I’ve never been one for labeling my end-of-year album lists as the “best of the year”, so here’s my list of 20 albums that I loved quite a bit this year. I’ve included links to Rdio and attached my own comments as well. They’re all entirely worthy of your time, and they’re all albums that I spent the year listening to again-and-again. To me, that’s the true test of a great album.

Classics of Love - Classics of Love

“Holy shit, Jesse Michaels is back in top form here. I loved me some Common Rider — I know a lot of people thought them “soft”, but I dug Unity Music really hard. Classics of Love has Jesse back to short-form, high-energy punk-rock with just a hint of ska. This is awesome.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJNmjI

Birthmark - Antibodies

“Thought this was a let-down at first, but upon revisiting over the year I decided that I love it. Nate Kinsella has been putting out fantastic albums under the name Birthmark for a few years now, and they’re all pretty overlooked.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJJ1rY

Young Man - Vol. 1

“Hoping this doesn’t get passed over on end-of-the-year lists — it has been a staple of my listening ever since it came out. What an incredible record.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJICK8

Mike Wexler - Dispossession

“A creeper of a record, subtle and psychedelic hooks that sneak up and get stuck in your head. Unreal atmosphere and production.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJKBYY

Cloud Nothings - Attack on Memory

“What is there to say about this album that hasn’t already been said? A huge step for this band. I’ve put every album they’ve released on my year-end list without fail for a reason.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJMvP0

Aesop Rock - Skelethon

“Aesop Rock doesn’t disappoint on his latest album, which says a lot considering how much I loved None Shall Pass.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJG-gg

Swearin’ - Swearin’

“This album rules, straight up. If you’re into that 90s indie-rock fuzz-pop — think The Thermals, hints of early Built to Spill and Guided by Voices’ low-fi edge filtered through a poppy-punk aesthetic — then get this asap!” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJBUs0

Ladyhawk - No Can Do

“Out of nowhere, Ladyhawk put out a new record! I really liked Shots (2008), so this is a welcome surprise. It really picks up tempo-wise in the middle stretch with the furious Rub Me Wrong and Sinking Ship back-to-back.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJD_u8

Cheap Girls - Giant Orange

“Produced by Laura Jane Grace (of Against Me!), Cheap Girls’ Giant Orange has a huge, anthemic, crunchy sound to it — think Dinosaur Jr., Merge Records, and other classic 90s college rock touchstones. Pretty great.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJK0-4

Helvetia - Nothing in Rambling

“When I found out that two of these guys are currently playing in Built to Spill, I figured I’d have to check out their album ASAP. Turns out, I should have been up on this band earlier. What an output and they’re still going strong.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJEt_0

Sleeping Bag - Women of Your Life

“So stoked on this album! Sleeping Bag’s self-titled had some of the catchiest indie-rock going right now (Case in point: “Slime”) and I have to say, it’s just as good as their last record. This thing is absolutely stuffed with hooks.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJ-pB4

Window Twins - Wish

“This collaboration between Tim Cohen (of The Fresh & Onlys) and Jon Bernson (of Exray’s) flirts with darkly fuzzed out lo-fi folk, bass-driven grooves with mixed-percussion, and guitar pop. One song might sound like a distant, foggy Radiohead song (“Old People”) while another might flirt with jazz (“Wine into Water”) — they’re all nice though, making for an interestingly varied listen.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJC8j4

Pretty & Nice - Us You All We (EP)

“Holy addictive. Warm indie-pop melodies with a retro aesthetic — allmusic wasn’t far off when they name-checked Squeeze and Costello on their LP review (think Argybargy era, by way of modern indie-orchestra production).” -  http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJC72Y

Death Grips - Money Store

“As punishing and brutal as it is impeccably performed — and that’s pretty impressive. Took me a while to warm up on their mixtape and The Money Store, but I’m glad I stuck with it.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJIRgg

B. Fleischmann - I’m Not Ready For The Grave Yet

“Great experimental electronic that plays with emotional lyricism, weird vocal-samples and some great moments of guitar flourishes. “Tomorrow” and “Beat Us” back-to-back pack a wallop.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJE2X0

Tame Impala - Lonerism

“Another slab of terrific psych-pop from Tame Impala. If you loved Innerspeaker, then you’ll love this to death too.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJCwUY

Vcheka - Vcheka

“What a find this was. Post-rock peaks and valleys meet funk-jams by way of math-rock? Whatever it is, it fuckin’ rules.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJG6OU

Dads - Man of Leisure

“A wonderful album of mostly somber indie-folk that reminds me a bit of Dan Mangan, with comforting melodies and lyricism over warm instrumentation and arrangements.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJLSLE

Toys That Kill - Fambly 42

“With Fambly 42, Toys That Kill have put out what might be their most immediate — and quite possibly best — album to date. Garage-punk fans rejoice.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJHGfY

Ghibli - Rare Pleasures

“An album entirely created out of samples taken from YouTube videos. It’s like Ghibli put every genre of pop music out there — from electronic, RnB, dance, disco, chillwave and back again — into a magic bullet and pulsed this album into existence. If The Go Team’s sample-heavy debut was heavily influenced by the chillwave and dance scene, this might just be what it would sound like.” - http://rd.io/x/QVXaxiJHsPM

BONUS ALBUM!

No idea how it slipped my mind, but Tearjerker’s Hiding EP from this year is fantastic, and might just be my favourite release out of the Toronto scene this year. Please go listen to this album!

Honorable Mentions:

• Waxahatchee - Waxahatchee
• Arc in Round - Arc in Round
• Now, Now - Threads
• JP Haynie - The Sand
• Sundials - When I Couldn’t Breathe
• Casket Girls - Sleepwalking
• Julie Doiron - So Many Days
• Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics - It’s About Time
• Ty Segall & White Fence - Hair