2018 in Canadian music

The following musical events and releases that happened in 2018 in Canada.

Events

• March – Juno Awards of 2018
• April – East Coast Music Awards
• May – Prism Prize
• June – Preliminary longlist for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize is announced
• July – SOCAN Songwriting Prize
• July – Shortlist for the Polaris Music Prize is announced
• September 17 – Jeremy Dutcher wins the Polaris Music Prize for his album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
• December 1 – 14th Canadian Folk Music Awards

Albums released

A

• AHI, In Our Time
• Alaskan Tapes, The Ocean No Longer Wants Us
• Alaskan Tapes, You Were Always an Island
• Jann Arden, These Are the Days – February 2 ^[1]
• Arkells, Rally Cry – October 19
• Astral Swans, Strange Prison – May 30

B

• Bahamas, Earthtones – January 19 ^[1]
• Gord Bamford, Neon Smoke – January 19 ^[1]
• Jill Barber, Metaphora – June 22 ^[2]
• Matthew Barber, Phase of the Moon
• Alexis Baro, Sandstorm ^[3]
• Ridley Bent, Ridley Bent and the Killer Tumbleweeds
• Beppie, Let's Go Bananas!
• Bernice, Puff LP: in the air without a shape
• Laila Biali, Laila Biali – January 26 ^[4]
• Jean-Michel Blais, Dans ma main – May 11
• Forest Blakk, Minutes
• The Blue Stones, Black Holes (re-release) - October 26
• Bob Moses, Battle Lines – September 14 ^[5]
• Bonjay, Lush Life
• Born Ruffians, Uncle, Duke & the Chief – February 16 ^[1]
• Paul Brandt, The Journey YYC, Vol. 1 – April 6 ^[6]
• Paul Brandt, The Journey BNA, Vol. 2 – November 9 ^[6]
• Michael Jerome Browne, Can't Keep a Good Man Down
• Jim Bryson, Tired of Waiting – September 14 ^[7]

C

• Cadence Weapon, Cadence Weapon – January 19 ^[8]
• Aleksi Campagne, Aleksi Campagne
• Alessia Cara, The Pains of Growing – November 30
• Caracol, À paraitre – February 2 ^[1]
• Jennifer Castle, Angels of Death – May 18
• Chilly Gonzales, Solo Piano III – September 7
• Chromeo, Head Over Heels – June 15
• City and Colour, Guide Me Back Home – October 5
• Classified, Tomorrow Could Be – June 29; Tomorrow Could Be The Day Things Change – October 12
• Cœur de pirate, En cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé – June 8
• Antoine Corriveau, Feu de forêt
• Cowboy Junkies, All That Reckoning
• Jim Cuddy, Constellation – January 26 ^[1]

D

• Marie Davidson, Working Class Woman
• Art d'Ecco, Trespasser
• Dilly Dally, Heaven
• The Dirty Nil, Master Volume – September 14
• Drake, Scary Hours – January 19
• Drake, Scorpion – June 29
• Jeremy Dutcher, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa – April 6

E

• Thompson Egbo-Egbo, A New Standard
• Elisapie, The Ballad of the Runaway Girl

F

• 54-40, Keep on Walking
• Christine Fellows, Roses on the Vine – November 16
• Michael Feuerstack, Natural Weather
• Dominique Fils-Aimé, Nameless
• Jeremy Fisher Junior, Highway to Spell
• Sue Foley, The Ice Queen – March 2 ^[1]
• La Force, La Force
• FouKi, Zay
• FouKi, La Zayté
• Angelique Francis, Kissed by the Blues
• The Fretless, Live from the Art Farm
• Debby Friday, Bitchpunk
• FRIGS, Basic Behaviour
• Frontperson, Frontrunner ^[9]
• Fucked Up, Dose Your Dreams – October 5

G

• The Good Lovelies, Shapeshifters – February 9 ^[1]
• Grand Analog, Survival – January 26 ^[1]
• Gordon Grdina, China Cloud
• Great Lake Swimmers, Side Effects – April 13; ^[10] The Waves, the Wake – August 17 ^[11]

H

• Harm & Ease, Black Market Gold
• Harrison, Apricity ^[12]
• Hawk Nelson, Miracles – April 6
• Hillsburn, The Wilder Beyond – February 2 ^[1]
• Nate Husser, minus 23 (July); ^[13] 6° (October) ^[14]
• Andrew Hyatt, Cain

I

• Zaki Ibrahim, The Secret Life of Planets – January 31
• Brandon Isaak, Rise 'n Shine

