes smoothly from the NBC peacock to Jack Donaghy and an EGOT - brilliant! Rapper Eternia was welcomed to the stage and absolutely ripped through her verse on Love Means, making it a great collab. Being a corporate sponsored street festival there was no encore but everyone was happy and hot by the 3/4 hour of entertainment.

Field Trip '14 - Half Moon Run - Fort York (June 7)

My toughest decision of the fest was whether to stay and watch the always stellar Shad K or to catch the buzzy Half Moon Run who were great last time out. I tried to split the difference, watching Canada's smartest rapper through and then steaming over to what turned out to be the last two tracks from the Montreal rockers. These were two spirited songs though as they demolished them both in their casual clothes and long hair with thrilling guitar work. It's not easy to put a thumb on just what makes a rock set stand above others but this definitely did. I don't regret catching all of Shad but Field Trip, why'd you make me choose?

Top Ten Twenty Thirteen! - Year in Review Top 10+

1
Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City

They did it again. Smart, intricate, catchy. This is the epitome of the indie pop band right now, doing all the things right.

2
Moonface - Julia, With Blue Jeans On

Only a musical genius could pull off an album as stripped down as this and make it so captivating and achey. With just a piano and his voice Spencer Krug has crafted one of the most compelling albums of 2013. Every time I hear it I want to continue to listen to it forever.

3
Lightning Dust - Fantasy

Beauty in music. There's a lightness here that swirls without taking away from its substance. The grungier raw sound has all been used up in Black Mountain leaving pure sweetness. Fans of Young Galaxy take notice!

4
Top Less - Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party

Why should I bother describing this album with such an apt title? It's pure bliss with its danceability and sly, silly lyrics. Incredibly they've made a record that lives up to their indescribable live experience.

5
Neko Case  - The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You
The more I listen, the better it gets, the better it gets, the more I love it. (Sorry everyone.)

6
Tegan and Sara - Heartthrob
Whoa, the most infamous gay identical twin sisters in music went off the pop deep end with 2013's Heartthrob. More often than not this would alienate longtime fans but in this case I haven't a thing to complain about. From the understandably ubiquitous Closer through the catchy, vulnerable How Come You Don't Want Me to the heartbreaking Now I'm All Messed Up these are some of the best pure pop songs produced in ages, and they are all from the same group. The glue that pieces them together is excellent too.

7
Wildlife - ..On the Heart
This criminally underrated Toronto band makes true unified records with earnest lyrics, real musical chops and quality production, with this follow-up proving that the lightning was properly sealed in the bottle after their debut Strike Hard, Young Diamond. Their live shows are just as impressive and perhaps if they played more of them people would really start to provide the attention that is deserved.

8
River Tiber - Synapses
An up-and-comer from Toronto, this project is the brainchild of one Tommy Paxton-Beesley who meticulously crafted a darkly engaging full-length. With electronic hints and an assortment of sounds the album weaves its way through as one continuous, complex ride.

9

Gold & Youth - Beyond Wilderness
A supremely listenable wavy synth record that doesn't lull like many shoegaze contemporaries but hums right along, using tried sounds in a fresh way.

10
Jay-Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail
Perhaps a guilty pleasure tucked down here at the end of the list but I jammed out to this record, front to back, more times than I'm willing to admit. The star power off the top helped get into it, not to mention Beyonce's touch down the stretch, and from there it's a pretty smooth ride. The lyrics are not the most engaging which is normally a large part of a hip hop record but the beats are catchy all the way through. Don't even try and argue: Beach is Better!

Honourable Mentions

That's the top ten culled from a long list of contenders for the year, the strongest of which deserve mention below:

M.I.A - Matangi
This is a MIA pounding through; strong, brass and abrasive which usually means at her best. It takes some listener fortitude but absolutely worth it.

Shad - Flying Colours
As always Shad's smarts shine through in his lyrics while the beats and production do not suffer. Off the top there are more than a couple superb songs, including a few amazingly clever rhymes. Case and point:
"To the guys that draw lines and make the borders real,
But then bend the rules when there's more to drill,
Don't turn away the stateless, think of the waste,
If one in three refugees is a Lauryn Hill"

Jim Guthrie - Takes Time
As the title says it does take time to craft such a balanced, wise album. It is also the home to one of my favourite earworm hooks of the year "You said, 'The rest is yet to come' - I said, 'Don't you mean the best?'"

Arcade Fire - Reflektor
There are a thousand musical ideas competing here and the majority of them flourish. Here Comes the Night Time, amirite? An album that is going to be plenty of fun to see live.

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Volume 3: To See More Light
I guarantee this album will be like nothing else you hear this year. "A man and a saxophone" you say? "Just give it a listen," I respond.

The Strumbellas - We Still Move on Dance Floors
Strong follow-up for the hardworking Ontario band. Comes through on the promise of plenty of dance floor fodder.

Frightened Rabbit - Pedestrian Verse
This Scottish band has been kicking it for years now but this was the first album to even grace my radar. With a couple of standout tracks and more smart, classic indie goodness here it is a solid listen.

