Cover photo by David Stillman, used under Creative Commons license

The best of everything from 2017

December 30, 2017December 31, 2017 Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

An annual tradition, in which I dump out my categorized & ranked consumption for all to see. Everything’s listed alphabetically unless otherwise noted.

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My favourite albums of 2017

Turn Out The Lights by Julien Baker

Even if it wasn’t quite as powerful as her first album – so much of that power came from how stark it was, whereas this has undergone more/slicker production – it’s still more intense and beautiful than most artists can manage.

Hug Of Thunder by Broken Social Scene

Ever the mixed bag of songs from the various members, it’s a typical BSS album (as much as there can be such a thing), which means it’s likely good enough to make my list.

Luciferian Towers by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

I’ve loved this band for a long time, and have adored all their albums, but this might be their best. It’s at least their best since the world-shaking Shake Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven. The multi-part “Bosses Hang” is a masterpiece.

Near To The Wild Heart Of Life by Japandroids

There’s something to be said for bands who can put out album after album after album of straight-ahead, high-energy, drum and guitar rock, and for it not to sound tired. Side note: it’s even better live.

DAMN by Kendrick Lamar

Me and everyone else, right? There’s a reason why so many people have this on, even atop, their year-end lists. Twenty years from now people will still be talking about this, and using the label classic. It was a classic the day it dropped.

Every Country’s Sun by Mogwai

Any year Mogwai releases an album will be a year they make my top ten. The best journeys are the ones you can’t predict, and I’m guessing no one in the band could have predicted what their music would sound like in 2017 (given how different it is than their earliest stuff), but it’s still rough and vital and intimidating.

S/T by Rainer Maria

Their last album – Disaster Keeps Us Together, which I really liked — came out in 2006, and the band broke up shortly after. I didn’t know they’d reformed until I heard this album had been released, and I honestly didn’t expect much…but it was tremendous. It is tremendous. I’ve listened to it, start to finish, a dozen times since it came out.

Hot Thoughts by Spoon

As relentlessly catchy as Spoon albums tend to be. Just writing that title track’s name has it stuck in my head completely.

Masseduction by St. Vincent

Somewhere there’s a bubble chart with “innovation” on one axis and “talent” on the other and the size of the bubble is “catchiness” and Annie Clark is a big fat circle in the top right corner.

Out In The Storm by Waxahatchee

In the same vein as the Rainer Maria album, I haven’t been able to stop listening to this one. There’s not a single bad song on the album. It’s a little crunchier than her last album, and I especially like the demo version of each song that comes with the deluxe version. A little less polish actually makes them each better, but whichever version you choose this was one of my favourite offerings of the year.

Honourable mentions: Feist, LCD Soundsystem, The National, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Wolf Alice.

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My favourite songs of 2017

Julien Baker . “Turn Out The Lights”
Big Thief . “Mary”
The Black Angels . “Comanche Moon”
Broken Social Scene . “Protest Song”
Feist . “Any Party”
Girlpool . “Soup”
Godspeed You! Black Emperor . “Bosses Hang (parts I, II, and III)”
Japandroids . “Arc Of Bar”
Kendrick Lamar . “HUMBLE”
Mogwai . “Don”t Believe The Fife”
The National . “Carin At The Liquor Store”
Rainer Maria . “Lower Worlds”
Rural Alberta Advantage . “Wild Grin”
Spoon . “Hot Thoughts”
St. Vincent . “New York”
Stars . “The Wanderers”
Vagabon . “Alive And A Well”
Waxahatchee . “Silver”
Siobhan Wilson . “Whatever Works”
Wolf Alice . “Don’t Delete The Kisses”

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My favourite movies of 2017

I’ve been SUPER slack on movies this year, which means I haven’t seen any of Blade Runner 2049, Call Me by Your Name, Florida Project, Jane, John Wick Chapter 2, The Meyerowitz Stories, Phantom Thread, The Shape of Water, or Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri yet. I would expect any number of those to penetrate this top ten, so consider this a temporary list.

Baby Driver

I really thought I’d hate this movie, given the trailer, but I ended up really liking it. Slick, entertaining, kind of sweet. Good soundtrack too.

The Big Sick

This was a surprise. I watched in on the flight home from Paris at Lindsay’s urging, expecting only light, cute comedy. I like Kumail Nanjiani from his role on Silicon Valley, but I didn’t know much about him, so this autobiographical story was interesting and poignant and funny and caught me off guard. Great chemistry with Zoe Kazan too.

Dunkirk

I hold Christopher Nolan in such high regard that I’ll watch anything he makes, and this one, while a big departure from his more sci-fi and effects-laden offerings of late, didn’t disappoint. Big, sweeping war epic, without very much combat at all – I don’t think we ever actually see the enemy fire a gun – with the now-well-known implications looming just out of sight.

Get Out

Mystery, family comedy, horror, biting social commentary… I expected a comedy from Jordan Peele, but not necessarily this. I hope Get Out ends up being a landmark movie that kicks off more of these, whatever they are.

I Am Not Your Negro

A documentary of sorts, assembled out of old footage of 60s/70s activist and intellectual James Baldwin interspersed with current-day footage, making it painfully and embarrassingly clear how the lessons he tried to impart 50 years ago still haven’t found enough ears.

Lady Bird

The coming-of-age genre is so tired, but this one – free of cliché, full of real drama and humour and friendship and difficult family relationships – felt so true and lovely I could hardly stand it. Remarkable that it came from a first-time director.

Logan

Taking a HARD turn from the other X-Men movies was a good choice. Marvel’s characters, and the X-Men especially, are compelling because they’re so flawed and vulnerable, and this movie played to that strength. A sick, run-down Wolverine. A senile Professor X. Dark, bloody violence, which was always missing from the X-Men movies. Rough, but worthwhile.

Logan Lucky

Big, dumb, fun movie from Steven Soderbergh, so it was infused with his famous style. As much style as there can be in a redneck heist flick, anyway. Adam Driver couldn’t quite manage a Virginia accent, but he was just great.

The Square

A Swedish import we saw at TIFF this year, The Square was a hard skewering of a bunch of things: postmodern art, marketing, empathy, and fundraising, for example. Ruben Ostling is making a real name out of making people feel uncomfortable.

Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi

I don’t get why so many people are furious about it. It was as funny and impressive-looking as The Force Awakens, but had the darkness and overall plot thread of Empire. The Finn storyline was a little weak – I don’t think they quite knew what to do with him – but it was still one of the most entertaining things I saw this year.

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My favourite TV shows of 2017

I know I’m likely missing out by not watching Twin Peaks, Big Little Lies, Alias Grace, Dear White People, The Leftovers, The Good Place, Better Call Saul, Rick And Morty, The Americans, or Better Things, but I only have so many hours in the day.

Black Mirror

It’s hard to know whether the new episodes will live up to the other seasons — it dropped yesterday and I haven’t had a chance to watch them — but given the remarkable strength of the former episodes, I have no reason to think it won’t be among the best things I watched all year.

The Deuce

I had high hopes for this one given it’s directed by David Simon, and it didn’t disappoint. Long, slow builds. Deep looks. Texture, style. Rawness and grime, just like 42^nd Street of that era really had.

Game Of Thrones

This shortest season so far felt rushed and clumsy compared to the others, but it’s still the one show I get psyched for watching in real time. And now I have Lindsay hooked.

Godless

A brutal western series (full of, oddly enough, a largely British cast) with a twist: a town populated mostly by women. Merritt Wever, long one of my favourites from her stint on Nurse Jackie, is exceptional here. The entire 7-episode season leads rather obviously to the climactic battle, but what a lead-up it is.

The Handmaid’s Tale

The series had a lot to live up to, given the source material, but I think they nailed it. In a horribly disturbing, this-seems-a-little-too-possible way. That horror was tough to square with the fact that it was shot in Toronto, including a short scene in Bonjour Brioche where we eat breakfast most weekends.

