Meguro – Forgotten Song
Prince Edward Island duo Meguro captures the magic of reunion—how true friendship remains just as strong no matter how much time has passed. Despite the sappy sentiment, “Forgotten Song” is filled with high-action guitar riffs and a nostalgia for “punk-rock poetry.” (Read more…)
Mitch Currie – Weightless
Written about chasing a muse and capturing lightning in a bottle, Mitch Currie’s “Weightless” was the highlight of his December EP Good Enough for Now. It packs energy and groove and, though cleanly produced, forms part of Currie’s revolt against perfection. (Read more…)
Jennah Barry – Venus in Heat
Jennah Barry’s gentle and cozy style lends well to her track “Venus in Heat,” which mixes retro sounds with modern easy listening. Written as a heartfelt torch song, the track manages to wrap listeners up in a soft blanket on a rainy Sunday and pour them a hot cup of tea.
Mike Trask – My My, Bye Bye
Mike Trask can cut like a knife when he’s looking for poignancy, but he’s not above hitting you over the head with a catchy riff and chorus. Buried in these overwhelming hooks is a song about finding satisfaction in the unspectacular. (Read more…)
Kill Chicago – Wishbook
Off of their album The Rest, Kill Chicago’s “Wishbook” is not exactly centred around the former annual Sears Christmas catalogue, but it does drum up imagery from the same era—though it’s perhaps not entirely savoury. Hitting on that feeling of nostalgia that isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, the track is spun from the heart and commands a crowd. (Read more…)
Golden Cinema – Dead Ringer
Golden Cinema pulls a Tony Hawk on “Dead Ringer.” With a music video filled with cameos from famous friends, we have to ask: is that really Golden Cinema singing, or just someone who sounds like them? (Read more…)
Brandon Howard Roy – Miracle
Brandon Howard Roy’s emotionally charged and powerful “Miracle” lets his authenticity and his experience in theatre shine through, with big instrumentals backing up emotive vocals. (Read more…)
Skeleton Club – Wormz
Skeleton Club colour outside the lines a bit on “Wormz.” This was their equivalent to Harry Nilsson’s “Coconut.” An absolutely bizarre song about the worm-lead rebellion after too many fishing trips, Skeleton Club balance the absurd against the absurdly catchy. (Read more…)
Virginia Fudge – Chit Chatter
Virginia Fudge was a wonderful surprise this year. With a career re-envisioning album and a serious boost from Meg Warren’s debut as a producer, Fudge’s first album in 15 years came with some big hooks and some tea on the complications of complicated relationships. (Read more…)
Blue Acres – How to Start Again
With nods to early Bon Iver and Gregory Alan Isakov, “How To Start Again” stews in the discomfort of growth and new beginnings. Singer Darrel Cameron takes us along on that difficult journey with vulnerable lyrics and production that’s both raw and pristine. (Read more…)
Kill Chicago – I Meant to Call
A song about balancing life’s dichotomies, “I Meant to Call” is Kill Chicago’s soft and sweet message to remind you that sometimes things will go your way, and sometimes they won’t. With added mandolin by Alan Jefferies, the track’s gentle acoustic sound lets the band’s genuineness shine through. (Read more…)
Loviet – Chemical
Loviet’s album 777 is full of contradictions divided between indulgence and critical self-awareness. On “Chemical,” Loviet shifts between nostalgia and disillusionment over the sparkly memory of times gone by. Either way, “Chemical” will teleport you right back to those teenage summer nights. (Read more…)
Mallory Johnson – Wise Woman
Newfoundland’s Mallory Johnson teams up with Twin Kennedy of British Columbia to offer a message of empowerment to all those who come after her: “Girl power shouldn’t come at a cost.” (Read more…)
David Myles – Bird Song
David Myles introduced us to a whole other side of his musicality this year with “Bird Song”. It came as a genuine surprise to hear the man responsible for “Santa Never Brings Me a Banjo” and “Inner Ninja” take a hard left turn on an instrumental album and really flex his talents with some of Atlantic Canada’s finest musicians. (Read more…)
Honeymoon Driver – College
College is a heck of a time to be focusing on anything other than academics, and Honeymoon Driver acknowledge this with a whole song inspired by student loans and mental hardship. (Read more…)
Hello Delaware – Alicya
This power-pop ballad that started as a dream journal tells the tale of how the fictional “Alicya” broke the heart of Hello Delaware’s frontwoman, Dana Beeler—in her dreams. Fueled with angst, this upbeat track is a testament to the power of the sleeping mind. (Read more…)
No, It’s Fine. – YaYaYas
No, It’s Fine. pen a lightning-quick ode to Karen O of the New York-based rock trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The song is both a tribute to her songwriting and a marvel at the effect of time on art. (Read more…)
The Trews – Permission
“Permission” is a declaration from The Trews in the name of artistic freedom. The track, which features a collaboration with Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes, carries a classic, heavy-hitting rock ‘n’ roll feel. (Read more…)
Kelly McMichael – Out the Window
Kelly McMichael gives off some big Thelma & Louise vibes on “Out the Window,” and she suggests that we’re never more than a pane of glass away from ditching out on lacklustre partners and shitty jobs. (Read more…)
Mike Trask – Melted Wax
With the added talents of Julie Aubé and Katrine Noël of Les Hay Babies, Mike Trask’s “Melted Wax” teaches a bittersweet lesson in perspective and carries a gentle, retro sound, evoking nostalgia for something you probably haven’t even experienced. (Read more…)
Book Buddies – Dream Girl
With a big recurring theme for 2021, Book Buddies use “Dream Girl” to dig deeper into the readily accessible personas of social media influencers, critiquing social media and the way we present our lives online. (Read more…)
David Myles – Silver World
David Myles continues to surprise us with this left turn into an instrumental album. He’s showing off his skills as an arranger on the frantic and funky, “Silver World” conjures images of pastel chase scenes through European streets. (Read more…)
No, It’s Fine. – Pisces•Libra•Gemini
No, It’s Fine. poke fun at the tropes of astrological stereotypes and use them as both a crutch for their behaviour and a vessel to air their woes on “Pisces•Libra•Gemini.” It also comes complete with a fun music video with a Murder, She Wrote theme. (Read more…)
Skeleton Club – Magic Beach
“Magic Beach” is another holdover from the early half of the year. Skeleton Club, in their own peculiar manner, indulged in track inspired by the most ubiquitous of subject matter: isolation. “Magic Beach” is a big nod to everyone who has felt what it’s like to have been bottled up in their own head and channels the experience back through the aid of deep grooves. (Read more…)
Kelly McMichael – Stepping Stone
Kelly McMichael sticks the landing with “Stepping Stone.” McMichael’s album, Waves, was released back in 2021 to critical applause and stands out as one of the best albums of the year. “Stepping Stone,” a song about the murky nature of relationships in the music industry and the way people fit into your picture only until something better comes along, was both poignant and catchy as all hell. (Read more…)
Congratulations!
You’ve made it all the way to the end of the list! That’s quite a feat! We’d like to reward you with this handy playlist where you might peruse our complete list of the Best East Coast Music of 2021 at your leisure. Please enjoy responsibly.