Celebrating 10 years of I Heart Hamilton this month! 🎉 From the beginning, music has been a massive part of my local explorations. Hamilton’s music scene is brimming with talent, and it has been a joy to document it over the past decade. I’m so grateful to have connected with so many talented artists and to continue learning about more local music all the time. As always, feel free to reach out any time, for blog features and radio play on my weekly show for 93.3 CFMU: connect@ihearthamilton.ca

10 years of I Heart Hamilton also means 10 years’ worth of blog Playlists! I love curating these each month, so it only makes sense to create a 10th anniversary mix. Once I started, I realized just how daunting of a task it was. This is by no means a comprehensive list of the local music scene, but rather a mix of artists and tracks that particularly resonate with me when I reflect on the past 10 years of adventures in our local scene. With tracks taken from each year of the blog up to the present, some acts are sadly no longer active, but all remain part of amazing memories for me. It makes me emotional to listen to, and remember amazing performances, interactions, friendships, and fun moments from the past ten years. Music is so powerful; it can bring us right back to certain moments, like it’s all happening at once.

I can’t WAIT to see you all in person at shows again, but in the meantime, press play on the soundtrack of 10 years of I Heart Hamilton ❤️ Listen on Spotify! (Note: a few of these songs were not on Spotify – you can find the full tracklist below.)

Photo by Stephanie Montani

10th ANNIVERSARY TRACKLIST:

