GROUNDERS

Deux semaines sans sommeil à tourner dans tous les sens ce classement totalement subjectif. Il veut dire quoi ce classement, il intéresse qui ? Au final pas grand chose et pas grand monde, chacun a tenu ses petits papiers persos pendant une année et voilà que je vous les expose.. à vous.

Pour tout vous dire je trouve même ça un peu condescendant de donner son point de vue de dit blogueur sur une année musicale. Beh oui, on est comme tout le monde on a qu’une paire d’oreille, on n’a pas pu s’écouter tous les albums de cette année écoulée et encore moins de tous les analyser.
Le pire dans tout ça c’est qu’on balance des noms à la volée sans se justifier tout ça pour se faire allumer dans les commentaires (et je vous y encourage) car on a oublié « la perle de l’année » ou car on a foutu l’album de The xx aux portes du top 10 (ahem..).

Plus ça avance, plus ce billet devient un non sens. Je défend l’idée que de faire un classement des albums de l’année est inutile et dans le même temps je m’apprête à vous dévoiler le mien, allez comprendre. Trêve de bavardage, si vous avez tenu jusque là et que vous n’avez pas encore découvert mon classement, c’est le moment :



Jessie Ware – Devotion Deerzer | Spotify
Chromatics – Kill For Love Spotify
Beach House – Bloom Deezer | Spotify
Lianne La Havas – Is Your Love Big Enough Deezer | Spotify
Balthazar – Rats Deezer | Spotify
Perfume Genius – Put Your Back N 2 It Deezer | Spotify
Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls Deezer | Spotify
Michael Kiwanuka – Home Again Deezer | Spotify
Alt_J ? – An Awesome Wave Deezer | Spotify
Chilly Gonzales – Solo Piano II Deezer | Spotify
The xx – Coexist Deezer | Spotify
Franck Ocean – Channel Orange Deezer | Spotify
Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel* Deezer | Spotify
SantiGold – Disparate Youth Deezer | Spotify
Bobby Womack – The Bravest Man in the Universe Deezer | Spotify
Dirty Projetors – Swing Lo Magellan Deezer | Spotify
Grounders – Wreck of a Smile Bandcamp
Electric Guest – Mondo Deezer | Spotify

Si vous avez la flemme de cliquer sur les 18 liens (!), vous pouvez cliquer ici (Spotify) et vous taper 12 heures de musique, rien que ça.

ps : J’espère que vous avez appréciez à sa juste valeur l’image d’illustration de cet article ahah. - Your Own Radio

After listening to a certain genre long enough, I start to get the idea that maybe I’ve listened to all there is to know about the genre. So in theory I shouldn’t have been surprised by Wreck of a Smile, the first EP from Grounders, but I was anyway.

There’s no doubt in my mind as to how Grounders built up such a hype in Toronto despite having never (until now) released music. Their music is just so inherently exciting- every new listen will doubtless result in discovering a nuance missed on previous listens.

Half of this EP is made up of “Along the Line” and “Crown Land,” which were released earlier this year. Both are wonderful songs, particularly “Crown Land” with its huge chorus of voices over top of a great combination of keys and guitar.

The two new additions are “Grand Prize Drawl” and “Speedboats.” The latter opens up with a joyous intro that wouldn’t be out of place in an old Tokyo Police Club song, and it’s a great explosion of energy to signal the start of something good. It weaves its way between moments of softness and intensity, and the crescendo nearer to the end of the song is for sure its highlight.

The other track is “Speedboats,” a song that can only be described as tropical. The percussion on this track is something to note in the brushing sounds, and the guitars work well to project the sunny image that the song gives off. It also features a beautiful part with quick finger-picking for a nice change of pace before returning to the tropical vibes.

Wreck of a Smile is only the first of what I predict to be many more releases from this exceedingly talented outfit. The EP is available as a name-your-price Bandcamp download.

Top Track: “Grand Prize Drawl”

Rating: Proud Hoot (Really Good) - Grayowl Point

I’d like to introduce the Indie Shuffle community to a Toronto-based band that is worth listening to. GROUNDERS is composed of Andrew Davis, Daniel Busheikin, Evan Lewis (of Australia), Mike Searle and Rob Canali, who started up the band back in February of 2010. The five are fascinated with opposites, and tend to fuse blurry bass riffs with electronic synth. The contrast is effective; the layering of variation in guitar instrumentation creates a platform for the quirky vocals to soar.

Just having released their debut EP titled Wreck Of A Smile, GROUNDERS describes it as taking a “lush, melodic and charmingly idiosyncratic” approach to their aesthetic style. “Crown Land” (along with three other tracks) is enchanting and immersed in a sublime wonderment.

GROUNDERS is an unsigned alternative band and a self-admitted “group of friends that coalesce into something simultaneously natural and incongruous.” Enjoy the catchy tunes! - Indie Shuffle

Despite their tough, all-caps band name, Toronto's GROUNDERS seemed right at home playing the Citizen's Vintage clothing store in Montreal's Mile End. Not unlike the good, worn denim and flannel that graced the walls (and the band), the smooth, echoed vocals of Andrew Davis created an ambiance of comfort and warmth.

