Best of 2026… So far.
We are nearly halfway through 2026 and it feels like an entire year’s worth of albums and EPs have already been released. It has been a crazy year and we’ve tried to cover as many releases as we can but it’s simply not possible to highlight them all. It’s also soooo easy to miss some gems due to the sheer magnitude of really good indie releases to fall in love with. Our “Best of 2026… So Far” article is here to help you navigate what you may have missed or simply learn what the team members at Cups N Cakes have been swooning over. We have also taken it upon ourselves to add a little something to look forward to in this article. Each CnC team member who took part highlighted three of their favourite releases up to date and one album they are anxiously awaiting.
Please enjoy reading about our favourites of the year… so far. For those interested in hearing tracks from each release, check out our TIDAL playlist here.
Jeff MacCallum
The midpoint of the year is nearly upon us and it’s been fun doing the “Quick Picks” every week because it keeps me listening to new music all the time. I don’t typically have the luxury of repeat listens because each week I’m reviewing four new releases but here’s three albums that I’m still listening to every chance I have.
First up is the raucous, rip-roaring and rowdy release from Dead Bob. This is the new project from Nomeansno's John Wright which is now a proper band and this record rules.
Next up, Cryptozoologists from Whitehorse, Yukon dropped Backwater Station on our laps at the start of 2026. It’s art-rock perfection with all sorts of fun layers that set the backdrop for Zach McCann-Armitage’s musings of the mundane city life that consumes him in the midst of the most backcountry, wilderness town imaginable.
Edmonton’s Calvin Love returned with his best work to date on the record Throw My Shadow To The Sun. There’s an effortless cool to Love’s unique approach to music. Part crooner, part psychedelic-pop, part Steely Dan, part Barry Manilow… It’s a must listen.
Finally, my most anticipated album for the second half of 2026 is the self-titled debut album from Edmonton’s BIG EVIL RAT. This is garage-rock perfection and anyone who’s seen them live is just as excited as me.
Simone Atenea Medina Polo
As always, Canadian music delivers on a wide range of excellent music and I hope that my picks reflect that.
After lots of hype around them, Cootie Catcher more than lived up to their iconic twee sound with their latest album Something We All Got.
I was gripped by the singles that built up to a raw and compelling album by Tanya Tagaq in Saputjiji, which covers anything from intensive industrial mixed with throat that is itching at an underlying political confrontation that the work is trying to stage.
Then there is the latest release by The Golden Age of Wrestling, Sweet Chin Music. I am a fan of anything that Jeff Cancade gets up to, whether it is Devours or The Golden Age of Wrestling. The latter’s evolution keeps toe-to-toe with Cancade’s emotive compositions through ambiances and scenes this project allows.
Finally, the upcoming Zoon album, Happy Thought School. Daniel Monkman always delivers incredible songwriting and musical productions. In his latest collaborations, whether it is with Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth, or Adam Sturgeon from Status/Non-Status, Monkman refined his music output with each interaction. So I can’t help but look forward to whatever is next for the project.
Em Moore
Bibi Club’s Amaro is a testament to the power of love, both during and after life. The Montreal-based duo weave emotive sonic tapestries that invite you into the mythology of the album, from the banks of forested rivers to the middle of tempestuous storms.
Rouyn-Noranda based Guhn Twei’s third album Une ville, une mine, un cancer is one of the most visual, visceral, and vulnerable records of the year. The band utilizes elements from death metal, hardcore punk, and noise to transport you into an environment that has been ruined by corporate greed where the health of the citizens is an afterthought.
Toronto-based PONY kick out ten tracks of excellently realized, and extremely sparkly, grunge-infused glitter rock. Demons will be exorcised and cursed soon dispelled amid PONY’s infectious vocal melodies and crisp, danceable fuzziness.
New music from La Sécurité is always cause to celebrate, just like winning at bingo, something that the band immortalizes in the title track off their upcoming sophomore album. The five singles released so far - “Snack City”, “Deny”, “Detour”, “Bingo”, and “Ketchup” - showcase the band’s inventive arrangements, humour and heart-filled bilingual lyrics, and incredible energy.
Louise Jaunet
Blending 2000s club culture with electroclash, low-key spoken words and an ironic sense of humour, Tiga’s HOTLIFE feels both old-school and cool at the same time, capturing the Y2K aesthetic trend in contemporary electronic music. The tracks 'FRICTION' and 'SILKSCRAF' (featuring Shanny Wise from the New York duo Fcukers) might just convince you to go to a dance club again.
