Honorable Mentions
Hinds - “Leave Me Alone”
Lil Yachty - “Lil Boat”
Gojira - “Magma”
Moonsorrow - “Jumalten Aika”
BadBadNotGood - “IV”
The Avalanches - “Wildflower”
Frank Ocean - “Blonde”
James Blake - “The Colour In Everything”
Gatecreeper - “Sonoran Deprivation”
Also, if you're a Jack White fan, his "Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998 - 2016" is something you need to check out pronto, what a great compilation.
20. Preoccupations - “Preoccupations”
Formerly known as Viet Cong, I didn’t really know what to expect going into this album. I knew it was going to be moody. I knew it was going to be filled with every wonderful post punk cliche. For the most part, that’s exactly what you’re going to get. There’s not too much absolutely groundbreaking material here, but at this point in their career these guys certainly know how to deliver a solid post punk album. If you’re a fan of their stuff from when they were Viet Cong, or even Women if you want to go back that far, be forewarned, this is a little more on the electronic side of the spectrum. To be honest though, there were a few moments here and there on Viet Cong's self titled album, so to see Preoccupations go in a little more of an electronic direction isn't too shocking. Preoccupations for 40 minutes build up wonderful, grizzly atmospheres and doom fueled lyrics. Side note, if you haven’t seen these guys live yet, they’re a must see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQdVnKpv1Sk
19. Savages - “Adore Life”
This honestly was one of my most anticipated albums to listen to this year. Savages toned it down a little on this one, going for less chaotic tracks, and dealing with some much sharper production, but at the same time seriously bringing in a massive atmosphere. While it wasn’t as instantly gratifying as “Silence Yourself”, “Adore Life” is FILLED with tons of heartfelt, gloomy post punk performances. There are plenty of chaotic tracks like “The Answer”, but the real cornerstone of this one has to the 5 minute, jaw dropping slow burner that is “Adore”. Savages may have toned it down a little, and may be using some glossier production these days, but they still know how to write a great gloomy post punk album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90m9s9UmMmo
18. Regina Spektor - “Remember Us To Life”
The start to Regina’s career saw her sky-rocket to the top of the anti-folk and singer-songwriter scene with fiery performances and even more fiery lyrics. But as the years went on, Regina’s albums slowly started fizzling out a bit. “Remember Us To Life” though, Regina’s first album in quite a few years, shows Regina coming back completely refreshed and full of ideas. There are tons of great baroque pop and piano pop tunes on here, while lyrically Regina remains her witty self. She goes back to her roots in a lot of ways, painting these unbelievable portraits of things that you think would go unnoticed in life. If you’re in the mood for some seriously classy pop, this one is worth a listen or two.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjSBjDBk49c
17. Alcest - “Kodama”
This album seriously went under the radar for me, hell I didn’t even know it came out for almost a month before I listened to it. In just about every way, this is album that I’ve wanted Alcest to make since their amazing debut “Ecailles De Lune”. The material Alcest has been releasing the last few years or so has been so flat, pushing further and further into the shoegaze genre. “Kodama” shows them returning to their roots in the hugest way imaginable. As far as metal albums go for this year, this is the most stunning and epic thing I've heard. Like Alcest's early work, there are grand breakdowns all over the place, instantly going back and forth between brutally heavy and absolutely There are some art rock and progressive rock influences here and there, but it’s got plenty of black metal spirit. If you're a fan of metal that's not just thrown together, and this is one of the more epic releases of the year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbxexGz2Bfc
16. The Dillinger Escape Plan - “Dissociation”
Going from one of the most breathtaking metal albums of the year to one of the heaviest, most punishing metal albums of the year, The Dillinger Escape Plan exceeded every expectation of mine with “Dissociation”. Going into this, you knew that Dillinger weren’t going to let this last album slip by them. No, you knew they were going to continue to push every button and twist every rule that the metal genre was going to throw at them. And that’s exactly what they did. There were some electronic passages here that went over really nicely, some small dips into the industrial world as well. Dillinger Escape Plan in their last studio effort show just how far they've come from being a straight up mathcore band. The material here is more than just random bursts of energy, Dillinger seem to focus just as much on atmosphere as their explosive sound. But don't you worry, Dillinger haven't gone soft on us, they deliver just as much of a punch as you would think they would. Everything Dillinger go for carries over wonderfully, making their final album one of the most brutal metal albums you’re going to hear this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxhN2_g2Tds