Last Week Tonight

Week after week John Oliver turns out irreverent, insightful commentary on a topic that needs investigating, even (especially?) if he does it with satire and extreme absurdity. He makes me not even miss Jon Stewart.

Manhunt: Unabomber

The second of two period pieces related to hunting serial killers we watched in the last few months. We’re not quite done this one yet, but any series that can make me feel empathy for the Unabomber must be doing something right.

Mindhunter

David Fincher + serial killers = sign me up, post haste. A genesis story for the behavioural sciences unit around which is centered my beloved Silence Of The Lambs, but also a style-heavy and engrossing string of procedurals.

Mr. Robot

I’ll be honest: I haven’t even watched the new season yet. I’m just assuming. Even if it’s bad it’s better than virtually everything else on TV.

Stranger Things

I didn’t think I’d like the first season but I did. I wasn’t sure I’d like the second season but I do. I still hate the 80s, but these kids somehow make it tolerable.

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My favourite books of 2017

Okay, fine, I only finished two, but October by China Miéville is a bit of a slow read. I can only remember so many Russian names at one time.

The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis

Probably my least favourite Michael Lewis book, but still interesting. It’s about two friends – Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky – who essentially invented the field of behavioural economics, and the dissolution of that friendship. Inspirational for its study of genius, but a touch sad for its reminder of how genius rarely gets along with other genius for long.

No Is Not Enough by Naomi Klein

This was rushed out in the wake of one Donald J Trump becoming president of the United States, as if to give voice to the collective Canadian wtf. I blazed through it in a few days, but even a month after its release it seemed woefully dated, as Trump and his clown car of a cabinet trundled, ablaze, down the road of absurdity.

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My favourite meals of 2017

Listed in chronological order. Note: I hit Maison Publique so many times in the winter that I can’t even distinguish my visits, so I’ve left them off, but not for lack of deliciousness.

Barrafina, London

I visited this killer tapas place with my CEO and a colleague during a short visit to London. I don’t even remember looking at a menu so much as just asking them to bring us what was good. They did, and we loved it all.

Le Filet, Montreal

On my last visit of the spring to Montreal we hit up Le Filet, in the shadow of Mont Royal, and ate a meal that had us freaking out the whole night: Hamachi, Wagyu, maple-glazed smoked duck, cavatelli w/ foie gras + veal cheek, and a transcendent bottle of Domaine Mugneret-Gibourg Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Pinot Noir.

Enoteca De Belem, Lisbon

Our first dinner in Lisbon was a truly superb find: a cozy little spot (only 5-6 tables in the place) with a well-curated wine list, and a relaxed feel. The whole menu – tiger prawns, lamb, desserts, the various wines – was terrific, but the grouper was sublime.

A Cevicheria, Lisbon

While we sat in Lisbon’s best beer bar, we did a quick search on our phones to figure out where we should eat, and this place popped up. We’re glad it did too – after a short wait, which we spent outside drinking giant G&T’s and talking with another couple from Toronto – we had an utterly delicious tasting menu. I can’t even remember a single thing we ate. I just know it was incredible.

Tagide, Lisbon

Speaking of incredible, we splurged on this place for our last meal in Lisbon. By far our fanciest of the week, it was also probably our only real departure from seafood – we ordered foie gras, quail, veal & duck instead. The view of the river at night didn’t let us forget where we were though.

Actionolite, Toronto

We had only the briefest of visits here, on an odd weeknight, as we were on our way to see an exhibition nearby, but we had an exceptional meal. Actinolite isn’t about large portions or overdoing it – it’s small, simple, natural flavours, and they nailed it. We resolved to visit again.

OMAW, Toronto

This place had a slightly weird (read: Ossington) vibe and inattentive bar staff, but the food made up for it. Especially the jambalaya formed into little black balls, the scallops in coconut cream, and the Nashville hot chicken.

Lake Inez, Toronto

Lake Inez, on the other hand, has already seen a return visit, given its proximity to us, but mostly because of our standout first visit. We met CBGB here for dinner one evening, and left raving about the place. Starters, mains, the vibe, the beer list…honestly, I’ve never even looked at the wine list because we’ve found so many rare beer bottles that pair perfectly.

Buvette, Paris

Our first dinner in France ended up being pound for pound (Euro for Euro?) our best of the trip. We sat at the unassuming bar of a cramped, dark (read: Parisian) restaurant and shared a simple but beautiful meal, and settled into a week in France.

Les Crayeres, Reims

Our chateau in Champagne featured a (two) Michelin starred restaurant, but we didn’t eat there, opting instead for the more relaxed (but still spectacular) bistro down the hill. We did eat breakfast in the main building, however, and it might have been one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. That’s right: breakfast. There weren’t even meat or eggs or vegetables of any kind, just fruit and pastries and preserves and so on. The food, the setting, the service: immaculate, all.

Honourable mentions: both visits to Jacobs & Co, dinners at Byblos and Opus, a work dinner at Daisho, and brunch at The Sparrow in Montreal

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My favourite (new) beer of 2017

My source for this list is Untappd, and I’m sure I forgot to log some, but that’s to be expected when you consume enough beer to make a top twenty list possible. Listed chronologically.

Dieu du Ciel! Péché Mortel Bourbon

Hard to believe, but one of the best beers I tasted all year was purchased at a tiny local grocery store in Montreal. All the deliciousness of Péché Mortel but with sweet, sweet bourbon.

Brasserie Dunham Oro Zuur (Batch 01 – Mosaic)

Lindsay and I shared a bottle of this sour at Vices & Versa in Montreal right before I had to fly back to Toronto. It’s nice to have easier access to Dunham’s stellar lineup when visiting Quebec.

Bellwoods Weft & Warp (2017)

We had this sour aged in Chardonnay barrels for the first time at The Wren, one of many outstanding bottles (mainly sours) we’ve shared there over burgers.

Cascade Brewing Noyaux

For my birthday Lindsay booked a table at King Taps, which turned out to be not at all the kind of place we were expecting, but the beer lineup made up for it. For a birthday treat she bought us this amazing bottle from Oregon’s Cascade.

À La Fût Co-Hop V – Rouge de Mékinac

A cold bottle on a sweltering day, put back in the tiny basement of Pub BreWskey in Montreal, this tasted like a local variant of Rodenbach. The bartender recommended this one, and she wasn’t wrong.

Russian River Brewing Consecration

Another bartender recommendation, this time in Philadelphia, in the back bar of Monk’s Café. I asked for a sour, and got a serious one in this Californian wild ale.

Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout

My first sip of this suggested that it was much too sweet. My second sip was better. My third, and every thereafter, slowly brought me around to realize that this was a stunning barrel aged stout.

Brouwerij Rodenbach Alexander

Also in Philadelphia, but an entirely different bar experience than Monk’s. Brü was loud, crowded, and mostly slinging crap beer, but if you dug down their list they had some tremendous stuff, like this one from Rodenbach. I drank it while drunk conference attendees bumped into me and spilled drinks on my menu and I didn’t even care that much.

Tatamagouche Brewing Jitney

A surprise late in the year, my brother had procured a few cans of this from a local NS brewery and kept them for me, and wow…a near-perfect dry-hopped sour.

Omnipollo Nua Pecan Mud

I usually publish this on Dec 30th assuming I won’t have any better beer in the final 36 hours of the year. This year I was wrong. Lindsay and I split a small bottle of this at Stillwell, and a small bottle was all we needed. It smelled and tasted like this incredibly rich chocolate/pecan cake. Absolutely stellar.

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My favourite moments of 2017

Tough to narrow it down this year, but here’s my best guess. In chronological order.

