Steve McLean’s favourite music of 2016

The top 10
1. Gringo Star - The Sides and in Between
2. Hidden Stash - Mixed Cassette Tape
3. Dressy Bessy - Kingsized
4. Pixies - Head Carrier
5. Pkew Pkew Pkew - Pkew Pkew Pkew
6. Tuns - Tuns
7. Death By Unga Bunga - Pineapple Pizza
8. Waco Brothers - Going Down in History
9. Ferraro - Losing Sleep
10. The Seams - Meet The Seams

 

  

 

The next 10
11. The Monochrome Set - Cosmonaut
12. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
13. Dexateens - Teenage Hallelujah
14. Jonny Fritz - Sweet Creep
15. The Monkees - Good Times
16. Shonen Knife - Adventure
17. Brian Whelan - Sugarland
18. Skinny Lister - The Devil, The Heart and The Fight
19. The Mekons - Existentialism
20. Brian Fallon - Painkillers

Honourable mention
The I Don’t Cares - Wild Stab
U.I.C. - The Wiseman Sessions
Laura Sauvage - Extraordinormal
The Gotobeds - Blood Sugar Secs Traffic
Alejandro Escovedo - Burn Something Beautiful
The Thermals - We Disappear
Bleached - Welcome the Worms
Communism - Get Down Together
The James Hunter Six - Hold On!
The Coathangers - Nosebleed Weekend
JPNSGRLS - Divorce
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
Acapulco Lips - Acapulco Lips
Blue Rodeo - 1000 Arms
Cyndi Lauper - Detour
Dwight Yoakam - Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars
Jeff Rosenstock - Worry
Surf Bored - The Rehearsal
Shawn Colvin and Steve Earle - Colvin & Earle
Neil Young - Peace Trail
Nick Waterhouse - Never Twice
 

EPs
1. The Orielles - Jobin EP
2. The Kickstand Band - Summer Dream
3. Tokyo Police Club - Melon Collie and the Infinite Radness (Part 1)
4. The Accidentals - Parking Lot EP
5. Tokyo Police Club - Melon Collie and the Infinite Radness (Part 2)
6. Dogheart - Real Mood
7. The Donkeys - Midnight Palms

Reissues and live albums
1. The Beatles - Live at The Hollywood Bowl (Remastered)
2. Adam and The Ants - Kings of the Wild Frontier 2016
3. Barenaked Ladies - BNL Rocks Red Rocks
4. The Velveteins - A Hot Second With The Velveteins (Reissue EP)

Concerts (chronological order)
Joe Strummer tribute - Jan. 8, Tennessee, Toronto
The Jammed, Blondee, Gabba Heys - Jan. 16, Cherry Cola's Rock 'n' Rolla Cabaret & Lounge, Toronto
Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls - March 11, The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto

The Paul Collins Beat

Danny Laj and The Looks, The Paul Collins Beat - March 30, The Cadillac Lounge, Toronto
Skinny Lister - March 31, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Royal Crowns, Chalk Circle, Crummy Stuff, Peter Zaremba's Rock Delegation featuring Keith Streng, U.I.C. - April 2, Royal Canadian Legion, Oshawa, Ont.
Jacques and The Valdanes, The ARC Sound - April 9, Tennessee, Toronto
Daddy Long Legs, Catl - April 21, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Who - April 27, Air Canada Centre, Toronto
The Rheostatics - April 29, Massey Hall, Toronto
Bob Mould - May 3, Horseshoe, Toronto
Mabel - May 4, Handlebar, Toronto
Darts, Archie Powell & The Exports, Punchline 13 - May 4, Bovine Sex Club, Toronto
The Kickstand Band, Laura & Greg - May 5, Nightowl, Toronto
The Orielles, Thrifty Kids, The Magic Gang, OL' CD - May 5, Handlebar, Toronto
Tommy Stinson - May 6, Bovine Sex Club, Toronto
New Swears - May 6, Horseshoe, Toronto
HUttch, The Spook School - May 7, The Garrison, Toronto
Forever Distracted - May 7, Cherry Cola's Rock 'n' Rolla Cabaret & Lounge, Toronto
The Orielles, Fat White Family - May 7, Velvet Underground, Toronto
Sam Cash & the Romantic Dogs - May 7, Horseshoe, Toronto
Ferraro - May 7, Cameron House, Toronto
Waco Brothers - May 13, Horseshoe, Toronto
Scott B. Sympathy, The Lawn, The Dundrells - May 15, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Black Eleven, The High Tides, The Hang-Ten Hangmen, The Men In Gray Suits, The Reverb Syndicate - June 4, The Cadillac Lounge, Toronto

The Royal Crowns

The Royal Crowns, The Shuffle Demons, The Dears - June 11, Dundas West Fest, Toronto
The Jayhawks - June 11, Horseshoe, Toronto
Sam Cash & The Romantic Dogs, By Divine Right - June 14, The Rivoli, Toronto
Lucky Ron - Aug. 20, Chateau Lafayette, Ottawa
Ferraro, Gringo Star - Aug. 26, Velvet Underground, Toronto
Ferraro, Sam Cash & The Romantic Dogs - Sept. 9, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Far East, The Specials - Sept. 13, The Danforth Music Hall
Margo Price, The Hives, Skinny Lister, Dropkick Murphys, Drive-By Truckers - Sept. 16, Fort York, Toronto
Lush, Okkervil River, Whitehorse, Barenaked Ladies, Guided By Voices - Sept. 17, Fort York, Toronto
The Mekons - Sept. 17, Horseshoe, Toronto
Corb Lund and The Hurtin’ Albertans - Sept. 18, Horseshoe, Toronto
Leather Uppers, U.I.C. - Sept. 24, Horseshoe, Toronto
Kenny James, The ARC Sound - Sept. 30, Tennessee, Toronto
Nick Waterhouse - Oct. 6, Horseshoe, Toronto

Nick Waterhouse

Catl, Dex Romweber - Oct. 22, Garagenoir, Toronto
Stiff Little Fingers - Oct. 27, Horseshoe, Toronto
Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Arkells - Nov. 4, Massey Hall, Toronto
Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, Arkells - Nov. 5, Massey Hall, Toronto
Lydia Loveless - Nov. 5, Adelaide Hall, Toronto
The Johnstones, The Planet Smashers - Nov. 18, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Aquamaniacs, The Surfrajettes, The Blue Demons, The Men In Gray Suits - Nov. 19, The Cadillac Lounge, Toronto
Alejandro Escovedo - Nov. 23, Horseshoe, Toronto
The Tailbreakers - Dec. 10, Duggan’s Brewery Basement, Toronto
The Rheostatics - Dec. 10, Horseshoe, Toronto