15. Aesop Rock - “The Impossible Kid”
Aesop Rock for years has been my favorite MC. Every time this guy releases an album, I feel like it’s always so fresh and creative, even though he rarely changes up his formula. However, “The Impossible Kid” does show us a whole lot of Aes that we haven’t seen so far. He’s been known as one of the most cryptic, hard to follow MC’s in the world, often requiring a dictionary on hand just to slightly follow what the hell he’s talking about. “The Impossible Kid” though shows Aes in a new light, as we’ve never seen him this straightforward and down to earth. The guy who 20 years ago who was rapping about the working class and spitting bars about conspiracy theories is now telling us stories about trying to see Ministry when he was young and about his little league games. The guy who 20 years ago encouraged us to “Abandon All Hope” and referred to himself as “Jabberwocky Superfly” and “Bilbo Baggins on Stilts”, was now telling us every feeling he had about being an aging veteran still very much involved in hip hop. Not only does Aes open up with us more than ever, but he does it with the same amount of incredible wordplay and some really solid production (that he took care of himself).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSYwG-1GAXQ
14. David Bowie - “Blackstar”
“Blackstar” is an anomaly, an album that isn’t going to go anywhere anytime soon and one that’s going to be puzzled over for many years. In David Bowie’s last days on earth, he gave us one last stunning gift, the jazzy, dystopian “Blackstar”. When I first listened to this album, I didn’t know what to even make of it. Like listening to Radiohead's “Kid A” for the first time or The Microphones “The Glow, Pt. 2”, once it begins you can’t really stop it until it’s over. And once it is over, you feel seriously changed from listening to it. Bowie took everything that was going on in his life, everything that he was feeling about death and the afterlife and turned it into one of this years most haunting narratives. It’s bizarre and fueled my gripping art rock in some passages, like the nearly 10 minute epic title track. Other moments are fueled by lonely, truly depressing sounding jazz like the unreal “Lazarus”. David Bowie’s last gift to us is a mysterious one that’s sometimes challenging, but it’s a truly incredible experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kszLwBaC4Sw
13. Jeff Rosenstock - “WORRY”
Jeff Rosenstock first off, has seriously been absolutely killing it these last few years. You gotta hand it to Jeff, he’s in kind of a rough position. The guy is getting up there in age, just broke up his band Bomb The Music Industry, and has only gone solo in the last year or so. That being said, Jeff with last years “We Cool?” and this years “WORRY” has been exceeding expectations and as far as I’m concerned is raising the bar completely for punk solo acts. Often coming off like some sort of Punk Rock Randy Newman, Jeff’s lyrics are sometimes funny, often self-loathing, and most of the time seriously well written. Jeff brings up tons of feelings and emotions we’ve all had in our 20’s and other portions of our lives, often with great sing-along choruses and an all out assault of all styles of punk music. The first half of this album to be frank is right up the alley of Jeff’s other solo work, with Jeff singing drunkenly from behind his piano and singing as if his lungs were going to give out any moment. The second half however is where things get seriously interesting, as Jeff takes us through a Punk Rock Opera featuring some Folk Punk, Pop Punk, Ska Punk, Hardcore Punk and about 10 other sub genre’s of Punk. It’s often quirky and almost always catchy, “WORRY” is a Punk Rock magnum opus by one of current Punk’s most important figureheads.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Su2-gq_IjM
12. A Tribe Called Quest - “We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service”
Ladies and Gentlemen, A Tribe Called Quest proudly presents “How to come back after almost 20 years and not miss a step”. Call me crazy but I seriously didn’t think I would live to see another A Tribe Called Quest album, and with Phife Dawg’s passing earlier this year I began to worry about that even more. Obviously though, the wheels were already in motion at that point for one last A Tribe Called Quest outing. The result, is easily one of the more colorful, masterfully made Hip Hop albums of the year. On “We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service”, Tribe doesn’t sound like they’ve taken a day off since breaking up in the late 90’s. They bring up hot button topics with ease, bringing in their signature sense of character that they did so well in the 90’s, all over the same jazzy sort of beats they’ve been known for. Even the features on this are above average, with them reconnecting with Busta Rhymes who they’ve always had serious chemistry with, as well as passing the torch along to the great Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak. All of these groups nowadays take a few years off, come back and completely flop. A Tribe Called Quest took off 18 and came back sounding like they hadn’t taken a day off since. It’s a wonderful album.