Seeing Japandroids at Danforth Music Hall with Lindsay, one of the highest-energy shows I’ve ever witnessed
After being shut out of Péché Day at the Dieu du Ciel brewpub, finding a special Péché Day 4-pack at – of all places – the Metro next to Lindsay’s Montreal apartment
After eating lunch at Aqua Shard in London I used the facilities, and enjoyed the best view of London I’ve ever seen whilst standing at a urinal
Being a proper German tourist, lifting a giant dunkel and eating apfelstrudel at Schneider Brauhaus in Munich
Getting a fresh, warm pasteis from Pasteis de Belem, the original Portuguese custard tart, and finally understanding the hype
Drinking 40-year-old port with the owner of Winebar do Castelo in Lisbon after an epic tasting session
Hosting a friend’s quarter-centennial celebration in our building’s party room and, later, our loft
Playing frisbee at Bramble Lane
Tasting wine on a perfect summer day at Benjamin Bridge, looking out over the Gaspereau Valley
Exploring the demoscene at Execute! From Scene To Screen, part of the Vector Festival
Sitting on our balcony at the Hockley Valley Resort, celebrating our friends’ wedding and my 42^nd birthday
Eating and drinking on Pearl Morissette’s farm as they celebrated their tenth anniversary
Ninja-ing our way out of a garden after being trapped outside of L’Orangerie museum in Liège, Belgium
Standing in an ancient Roman cave, where Taittinger now ages their champagne
Standing in front of Hanne Darboven’s work with Lindsay at the Centre Pompidou in Paris
Singing along with Stars at The Great Hall
Sitting in 8eleven Gallery after-hours, drinking Blood Brothers beer, talking about…everything
Being beautifully destroyed, once again, by Mogwai
Singing along to “Frank, AB” with the Rural Alberta Advantage and everyone else in the Danforth Music Hall
Far and away the best moment of my whole year: getting the message from my brother letting me know my mom’s cancer was in remission

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Cover photo by David Stillman, used under Creative Commons license

Tonight under the harsh white lights

December 12, 2017March 16, 2024 Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

For the second time in a week I was back at the Danforth Music Hall last Thursday, this time for the Rural Alberta Advantage. Like Mogwai earlier in the week, I’d seen them before at a much smaller venue (also Lee’s Palace), and it was impressive to see them now selling out this much larger venue. On back to back nights, no less.

So, no more Amy Cole, but the rest was the same: high energy from Nils Edenloff, absolutely outstanding drumming by Paul Banwatt (it’s safe to say he’s one of my favourite drummers right now), and the typical RAA barnburner of a show. If you haven’t seen them live, and experienced hundreds of people singing along to the voice of a lover buried under a rockslide, you need to. With the retirement of The Tragically Hip (side note: they dedicated “Stamp” to Gord Downie) and the semi-retirement of The Rheostatics, I stand by my contention that The RAA is the most Canadian band working today.

Setlist:

White Lights
Muscle Relaxants
Don’t Haunt This Place
Bad Luck Again
Tornado ’87
Vulcan, AB
Our Love…
Brother
Runners in the Night
Beacon Hill
Four Night Rider
Alright
Stamp
Edmonton
Frank, AB
In the Summertime
Wild Grin
Terrified

Encore:

The Build
Dead / Alive
Drain the Blood
The Dethbridge in Lethbridge

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Cover photo from X929

Battered at a Scramble

December 9, 2017 Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

I first saw Mogwai 15 years ago. It was the loudest…uh…just, the loudest. Also one of the best shows I’ve ever seen, but a venue like Lee’s Palace just isn’t built to withstand such monstrous sound. I saw them again eight years ago, this time at The Phoenix, which was a much more suitable vessel.

Last Tuesday I saw them for a third time, this time with Lindsay in tow. After some dinner at the Edmund Burke we took up our spots on the floor of the Danforth Music Hall, and waited. (Side note: the opener, Xander Harris, was…not our thing. At all.)

I admit, I’ve not followed band news all that closely in recent years, so I didn’t know that a) John Cummins has left the band, or b) Martin Bulloch had to drop out of this tour due to ill health (presumably due to his ongoing pacemaker issues…either way, get well soon Martin!) to be replaced by Honeyblood drummer Cat Myers.

Luckily their touring members didn’t miss much of a step, so they were as epic as I remember. They drew heavily on the new album, but still dipped as far back as “Cody” and then hammered us with “Mogwai Fear Satan”. That, as when I saw them in 2009, was the penultimate song of their main set. Poor Lindsay, despite my warnings, probably didn’t quite expect the noisy onslaught against which we were to stand in, but gamely held on. Her response was the same as all first-time Mogwai-ers, I expect: beautiful, but brutal.

I wondered what their encore closer might be. I’ve heard “Like Herod” live. I’ve heard “Helicon 1”. I’ve heard “My Father My King.” I’ve heard “Mogwai Fear Satan” twice now. So “We’re No Here” was the perfect choice — and, to my mind, the only more recent song possessing the enormity those other songs can claim.

Setlist:

Crossing the Road Material
Friend of the Night
Party in the Dark
Cody
Rano Pano
Battered at a Scramble
Killing All the Flies
Don’t Believe the Fife
I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead
Every Country’s Sun
Mogwai Fear Satan
Old Poisons

Encore:

Remurdered
We’re No Here

Dance Song ’97

April 13, 2017April 8, 2017 Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Pitchfork’s focus on the 20th anniversary of OK Computer a few weeks ago got me thinking: there were a ton of great albums made in 1997.

I came to them late — I’d just moved to Toronto that year and was far from current with this stuff — but once I found them, they took root. These albums pretty heavily in my rotation even today, and would probably all show up on my list of favourite albums of all time.

The Dandy Warhols . Come Down
Bob Dylan . Time Out Of Mind
Mogwai . Young Team
Neutral Milk Hotel . In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
Sleater-Kinney . Dig Me Out

To say nothing of Spiritualized‘s Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space, The Rheostatics‘ Double Live, or Bardo Pond‘s Lapsed. Man. What a year.

“Meek and obedient you follow the leader.”

April 8, 2017 Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

When I was in London a few weeks ago the route my taxi took to my hotel traversed a route I’d not taken before in previous visits. This time we drove along the Thames, and across the river lit up at night I could see the Battersea power station. It’s a massive thing, known to me mainly as the image from the cover of Pink Floyd‘s Animals album.

It prompted me to listen to the album on the flight home, and again once or twice since. Even forty years on it’s still a sharp economic criticism — not of communism, as the animal/pig-themed title echoing Orwell would suggest — but of unfettered capitalism. Open Culture covered it yesterday, suggesting that rather than losing something over the years, it’s become even more relevant.

And after a while, you can work on points for style.
Like the club tie, and the firm handshake,
A certain look in the eye and an easy smile.
You have to be trusted by the people that you lie to,
So that when they turn their backs on you,
You’ll get the chance to put the knife in.

An empowered and informed member of society

March 25, 2017March 24, 2017 Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

While I was in Europe this week Lindsay pointed out to me that, on the 20th anniversary of the album’s release, Pitchfork was dedicating a whole week of articles to Radiohead‘s OK Computer. The content is excellent, from other artists reflecting on the album to art inspired by each song to how the album’s view of technology predicted the current day.

Then there’s “Exit Music (for a Film),” which, four songs in, nearly brings the album to a dead halt, but doesn’t. There must be a thousand lonely bedroom balladeers who’ve tried to play this song and failed, then wondered why. Friends, you’ve been had: “Exit Music” may be still at its center, but only in the way that an astronaut strapped inside a space capsule is still.

It was a huge album for me. I knew and liked (liked, not loved) Radiohead before that, but I remember sitting in my first apartment in Toronto and hearing “Karma Police” on the radio (!) and just sinking into it. Letting it push me around. I was hooked, and it began a deep, fleeting love affair with the band. I’ve been listening to it for the past few days, and it’s just held up so well — maybe even better than Kid A.

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Cover photo from Pitchfork.