  • Canadian Winter – “Get The Show On The Road” The Snowball Effect (2014)
  • New Hands – “Whichever Way You’ll Have It” Leave With The Night (2015)
  • Illitry – “Runaways” Sunset EP
  • Illitry – “Like Everyone Else” Dalinean Horses
  • The Dirty Nil – “Fuckin’ Up Young” (2011) [Re-released on Minimum R&B (2017)]
  • The Dirty Nil – “Zombie Eyed” Higher Power (2016)
  • The Dirty Nil – “Doom Boy” Fuck Art (2021)
  • Grey Lands – “Another Lie” Right Arm (2015)
  • Don Vail – “On The Wire” Stand Of Tide (2019)
  • Young Rival – “Black Is Good” Stay Young (2012)
  • Aron D’Alesio – “Diamond Ring” Aron D’Alesio (2017)
  • Harlan Pepper – “TV/Let It Slide” Take Out A Twenty And Live Life To The Fullest (2014)
  • Dan Edmonds – “Softie” Softie (2019)
  • Terra Lightfoot – “Emerald Eyes” Every Time My Mind Runs Wild (2015)
  • Dinner Belles – “Til The Dawn” West Simcoe County (2011)
  • Coszmos Quartette – “Echoes Of Yesterday” Coszmos Quartette (2016)
  • Twin Within – “Tunnel To The Reservoir” Horizontal Lines (2015)
  • Dark Mean – “Happy Banjo” Dark Mean (2011) 
  • The Rest – “Who Knows” Seesaw (2012)
  • Dawn & Marra – “Not On Top” Teaspoons & Tablespoons (2013)
  • Arkells – “Book Club” Michigan Left (2011)
  • Arkells – “Come To Light” High Noon (2014)
  • Arkells – “Cynical Bastards” High Noon (2014)
  • Arkells – “11:11” High Noon (2014)
  • Arkells – “Relentless” Rally Cry (2018)
  • Arkells – “You Can Get It” ft. K.Flay (2021)
  • Ascot Royals – “Do It Again” Don’t Let It Stop You (2012)
  • Ascot Royals – “The Best Is Yet To Come” New Skin (2017)
  • LTtheMonk – “Mixed Kobe” Kinks, Drinks & Hip Hop (2019)
  • LTtheMonk & Coolface – “Sous Bas” (2021)
  • Buddah Abusah & LTtheMonk – “BuddahMonk (Life’s A Mission)” (2020)
  • Kojo “Easy” Damptey – “Giants” ft. Nasr Beny Giants: Stories of Existence, Resilience, & Resistance (2018)
  • Mother Tareka – “Neocolonial Blues” Elephants (2016)
  • Lee Reed – “Bazooka Rap” Emergency Broadcast (2011)
  • Lee Reed – “The New Steal” The Steal City EP (2018)
  • Devin Bateson – “Homeless Sapien” Ossiscope (2019)
  • Devin Bateson – “Senseless Honking” Blorf (2021)
  • Haolin Munk – “Astro vs Greed Pt 1” ft. Emay Planestasia Suite (2018)
  • Emay – “Mair” Sinner, Song-Writer (2014)
  • Onglish – “Wav Length” ft. Scribe Wav Pocket (2019)
  • Paulo Leon – “Laps” Party Stabilized, Partly Curious (2020)
  • Akintoye – “Off My Back” Vertigo (2020)
  • A Hutchie – “Potion Shop” ft. Ian Keteku Potion Shop (2020)
  • Gisy Mohamed – “Is That Okay?” (2021)
  • Motëm – “More Or Less” Waves Against The Machine (2020)
  • Jessy Lanza – “Keep Moving” Pull My Hair Back (2013)
  • Junior Boys – “Over It” Big Black Coat (2016)
  • Caribou – “Can’t Do Without You” Our Love (2015)
  • ttwwrrss – “Sabre” ttwwrrss_2 (2015)
  • Allosaurus – “Emma-Jane” Old Solar (2011)
  • PERSONS – “Watch The Wall” PERSONS (2016)
  • PERSONS – “Airborne”  Persons 7” (2019)
  • LifeandtheTribe – “L.I.N.T” Eye-Sha: Extended (2020)
  • Essen – “Rex” Predictive Step (2019)
  • Benjamin Muñoz – “Dear Ennui” Dear Ennui (2016)
  • Calcedon – “Sparrow” Echo In (2017)
  • Miles From Nowhere – “Orchard Drive” (2021)
  • iskwē – “The Unforgotten” acākosīk (2019)
  • iskwē – “Little Star” The Stars (2021)
  • iskwē & Tom Wilson – “Blue Moon Drive” (2020)
  • Miteh – “Heartbleed” Kinema (2017)
  • Shawn Kerr – “Creature” Coming To (2019)
  • Family Of Things – “Basement” Oscilloscope (2019)
  • Basement Revolver – “Words” Basement Revolver – EP (2016)
  • Basement Revolver – “Mountains” Agatha (2017) 
  • Basement Revolver – “Wax And Digital” Wax And Digital (2019) 
  • Ellis – “The Drain” The Fuzz (2018)
  • Ellis – “Saturn Return” Born Again (2020)
  • Ellevator – “New Survival” Ellevator (2018)
  • Ellevator – “Running Up That Hill” (2019)
  • Mount Farewell – “Town” Love Letter Home (2017)
