Best Music of 2016

Anything music related. Latest songs, good new bands, and blasts from the past.

Moderators: Buscemi, BarcaRulz, Geezer, W

User avatar
Leestu
Ratzo Rizzo
Posts: 1652
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 11:46 pm
Location: Western Australia

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Leestu »

Hah! Going from listening to Marching Church to Pop 1280 was like going from Nick Cave to the Birthday Party. Awesome! Gave me a chuckle. Loved the Pop 1280 song, I'm looking forward to listening to that album.
Heard all the songs now and enjoying them all. Sun Kil Moon was fascinating. I usually enjoy his lyrics and the way he seems to just be telling us his thoughts.

User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by numbersix »

Album #7
Savages: Adore Life



The all-girl rock band steps up their game with their second album. Singer Jenny Beth is more passionate, her lyrics more targeted and intense, allowing her to embrace her rock-star confidence, while Gemma Thompson remains one of the best guitarists around with her memorable if not downright kick-ass licks and riffs. Adore is a truly stunning and rousing piece of music, acting as the transcendent and life-affirming centre-piece of the album, demonstrating the whole record's bravery and ambition.


Track #7
James Blake: Love Me in Whatever Way



James Blake's latest album was critically acclaimed, but was perhaps too long for me, but it had plenty of highlights, particularly this track, which utilises a gentle heart-beat rhythm with Blake's soulful, enhanced voice doing what it does better.
Last edited by numbersix on December 26th, 2016, 7:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Leestu
Ratzo Rizzo
Posts: 1652
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 11:46 pm
Location: Western Australia

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Leestu »

Album #7

Pinegrove "Cardinal"

https://open.spotify.com/album/4GVt0I5nW2x8BGOSdmA921

This album has been getting a little bit of buzz this year and deservedly so. When I finished listening to it I immediately wanted to play it again, and it just kept getting better each listen. Americana influenced indie rock, with good, earnest lyrics and great vocal style. It's a nice compact album (8 songs) neatly book-ended by the 2 best songs starting with Old Friends, and finishing with New Friends. Aphasia, and Size of the Moon are also great.

Old Friends


Song #7

Good Boy "Poverty Line"

https://open.spotify.com/track/4fQZhSzCeOz1iusc2Eadq1

Does anyone remember Eddy Current Suppression Ring? These guys obviously do. They even got Mikey Young (from Eddy Current and Total Control) to produce this infectious lo fi punk song that has a very Australian attitude and sound.


User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by numbersix »

Album #6
Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool



This came as a bit of a surprise. I had given up on Radiohead for quite some time, their last two albums in particular doing very little for me outside of the occasional track. A Moon Shaped Pool feels so much fresher. Maybe it's the more personal topics used by Thom Yorke, particularly the break-up of his long-term relationship (which took on a tragic side this month when Yorke's ex died from cancer), which enabled him to write more concrete and relatable lyrics and preventing him from relying on the irony that arguably distanced him so much from everyone. Or maybe the band just found new wind using different tactics, such as the bossanova in Present Tense or the krautrock in Identikit, or Johnny Greenwood's composer techniques. Regardless, it's a record that has resurrected my teenage passion for all things Radiohead, old and new.



Track #6
Thee Oh Sees: Dead Man's Gun



Thee Oh Sees have a habit of kicking off each album with its best track, and the tradition continues with their strong release this year, A Weird Exits. This track demonstrates what these guys do best - screwed up garage rock with boundless energy.

User avatar
Leestu
Ratzo Rizzo
Posts: 1652
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 11:46 pm
Location: Western Australia

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Leestu »

Album #6

Camp Cope "Camp Cope"

https://open.spotify.com/album/1aSklZ1OtFMMO69L7rWzlv

A stunning debut album. An amazing, powerful voice and emotionally evocative lyrics that are both personal and socially conscious.



Song #6

Cable Ties "Same For Me"

Some great riot grrrl influenced punk rock!


