2018 in Canadian music explained

The following musical events and releases that happened in 2018 in Canada.

Events

• March – Juno Awards of 2018
• April – East Coast Music Awards
• May – Prism Prize
• June – Preliminary longlist for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize is announced
• July – SOCAN Songwriting Prize
• July – Shortlist for the Polaris Music Prize is announced
• September 17 – Jeremy Dutcher wins the Polaris Music Prize for his album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
• December 1 – 14th Canadian Folk Music Awards

Albums released

A

• AHI, In Our Time
• Alaskan Tapes, The Ocean No Longer Wants Us
• Alaskan Tapes, You Were Always an Island
• Jann Arden, These Are the Days – February 2^[1]
• Arkells, Rally Cry – October 19
• Astral Swans, Strange Prison – May 30

B

• Bahamas, Earthtones – January 19^[1]
• Gord Bamford, Neon Smoke – January 19^[1]
• Jill Barber, Metaphora – June 22^[2]
• Matthew Barber, Phase of the Moon
• Alexis Baro, Sandstorm^[3]
• Ridley Bent, Ridley Bent and the Killer Tumbleweeds
• Beppie, Let's Go Bananas!
• Bernice, Puff LP: in the air without a shape
• Laila Biali, Laila Biali – January 26^[4]
• Jean-Michel Blais, Dans ma main – May 11
• Forest Blakk, Minutes
• The Blue Stones, Black Holes (re-release) - October 26
• Bob Moses, Battle Lines – September 14^[5]
• Bonjay, Lush Life
• Born Ruffians, Uncle, Duke & the Chief – February 16^[1]
• Paul Brandt, The Journey YYC, Vol. 1 – April 6^[6]
• Paul Brandt, The Journey BNA, Vol. 2 – November 9^[6]
• Michael Jerome Browne, Can't Keep a Good Man Down
• Jim Bryson, Tired of Waiting – September 14^[7]

C

• Cadence Weapon, Cadence Weapon – January 19^[8]
• Aleksi Campagne, Aleksi Campagne
• Alessia Cara, The Pains of Growing – November 30
• Caracol, À paraitre – February 2^[1]
• Jennifer Castle, Angels of Death – May 18
• Chilly Gonzales, Solo Piano III – September 7
• Chromeo, Head Over Heels – June 15
• City and Colour, Guide Me Back Home – October 5
• Classified, Tomorrow Could Be – June 29; Tomorrow Could Be The Day Things Change – October 12
• Cœur de pirate, En cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé – June 8
• Antoine Corriveau, Feu de forêt
• Cowboy Junkies, All That Reckoning
• Jim Cuddy, Constellation – January 26^[1]

D

• Marie Davidson, Working Class Woman
• Art d'Ecco, Trespasser
• Dilly Dally, Heaven
• The Dirty Nil, Master Volume – September 14
• Drake, Scary Hours – January 19
• Drake, Scorpion – June 29
• Jeremy Dutcher, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa – April 6

E

• Elisapie, The Ballad of the Runaway Girl

F

• 54-40, Keep on Walking
• Christine Fellows, Roses on the Vine – November 16
• Michael Feuerstack, Natural Weather
• Dominique Fils-Aimé, Nameless
• Jeremy Fisher Junior, Highway to Spell
• Sue Foley, The Ice Queen – March 2^[1]
• La Force, La Force
• FouKi, Zay
• FouKi, La Zayté
• Angelique Francis, Kissed by the Blues
• The Fretless, Live from the Art Farm
• Debby Friday, Bitchpunk
• FRIGS, Basic Behaviour
• Frontperson, Frontrunner^[9]
• Fucked Up, Dose Your Dreams – October 5

G

• The Good Lovelies, Shapeshifters – February 9^[1]
• Grand Analog, Survival – January 26^[1]
• Great Lake Swimmers, Side Effects – April 13;^[10] The Waves, the Wake – August 17^[11]
• Greg Keelor, Last Winter – April 27^[12]

H

• Harm & Ease, Black Market Gold
• Harrison, Apricity^[13]
• Hawk Nelson, Miracles – April 6
• Hillsburn, The Wilder Beyond – February 2^[1]
• Nate Husser, minus 23 (July);^[14] 6° (October)^[15]
• Andrew Hyatt, Cain

I

• Zaki Ibrahim, The Secret Life of Planets – January 31
• Brandon Isaak, Rise 'n Shine

J

• Jazz Cartier, Fleurever – July 27^[16]
• Just John x Dom Dias, Don (June); Don II (November)

K

• Kae Sun, Whoever Comes Knocking – March 2^[1]
• Kellarissa, Ocean Electro^[17]
• Khotin, Beautiful You
• Francois Klark, Love
• Korea Town Acid, Mahogani Forest
• Nicholas Krgovich, "Ouch"^[18]

