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Post by krburg on Dec 28, 2016 13:49:02 GMT
It's been a solid year for music for me, I don't know if the complete calibre has lived up to last year as a whole, I think there were more records I really loved from last year than this year, but I think the highs have been really high. I've had a great year for gigs though, I attended 64 gigs this year, just outside of my record of 67, though that 67 included quite a few gigs I had played, so this year is the really the most in terms of paying to see bands, I'll list my top 10 gigs at some point. Anyway, still working on the list of albums, I've managed a top 40, here are numbers 40-21: 40. Frankie Cosmos – Next Thing This veers perilously close to being way to twee, but I really like the observational and wry way she has with lyrics, also, most of the songs are about two minutes long so never outstay their welcome 39. Gruff Rhys – Set Fire to the Stars (OST) This was a bit of surprise for me, a neat and fun little record that was written and recorded for as the soundtrack to the film of the same name about Dylan Thomas. Some really pleasant ‘songs’ on here but fleshed out with some jazz instrumentals that really work. A lot better than it should be. 38. Feels – Feels The whole ‘psych’ thing had always floated over me a bit, I had dipped into bits before but nothing ever really grabbed me. The Ty Segall record from this year piqued my interest for the first time and I’ve grown to really like a lot of what I’ve been hearing as I dig a little deeper. This band I understand are from LA and not a lot is known about them as their internet presence is pretty scarce. But this is their debut album, recorded and produced by Ty and very much in a similar vein, quite enjoyable if not exactly something I would be coming back to again and again. 37. Chook Race – Around the House A more recent recommendation from Karl Mahoney on these guys, a three piece from Melbourne doing indie pop. A very infectious blend of lo-fi sincerity with hooky melodies. I think If I’d had spent a bit more time with them, they may have jumped higher. 36. Soft Hair – Soft Hair Soft hair are joint venture comprising of Connan Mockasin and Sam Dust of ‘Late of the Pier’, to be honest, I know next to nothing about either of their musical outputs to date and stumbled across this album mainly because the cover is so striking and that Mockasin is referenced in a Fat White Family song, but the record is great fun. I gather from what I’ve read that this is perhaps a little different to what either of them have done before, it’s sort of electronic funk, very Princey in places. The records falters a little by having a few moments of filler, but the good songs are really strong. 35. Angel Olsen – My Woman Seems a bit odd to suggest that this is a disappointment but still make the list, but it does have strong moments, specifically the first side, it just loses its grasp later on in the album. I prefer her stuff when she’s trying to be a pop star, when she get’s too whimsical in the second half of the record, it just stagnates too much for me and it loses focus. When I saw her live earlier in the year, I’d hoped these songs would perhaps make more sense live, but they really didn’t, if anything it made me like them even less.. 34. Conor Oberst - Ruminations Haven’t really listened to much of his stuff since probably the Bright Eyes ‘Cassadaga’ album, but I caught a couple of songs from this on 6 music which I liked and it seemed to have a good reaction from a few people on here so thought I’d give it a go. I really like the concept around the birth of the record, in that they were essentially a bunch of demos that he ended up preferring so kept them and this really is the strongest point of the record for me, the songs have an honesty to them which is quite infectious. 33. Anderson Paak – Malibu I feel like this should be better than it is and that’s the main reason why it isn’t higher in my list. I really like a lot of this record, but I find my self slipping out on other parts. A lot of the reviews of this seem to mention how much more focused it sounds, but I generally find the opposite and much prefer the ‘Yes Lawd!’ record he did with Nxwledge later in the year. Great in places. 32. Lucy Dacus – No Burden Similar in spirit to Angel Olsen’s of this world and she has been thrown into that ‘crowd’ (basically female singer songwriters) but she reminds me more of Laura Marling (I did the same thing there!). There are a couple of more ‘poppier’ moments on here but unlike Olsen, I think she’s great when she’s doing that more earnest thing. She reminds me of Marling because she utilises the guitar in a more interesting way, using alternative tunings to find odd phrasings which keep things more interesting for me. Her voice is similar to Marling in places as well and again, she does have a really interesting turn of phrase. 31. The Divine Comedy – Foreverland I dip in and out with the Divine Comedy, I really like some of their stuff and then I’m often nonplussed with others. The last album ‘Bang Goes the Nighthood’ is my favourite they’ve ever released and this is another strong one for me. I think Neil Hannon is one of the most underrated lyricists of modern times, his wit is so sharp that comedic lines still hold depth. For somone who litters his songs with often arcane references, he could easily veer into pretentiousness, but he rarely does and always delivers these subjects in digestible and fun ways. 30. Swans – The Glowing Man. They’re not exactly the most digestible of bands at the best of times, especially with their last few albums and their monolithic track lengths. This didn’t click with me straight away, I found it a little too droney and one paced at first. I loved ‘To be Kind’ and I loved the diversity and dynamics in the song styles on that album. This felt a little too ‘one paced’ for me. But then I saw them live (For the first time) and loved it (Even though they only played a couple of songs from this record) and then I came back to this and it started to click with me. I think the song ‘The Glowing Man’ might be my favourite piece of music from this year, and at 28 minutes long, is an absolute beast of brutalist revelry. 29. Jay Som – Turn Into I’ve only recently discovered this record, it’s basically one woman who plays everything herself. The reviews I’ve read seem to throw this into the ‘Dream Pop’ cannon, which I think it flirts with, but not holistically. I think this has been released a couple of times as well, originally via band camp and then picked up by two labels as well and has only had a ‘proper’ release quite recently. I’ve only spent a couple of weeks with it and I’ve really enjoyed it. Perhaps with more time it might have jumped higher as it’s definitely an album that grows. 28. Amber Arcades – Fading Lines There isn’t really too much to say about this record, it’s jangly-esque, female fronted indie pop from Holland. I heard one of the songs playing in a record shop and then found out that they were playing the next night so went along without listening to the record and enjoyed the gig. The record doesn’t blow me away in any way, but it’s just a fun record. 27. The Avalanches – Wildflower Having been away for so long, it’s always a worry that this would be shit, that the thing they did 16 years ago, just isn’t relevant anymore and then I saw them at Field Day and it was really shit and just a fucking mess. But.. the record is decent! I don’t thin they’d ever stand a chance of bettering Since I left you after so long away, but there are enough elements of what they had previously done, mixed nicely with plenty of new ideas and area’s to warrant this with it’s own merits. A lot more guest vocalists on this as well and I think those are the best moments. 26. Wilco – Schmilco Much like Star Wars from last year, this feels like the band are just having fun and enjoying what they’re doing. There are no grand statements or tragedies, no bold stylistic changes, just simple acoustic ‘rock’, but still quite experimental within those confines. 25. Open Mike Eagle – Hella Personal Film Festival Very much in the same spirit as Milo, I really like that underground sound that those guys are able to create, sort of reminds me of the ‘native tongues’ sound, sort of laconic beats and vocal delivery, I suppose you would say ‘socially conscious’ lyrical content. I first listened to this on the hottest day of the year and it absolutely fit the mood on that day. 24. Kendrick Lamar – untitled, unmastered As has already been mentioned, Kendrick was on some form around this time, this doesn’t feel remotely like a tossed off load of extras, if it hadn’t been released in such a way, and if it hadn’t come off the back of something as huge as TPAB, perhaps it would be getting a lot more plaudits in the end of year polls than it has. It feels like there is a genuine contrarian voice of despair amongst the black artistic community in America at the moment, more so than any other sub genre of popular music and Kendrick is right in there, leading the way. 23. Terry – Terry HQ A very ramshackle but very fun, lo-fi indie pop band from Australia. Very basic instrumentation, but a cracking sense of what’s needed for a simple hooky song. There are two men and two women and the band and I love the way their vocals collide and clash. They have that sort of chanty vocal style with very simple but playful lyrics. Definitely similar to the likes of Parquet Courts, they also reminded me a lot of that band The Envelopes as well. 22. Palehound – Dry Food I’m cheating a tad with this one, as I think it originally had a small release in late 2015, but was then picked up by Heavenly and released over here in March, so fuck it, I’m going with that. Essentially this is a solo record of sorts, mostly written and performed by a woman named Ellen Kempner with a bit of help from friends. When I first heard this, it made me think of a slightly less polished version of Speedy Ortiz, I then subsequently found out that she is the room mate of Sadie Dupuis from Speedy Ortiz. They have a very similar feel, quite observant lyrically and musically not afraid to take a left turn with a song or have a bit of fun with the guitar. A very strong debut album and I’m really looking forward to what she does next. 21. A Tribe Called Quest - We got it from here.. Thank you 4 your Service Much like the overall opinion of this, it just came out of nowhere and surprised everyone by being so much better than it has any right to be. With Phife Dawg passing away this yeat, it perhaps felt a little subdued that ATCQ would be releasing an album of new material, especially with all the issues they had had over the years, it was a worry that it would be a bit of a toss of with some posthumous rhymes from PD thrown in, but it was anything but. It has a really strong two thirds, but then lulls a tad for me around this point, but makes a strong comeback. If it was maybe two of three tracks shorter, It may have made my top 10. |
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Post by Tuckerman on Dec 28, 2016 14:09:02 GMT
Always look forward to reading these lists and so far they haven't disappointed.