While the five-piece at times had three members working away at guitars, the digital sounds reigned for much of the set, especially in the echoed "Crown Land" where an organ came out king. The theme-music-worthy "Along the Line," which would fit right in on a Two Door Cinema Club record, put smiles on faces and maybe a few dents in floor where feet matched the beat of drummer Rob Canali's tambourine. GROUNDERS interacted and joked more with one another than with the audience, but as a result it felt as if everyone was getting a secret look at a basement jam session. Simple, laid back and fun. - Exclaim

The Pasture is your home for the best of Indie for every occasion. Whether you're stuck in an elevator and need to sooth your companions, or in an argument with the ex and need to calm them down -- these tracks are your answer. Highlights on the fresh dairy from MVSCLES, Infantree, Lykke Li, and Grounders. - EARMILK

Emerging Toronto pop band, Grounders have already been on the radar of a number of media outlets, including Snob's Music, MuchMusic and The Lonely Vagabond. The five-piece broke the 'ground' of Toronto indie pop scene with their new single, Along The Line/ Crown Land.

The intro starts off with two big beats as if it broke the door to the following sherzando melody crafted by the fetching synth beats and high pitch vocal. Their unique sound grabbed my attention immediately from the first listen. Then, It tickles my curiosity over their sounds to see what this experimental indie pop group is capable of. There are only two songs available online. However, you can listen to more songs at their shows. The next show is on July 26th Silver Dollar. You can expect me to join you if you are going to be there. - Music Psychos

THURSDAY — Covering North By Northeast gives every journalist a chance to see what’s out there — to see what’s exciting and what the sound of the year to come might be. That's why it’s nice to see a band like Grounders play. Young and fresh faced, they are a shoegaze orgasm of rock delight.

On the heels of the release of their first two-song recording, they kicked through a short, laidback set in the dim Silver Dollar Room. Grounders gentlemen Jerry Shakes, Bobby Canoli, Andy Chambers, Kelvin Grove, and Kevin Lewis left an indelible mark on the rapidly growing crowd — and on the minds of those attentively watching. One night into the festival, we've already found a band worth keeping an eye on. We’re excited to see where they go.
- The Little Red Umbrella

Grounders are a relatively new band out of Toronto that have been making the rounds over the past year or so. Founded by one Andrew Davis, the band also consists of a guy named Dan Busheikin, who over the past week rose to a bit of Canadian blog fame as the guy who interviewed Father John Misty for Chartattack and remained unfazed when a very outspoken and likely inebriated stranger tried to bogart the conversation. But I digress. The band recently dropped a twofer on their Bandcamp page that you can either stream or download free of charge, if you like reverb, twinkling melodies, falsetto, this and this. - MuchMusic

Now here’s something we can get into… Toronto indie-pop outfit GROUNDERS. It seems as though their new songs have been on repeat forever here at The iM, when in reality it’s only been a few days. Now it’s your turn to check them out.

Below you’ll find Along The Line and Crown Land streaming for your listening pleasure and believe us when we say, these songs are something very special indeed. The best part… you can download them for free.

On July 5th GROUNDERS will be playing The Garrison opening for Brooklyn trio YOUNG MAGIC – that’s one hell of a show as far as we’re concerned. Get out and show your support. - The Indie Machine

To read the text of this interview please follow this link -- http://otmzine.com/grounders - Off The Map Zine

Grounders

If the theme of this show is bands that have fun together on stage, that criteria would be met. As an Exclaim article explains, their live set is enthusiastic and happy, mixing uppity flower punk with catchy pop hooks. Add indie pop and shoegazy electronics with a factor of weird, and their music translates into something great that they perform with passion, excitement, and smiles. Amazing start to the night.
- Audiocassettetape Productions

Purveyors of dreamy avant-pop, Grounders is a band dealing with contrasts, quirky and adventurous, catchy and bold, the type of musical aesthetic that takes shoegazey indie-pop and cloaks it with glowing electronics and blissful pop hooks awash with echoey vocals, shimmering guitars, and off-kilter arrangements. Taking cues from Wolf Parade, perhaps the biggest strength of this five-piece is their live set, suggesting that strangely beautiful music can also share the stage with exuberant energy. - Lonely Vagabond

GROUNDERS
Seen at: Rancho Relaxo, 9 p.m.

A band's following can be measured in ticket sales, fanmail, or the quality of the choreographed dance moves peformed by their friends in the front row. By that last criterion, Toronto's GROUNDERS are doing amazingly well. Despite not being part of their close circle, we were still humming the beat of the bouncy "Along the Line" as we left Rancho Relaxo. (CM) - The Torontoist

Grounders takes shoegazey indie-pop and cloaks it with glowing electronics and blissful pop hooks awash with echoey vocals, shimmering guitars, and off-kilter arrangements. Taking cues from Wolf Parade, perhaps the biggest strength of this five-piece is their live set, suggesting that strangely beautiful music can also share the stage with exuberant energy. - Lonely Vagabond

"...Grounders have a more angular and urgent sound, due in part to the precise drumming of Robert Canali and the guitar lines of singer Andrew Davis. This is a band that owes as much to the textural intricacies of shoegaze and psychedelic rock as it does to the heartfelt simplicity of folk and Americana. So when Davis swaps his hollow-body guitar for a banjo, the transition feels natural and welcome. Lush synthetic swirls juxtaposed with jangly guitar motifs makes for a winning formula, a sonic equivalent to this fine city. Add to this a natural stage presence and interaction with the crowd, and you have a great Torontonian band in the making." - Amberhaze

Toronto's Grounders seemed elated at their Sala Rossa gig - the venue was inundated with many of their hometown friends and fans, having trekked all the way to Montreal just for the show. In fact, watching the band pump out their uppity flower punk, you kind of got the feeling that the charming foursome are always chipper. They enthusiastically danced along to their own music, were enormously gracious to their audience, and even when a banjo was having technical difficulties, they continued on with the equipment that did work and with zero complaining. Let's face it, happy musicians are a rare breed, so high-fives all around for Grounders and their handsome smiles and catchy pop hooks. - Exclaim Magazine