Holy Fuck certainly knows how to make use of unconventional instruments, turning analogue junk into sophisticated, fuzzy electro-kraut sounds with a distorted signature of their own. Their latest album, Event Beat, contains all the elements that make a Holy Fuck album so good. Expect fried vocals lost in a whirlwind of synth sounds, groovy beats and kosmische tunnels. You can always expect high quality from Holy Fuck.
Chloé Jara-Buto is perhaps my favourite discovery of the year so far. Her second solo album, om-om, feels like discovering a secret garden or an intimate journal filled with random naïve pieces of art from a printed zine. Written with the intention of capturing the purity and unprocessed nature of demos, the album draws on indie rock, dream pop, outsider art, minimal wave, field recording, as well as whatever inspiration the Montreal singer-songwriter can find. The simplest things are often the best.
What a pleasant surprise to find out that Lido Pimienta is back with a new album coming out in July! The Colombian–Canadian musician, Polaris Prize winner and visual artist is part of a community of forward-thinking artists who are redefining what was once pejoratively termed 'world music'. Check out her new track 'Tóxica' to convince yourself
Stephen Sheps
I have to admit being somewhat behind on my listening this year, which happens when you have 2 kids under 3. I want to listen to Home Front or one of the seemingly endless waves of new records from Chad VanGaalen; the kids want Raffi. As it goes…
As such, my pick for best record of the year so far might be a little obvious - Angine de Poitrine’s Vol.II. I haven’t heard anything like them in what seems like decades. It’s so angular and math rock-y but also gives me Primus-like vibes in the best possible way. I get it, they went viral after that KEXP performance and I do wonder if the buzz is sustainable, but there is no doubting their talent and wildly inventive songwriting, even if it’s not an everyday kind of listen.
Honourable Mention to Boy Golden. Everything I wrote in my review earlier in the year still stands several months later. I revisit this album a lot. He’s the real deal.
In terms of upcoming releases, I’m really excited about the new BA Johnston record and of course the new Knitting album is a high priority. The second track on the I wasn’t Fully Cooked single, “Here Comes” just hits so hard.
Steve Haley
Rae Spoon’s thirteenth record, I Was Assigned Country Singer at Birth, is a beautiful homage to the country genre. This album will have you celebrating with Spoon one minute, toe-tapping and dancing, before some of their more poignant lyrics gut-punch you mid-step. Spoon’s personal recollection of their experience as a trans person plays out to the country soundtrack of the music they were born to sing.
Big Changes, the newest release from Status/Non-Status (formerly WHOOP-Szo) is a heavy-hitting rock album full of hammering drums, dreamy synths, and an atmospheric, all-consuming wall of guitar. A dichotomous mix of foreboding and hope permeates the entire record as the listener wonders whether the big change that’s coming is good or bad. Another monster of an album from one of Turtle Island’s best rock bands.
Aquakulture’s 1783 is an epic work of art, a sprawling historical document and a celebration of Black music, culture and history. Sampson’s powerful voice and evocative and well-researched lyrics are accompanied by an astounding group of musicians who effortlessly move from genre to genre throughout the album’s nearly one-hour runtime.
And regarding my most anticipated, Fiver’s newest offering sees Simone Schmidt unearthing songs from the past 14 years and bringing them to life with new players. Schmidt’s vibrato baritone delivers thoughtful lyrics that “kiss the abyss” and the effortless musicianship of the band is enrapturing .Check out the tracks released thus far wherever you listen (except Spotify).
Matt Carr
Tired Cossack’s ZIMA creeps in like it’s always been there. The stark poetry and candid storytelling bring life to the bitter industrial tinge and keen electronic shimmer. With modern production moves and shape-shifting vocals, ZIMA jumps languidly from shoegaze to indie-pop, from Blitz to Bauhaus. Features include Adam Soloway on the blissed out “Heaven”, and sportcafé’s Zagublena on standout “November 14”. ZIMA will leave you in snow just deep enough to dance in.
From confetti to catharsis, Ellen Froese’s Solitary Songs dances right to the home of the heart of the listener with a variety of finely-crafted, country-folk gems. Recorded collaboratively with friends in Saskatoon, the album features a rhythm section featured elsewhere on my list, and at home among a family of prairie polyglots. The writing is sharp, playful and (I predict) timeless.
