SOUND BITES

Well, I'm ready as I'm going to be. As per tradition, allow me to take a moment to thank everyone who stopped by to read a review, check out the chart, scratch their head over one of my stupid lists or all of the above. Since bringing this thing online a little more than five years ago, good folks like you have helped rack up nearly 55,000 page views; that's about 15k in the past year, so it seems like we're still growing. As always, I thank you for your continued patronage, and I look forward to serving up lots of piping hot content in the new year. Right now, though, I'm a little beaten down from the past twelve months; so let's put this hellish year to rest, crown some champs and go into hibernation (until next week, when the Year in Rock 2017 preview is posted). Deal?

Having filled my old CD Plus messenger bag with the 20 CDs that made this year's longlist and pored over them bit by bit, I feel I'm comfortable enough to slice that list in half and finalize this year's shortlist. Now, the real work starts; over the next week, I have to figure out which of the ten deserves my greatest honour. This is going to be an incredibly tough decision: I get to choose between three previous AOTY winners, two runners-up, four first time nominees and one deceased legend. Wish me luck. Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Album of the Year are:

With Year in Rock 2016 winners announcements a week away, it's time to trim the fat. What started as a list of 40 a few weeks ago (check it out here if you haven't already) has been cut to ten. While whittling away those other thirty songs, it became even more apparent just how strong some of this year's singles have been. From new blood making bold opening statements to towering legends saying goodbye, 2016 was undoubtedly a quality year for rock. Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Song of the Year are:

Though I don't pay as close attention to it as I once did, I still get my horns up for a heavy riff, a monstrous groove and a fleet tempo. The best heavy music gets the adrenaline flowing, the fists pumping and my problems taking a back seat for a while; we've badly needed to forget a lot this year and, as this year's nominees prove, there's still a place for brutal escapism. Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Heavy Artist Recording of the Year are:

My national pride is no secret; I've been a staunch supporter of Canadian bands since my formative years watching MuchMusic as a kid. As we've evolved as a nation, so too have our bands; for decades mostly overlooked and/or not taken seriously even here at home, Canadian artists are now just as formidable a force worldwide as their international competitors. Accordingly, this year's nominees have all done varying degrees of damage well outside the Great White North. Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Canadian Artist Recording of the Year are:

Artists who stand alone, who put their name on their album jackets and assume full responsibility for the art they give to the world, exhibit a kind of bravery that I've always admired. It takes courage to stand on that proverbial stage in solitude; this year's nominees faced varying degrees of challenges, but they all shared the desire to stare down the criticisms and expectations of every other individual they shared the air with and exclaim, "Don't worry. I've got this." Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Solo Artist Recording of the Year are:

Why I haven't instituted a category like this before now is beyond me; it only makes sense to give the old guard its own props given I've been championing new talent all this time while holding a special place in my heart for the artists I grew up with. So, I feel it's only right (especially considering the rate by which we're losing legends) that I tip my hat to artists who laid the groundwork for future generations of rock. To be nominated in this category, the criteria is simple: your first recorded output must have been released more than 25 years ago. Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Legacy Artist Recording of the Year are:

When it comes to the term "new artist", the lines have become increasingly blurred. The criteria to determine just what a new artist was used to be cut and dried for me; any artist that released their first record within the year of nomination was it. As I've learned this year, though, my rules are changing rather drastically and, when considering this year's nominations in this category, I found myself bending like Beckham. As a result, this year's candidates include only two bands that fit the original criteria of releasing their first album this year. The other three are comprised of a band who's yet to release an album at all, a band who released three EPs and an album independently before making their official debut on a label this year, and a band whose first record was released on a label last year but the songs were re-recorded versions of songs from his ten or so self-released records thereby making this year's record the officially official de...

When considering Album of the Year, I'm traditionally faced with a small dilemma. There are usually two or three albums I'm strongly considering for the award, while the rest are good records that are there to pad out the number of nominees. Eventually, it comes down to two and, at the last minute, I make the decision I'll have to live with for the rest of the internet's history. Last year, though, I didn't have that problem; Courtney Barnett was head and shoulders above the rest, and I gave a couple dozen others the chance to change my mind, but in the end that honour was undoubtedly hers. This year, I face a new kind of problem. When looking at the 20 CDs pictured here, I can't help but think that the field is much more wide open than in previous years; sure, if we go by my original review scores, there are only seven 9s as opposed to twelve 8s (and one 7), so it seems a little less daunting a decision. The thing is, I'm a human being with a mind that...

Is there a more appropriate image to sum up the year that's been than a tombstone? Literally and metaphorically, 2016 has been death; with the loss of another important artist seemingly every other day, plus the shaky state of our world in the societal, environmental and political senses, pessimists have had a field day this year. If there's a silver lining to be found, it's in the music; for such a glum, brutal year, 2016 has provided us with a lot of great songs. From iconic artists who gave us one last gift, to established acts injecting welcome new blood to their discographies, to fresh sounds by emerging artists living up to their potential, rock seems to be doing just fine in spite of the bleakness that surrounds our every breath. While the final shortlist of Song of the Year nominees won't be announced for another three weeks, I figured we could all use a minute or 162 to look back on some of the best tunes rock gave us this year. Here, compiled in a handy...

For as dry as the last couple months of 2015 were, I'd have expected to be looking at a slew of exciting releases to ring in 2016. As it stands, though, not a lot has been confirmed as of yet. Still, what the release schedule is lacking in certainty is more than made up for in its possibilities for the coming twelve months. Before we head into the murky waters of speculation, let's check out some of 2016's sure things: