2016 Albums • Page 17

Update.

 

372. Ariana Grande - Christmas Kisses (2013)
373. Cashmere Cat - Wild Love (2016?)
374. Fifth Harmony - 7/27 (2016)
375. Hailey, It Happens - Hailey, It Happens (2016)
376. Omar Rodríguez-López - Nom De Guerre Cabal (2016)
377. The Narrative - Golden Silence (2016)
378. Kelly Clarkson - Wrapped in Red (2013)

 

@Craig Manning Have you heard Hiss Golden Messenger? 'Heart Like a Levee' is his album released this year, and I think you'd dig it.

 

Yeah, I dig it! I haven't spent enough time with it yet, but there are some really good songs on Levee. I'm especially fond of "Biloxi."

 

Well, looks like I just hit the single-post character limit too. So here's a continuation of my list.

725. Seán Keane – A Portrait: Best of 1993–2003 [2006] ++
726. Seán Keane – New Day Dawning [2016] ++
727. Powerwolf – Preachers of the Night [2013] +
728. Powerwolf – Bible of the Beast [2009] +
729. Powerwolf – Lupus Dei [2007] +
730. Natalie Walker – No One Else EP [2006] ++
731. Natalie Walker – Quicksand EP [2006] ++
732. Natalie Walker – Urban Angel [2006] ++
733. Natalie Walker – Over & Under EP [2008] ++
734. Natalie Walker – Pink Neon EP [2008] ++
735. Natalie Walker – With You [2008] ++
736. Natalie Walker – Natalie Walker Live at the Bunker EP [2009] ++
737. Madita – Madita [2005] +
738. Madita – Too [2008] +
739. Madita – Because EP [2008] +
740. Madita – iTunes Live: Berlin Festival EP [2008] +
741. Hiza:ki – Dance With Grace EP [2009] +
742. Kamijo – Moulin Rouge EP [2014] +
743. Kamijo – Heart [2014] ++
744. Rie a.k.a. Suzaku – Dreaming Eyes [2012] ++
745. Versailles Philharmonic Quintet – Destiny: The Lovers EP [2010] +
746. Versailles Philharmonic Quintet – Rose EP [2012] +
747. Versailles Philharmonic Quintet – Versailles [2012] ++
748. Gabriella Cilmi – Lessons to be Learned [2009] ++
749. Gabriella Cilmi – iTunes Live: London Festival '08 EP [2008] ++
750. Powerwolf – Return in Bloodred [2005] +
751. dodie – Intertwined EP [2016] +
752. Stream of Passion – Memento [2016] ++
753. Ruth B. – The Intro EP [2015] +
754. Deirdre & the Dark – Curious Parcel EP [2011] ++
755. Kyla La Grange – Ashes [2012] ++
756. Walwin – Sleepless [2015] ++
757. The Gospel Youth – Empires EP [2015] ++
758. That Poppy – Bubblebath EP [2016] +
759. Bridgit Mendler – Hello My Name Is... [2012] +
760. Gabriella Cilmi – The Sting [2013] ++
761. Madita – Pacemaker [2010] ++
762. Powerwolf – The Metal Mass: Live [2016] +
763. Sabaton – Heroes on Tour [2016] ++
764. Beach House – Teen Dream [2010] +
765. Gabrielle Aplin – Miss You EP [2016] ++
766. School of Seven Bells – My Cabal EP [2007] ++
767. Sleeping Wolf – The Dark EP [2015] ++
768. Sleep On It – Lost Along the Way EP [2016] ++
769. FigureItOut – Nothing to Lose EP [2015] ++
770. Woes – Woes EP [2016] +
771. Bright Green – The Highs Are Getting Lower EP [2016] +
772. Us the Duo – Public Record EP [2016] +
773. Alex Goot – Alex Goot & Friends, Vol. 4 [2015] +
774. Shane Harper – Like I Did EP [2016] +
775. I Prevail – Lifelines [2016] ++
776. As A Conceit – Ebb/Flow EP [2014] *
777. Ruelle – Madness [2016] ++
778. Maty Noyes – Noyes Complaint EP [2016] ++
779. Sound Storm – Vertigo [2016] ++
780. Tengger Cavalry – Cavalry in Thousands [2016] +
781. Francobollo – Wonderful EP [2016] ++
782. BAND-MAID – Yolo EP [2016] ++
783. Woodes – Woodes EP [2016] ++

