Going Out With A Bang - Best of 2016
(DISCLAIMER: Until 2020 all my "Best Of" lists were on Facebook in the Notes section. In 2020, when I hadn't used Facebook for 6 months, they decided to do away with Notes. I was still able to access some of them, such as this one, but the layouts are a little wonky.)
Without further ado, my Best of 2016 Mix:
1. “Pretend” - Paper Route
2. “Help Me Run Away” - St. Lucia
3. “Ghost” - Mystery Skulls
4. “Weathered” - Jack Garratt
5. “Bury Me Face Down” - Grandson
6. “Hot Blood” - Kaleo
7. “Catch Me If You Can” - Walking on Cars
8. “River” - Bishop Briggs
9. “In the Shadows” - Foreign Air
10. “Last Forever” - The Naked and Famous
11. “Same Old Blues” - Phantogram
12. “Memories” - Lewis del Mar
13. “Found” - Seramic
14. “Healing” - Paul Janeway (of St. Paul and the Broken Bones)
15. “Hard Love” - NEEDTOBREATHE
16. “Loveblood” - Sundara Karma
17. “I Beg You” - White Lung
18. “San Diego” - Blink-182
19. “The World is Ours” - Volunteer
20. “Fire and the Flood” - Vance Joy
I was a little dismayed at myself for not having a more diverse mix, but after listening through it I don’t think you’ll be able to blame me for making these my favorites!
As with every year, the mix is intended to be listened to in the order that it’s posted here. To help you out I usually provide links to playlists I’ve made where that’s possible, and it’s getting tougher each year to do so (simply because not everyone uses the same platform and finding free ways to make playlists that are accessible to everyone is increasingly difficult), but I’ve still got my ways ;) So here’s a few options:
Top Albums
I stopped giving numbers to my Top Albums of the year a couple years ago. This is because it’s either too hard to choose from the many favorites, or because the year didn’t provide any single album that stood out far among my favorites. So below are what I would consider my favorite albums of the year, although it is always subject to change.
This album is downright awesome. Take some R&B/Soul, mix it with some Indie/Electronics, and give it enough Pop to catch your ear, and there you have Jack Garratt. He’s from London, but early last year he moved to Chicago, so I was spoiled enough to see him live twice.....and let me tell you, if you take away ONE thing from this entire post of mine, it should be to go see him live. Seriously, it’s quite the experience. Up until now I’ve forgotten to mention that he does everything by himself. Even for live shows. Seeing him on stage, guitar in hand, surrounded by drums, electronics, keys, and a couple microphones, is a sight to behold. I might say this is my #1 album of the year, but the bias from seeing him live is kicking in.
First I need to clarify that the song “Memories” that is on my mix is from the EP that came out earlier this year. Sadly it didn’t make the cut for this full-length release. That’s ok though, because it just means that there’s more songs to listen to by them! These guys seemingly came out of nowhere and I was instantly hooked. They have an odd blend of an Indie/Rock base, while using electronics, hip-hop like/groovy beats, and a surprising amount of acoustic guitar. Somehow it works, and it works well. If you’re in a chill mood and looking for something different, give it spin, I doubt you’ll regret it.
St. Lucia continues with his 80’s infused SynthPop, getting even a little more upbeat than his last album with songs like “Dancing on Glass” and “Help Me Run Away.” If you want to get away from the cold hardships of winter, throw on this album, close your eyes, and picture yourself on a beach in those sweet summer days and nights.....complete with Ray-Bans and a Hawaiian shirt, with the collar popped of course.
These guys have been around for a while, though I never gave them much attention. I think that should change. Having been mostly a Folk/Pop band, this album takes a little turn to full-on Pop/Rock utilizing organs, some electronics, and more distorted guitar than expected. The Folk background is still present and noticeable, but not at the forefront of this record. It’s also one of the few albums that I can listen to straight through. It calms down and soothes at the right moments, and brings back the energy at the right time as well. Give it a spin if you’re looking for something familiar but, in my opinion, a little better.
Whenever you hear a band is from Iceland, I think a lot of people’s first thought is “Are they like Sigur Ros? Bjork? Weird?” Well, I can firmly answer “No.” to all of those questions. Kaleo have a great Southern Rock/Blues sound. Effortlessly switching from blistering, straight-up Rock like “Hot Blood” to acoustic, campfire-like songs in “All the Pretty Girls” to mid-tempo tunes, such as their hit “Way Down We Go,” these guys should be in your ears. I noticed a little revival in the Southern Rock area these past couple years, and I’d put these guys at the top.
This isn’t a “best for last” scenario, but it’s close. I’ve loved each of Paper Route’s albums since their full-length debut in 2009. They’re almost genre-defying, being best described as Indie/Pop/Rock, while utilizing electronics so well they seem natural. On this album in particular they swing back and forth between upbeat, in your face Rock songs and ethereal, sky high, relaxing tunes, and sometimes seamlessly mixing the two. They’ve had a fair amount of success with each of their 3 albums, touring with big names and having songs placed in popular media, but have consistently remained under the radar just enough that you can still see them headline 200-300 person capacity venues.....and they always nail their live show. They would be my other recommendation for seeing live, definitely. Even though I would miss seeing them in small venues and being able to easily chat with them after a show, I hope this album brings them the success that they really deserve.
Looking Forward
As with each year, I’m always looking forward to what the next is going bring for my unending search of new music, and 2017 doesn’t look to disappoint. Let’s get started!
- Grandson - He only put out two songs in 2016, and as you can see one of them made my list (though I was definitely considering the other as well). I haven’t heard anything, but my guess is he’ll be releasing more, probably even a full-length, in 2017. So be on the lookout for this dude. “Bills” (his other song from 2016, youtube link)
- Mother Mother - Looking for some Alt/Pop? This band is looking to deliver. Their two new songs I’ve heard “Love Stuck” and “The Drugs” seem like radio ready singles to me, and their older stuff seems quite good as well, so go check ‘em out and get ready for their new album in February. “The Drugs” (youtube link)
- Strand of Oaks - Enough Indie to be modern, enough Rock to be classic. I don’t want to overhype it, but I’m pretty sure Bruce Springsteen would throw on this guy’s music while he was driving through the midwest. “Radio Kids” (youtube link)
- Dryjacket - Do you like Indie/Pop/Rock circa 2010 with a splash of Math Rock? These guys got you covered. Mostly upbeat, listening to them feels a little like home for any liberal arts college kid from probably 2002-2010. Maybe it’s new for you though. Their new album comes out Jan. 13th. “Misused Adrenaline” (youtube link)
- Amber Run - Ambient/Pop is the best way I can think of to describe this band. Most of their stuff seems to be midtempo and building throughout the song, with moments of aggression. I find them to be quite relaxing and pleasant to listen to. I could definitely see one of their songs making its way into a large blockbuster this summer. “No Answers” (youtube link)
I hope you find a new favorite band or song in all this, as I’d hate for you to be disappointed by EVERYTHING I put up above. Please let me know if any of this helps you out and if you do indeed find any new favorites. I’d also love to hear what your picks from the past year are!
Well, in the not-so-famous words of modern day philosopher Dr. Steve Brule, that’s all she wrote!
Comments
Post a Comment