Tag Archives: best of 2016

Favorite Albums of 2016

Another year…another “best of” list. Below you’ll find my top 25 albums of 2016 (see my favorite EPs here).

Like previous years, this isn’t the quintessential album list of 2016. These are my personal favorites. The albums I couldn’t get enough of. I’m sure you’ll agree with a few and disagree with even more, and that’s exactly how it should be. We all have different tastes and music would be super boring if we all listened and love the same stuff.

With that said, am I missing any of your favorites? Leave a comment and let me know. Music discovery is one of life’s simple pleasures and it’s never too late to add new favorites to the list. Enjoy.

 

25 – BANKS//The Altar

BANKS – Gemini Feed [from The Altar]

[hernameisbanks.com]

 

24 – Whitney//Light Upon The Lake

Whitney – Golden Days [from Light Upon The Lake]

[whitneytheband.com]

 

23 – Har Mar Superstar//Best Summer Ever

♩ Har Mar Superstar – Youth Without Love [from Best Summer Ever]

[harmarsuperstar.com]

 

22 – BROODS//Conscious

BROODS – Free [from Conscious]

[broodsmusic.com]

 

21 – Wet//Don’t You

♩ Wet – It’s All in Vain [from Don’t You]

[wet.band]

 

20 – Frank Ocean//Blonde

♩ Frank Ocean – Nikes [from Blonde]

[boysdontcry.co]

 

19 – Car Seat Headrest//Teens of Denial

Car Seat Headrest – Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales [from Teens of Denial]

[facebook.com/carseatheadrest]

 

18 – Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam//I Had A Dream That You Were Mine

Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam – A 1000 Times [from I Had A Dream That You Were Mine]

[hamiltonrostam.com]

 

17 – Animal Collective//Painting With

Animal Collective – Golden Gal [from Painting With]

[myanimalhome.net]

 

16 – S U R V I V E//RR7349

S U R V I V E – A.H.B. [from RR7349]

[facebook.com/survivesurvive]

 

15 – Springtime Carnivore//Midnight Room

♩ Springtime Carnivore – Face In The Moon [from Midnight Room]

[springtimecarnivore.com]

 

14 – The Range//Potential

♩ The Range – Falling Out of Phase [from Potential]

[therange.us]

 

13 – Mitski//Puberty 2

Mitski – Your Best American Girl [from Puberty 2]

[mitski.com]

 

12 – Moderat//III

Moderat – Running [from III]

[moderat.fm]

 

11 – Explosions In The Sky//The Wilderness

♩ Explosions in the Sky – Wilderness [from The Wilderness]

[explosionsinthesky.com]

 

10 – Bon Iver//22, A Million

Bon Iver – 33 “GOD” [from 22, A Million]

[boniver.org]

 

9 – The Avalanches//Wildflower

The Avalanches – Frankie Sinatra (ft. MF Doom & Danny Brown) [from Wildflower]

[facebook.com/theavalanches]

 

8 – Radiohead//A Moon Shaped Pool

Radiohead – True Love Waits [from A Moon Shaped Pool]

[radiohead.com]

 

7 – James Blake//The Colour In Anything

James Blake – I Need a Forest Fire (ft. Bon Iver) [from The Colour In Anything]

[jamesblakemusic.com]

 

6 – BRONCHO//Double Vanity

♩ BRONCHO – Wanna [from Double Vanity]

[bronchoband.com]

 

5 – Kishi Bashi//Sonderlust

♩ Kishi Bashi – Honeybody [from Sonderlust]

[kishibashi.com]

 

4 – Angel Olsen//My Woman

♩ Angel Olsen – Never Be Mine [from MY WOMAN]

[angelolsen.com]

 

3 – Chance the Rapper//Coloring Book

♩ Chance The Rapper – All We Got (ft. Kanye West & Chicago Children’s Choir) [from Coloring Book]

[chanceraps.com]

 

2 – Sleigh Bells//Jessica Rabbit

♩ Sleigh Bells – I Can’t Stand You Anymore [from Jessica Rabbit]

[tornclean.com]

 

1 – David Bowie//Blackstar

[davidbowie.com]

 

#31days2016

(31) Days of Good//12.15.16

I’ve never heard Explosions this subdued. Give this song a proper listen with some decent headphones, you can actually hear them holding back and it’s downright beautiful. This song is also extra special this year. I first heard it on the anniversary of my Dad’s passing, who left us doing something he absolutely loved in the wilderness respected more than most.

