Two thousand thirteen. What a glorious chunk o’ months it’s been. For many things — and for Canadian music. It’s bubbling up in all places across our vast geography, poking out like soft green growth from fertile soil. The vines are climbing, the blossoms blooming. Genres dissolving, DNA combining to create curious, warped beauty speckled recklessly across the spectrum of dark sludge to light love. This list is not definitive, it is representative, and only then to a certain degree. These tree-freckled lands stretch infinite and so do the imaginations of its bipedal oddballs. Each tiny congregation of dwellings has within it a nucleus of vibrant creativity waiting to be unearthed. Dig deep, music lovers. Canada is rich in precious gems. — Adam Bradley
100 Essential Canadian Songs from 2013:
Still Boys – “Put Your Hands On Your Lap”
https://soundcloud.com/still-boys/put-your-hands-on-your-lap
Zoo Owl – “Twin Mirror”
White Poppy – “Green & Growing”
http://whitepoppy.bandcamp.com/track/green-growing
HSY – “Milk Chug”
http://hussywhore.bandcamp.com/track/milk-chug
Roberta Bondar – “Night Danger”
http://roberta-bondar.bandcamp.com/track/night-danger
Diana – “Born Again”
https://soundcloud.com/dianasound/born-again
Dirty Inputs – “Oberon/Overture”
http://dirtyinputs.bandcamp.com/track/oberon-overture
Moon – “Card, Crane, Ha” (band pictured, above)
http://muun.bandcamp.com/track/card-crane-ha
Petra Glynt – “Sour Paradise”
http://petraglynt.bandcamp.com/track/sour-paradise-5
Ollie North – “Bringer”
http://ollienorthmusic.bandcamp.com/track/bringer
Seance Centre – “Zapotek”
https://soundcloud.com/seance-centre/zatopek
Ostrich Tuning – “It Goes Right Through”
http://ostrichtuning.bandcamp.com/track/it-goes-right-through
MATROX – “Escape Plan Alpha”
https://soundcloud.com/matrox-4/escape-plan-alpha-demo
Tired – “Tired”
http://weirdcanada.com/index.php?s=tired
Fan Fiction – “Dust 2 Dust”
http://megabonus.bandcamp.com/track/fan-fiction-dust-2-dust
Odonis Odonis – “Better”
http://odonisodonis.bandcamp.com/track/better
Hooded Fang – “Graves”
http://dapsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gravez
Mexican Slang – “Double Trouble”
http://mexicanslang.bandcamp.com/track/double-trouble
Dilly Dally – “Candy Mountain”
http://dillydally.bandcamp.com/track/candy-mountain
Cvntpvnt – “Rot”
http://cvntpvnt.bandcamp.com/track/rot
Bad Channels – “Death Toll”
https://soundcloud.com/badchannels/death-toll
Ylang Ylang – “Temporary Opalescent Death”
Sean Nicholas Savage – “Other Life”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rJiy3iuwho
Programm – “Waiting”
http://programmusic.bandcamp.com/track/waiting
Sandro Perri – “Spaced Out”
https://soundcloud.com/constellation-records/sandro-perri-love-light-larry
Doom Squad – “Riders On The Storm”
http://doomsquad.bandcamp.com/track/riders-on-the-storm
Dean Jones Armada – “High as a Cat”
https://soundcloud.com/deanjonesarmada/highasacat
Weaves – “Motorcycle”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBTNxZiMpxk
Ell V Gore – “Lobotomy”
https://soundcloud.com/ellvgore
Jay Arner – “Out To Lunch”
http://jayarner.bandcamp.com/track/out-to-lunch-2
Bile Sister – “Reptile Tenaka”
http://bilesister.bandcamp.com/track/reptile-tenaka
Tenderness – “Orphans Howling in the Wild (Bucked & Blended Mix)”
http://weirdcanada.com/binary/Weird_Canada-Fruits-Tenderness-Orphans_Howling_in_the_Wild_bucked_and_blended_mix.mp3
Phèdre – “Haberdash”
http://dapsrecords.bandcamp.com/track/haberdash-2
We Were Heads – “King Rat King”
http://wewereheads.bandcamp.com/track/king-rat-king
Cellphone – “Dirt Angels”
http://cellphone100.bandcamp.com/track/dirt-angels
Zacht Automaat – “Ancaster Heights”
http://calicocorp.bandcamp.com/track/ancaster-heights
Wolfcow – “Go Say That To Somebody”
http://vimeo.com/60388235
Ramzi – “Somali Beatz”
http://ramzi1.bandcamp.com/track/somali-beatz
Digits – “Love Is Only Affection”
http://store.digitsmusic.com/track/love-is-only-affection
Jay Holy – “Skeletons”
http://jayholy.bandcamp.com/track/skeletons
Soupcans – “2 Much”
http://thesoupcans.bandcamp.com/track/2-much-2
Twist – “Too Much Trouble”
https://soundcloud.com/twistband/too-much-trouble
Miss Elizabeth – “Richmond Girls”
http://misselizabeth.bandcamp.com/track/richmond-girls
Broken Deer – “The Saddest Song in Outerspace”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpdfUBCXDZ4#t=82
Thomas – “Kissing”
http://isthisthomas.bandcamp.com/track/kissing
Toronto Homicide Squad – “It Takes a Lot To Kill a Man”
http://torontohomicidesquad.bandcamp.com/track/it-takes-a-lot-to-kill-a-man-2
Prince Nifty – “Body Irony”
http://princenifty.bandcamp.com/track/body-irony
Das Rad – “Black Widow”
http://dasrad.bandcamp.com/track/black-widow
Anamai – “Altar Coals”
http://buzzrecordsto.bandcamp.com/track/altar-coals
B-17 – “Wishing Won’t Make It So”
http://b-17.bandcamp.com/track/wishing-wont-make-it-so-2
Fresh Snow – “Your Thirst For Magic Has Been Quenched By Death!”
