Hot / Cool

I was kindly asked to participate in I Heart Music’s poll about the “hottest Canadian bands of 2006” – the results were posted over there this week.

In true self-centred form, I took the deliberately ambiguous “hottest” to simply mean the bands/records I’ve liked the most this year, and rather than submitting a top 10 list, I went with six or so. This is mainly because there are so many current Canadian records I’m either still digesting or still trying to get to in the first place. But I also decided that rather than fill out the list with second-tier stuff that I liked but didn’t like quite as much, I’d stick to the things that really really stood out.

Sadly, my #1 pick – Glissandro 70’s eponymous album – did not make the all-star team. As I wrote in my note to Matthew at I Heart Music, this is certainly my favourite Canadian album of the year and almost certainly my favourite album of the year, period. I’m still trying to fully articulate why that is, but I guess it has to do with....

A bold range of guitar sounds, from Afrobeat buzz to ponds of reverb.

A mood of sadness & defiance & acceptance all at once, though it’s hard to point to exactly where or how that mood makes itself known.

A stew of diverse influences that blend into a cohesive & singular flavour (more on that here).

A vibe that’s calm & stately but just as thrilling as records that are much more uptempo.


And for what it’s worth, “Portugal Rua Rua” is my single favourite song of the year. Here it is, and for God’s sake buy the record.

• Glissandro 70, “Portugal Rua Rua”

(For scale purposes, my favourite song of last year was Antony & the Johnsons’ “Fistful of Love.” I don’t always have a Favourite Song of the Year that I’m aware of, but I guess I have for the past two.)