Killbeat Music started off in 2020 with the release of Bombay Bicycle Club’s LP Everything Else Has Gone Wrong which received high critical praise across the globe. However, it did have perhaps the most telling album title for the year that followed.
While this year was certainly mostly down, it is important to focus on the bright spots that have helped to get us as a music loving community this far into the year. The Polaris Music Prize saw Long List nominations from the likes of Andy Shauf’s The Neon Skyline and Sarah Harmer’s long awaited album, Are You Gone. And the Short List celebrated Pantayo’s debut self-titled LP and Badge Époque Ensemble’s self-titled album from 2019 - who are also set to release their new record, Self Help, this week.
CBC Music’s Top 20 spun all the hits this year including tracks from Rose Cousin’s Bravado, Frazey Ford’s U kin B the Sun, Jordan Klassen’s Tell Me What To Do, Yukon Blonde’s Vindicator, and Busty & The Bass’ collaboration with Macy Gray from their album Eddie. Donovan Woods saw two tracks from his Without People LP hit the charts, while Rich Aucoin’s “How It Breaks” from United States rose right to the top at #1.
Recently, we also celebrated the beautiful spirit of Gord Downie with the release of his final solo recording, Away Is Mine. Like all of the music and the poetry and the memories and the mad genius Gord gave us during his 53 years on our planet, Away Is Mine is immortal. A light at the end of this tunnel.
While campuses around the country were mostly shuttered, the airwaves were full of colour. Earshot’s charts saw many of Killbeat’s releases grace their nation wide list including; TOPS’ I Feel Alive, Jaunt’s All In One, Slow Leave’s Shelf Life, Austra’s HiRUDiN, Dana Gavanski’s Yesterday Is Gone, Pharis & Jason Romero’s Bet On Love, Braids’ Shadow Offering, Yves Jarvis’ Sundry Rock Song Stock, Jehnny Beth’s To Love Is To Live, Figure Walking’s Vertical / Horizontal and PUP’s new EP, This Place Sucks Ass.
LISTEN AND SHARE KILLBEAT’S SINGLES OF 2020 SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
CBC Radio 3 kept the good times rolling, spinning and charting tunes from Sameer Cash’s This City, The Elwin’s IV, and Mike Edel’s upcoming album, En Masse.
Both Terra Lightfoot’s Consider The Speed and Tami Neilson’s CHICKABOOM! saw considerable play from SiriusXM North Americana and were both invited for sessions at the studio. While The Verge brought the spotlight to Jade Hairpins’ Harmony Avenue and Heaps’ What Is Heaps in their ‘Ones To Watch’ feature.
For the late night listeners, CBC’s Afterdark with Odario Williams featured the downbeats of Luka Kuplowsky’s Stardust, Liza Anne’s Bad Vacation, Charles Spearin & Josefin Runsteen’s Thank God, The Plague Is Over, Matthew Cardinal’s Asterisms, and Terry Uyarak’s Nunarjua Isulinginniani.
And for those looking to chill out even further, to destress and recentre themselves, look no further than Laurie Brown’s Pondercast. Laurie also happens to curate a quarterly playlist of her favourites from Killbeat’s roster called PonderBeat, which included selections from Mister Nobu’s (of Choir!Choir!Choir!) TAVIE, R Grunwald’s solo piano work in Oma, Summersets’ (the new duo from Kalle Mattson) Small Town Saturday, Scott Hardware’s Engle, and many others.
With 2020 almost in the rear view mirror, PUP might have summed it up best with the EP title, This Place Sucks Ass. But, here’s to moving forward, onward, and upwards.
Stay home. Wear a mask. See you at a show in the future. Fingers crossed.