 

284. Tides From Nebula - Safehaven +
285. Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Corazones *
286. Spain - Carolina *
287. Feels - Feels *
288. Bayside - Vacancy *
289. They Might Be Giants - Phone Power *
290. Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Arañas en la sombra *
291. Band of Horses - Why Are You OK *
292. Corinne Bailey Rae - The Heart Speaks in Whispers +
293. Omar Rodriguez Lopez - Blind Worms, Pious Swine *
294. Young Magic - Still Life *
295. Our Next Movement - 119 *
296. Climbing Trees - Borders +
297. Moon Hooch - Red Sky +
298. William Bell - This Is Where I Live +
299. Brooklyn Attractors - Move +
300. Moss of Aura - We'll All Collide +

 

379. Kid Cudi - Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' (2016)
380. Twenty One Pilots - TOPxMM (2016)
381. Jaymay - Fallin' Like Snow (2016)
382. Jeremih & Chance - Merry Christmas Lil' Mama (2016)
383. Roy Woods - Nocturnal (2016)

 

214. OYASUMI HOLOGRAM - ... ++
215. Nagi Yanagi - follow my tracks +
216. Steady Holiday - under the influence +
217. Crying - beyond the fleeting gales +
218. Crystal Castles - Amnesty (I) +
219. Honeyblood - babes never die +
220. A Tribe Called Quest - we got it from here... thank you 4 your service +
221. never young beach - fam fam ++
222. Posture & The Grizzly - I am Satan +
223. Wednesday Campanella - UMA ++
224. Enemies - Valuables +
225. For Tracy Hyde - Film Bleu ++
226. En mo Takenawa - Yuigon Zakura ++
227. JYOCHO - a prayer in vain ++

 

I know I've listened to more than this, but this is all I have documented. It's hard to keep track of albums I didn't like.