The best of everything from 2016

December 30, 2016January 10, 2017 Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

As in previous years, I’ll just smash all these lists together for simplicity’s sake. All lists are in alphabetical order, unless otherwise noted.

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My favourite albums of 2016

I haven’t yet listened to the new ones from A Tribe Called Quest, Honeyblood, Kaytranada, Leonard Cohen, or Modern Baseball, but this is what I’ve liked so far this year. I’ll probably change my mind entirely by the spring.

My Woman by Angel Olsen

So much more mature and evolved than her last album, adding some fuzzy rock and punk to all that country torch, with the result feeling so much more plaintive and driven. Like Julien Baker last year, Angel Olsen sounds so much more beaten down by the world than you might expect.

IV by Black Mountain

Big, space-agey rock. It shares a number and name with Led Zeppelin’s biggest legacy album, and while it might not carry the weight to make it a similar classic, it was a largely overlooked powerhouse for 2016.

I Had A Dream That You Were Mine by Hamilton Leithauser w/ Rostam

While there’s a bit too much sameness as the album goes along, standouts like “A 1000 Times”, “The Morning Stars”, and “In A Black Out” are strong enough to outclimb most of the rest of the year’s offerings. I think I still prefer The Walkmen and Vampire Weekend as whole parts, but this is an interesting side/combo project.

iiidrops by Joey Purp

Usually taking a back seat to Chance The Rapper (who has the best guest spot on the album, name-dropping Ta-Nahisi Coates and lamenting dead iPhone batteries) but here using a killer combination of catchy melody, solid flow, soul samples, and thoughtful lyrics, Joey Purp had maybe the biggest surprise album of the year.

Thought Rock Fish Scale by Nap Eyes

These guys don’t sound like they’re from Halifax, really. They sound like they’re the reincarnation of Velvet Underground, if VU never got into the hard drugs and stayed a little more upbeat. And were from, you know, Halifax. I listened to this, and their previous album Whine Of The Mystic, heavily all year.

Skeleton Trees by Nick Cave

Sometimes raw emotion pours itself out into an album, and this is that. Written after (about? for?) the death of his son, the trademark Cave darkness takes on a new depth here. Still manages to be catchy/punchy though.

Positive Thinking by The Pack A.D.

I like that there are no surprises in a Pack A.D. album. You know what you’re getting. You still feel pummeled by it though. “Yes, I Know” is the standout here, but top to bottom it’s an enjoyable, solid album.

Cardinal by Pinegrove

Another surprise, this time swinging much more to the folk-ish side of things. Catchy, and the kind of thing you can listen to at home with your hipster friends (done) or in the car with your mother (also done). Side note: this is another one featuring pretty sharp lyrics…not a few minutes into the album the singer’s already referred to his “solipsistic moods.”

Ugly Cherries by PWR BTTM

Power-pop-punk played by a band who label themselves “aggressively queer” — this was the best straight (so to speak) up rock and roll album of the year. There are lots of great songs here, but “West Texas” has a special place in my heart. It makes me wish there’d been a gay storyline on Friday Night Lights.

Testarossa by Yoni & Geti

Maybe the most complex album on this list. It’s so thoughtful and earnest, but also feels slippery and hidden. I have a distinct memory of listening to it start to finish in the KLM lounge at Schipol airport in Amsterdam while waiting for a connection, and feeling more excited and at peace. Not many albums pull me back to a place like that.

Honourable mentions to the new ones from Danny Brown, Blonde Redhead, Joe Budden, Regina Spektor, and The Men.

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My favourite songs of 2016

Adam Torres . “Juniper Arms”
Alejandro Escovedo . “Horizontal”
Black Mountain . “Space To Bakersfield”
Dandy Warhols . “Doves”
DTCV . “Histoire Seule”
Frightened Rabbit . “A Lick Of Paint”
Hamilton Leithauser . “In A Black Out”
Joe Budden . “Uncle Joe”
Joey Purp . “Girls@”
Kendrick Lamar . “Untitled 02”
Lucius . “Born Again Teen”
Mitski . “Your Best American Girl”
My Father’s Son . “Dying”
Nap Eyes . “Lion In Chains”
Pack AD . “Yes, I Know”
Parquet Courts . “Dust”
Pinegrove . “Old Friends”
PWR BTTM . “West Texas”
Radiohead . “True Love Waits”
Rogue Wave . “Memento Mori”
Schoolboy . “Ride Out”
Seratones . “Choking On Your Spit”
Tindersticks . “Hey Lucinda”
Wye Oak . “Better (For Esther)”
Yoni & Geti . “Allegheny”

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My favourite movies of 2016

This has been my least-busy movie year in some time, so I still haven’t seen Hell or High Water, Moonlight, Don’t Think Twice, Manchester by the Sea, The Nice Guys, Doctor Strange, Tower, The Witch, La La Land, The Fits, Green Room, 13th, Gimme Danger, Queen of Katwe, Paterson, Lo and Behold – Reveries of the Connected World, Hail, Caesar!, Loving, Midnight Special, Jackie, or The Witness. I can’t even make it a top ten list — these five are the only really good films I saw this year. Expect this list to be heavily altered by the spring.

The Arrival

So nice to have thoughtful, challenging sci-fi in theatres: an interesting look at language and memory, with overtones of militarism and geopolitics, all wrapped up in an alien story. Terrific performance from Amy Adams too.

Birth Of A Nation

Not without its flaws, not the least of which was the director’s past spilling out onto newspaper pages just before the film opened TIFF, but still a significant, important, fairly gripping epic story. Kind of like Braveheart set in the American south.

Captain America: Civil War

The Marvel universe keeps hitting semi-regular home runs with the Captain America and Avengers installments. This third Cap was no exception — essentially another Avengers film, with all the same quick dialogue and fun action, these are smarter than an action movie has a right to be.

Prevenge

My favourite from this year’s TIFF, this was the story of a woman whose fetus instructed her to murder people. Darkly funny, with brief moments of savage and disgusting violence…somehow this wasn’t part of the Midnight Madness program.

Rogue One

A worthy addition to the Star Wars set, Rogue One had great visuals, excellent action, funny droid dialogue, and enough tie-ins to episode IV to satisfy any Star Wars nerd. I’m glad they can continue telling this story in decent films.

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My favourite TV shows of 2016

I hereby acknowledge that I haven’t yet watched any of Westworld, Atlanta, Better Call Saul, Better Things, BoJack Horseman, Luke Cage, Documentary Now!, Rectify, or the latest season of The Fall but this is what I did watch and like:

Billions

Any chance to have Paul Giamatti, Damien Lewis, and Maggie Siff all in the same place is fine with me. Sometimes the drama gets wound a little too tight, and sometimes not enough actually happens in an episode, but it’s still enjoyable for all the masterful scenery-chewing.

Black Mirror

So amazing. So unsettling and captivating and cool and disturbing and thrilling and insightful. There’s a reason why TIFF screened a few new episodes of it at this year’s festival — it’s operating at the level of top cinema.

Game Of Thrones

Still my only must-see show. Still the one I get excited about weeks in advance. It’s the only show for which I watch the after-show. I have Game Of Thrones beer from Ommegang aging in my wine fridge right now. I get panicky at the idea that there are only a handful of episodes left. Please, please, please don’t go. Please. Arya forever.

Last Week Tonight

Just as Jon Stewart left us, John Oliver arrived. But he could curse, and suffers no commercials. Hallelujah. These long-form rants are funny, pointed, and so necessary in a Trump-ish world. Sorry Trevor Noah, but this is The Daily Show now.

Masters of Sex

Still somehow compelling despite its soapiness — I give credit to Lizzy Caplan. I keep getting sucked back into this time and again. Even sideline characters who should mean nothing to me at this point are interesting, and the set design makes me miss Mad Men.

Mr. Robot

Season 2 was kind of a mess after the bad-ass arc of season 1, but it was still excellent. The whole show behaves like a buggy, maybe-hacked piece of software. I’ll take a sub-par Mr. Robot over just about any other season of TV.