Calgary’s Quit Music’s debut release, Monopoly, boasts frenetic drone-laden free-jazz. The title likely refers to the Korg Mono/Poly synthesizer.
My most anticipated upcoming release is Romance Novel by Natural Sympathies. The core of this work was formed like a diamond and cut with spectacular musicians Darcy McIntyre, Dana Rempel, and Tanner Wilhelm Hale. Songwriter Amber Goodwyn collected community stories from "The Love Survey" and co-produced the record with Rempel, noting: “I wrote the songs very slowly... and the band made them infinitely better.” With lead single “Beloved” already out, and more to come this year, the course is chartered for heart-piercing prairie art pop.
Amanda Shekarchi
Here are my top three albums of 2026 so far. Luke Elliot is a singer/songwriter from Saskatoon. His EP is Lost Inside Of My Mind. This concept record reflects on healing from a traumatic experience. Through personal lyrics and mellow, somber, yet hopeful instrumentation, these songs are reminders that you are not alone, and that healing takes time.
Next pick, Toronto artist Bella Cole’s self-titled EP. Cole’s refreshing sound blends soul, funk, and pop. Cole crafts catchy melodies and clever lyrics inspired by artists including Amy Winehouse and Billie Eilish. Whether cruising down the highway, falling in love, or going through heartbreak Cole got you covered.
Another album is Slow Motion by Toronto artist Avery Raquel. This record is a collection of songs written over one year. Exploring stages of love, joy, the complexities of past relationships, and heartache. I love Raquel’s silky smooth vocals, evoking a emotional listening experience.
An upcoming album I am stoked about is Iskwêw by Saskatchewan indigenous Neo-soul/R&B artist, LOV. My favourite single is “G.O.S” about finding strength during hard times. Themes on this record include, Womanhood, culture healing, and self-worth. Iskwêw drops on June 12th.
Celina Kurz
It's a Vancouver Special best of!
Rainbow's End delivered seven tracks of unbridled genius pop songwriting, crunchy munchy guitars, and sweet sweet vocals from the band's frontwoman Raasika. So dynamic, so melodic! It's music, just the way I like it. Personal fave track: “Gravy”
Next up is The Golden Age of Wrestling’s Sweet Chin Music. Vancouver's favourite heel follows up with a clean belly-to-belly suplex. TGAOW is Jeff's (of Devours fame) "glambient" side project - meditative, sparkly, it's ambient music that is full of personality. Personal fave track: “hamburglar (always your girl)”
Lovely is a new synthpop band on the scene from ex-Beebomb (RIP) members. This 4-song bandcamp-only release makes my mouth water, I’m so excited to see what comes next. Punchy synths, jingle jangle guitars, drum machine keeping time - I feel like I'm 16 again scrolling through the "powerpop" tag on Purevolume and I just found gold. Personal fave track: “Amber Gambler”
My most anticipated goes to Kathleen Lockhart (fka Katie and the Lichen). Kathleen Lockhart has started a monthly single release cycle and I am HERE FOR IT! So far we have one single - "The Dalles". The last full-length release from Kathleen Lockhart was 2013's Yours Truly - safe to say I have been waiting, we've all been waiting! She self-describes as "melodic grunge pop" - emotional lyrics set to a mix of synth and acoustic instruments. Can't wait!
Dave Barroqueiro
It has been a year of some tremendous releases thus far, so trimming that down to a top three isn’t ever going to be fair, but here goes nothin’.
It’s All Over is extraordinarily well-produced, expertly crafted, catchy as all shit, and endlessly listenable, The Jins play that grungy garage rock like they used to make it, but with a modern twist and contemporary tone. Listen to: “Force a Metamorphosis.”
Whitehorse’s stripped-down sludge doom duo Franklin unleashed a smoldering, snarling behemoth that is urgent, honest, and as vast and desolate as the Great North from which they hail. Listen to: “Queen’s Revenge.”
ZIMA is a curious and delightful brew of Soviet-era post-punk, shoegaze, grunge, and Ukrainian folk, Winnipeg’s Tired Cossack’s third record is tense, gloomy, and uplifting; often in the same song. Bleakly wonderful. Listen to: “Groceries.”
Be on the look out for Vancouver psychedelic art punks Mister Pets’ self-titled LP (coming out this week!), and while you’re at it, check out the wildly unhinged video for “Sour Soup.” You can thank me later, once you’ve picked your brains up off the floor.