User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by numbersix »

Album #5
Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial



Guitar music may not be as big or as important as it used to be, so it's heartening to see some kids still embrace it until the cycle starts all over again. Car Seat Headrest's first proper album is brimming with great ideas, with Will Toledo delivering impassioned lyrics about the energy of youth, the difficulties and struggles of feeling so damn much (from joy to depression), and trying to find a way forward. Backing him is music that takes its influences from Pavement, The Flaming Lips, The New Pornographers, Modest Mouse, etc, with a strong ear for hooks, even if the tracks last for 11 minutes. And if you ever have a chance to see them live, don't hesitate.


Track #5
Iggy Pop: Sunday



It wasn't just Bowie who made a comeback this year. Iggy released possibly his strongest work since the 70s. Why? Because he teamed up with Josh Homme to produce, who injected some of his trademark kick-ass QOTSA guitar work. This is my favourite song, an ode to the laziest day of the weak, and has a Stones-like groove courtesy of Dean Fertita's (also from QOTSA) bass-work.

User avatar
JohnErle
Snake Plissken
Posts: 2905
Joined: October 22nd, 2009, 4:01 am
Contact:

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by JohnErle »

I guess it's time for me to jump in.

#5: Nice As Fuck - Self-Titled

Jenny Lewis & friends deliver a short but sweet album full of infectious, 80s-tinged pop. Their very first gig was at a Bernie Sanders rally, so hopefully they don't end up in jail like Pussy Riot.

Nice As Fuck - Door


Nice As Fuck - Angel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXx0b8q4ciY

User avatar
silversurfer19
John Rambo
Posts: 7726
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 3:34 pm
Location: pretty much the ass end of the universe

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by silversurfer19 »

Sorry guys, fell a little behind it seems!

10. Future Of The Left, 'The Peace And Truth Of Future Of The Left'
As a huge fan of Mclusky (many of my friends have been the subject of me shoving Mclusky Do Dallas down their throats over the years - you know who you are) this is the closest FOTL have sounded to them since Falco disbanded his former band and set up this new incarnation almost a decade ago. And it sounds fantastic! The bass is heavier than ever before. The lyrics, in their frustration at the world, are biting while still maintaining their humour. TFOL sound even more vital than ever!



9. Omni, 'Deluxe'
While many bands of this century have been crippled by the weight of nostalgia when crafting songs inspired by acts gone by, Atlanta supergroup Omni seem to have embraced them, while still managing to sound like themselves. Using post-punk as a starting point, and more specifically the work of Television and The Feelies, Omni take off from there and have created an addictive and instant record filled with catchy melodies and chord twists and turns. It sounds a mix of nostalgia and something very modern, just the way music should be harnessed.



8. Ed Harcourt, 'Furnaces'
It's been more than 15 years since Harcourt broke onto the scene with 'Here Be Monsters', and while in the subsequent years he's produced steady, decent records, 'Furnaces' seems to have finally provided him with his definitive record. He promised this would be his 'angry' album, and Harcourt certainly delivers, as he proclaims his dismay of society today as 'The world is on fire'. Its a powerful and arresting record feeling like a contemporary of Tom Waits or Nick Cave, with his vocals their strongest ever. In a world where many singer songwriters are afraid to really go for the gut, its heartening to know Ed Harcourt is still out there making this kind of music.



7. Wild Beasts, 'Boy King'
While it's predecessor Present Tense hinted at a move further into the realm of electronics and synths from their guitar based beginnings, 'Boy King' finds Wild Beasts removing the shackles, amping it up to the max, and it results in the band being re-born. The core elements still exist, with the falsetto-baritone play-off between vocalists Hayden Thorpe and Tom Fleming as prominent as ever, but this is much, much bigger than anything they've attempted previously. It fits such a sexually charged album, as they embrace their carnal impulses and go for the jugular. And what results is a celebratory record that has burrowed itself into my head for the past few months, and will continue to do so for a long time to come.



6. Savages, 'Adore Life'
The follow up to their debut is a much more varied record, as they have looked to explore styles while maintaining the visceral power and ferocity of 'Silence Yourself'. The rhythm section is propulsive, the guitar lines screech, and Jehnny Beth's vocals provide more clarity the ever before. It adds up to a confident sophmore effort that promises more for the future.