Stranger Things

Seriously, I hate the 80s. Like, so much. But I loved this show. The kids, the music, the ridiculousness of it all, the D&D…it was more fun than is reasonable to pack into eight episodes. Bravo, Netflix. More like this!

The Night Manager

I know I’m cheating here a bit with a miniseries, but suck it, it’s my list. This contained more action, intrigue, character development, and twists than most series twice the length. Tom Hiddleston was great, but so too the rest of the cast — especially Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, and Tom Hollander.

The Night Of

So much terrific substance here: John Turturro’s feet, the cat, Bill Camp’s Detective Box, and all of the Riz Ahmed. Seriously, get this guy in/on more stuff. But even outside of him, it was terrific stuff. I just wish James Gandolfini had lived to see it through.

Silicon Valley

Still the funniest show on TV. The RIGBY “dictionary patch” from episode one this year was brilliant, the kind of thing that just enters the zeitgeist. So many terrific comedic actors, and a seemingly endless supply of valley bullshit to draw from.

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The best books I read in 2016

Okay, so I only read three books this year — but that’s still three more than last year.

Flash Boys by Michael Lewis

Read in a single morning whilst lying in a hammock on a beach in Costa Rica. Surf, sand, and outrage at the unfairness of the financial system. Just the way vacations should be. I’ve already started his newest one.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

I bought this within minutes of finishing the movie Everest, and read 2/3 of it that night, into the very wee hours. I wish I’d read it years ago when my dad first bought it. Gut-wrenching.

Tribe by Sebastian Junger

This was given to me partially as a joke, but I like Junger’s stuff so I didn’t mind. Wasn’t exactly memorable though. I read the whole thing on the flight to Kigali and gave it back to the original owner when I returned to Toronto.

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The best meals I ate in 2016

A bit more geographic variety in this year’s list. Listed in chronological order.

Alo, Toronto

My second visit after a wine-tasting dinner, this was a full tasting menu affair, and confirmed for me that Alo is currently the best restaurant in Toronto. How something as simple as a bread course could be mind-blowing just shows the level at which they’re operating.

Breakfast at Kura, Costa Rica

It wasn’t fancy. It was just amazing. Fresh fruit, banana muffins, homemade bread with fresh jam, and coffee filtered through something that looked like a sock, old-school. That it was next to the most beautiful pool view I’d ever seen didn’t hurt.

Modern Steak, Calgary

Sitting by myself, at the bar, at this restaurant in a part of Calgary I’d never seen before (or since) while all the other conference attendees were at some rodeo, I had a tremendous bacon starter and an exceptional steak, and a hell of a quiet, good time.

Eigensinn Farm, Singhampton

It was transcendent the first time. It was even better the second time. Not enough words.

Heaven, Kigali

Truth be told, the food here — while slightly exotic — was only better-than-average (that said, my kuku paka was pretty damned tasty). But eating it overlooking the hills and lights of Kigali put it on this list.

Bocata, Montreal

Kind of a panicky, last-minute decision after flailing desperately for options over the course of an hour, this was a lucky stumble-in down in old Montreal. The kind of place where you occupy a teeny corner of a drafty old room, read the menu off a chalkboard, and then fall into course after delicious course and count your blessings as you rub your belly.

Buca Yorkville, Toronto

It’s been on everyone’s Toronto top-ten list for ages, but I’d just never made it there. And Christ, was I missing out. Definitely one of the best, and most adventurous, meals I’ve ever had in Toronto. Add to that the stunning room and ace service, and this has to be right up there with Alo for destination meals in the city.

Maison Publique, Montreal

Trip #2 to Montreal this year saw visit #1 to Maison Publique, a wonderfully cozy, friendly room with uber-French food and an uber-Canadian wine list. It’s since become a regular visit when in Montreal, and feels like my living room. God, I love it.

Carisma, Toronto

I’ve been here half a dozen times, but the last time might have been the best. The burrata and calamari (frequent orders) were somehow better, the pasta was tops, and the Sangiovese my guy recommended was mind-blowing. Sometimes the perfect comfort dinner makes the list, y’know?

Hawksworth, Vancouver

I stopped for lunch on my way to a meeting, sat at the bar, and ate a killer goddamn burger and fries with a glass of Freemark Abbey cab sauv and put the whole thing squarely in my lunch hall of fame.

Honourable mention: the garam masala duck breast at Pukka; the 1946 Don PX at Cava; the octopus starter from Charcut in Calgary; the bombas at Patria; the pork buns from some random dim sum food truck in Montreal while I’ll probably never find again.

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The best beer I drank in 2016

This is why I pay for an Untappd supporter membership: to be able to download my full beer consumption list. For the ones I remember to log, anyway.

Mackeson XXX Stout Milk Stout

No charming story, just a bottle I picked up at the LCBO and tried at home. Fantastic stuff though.

Trou du Diable L’Ours (#10) Sour Ale

One of a number of bottles (mostly sours) downed in an evening at Boxcar Social, which has become one of the more reliable bottled beer venues in Toronto.

Burdock BUMO Saison Farmhouse

A very special treat, Burdock’s first collaboration with Pearl Morissette winery, a saison/rosé hybrid brought over by friends before the latest Session beer festival.

Sawdust City 1606 Barrel-Aged Raspberry Stout

The best beer at this year’s Session festival, it was strong but well-balanced and well-integrated. Sawdust City killed it at Session.

Brauerei Fahr Fahr Away Hefeweizen

My favourite of the many beers I sampled in the warm sun on The National’s 8th Ave rooftop patio in Calgary: an out-freaking-standing hefeweizen.

Folly Flemish Cap Farmhouse Ale

My first visit to the new(ish) Bar Hop introduced me to an outstanding Folly flemish sour. I don’t know how Folly pulled this off…I wouldn’t have expected to find one of the best examples of this style I’ve ever encountered on Peter Street in Toronto.

Birrificio Del Ducato Mikkie = Cattivella Creme Brulee Stout

I had this during a quick stop at an old Amsterdam favourite, BeerTemple. As big and heavy and sweet as it sounds. As delicious too.

Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck Barista Belgian Chocolate Quad

Put down at the Café Gollem in Amsterdam whilst sharing the bar with a cat who lives there and drinks his water out of a Westmalle glass. It should have been overwhelmingly sweet, but it wasn’t.

Birrificio Del Ducato Chrysopolis Lambic

Yet another amazing beer sampled in Amsterdam, this time at Craft & Draft, and the second from this Italian brewery. It was one of the best sours I’ve ever tried. Incredibly strong and sour, but so so good.

Le Saint Bock Harvest Ghosts American Brown Ale w/ Bhut Jolokia Pepper

The second beer I’ve ever had with ghost pepper in it, and this one was almost as good. Such a well-balanced brown, and with all that heat in the back of the throat, just makes it a special combination. Granted, I tend not to log all the beers I drink when in Quebec, so this will have to represent la belle province on my list.