Gonna work on mine some this week. I might struggle to do write-ups this year but you'll definitely have a Top 50 from me.
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Post by krburg on Dec 28, 2016 16:55:54 GMT
20. Thee Oh Sees – A Weird Exits Again, much like the other ‘psyche’ stuff on my list, a band who I’ve never really clicked with before this year. I really like this album, love the guitar sounds, so brutal in places. There is a good dynamic with this record as well, some really interesting instrumental songs and passages that veer close to jazz in moments. The record breathes very well, I think if it was packed with just the raw and fast songs, it would be too much. I haven’t really clicked with the second record they released recently which is essentially a ‘part two’ of this album, I need to spend some more time with it but have been spending more time with some of their previous records instead. 19. Happy Diving – Electric Soul Unity I don’t really know much about this band, they’re pretty small, I came across them through Spotify in one of their recommendation playlist things. It’s nothing new, this could easily have been released at any point in the last 30 years. Reminds me of a cross between Weezer and Dinosaur Jr, big thick and sludgy guitars in three minute poppy-punk structures in the ilk of Weezer. The record is about 30 minutes long and is a quick slice of fun. 18. Ty Segall– Emotional Mugger 2016 was the year I finally got Ty Segall, this albums doesn’t seem to be a big favourite with bigger fans of Ty and his stuff, but something about it sits well with me. The production feels very claustrophobic and lends a sense of unease to the whole record. It feels very dark and mysterious. I have since gone back and ‘discovered’ older albums, I can’t believe I didn’t like Manipulator when it first came out, I gave it a couple of listens back then and nothing, now I absolutely adore it! Can’t wait for the new record due early next year. 17. Childish Gambino Another late comer, only released a few weeks ago and a bit of a late surprise. I previously knew Donald Glover more through his acting than his music, and when I heard the two singles released prior to the record, I was taken aback by how good they were. I’ve read subsequently that he has previously had a bit of a bad rep for his music, especially in hip-hop circles, it seems many people think he’s playing at the music thing and stretching himself a bit too thin. Aswell as being an actor, he’s also a stand up comedian and a scriptwriter, but this year seems to have really taken off for him. I don’t know if anyone has seen it, but he created, wrote and starred in the dark comedy ‘Atlanta’ which is fucking superb and that has tied very neatly into this record. The record isn’t perfect, it does wear it’s influences a little too obviously on its’s sleeves, big nods to Funkadelic, Prince, the obvious 70’s soul legends, but I’m OK with that. The two singles are by far the best moments on the album and it feels like the whole thing is framed around those two songs, the first side being very Funkadelic with fuzzy guitars and treated vocals, the second side a bit smoother and perhaps a little less obvious structurally and then there’s California. Let’s leave it at that. If Glover had perhaps put a little more of himself into this, rather than relying a little too heavily on his influences, this could have been album of the year contender. But as it is, it just falls a little short. 16. DIIV – Is The Is Are I feel like I should absolutely hate these, the singer looks like a complete bellend and they come across as hipster fodder. I saw them live a couple of times this year and neither occasions really blew me away and the singers trousers made me want to hurl myself off a bridge. But I really like the record, I spent a lot of time with it earlier in the year, six months ago this would have been top two, but I haven’t listened to it much in the last few months. There is definitely a specific sound they’re going for, one of those albums where the songs are quite samey, but it seems intentionally so, ergo, it works very well as a cohesive piece. 15. Noname - Telefone Harking back to the Open Mike Eagle/Milo vibe, this is the debut ‘mixtape’ (Album for fucks sake!) from Chicago based rapper Noname. Again, a very soulful and laid back feel to the production on this, the use of female harmony backing vocals feel very 70’s, I even get a little Stevie Wonder feel in places. She has a more poetic delivery than a rap delivery, I think she is a poet in first regard and this really shows. Fantastic lyrics and the whole record is very playful and bursting with wit. 14. David Bowie What can you say about this that hasn’t already been analysed a million times, I suppose my own personal experience with it. I hadn’t really been that massive on ‘The Next Day’, I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t an album that I went back to loads so I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit for a new Bowie record, but when I heard the singles Blackstar and Lazarus, I LOVED them, so fucking weird sounding and then the videos made them seem even weirder. But mostly I just loved the odd sounds and boldness of those two songs. The album came out on the Friday, I went and bought the black vinyl on Sunday and gave it its first couple of listens on Sunday night before going to sleep, only to be awoken by a barrage of texts from people telling me that he had died. It was such an odd morning and day, such a perfect goodbye from one of the few very true greats. The world still doesn’t feel quite the same without him in it. 13. Mitski – Puberty 2 Of all the so called ‘Female singer songwriters’ that get thrown into that same category, this is by far my favourite record of the bunch. It sort of has that earnest and whimsical feel to it, but with a more industrial undercurrent. It’s quite a cold record in that sense, very stark imagery throughout and often cold production values. But I think the songs are very strong, both the ones with a more fleshed out ‘band’ sound, and ones that are left bare and exposed. Even though the sound and feel are cold, the sentiments are warm. 12. Esperanza Spalding – Emilys D+Evolution Another record that I played a lot during the first six months of this year. I didn’t really know much about her but was intrigued by the artwork so gave it a bash. She essentially is some kind of jazz bass prodigy, I’ve found out since that she has done a lot of work as a session bass player and was very good friends with Prince. She even showed up in the band in that Miles Davis biopic from earlier in the year. As a rule, I usually find that virtuoso musicians don’t make the kind of music I enjoy, but this felt a lot more organic than I would normally associate with those types of musicians. It’s still virtuoso musicianship, lots of sharp turns and odd time signatures, reminded me a lot of Zappa and his Stravinsky influence. She also has a great voice and has a very unique delivery, reminds me of the way Bjork sings, sometimes it feels like she’s out of key, but really she’s singing a harmony line as the lead vocal, a really interesting way of going about it. Again, very soulful with loads of interesting things going on all over the place. 11. Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition I’ve never really spent much time with Danny Brown, his voice always grated and put me off digging further (to my own detriment). But I liked his appearance on the Avalanches record and then started reading some of the interviews and press in the build up to the new record and it sounded really intriguing. Obvious nods to Joy Division and post punk and what not, sounded like it could be something a little different in the Hip Hop cannon. And that’s exactly what it is, I don’t think I can recall a Hip Hop album quite like it, it has a flavour of everything. Some really weird and disjointed experimental songs, some straight forward ‘beats’, party songs etc.. and he manages to drag them together into a cohesive whole. And his voice really works on this set of songs, it never feels intrusive for someone with a vocal delivery so shrill and piercing. |