(like, there are no clips for this stuff on YouTube, Sorry!)
11. Carly Rae Jepsen - “Emotion: Side B”
Carly Rae Jepsen, first off seriously can’t fail right now when it comes to pop music. Her last years album “Emotion” was some of the classiest, catchiest, sweetest pop music I’ve heard in ages. “Emotion: Side B” is a collection of tracks that were considered for “Emotion” but didn’t make the final cut. All I have to say is, seriously how are these “the bad tracks” of the litter? “Emotion: Side B” seriously goes toe to toe with every great song on “Emotion”. It’s got that same 80’s throwback vibe, and shows Carly dealing with a lot of the same issues. Sounds too simple to work right? Wrong. It’s just as catchy, it’s just as sweet, and it’s just as memorable. Carly has such a knack for writing these ridiculously catchy 80’s sounding pop tunes, delivered with her charming “girl next door” attitude. We also see a few new moods coming from Carly. We see Carly get the dreaded “Friendzone” treatment on “Fever”, and we saw Carly basically just get bored of her boyfriend and leave on “The Store”, sassy. No, it’s not perfect instrumentally, but sometimes you seriously just need a great pop album in bizarre years like 2016. It’s easily the pop album that I’ve listened to the most this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRkdrQBBZ40
10. Car Seat Headrest - “Teens Of Denial”
For me this year, this was an album I can assure you I didn’t think I was going to enjoy in the slightest, especially not as much as I did. I’ve known about Will Toledo’s Low-Fi brand of Indie Rock for years, and never once has it impressed me, not even a little. But I feel like Will since his early days, compared to “Teens Of Denial” has matured so many ways. He’s begun to craft these expertly written Indie tunes telling deep, sometimes quirky, sometimes awkward, but always incredibly fascinating stories about his teen years. Will isn’t a model human being, he’s not promoting himself as a positive influence, he’s all of us. He’s that awkward guy standing in the corner at a party not talking to anyone. He’s the guy in high school who just had his first beer and is trying desperately to keep his cool. Will Toledo at the end of the day is just so damn human that I can’t help but eat this all up. This album’s a long one, but it goes by super quickly believe it or not, and comes off like catching up with an old friend that you haven’t seen in years. Will’s performance was just as awkward as some of his lyrics here, but even THAT sounds great on these indie tunes, it honestly gives the album more legitimacy. Not to mention the music itself has come such a long way. If you know me, you know I love a dirty sounding Low-Fi album, but it seriously has to be done right. THIS is done right, it has that great grittiness to it, but also has tons of great hooks and killer choruses. “Teens Of Denial” has completely turned my thoughts around as far as Car Seat Headrest is concerned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EX00R_-Eh0I
09. Ty Segall - “Emotional Mugger”
Anybody who knows me personally knows that I can rant and chat about Ty Segall literally for hours. He’s been one of my favorite artists for years now, and I’m always interested and support what he’s going to do next. Ty is a serious workhorse in the world of Garage Rock. This guy between his solo career and about 6 other bands he's in is practically releasing an album every other month. The problem with that is however, well not all of it is perfect. “Emotional Mugger” to be honest actually took a LONG time to seriously appreciate. The first time I heard it, I didn’t know what to make of it. Honestly, I thought for a second that Ty had completely gone off the deep end. Don’t get me wrong, the guy has seriously always had some screws loose. But then I saw him live earlier this year, and watching him saunter about on stage in a giant baby mask as he tossed tampons and his band mates into the crowd was pretty damn entertaining to say the least. After a bunch of listens to “Emotional Mugger” later, I think it’s one of the most solid projects Ty has ever done. It’s more than just a weird album from Ty, it’s an absolutely Twisted album. His sick sense of humor is all over this thing, and his performances are often the perfect combination of bizarre, quirky, and completely deranged. It also helps that his backing band, The Muggers, are just a really great set of musicians. This one takes a few listens, but man is it worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJFvszz1bbs