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My favourite moments of 2016

It feels a little weird to write this given a major event this year, which I’ll talk about in my next post, but here goes:

The time in, on, and around the pool at Kura Design Villas in Costa Rica
Spending an entire morning in the hammock on the beach at Latitude 10, also in Costa Rica
Ziplining through the Costa Rican jungle canopy
Sabering open my first bottle of sparkling at Bat Lake
Cheering throughout the Raptors’ best-ever playoff run
As is often the case, standing in the Session beer festival in the middle of Yonge/Dundas square with a killer beer and good friends
Dodging the sun on the rooftop patio at the new(ish) Bar Hop with Andrew & Denise
Visit #2 to Eigensinn Farm
Coming face to face with two families of gorillas in Rwanda
Watching the resident cat drink from a Westmalle beer goblet at Café Gollem in Amsterdam
Seeing the brushwork in the Vermeers up-close at the Rijksmuseum
Alex, the bartender at the impressive Craft & Draft in Amsterdam
Watching The Hip’s final concert in our friends’ back yard
Sitting on the Patria patio with my brother Tim in a t-shirt, even in early October
The Jays sweeping the Rangers
Finally returning to the Dieu Du Ciel brewpub
Sitting in the tiny garage-like tasting room at Blood Brothers after hitting a bunch of art galleries
Talking Canadian wine with the staff at Maison Publique in Montreal
Stumbling upon both kinds of Gueuze Tilquin at Pub Pit Caribou
Freezing my way through the MLS Cup final, even though Toronto FC lost

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Cover photo by David Stillman, used under Creative Commons license

Scare in the Crow

December 23, 2016December 23, 2016 Dan Dickinson1 Comment

I’d barely gotten off the plane from Vancouver before heading to work, then the company’s holiday party, then a sick day or two, then more work. I was ready for vacation.

First, though, we spent Monday night at The Burdock drinking delicious beer (Meube Noir, dark saison, APA) and watching My Father’s Son (fb | bandcamp) do an excellent live set, followed by a Christmas sing-along at The Three Speed well into the wee hours.

NOW I was ready for vacation. Thankfully I arrived at the farm two days ago. Stay tuned for stories of supreme relaxation.

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Cover photo from the Three Speed twitter feed.

Will and determination, and grace, too

August 21, 2016August 22, 2016 Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

Along with most Canadians between 30 and 60 years of age, I watched the final Tragically Hip concert last night. The CBC, blessedly sensing the import of the moment, preempted Olympic coverage and aired the whole concert commercial-free. We knew we’d want to watch it surrounded by other people; luckily our friends JP and Sue invited us over to their backyard viewing party.

I’d seen them live three times — light, by Canadian standards — and would have been strangely okay if the Fully Completely anniversary tour in 2015 was my last time. I’d kind of drifted away from the Hip in recent years, paying less and less attention to their albums and tours, but there’s no denying how important they were to me through the 90s. I didn’t really pay attention to the first albums that won them fans, but I knew who they were. Ultimately what won me over was their performance of Locked In The Trunk Of A Car live on the Junos (I think?) in 1992. I struggled to process what I was listening to: a song about a car that eats…conquistadors? It was stuck in my head all night and the next day; I remember standing at the end of our lane the next morning, waiting for the schoolbus, hearing Gord sing “Let me ooouuuuutttttt!!!!!!!” over and over. To this day it’s one of my three favourite Hip songs.

By the time I got to university they were everyone’s unofficial soundtrack — Fully Completely was on constant rotation until Day For Night came out; I was at home on the farm one weekend, driving to Amherst with brother #2, when a radio station played Grace, Too for the first time. I have a clear memory of driving across the Southampton bridge as those first bass notes started, and I’ve loved the song deeply since. It too remains one of my three favourites.

My other favourite was a slower build over several years, buried halfway down Fully Completely, and so utterly drenched in Leafs history that I should hate it, but the simplicity and sadness and power of Fifty Mission Cap are special to me. Clearly, though, their music holds meaning for me, and for millions of other people. And while I’ve long felt that the Rheostatics might be even truer representatives of Canadian culture (at least to nerds like me) there’s no denying the Hip’s cultural importance in this country. I could hear it coming from strangers around me last night, and from CBC interviews before and after the show, and from all over the internet in the days leading up to the show. There was palpable weight to the moment before they took the stage, and it mattered to me what they played, and when.

That they started with Fifty Mission Cap was almost troubling — shouldn’t this be a powerful set closer? How could they possibly keep the momentum up? But they did, with songs carrying a different kind of weight — the weight of Gord Downie’s diagnosis. When he sang “Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)” we were all singing “COURAGE!” back at him. When he grumbled the bridge in “At The Hundredth Meridian” it tore at us.

If I die of vanity, promise me
Promise me they bury me some place I don’t want to be,
You’ll dig me up and transport me, unceremoniously,
Away from the swollen city-breeze, garbage bag trees,
Whispers of disease, acts of enormity
And lower me slowly, sadly and properly
Get Ry Cooder to sing my eulogy.

They played all their slow-song crowd favourites (Wheat Kings, The Last of the Unplucked Gems, Poets, Scared) which have never been my favourites, but they also played Fiddler’s Green, which no one seemed to expect. I didn’t, anyway. It was tough.

The first encore, predictably, was all Up To Here. There was no way they could leave without playing any of New Orleans Is Sinking, Boots or Hearts, or Blow at High Dough. The second encore is what got me though…but not Nautical Disaster or Scared. It was Grace, Too. It was how Downie broke down, completely, as he screamed the final words — “Now??! No!!!” — over and over. We were watching a dying man staring his own mortality in the face, in front of a whole country, and spitting rage back at it. I couldn’t deal with it. I felt tears on my cheeks. Judging by my social feeds, and the rest of that backyard, I wasn’t the only one.

That ended the encore, and the band walked off. I think they had always planned for another, but couldn’t count on Gord being able to continue. I glad he did; that might have been the most poignant end, but it wouldn’t have been the right one. They came back out and to my great joy played Locked in the Trunk of a Car. Finally, thankfully. I got to hear Gord screaming “Let me out!” one last time, and felt complete. Only the surprise appearance of Cordelia could have made it better, but of course that dark a song wouldn’t fit. They were back to say goodbye with a smile, or at least a smirk. They ended with Gift Shop — one last show of wit and power — and Ahead By A Century, so Gord had enough time and room to say proper goodbyes to the crowd. And they were gone.

Now that I’ve typed this far, my random ‘play all Tragically Hip songs’ playlist has served up Cordelia, so I almost got my wish after all. It must have been the one more thing I really needed. I don’t know what that will be for Gord, but I hope he gets it.

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The set list, according to the CBC:

Fifty-Mission Cap
Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)
Wheat Kings
At the Hundredth Meridian
In a World Possessed by the Human Mind
What Blue
Tired as F–k
Machine
My Music at Work
Lake Fever
Toronto #4
Putting Down
Twist My Arm
Three Pistols
Fiddler’s Green
Little Bones
The Last of the Unplucked Gems
Something On
Poets
Bobcaygeon
Fireworks

New Orleans Is Sinking
Boots or Hearts
Blow at High Dough

Nautical Disaster
Scared
Grace, Too

Locked in the Trunk of a Car
Gift Shop
Ahead by a Century

Cover photo from thehip.com

The best of everything from 2015

December 30, 2015January 16, 2016 Dan DickinsonLeave a comment

As with last year, rather than write a bunch of separate posts I’m putting all these lists together. All are in alphabetical order unless otherwise noted.

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MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2015

I haven’t listened to the new ones from Dead Weather, Unwound, Waxahatchee, or Wolf Alice yet, but as of right now this is my top ten. Be forewarned: I will almost certainly edit this list by April.

Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes

It took me a while to really warm up to this one — it carries more funk and soul than its predecessor. After a while I came around, and realized that Alabama Shakes might be investing a new little niche here.

Sprained Ankle by Julien Baker

No. No album by a 19-year-old should sound this broken, this world-weary, this real. This good. Just…no.

Depression Cherry by Beach House

Like all their albums, I couldn’t tell you the name of any one song, but the thing as a whole is like a beautiful (slightly) abstract painting. Also: amazing to listen to if you need to concentrate and zen out.

Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress by Godspeed You! Black Emperor

I listen to a lot of post-rock, but no one can touch GY!BE as king of the operatic, bombastic, crunching instrumental soundtrack of our impending doom and/or nirvana.

Art Angels by Grimes

I should not like this album as much as I do. The pitched-up vocals and Taiwanese rapping and drum machines and general dance-iness should drive me nuts. And yet I keep on listening to it, over and over and over and over and over.