L

• Mélissa Laveaux, Radyo Siwèl – February 2
• Salomé Leclerc, Les choses extérieures
• Hubert Lenoir, Darlène – February
• Loony, Part 1
• Les Louanges, La nuit est une panthère
• Lowell, Lone Wolf
• The Lynnes, Heartbreak Song for the Radio

M

• Magic!, Expectations – September 7
• Dan Mangan, More or Less – November 2^[19]
• Matiu, Petikat
• Kalle Mattson, Youth
• Matt Mays, Twice Upon a Hell of a Time – October 19
• Efrim Manuel Menuck, Pissing Stars – February 2
• Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes – May 25
• Dylan Menzie, As the Clock Rewinds
• Metric, Art of Doubt – September 21
• Milk & Bone, Deception Bay – February 2^[1]
• Monowhales, Control Freak
• Mother Mother, Dance and Cry – November 2

N

• N Nao, À jamais pour toujours
• Nap Eyes, I'm Bad Now – March 9^[20]
• Safia Nolin, Dans le noir – October
• Northern Haze, Siqinnaarut
• Justin Nozuka, Low Tide – February 16
• Justin Nozuka, Run To Waters – May 18^[21]

O

• OBUXUM, H.E.R.
• Oktoécho, Saimaniq
• The Olympic Symphonium, Beauty in the Tension – February 9^[1]
• Steven Lee Olsen, Timing Is Everything – November 9^[22]
• The Oot n' Oots, Electric Jellyfish Boogaloo
• Ought, Room Inside the World – February 16
• Our Lady Peace, Somethingness – February 23

P

• Dorothea Paas, One for the Road
• Pharis and Jason Romero, Sweet Old Religion
• Scott-Pien Picard, Scott-Pien Picard
• Pilou, La Vraie nature
• Postdata, Let's Be Wilderness
• Preoccupations, New Material – March 23

Q

• Queer Songbook Orchestra, Anthems & Icons

R

• Billy Raffoul, 1975
• Rare Americans, Rare Americans
• Allan Rayman, Harry Hard-On
• Lee Reed, The Steal City EP
• The Reklaws, Feels Like That – August 31
• Reuben and the Dark, Arms of a Dream – May 4
• Jessie Reyez, Being Human in Public
• Daniel Romano, Human Touch – January 4^[23]
• Daniel Romano, Nerveless – January 4^[23]
• Daniel Romano, Finally Free
• Rum Ragged, The Hard Times
• Rusty, Dogs of Canada^[24]

S

• Jay Scøtt, EM0G0D
• Jay Scøtt x Smitty Bacalley, Un chevreuil
• Joseph Shabason, Anne – November 16
• Shad, A Short Story About a War – October 28
• Dylan Sinclair, Red Like Crimson
• The Slakadeliqs, Heavy Rockin' Steady – February 9
• Sloan, 12 – April 6
• Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Rez Bangers & Koolapops
• So Loki, Planet Bando
• So Loki and, Whatever
• Souldia, L'Album noir and Survivant
• Rae Spoon,
• Story Untold, Waves – February 2
• Suuns, Felt – March 2^[20]

T

• , Jikaku^[25]
• Three Days Grace, Outsider – March 9
• Thus Owls, The Mountain That We Live Upon
• Tokyo Police Club, TPC – October 5^[26]
• The Trews, Civilianaires – September 14
• Tri-Continental, Dust Dance

U

• U.S. Girls, In a Poem Unlimited – February 16^[1]

V

• Mathew V, The Fifth
• Diyet van Lieshout, Diyet and the Love Soldiers
• Various Artists, The Al Purdy Songbook^[27]
• Vile Creature, Cast of Static and Smoke
• Voivod, The Wake – September 21

W

• Wax Mannequin, Have a New Name
• The Weeknd, My Dear Melancholy, – March 30
• Wild Rivers, Eighty-Eight
• Donovan Woods, Both Ways – April 20^[28]

Y

• Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, Dirt
• Young Galaxy, Down Time – April 6^[20]
• Yukon Blonde, Critical Hit – June 22

Deaths

• January 25 – Tommy Banks, 81, jazz musician and politician^[29]
• January 31 – Leah LaBelle, 31, singer and contestant on American Idol^[30]
• June 19 – Matthew Grimson, 50, singer-songwriter
• October 20 – Jon McMurray, 34, rapper and freeskier^[31]
• December 19 – Mike "Beard Guy" Taylor, 51, keyboardist for Walk off the Earth