Explosions in the Sky – Wilderness [from The Wilderness]

[explosionsinthesky.com]

 

Angel Olsen dropped her best album yet this year and I could easily feature every song from the record, but “Never Be Mine” is definitely my favorite. If Dolly Parton, Sharon Van Etten, and Best Coast had a baby, she would sound like Angel Olsen on this track. So good.  

Angel Olsen – Never Be Mine [from MY WOMAN]

[angelolsen.com]

 

One of the many standout tracks from Kishi Bashi’s latest. A bubbly, danceable track that will put a smile on anyone’s face. And it reminds me of my Honey Bunny 🙂

Kishi Bashi – Honeybody [from Sonderlust]

[kishibashi.com]

 

#31days2016

(31) Days of Good//12.14.16

francis-and-the-lights-farewell-starlight

Perfect example of when autotune works. And if you’re thinking “this sounds like Bon Iver…”, it was co-produced by Justin Vernon.

Francis and the Lights – See Her Out (Thats Just Life) [from Farewell, Starlite!]

[francisandthelights.com]

 

mitski-puberty-2

One of the more bleak tracks from Mitski’s excellent fourth album. The song explores the parallels between uncontrollable urges and withdrawals of babies born with addiction and those suffering from severe depression. Equally vivid and somber and unexpectedly impactful.

Mitski – Crack Baby [from Puberty 2]

[mitski.com]

 

amnesty-i-crystal-castles

Crystal Castles minus Alice Glass still weirds me out, it’s like spending Thanksgiving with a divorced couple. It really shouldn’t work, but somehow it does. I’m mostly pleased with the new material and new recruit Edith Frances, who really shines on this ethereal track.

Crystal Castles – Ornament [from Amnesty (I)]

[crystalcastles.com]

 

#31days2016

(31) Days of Good//12.13.16

springtimecarnivore-midnightroom

I can’t get enough of this super infectious pop tune from Springtime Carnivore (aka Greta Morgan). According to Morgan, this was the first song finished for the record and “was written in a 15-minute flash after a week of lovelorn, sleepless nights watching space conspiracy documentaries and listening to Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska and R.E.M.’s Murmur.”

♩ Springtime Carnivore – Face In The Moon [from Midnight Room]

[springtimecarnivore.com]

 

lvl-up-return-to-love

Fuzzed out guitars and breathless vocals mask a very spiritual song that grapples with responsibility, fate, good luck and misfortune, and the existence of a higher being.

LVL UP – Hidden Driver [from Return to Love]

[lvlup.bandcamp.com]

 

greg-laswell-album-cover

Probably the most beautiful and tragic song of 2016.

♩ Greg Laswell – Play That One Again [from Everyone Thinks I Dodged A Bullet]

[greglaswell.com]

#31days2016

(31) Days of Good//12.12.16

anna-straker-serious

Super impressive and undeniably catchy debut from London-based Anna Straker.

♩  Anna Straker – Late Night Swimming [from Serious EP]

[facebook.com/strakeranna]

 

 

 

kristinkontrol-xcommunicate-900

80s inspired synth-pop from the Dum Dum Girls Kristin Welch (aka Dee Dee).

♩  Kristin Kontrol – (Don’t) Wannabe [from X-Communicate]

[kristinkontrol.com]

 

har-mar-superstar

Love this frantic, fuzzy banger. Turn this one up loud.

♩  Har Mar Superstar – Famous Last Words [from Best Summer Ever]

[harmarsuperstar.com]

 

#31days2016