Calgary music is vibrant. Calgary music is exciting. And that is worth celebrating.
For months, The Scene’s editorial team has combed through 21st-century Calgary music history to find the best albums made by Calgarians, in Calgary, and by the Calgarian-at-heart. We asked more than 20 musicians, industry professionals, promoters, historians, and artists to select their 10 favourite albums released since 2001. In total, they submitted more than 100 records for consideration.
Working off these submissions and their rankings, we narrowed it down to 25 albums that come close to capturing the full breadth of music in the Blue Sky City.
Some brought Calgary to the international stage through record sales and awards, while others lit up our local scene in more intimate (but no less powerful) ways. Some local legends, like Forbidden Dimension and Jann Arden, are missing. Certain genres are over-represented, while others are skimmed. Not every year is represented. Ultimately, it’s impossible to fully capture a scene as vital as ours in such a condensed list. But it’s worth trying.
Read on, and you begin to see the Calgary music story emerge. The creative explosion of now icons. Musicians are producing one project and performing on the next. The indie daze of the aughts, the punk explosion of the ‘10s, and the folk-country heartbeat that feels indisputably Calgarian.
25 albums for 25(ish) years. Here they are in chronological order!
Five Dollar Bill by Corb Lund – Country, 2002
In classic Scene fashion, we start this list by breaking the rules just a bit. No, Corb Lund does not live in Calgary; as of 2025, he lives in Lethbridge and spends plenty of time cow-pokin’ at his family ranch near the Montana border. But his southern Alberta upbringing and outlaw country sound are Cowtown to the bone, and he’s a fixture on all our stages, from the Wildhorse Saloon to the Palomino basement.
This record, his first with The Hurtin’ Albertans as his backing band (hell yeah), won “Outstanding Album (Independent)” at the 2003 Western Canadian Music Awards and was named “Best Album of 2002” by the then recently relaunched Gauntlet, U of C’s student publication. Tracks like “Roughest Neck Around” embody an earnest, no-bullshit outlook, and if that ain’t Calgary as hell, I don’t know what is. —Nathan Iles, musician/The Scene
Reverie Sound Revue by Reverie Sound Revue – Indie, 2003
This EP from indie rocker Reverie Sound Revue perfectly captures the early ‘00s indie boom in Canada and shifts it through a Calgarian lens. It’s a gem of understated, breezy tunes – the lead track, “Walking Around Waiting Downtown,” is one of the best pop songs, equal parts summer breeze and Chinook wind. The distinctive coo of vocalist Lisa Lobsinger, who later became part of Toronto’s Broken Social Scene, matched with the pulsing rhythm section of John Marcel de Waal and Bryce Gracey, and the catchy guitar interplay of Marc De Pape and Patrick Walls made for a sound that turned heads across Canada.
Reverie Sound Revue was formed in 2002 and released this highly sought-after EP, only to break up in 2004; they later reformed virtually to record and release a second EP in 2009. —Arif Ansari, Calgary Cassette Preservation Society
The Crime Is Now by The Von Zippers – Rock, 2003
Garage rock goes woke?! Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but this, the final full-length album from The Von Zippers, brought the politicism of ‘80s punk into the new millennium, smashed through with frontman Al Charlton’s razor-sharp guitar and grounded by bassist Doug Boland and drummer James Hayden. It’s almost like the trio let all the vitriol simmer since they started playing with some of Calgary’s first punk bands in the early ‘80s, and it finally boiled over.
The album tackles everything from genetically modified foods to global warming to corporate greed, and it’s just as topical 20 years later as it was then. It’s pretty easy to forgive them for getting topical when the songs are as catchy as they are on this LP. —Arif Ansari, Calgary Cassette Preservation Society
Acoustic Album by Amos Garrett – Blues, 2004
The word “legend” gets tossed around these days, but in the case of Amos Garrett, it’s the truth. Over the seven decades he’s been performing, the iconic guitarist, composer and arranger has recorded with more than 150 artists and released a half dozen albums under his own name.
Born in Detroit and raised in Canada, Amos built an impressive cross-border career before the avid fly fisherman was enticed by the Bow River to relocate to the Calgary area.
Garrett’s Acoustic Album is a stunning snapshot of his guitar virtuosity and rich baritone voice. From traditional to contemporary, the album features Garrett’s originals and reimagined covers by Hoagy Carmichael and Leadbelly, all performed by a diverse group of top-drawer Canadian musicians. Amos’s Acoustic Album should be on everyone’s playlist, and we Calgarians can all take pride in calling Amos Garrett our very own legend. —Cindy MacLeod, Calgary Bluesfest
Brain Heart Guitar by The Dudes – Rock, 2006
In 2006, rock music was still on “best of” lists like Pitchfork. Folks used MP3 players and iPods to consume music. Most still purchased music via CD, download, or vinyl records. In this era, Calgary’s Dudes could fill any live music venue, any day of the week in the city, and their album Brain Heart Guitar felt like Calgary’s soundtrack.