1. Daughter “Not to Disappear” ++
2. Wet “Don’t You” +
3. St. Lucia “Matter” ++
4. Eliot Sumner “Information” +
5. River Oaks “River Oaks EP” +
6. Panic! At The Disco- Death of a Bachelor -
7. Savages “Adore Life” *
8. Florist “The Birds Outside Sang” -
9. Walking on Cars “Everything This Way” +
10. Anchor & Braille “Songs for the Late Night Drive Home” +
11. Porches “Pools” ++
12. The Jezabels “Synthia” +
13. Basement “Promise Everything” *
14. Pinegrove “Cardinal” ++
15. Postiljonen “Reverie” +
16. Jack Garratt “Phase” ++
17. Josef Salvat “Night Swim” *
18. Can’t Swim “Death Deserves a Name EP” -
19. Ra Ra Riot “Need Your Light” +
20. The 1975 “I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it” ++
21. XYLO “America EP” *
22. Grayscale “What We’re Missing” -
23. DIIV “Is the Is Are” *
24. Wakey! Wakey! “Overractivist” *
25. Wild Nothing “Life of Pause” -
26. Friends in America “Be in Love EP” *
27. Lapsley “Long Way Home” +
28. Birdy “Beautiful Lies” ++
29. Radical Face “The Family Tree: The Leaves” +
30. AURORA - “All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend” *
31. Cardiknox “Portrait” -
32. Daywave “Hard to Read EP” +
33. Miiike Snow “iii” +
34. ROMP “Departure From Venus” -
35. Slingshot Dakota “Break” *
36. POLICA “United Crushers” +
37. Brian Fallon “Painkillers” *
38. Polyenso “Pure in the Plastic” +
39. The Range “Potential” +
40. Lights “Midnight Machines” +
41. The Lumineers “Cleopatra” +
42. Dowsing “Okay” -
43. John the Ghost “Sincerely, John the Ghost” *
44. M83 “Junk” -
45. Tancred “Out of the Garden” *
46. James Blake “The Colour In Anything” ++
47. RY X “Dawn” ++
48. Modern Baseball “Holy Ghost” +
49. Flume “Skin” +
50. Thrice “To be Everywhere is to be Nowhere” ++
51. PUP “The Dream is Over” +
52. LUH “Spiritual Songs for Lovers to Sing” *
53. Saosin “Along the Shadow” ++
54. Verite “Living EP” -
55. Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties “Bittersweet” +
56. Brand New - “3 Demos, Reworked” ++
57. Elohim “Self Titled” *
58. Gordi “Clever Disguise EP” ++
59. Tegan and Sara “Love You to Death” ++
60. Jon Bellion “The Human Condition” *
61. Tiny Moving Parts “Celebrate” +
62. LANY “kinda EP” ++
63. Zealyn “Limbic System” ++
64. letlive “If I’m the Devil…” -
65. Michael Barr “Back Home” +
66. Son Lux “Stranger Forms” *
67. Broods “Conscious” +
68. Deer Leap “Impermanence” +
69. Blink-182 - California *
70. Beartooth “Aggressive” *
71. Shura “Nothing’s Real” +
72. Emarosa “131” ++
73. Hail the Sun “Culture Scars” *
74. Night Verses “Into the Vanishing Light” +
75. Trade Wind “You Make Everything Disappear” +
76. Boys Night Out “Black Dogs EP” -
77. Troye Sivan “Blue Neighbourhood” *
78. IYES “History EP” *
79. Relient K “Air for Free” *
80. The Starting Line “Always” +
81. Depatures “Death Touches Us, From the Moment We Begin To Love” +
82. Young the Giant “Home of the Strange” +
83. Benjamin Francis Leftwich “After the Rain” +
84. James Vincent McMorrow “We Move” +
85. Bayside “Vacancy” * / +
86. Moose Blood “Blush” ++
87. Haley Bonar “Impossible Dream” -
88. Work Drugs “Method Acting” +
89. A Day to Remember “Bad Vibrations” +
90. Local Natives “Sunlit Youth” ++
91. Keaton Henson “Kindly Now” ++
92. Against Me! “Shape Shift With Me” -
93. This Wild Life “Low Tides” +
94. Touche Amore - Stage Four” ++
95. How to Dress Well “Care” ++
96. Francis and the Lights “Farewell, Starlite!” ++
97. Bon Iver “22, a Million” +++
98. Banks “The Alter” +++
99. Yellowcard “Self Titled” +
100. Taking Back Sunday “Tidal Waves” +
101. HalfNoise “Sudden Feeling” ++
102. Anthony Green “Pixie Queen” +
103. Slaughter Beach, Dog “Welcome” *
104. Paper Route “Real Emotion” -
105. Handsome Ghost “The Brilliant Glow” +
106. Microwave “Much Love” +
107. The Head and The Heart “Signs of Light” +
108. The Comfort “Love EP” +
109. Joyce Manor “Cody” *
110. Balance and Composure “Light We Made” +
111. Lewis Del Mar - “Lewis Del Mar” *
112. American Football “LP2” +
113. Two Tongues “Two Tongues” -
114. The Naked & Famous “Simple Forms” +
115. From Indian Lakes “Everything Feels Better Now” +
116. Passenger “Young as the Morning, Old as the Sea” *
117. Jimmy Eat World “Integrity Blues” ++
118. Tyler Glenn “Excommunication” -
119. Finch “Phantasma 2015 Demos” +
120. Agnes Obel “Citizen of Glass” +
121. All Get Out “Nobody Likes A Quitter” +
122. Tove Lo “Lady Wood” +
123. The Racer “Giant” +
124. Night Riots “Love Gloom” +
125. Two Door Cinema Club “Gameshow” +
126. The Japanese House “Swim Against the Tide EP” ++

 