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Post by Columbia_rocks_man on Dec 28, 2016 17:19:07 GMT
Top 10 GigsI've had a bit of a mare with gigs this year in terms of missing out on tickets or completely forgetting when certain shows were on. I took my bird to Milan for her 30th, for example, only to realise we left the night the Brian Jonestown were in town. Things picked up considerably in the second half of the year, however, and I saw some absolutely belting performances. 10) Hector Bizerk - The Art School, GlasgowThe greatest Scottish hip-hop duo you've never heard. RIP. 9) Primal Scream - TCOTU PalladiumMore for the event than the performance. Get a second guitarist ffs, Bobby. 8) Kunt and the Gang - The Three Sisters, EdinburghComeback Kunt! Don't leave us this way. We need you post-Brexit. 7) Bossy Love - The Poetry Club, GlasgowThey could be huge. But probably won't be. 6) Mexrissey - SWG3, GlasgowA whole lot of fun. You don't need to be a fan of Mozz to appreciate a mambo version of Girlfriend In A Coma. 5) Happy Meals - some warehouse in the east endA great performance, like something out of Warhol's Factory. It's a shame my Mrs didn't hang around to watch it. She took off after I cracked a gag about her pal's dance show tribute to Michael Jackson, which we'd been at the week before.  4) The Yummy Fur - The Old Hairdressers, GlasgowI'll be waxing lyrical about them more in 2017 as they're on the verge of a proper comeback. 3) Fat White Family - Electric FieldsChaos. 2) The Stone Roses - EmptyhadThere's a growing sense of cynicism towards the Roses (much of it justified) as their comeback tour rolls on. I was slightly worried this gig would be an anti-climax, but it turned out to be the best I've seen them. The atmosphere in the crowd was sensational. Everyone was best pals. Helped in part by the sheer weight of Class As being openly shared. 1) PJ Harvey - SECC, GlasgowI finally got to see Polly after missing her last three or four shows in Scotland. For the complete Columbia_rocks_man hot take check out my in-depth five-star review! www.theskinny.co.uk/music/live-music/reviews/pj-harvey-secc-glasgow-2-nov
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Post by Columbia_rocks_man on Dec 28, 2016 18:49:17 GMT
20) Max Romeo - Horror ZoneProps to Karl for promoting this. I absolutely love Max Romeo's classics from the '60s and '70s, but it's unlikely I would have bothered with this without his recommendation. A true titan of reggae, long may he continue. 19) Wild Billy Childish & the CTMF - SQ 1
Hopefully he'll now get back out on the road and so some shows away from TCOTU.
18) Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch
17) Honeyblood - Babes Never Die
16) Kanye West - The Life Of Pablo
15) A Tribe Called Quest - We've Got It From Here
14) Primal Scream - Chaosmosis
13) C Duncan - The Midnight Sun
12) Angel Olsen - My Woman11) PJ Harvey - Hope Six Demolition ProjectFar from her best. Best experienced live. 10) Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial Great album. Talented songwriter. But a dreadful live artist who needs to completely rethink his approach to performance if he wants to progress beyond the indie circuit. 9) Happy Meals - Fruit JuicePop perfection. A modern day Stereolab. 8) Skepta - KonnichiwaHe's a bit of a clown (even if unintentionally at times), but I like that. I really want the chance to ask him for a selfie, just to be told to get fucked by him/his scary entourage. 7) Emma Pollock - In Search of HarperfieldThe kind of mature pop album I would have hated five years ago. But I love the Delgados and I love Emma, and this is very good when it hits top gear.
6) Anna Meredith - VarmintsThis took a bit of time to click with me. She's a classical composer, largely self-taught, who decided to write a 'pop' album. The results are incredible. Some tracks work better than others, but it's as ambitious as any record you'll have heard this year. If she was a New Yorker, you can bet Pitchfork would have given this 9.4739373 and wanked over it for months. 5) Steve Mason - Meet the HumansEveryone's favourite hard-left pop songwriter! Billy Bragg? Get fucked. 4 ) David Bowie - Blackstar
It's impossible to view this album as anything other than a farewell statement. The timing of its release, just days before his death, was the biggest shock/moment in music this year. On the Friday, fans were wondering whether he would ever tour again. Then come Monday morning we were reading his obituary. The title track is a thing of wonder. It still gives me the shivers every time I hear it. 3) Fat White Family - Songs For Our MothersI never bothered with their debut at the time. It was this, their second LP, that really won me over. It has such a sleazy addictive Krautrock vibe, quite unlike anything else a guitar band has come up with this year. Tinfoil Deathstar sums up their dark appeal. I hope their evolving line-up/smack intake doesn't stop them from releasing another album just as good. 2) Parquet Courts - Human PerformanceThis is a real sleeper hit for me. Yeah, it got some positive reviews, but I don't think it's won the respect it's due. The title track is absolutely flawless - the kind of song that if it had been released in 2005 it would have been everywhere, from NME covers to shit Channel 4 youthcoms.  1) Frank Ocean - BlondeI've been banging the Frank drum like a 16-year-old ever since Channel Orange. This is a far from perfect LP. It's too long; the spoken word tracks add nothing; the hype surrounding it kills the enjoyment slightly. But you're still left with a towering neo-soul masterpiece. I remember listening to Nikes for the first time, thinking: what's this auto-tuned shit? Then Frank's proper vocals kicked in and I was totally overwhelmed. :tears:
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Post by weller on Dec 28, 2016 21:36:16 GMT
Max Jury - Max Jury
Foy Vance - The Wild Swan
Witchcraft - Nucleus
Bombus - Repeat until death
Christine and the Queens - Chaleur Humane
If you name Bowie or the Stones you're Fu of shit because they were fuckin shite.
