All the Rage Top 30 Songs of 2021

Here it is! My pick for the 30 best left-field pop tunes of 2021, from Canada, Australia and beyond. See if you can spot any trends in the tuneage.

Your setlist:

30. SPOD (AUS)
Lockdown
COVID song #1: A blast of manic, obscene insanity. The perfect starting point for this year’s Top 30.

29. Russian Tim and Pavel Bures (CAN)
ATAS
Russian-language punk band from Vancouver? You know they’re going to make the list. Reminds me of Leningrad. Super fun.

28. Enola Fall (AUS)
There Is A Light That Never Goes On
One of the best britpop tunes of the year, courtesy of some dudes from Melbourne. H/t @britdjmatt for turning me on to these guys.

27. No Tourists (CAN)
Blue
Tricky-inflected hiphop from Toronto. Oh, yes.

26. Civic (AUS)
Tell The Papers
Your new punk overlords would like a word.

25. Real Sickies (CAN)
Communication Breakdown
This blast of powerpop from Edmonton made me unreasonably happy this year.

24. Miesha & the Spanks (CAN)
Mixed Blood Girls
Fierce rock and roll from a Calgary band that’s become an ATR mainstay.

23. Ripcordz (CAN)
Fuck Covid
COVID song #2: Montreal punk legends. Appropriately raw.

22. Holy Fuck & Sarah Bonito (CAN)
Airport Dreams
Cool electronica.

21. Jess Locke (AUS)
Destroy Everything
Majestic.

20. Ducks Ltd. (CAN)
Grand Final Day
A Canadian indie-rock band singing about the AFL Grand Final? This song was tailor-made for All the Rage. Love it.

19. Breeze (CAN)
Come Around (feat Cadence Weapon)
A Happy Mondays groove and Cadence Weapon? You know this song is going on the list.

18. Les Shirley (CAN)
Fuck It I’m In Love
Joyful power pop from Montreal.

17. Pillow Pro (AUS)
Lucky (feat. Endless Prowl)
Dreamy longing.

16. PONY (CAN)
WebMD

I first heard Pony on an Indoor Shoes compilation in… 2014? 2015? Very nice to see Sam Bielanski and co. deliver the goods with their debut album, TV Baby. Whole thing is worth a listen.

15. Safeword (CAN)
This Machine
An indie rock song about social-media alienation equals another song genetically engineered for All the Rage.

14. Skydeck (AUS)
Dogshot
Unsettling and just a bit trippy. Really, really like this song. Like, a lot.

13. Negative Nancies (NZ)
Pig In A Pen
5:30 am nightmare music. You know, in the best way possible.

12. The Roop (Lithuania)
Discoteque
COVID song #3: This was the first year we watched the Eurovision Song Contest, and this was the first song we saw. Shades of Pet Shop Boys with just a hint of Depeche Mode, and just a bit goofy, we were instantly hooked.

11. Black Cab (AUS)
Rotsler’s Rules
ATR faves are back with another winning 80s-style electropop tune. Such a fan.

10. Danko Jones (CAN)
I Want Out
COVID song #4: Hard rock pandemic catharsis.

9. Annie Hamilton (AUS)
electric night
Delightfully romantic tune from last year’s ATR #1. A full-length for 2022, please?

8. Kashka (CAN)
Soft
COVID song #5: Much-needed gentleness: “Whenever life gets hard I just get soft.” Words we should all live by.

7. Smaller Hearts (CAN)
Summer Circumstances
COVID song #6: A reflection on pandemic life that would do the Pet Shop Boys proud, both lyrically and musically. (Translation: This is a fantastic, even profound, song.)

6. Pinch Points (AUS)
Reasons to be Anxious
COVID song #7: Lives up to its title. Anxiety-inducing post-punk from Melbourne’s next big thing. New album coming in 2022.

5. Moaning Lisa (AUS)
Something
Big emo feels. 90s alt rock sound in the best way possible. I really, really, really like this band.

4. NOCON (AUS)
Back of the Truck
Released in December 2020 after I’d done my year-end list, so I’m noting its awesomeness here. Stripped-down indie Gorillaz vibes. I’m here for it.

3. Go_A (Ukraine)
SHUM
Intense. Somewhat terrifying. And that’s just their unforgettable Eurovision performance.

2. Tropical Fuck Storm
G.A.F.F.
COVID song #8: Theme song for an exhausted world gone mad. Bonus points for the best backup vocals in the biz.

1. Quivers
Gutters of Love
Anthemic melancholy. I can only imagine how great this will sound live once everyone’s back in the world. Come back to Guelph! Heart Beach, too!

All the Rage: Favourite tunes of 2021 (pt. 1), #50-31

As always, the best in left-field pop from Canada, Australian and beyond. For your listening pleasure, the year’s best tuneage, expertly selected and scientifically ordered. Enjoy!