J

• Jazz Cartier, Fleurever – July 27 ^[15]
• Just John x Dom Dias, Don (June); Don II (November)

K

• Kae Sun, Whoever Comes Knocking – March 2 ^[1]
• Greg Keelor, Last Winter – April 27 ^[16]
• Kellarissa, Ocean Electro ^[17]
• Khotin, Beautiful You
• Francois Klark, Love
• Korea Town Acid, Mahogani Forest
• Nicholas Krgovich, "Ouch" ^[18]

L

• Mélissa Laveaux, Radyo Siwèl – February 2
• Salomé Leclerc, Les choses extérieures
• Hubert Lenoir, Darlène – February
• Brianna Lizotte, Scratch 'Em
• Loony, Part 1
• Les Louanges, La nuit est une panthère
• Lowell, Lone Wolf
• The Lynnes, Heartbreak Song for the Radio

M

• Magic!, Expectations – September 7
• Maïa, Plus que vive
• Dan Mangan, More or Less – November 2 ^[19]
• Matiu, Petikat
• Kalle Mattson, Youth
• Matt Mays, Twice Upon a Hell of a Time – October 19
• Efrim Manuel Menuck, Pissing Stars – February 2
• Shawn Mendes, Shawn Mendes – May 25
• Dylan Menzie, As the Clock Rewinds
• Metric, Art of Doubt – September 21
• Milk & Bone, Deception Bay – February 2 ^[1]
• Monowhales, Control Freak
• Mother Mother, Dance and Cry – November 2

N

• N Nao, À jamais pour toujours
• Nap Eyes, I'm Bad Now – March 9 ^[20]
• Safia Nolin, Dans le noir – October
• Northern Haze, Siqinnaarut
• Justin Nozuka, Low Tide – February 16
• Justin Nozuka, Run To Waters – May 18 ^[21]

O

• OBUXUM, H.E.R.
• Oktoécho, Saimaniq
• The Olympic Symphonium, Beauty in the Tension – February 9 ^[1]
• Steven Lee Olsen, Timing Is Everything – November 9 ^[22]
• The Oot n' Oots, Electric Jellyfish Boogaloo
• Ought, Room Inside the World – February 16
• Our Lady Peace, Somethingness – February 23

P

• Dorothea Paas, One for the Road
• Pharis and Jason Romero, Sweet Old Religion
• Scott-Pien Picard, Scott-Pien Picard
• Pilou, La Vraie nature
• Postdata, Let's Be Wilderness
• Preoccupations, New Material – March 23

Q

• Queer Songbook Orchestra, Anthems & Icons

R

• Billy Raffoul, 1975
• Rare Americans, Rare Americans
• Allan Rayman, Harry Hard-On
• Lee Reed, The Steal City EP
• The Reklaws, Feels Like That – August 31
• Reuben and the Dark, Arms of a Dream – May 4
• Jessie Reyez, Being Human in Public
• Daniel Romano, Human Touch – January 4 ^[23]
• Daniel Romano, Nerveless – January 4 ^[23]
• Daniel Romano, Finally Free
• Rum Ragged, The Hard Times
• Rusty, Dogs of Canada ^[24]

S

• Jay Scøtt, EM0G0D
• Jay Scøtt x Smitty Bacalley, Un chevreuil
• Joseph Shabason, Anne – November 16
• Mike Shabb, Northwave ^[25]
• Shad, A Short Story About a War – October 28
• Dylan Sinclair, Red Like Crimson
• The Slakadeliqs, Heavy Rockin' Steady – February 9
• Sloan, 12 – April 6
• Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Rez Bangers & Koolapops
• So Loki, Planet Bando
• So Loki and bbno$, Whatever
• Souldia, L'Album noir and Survivant
• Rae Spoon, bodiesofwater
• Story Untold, Waves – February 2
• Suuns, Felt – March 2 ^[20]

T

• TEKE::TEKE, Jikaku ^[26]
• Three Days Grace, Outsider – March 9
• Thus Owls, The Mountain That We Live Upon
• Tokyo Police Club, TPC – October 5 ^[27]
• The Trews, Civilianaires – September 14
• Tri-Continental, Dust Dance

U

• U.S. Girls, In a Poem Unlimited – February 16 ^[1]

V

• Mathew V, The Fifth
• Diyet van Lieshout, Diyet and the Love Soldiers
• Various Artists, The Al Purdy Songbook ^[28]
• Vile Creature, Cast of Static and Smoke
• Voivod, The Wake – September 21