The Dudes were getting ready to hit their peak; they were heavy enough for guys to rock out, sensitive enough to enjoy with your girlfriend. They were no longer just some party band: these Dudes had become serious. These weren’t just great rock songs; they were also nervous confessions from lovable, fun, perceptive, emotional lads who wanted to have a good time but were also speaking to us. Danny Vacon’s syrupy voice and heartfelt lyrics, Bob Quashnick’s sweet guitar tone and riffs, Pat Downing’s perfectly timed heartbeat of a bass, timed with Scott Ross’s impeccable drumming and superb harmonies with superstar addition Chris Vail, made Brain Heart Guitar an honest indie pop rock album of purity and excellence for so many. The Dudes, for a time, became Calgary’s Band. —Dan Northfield, Palomino
The Reminder by Feist – Pop, 2007
In 1991, fifteen-year-old singer Leslie Feist founded a Calgary punk band called Placebo. Her work with the band eventually damaged her voice and forced a reinvention into who we now know as Feist, a singer-songwriter whose musicianship is rivalled only by the emotional vulnerability she achieves in her songs.
The Reminder feels like the culmination of Feist’s early work. It is a delicate portrait of how the weight of the past weaves through the present, rendered with such confidence and playfulness you can’t help but surrender to the whole experience of The Reminder. Come for the joy of “1234” and the sexiness of “My Moon My Man,” and stay for the atmospheric confession of “The Park” and the beautiful bombast of “I Feel It All.” —James Odin Wade, playwright
The Con by Tegan and Sara – Indie, 2007
Music’s greatest twins, Tegan and Sara, are such a towering musical property with such a storied history, it’s easy to forget that The Con came about almost 10 years into their career, sandwiched between their pop reinvention in 2013’s Heartthrob and their halcyon high school days now enshrined in Amazon’s authentically Calgary-shot High School and of course, their timeless and raw debut Under Feet Like Ours.
Although it wasn’t even their major label debut, The Con feels like the perfect “I knew them before they were famous” record. It’s a wonky collection of short songs, emotive vocal performances, and evocative arrangements, the result of their collaboration with Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla in the producer’s seat.
There is something truly specific and unique about a doubled vocal that’s not just one singer overtop themselves, but two singers with nearly identical voices playing off each other perfectly imperfectly.
Further, there’s something beautifully unmanicured about the vocal performances throughout that is no longer a feature of their now-poppier approach. From the raw indie rock of the title track, to the earnest and sly pop bop “Back in Your Head” to the strained folk take on the closer “Call It Off,” this album is truly a journey, and absolutely essential for fans of T&S. —Liam Prost, BreakOut West
How To Lose Everything by Hot Little Rocket – Alternative, 2007
The draw of Hot Little Rocket has always been this: there are no cheap tricks. A HLR album shows you upfront what they’re about.
Produced by Steve Albini, the songs on How to Lose Everything provide glorious contrast. They’re noisy and they’re carefully constructed, they’re packed with energy and they give you a chance to get some air, they’re clever and they’re comfortable. HLR made their place in Calgary as the band that was unapologetically themselves at all times, which meant when they leaned into something more Modest Mouse (a re-recorded “Let’s Play in Traffic”), or took a minute to dial up The Clash or The Strokes, it was still without question Hot Little Rocket.
The honesty of their music, and in this case, of Albini’s production, invites you to jump right into their world and connect with whatever parts work for you. To “get it”, you don’t need to get it all. Go take another listen if you haven’t for a while. And if it’s your first listen, we’re glad you found it. — Nicola and Dillon Cavanagh-Whitfield, musicians
Soft Airplane by Chad VanGaalen – Indie, 2008
This multi-faceted polymath artist and songwriter came out of the gates strong with his 2004 debut Infiniheart, but it wasn’t until 2008’s Soft Airplane that VanGaalen truly hit his stride. Infiniheart bore the classic first-album benefit of culling the best of everything he had done up to that point, featuring amazing songs like “Clinically Dead” and “Blood Machine,” and became an instant classic despite its bewildering array of sonic offerings.
His sophomore, Skelliconnection, found him exploring new vistas and writing more great songs, but its combination of home recordings and pro-studio tracks made the ride bumpy (albeit very fun).