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Post by weller on Dec 28, 2016 21:39:36 GMT
It's been a solid year for music for me, I don't know if the complete calibre has lived up to last year as a whole, I think there were more records I really loved from last year than this year, but I think the highs have been really high. I've had a great year for gigs though, I attended 64 gigs this year, just outside of my record of 67, though that 67 included quite a few gigs I had played, so this year is the really the most in terms of paying to see bands, I'll list my top 10 gigs at some point. Anyway, still working on the list of albums, I've managed a top 40, here are numbers 40-21: 40. Frankie Cosmos – Next ThingThis veers perilously close to being way to twee, but I really like the observational and wry way she has with lyrics, also, most of the songs are about two minutes long so never outstay their welcome 39. Gruff Rhys – Set Fire to the Stars (OST)This was a bit of surprise for me, a neat and fun little record that was written and recorded for as the soundtrack to the film of the same name about Dylan Thomas. Some really pleasant ‘songs’ on here but fleshed out with some jazz instrumentals that really work. A lot better than it should be. 38. Feels – FeelsThe whole ‘psych’ thing had always floated over me a bit, I had dipped into bits before but nothing ever really grabbed me. The Ty Segall record from this year piqued my interest for the first time and I’ve grown to really like a lot of what I’ve been hearing as I dig a little deeper. This band I understand are from LA and not a lot is known about them as their internet presence is pretty scarce. But this is their debut album, recorded and produced by Ty and very much in a similar vein, quite enjoyable if not exactly something I would be coming back to again and again. 37. Chook Race – Around the HouseA more recent recommendation from Karl Mahoney on these guys, a three piece from Melbourne doing indie pop. A very infectious blend of lo-fi sincerity with hooky melodies. I think If I’d had spent a bit more time with them, they may have jumped higher. 36. Soft Hair – Soft HairSoft hair are joint venture comprising of Connan Mockasin and Sam Dust of ‘Late of the Pier’, to be honest, I know next to nothing about either of their musical outputs to date and stumbled across this album mainly because the cover is so striking and that Mockasin is referenced in a Fat White Family song, but the record is great fun. I gather from what I’ve read that this is perhaps a little different to what either of them have done before, it’s sort of electronic funk, very Princey in places. The records falters a little by having a few moments of filler, but the good songs are really strong. 35. Angel Olsen – My WomanSeems a bit odd to suggest that this is a disappointment but still make the list, but it does have strong moments, specifically the first side, it just loses its grasp later on in the album. I prefer her stuff when she’s trying to be a pop star, when she get’s too whimsical in the second half of the record, it just stagnates too much for me and it loses focus. When I saw her live earlier in the year, I’d hoped these songs would perhaps make more sense live, but they really didn’t, if anything it made me like them even less.. 34. Conor Oberst - RuminationsHaven’t really listened to much of his stuff since probably the Bright Eyes ‘Cassadaga’ album, but I caught a couple of songs from this on 6 music which I liked and it seemed to have a good reaction from a few people on here so thought I’d give it a go. I really like the concept around the birth of the record, in that they were essentially a bunch of demos that he ended up preferring so kept them and this really is the strongest point of the record for me, the songs have an honesty to them which is quite infectious. 33. Anderson Paak – MalibuI feel like this should be better than it is and that’s the main reason why it isn’t higher in my list. I really like a lot of this record, but I find my self slipping out on other parts. A lot of the reviews of this seem to mention how much more focused it sounds, but I generally find the opposite and much prefer the ‘Yes Lawd!’ record he did with Nxwledge later in the year. Great in places. 32. Lucy Dacus – No BurdenSimilar in spirit to Angel Olsen’s of this world and she has been thrown into that ‘crowd’ (basically female singer songwriters) but she reminds me more of Laura Marling (I did the same thing there!). There are a couple of more ‘poppier’ moments on here but unlike Olsen, I think she’s great when she’s doing that more earnest thing. She reminds me of Marling because she utilises the guitar in a more interesting way, using alternative tunings to find odd phrasings which keep things more interesting for me. Her voice is similar to Marling in places as well and again, she does have a really interesting turn of phrase. 31. The Divine Comedy – ForeverlandI dip in and out with the Divine Comedy, I really like some of their stuff and then I’m often nonplussed with others. The last album ‘Bang Goes the Nighthood’ is my favourite they’ve ever released and this is another strong one for me. I think Neil Hannon is one of the most underrated lyricists of modern times, his wit is so sharp that comedic lines still hold depth. For somone who litters his songs with often arcane references, he could easily veer into pretentiousness, but he rarely does and always delivers these subjects in digestible and fun ways. 30. Swans – The Glowing Man.They’re not exactly the most digestible of bands at the best of times, especially with their last few albums and their monolithic track lengths. This didn’t click with me straight away, I found it a little too droney and one paced at first. I loved ‘To be Kind’ and I loved the diversity and dynamics in the song styles on that album. This felt a little too ‘one paced’ for me. But then I saw them live (For the first time) and loved it (Even though they only played a couple of songs from this record) and then I came back to this and it started to click with me. I think the song ‘The Glowing Man’ might be my favourite piece of music from this year, and at 28 minutes long, is an absolute beast of brutalist revelry. 29. Jay Som – Turn IntoI’ve only recently discovered this record, it’s basically one woman who plays everything herself. The reviews I’ve read seem to throw this into the ‘Dream Pop’ cannon, which I think it flirts with, but not holistically. I think this has been released a couple of times as well, originally via band camp and then picked up by two labels as well and has only had a ‘proper’ release quite recently. I’ve only spent a couple of weeks with it and I’ve really enjoyed it. Perhaps with more time it might have jumped higher as it’s definitely an album that grows. 28. Amber Arcades – Fading LinesThere isn’t really too much to say about this record, it’s jangly-esque, female fronted indie pop from Holland. I heard one of the songs playing in a record shop and then found out that they were playing the next night so went along without listening to the record and enjoyed the gig. The record doesn’t blow me away in any way, but it’s just a fun record. 27. The Avalanches – WildflowerHaving been away for so long, it’s always a worry that this would be shit, that the thing they did 16 years ago, just isn’t relevant anymore and then I saw them at Field Day and it was really shit and just a fucking mess. But.. the record is decent! I don’t thin they’d ever stand a chance of bettering Since I left you after so long away, but there are enough elements of what they had previously done, mixed nicely with plenty of new ideas and area’s to warrant this with it’s own merits. A lot more guest vocalists on this as well and I think those are the best moments. 26. Wilco – SchmilcoMuch like Star Wars from last year, this feels like the band are just having fun and enjoying what they’re doing. There are no grand statements or tragedies, no bold stylistic changes, just simple acoustic ‘rock’, but still quite experimental within those confines. 