Momentary Masters by Albert Hammond Jr

I never cared for The Strokes, nor most of the members’ solo projects, but this one is catchy from start to finish. Even the misbegotten Dylan cover somehow appeals.

How The Spark Loves The Tinder by Monk Parker

Stark. Tremulous. And…old-timey, I guess? I mean, c’mon…there’s more than one song featuring a musical saw. I feel like I’m in the Ozarks when I listen to this.

Summertime ’06 by Vince Staples

I know everyone was all about Kendrick Lamar this year, but I listened to both albums back-to-back and Summertime ’06 just felt so much more vital to me. I get that To Pimp A Butterfly is a good album, but in my mind it suffered for being directly compared to this underdog, and not showing well.

Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens

Beautiful, and thoroughly haunting, especially when you realize he’s singing about — and to — a dead parent.

The Most Lamentable Tragedy by Titus Andronicus

A rock opera crossed with an epic Hobbit-esque journey. This is almost too much of a slog, given the length and the raggedness of Titus’ music, but moments of brilliance and raw emotion save it.

Honorable mention: Painted Shut by Hop Along, Into The Air by Cold Beat, To Pimp A Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar, High by Royal Headache, No Cities To Love by Sleater-Kinney.

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MY FAVOURITE SONGS OF 2015

Offered without comment.

Alabama Shakes . “Miss You”
Albert Hammond Jr . “Side Boob”
Beach House . “PPP”
Dr Dre . “One Shot One Kill (feat. Snoop)”
Godspeed You! Black Emperor . “Peasantry or ‘Light! Inside of Light!’”
Grimes . “Scream”
Heartless Bastards . “Tristessa”
Julien Baker . “Rejoice”
Kendrick Lamar . “How Much A Dollar Cost”
Monk Parker . “Sadly Yes”
Partner . “Hot Knives”
Royal Headache . “My Own Fantasy”
Sleater-Kinney . “No Cities To Love”
Sufjan Stevens . “Fourth Of July”
Titus Andronicus . “More Perfect Union”
U.S. Girls . “Sororal Feelings”
Vacation . “I Wish I Could Be Someone Else”
Waxahatchee . “Breathless”
Winter Passing . “Fruits Of Gloom”
Wolf Alice . “Bros”

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MY FAVOURITE MOVIES OF 2015

As usual, we use the last few days of the year, and first few weeks of next year, to catch up on all the best movies. Blame Hollywood — they release everything critically-acclaimed after August. That means we haven’t yet watched ’71, 99 Homes, A Most Violent Year, Beasts of No Nation, The Big Short, The Diary Of A Teenage Girl, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Carol, Creed, Dope, The Gift, Going Clear, The Hateful Eight, Inside Out, Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck, Mississippi Grind, Mommy, Phoenix, The Revenant, Room, Slow West, Spotlight, Spy, Steve Jobs, What We Do In The Shadows, or While We’re Young, so this list is woefully incomplete. That said, here’s the top ten as of right now:

Ant-Man

Marvel made a movie to match its hero: smaller, subtler. Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas were unlikely primary players in a superhero movie, but that just added to the off-kilterness of the movie. Plus: Michael Peña.

Ex Machina

A worthy addition to the robot-ethics, what-is-consciousness-anyway? pantheon of films. The interior of the set is so stark, so claustrophobic as to make the actual robots seem warm and soulful. And Oscar Isaac is quickly becoming one of my favourite actors.

It Follows

A clever, original horror movie which is also an allegory for promiscuity. But mainly a very creepy horror movie. Nellie couldn’t sleep for a few nights after this one, and looked very warily at anyone who appeared to be following her.

Mad Max: Fury Road

You wouldn’t think a Mad Max film would make this list, but wow…what a movie. Relentless action, a bold return to practical effects (with CGI supplements), welcome feminist themes throughout…a thinking person’s bad-ass action movie.

The Martian

Formulaic, sure, but it’s just done so well. Gripping, funny, engaging, charming, and a great escape for what’s a surprisingly long running time.

Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation

Again — not one I would’ve expected on the year-end top-ten list. There’s no secret weapon here; it’s a standard-issue M:I movie…which is to say, highly entertaining. At some point Cruise will have to stop making these, but for now: carry on, Mr. Hunt.

Sicario

The best of our TIFF selections this year. The back third suffers a little, but the first two acts are among the best I’d seen all year. The shootout scene at the border crossing was immaculately executed, Emily Blunt was outstanding, and the political undercurrents give it more depth than a standard procedural.

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

Getting over the bar set by the prequels wasn’t hard. This probably isn’t even a great movie, but it’s a great Star Wars movie, and Star Wars means a lot to me, so here it is on the list. Judging by the critical reviews, I don’t think I’m alone in my reasoning here. 38 years ago Episode IV sent Hollywood down a bad path by creating an over-reliance on special effects, which drifted too far into CGI at the cost of its own soul. Hopefully Episode VII manages to change how studios make big sweeping stories, and make them feel human again.

Trainwreck

Suffers a little from the Judd Apatow disease (that is: it runs about 20 minutes longer than it needs to) but Amy Schumer’s charisma and Bill Hader’s charm keep you right in this one. So does LeBron James, surprisingly.

Where To Invade Next

Not exactly great filmmaking — not Moore’s best, even — but so hopeful that I just had to like it. Plus, seeing a rough cut with the director (and several of the stars) in the crowd gave this one some added weight which might not carry into other venues, but it was one of the few highlights of our TIFF this year.

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MY FAVOURITE TV SHOWS OF 2015

Apparently we should be watching Better Call Saul, Bojack Horseman, Fargo, Master Of None, Nathan For You, Show Me A Hero, Transparent, and UnREAL, but we aren’t yet. And I just started on Sense8 so I haven’t formed an opinion quite yet. I did, however, form an opinion about season 2 of True Detective: that it sucked. It sucked even more in retrospect than it did in the moment. Here’s what I did like this year though:

Daredevil (Netflix)

This series, like the Affleck film, had all kinds of potential to go wrong. It didn’t. It found the dark edge it needed, it cast Matt Murdock perfectly, and the surrounding characters (especially Fisk) are all excellent.

Game Of Thrones (HBO)

Still the series I get more psyched about weeks in advance, and this year they strode ahead of the books into unfamiliar territory, which only makes me look forward to it that much more.

Hannibal (NBC)

Unlike last year my top ten list includes a show from a major American network. We came to Hannibal late, else it would have been on my list every year it aired: both leads were stellar, and it’s so visually stunning. Though how a show this violent could be shown on American network TV I’ll never understand.

Homeland (Showtime)

Season 5 got them back to the spy craft basics: subterfuge, politics, ambition, patriotism, leak morality, distrust, cold war echoes, and so on. It was all over the place, but expected us to keep up, and for the most part it was fun — not bludgeoning — to do so.

House Of Cards (Netflix)

The weakest of the three seasons, but still gripping and binge-worthy. I still clear a weekend for this show.

Jessica Jones (Netflix)

This one came out of nowhere. I like how Marvel, as with Daredevil, gives us characters more powerful than humans, but not near-god Avenger types. Jessica is so flawed and so vulnerable that her struggles seem more relate-able than, say, Iron Man’s.

Mad Men (AMC)

I know the final season dragged in parts, but that ending made it worth it. Funnily enough, though, the enduring final image of the series for me was of Peggy, strutting down the hall with a box of her stuff, pornographic octopus painting under her arm, sunglasses on, cigarette dangling from her mouth, with a fuck-you grin.

Making A Murderer (Netflix)

I’m barely a few episodes into this and I’m hooked. Don’t tell me what happens.

Mr. Robot (USA)

Another one that came out of nowhere. I had no idea what to expect, but the first five minutes of the series had me completely hooked. Strained the Mr. Robot plot device for too long, and got a little too out-there at times, but good twists and an excellent lead can take you a long way.