Soft Airplane, however, hangs together as one beautiful, cohesive statement, and the killer songs, from indie-folk staple “Willow Tree” to rocker “Barefeet On Wet Griptape,” are dressed up with banjos, vibraphones, and synthesizers. The album rightly catapulted VanGaalen out onto the international stage as one of Calgary’s finest musical exports. —Chris Dadge, Child Stone Studios
Women by Women – Rock, 2008
When I first heard Women’s self-titled album, I didn’t even realize the band was from Calgary. Finding out it was recorded with Chad VanGaalen made me realize how deep that creative echo runs, a whole network of artists influencing one another. Each member has gone on to make incredible work in their own right, but this record is where it all sparked. It marked a generation of musicians and listeners who saw what was possible when you made something honest and strange. Later, when I moved to Calgary and eventually worked at Flemish Eye Records, the label that released it in 2008, I began to understand how remarkable it was that something so visionary came from here. Women didn’t just make an impact locally; it’s lo-fi indie rock sound resonated worldwide, shaping a wave of artists. Even now, it feels alive, urgent, and ahead of its time, a record that keeps unfolding with every listen. —Colleen Krueger, Music Calgary
Gravity And Grace by Allan Gordon Bell – Classical, 2013
This piano trio recording features two superstars of the Calgary Music scene: Allan Gordon Bell (professor of composition at the University of Calgary, honorary doctorate from the University of Alberta, member of the Order of Canada) and John Lowry (associate concertmaster of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra). It also includes another superstar: James Campbell (professor of clarinet at Indiana University, the largest music school in the world, and also a member of the Order of Canada), plus pianist Susanne Ruberg-Gordon and cellist Beth Sandvoss.
The album contains a selection of Bell’s chamber music, including “Field Notes”, which received the 2014 JUNO Award for Classical Composition of the Year. Bell is the only Calgary-area composer to have ever received this award. His music is at once modern and approachable, a magic combination that makes for a beautiful album. —John Charles Reid, University of Calgary
Redwinter by Drezus – Rap, 2013
For me, the Drezus Redwinter album stands out as the most significant record for Calgarians, especially Indigenous folks, in the last 25 years. He’s an award-winning Plains Cree artist who was a member of Team Rezofficial, a group that included former members of War Party.
In 2013, Native people were filling up malls doing flash-mob-style protests against pipelines. Idle No More was the movement, and Redwinter really captured that energy and moment with tracks like “Day of Action,” “Don’t Give Up On Me,” “Big Dreams,” and the powerful title track. —Dwight Good Eagle Farahat, Tribe Artist Society
It’s About Time by Al Muirhead – Jazz, 2014
At its release, It’s About Time, a nearly 70-year professional career by trumpeter Al Muirhead, marked a milestone in Canadian jazz. How many Calgary musicians can say they’ve performed with Dizzy Gillespie!?
Muirhead moved to Calgary in the ‘50s to expand his Arcade Music store and has since been a cornerstone of the city’s jazz community. After performing thousands of concerts and recording with countless musicians, it was “time” for Al to create a recording to showcase his melodic trumpet solos, masterful touch, and expert composing and arranging skills to the wider world.
It’s About Time earned Muirhead his first JUNO Award nomination in 2016, kicking off a series of five more recordings, international airplay and charting, cross-Canada touring, another JUNO nomination, three YYC Music Awards, and a Western Canadian Music Award. Muirhead is truly a generational talent, and his discography is a testament to an impactful life in music. — Stephanie Hutchinson, Chronograph Records
The Unconditional Love Of Napalmpom by Napalmpom – Rock, 2014
There ain’t no party like a Napalmpom party because a Napalmpom party don’t stop … being hooky, catchy, clever, … and courteous!
Such nice, clean, clever and respectful youngish men, they are. It’s been too long since they or anyone has graced us with something so wonderful as this Sweet, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon-rifiic slab of awesome — or even its follow-up, The Core Competencies Of Napalmpom — but hopefully something new and excellent is brewing from these elder statesmen with the knowledge and chops to kick some proper dick. —Mike Bell, The Scene founding editor
Viet Cong by Preoccupations – Post-punk, 2015
There was already an air of excitement leading up to the release of Viet Cong in early 2015. I’d loved Cassette, and like most Calgary music fans, had been in awe of Women and Public Strain.
When Viet Cong arrived, it felt like lightning in a bottle, a record that challenged as much as it captivated me. From the opening cavernous drum of “Newspaper Spoons” to the total collapse of “Death,” it was stimulating, cerebral, and unrelenting. Knowing this music came from my own city made it even more inspiring. By that summer, I saw the band share the stage with Television and Drive Like Jehu. Songs like “Bunker Buster” felt every bit as classic as “Marquee Moon” or “Do You Compute.”