Your setlist:

50. Warpaint (US)
Lilys (HBO ‘Made For Love’ Cut)
https://youtu.be/2PDroSDtVq8

49. Aasiva (CAN)
Namu (feat. FxckMr)
https://youtu.be/Cjrlc2kagwY

48. Smaller Hearts (CAN)
Double Space

47. CLAMM (AUS)
Beseech Me

46. Feel Estate
backwards ppl

45. Rabbit (AUS)
Gone Gone Gone

44. Rata Negra (ESP)
El Escarmiento

43. Blair Parkes (NZ)
step out

42. Candy (AUS)
Challenger Deep

41. JuliaWhy? (AUS)
Waiting for Time


40. Matahara (AUS)
What a Waste


39. Julia Jacklin & RVG (AUS)
Army Of Me


38. Princess Century (CAN)
Touch Yourself


37. boler mani (AUS)
unsatiated
https://youtu.be/pobCsxntLmo

36. Delivery (AUS)
Floored


35. Teether & Kuya Neil (AUS)
Addy (feat. Sevy)


34. Blair Lee (CAN)
California (feat. Sylo Nozra)
https://youtu.be/RQvgHb-2xbg

33. Lija (AUS)
The Wizard of Oz
https://youtu.be/JAy1J7MNmtI

32. Odonis Odonis (CAN)
More


31. Springtime (AUS)
Will To Power


All the Rage no. 84, May 19, 2020: The Future is Uncomfortable

As always, the best in left-field pop from Canada, Australia and beyond! This week it’s left-field pop maestros Spars who set the stage, Melbourne’s Time For Dreams live up to their name, muscular dreampop (aka shoegaze) from Montreal’s No Joy while Toronto punkers OBGMs make a triumphant return. Also, powerpop from Perth’s Flossy and so, so much more.

The show

The setlist

Sparks
Left Out in the Cold

Simona Castricum
The Present

Poliça
Trickylovers

Time For Dreams
Death of a Disco Dancer

No Joy
Birthmark

Seafog
Centre of the Heart

The OBGMs
Cash

The Shiverettes
Trust

Flossy
The Mess You Made

Eliza & The Delusionals
Swimming Pool

Jade Imagine
Coastal Pines

Heart Beach
Other Side

Marlaena Moore
I Miss You

The Eclipse
Maybe I’m The Problem

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Falling Thunder

Halfheads
Bird Food

 

All the Rage no. 83, May 4, 2020: It’s always new to someone

As always, 60ish minutes of the best in new (and new to me) left-field pop from Canada, Australia and beyond! This week we get loud with Welland’s Daniel Romano, Calgary’s The Shiverettes, Melbourne’s Slush, Freo’s Grunge Barbie. New Donny Benét! New New Fries! Delightful mellowness from New Zealand’s Floating Island. Also, a whole bunch of tunes from the past couple of years from bands that I’m only discovering now, like Edmonton’s Midnight Crisis. So much excellent music out there, just waiting to be discovered, so dive on in.

The setlist:

 Daniel Romano
I’m Afraid Of Elevators

Slush
Bleed

R.M.F.C.
Reader

Grunge Barbie
St. James St

Midnight Crisis
Hecubus (evil!)

The Shiverettes
Hard Bitch

Baby Band
Skeptics & Chill

Switches
Saurkraut

Jon Mckiel
Private Eye

New Fries
Ploce

Donny Benet
Mr Experience

Floating Island
Discontinuation

Punko
Plants Singing

Key Out
Chorus

Hussy
Gatorade

Sachet
Holes In One

Hippy Stamps
All I Can Remember Is Your Blue Eyes

All the Rage no. 82: Songs from the Great Indoors

As always, the best in new left-field pop from Canada, Australia and beyond. This week: several great tunes from the comp Stay Inside – Songs from the Great Indoors, put together by a bunch of Aussie indie labels. 100% of receipts to the bands. Check it out. Also Edmonton’s Real Sickies with some punkage recorded in isolation, and so much more.

The show:

The setlist:

La Fièvre
Faudra faire mieux

Pinch Points
Liquid Stone – Ground Up – System Failure

Dboy
Full On

Civic
Velvet Casino

Glen Schenau
Jhumble

Juniper Bush
Foresight

Blessé
Sudoku

Blush Response
Snacks [Bored Nothing Cover]

Chastity Belt
The Process

suffer fools
when i was a monster

Expanda Fuzz
The State Of The Nation

Emma Russack
When You Sleep (My Bloody Valentine Cover)

Victories at Sea
When the Dark

Dead Little Penny
Dead Together

Calming Chamber
On Hold

Dianas
Million Dollar Baby

Shoulder Season
Clean Lines

Real Sickies
Baby I’m an Isolator

All the Rage no. 81, April 20, 2020: From Inside the House

As always, 60 minutes (or thereabouts) of the best in new indie music from Canada, Australia and beyond (plus a John Prine cover). This week: Melbourne’s Mystery Guest hit us with a song that’s sure to be on my year-end best-of list,  while compatriots Baby Shower go dark, tasty shoegazy stuff from Washed Out, Hamilton’s Sunnsetter and Toronto’s Lacquer. And so, so much more (Pet Shop Boys!).