Top Albums of 2016
30. Tycho - Epoch 29. Taking Back Sunday - Tidal Wave 28. Aesop Rock - The Impossible Kid 27. Anderson .Paak - Malibu 26. The Underachievers - It Happened In Flatbush 25. ZHU - Generationwhy 24. O’Brother - Endless Light 23. Classixx - Faraway Reach 22. Childish Gambino - “Awaken, My Love” 21. Flume - Skin 20. James Blake - The Colour In Anything 19. Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered. 18. Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book 17. Jagwar Ma - Every Now & Then 16. The Weeknd - Starboy 15. Phantogram - Three 14. The Lumineers - Cleopatra 13. Gallant - Ology 12. Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow 11. Drake - Views 10. Jimmy Eat World - Integrity Blues 9. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool 8. The 1975 - I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It 7. M83 - Junk 6. Kanye West - The Life of Pablo 5. Frank Ocean - Blonde 4. Moderat - III 3. Bon Iver - 22, A Million 2. A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service 1. blink-182 - California



[I know what you’re thinking, blink-182 couldn’t possibly have been the best album of the year. And you know what, you’re probably right. It was more of a nostalgic, 100% bias, I don’t care what you think decision than any other. One of those albums where if I was ever stumped on what to listen to, ‘California’ always came to mind. It brings you back to the Blink we all grew up listening to. It had some ‘Take Off Your Pants...” moments with the rock anthem “She’s Out of Her Mind”, it had pop-punk jumpers from ‘Enema...’ with “Kings of the Weekend” and even some fast-tempo, old-school punk rock Blink from their early “Cheshire Cat” days. The album doesn’t say much so if you’re looking for a tear-jerker this one isn’t for you. But it does give you a sense of the happy go-lucky, teenager party rock that we all missed from Blink. Tribe’s album was such a refreshing surprise this year in the realm of hip-hop. It’s full of unblemished offerings that were heard on previous records. The album is double-wrapped in message, it has a lot to say which holds true in the world we currently live in. Listen up. And of course Bon Iver made the list. Though I was a little hesitant at first listen because of the overall strange and weirdness of the record (it is REALLY strange). It falls as one of my favorite albums in his collection. I’m sure most of you have not heard of Moderat. They’re a 3 piece electronic project from Germany but don’t let that scare you off, they’re at #4 for a reason.]
Honorable Mentions
Miike Snow - iii GRiZ - Good Times Will Prevail Every Time I Die - Low Teens Explosions in the Sky - Wilderness Deftones - Gore Kings of Leon - WALLS 65daysofstatic - No Man’s Sky Travis Scott - Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight Umphrey’s McGee - Zonkey Thrice - To Be Everywhere Is Nowhere
[Another list of great albums that failed to crack the top 30, but don’t consider them failures. I still give these albums plenty of listens and so should you. There is a little of something for everyone here.]
Best EP’s of 2016
5. Boombox - Bits & Pieces 4. The Starting Line - Anyways 3. Holy Ghost! - Crime Cutz 2. The Black and the White - My Heart is Compromised 1. Vince Staples - Prima Donna

[It saddens me to know that this will be the last true Boombox record as Russ Randolph will be leaving the group after the NYE shows here in Denver. I have really admired how much work those guys put in and their effort to consistently visit Colorado. We love them and they love us. When As Tall As Lions broke up I thought I would never hear their beautiful sound again, luckily, some members of the band formed The Black and the White and every now and then you can hear old reminiscences of ATAL. If Vince Staples put out an album with all of these songs on them it would probably be in my top 5. He’s a clever guy with a overwhelming understanding of socioeconomic culture.]
Most Disappointing Albums of 2016
10. The Dear Hunter - Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional 9. Banks - The Altar 8. POLICA - United Crusher 7. Justice - Woman 6. The Naked and Famous - Simple Forms 5. Say Anything - I Don’t Think It Is 4. SBTRKT - SAVE YOURSELF 3. Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition 2. Brand New 1. Saosin - Along The Shadow
[To be completely honest, Saosin’s new record wasn’t all that bad. The only reason why it’s #1 on my most disappointing was because it was my #1 on my most anticipated last year. Needless to say, it didn’t live up to expectations. It has some good songs but reminded me a a lot of newer Saosin records when I was hoping for ‘Translating The Name.’ Brand New makes the list because we were all promised a new record in 2016. They sent out a newsletter and addressed it on their website and it never came. 2 years in a row I was hoping for a new Brand New record and we’ve only been given 2 songs. 2 songs in 2 years won’t keep the hype train alive. Danny Brown has always been experimental with his music but I think on this record he took it to a new level of bizarre. Good news here though is The Dear Hunter are finally finished with there ‘Act’ series, thank god.]
Best New Artist of 2016
Anderson .Paak