08. Bon Iver - “22, A Million”
I’m a firm believer in opinions changing overtime. Bon Iver’s “22, A Million” is the perfect example of that. The first time I listened to this album I absolutely enjoyed it and all, but I thought there were a lot of really strange quirks to it. The production was iffy from time to time, and some of the vocal effects on Justin Vernon's voice seriously didn't click with me at first. However, I went from thoroughly enjoying this album, and thinking this is the best thing Bon Iver have done since their debut, to literally listening to this album every other day for the past 2-3 months. No, it’s not going to be for everyone, and it may alienate some fans and bring some closer together. But among the bizarre production and heavy vocal layering effects, Bon Iver have come through with a set of puzzling, yet absolutely breathtaking songs. Whether it be Justin Vernon’s awe-inspiring vocal solo on “715 - CR∑∑KS” or the oddly warm “29 #Strafford APTS”, there’s a huge gap in the style of this album. It’s a weird one absolutely, but take my advice and if you’re going to listen to it, listen to it from start to finish. Not to mention, there’s just such a great mystery behind this album. If you listen closely to just about every track, that warmth that came with Bon Iver’s early album is in fact still there. But it’s almost always held just a little out of reach from the listener, heavily veiled by heavy production and electronics. It makes us yearn for that warmth we desire from Bon Iver’s music. You may leave this album desperately racing to play your copy of “For Emma, Forever Ago”, but you’ll be back, trust me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISCEilPMNak
7. Blood Orange - “Freetown Sound”
Up until this point, I feel like Blood Orange was just an ok, retro R&B/Funk act. Blood Orange (Aka Dev Hynes) always had some good production and all, and his early works had some decent singles, but I wasn’t hooked. On “Freetown Sound”, I feel like Dev comes into his own like never before. He takes his retro funk hooks and wonderful vocals, and tweaked them just slightly to make easily the most tasteful throwback album of the year. While this is absolutely a throwback to the sounds of 80’s funk/R&B, it goes much deeper than that. Dev brings in a slew of awesome guest vocalists, such as Carly Rae Jepsen, Empress Of, and a handful of other gifted ladies. The guests however perform some of the most heartfelt duets your going to hear all year. Lyrically Dev Brings up a lot of hot button issues, which occasionally do get a little preachy. As a whole though, this album is the sound that Dev has been trying to hit for years coming in full effect. There will be moments so funky and vintage sounding that I dare you to try and sit down for, like “E.V.P.”. On the other hand, there are other, more pop sounding tracks here that are so gorgeous it’ll take your breath away, like the INCREDIBLE “Augustine” or the sweet “Best To You”. As far as R&B goes, it’s the favorite of the year by far for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACinCwmWalY
6. Death Grips - “Bottomless Pit”
The fact that after all these years Death Grips still go as hard as ever and continue to put out some of their most consistent material to date is commendable by itself. Over the last few years, Death Grips have certainly taken us on a wild ride. First, they have one more album left in them. Then, they break up and aren’t going to release it. All of a sudden they’re playing secret shows, releasing that album, playing festivals, and are back together. Sooooo yea, if you’re a Death Grips fan like I am, we’ve had a rough year or two. Then, earlier this year rumors start going around about ANOTHER new album, “Bottomless Pit”, which at this point I doubted it even existed. Nonetheless, here we are talking about it. “Bottomless Pit” may be the most consistent and chaotic Death Grips album since “The Money Store”. MC Ride sounds just as paranoid and explosive as ever, giving us the same old charming lyrics as ever as he screams “I’ll fuck you in half” over the driving beat of the title track. Zach Hill’s Drum work and Flatlander’s samples are as abrasive and out of control as ever. As always, Death Grips are not going to be for everyone. But if your in for experimental hip hop dominated by raw power, insanity, destruction, paranoia, and aggression, you’ll have a pleasure sitting front row for this album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX_9icmMD-0