The show:

The setlist:

 Leslie Spit Tree-O
Angel from Montgomery

Mystery Guest
Get Up

Jade Hairpins
(Don’t Break My) Devotion

Knitted Abyss
Attention

Baby Shower
Everything sucks and it’s everyone’s fault but mine

Primo!
Best and Fairest

Pet Shop Boys
Monkey business

the band whose name is a symbol
From Düsseldorf To Cologne

Hannah Cameron
Backsliding

Sunnsetter
Sauble

Washed Out
Too Late

Lacquer
Rent to Own

Gum Country
Somewhere

 

All the Rage no. 80, April 13, 2020: Spring Sounds

As always, 60 minutes of the best in left-field pop from Canada, Australia and beyond. This week: shoegaze from Australia’s Flyying Colours and Kodiak Galaxy and Canda’s Zoon; Montreal pop and hip-hop from Le Couleur and Petite Papa (respectively), Mark Lanegan, Claire Birchall, EWAH & The Vision of Paradise; sunny guitar pop from Penny Diving, Port Juvee and Vim, and so much more.

The show:

The setlist:

Flyying Colours
Big Mess

Kodiak Galaxy
Ghosts

Le Couleur
Concorde

Petite Papa
Boogie

Mark Lanegan
Skeleton Key

Claire Birchall
Running in Slow Motion

EWAH & The Vision of Paradise
Play Hard

Zoon
Vibrant Colours

Penny Diving
Shotgun, She Said

The Great Divides
Face the World

Port Juvee
Motion Control

Muncie Girls
Idolise

Rhysics
Holding Yourself Hostage

Vim
Way Away

Romero
Honey

Tropical Fuck Storm
Suburbiopia

All the Rage no. 79, April 6, 2020: It Gets Loud

Once again, the best in new left-field pop from Canada, Australia and beyond.

This week: delightfully abrasive punk from Bad Waitress, Tactics, Antibodies and Dboy; Pantayo and Caryn Borthwick channel No Zu; Birdz is On the Run; moody electronic pop from Lastlings and Poliça; Zoë Fox hits us with her debut album. And so much more.

The show:

The setlist:

Zoë Fox and the Rocket Clocks
Spare Me The Time

Bad Waitress
That Sedative

Tactics
Stifled Yawns

Antibodies
Rat City, Baby

Dboy
Money Talks

Algiers
Dispossession

Victories at Sea
Follow You

 

Cookie Delicious
Fish’s Abyss

Lastlings
Take My Hand

 

Poliça
Driving

Caryn Borthwick
Lizard Brain

Pantayo
Heto Na

Birdz
On The Run

Juniore
Drôle d’histoire

Paragon Cause
Lost Cause

Mundy’s Bay
Dreams

Tidal Rave
Fomo

Quivers
Videostores

All the Rage no. 78, March 30, 2020: Isolation – Shut In

Sixty minutes of the best in left-field pop from Canada, Australia and beyond to get your through your self isolation and social distancing.

This week, a couple of timely self-isolation tunes: a Joy Division cover from YACHT and the eerily timely Shut-In from Nova Scotia’s Beauts. Also! Transcendent punk from Welland’s Dboy, loundness from UZI and Gutter Girls, Ottawa’s Surrender w/ some tasty 80s synthpop, new Pet Shop Boys (fact: the U1 is a party train), Sparks and Donny Benét. Also, Danko Jones takes us up the mountain.

The show:

The setlist:

YACHT
Isolation – Single

Pet Shop Boys
Will-o-the-wisp

Willaris. K
DETACH

Surrender
A Lifetime Away

Australia
Physical!

Tanaya Harper
Evan Keele
triple j Unearthed Embedded Player

Corridor
Topographe

Heart Beach
Elastic

UZI
Competencia

Dboy
Scavengers of Luv

Gutter Girls
The Bullet

Wares
Surrender into Waiting Arms

Sparks
I’m Toast

Donny Benét
Girl of My Dreams

Beauts
Shut In

Danko Jones
Mountain (Live)

All the Rage no. 77, March 22, 2020: Anthropocene Dream

As always, the best in new and indie music from Canada, Australia and beyond. There’s no better way to enjoy your social isolation, right?

On the show: mellow chillness from Kashka and Molly Drag, tasty loudness from Montreal’s Double Date with Death, delicious power pop from NOBRO and Bloods, poppy confections from U.S. Girls and Hello Seahorse!, Heart Beach with a side dish of homesickness, a spiky punk punch from Cable Ties and Rata Negra.

I really need to get something to eat.

The show:

The setlist:

KASHKA
It’s Winter Now

NOBRO
Marianna

Double Date with Death
La princesse de l’au-delà (feat. Laurence Gauthier-Brown)

OPT/out
Holocene

Cable Ties
Sandcastles

Rata Negra
¿Qué Tendrá?

Bloods
U & M E

Spectres
Provincial Wake

U.S. Girls
Overtime (feat. James Baley & Jake Clemons)

Hello Seahorse!
Gratitud

Funeral Lakes
Anthropocene Dream

Victories at Sea
Ice Data Centre

Art d’Ecco
I’ll Never Give You Up

Diamondtown
The Voice

VIM
Waiting

Crystal Eyes
Wishes

Heart Beach
Together

Go Get Mum
Moving Day

Molly Drag
Walking Out