  • Capitol – “Weathered” Weathered / Piano Exit (2020)
  • Granny Smith – “Daisy” A Hint Of Granny (2020)
  • The Crowleys – “L.A. Sunset” Colours Change Their Tone (2018)
  • The Crowleys – “Simple Reflection (Nostalgia Mix)” (2021)
  • Zoon – “Vibrant Colours” Bleached Wavves (2020)
  • Dizzy Spells – “Retrograde” Dizzy Spells (2018)
  • Naked House – “Soft Bokeh” Waves Goodbye (2020)
  • The Bandicoots – “Just After Dark” This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things (2015)
  • Redanda – “Decanter” Decanter (2015)
  • Delta Days – “Party Tonight” A Round Town (2018)
  • Billy Moon – “These Days Are Just Packed” Young Adult (2017)
  • Bad Dates – “Hands” Dead Centaur (2018)
  • Two Stripes Down – “Oh Yeah, Alright” Get Your Body In The Room (2020)
  • Cowlick – “I Wanna Be Your Man” Night Vision (2012)
  • Mean Streaks – “Bad Behaviour” Bad Behaviour (2021)
  • Shade – “Controller” Combat Rave (2020)
  • Monster Truck – “Don’t Tell Me How To Live” Sittin’ Heavy (2016)
  • King Park – “Stay” The Light I Can’t See (2017)
  • Math Club – “There’s A Light On Upstairs” There’s A Light On Upstairs (2016)
  • Chastity – “Sun Poisoning” Home Made Satan (2019)
  • TV Freaks – “Rewind” Two (2013)
  • Bad Crush – “Average Joe” Bad Crush (2020)
  • Tongue Fu – “James Street North” (2014)
  • WTCHS – “Over Kilmer” It’s Not A Cross, It’s A Curse! (2014)
  • Dead Tired – “Dead Tired” Dead Tired (2015)
  • BA Johnston – “Donair Sauce” Gremlinz 3 (2017)
  • Robin Jupiter – “Follow The Rainbow” Definitely DEFINITELY! (2017)
  • Scott Orr – “Slow Down” A Long Life (2013)
  • Scott Orr – “By The Way” Everything (2016)
  • Scott Orr – “Stay Awake On The Phone” (2019)
  • Best Wishes – “Youth” Best Wishes EP (2014)
  • Fanny Price – “Ends So Soon” (2019)
  • Benjamin – “Songbird” The Bear And The Barn Owl (2015)
  • Timid, The Brave – “Why Should I Stay?” Timid, The Brave (2012)
  • Timid, The Brave – “I Am” Firesale (2017)
  • Gareth Inkster – “Used To It” (2020)
  • Eric Brandon – “Good Friends” (2020)
  • Alex Whorms – “I’ll Be Gone” Burgundy (2019)
  • Heather Janssen – “Crazy, For You” (2020)
  • Hanna Bech – “Naked Bones” Naked Bones (2016)
  • Laura Cole – “The Only One” Dirty Cheat (2014)
  • Robyn Dell’Unto – “Sidecar” Little Lines (2014)
  • Chrys & Momo – “Love Is Free” (2019)
  • Elise Arsenault  – “In The Velvet” This Is A Reunion (2019)
  • Jennifer Budd – “Church” Lip Service (2015)
  • Jennifer Budd – “Wait – Live” (2019)
  • Ash & Bloom – “This Town (Hamilton)” Let The Storm Come (2014)
  • Matt Paxton – “Harbour Town” How The Land Lies (2011)
  • Dan Griffin – “Stars And Satellites” Leave Your Love (2011)
  • Ben Somer – “Big City Slang” (2011)
  • Kirby – “Into The Dark” Into The Dark (2011)
  • Max Wray – “Make Our Own Home” When The Build Up Breaks Down (Side B) (2017)
  • Wax Mannequin – “Someone Fixed The Game” Have A New Name (2018)
  • The Dill – “Did I Drop The Ball Or Miss The Boat?” Greetings From (2018)
  • Shanika Maria – “A Proud Woman” Subtle Uncertainties (2019)
  • Munroe – “Bloodlet” Munroe (2015)
  • Heather Valley – “Lovejoy” Desert Message (2019)
  • Gillian Nicola – “She Stays Silent” Dried Flowers (2019)
  • Bianca Bernardi – “The Fire” (2020)
  • The Redhill Valleys – “Either Or” The Redhill Valleys (2016)
  • Athanase – “Wolves” Between II Shores (2020)
kristin
ihearthamiltontour@gmail.com
Kristin Archer is the creator of I Heart Hamilton (www.ihearthamilton.ca), where she has blogged about experiences around her hometown since 2011, growing a social media presence along the way. Encouraging locals to “be a tourist in your own city,” she promotes arts and culture across her various social media platforms, blog, and weekly radio show on 93.3 CFMU.

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