[I had the pleasure of seeing Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals at Vertex over the summer. He was by far one of the best acts I saw all year. Though he isn’t relatively “new,” he is finally starting to gain recognition for his soulful and expansive sound. He blends 60’s soul music with 90’s hip hop and it completely works. He’s performing at bigger and bigger festivals and is invited to drop his lyrical genius on many other artist’s albums. He is someone you should absolutely go see when he’s in town, you won’t want to miss him.]
Best Music Video of 2016
Jamie xx - Gosh
[Despite Jamie xx’s “Gosh” having already been out for over a year, those who watch its new music video will find its understated production elements inseparable from the images it leaves in their minds. I recently finished the classic book ‘Brave New World’ and I couldn’t help but find myself thinking of the dystopian future written in the book to relation of the inhabitants of the modern-world ghost town in ‘Gosh.’ It is pleasant as it is creepy and all created without using CGI or 3D effects. Just watch it.]
Guilty Pleasures of 2016
3OH!3 - My Dick
Rae Sremmurd - Black Beatles
Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - Downtown

[Have you heard ‘My Dick’? The video is almost as great as the song but the song is an instant 3OH3! classic. They’re the kings of joke songs with catchy beats and this one certainly falls into that category. I love everything about ‘Black Beatles’. It has a little bit of everything to enjoy. I catch myself all the time singing the hook, especially when I’m brushing my teeth...which is a lot.]
Worst Song of 2016
Gnash - i hate u, i love u
[Impotent white-boy emo rap. Just plain bad.]
Best Show in 2016
LCD Soundsystem - 2 nights at Red Rocks (8/2 & 8/3)
[I’ve been listening to LCD since my late high school years. Which is now going on a little over 10 years now. Yea... I’m almost 30. GOI. They’ve made some of the greatest songs of our generation, ‘Daft Punk is Playing at my House’, ‘Someone Great’, ‘I Can Change.’ Nothing was better this year than getting to see James Murphy and Co take stage at Red Rocks for 2 nights. It was unbelievable and I think if I ever were granted 3 wishes, 1 of them would be to go back to this night(s).]
Best Songs of 2016
20. Vince Staples - Prima Donna 19. Mokita - Dreamer ft. Kaptan 18. DJ Shadow - Nobody Speak ft. Run The Jewels 17. Wildcat! Wildcat! - Relentless ft. Wynne 16. Chance the Rapper - No Problem ft. Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz 15. The Lumineers - Angela 14. Childish Gambino - Me and Your Mamma 13. Kanye West - No More Parties in LA 12. Mobley - Solo 11. Bon Iver - 666 (upsidedowncross) 10. Frank Ocean - Nikes 9. LANY - Where The Hell Are My Friends 8. Empire of the Sun - High & Low 7. A Tribe Called Quest - We The People... 6. The 1975 - Somebody Else 5. Moderat - Reminder 4. The xx - On Hold 3. Radiohead - True Love Waits 2. Anderson .Paak - Come Down 1. Bon Iver - 33 “GOD”