5. Danny Brown - “Atrocity Exhibition”
Danny Brown for years has been the most animated, wild up-and-comer in the rap music industry. Danny for lack of a better term is a loose cannon, somebody for years that I’ve considered to be one of the most interesting MC’s around. Years ago On “XXX”, Danny showed us the party atmosphere of a lifetime with all the drugs and booze to go around, while the second half of the album showed this lifestyle in a much darker light. On “Old”, we saw Danny going occasionally for a more mainstream sound, but he also came off as more mature and more human. Which leads me to “Atrocity Exhibition”. This album blew me away the first time I listened to it, and it still blows me away every time. Danny’s bars are more colorful than ever, often painting violent and psychedelic depictions of his life and the world he grew up in. We see Danny in a whole new light completely, one that goes back to more of the tragic sounding Danny we met years ago on “XXX”, one who hasn’t left his house in days and only answers the door for his drug dealer. It’s a bleak album, one that shows Danny at his most somber and disjointed, but at the same time his most creative. The guest spots here are spot on, the production is often muddy and bizarre, and the beats are even more bizarre. Danny Brown is an absolute treasure to the rap world, and “Atrocity Exhibition” may be his crowning achievement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spfsdpuvUyQ
4. Weezer - “Weezer (The White Album)”
If I knew this time last year that I would be sitting here ranting and raving about a Weezer album in 2017, I would have probably thrown up. Being a Weezer fan is tough, especially when since 2000 the band has produced nothing but some of the worst rock albums I’ve ever heard. Like seriously, I DARE you to try and sit through “Raditude” and their “Red Album” I DARE YOU!!!! Now to be fair, “Hurley” and “Everything Will Be Alright In The End” both had a few good tracks here and there, but nothing like their newest “White Album”. The fourth in their “Color” series, this is easily the most tremendous and near perfect album since 1996’s “Pinkerton”. It’s not a lyrical stunning album, it’s not scouring Rivers Cuomo’s soul like “Pinkerton”, it’s not instrumentally perfect. No, at the end of the day, Weezer’s “White Album” is the a collection of the sweetest, catchiest, and overall most enjoyable pop rock you’re going to hear this year. Weezer since 2000 have been trying desperately to play catch-up with everything going on around them in alternative rock. Time after time, they ended up trying way too hard and ended up with album after album of the most boring, overproduced material. “White Album” is just so simple, as the boys seriously take a page out of their classic “Blue Album” and go for a huge surf rock sound. Surprise surprise, they nail it. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times this year I listened to this album only to immediately after put it right back on. If you’re looking for a feel good rock album, this is certainly the place to look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGyBIQjU2Lk
3. Marissa Nadler - “Strangers”