https://soundcloud.com/freshsnowalbum/your-thirst-for-magic-has-been
Blue Hawaii – “Try To Be”
http://bluehawaii.bandcamp.com/track/try-to-be-2
Astral Gunk – “Side A”
http://astralgunk.bandcamp.com/album/str8-up-james-dean
Moonwood – “You Too Can Be a Kosmonaut”
http://moonwood.bandcamp.com/track/you-too-can-be-a-kosmonaut
Citadel – “Handfasting”
http://truefaith.bandcamp.com/track/handfasting-2
Monsterbator – “Through A Straw”
http://monsterbator.com/track/through-a-straw
Mimico – “Doses”
http://mimico.bandcamp.com/track/doses-3
Milk Lines – “Pellucidar”
http://milklines.bandcamp.com/track/pellucidar
Black Walls – “Communion”
https://soundcloud.com/pleasence-records/communion
Holgans – “Betcha Sunrise”
http://holgans.bandcamp.com/track/betcha-sunrise
Taiwan – “In my House”
http://taiwan.bandcamp.com/track/in-my-house
Hoover Party – “1”
http://hooverparty.bandcamp.com/track/1-2
Akua – “One’s Company”
http://akua.bandcamp.com/track/ones-company
Secret Pyramid – “Distance II”
https://secretpyramid.bandcamp.com/track/distance-ii
F Hood – “Introit”
http://fhood.bandcamp.com/track/introit-2
Pat Jordache – “O.M.O”
http://patjordache.bandcamp.com
Jics – “Lippy”
https://soundcloud.com/jicsjicsjics/lippy
Femminielli Noir – “Me Gusta El Dolor”
https://soundcloud.com/femminielli/femminielli-noir-me-gusta-el
Maylee Todd – “Pinball Number Count”
http://music.mayleetodd.com/track/pinball-number-count
Mozart’s Sister – “Mozart’s Sister”
https://soundcloud.com/merokrecords/mozarts-sister-mozarts-sister
Jef Barbara – “Song For The Loveshy”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cltf0XNHeIY#t=88
The Courtneys – “90210”
https://soundcloud.com/burgerrecords/the-courtneys-90210
Yacht Club – “Brave Intelligence”
https://soundcloud.com/bigloverecords/yacht-club-brave-intelligence#t=0:00
Doldrums – “Dive Deep Pt 1”
https://soundcloud.com/doldrumss/dive-deep-pt-1
Boy Bitch – “You and I”
http://boybitch.bandcamp.com/track/you-and-i
Michael Jacket – “Garbaging”
http://notunlike.bandcamp.com/track/garbaging
Tess Parks – “Somedays”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXICXbzDOZk
Boha – “Soft Square”
http://jellyfishrecordings.bandcamp.com/track/soft-square
Colin Stetson – “High Above a Grey Green Sea”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-rXGtQFww8
Os Tropies – “Ciclo”
http://ostropies.bandcamp.com/track/ciclo
Valerie Dour – “Dispel”
https://soundcloud.com/bad-panda-records/valerie-dour-dispel
The Beverleys – “This is Not a Union”
http://thebeverleys.bandcamp.com
Delta Will – “It All Glows”
http://deltawill.bandcamp.com/track/it-all-glows
Surinam – “Pass The Balcofen”
http://surinamband.bandcamp.com/track/pass-the-balcofen-demo
The Riderless – “Hymn Interii”
http://theriderless.bandcamp.com/track/hymn-interii
A Sacred Cloud – “Be Good Or Be Dead!”
http://arachnidiscs.bandcamp.com/track/a3-be-good-or-be-dead
Moonbahn – “Heart Centaur”
http://moonbahn.bandcamp.com/track/heart-centaur
Princess Century – “Crummy Bones”
https://soundcloud.com/princesscentury/b-4-crummy-bones?in=princesscentury/sets/lossless-1
Mi Casa Tu Casa – “Micasa”
http://micasatucasa.bandcamp.com/track/micasa
Hush Pup – “Darlene”
http://hushpup.bandcamp.com/track/darlene
The Weather Station (ft. Daniel Romano) – “Can You See Her In My Eyes”
http://youvechangedrecords.bandcamp.com/track/can-you-see-her-in-my-eyes
Absolutely Free – “Milk It”
https://soundcloud.com/handdrawndracula/08-absolutely-free-milk-it
Cold Warps – “Worry Worms”
http://coldwarps.bandcamp.com/track/worry-worms
Not The Wind, Not The Flag – “Reveal”
http://healingpowertoronto.bandcamp.com/track/reveal
Nanimal – “Karma Kamikaze”
http://nanimal.bandcamp.com/track/karma-kamikaze
Tonitix – “No More Place To Hide”
http://tonitix.bandcamp.com/track/no-more-place-to-hide
Mold Boy – “Memory Resolve”
https://moldboy.bandcamp.com/track/memory-resolve
Arcade Fire – “Normal Person”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEcu3-fxZSE
The New Values – “Axe On Your Doorstep”
http://thenewvalues.bandcamp.com/track/axe-on-your-doorstep-2
Tom Huhtala – “Mixtape III”
https://soundcloud.com/thomas-huhtala/mixtape-iii