Walking Dead (AMC)

I’m certainly feeling less interested in this show each season, and they almost lost me a couple of times this year, but they still manage to pull me back in. Realistically, as long as Nellie’s obsessed with this show, I don’t think I could stop watching it if I tried.

Honorable mention: Narcos, Orange Is The New Black, Silicon Valley.

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THE BEST BOOKS I READ IN 2015

None. Not one. Isn’t that sad?

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THE BEST MEALS I ATE IN 2015

As with last year I haven’t bothered including anything home-cooked, even by friends who can cook the shit out of a meal. These are in chronological order.

Café Amelie, New Orleans

We ate very well on our trip to New Orleans (how could you not?) but my favourite meal was probably in this quiet courtyard, covered by trees, surrounded by happy Mardi Gras crowds, and featuring an absolutely outstanding shrimp, corn, and cajun spice penne.

Rose & Sons, Toronto

This had been on my to-try list forever, and it didn’t disappoint. Just high-concept comfort food: fried chicken, mac & cheese, onion rings, cornbread, and good wine.

Markthalle Neun, Berlin

Yeah, sure, while in Berlin we also ate at FACIL, which has two Michelin stars, but my most memorable meal was when we inadvertently stumbled into Markthalle Neun, which is kind of like St. Lawrence Market, in search of a small brewery. We found it, drank their tap list, and gathered food from around the market for our lunch. I bought something called Berlin Balls and ate them with Heidenpeters’ pale ale, and it was just the best.

Our friend Matt @ Maison Relaxio, St-Joseph-de-Sorel

I know I said I was leaving home-cooked meals off this list, but our friend Matt made this one, centered around burgers made of pork and beef and stuffed with motherfucking goose confit, at a big cottage north of Montreal. Paired with all the stellar wine and beer we had acquired in the previous 24 hours, it was a memorable meal in a birthday trip full of them.

Salle À Manger, Montreal

Speaking of that birthday trip, this meal was the following night. Our numbers had swelled from 10 to 16, and Nellie had arranged dinner at this cool spot in the Plateau. We ate family-style, and I lost track of the courses, though I do remember — and will never forget — the entire roasted suckling pig. I ate a lot of it, paired with an outstanding Loire cab franc our friend Kaylea had picked out. We destroyed some people that night, and our friend J-P ate the pig’s face. Epic.

The Chase, Toronto

I’m not really much of one for seafood, but this place does it right. I ate there on someone else’s dime, thank goodness, and was more than impressed with the octopus/chorizo appetizer and the halibut for two, not to mention the wine selection and the service.

Every Time I… pop-up, Toronto

Our friend Adam jointly held a pop-up dinner (he was the chef) on Dundas West back in August, with the pairing centered around cider. Cider’s not exactly my thing, but the food was good, and one course — the smoked perch croquette — was one of the very best things I ate all year, and was strong enough to make this list on its own.

Rasa, Toronto

Any time T-Bone and I get together for dinner, it’s going to be someplace good. She picked this one on Harbord, and every single dish was top-notch. I think I would have enjoyed it even more if they’d air-conditioned the place and I hadn’t sweat to death.

Alo, Toronto

I’d read good things about Alo, but hadn’t managed to get in until Pearl Morissette invited people to a tasting of their new California wines. The wines were, in fact, terrific, but so was the food. So much so that we’ve already made plans to go back in January.

NAO, Toronto

For years Jacobs & Co. has been the king of the steakhouse in Toronto, but after two visits to NAO we now see them as 1 and 1a. Our second time there, when we could try more variety in the menu and the sommelier (who remembered us) offered up three outstanding off-menu bottles for us to try, NAO was solidified as a new favourite in the city.

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THE BEST BEERS I DRANK IN 2015

Using Untappd makes it easy for me to look back and find the best (new) beers I try each year. I need a similar app for wine. And whisky. And maybe coffee. Anyway, these are the ten best, in the order I drank them:

Heidenpeters Pale Ale

In Heidenpeters’ little stall in the back corner of Berlin’s Markthalle Neun, I found my favourite pale of the year. Hopfenreich, which we visited later that day, was a cooler place with far more beer, but this was just such an unexpected surprise.

Oast House Coffee Milk Stout

I had this at C’est What right after we got off the plane from Berlin (it seems to be our go-to place, post-flight) and probably needed the coffee as much as I needed a beer. Coffee stouts and milk stouts are two of my favourite styles; Oast House pulled off the combo.

Black Oak Cinnamon, Rum Soaked Raisin Vanilla Nut Brown Ale

I drank this one sitting at Bar Volo, with Nellie and brother #2, watching the rain pour down around us. It sounds more like a cake than a beer, but Black Oak makes one of the more reliable nut browns out there, so layering in a few treats just put it over the top.

Sawdust City Until Tomorrow Ingrid

One of my two favourites at this year’s Session festival, this was a sour barrel-aged cranberry Saison. Better than it had any right to be. Pale red tint, hence the rather rude acronym. Added bonus: the Sawdust City guys there were hammered, and decided to sing “O Canada” on stage.

Side Launch Syrah Vice

My other favourite at Session, this was a hefeweizen aged in Tawse Syrah barrels. So Side Launch’s wheat (which I love) aged in barrels from Tawse (which I love)…pretty sure this one was destined to be on my year-end list.

Vanderghinste Oud Bruin

I honestly don’t even remember what brought me to Beerbistro on a Friday night — normally it would be too packed in there at 6pm. Looks like we were taking down some Belgians though, and this was one of the best sours (or, Flanders red, to be specific) I’d ever tried.

Oast House Biere De Mars

A bottle we’d brought home from Oast the weekend before, and a stellar farmhouse. Oast, by the way, is the only brewery to make my list twice this year.

Stone City Devil And the Deep

My favourite from this year’s Cask Days 2015. I ended up drinking a lot of sours (all the stouts and porters seemed to be sold out) but this was the best of the lot. Stone City has really impressed me so far.

Viven Smoked Porter

A random grab from the LCBO’s winter release, this one was a classic example of a porter. Very lightly smoked, despite the name.

Tatamagouche Dreadnot (Rum Barrel-Aged)

Shared this with both brothers at brother #2’s house last week. We tried a lot from Tatamagouche, one of the newer Nova Scotia craft breweries, but this imperial black IPA was the best of the bunch. I wish I’d had time to pick another one up to bring back to Toronto. It would age nicely, I imagine.

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MY FAVOURITE MOMENTS OF 2015

Obviously I can’t remember them all, but this is my best guess at my twenty favourite (non-work) moments from 2015, in chronological order.

Standing on the frozen Bat Lake during a New Year’s Day snowstorm
The gold medal game at the World Juniors
Watching Lundi Gras parades from the Avenue Pub balcony
Singing along with the Treme Brass Band at d.b.a. on Mardi Gras
Watching The Hip play Fully Completely in its entirety at the ACC
Sitting on the Bier Markt patio the day the no-smoking law took effect
A black-tie dinner at the historic Tempelhof airport in Berlin
Looking at Istanbul from a boat on the Bosphorus
Discovering what kokorec is after I’d already eaten two of them
Finally seeing Rush in concert, and especially seeing them play “Losing It” live for the first and only time
Drinking a beer on my buddy Joe’s boat in the middle of a lake
Watching Jon Stewart end his Daily Show show run, dancing with his crew to “Born To Run”
One night at Maison Relaxio
Going to church in Montreal (aka Dieu Du Ciel brewery on Sunday morning)
Drinking craft beer on a tall ship in Toronto harbour
Playing bocce by headlight
Seeing the Rheostatics reunite to honor the Group Of Seven
Jose Bautista’s homer and subsequent bat flip
Drinking half a bottle of Crown Royal Northern Rye whiskey with my brothers sitting around brother #2’s kitchen
New year’s eve. Hasn’t even happened yet, but I’m calling it.

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Cover photo by David Stillman, used under Creative Commons license