[The new Bon Iver reminded me a lot of an electroacoustic roller coaster and ‘33 “GOD”’ was the exhilarating descent from it’s highest peak. His stylish signatures are everywhere from beginning to end. ‘Come Down’ is a natural hit that never wavers from it’s true raw form. It’s funky, it’s fresh, it’s bouncy. Radiohead delivered one of their best songs of late with ‘True Love Waits’. It’s a song that belongs on Ok Computer but absolutely finds it’s place on the new album. It’s a daily track. I never want to put a song on the end of year list that will be on a 2017 album but I didn’t have a choice with this one. On Hold is a beautiful song and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album in 2017. Speaking of 2017...]
Most Anticipated Albums of 2017
10. Spoon (March) 9. Grizzly Bear 8. The Shins (early 2017) 7. Arcade Fire (spring) 6. Circa Survive 5. The xx - I See You (1/13) 4. LCD Soundsystem 3. Gorillaz 2. Run The Jewels - RTJ3 (1/13) 1. Portugal. The Man
*Disclaimer: I had already written my most anticipated before Run the Jewels decided to give us all an early Christmas gift and release RTJ3 yesterday. Still counts.* [I’ve seen Portugal a handful of times and over the summer they came through Red Rocks with Glass Animals. Portugal played a few new songs they said were going to be on a new record soon and they blew me away. For as many songs as they’ve recorded, it would be difficult to find that artistic creativity to keep it fresh. These new songs are going to be fan favorites here in no time. I listed Gorillaz as my most anticipated last year and it never came... I really hope to not repeat a Brand New situation here this time next year. Not quite sure what to expect with a new LCD record considering they haven’t written songs in over 6 years but when it comes to name recognition, no band gets bigger hype.]

 

Well, this is it!

 

new thread
2017 Albums

 

December

208. LITE - Cubic +
209. Star Guitar - here and there ++
210. RADWIMPS - Human Bloom ++
211. Green Day - Revolution Radio +
212. Sum 41 - 13 Voices +
213. Bon Iver - 22, A Million +
214. OYASUMI HOLOGRAM - ... ++
215. Nagi Yanagi - follow my tracks +
216. Steady Holiday - under the influence +
217. Crying - beyond the fleeting gales +
218. Crystal Castles - Amnesty (I) +
219. Honeyblood - babes never die +
220. A Tribe Called Quest - we got it from here... thank you 4 your service +
221. never young beach - fam fam ++
222. Posture & The Grizzly - I am Satan +
223. Wednesday Campanella - UMA ++
224. Enemies - Valuables +
225. For Tracy Hyde - Film Bleu ++
226. En mo Takenawa - Yuigon Zakura ++
227. JYOCHO - a prayer in vain ++
228. Shiggy Jr. - all about pop +
229. BiS - brand new idol society 2 ++
230. a crow is white - back to the future ++

 

384. George Harrison - Cloud Nine (1987)
385. Dec. 99 - December 99th (2016)
386. Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 3 (2016)

and with that, I think my year is DONE. Heading away for the weekend so there's an extremely low chance I'll listen to anything new

 

I doubt I'll listen to anything else this year now. This is the most music I've ever listened to in one year, I've made so many great discoveries.

 

Here's my year (unless I have time to sit down with RTJ3 before tomorrow). Hit 376 albums, which I think is the most I've ever done.

 

List. Pretty sure I made it to over 200 which is the most ever by far. Hope to do the same amount again next year.

 

Update. That's 2016! Was hoping I'd hit 1200 releases so it'd average out to 100/month but I slacked off the last few weeks of December and the amount of new releases was dwindling.

 

December:

262. Childish Gambino - Awaken, My Love! *
263. Hailey, It Happens - Hailey, It Happens +
264. Enemies - Valuables +
265. LVL UP - Return to Love *
266. Nine Inch Nails - Not the Actual Events EP +
267. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 3 +
268. Sad13 - Slugger +
269. From Indian Lakes - Everything Feels Better Now *
270. AFI - AFI *

Incredible year for music.

 

basically spent the final month revisiting the year. carrying a lot of stuff into 2017. hoping it's even better!

 

And that's 2016 for me. 250 was about what I was shooting for, so I'd call it a success.

 

Final count was 783 albums. Not too bad, considering I was aiming for 365. :)

Now time to plan for 2017, which including making my EOTY for 2016 and revisiting 2016 favorites.

 

2016

 

Nobody got Lush's EP 'Blind Spot'? The opening song 'Out of Control' is soooo good.