30 Artists To Watch In 2013
We’re not afraid to say it: 2013 is going to provide an endless amount of music. With MP3 blogs blowing up with new tracks every day and fests looking more like an escapable black hole, it would almost be racist to not dust off that tray and burn a CD-R full of car-ready jams. It’s not quite 2003 but the new “wave” of artists has now become a tsunami with Godzilla slamdancing at the helm. We’re no prophets as we still... Read More
The Top 50 Albums Of 2012
If you’ve come to the conclusion that 2012 was a terrible year for albums, then there may be something seriously wrong with you. The past 12 months have exposed a whole new side to music, one that’s changed the way listeners receive full-length efforts and has even convinced us not to overlook an emerging musician and his Tumblr sounds. 250+ records later, here is a list of our Top 50 albums that includes deranged punk outcasts, bits of... Read More
The 10 Best Mixtapes Of 2012
Even though mixtapes will never get reacquainted with magnetic tape, they’ve become the heart and soul of modern day hip hop. The genre isn’t fully caught up on their Billboard-plaguing ways but as last year proved, one single tape can push an artist (hint: Frank Ocean) to record a major label LP and snag half a dozen Grammys in just 22 months. With its overflowing talent pool that will likely never stop growing in the new year, we high-five... Read More
The 10 Best EPs Of 2012
They may be a far cry from being a full-length, but extended plays hold a lot of value. They feed addictions to new music, showcase the textures to B-sides and rarities and on occasion, provide an example of where your favourite artist is headed. In 2012, the EP became an art form that provided all of the above along with some of the year’s best tracks. Spinning release after release and even excluding extraordinary compositions like How To... Read More
The Best Music Videos Of 2012
MTV may have decapitated the music video fan, but thanks to YouTube and NSFW personas, they’re still prominent with their own ingenious makeups. Action Bronson and Das Racist hid rap music behind crushing forms of humour, noisemakers Cloud Nothings and Killer Mike added confusion to creatively gutting scenarios and even some of hip hop’s biggest names reassured us it’s okay to have more swag than a flu-ridden Michael Jordan in the... Read More
The Best Live Photos Of 2012
130+ shows and 250+ artists later, here is our annual roundup of our favourite music photography from the past 12 months. This year, we invested in some pretty sweet earplugs and took to the pits to capture candid moments that wound up on social networks, artist websites and even a piece of merch from one of our favourite bands growing up. While these images show how a photographer can evolve and add a hue of beauty to a still, we have to thank all... Read More
BLARE’s 25 Best Songs Of Summer 2012
With music still shredding waves from sunrise to sunset, it’s sort of unfair to abandon our sanctuaries and give the axe to summer. To be honest, no one wants it to end as everyone’s personal radio is still kicking out jams that leave more than just a routine impression. Punk found its true colours with the emergence of Title Fight and White Lung, MCs like Joey Bada$$ and Killer Mike stitched their roots to their chest to knock hip hop... Read More
BLARE’s 40 MUST-HAVES FOR RECORD STORE DAY
Walking into a record store can sometimes leave you feeling overwhelmed. The artwork, the new favorites, the old favorites, the forgotten pieces of work that have your parents drooling over the dust still laced onto a classic they treated like a first-born when they used to be friends with a friendly-green dragon; it’s hard to shake the feeling of pure whimsical excitement. RECORD STORE DAY stokes that raging fire by supporting the independent... Read More
BLARE’s 40 Must-Hear Bands At SXSW 2012
If you’re a fan of listening to live music and doing who knows what in a city that makes you choose your own adventures, then there’s a good chance you’re a fan of SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST. After we endured a 46-hour trek from Toronto to Austin via train last Spring, the minute we landed into the home of the Longhorns and the somewhat unauthorized birthplace of independent sound, our hearts sank into our chests, and the neverending roller... Read More
BLARE’s TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2011
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