For me, Viet Cong is simply put, one of the most magical moments in music that I’ve experienced. —Logan Middleton, X92.9
Tales Of A Nothing Kid by Ghost Factory – Folk-punk, 2016
Folk-punk is a genre plagued by pastiche-level extremes, but on 2016’s Tales of a Nothing Kid, Rob Gruszecki’s songwriting steers wide of this penchant for parody and delivers on a brilliant concept(?!) album.
The 12 tracks confront family, society, existentialism, and booze-ridden turmoil with earnest, sabre-sharp verbal acrobatics delivered by a raspy, restless orator. While lyrically heavy, the music balances the grit by conjuring flashes of indelible hopefulness and dogged perseverance, anchored by a championship rhythm section and Gruszecki’s distinctive fingerpicking, carving intricate melodic passages between unforgettable hooks and knuckle-shearing chord chugs.
The real impact of Ghost Factory’s fervent energy is felt in the live performance. As the sweltering thump of “Toast of a Nothing Kid” pulses through a crowded, sweaty barroom like the Ship & Anchor, watch as every stranger around you roars along with the song — and virtually every other cut on the album — like the words are emblazoned across their chests. —Gus Rendell, musician
Remember The Moon by Lab Coast – Indie, 2016
One of the key defining scenes of the 21st century in Calgary was the lo-fi dream pop of the ‘10s, and no one was better at it than the late, lamented Lab Coast, led by Chris Dadge and David Laing.
Their fourth album, 2016’s Remember The Moon, is an evocative beauty, from songs like “Helen Bach” and “The Pointe Of It All” to the anthem “Bored Again,” the best song Robert Pollard never wrote.
Dadge is involved in many of my favourite Calgary-based albums (including Pre-Nup’s Oh Well from 2018 to most recently, Hermitess’ Death & The Fool released this year), but there’s still nothing quite like the poignant charm of Lab Coast’s Remember The Moon, which continues to be as resonant as ever with each listen. —Ben Goodman, CJSW
Monsters, Narcs, and Idiots by Leather Jacuzzi – Punk, 2016
If you grew up a punk in Calgary in the mid-2010s, your rite of passage was moshing and screaming along to “Don’t Touch Me (I’m a Punk)” at Broken City.
Leather Jacuzzi, which features members of Feel Alright, The Mandates, and Gawker, felt like the ultimate Calgary punk outfit: chaotic and entirely unserious about everything except being loud.
Written in June 2016, just in time for their debut show one month later, Monsters, Narcs, and Idiots has since become a cornerstone of local punk history. What could have veered into macho hardcore instead revels in absurdity; vocalist Sarah Ford channels what she calls “the mouthpiece for a sentient hot tub,” flipping punk’s bravado on its head and inspiring a new generation of punks to grab the mic and make a mess of their own. —Jess Arcand, Take Aim Media
Driving In The Dark by Mariel Buckley – Folk, 2018
Though still not the household name she deserves to be, the release of Mariel Buckley’s second album, Driving in the Dark, felt like a real moment for Calgary music. It was a culmination and an opportunity to see songs that Mariel had been playing live for years at that point, on basically every stage in the city, minted into beautifully produced Americana recordings by fellow Albertan Leeroy Stagger.
From the Elvis-tinted nostalgia bop “Rose Coloured Frames” to the Springsteen-sauced “Heart is on Fire,” the album contains all the right influences, a ton of variety, and not a single loser. But the real eye of the storm is the title track, a self-destructive anthem about where you’ve been and no longer want to be. In a city known for rustles and yee-haws, Buckley’s more city-roots-inflected takes and delicate vocal inflections felt like a siren song for the Sled Islanders and Stampeders alike.
She’s put out two albums since, including the still-fresh Strange Trip Ahead, and both are of honestly comparable quality, but neither of them feels as definitive a moment in the city as Driving in the Dark. —Liam Prost, BreakOut West
Delirium by Hazzerd – Metal, 2020
Delirium is another step up for Hazzerd in the thrash metal genre, a band that has taken hold of the Canadian metal scene and continues to dominate it. And this album is a true testament to the fact that fast old-school thrash metal still exists.
A glowing review from Sonic Perspectives described the album as containing “a wide variety of speed and tone [that makes] each song a new breath, a new adventure into the minds of incredibly focused songwriters.” It feels fitting for how exhilarating this sound is.
