Best Music of 2016

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

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Leestu
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Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Leestu »

numbersix wrote: ....Leets, nice post about Car Seat Headrest. Have you caught them live? I saw them at a fest in Portugal during the summer, and was blown away by how crazy the crowd were about them. Great show. I suppose the only reason it's not my #1 is because I feel the album is too long. Not sure if it's intentional, but due to streaming sites bands make more money if their albums have more tracks (maybe that's why the albums of James Blake, Kanye, DIIV, Solange, etc have too many), which is diluting the quality....
Thanks Six, I wasn't being rude, somehow I missed seeing this post and have only just seen it now when I came here to ramble on about a few of the selections. I am going to see Car Seat Headrest in 3 Sundays time. Really excited about it. Unfortunately it's part of a festival and they are not doing any sideshows this side of the country so it will probably only be a 30 or 40 minute set, but there was no way I was missing seeing them and I will take whatever I can get. The album might be a bit long but not too long, and hey...Swans, the Glowing Man??? I often listen to a whole album on my drive to work. I got a song and a half into that album and I was there! :lol: It took 2 days there and back to get through the whole album. I had been meaning to listen to this album but hadn't gotten around to it. It's always an experience listening to their albums but I rarely do it more than once per album. Frankie M was the pick of the album for me, and Cloud of Unknowing was also good.

I have now listened to most of these albums and all of the songs. Some I had already heard and are in my collection, and may have been in my top 25 if I had done one like Surfer, namely Preoccupations (not as good as their last album), Parquet Courts (again not as good as some of their others, but still good, and Berlin Got Blurry is brilliant - they played quite a few of these songs when I saw them a couple of weeks ago, but sadly nothing from Sunbathing Animal, their best album, a few from Light Up Gold though so that was awesome), Savages, Iggy Pop, DIIV, Omni. Some I had already heard once but never went back - Angel Olsen (like her last album she just doesn't click with me), and Mitski (although I did really like the song Your Best American Girl and listened to that multiple times throughout the year).

I already had Shearwater in my collection to get around to listening to but never did. Now I have and I will again. It was pretty good - my "ïf you like this you should also check out..." recommendation is City Calm Down, one of my top 10 from last year...similar Joy Division/New Order/The National vibe.

Had not heard ANOHNI before but great song!. Didn't like the album as much but I've given the song quite a few spins since hearing it.

Sad to hear about the singer of The Tragically Hip, a band who I seem to have always known of but never really listened to before. Liked those two songs a lot, and the rest of the album wasn't too bad. His presence on stage reminded me of Mercury Rev a bit.

The Wild Beasts album surprised me because I didn't really like their last two but this one I enjoyed. I got a similar vibe and feeling to Big Scary, my #8 album, but you know.. not as good ;) and not as varied.

It wasn't posted in this thread but I gotta say I liked the album by Nothing, who I had never heard of, a lot. That was my 3rd favourite find from this after Pill (Six - my "if you like this..." recommendation is Jaala - jazz influenced genre bending punk(?) with an enigmatic female vocalist, like nothing I've ever heard before - you should check out the songs Salt Shaker, Ticket, Hard Hold or wtf why not..the whole album).
And best find - Ray LaMontagne.

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Geezer
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Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Geezer »

I just posted my top 10 on my facebook, if anyone is interested.
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man. - The Dude

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Leestu
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Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Leestu »

It would be great if you could also list them here for easy reference.

The Pup album is really good! I like it more than their debut. DVP got played heaps in our house. The first four songs on the album are all great. Easy to keep listening to when it starts like that.
I started listening to Jeff Rosenstock from your top 10 last year (and Sorority Noise - fantastic album!). Worry is a great album. Good songs, interesting lyrics, and the second half of the album with all the short songs running into each other is well done.
My 15 year old son is a huge Green Day fan (we got him tickets to see them live in April for his Christmas present) and Revolution Radio was his favourite album of the year so I've heard it quite a bit. It's surprisingly a really good return to form.
I had been planning to check out the Joyce Manor album soon because I've been liking Last You Heard Of Me, which has been getting some airplay here lately.
Haven't heard the others but I'll probably get around to it.