The National - Trouble Will Find Me
Another very fine effort from this well-polished American indie machine.

The 1975 - The 1975
If I hadn't worn myself out last year on the EPs from which they culled a good portion of the material for this record it would have been high atop my list.

Aroara - In the Pines
This duo made one of the most interesting records of the year and is likely the breakout live Toronto act of 2013.

Dodos - Carrier

A real solid record from this band that has been doing their own thing with the acoustic/electric mix for some time.

Basia Bulat - Tall, Tall Shadow
In the running for best title track of 2013 this album starts strong and continues to impress as it carries on. Basia has been consistently making excellent music with her autoharp and this album lives up to the high standards she has set for herself.

Late Addition

Royal Canoe - Today We're Believers
Unfortunately I didn't get a hold of this disc until the new year so it didn't get much of an audition to make the list but I can see what all the buzz is about. A diverse assortment of sounds but all very well done.

Last year's list

All the year-end lists on this blog

Lists from Vernacular (my previous blog)

Shad - Melancholy and the Infinite Shadness: (Year-End Album Review)

A preview of my forthcoming annual, year-end, favourite albums post. Below is an album that is definitely under consideration - time will tell where it ends up on, or off, the final list.

Shad really lets loose on this EP and my goodness does it ever work. The samples are all blatant and fun throwbacks to an era but given a refreshing breath of Shad's witty flow atop. It's hyperactive and it bursts in, blazes out, and takes no prisoners in between. Unbridled enthusiasm and a welcome one-off from Canada's premier spitter.

Feel free to check out last year's list or my Top Albums lists dating back to 2002 on my previous Vernacular blog.

Shad - Hillside Sunday 2011

Another Shad review? This guy must follow him around or something. Yes, and for good reason. From now classic, Compromise, through to The Old Prince Still Lives At Home, Shad had the Sunday afternoon crowd in his pocket (if his pocket were a tent with picnic benches suitable for cheering on). Fleshed out band obviously still had DJ TLo and Adam on bass but also expanded with a drummer and guitarist (in addition to when Shad grabbed his). Once again Lisa Lobsinger accompanied on Rose Garden which is always a delight, and I'm still not sick of Rock to It or Good Name. Glad to see the banger Me, Myself and I is now a part of the live show too cuz it brings the energy. Far as I'm concerned Shad can play every Hillside (but keep him on the Island stage where he acknowledged he belongs.)

Shad (Wrongbar, May 12, VIP)

For as many times as I've seen Shad perform there have been new incarnations of his performance. And so the emcee was true to form for the VIP performance at Wrongbar. Ever-energetic Shad took to the stage with his authentic raps and confidence that refrains from being cockiness. The expected assortment of tracks were thrown down with 'my man DJ T-lo on the ones and twos and Ian Koitus on holdin her down on the bass'. Didn't take long for the first blip, in the form of a cameo by Lisa Lobsinger of BSS and Marge-Simpson-hair-lookalike fame. She sang on Rose Garden but unfortunately for all her mic was real low or even off, but at least we got got see her pretty face. In the vein of Telephone from last year's TSOL, Shad dropped a new track that sampled rings and dial tones, calling this one Cell Phones. (Speaking of Rings, Diamond was spotted in the audience sans makeup but with that signature 'do). In other musician news Grand Analog stole a mic to throwdown his Shad-featuring tune that allowed music to make the world go round and stuck around for The Old Prince Still Lives at Home. The intensity never waned as one track was spit completely from the floor and power tune We, Myself and I pushed the decibel level in the capacity club. So thoroughly had he entertained us that he had to scrape the bucket for his encore but it was no B-side as he cracked out a brand new tune that met the bar that Shad has loftily set for Canadian hiphop.


Opener: Miracle Fortress

Shad + Special Guest (Juno Block Party, March 24)

Shad was echoing up King Street as I emerged from the path. He continued to bang em out as I rocked up to the opening set of the Juno Block Party beside Roy Thompson Hall. There was a sizable crowd amassed, especially considering the early time and swooping temperatures for late March. They wouldn't be disappointed as Shad, flanked by DJ T-Lo and Adam on bass, would put on a strong set as per usual. My vote for "favorite Canadian hip hop artist" (is that what he's nominated for?) played as he knows how - slick, smooth, smart flow, with a smile and a swagger of a confident yet humble MC. Having seen him three times since TSOL dropped is a testament to his show and hence I'm not complaining when I say that I've seen this set before. However I'll focus on the new - such as the brand new verse tossed into Rock To It, as well as the set closer.


It was a foregone conclusion that we'd hear Live Forever upon seeing the line-up, what with this City & Shad collab recently dropping. I was pleased that it turned out as a Dallas Green cameo in Shad's set. (After all that is essentially what the song is, despite the equal billing.) Dallas emerged on stage and the girls swooned as he crooned the chorus, while also singing along off mic as Shad slayed it. That final verse is something! and Mr. Green appreciated it by throwing a bear hug on the MC from behind while he closed it out.


Check out the C&C review from later in the party.
Hannah Georgas too!