This record is a must-listen (and must head-bang) start to finish. —Geoff Bourrie, Loud As Hell festival
Magic Radio by Sargeant X Comrade – Soul, 2020
Yolanda Sargeant and Evgeniy “Comrade” Bykovets have been carving out their own path in the Calgary music scene for more than a decade, energizing the R&B and hip-hop community with their fresh yet familiar mix of soul, funk, hip-hop, dancehall, and jazz. Yolanda’s voice is like a modern-day Billie Holiday, and it pairs seamlessly with Comrade’s lush production.
On Magic Radio, they use vintage soul grooves, smooth R&B, and insightful lyricism to create songs that feel timeless and radiate warmth and authenticity. —Lisa Wilton, CKUA
The Serpent And The Tiger by Cartel Madras – Hip hop, 2021
Few records in Canadian hip hop have shifted the landscape in Alberta like The Serpent and the Tiger. The third and final chapter in Cartel Madras’s Project Goonda series cemented Eboshi and Contra’s self-made genre “Goonda rap,” a fusion of South Asian influences, underground trap, and house that pays homage to its queer roots. Even alongside heavyweights like Backxwash and Jide, their razor-sharp flows dominate every beat. It marked their first release under Sub Pop Records, bridging underground grit with international polish and proving Calgary could go bar-for-bar with any global rap scene.
From leading BUMP Festival to co-founding the FOREIGNERZ media collective, Contra and Eboshi’s creative worldbuilding around The Serpent and the Tiger marked an era and redefined what Canadian rap can sound, look, and feel like. —Jess Arcand, Take Aim Media
Multidimensional Culture by Ghostkeeper – Art rock, 2022
What I love about Ghostkeeper is their inventiveness. Shane Ghostkeeper and Sarah Houle-Lowry have a way not only of writing a good song but of creating exciting sonic collages.
Multidimensional Culture is almost an immersive experience. It’s challenging at times but always rewarding. When I first heard Multidimensional Culture, I was struck by the imagery of the lyrics and how the songs are rooted in identity and cultural memory.
The album is now an important part of Calgary musical history because it left an indelible Indigenous footprint on the scene and proved that local indie rock can be artful, boundary-pushing, yet also accessible. It’s a testament to Ghostkeeper’s dedication to musical experimentation and depth. —Lisa Wilton, CKUA
Cowboy Witchcraft by Kue Varo & The Only Hopes – Alt-country, 2023
Have you ever heard a song and it’s so visual, so rich in storytelling, you can actually imagine it in your mind? That’s what Kue Varo does best, and it shows in the 2023 album Cowboy Witchcraft.
Described by Varo as rock music with a touch of “desert flair,” images of tumbleweed, hot desert days and dusty desert nights come to mind as you listen to Varo’s impressive vocals soar over compelling, poetic lyrics. From the breezy, guitar-driven single “Yip Yip” to the hauntingly cinematic “Gates of Hell,” Varo’s incredible range is on full display and strikes a balance between danceable and melancholic.
Born out of personal loss, Cowboy Witchcraft is an endearing and heartfelt collection of songs that reflect on the journey of grief, change and love in a way that feels like Calgary: resilient, full of energy and with a little bit of country twang. —Mack Meyer, CBC Calgary
Chandler by Wyatt C Louis – Indie, 2024
Prairie summers and road trips. Chinook winds and the feeling of home. Those are the elements that Nêhiyaw Cree singer-songwriter, Wyatt C. Louis, encapsulates in their debut album, Chandler.
A master of weaving deep, vivid stories with simple, comfortable-feeling melodies, Louis’s gentle, smooth vocals take you on a journey of nostalgia, family, and love. Like flipping through the pages of a family photo album, each track takes you on a trip down Louis’s memory lane. From “In Emerald,” a breezy tribute to a Seattle road trip, to “Oh Vibrant Sky,” which reflects on a summer music festival, Chandler effortlessly grounds you in landscape and connects you to a time and place. That sense of community is the quiet driving force behind this record, not just inspired by the land and community here, but also recorded in Calgary with the help of local music fixtures like Colin Carbonera and Phenix Warren.
Soft spoken and tender, familiar and vulnerable, this album is a beautiful journey you’ll be more than happy to take with Wyatt C. Louis as your guide. —Mack Meyer, CBC Calgary
SELECTION COMMITTEE:
Arif Ansari, Jess Arcand, Colleen Athparia, Mike Bell, Carlin Black Rabbit, Geoff Bourrie, Chris Dadge, Dwight Good Eagle Farahat, Ben Goodman, Rob Gruszecki, Stephanie Hutchinson, Nathan Iles, Colleen Krueger, Cindy McLeod, Mack Meyer, Logan Middleton, Dan Northfield, Liam Prost, John Charles Reid, Gus Rendell, Chad Saunders, Eric Svilpis, Lisa Wilton