25. Open Mike Eagle – Hella Personal Film FestivalVery much in the same spirit as Milo, I really like that underground sound that those guys are able to create, sort of reminds me of the ‘native tongues’ sound, sort of laconic beats and vocal delivery, I suppose you would say ‘socially conscious’ lyrical content. I first listened to this on the hottest day of the year and it absolutely fit the mood on that day. 24. Kendrick Lamar – untitled, unmasteredAs has already been mentioned, Kendrick was on some form around this time, this doesn’t feel remotely like a tossed off load of extras, if it hadn’t been released in such a way, and if it hadn’t come off the back of something as huge as TPAB, perhaps it would be getting a lot more plaudits in the end of year polls than it has. It feels like there is a genuine contrarian voice of despair amongst the black artistic community in America at the moment, more so than any other sub genre of popular music and Kendrick is right in there, leading the way. 23. Terry – Terry HQA very ramshackle but very fun, lo-fi indie pop band from Australia. Very basic instrumentation, but a cracking sense of what’s needed for a simple hooky song. There are two men and two women and the band and I love the way their vocals collide and clash. They have that sort of chanty vocal style with very simple but playful lyrics. Definitely similar to the likes of Parquet Courts, they also reminded me a lot of that band The Envelopes as well. 22. Palehound – Dry FoodI’m cheating a tad with this one, as I think it originally had a small release in late 2015, but was then picked up by Heavenly and released over here in March, so fuck it, I’m going with that. Essentially this is a solo record of sorts, mostly written and performed by a woman named Ellen Kempner with a bit of help from friends. When I first heard this, it made me think of a slightly less polished version of Speedy Ortiz, I then subsequently found out that she is the room mate of Sadie Dupuis from Speedy Ortiz. They have a very similar feel, quite observant lyrically and musically not afraid to take a left turn with a song or have a bit of fun with the guitar. A very strong debut album and I’m really looking forward to what she does next. 21. A Tribe Called Quest - We got it from here.. Thank you 4 your ServiceMuch like the overall opinion of this, it just came out of nowhere and surprised everyone by being so much better than it has any right to be. With Phife Dawg passing away this yeat, it perhaps felt a little subdued that ATCQ would be releasing an album of new material, especially with all the issues they had had over the years, it was a worry that it would be a bit of a toss of with some posthumous rhymes from PD thrown in, but it was anything but. It has a really strong two thirds, but then lulls a tad for me around this point, but makes a strong comeback. If it was maybe two of three tracks shorter, It may have made my top 10. Wowowow big man we're looking for your top albums not a diary of your period cycle |
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Post by Columbia_rocks_man on Dec 28, 2016 22:52:49 GMT
Great to have you back Blain |
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Post by titchjuicy on Dec 29, 2016 13:06:01 GMT
For those that don't have the Kate Tempest album on their lists, for goodness sake, listen to it.
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Post by weller on Dec 29, 2016 13:58:14 GMT
Max Jury - Max Jury Foy Vance - The Wild Swan Witchcraft - Nucleus Bombus - Repeat until death Christine and the Queens - Chaleur Humane If you name Bowie or the Stones you're Fu of shit because they were fuckin shite. Best wans |
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Post by forever on Dec 29, 2016 23:16:02 GMT
TOP ALBUMS:
10. Parquet Courts - Human Performance
Parquet Courts sometimes frustrate me and I always used to think they were a bit of an in-joke, but I took to them a lot more after seeing them live for the first time and also after hanging out with Kate Flavin.
Track pick: Human Performance
9. Angel Olsen - My Woman
Another album which took me a few listens to really get into, but I think it really kicks up a gear in its second half when it gets a bit more expansive - seemingly at odds with every other forum member.
Track pick: Sister
8. Meilyr Jones - 2013
A Mahoney recommendation. Upbeat, baroque pop with the kinds of melodies Ian Broudie used to write.
Track pick: How to Recognise a Work of Art
7. Peter Bjorn and John - Breakin’ Point
I’m a bit of a fanboy but I found this really underwhelming at first, especially after 2011's amazing Gimme Some. It’s an attempt at a modern pop record and is pretty shameless in its ambition - “sounds like it was written by committee” was one review - with glossy and occasionally cheesy production, but the tracks are (mostly) good enough to wear you down after only a few listens. Full of earworms.
Track pick: Hard Sleep
6. David Bowie - Blackstar
My preference is usually for Bowie’s more accessible stuff, so this took a couple of listens to really hit home. No one will ever make anything which sounds like the title track.
Track pick: Blackstar
5. Steve Mason - Meet the Humans
I absolutely love Mason’s solo career. He sounds less angry than he did on Monkey Minds, perhaps due to hanging out with guys from Elbow, but he’s none the worse for it.
Track pick: Water Bored
4. PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project
My gateway Polly Jean album. Her lyrics get flak for being poverty tourism but I think she paints some pretty vivid pictures. A Guardian reader’s record, but don’t let that put you off.
Track pick: The Wheel
3. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
I came back to this more and more as the year went on. What strikes me about it is how it manages to feel like a DIY effort despite being really well produced. Interested to hear where Will Toledo goes next.
Track pick: Fill in the Blank
2. Suede - Night Thoughts
My most played album of 2016. For all the talk about it being a soundtrack to the Roger Sargent film of the same name, it has everything you need from an Oakes/Codling era Suede record: a handful of stompers, a couple more expansive tunes and a hystronic Brett Anderson ballad which should have been canned .
Track pick: Outsiders
1. Charles Bradley - Changes
The vocals on this got me from the first time I listened to it. It doesn’t strike me as pastiche, either. Really disappointed not to have seen him live.
Track pick: Change for the World
TOP GIGS:
PJ Harvey, Brixton Academy, October
Suede, Ace Hotel Shoreditch, January
Suede, Kentish Town Forum, February
Teenage Fanclub, Electric Ballroom, November
James, Liverpool Echo Arena, December
Primal Scream, TCOTU Palladium, April
Catholic Action, Sebright Arms, March
GOAT, Field’s Day, June
Neil Young, o2 Arena, June
Peter Bjorn and John, Islington Assembly Hall, June
TOP TUNES NOT ON TOP 10 ALBUMS:
Catholic Action - Breakfast
Telegram - Follow
Miike Snow - Genghis Khan
Hamilton Leithauser and Rostam - A 1000 Times
LIV - Wings of Love
QTY - Rodeo
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Jesus Alone
Super Furry Animals - Bing Bong
Iggy Pop - Sunday
Radiohead - Burn the Witch
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Post by Tuckerman on Jan 1, 2017 16:07:04 GMT
Haven't really had time to do a write up but here is my Top 50 albums of the year.
50. Suede - Night Thoughts
49. Sunflower Bean - Human Ceremony
48. Yak - Alas Salvation
47. Psychadelic Porn Crumpets - High Visceral, Pt.1
46. Planet of Zeus - Loyal To The Pack
45. Hurry - Guided Meditation
44. Hex - Calling To The Universe
43. Gozu - Revival
42. Desert Mountain Tribe - Either That or the Moon
41. exmagician - Scan The Blue
40. Explosions In The Sky - The Wilderness
39. Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp
38. BEASTWARS - The Death of All Things
37. Bad Acid - Revelations of the Third Eye
36. The Lemon Twigs - Do Hollywood
35. Savages - Adore Life
34. Killer Moon - Nocturne Into Nebula
33. Kevin Morby - Singing Saw
32. Honeyblood – Babes Never Die
31. Cass McCombs - Mangy Love
30. A Giant Dog - Pile
29. Esperanza Spalding - Emily's D+Evolution
28. Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression
27. Preoccupations - Preoccupations
26. King Gizard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity
25. The Goon Sax - Up To Anything
24. Whitney - Light Upon The Lake
23. Spacin' - Total Freedom
22. Solange - A Seat At The Table
21. Connections - Midnight Run
20. Pixies - Head Carrier
19. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam - I Had A Dream That You Were Mine
18. Dinosaur Jr - Give A Glimpse of What Yer Not
17. Fat White Family - Songs for Our Mothers
16. Angel Olsen - My Woman
15. Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered
14. Charles Bradley - Changes
13. Kate Tempest - Let Them Eat Chaos
12. Conor Oberst - Ruminations
11. Parquet Courts - Human Performance
10. Frank Ocean - Blonde
9. A Tribe Called Quest - We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service
8. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
7. Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition
6. Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
5. Childish Gambino - Awaken, My Love!
4. Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 3
3. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
2. David Bowie - Blackstar
1. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2017 20:03:51 GMT
Nice one guys.