5. Angel Olsen, 'My Woman'
Olsen has been on my radar for a couple of years now, with 'Burn Your Fire For No Witness' making my list a couple of years ago, but this new record is a huge leap forward. It shows a real maturity in her song writing as she embraces her feminine side, while sonically the immediacy of the first half of the record draws you in before she explores much bolder sounds on the flip side. It a beautifully structured album, and one that I found myself returning to more and more as I became immersed in it. Definitely worth your time, despite the length of a couple of the songs.


User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by numbersix »

John, haven't listened to your #5 but that's a pretty damn great name for a band.

Surf, welcome! Future of the Left is a band I never knew about, but I'm actually going to see them play with The Fall as part of an all-day gig. Looking forward to it.

Album #4
Angel Olsen: My Woman




That voice. It's one of the most stunning I've heard. It sounds both young and old, channelling the past and the present equally. While her previous album channeled the 50s, 60s, and 90s, this new record takes from the 70s in terms of folk, country-rock, and perhaps a dash of prog. That shouldn't work for me, but it does, because of that damned voice, and because of Olsen's painfully honest lyrics (like when she questions her ex's affection for her because it reminds him of his mother). She is without doubt one of the most exciting new solo musicians of this decade, and even better live.


Track #4
G.L.O.S.S: We Live




When everything feel fucked, sometimes the only response is to scream. And that's what GLOSS do so well, being a hardcore punk act comprised of transgender members, acting as a voice for those "parched for love and cast aside". Sadly they broke up this year, intentionally defying media hype and expectations, leaving only 2 EPs and probably memories of some terrifyingly brillliant shows.

User avatar
JohnErle
Snake Plissken
Posts: 2905
Joined: October 22nd, 2009, 4:01 am
Contact:

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by JohnErle »

#4: The Tragically Hip - Man Machine Poem

The Hip are icons in Canada, but their peak years were in the 90s, so many of us, myself included, have been guilty of taking them for granted ever since. But after eccentric frontman and enigmatic lyricist Gord Downie announced that he had terminal brain cancer (!) 2016 in Canada became a Tragically Hip love-fest. Their farewell tour sold out in roughly six minutes thanks to scumbag ticket re-sellers who are far more deserving of cancer, so the CBC chipped in and decided to broadcast the band's final, hometown show live and uncensored to a huge audience. The Hip's final album is a far cry from their best, but under the circumstances it's more than good enough to crack my top 5.

In A World Possessed By The Human Mind


Tired As Fuck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVmMHxaHwX0

Maybe NAF should cover this one?

User avatar
Leestu
Ratzo Rizzo
Posts: 1652
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 11:46 pm
Location: Western Australia

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Leestu »

Album #5

Stonefield "As Above, So Below"

https://open.spotify.com/album/2bBVTQ0UEpXXsMJaG2AGSQ

I'm guessing these four sisters probably grew up listening to their parents record collection a lot. It's heavy riff driven rock with bits of stoner rock, grunge, 70's rock chick, psychedelia, and a dash of shoegaze, but still has a modern sound to it. Their first album showed some potential and on this, their second album, they got the blend right and have improved their song writing. They have made a really great, under rated album here. Great to see live, the petite singer, who is also the drummer, belting out her powerful vocals while drumming away is phenomenal. Changes is a great example of the sound of this album, and my favourite track, but also check out Eyes, the track where she really lets herself go and displays her fantastic vocal abilities, the album opener Sister, and Love.

Changes


Song #5

The Last Shadow Puppets "Bad Habits"

https://open.spotify.com/track/6EKYWncUUd27zYTA7gp5aL

What this song does with those strings just grabbed my attention immediately. An interesting song that rocks out but is also catchy, this was my favourite song for a while at the start of the year.


User avatar
Leestu
Ratzo Rizzo
Posts: 1652
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 11:46 pm
Location: Western Australia

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Leestu »

Album #4

Thee Oh Sees "A Weird Exits"

Another year, another brilliant Thee Oh Sees album. This seems to be their trippiest mind fuck music yet, and I just keep on enjoying that ride. This was always a top 10 album of the year for me, but later when they released the companion album An Odd Entrances (with tracks like Jammed Exit similarly kraut rock influenced as Jammed Entrance, Unwrap The Fiend Part 1 to go along with Part 2, and epic album closers) it became a top 5 album. Every time I listened to one of them I had to listen to the other, they go so well together, and it didn't matter which was first. Either An Odd Entrances was like the starting act before the main performance, or a long encore after it.
As I'm sure I've said before I'm a sucker for epic album closers and I love Dwyer's fascinating warped take on a ...ummm...ballad? Took me by surprise first listen, an awesome way to end the album.

