Philadelphia’s Alex Giannascoli has released his much-anticipated sixth full-length release, Rocket, and it is as murky and expansive as ever.

Diet Cig’s first LP shines.

Field of Love is a vibrant jungle of synth and vocal harmonies with an overarching theme of pleasurable love; the album comes just in time to usher in Montreal’s great thaw.

I can think of nothing better to do than gaze out of a window at the snowy deluge from the comfort of my home, with Fog Lake’s Dragonchaser playing on loop in the background.

Human Voicing, the fourth album from Montreal band The Luyas, showcases the band’s ability to play off of the tension between the moody and the playful.

Run the Jewels are not known to sugar-coat or present their lyrics on a bed of roses, and on RTJ3 they are as blunt and sharp-tongued as ever.

We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service provides the nostalgic sound of the OG Tribe with some new perspective.

A cinematic and folky kind of psychedelic soul music impossible to pin down.

How could these low-fi leaders of the Midwest emo scene, now approaching middle-age, deliver the same je ne sais quois melancholia reflected in the average twentysomething?

My Woman, Angel Olsen’s latest album release, has left me in pieces with its mix of distantly dreamy and direct, full-bodied sounds.

Noname’s debut mixtape, Telefone, exhibits her versatile skills as an artist with bubbly production that’s coated on every track and can instantly fill a room with glee.

A master of sound design and manipulation, Manchester-based Andy Stott graced the world with a new creation this year.

Five years after the release of their debut album, the Canadian jazz band BADBADNOTGOOD has made a name for themselves as one of the most versatile quartets in the music scene.

The story of Montréal’s IKO fits within a familiar narrative: a single release followed by a few decades of dormancy, awaiting acclaim that would come long overdue.

Self-reflection takes time as does a good self-reflecting album, and Basia Bulat knows this better than anyone.

DIIV’s 2012 debut Oshin was one of the most widely received Brooklyn-indie albums; Now in 2016, their long-anticipated sophomore album Is The Is Are, has been released.

By featuring two entirely different sound artists on the same tape, The Howl Arts Collective has accomplished a respect for artistic individuality.

Elusive minimal synth duo Ceramic Hello, consisting of Roger Humphreys and ex-Spoons keyboardist Brett Wickens, had a short and mysterious run as a band.

Through the use of unpredictable samples, unique beats, and haunting vocals, U.S. Girls venture into a chilling, desolate soundscape in a fresh, subtle way. 

It seems like Ought has struck gold again. The album is great and it really lives up to the expectations left by their first album.

The brilliance of Darius Jones’ 4tet on their new release Le bébé de Brigitte cannot be explained, written down, or repeated.

Welcoming new listeners of Afro-Cuban soul to further walk that road.

With Ice Daggers EP, I’d like you to take yourself back a few months to the death-freeze of February in Montreal.

WAC boasts diverse instrumentation, heartfelt lyrics, and carefully thought-out melodies, and proves to be an enjoyable and easy listen from front to back.