I've found it really interesting how the majority of film critics & even our own lists are so similar this year. Any thoughts on this? I'm thinking that perhaps it really was an outstanding year with the cream rising to the top. Or perhaps nowadays with streaming services critically acclaimed material is heard by a larger audience due to ease of availability. Or perhaps everybody is just becoming dull & predictable? Not that I use streaming services but the whole "if you like this you'll like" era we are in I think is kind of dangerous, maybe I'm old school but I'd much rather be recommended something by somebody I like than a computer automation that decides for me
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2017 20:04:14 GMT
Edit, fucking hell that post makes me sound like Neil Young.
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Post by krburg on Jan 1, 2017 20:24:36 GMT
And here is my top 10: 10. The Lemon Twigs – Do Hollywood One of a few very retro sounding albums that I loved this year. It’s very much steeped in that late 60’s early 70’s pop/rock sound. Well crafted classic sounding songs, written and performed entirely by two brother nether of which are yet 20 years of age and look like they should be in the Bay City Rollers. It’s almost like the world stopped in 1974. But, it’s crazy enough to pull it out of that potential mire. It’s so much fun, big nods to the Beatles, The Kinks & Big Star with gorgeous Beach Boys harmonies, it seems like such an obvious cast of influences, but they handle them with care and respect. Saw them live and they were great, a lot rawer and a bit more ‘rawk’, they’re already working on the next record, I can’t wait. 09. Fat White Family – Songs For Our Mothers Quite a polarising band, they seem to harness such divisive opinions. I think that is their thing, they’re a band of contradictions. They sound completely different live, they’re a big beast live, its an intense experience, very loud and brash and big. On record, I think intentionally so, they sound so much more reserved. There are two driving forces in the band, Saul and Lias. Saul kind of takes the reigns in the studio, he writes most of the music, Lias writes most of the words and is a big drive in the live aspect. What I love most about them is that dichotomy, I love that they sound different on record. I know a lot of people think differently, but I love the dirgy and sludgy sound on the record. Perhaps they might have been better served removing one of the two lengthy dirges on the album as these seem to be the ones that have attracted the most criticism, perhaps they could have put the single ‘Breaking into Aldi’ on it instead, but I kind of like the fact that they didn’t. Apparently Saul has left the band now, but you never know. They teased with the idea of calling it a day, but then announced last week that they have now signed to Domino, so fuck knows what will happen next. But The Fat White Family are the type of band that we need in 2016. 08. PJ Harvey – The Hope Six Demolition Project This feels like a natural progression on from Let England Shake and a fine follow up. I think it received a lot of unfair criticism when first released that seemed to focus too heavily, and unfairly, on the ‘lazy journalistic’ approach to the lyrics. This appeared to stemmed mostly from US news corporations who took umbrage at her audacity to suggest that parts of the US may be deemed a ‘shit hole’. She weathered it well and with dignity by essentially keeping schtum and letting the album do it’s own talking. I really enjoy the militaristic feel to the rhythms and percussion and the vocal melodies are again very striking. Nice to hear some distorted dissonance again on parts of the record as well. 07. NxWorries – Yes Lawd! A collaboration record from Anderson Paak with beats by Knxwledge. I didn’t really know too much about Knxwledge before this, other than he had a beat on Kendricks TPAB, but understand he has been releasing a shit ton of beats via Bandcamp over the last few years. It seems he has been picked up by Stones Throw now, on which this record was released and it does very much feel like a perfect home for it. As mentioned previously, I find this a lot more focussed as a whole piece than Paak’s Malibu, mainly because Knxwledge’ beats, though scatthershot and choppy, have a definite arc throughout the record, with familiar tropes that run through it, he’s clearly inspired by Madlib. I don’t think Paak is at his best lyrically, a lot of the lyrics revolve around ‘girls’ and can feel a little too schmaltzy, but his vocal delivery is what works best from his contributions. 06. Whitney – Light Upon the Lake Another retro sounding record, Barny pretty much sums it up when he said it’s ‘The Band goes pop’. It’s a very warm 70’s California sounding record, though ironically conceived and recorded in a freezing Chicago winter. There is nothing totemic about this, it’s just a collection of very well constructed, classic sounding songs. Warm production, even a little soulful in places with flourishes of brass and electric piano here and there. Sticking with ‘The Band’ vibes, the drummer is also the singer! Love the vocals, mostly delivered in a high falsetto with gentle harmony parts and as Barny mentioned, fantastic guitar accompaniment throughout. 05. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool I’ve pretty much loved everything that Radiohead have done since OK Computer, the only blemish for me would be an under par Hail to the Thief, I even really like The King of Limbs, which most people seem not too fussed with. So for me, this wasn’t a return to form, just further progression into different areas for the band. OK, the guitars are back a bit, but it’s certainly not a ‘rock’ record. I find it very soulful, obviously quite folky influences throughout aswell, but the songs have bounce to them. Radiohead never sound like they’re borrowing a sound or a style from somewhere, it always sounds organic to me. And there are a variety of different area’s they flit around to on this record, from the jerky opener ‘Burn the Witch’ to the motoric of ‘Ful Stop’. I think Daydreaming is one of the most beautiful things they’ve ever recorded. 04. Solange – Seat at the Table I loved this from the very first listen, but it has really grown and grown since and I think that’s the beauty of the record, it’s multi-layered and reveals more and more with each listen. I don’t want to dwell too much on Beyonce, but her record has received so much praise and I just don’t get it, she’s supposed to be making these grand statements, but as it transpires, she didn’t even write most of the lyrics that have been spouted since, it feels inauthentic to me, music by committee. In contrast, this album feels very authentic, even though there are collaborators, she definitely has a voice on this record. I love the more minimalist aspect of the thing, you can definitely hear the influence of something like Channel Orange and the Soulquarians (Raphael Saadiq was involved in this) and it feels to me like it’s going to be one of the classic soul records of our era. Much like To Pimp a Butterfly from last year, this feels like the essential American record at the moment, socially aware lyrics appropriating many of the ills currently befalling the US. I think the vocal delivery might be the strongest aspect, she doesn’t have the most gifted of soul voices, you can imagine a less tasteful soul singer (Beyonce) wailing all over this, but she finds smart melodies and smart deliveries throughout. 03. Parquet Courts – Human Performance Another great record from this band, they always somehow manage to change things up just enough but maintain enough of their familiar tropes to be identifiable to them. Following on from that dreadful EP they released last year, I was a little apprehensive about what this would sound like, but fears were eased when I first heard ‘Berlin Gets Blurry’ and the rest of the album did not disappoint. Enough weird shit thrown in to keep those changes interesting and plenty of more straightforward rock n roll tunes, the record had a great flow. Always interested to see where they go next. 02. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree It’s difficult not to associate this record with the film that accompanied it, being that I first heard the album while watching it. I think both the film and the album deal with the tragic death of his son in an extremely subtle way. As the films deals with, a lot of this was written beforehand and I think there were only minor amendments to lyrics, and much like the film, the record feels like someone in the grieving process, rather than someone looking back with despair. I love the way they manage to claw some of the arrangements here into palatable songs, some of the musical elements on here just sound like soundscapes with minimal arrangements to accompany them and lead them towards a rigid structure. I haven’t listened to this as much as some of the other records in the top ten, mainly because it’s such bleak assault, I’m usually spent after a full listen and have to leave it for a while. But as pure emotional pull, this album was at the apex. 01. Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial What more can I add, this seems to be a Soapbox favourite this year, but I just fucking love this record. It’s everything I want from an indie rock record in 2016. To look at him, Will Toledo doesn’t seem one bit like the sort of anti-hero he comes across as on this album. The arrangements are so bright and visceral, it never ever gets boring despite the often longer song lengths, he takes each song down so many avenues each laden with vocal hooks and melodies that always seem perfectly suited for their intentions. And lyrically, he skirts along that line of wit and macabre, you know that these are issues and anxieties that have probably eaten at him during his life, but he delivers them with such an aloof wryness that you can’t help but laugh or nod along in approval at the sheer horror or preposterousness of it all. I really loved the ‘sort of’ best of album ‘Teens of Style’ he released last year and he seemed to leave a couple of those bandcamp albums alone when cribbing songs to rerecord for that record, so I wonder if Matador might revisit them at some point. Anyway, for someone who has been so productive up to this point, I’m sure he already has the next record in the bag, and I can’t wait. |
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Post by jp on Jan 1, 2017 22:13:48 GMT
Nice one guys. I've found it really interesting how the majority of film critics & even our own lists are so similar this year. Any thoughts on this? I'm thinking that perhaps it really was an outstanding year with the cream rising to the top. Or perhaps nowadays with streaming services critically acclaimed material is heard by a larger audience due to ease of availability. Or perhaps everybody is just becoming dull & predictable? Not that I use streaming services but the whole "if you like this you'll like" era we are in I think is kind of dangerous, maybe I'm old school but I'd much rather be recommended something by somebody I like than a computer automation that decides for me i think it's more that 2016 was a bit of an anomaly in that the best albums on the whole came from pretty major established acts. bowie, nick cave, a tribe called quest etc were bound to feature high up on critics lists regardless and the fact they've put out proper excellent albums has made them more ubiquitous on our lists than they might have been. |
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Post by barny on Jan 1, 2017 22:30:00 GMT
Good work everyone! How many more should we expect?
It's pretty curious like you say we share many of the top spots, because we don't really talk that much about music here during the year. Looking at the stats the total number of different bands/artists seems similar to the previous year, so it might be just the bunch on the top. Obviously, as there are not many lists if 3 or 4 people choose the same record on their top5, then it's gonna stand out for sure...
I don't use automatic recommendations tbh, just people or webs I know that share some tastes.
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Post by Stocky 2: Cruise Control on Jan 2, 2017 0:10:55 GMT
Finally away from family duties and have spent the last few hours tapping away so my list is imminent...
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Post by Stocky 2: Cruise Control on Jan 2, 2017 1:21:13 GMT
30. KVB - Of Desire
A really good mix of synthy 80's indie and shoegaze. This twosome build some really nice big echoey walls of sound.
29. Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book
Thought this was a bit slushy at first but it's infectious gospel-like enthusiasm won over me in the end. It's ferociously joyous.
28. The Field - Follower
The first half of this album is a bit repetetive, even for The Field who's whole shtick is long repetetive techno work outs. But the second half is brilliant, hitting upon more etheral psychedelic sounds.
27. Moderat - III
Some really beautiful moments on Moderat's third album. The opener is a stunning mix of soft soulful vocals, unstable synths and a burial esque background. The great moments aren't as consistent as on their brilliant 2nd album but this is still a really good effort.
26. David Bowie - Blackstar
I can't get along with all the songs on this album as it's quite jazzy and i'm a bit hit and miss with Jazz. All things considered though it's a quite astonishing release. Some of the songs have such a mysterious vibe about them, lyrically and sonically. Ive never been a huge Bowie fan but this is undeniably a work of art.
25. Steve Mason - Meet The Humans
A really accomplished album albeit lacking some of the politically charged lyrical firepower of its predecessor. Definitely his most accessible album, there's nothing not to like about this collection of tunes.
24. PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project
Quite a hotchpotch of sounds on this album, more so than her other albums that i've heard which tend to (more or less) stick to one musical vibe all the way through. Her band are really on song here, there's downtempo Jazzy stuff, bluesey rock, strange folksy songs and straight up thrilling rock n roll. The standout track 'The Wheel' being a prime example of the latter.
23. Metronomy - Summer 08
After the boring confessional ballads that was Love Letters the basslines are back for this release and it sounds more like a proper Metronomy record. It's not massively consistent but it's certainly got a few bangers on here, Old Skool and Night Owl are fuckin great tunes.
22. Whitney - Upon The Lake
A lovely little album full of short little Americana country / folky ditties. The whole thing only clocks in at 31 minutes making it a really easy album to tackle. Between the short nature of the songs, the singers soft high voice and the gentle production it feels so light that it could float away at any time.
21. Beach Skulls - Slow Grind
Followed these for a while after seeing them at a festival in Liverpool a few years ago. They've finally got their arses in gear and managed to record this, their debut album. It's a really good effort, some of the songs sound a little rough round the edges but on the whole they've done a really good job. If you like summery surfy jangly rock you couldn't not like this.
20. Eagulls -Ullages
Was quite surprised when I heard this one. Thought Eaguls might be a bit of a one trick pony but on Ullages they've changed things up a bit. It's still quite dark sounding but the shouty punk edge has been replaced by a more 80's indie mood, very influenced by the Cure and Echo & The Bunnymen. His vocals sound pretty good on this album too, adding to the general air of accomplishment.
19. Hooton Tennis Club - Big Box of Chocolates
These guys absolutely nail the whole anthemic brit pop sound. Big Box of Chocolates is in parts absolutely huge sounding, although weirdly the opening two songs are a bit of a let down and it only really hits it's straps a few songs in. I enjoyed this album a lot this year.
18. Radiohead- A Moon Shaped Pool
A really good album this, it has the flow of the proper album and doesn't sound like a bunch of songs just chucked together. The first four songs are magnificent and whilst it fades a litle in the second half, it's a solid effort.
17. Autechre - Elseq 1-5
Got really into these this year (initially through their older releases). I love their twisted take on electronic music, from their earlier more ambient stuff to their later more difficult glitchy sounding stuff. This mainly falls into the latter category in terms of difficulty, this album is over 4 hours in total so it's not exactly easy listening. Although they've mercifully packaged it into 5 sections to help ease the mental load. It's absolute classic Autechre in that it contains some absolutely stunning compositions and some moments which sound near unlistenable, that's kind of their whole trick though, to build up huge walls of electronic noise which challenge you as a listener to engage them. You need patience to listen but it's incredibly rewarding when you get it.