Notes and References

1. http://www.fyimusicnews.ca/articles/2017/12/27/calendar-2018-album-releasesso-far "A Calendar Of 2018 Album Releases...So Far"
2. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/metaphora-jill-barber-1.4630865 "Metaphora: Vancouver-based songwriter Jill Barber brings modern vibe to new album"
3. Colin Story, "Sandstorm - Alexis Baro". The WholeNote, October 30, 2018.
4. http://www.cbcmusic.ca/first-plays/649/first-play-laila-biali-self-titled "First Play: Laila Biali, self-titled"
5. http://bobmosesmusic.com Bob Moses
6. Web site: First Play Live: Paul Brandt, The Journey YYC: Vol. 1. April 25, 2018. CBC Music.
7. https://exclaim.ca/music/article/jim_bryson_reveals_tired_of_waiting_ep_shares_new_song "Jim Bryson Reveals 'Tired of Waiting' EP, Shares New Song"
8. http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/monday-jan-15-2017-lena-waithe-cadence-weapon-and-more-1.4484991/rapper-cadence-weapon-on-his-musical-journey-and-current-state-of-hip-hop-in-canada-1.4485015 "Rapper Cadence Weapon on his musical journey and current state of hip-hop in Canada"
9. Eric R. Danton, "Frontperson: Frontrunner Review". Paste, September 18, 2018.
10. https://www.cbcmusic.ca/posts/19831/watch-great-lake-swimmers-premiere-new-video-ep "Watch: Great Lake Swimmers premiere new video, announce EP"
11. https://exclaim.ca/music/article/great_lake_swimmers_announce_the_waves_the_wake_lp "Great Lake Swimmers Announce 'The Waves, The Wake' LP"
12. Web site: Bio – Greg Keelor. Warner Music Canada. 27 April 2018.
13. Matt Bauer, "Harrison Knows Winter Is Coming; 'Apricity' Will Help Us Cope". Exclaim!, October 10, 2018.
14. Olivier Boisvert-Magnen, "RAP LOCAL : MB, TIRER UN TRAIT SUR LE PASSÉ". Voir, July 10, 2018.
15. Josephine Cruz, "Montreal’s Nate Husser Continues His Impressive Run with “6º” EP". Complex, October 15, 2018.
16. Web site: Fleurever by Jazz Cartier on Apple Music. iTunes. July 27, 2018.
17. John Lucas, "Ocean Electro finds Kellarissa in a contemplative space". The Georgia Straight, March 7, 2018.
18. Calum Marsh, "Nicholas Krgovich: 'Ouch'". Pitchfork, November 29, 2018.
19. http://exclaim.ca/music/article/dan_mangan_sheds_light_on_his_new_single_upcoming_album_and_embracing_his_solo_troubadour_status "Dan Mangan Sheds Light on His Upcoming Album and Embracing His Solo Troubadour Status"
20. http://www.metacritic.com/browse/albums/release-date/coming-soon/date "UPCOMING ALBUM RELEASE CALENDAR"
21. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/run-to-waters/1370103133?app=music "Run to Waters by Justin Nozuka – iTunes – Apple"
22. Web site: Steven Lee Olsen Releases Debut Album 'Timing Is Everything'. November 9, 2018. LB. Cantrell. Music Row Magazine.
23. https://exclaim.ca/music/article/daniel_romano_surprise_releases_nerveless_and_human_touch_lps "Daniel Romano Surprise Releases 'Nerveless' and 'Human Touch' Albums"
24. http://exclaim.ca/music/article/rusty_return_with_their_first_album_in_20_years "Rusty Return with Their First Album in 20 Years"
25. Matt Bobkin, "Meet TEKE::TEKE, the J-Rock Tribute Turned Full-Fledged Fusion Band". Exclaim!, January 10, 2019.
26. Calum Slingerland, "Tokyo Police Club Announce 'TPC' Album, Share New Song". Exclaim!, July 9, 2018.
27. https://nowtoronto.com/music/features/al-purdy-songbook/ "Canadian poet Al Purdy inspires songs by Jason Collett, Sarah Harmer and more"
28. https://exclaim.ca/music/article/donovan_woods_announces_burn_that_bridge "Donovan Woods Announces 'Both Ways' LP, Shares New Song"
29. Web site: Legendary Edmontonian jazz pianist, ex-senator Tommy Banks dead at 81 . CBC News . The Canadian Press . 11 December 2019.
30. Web site: Pedersen . Erik . 2018-02-01 . ‘American Idol’ Finalist Leah LaBelle & Ex-NBA Player Husband Killed In Car Crash . 2024-03-01 . Deadline . en-US.
31. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/rapper-jon-james-falls-death-airplane-stunt-gone-wrong-171759545.html Rapper dies after music video stunt goes wrong