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Geezer
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Re: Best Music of 2016

Post by Geezer »

Thanks for checking them out! Here they are, copied from there. Glad you like some of the stuff! I agree that the first four songs on the PUP album are great, but to me, it does fall off quite a bit after that. They're awesome live too! Check them out if you get the chance. I'm going to see Green day in March for the first time (and Against Me! is actually opening). I'm excited!


10. Joyce Manor - Cody
A decent record from a decent band, not spectacular, I'v never been able to really get into them, but their best work to date, I think.
"Fake I.D."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01dmtGIwSs8

9. Brian Fallon - Painkillers
This seems like a good spot for Brian Fallon's solo debut. It's like Gaslight Anthem, if they only did the mellow stuff. Which isn't bad, its just not the greatness of where they used to be.
"A Wonderful Life"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9f5PrL7uvA

8. The Lippies - The Lippies
I spend a lot of time putting together this list every year so I can discover new music I may have missed. That definitely happened with this band. Unfortunately, I discovered them after they've already broken up. It's a real shame because this album showed a lot of potential. This song rips!:
"302"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMZ4wD3kSJU

7. PUP - The Dream is Over
While not quite as good as their debut record, this one is still pretty darn good. One of the highlights:
"If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I will"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IM472k0Md8

6. Against Me! - Shapeshift With Me
AM! has a song titled "Even at Our Worst, We're Still Better Than Most." That's pretty damn true. Usually when they put out a new album, I expect it to top this list, but this isn't even close to their best work, and honestly a let down coming off the exceptional "Transgender Dysphoria Blues." However, they are still awesome, and this might be the song of the year:
"Rebecca"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zy69S-bjJE

5. Tiny Moving Parts - Celebrate
I don't listen to a ton of emo pop-punk, but I do get the occasional feel for it, and these guys are standouts for me. Originally saw them open for Modern Baseball in 2015, and they were great live, and eventually put out a better record than their headliner in 2016! Not a bad song on here, really, I'll go with this one:
Tiny Moving Parts - "Headache"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jPvFO3JUQw

4. Green Day - Revolution Radio
Part one of the "turn back the clock" section of this countdown, these next two albums are from bands I have loved my whole life that put out their best record in over a decade. Welcome back, Green Day. I can't wait to see you for the first time in March! I'll go with something that isn't a single:
Green Day - "Too Dumb To Die"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNhOja57Pvc

3. Blink-182 - California
Who knew Blink wasn't done? Adding Matt Skiba to the band may have been the best thing that could have happened to them, because this album is actually really freaking great. So refreshing to see from one of my favorite bands of all time. Again, I'll forego the singles, even though they are great:
Blink-182 - "San Diego"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElfQywwdpD0

2. Direct Hit! - Wasted Mind
Direct Hit! are fast becoming one of my favorite bands, following up their album "Brainless God" (number 3 on my 2013 list) with another extremely great record. I've seen them 3 times now, and don't intend to miss them any time their in town. Phenomenal album from a truly standout band. I can't choose just one song, here's the whole album:
Direct Hit! - "Wasted Mind"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZBj6BSj-eM

And finally, my number one album. This was never really a contest, honestly. As great as some of the others were, this album was on an entirely different level. It is truly one of the greatest records I've ever heard. I've been talking up this guy's music since I first heard "We Cool?" in 2015 and it came in number three for the year. With "Worry," Jeff Rosenstock outdid himself and that record in every way, creating a true masterpiece. Ever original, always addicting. And he's even better live! Here it is:
1. Jeff Rosenstock - "Worry"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM897NJ0jLo&t=711s
Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man. - The Dude

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