16. Nicolas Jaar - Sirens
The long awaited follow up to his genius 2011 release Space is Only Noise. This doesn't disapoint, the only thing I don't particularly care for on this is the overly long mood setting opening tune. The rest is absolute gold. It's probably got more of an urgency on it than it's more circumspect predesessor, but it definitely doesn't lack atmospherics. He's a fine musician who can marry together a shit load of different influences whilst making a sound all of his own.
15. Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
As much as I hate the guy as he's a complete monster, if he keeps knocking out tunes as good as Ultralight Beam, Real Friends, FML and No More Parties in LA he can get away with being a total prick. It quite took me by surprise just how much I enjoyed this big mental cunt of an album.
14. Anderson.Paak - Malibu
Big blend of all sorts on this bright lovely hotchpotch of RnB, Soul, Hip Hop, Funk & Jazz. It took me a while to get fully into as RnB and Soul aren't really two of my favorite genres but it got me in the end. There's just so much to go at here, you notice little new things every time you listen to it. It's a brilliant piece of work.
13. Kendrick Lammar - Untitled Unmastered
For an album of studio off cuts it's ridiculously good. I'm not sure how much work has gone into these but to my ears they sound like completely fully formed well produced songs (except for a one which is a half a home recording jam joke around). It's really cool that these tracks not deemed good enough / suitable for To Pimp A Butterfly have surfaced and they just further go to show what an amazing vein of music Kendrick was mining at the time.
12. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
This was a real slow burner for me, i'm not a huge Nick Cave fan by any means and this album is so fucking intensely moody that whilst I thought it sounded quite good when I first heard it, I put it on the back burner until quite recently. In the blackness of December though and in a bad mood this has really clicked. Given another month with this album i'd probably think it was the best thing released this year but i've not quite spent enough time with it yet. It's one of the most atmospheric dark records i've ever heard, absolutely enchanting once you give yourself completely to it's spell.
11. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
A really cool album both lyrically and musically. His irreverant occasionally amusing lyrics are a real plus point for this band and musically the whole lo-fi american alt rock is something i've always loved, although calling this lo-fi is probably a bit of a stretch, there's actually quite a lot going on with the guitars on this album, one of the songs is the best part of 12 minutes. Absolutely adore the single Destroyed By Hippie Powers off this album.
10. Kate Tempest - Let Them Eat Chaos
Absolutely fucking brilliant album. Such a talented lyricist and a talented deliverer of her tales too. This album absolutely fucking nails 2016 Britain, a divided place on a moral decline, quick to push people out to the margins, I found myself agreeing with what she was saying so much. As well as being a well described snapshot of modern British life its also a bit of a concept album which skillfully blends together individual stories from a characters she's invented who all live on the same an imaginary TCOTU street. The music is actually really good here too, there's some really good electronic beats she's got to rap over.
9. DIIV - Is This Are
Being a bit of a fan boy I initially thought this to be a big disappointment but i've since realised the error of my ways. It doesn't quite match the debut but its still a superb album. Shame they couldn't cull a few tracks from this 17 tracker really as it would benefit from being a bit punchier. Sound wise I think it's got more of a powerful and more rythemic sound that the debut. It's accessible, poppy, shoe-gaze music really, which is a great thing too me.
8. Skepta - Konnichiwa
I don't know if its a location based thing but the whole grime scene has completely by-passed me, I absolutely loved Dizzee's Boy In Da Corner but since then i've paid it no mind. Konnichiwa was unavoidable this year though getting unreal levels of hype. There seems to be a bit of a back lash against this album but I absolutely love it. His aggressive take no prisoners style of flow are great and the lyrics a window into a world i'll probably never know.
7. Parquet Courts - Human Performance
Another band i'm a massive fan boy of. This is another superb album to add to their rapidly expanding cannon of work. Musically it's a tad more mellow than previous efforts. Lyrically they're once again on wonderful form, always managing deliver charged emotive lyrics but without sounding cliched in the slightest. They've also become an absolutely wonderful live band. Can't wait to hear where they take it next.
6. Let's Eat Grandma - I, Gemini
An incredible album that sounds like pretty much nothing i've ever heard before. Very weird sounding mix of a electronics, high vocals, all sorts of instruments, creepy vibes and rough production. Really incredible that two 16 year olds from Norwich made this extraordinary album. It's either total genius or a glorious accident.
5. Angel Olson - My Woman
Another great record from this brilliant artist. This one has a clear divide between the more upbeat rockier numbers on the first half of the record and the longer sprawling acoustic country sounding numbers on the second half. All this album sounds brilliant but I do prefer the second half. Her voice is completing and utterly intoxicating, the lyrics decent and the arrangements becoming ever more sophisticated as she goes through her career. Absolutely gutted that I haven't seen her yet live yet.
4. Cate Le Bon - Crab Day
Love her accent, the welsh don't really need to sing properly to sound good, they have such a naturally interesting sounding dialect. Her wierd abstract lyrics and that haunting almost Nico esque way of singing, combined with those fantastic jarring angular guitars combine to brilliant effect on this. It sounds very wierd and psychedelic but also quite straight forward and easy to listen to. She manages to make lyrics about normal everyday things sound so surreal and mysterious, its a great gift.
3. Frank Ocean - Blond
Not as immediate as his flawless debut album. Blond has flaws but it's a great album nonetheless. Blond is a little less heavy on the tunes and heavier on the atmospheric stuff. Its quite minimal at times but this makes it feel more personal. The song Ivy is just perfection, jangly guitars, soulfull vocals and beautiful lyrics and a bizarre ending. He just sits perfectly for me in an etheral place completely on his own.
2. Hinds - Leave Me Alone
Such a good time fun album, the girls sense of fun shines through strongly. There's so much youthful energy on this. I love the way they write their songs, they sound like they're about to fall apart at any moment a perfectly shambolic blend of chiming guitars and lo-fi vocals. The English lyrics sung in not at all disguised Spanish accents, the call and response vocal style, all of it is perfection to me. I hate to say it but for some reason I can imagine them struggling to follow this album, it just seems like a moment in time for me.
1. A Tribe Called Quest -We Got it From Here Thank You 4 Your Service
An astonishing release. I had no idea Tribe Called Quest had even been recording, especially given that Phife Dawg died earlier this year. This came out of nowhere and whilst I thought it would be decent enough I didn't expect it to be as good as it is. Its an absolute classic. There are phenomenal performances throughout, Q-Tip is absolutely mesmeric giving his everything, perhaps knowing that this would be their curtain call. Hearing them on Dis Generation trading verses and rapping over each other sounding every bit as good as in their early 90's peak is an absolute joy. Phife gives is his all too, sounding at times as powerful as he used to. Busta Ryhmes does a great job too, appearing on quite a few songs probably plugging some gaps left by Phifes untimely departure. So happy that they managed to get it together for one last hurrah.
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Post by Columbia_rocks_man on Jan 3, 2017 18:47:07 GMT
Hey Barny! Stop attempting to extract gold from the Aztec Empire / overthrowing the Franco regime / attending a Juan Carlos hunting trip and get compiling the final list!
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