Before “Strangers” I was just a super casual fan of Nadler’s work. I looked to her music when I felt like drifting off with some warm, sometimes slightly dark indie folk. Her voice was angelic, and the atmosphere she produced was always spot on. “Strangers” is Marissa Nadler’s most “electric” album yet. It’s still very much a folk album, but the instrumentals here are tremendous, often bringing in all sorts of string, horns, and guitars to back up Nadler’s heavenly performance. But that’s about all that’s really heavenly about “Strangers”, cause this thing is seriously DARK. I’m not talking about a creepy lyric here and there, I’m talking about the entire atmosphere of this album. Nadler as she slowly performs these seemingly beautiful folk songs is completely encompassed by this veil of darkness. There’s a bizarre sense of fantasy on so many of these tracks, between Nadler’s ethereal singing and these atmospheres that seem like they would fit more comfortably on a Chelsea Wolfe album. Nadler more times than not I feel like is creating the perfect music for some sort of really dark fantasy movie. Listening to tracks like “Skyscraper” and “Janie In Love” I can’t help but picture a Little Red Riding hood character walking hazily through the forest, as some unseen evil follows close behind waiting for a moment to attack. Whatever it is though following this character though, our hero escapes in one piece, as later tracks like “Nothing Feels the Same” are much more hopeful sounding. “Strangers” is a folk album that has tons going for it. If you’re a fan of gigantic, dark atmospheres, this is absolutely a must listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XFFWrS1gm0
2. Radiohead - “A Moon Shaped Pool”
Radiohead are a band that have always been super hit or miss with me. Albums like “Hail To The Thief” and even “In Rainbows” (I get what people love about it, it’s not for me) don’t really do much for me. On the other hand, albums such as “Kid A” and “Amnesiac” hit me so hard as a musical experience that I have to sit there for minutes after listening questioning “what just happened to me?”. “A Moon Shaped Pool” exceeded every expectation that I had for a new Radiohead album. As far as emotional Radiohead album’s go, this is the heaviest thing Radiohead may have ever done. The shear amount of sadness and sense of longing on “A Moon Shaped Pool” is overwhelming, need I say more than tracks like “Daydreaming” and “True Love Waits”. Thom Yorke, who at times over the years has sounded so mechanical and synthetic, here sounds more full of emotion than ever. The atmosphere is on point as well, with Johnny Greenwood's recent soundtrack work seriously playing a huge role in the heavy mood of "A Moon Shaped Pool". If you're a fan of Radiohead's more rock oriented material, you're probably not going to dig most of what's going on here. But, If you're a fan of "Kid A" era Radiohead, aka the more gloomy and depressing Radiohead, this is a must listen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTAU7lLDZYU
1. Kanye West - "The Life Of Pablo"
Oh boy, I'm sure I lost a good chunk of readers with this last one. But I stand by my word, "The Life Of Pablo" is the album that I've listened to the most this year. It's certainly not the life altering experience that Kanye meant it to be. But I can't help myself from continuously coming back to it, puzzling over "Freestyle 4", discussing the imagery on "Wolves", talking about how incredibly stunning "Ultralight Beam" is, and more. The months leading up to this album's release were bizarre. Kanye's fashion shows are still one of the oddest things I've ever laid eyes on, and call me nuts but I still think "Swish" would have been the perfect album title for this. All of the confusion that lead up to this album, even up to the final hours where Kanye was STILL changing the track list, changing the artwork, changing the features really made me fear for the product Kanye fans were about to receive. "The Life Of Pablo" though, as bizarre as it is, at the end of the day is quite the spectacle. You're going to hear everything on here from club bangers, to gorgeous semi-ballads, all with Kanye's trademark ego and creative genius butting heads. Half of the time, this album is completely cracked out, I still burst out laughing every time the "Ghetto Oprah" skit pops up. Other time's, it's oddly beautiful and sincere. One things for sure, this is an album that's going to keep you coming back. I feel like every time I got even the slightest bit tired of this album, something about it ended drawing me back and I would end falling in love all over again. It's a wild album, it's a beautiful disaster, and my favorite of 2016.
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