The Axis



Song #4

The Gooch Palms "Ask Me Why"

https://open.spotify.com/track/6lSMFKE2IYvMML084Rl7nG

My go to feel good fun song of the year. There's always one.


User avatar
Leestu
Ratzo Rizzo
Posts: 1652
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 11:46 pm
Location: Western Australia

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Leestu »

I listened to the Pill album. Really enjoyed it! Medicine is a great song, and I also liked Bad Boys, and Love & Other Liquids, on first listen.

User avatar
numbersix
Darth Vader
Posts: 11545
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 2:34 pm

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by numbersix »

Glad you dig it, Leetsu!

Album #3
Swans: The Glowing Man




This is the final album for the current incarnation of Swans, one which produced 4 stunning albums of droning, clanging, intense beauty and insane industrial blues, making it one of the greatest "comebacks" in music history. This double record emphasises more on the drone and the use of atmospherics, gradually building to explosive climaxes, littered with briefer moments of rhythm which balances the 2 hour duration. There's darkness in tracks like When Will I Return, lead singer Michael Gira's wife's account of a sexual assault she experienced, offering an experience of disgust but also catharsis. The finale, Finally Peace, is elatory, finishing a phase in the most perfect way.


Track #3
Hamilton Leihauser and Rostam: In A Blackout




This year wasn't just the year Bowie died. Leonard Cohen also passed away, leaving behind a legacy that spanned 6 decades. And his music lives on, particularly on this track from the collaboration between the Walkmen singer and the Vampire Weekend drummer. It's a beautiful, delicate song about a past love that flowers out at just the right moment, with Leithauser's raspy Rod Stewart-like voice soaring.

User avatar
Leestu
Ratzo Rizzo
Posts: 1652
Joined: October 21st, 2009, 11:46 pm
Location: Western Australia

Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Leestu »

Album #3

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard "Nonagon Infinity"

https://open.spotify.com/album/6dioKFPZ0I2iZ3PXX1LlUb

King Gizzard's eighth album has been designed to listen to on a continuous loop, with the end of each song leading into the start of the next. (see http://nonagoninfinity.com/ for a taste of this as the album is permanently playing there). Lyrics, riffs, and ideas are frequently reoccurring in various songs, and while this all may sound like it would make for a boring, repetitive record the opposite is true. They have managed to successfully pull off this ambitious idea (I think they first experimented a bit with this idea on the first four songs of the I'm In Your Mind Fuzz album - I'm In Your Mind, I'm Not In Your Mind, Cellophane, and I'm In Your Mind Fuzz) and created an immensely fun, highly energetic album with nine great distinct songs. Evil Death Roll is the centrepiece of the album, and probably my favourite song to dance along to at their live shows (I've seen them live 3 times in the last 13 months, and in 10 days time I'm seeing them again for the 4th time. One of those was at their own 2nd annual psych rock festival called Gizzfest that they have created, and curated, and tours the nation) but their videos are also a lot of fun so enjoy this visual and aural treat.

People-Vultures


Song #3

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard "Rattlesnake"

https://open.spotify.com/track/1dHdjWhWYFzsPQdS6pprYO

Because you can never have too much King Gizzard, as they are going to prove in 2017 when they are planning to release four albums, plus possibly a collaborative album with someone else, as yet announced who that might be with. All this while seeming to tour continuously, and as previously mentioned host and run their own festival. Possibly the busiest guys in rock and roll at the moment. This is the first single (they don't seem to mind a bit of a jam every now and again) off their next album Flying Microtonal Banana, due to be released in February,. On this album they apparently explored the concept of microtones and have even had their instruments designed and built specifically to achieve this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-i1XZc8ZwA&t=2s

Post Reply