Bobbyisms: Looking towards music on the horizon in 2016

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: MATT BARNES
Monster Truck is a Hamilton hard rock group whose popularity has been steadily blowing up around the world since their full-length album came out two years ago. Their new album Sittin' Heavy will be released Feb. 19.

I write about random things a lot. I write a lot about random things. Happy New Years and welcome back. Now that the holidays are behind us and all the ‘Best of 2015’ lists with them, it’s exciting to look ahead to music in 2016 and why this year is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in a while.

Typically, this time of year marks a bit of a slow period for music, at least on the surface. The industry internalizes a bit and the focus shifts behind the scenes as everyone prepares for the coming JUNO Awards in April and the arrival of the summer with Canadian Music Week in May. Votes are cast, applications are submitted and the groundwork is laid for another big year, but not a lot appears to happen externally.

Because retailers try to get the most out of the Christmas season, many artists and labels spent their time and money promoting their new albums this time last month, which often makes January and February quite slow for album releases. Don’t forget also that the album with the best chance to be the highest–selling title in 2016 has already been released: Adele’s 25 has smashed every new release record that the industry has kept for decades, with steady sales since it hit stores on Nov. 20.

This year, however, the typical slowdown would appear to be waylaid, thanks in no small part to David Bowie. The renowned artist and cultural icon released Blackstar, his 20th album and perhaps oddest work to date, just before the weekend of his 68th birthday. The album was premiered with a remarkable music video, a surreal short film directed by Johan Renck.

Similarly, the coming weeks have a number of notable album releases that bear mentioning, this week, Panic! At The Disco release their latest album, Death Of A Bachelor. They’ve been sharing songs from the album for months, good news if you’ve been jamming on their singles “LA Devotee” or “Emperor’s New Clothes”.

Closer to home, Toronto trio Keys N Krates reflect on the evolution of rave for their Midnite Mass EP this week. The release accompanies a massive North American tour, a live experience sculpted to be a visual extension of the music; the lead single “U Already Know” debuted online via Fader.

January will also feature anticipated new releases from Canadian acts Old Man Canyon (Delirium, Jan. 15) and Bloc Party (Hymns, Jan. 29), and before the month is out, Hamilton’s Twin Within will record a special reinterpretation of their debut album Horizontal Lines with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra for release in the spring. Even more exciting, videographer Mitch Fillion of Southern Souls will document the coming sessions at Hamilton Place; stay tuned to find out what happens with that footage.

Not to be overshadowed, February will also have its share of profile album releases. Rock icons the Cult will release their new album Hidden City on Feb. 5, completing a rock trilogy that began with 2007’s Born Into This and continued through 2012’s Choice Of Weapon. Their 10th studio album, Hidden City was announced in November as NME debuted the lead track “Dark Energy,” featuring the band’s signature growl and unmistakable tone.

Electronic outfit Radio Radio will release Light The Sky on Feb. 19, their fifth full–length record, but only their first recorded entirely in English, a natural step in their evolution, according to the Acadian duo. They debuted the album’s first single “Tonight’s The Night” on their YouTube account last month.

Feb. 19 also marks the arrival of Sittin’ Heavy, the latest album from Hamilton hard rock group Monster Truck. The band has been steadily blowing up around the world since the release of their debut full– length album nearly two years ago, and if the singles they’ve advanced so far, huge rockers “Don’t Tell Me How To Live” and “The Enforcer”, are any indication, the group will continue their rock domination this year.

And all of that before we even break for Study Week. There is a lot of exciting new music on the horizon, offering hope that this winter and spring are going to be considerably more active than in years past. To stay on top of the latest music news, album streams and gigs coming to London, add @fsu_bobbyisms to your Twitter timeline. Here’s looking forward to all the musical memories that 2016 has in store. I’m out of words.