W

• Wax Mannequin, Have a New Name
• The Weeknd, My Dear Melancholy, – March 30
• Wild Rivers, Eighty-Eight
• Royal Wood, Ever After the Farewell
• Donovan Woods, Both Ways – April 20 ^[29]

Y

• Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, Dirt
• Young Galaxy, Down Time – April 6 ^[20]
• Yukon Blonde, Critical Hit – June 22

Deaths

• January 25 – Tommy Banks, 81, jazz musician and politician ^[30]
• January 31 – Leah LaBelle, 31, singer and contestant on American Idol ^[31]
• June 19 – Matthew Grimson, 50, singer-songwriter
• October 20 – Jon McMurray, 34, rapper and freeskier ^[32]
• December 19 – Mike "Beard Guy" Taylor, 51, keyboardist for Walk off the Earth

References

1. "A Calendar Of 2018 Album Releases...So Far". FYI Music News, December 27, 2017.
2. "Metaphora: Vancouver-based songwriter Jill Barber brings modern vibe to new album". CBC News British Columbia, April 23, 2018.
3. Colin Story, "Sandstorm - Alexis Baro". The WholeNote, October 30, 2018.
4. "First Play: Laila Biali, self-titled". CBC Music, January 18, 2018.
5. Bob Moses
6. "First Play Live: Paul Brandt, The Journey YYC: Vol. 1". CBC Music . Retrieved April 25, 2018.
7. "Jim Bryson Reveals 'Tired of Waiting' EP, Shares New Song". Exclaim! , July 24, 2018.
8. "Rapper Cadence Weapon on his musical journey and current state of hip-hop in Canada". Q , January 15, 2018.
9. Eric R. Danton, "Frontperson: Frontrunner Review". Paste , September 18, 2018.
10. "Watch: Great Lake Swimmers premiere new video, announce EP". CBC Music, April 10, 2018.
11. "Great Lake Swimmers Announce 'The Waves, The Wake' LP". Exclaim! , April 11, 2018.
12. Matt Bauer, "Harrison Knows Winter Is Coming; 'Apricity' Will Help Us Cope". Exclaim! , October 10, 2018.
13. Olivier Boisvert-Magnen, "RAP LOCAL : MB, TIRER UN TRAIT SUR LE PASSÉ". Voir , July 10, 2018.
14. Josephine Cruz, "Montreal’s Nate Husser Continues His Impressive Run with “6º” EP". Complex , October 15, 2018.
15. "Fleurever by Jazz Cartier on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
16. "Bio – Greg Keelor". Warner Music Canada. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
17. John Lucas, "Ocean Electro finds Kellarissa in a contemplative space". The Georgia Straight , March 7, 2018.
18. Calum Marsh, "Nicholas Krgovich: 'Ouch'". Pitchfork , November 29, 2018.
19. "Dan Mangan Sheds Light on His Upcoming Album and Embracing His Solo Troubadour Status". Exclaim! , February 13, 2018.
20. "UPCOMING ALBUM RELEASE CALENDAR". Metacritic .
21. "Run to Waters by Justin Nozuka – iTunes – Apple". iTunes
22. Cantrell, LB (November 9, 2018). "Steven Lee Olsen Releases Debut Album 'Timing Is Everything'". Music Row Magazine.
23. "Daniel Romano Surprise Releases 'Nerveless' and 'Human Touch' Albums". Exclaim! , January 4, 2018.
24. "Rusty Return with Their First Album in 20 Years". Exclaim! , June 29, 2018.
25. Billy Eff, "Avec « Northwave », Mike Shabb veut représenter le rap nordique". Vice , March 1, 2018.
26. Matt Bobkin, "Meet TEKE::TEKE, the J-Rock Tribute Turned Full-Fledged Fusion Band". Exclaim! , January 10, 2019.
27. Calum Slingerland, "Tokyo Police Club Announce 'TPC' Album, Share New Song". Exclaim! , July 9, 2018.
28. "Canadian poet Al Purdy inspires songs by Jason Collett, Sarah Harmer and more" Archived 2019-02-03 at the Wayback Machine . Now , January 22, 2019.
29. "Donovan Woods Announces 'Both Ways' LP, Shares New Song". Exclaim! , February 5, 2018.
30. "Legendary Edmontonian jazz pianist, ex-senator Tommy Banks dead at 81". CBC News. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
31. Pedersen, Erik (2018-02-01). "'American Idol' Finalist Leah LaBelle & Ex-NBA Player Husband Killed In Car Crash". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
32. Rapper dies after music video stunt goes wrong