Part 4 of Facebook migration
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Nativist — Various Options
Various Options is a really awesome mix of Jungle and Footwork. It’s been really cool to see different artists push the genre of Footwork to new limits and different directions — see Jlin’s Dark Energy from last year. This is another really fun EP that sucks you and and takes you on a journey as the tracks unfold.
Genre: Footwork/Electronic/Jungle
Favorite Tracks: Various Options, I Love Us And What We Are Becoming
For Fans of: Jlin, Machine Girl
Koi Child — S/T
The Australian 7-piece Koi Child’s self-titled album is full of fun jams, beat switches, and enthusiastic emcee work. Sometimes the tracks can seem like they all sound the same, and the lyrics can be unclear, but it’s still an interesting and fun record with live instrumentation and jazz-funk inspired beats. It also helps to have your album produced by Kevin Parker/Tame Impala.
Genre: Hip-Hop/Jazz
Favorite Tracks: 1–5–9, Slow One
For Fans of: DJ Premier, Guru, Kendrick Lamar
Swans — The Glowing Man
To be honest, I was reluctant to even listen to this album after certain allegations were made against Michael Gira, but eventually I made an effort to try and separate the music from the musician and threw it on. The Glowing Man isn’t as good as the Seer or To Be Kind, but it works off of the same droning and weaving formula. Still, the nature of Swans’ music mixed with the looming shadow of Gira’s legal and moral issues has stood as a roadblock to my enjoyment of what is otherwise a fantastic record.
Genre: Experimental/Drone/Post-Rock
Favorite Tracks: The World Looks Red/The World Looks Black, The Glowing Man
For Fans of: Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mount Eerie
Amnesia Scanner — AS
The music in AS falls into the electronic mold of Holly Herndon or Arca, as the German duo use organic and natural sounds as the basis for their synthesized chaos. This is experimental music at it’s best — it’s completely off-setting and alien, but at the same time there’s something about it that makes it seem primitive and all-inclusive. This would be way high on my list if it were more than an EP, and I’m excited to hear more from them in the future.
Genre: Experimental/Electronic
Favorite Tracks: AS Crust, AS Chingy
For Fans of: Death Grips, Arca, Matmos
Kendrick Lamar — untitled unmastered.
It’s pretty amazing that an EP of b-sides from Kendrick can be better than other artists’ full length efforts, but that’s just because Kendrick knows how to deliver. The beats on here are fantastic, though I can see why they wouldn’t have fit on TPAB, and Kendrick shows off his expert lyricism as usual — complete with a sharp jab at Jay Electronica. I’d have put this pretty high on my list if it were anything more than an EP.
Genre: Experimental Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Untitled 02, Untitled 07
For Fans of: J. Cole, Joey Bada$$, Lupe Fiasco
THE LIST
50. Saosin — Along the Shadow
Saosin now has two pretty good records, one phenomenal EP, and one of the worst rock records ever recorded under their belt. After the complete failure of their last album, In Search of Solid Ground, the band fired their lead singer and sat in limbo for Seven Years (insert song-title pun here). Finally they were able to hook up with their original vocalist, Anthony Green, in time for a new tour and record. I’m completely an Anthony Green fanboy. He has one of the most unique and emotive voices in rock music today, and so of course I was going to like this record. Along the Shadow doesn’t forge new ground, but it does deliver on some great hooks and catchy guitar riffs, which is all I really can ask from them at this point.
Genre: Post-Hardcore
Favorite Tracks: Second Guesses, Along the Shadow of Man
For Fans of: Circa Survive, Every Time I Die, Underoath
49. YG — Still Brazy
I was not a huge fan of My Krazy Life when it first came out. I had it recommended to me as a “more trap Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City,” but I just did not get it. With Still Brazy though, YG has split with DJ Mustard and opted for a more old-school west coast sound a la G-Funk, and it is a huge step up. YG’s swagger and flow fits this sound so well, and he spits his stories asks questions with conviction. The only song that doesn’t fall for me is FDT, ironically the most talked about song on this record, but every other song fits tightly within the album.
Genre: Hip-Hop/G-Funk/Gangsta Rap
Favorite Tracks: Who Shot Me?, Why You Always Hatin’?
For Fans of: Dre, Kurupt, Schoolboy Q
48. Dan Layus — Dangerous Things
Most of you probably don’t recognize the name Dan Layus, but you probably would know his former band, Augustana, from your dorm days in college. Augustana had one pretty good alt-country album (Can’t Love; Can’t Hurt), but pretty much fell off the map after that. Layus returned this year after reinventing himself as a country singer in the stylings of Willie or Patsy Cline, and it completely works.
Genre: Singer-Songwriter/Country/Folk
Favorite Tracks: Driveway, Four Rings
For Fans of: Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams, Patty Griffin
47. Dope Lemon — Honey Bones
Honey Bones is a haze-filled folk-rock album by Australian artist Angus Stone. It’s pretty short but sweet, and while it doesn’t ever take you for surprise, it still manages to keep things fresh. It’s like if Mac DeMarco and Kurt Vile had an Australian love child who cussed more.
Genre: Folk/Stoner Rock/Indie
Favorite Tracks: Uptown Folks, Honey Bones
For Fans of: Kurt Vile, Mac DeMarco, Real Estate
46. Olof Melander — The Path
On Olaf Melander’s bandcamp page he describes The Path as “a curiosity to explore new ways of making music.” While I don’t know that he succeeds in creating a “new way of making music,” he does do a great job of mixing digital and synthesized elements with live instrumentation. The result is a soundscape that frames feeling and imagination rather than pointing you in a singular direction.
Genre: Electronic/Jazz/Glitch
Favorite Tracks: Travelers, Letting Go
For Fans of: Tycho, Apollo Brown, Nicolas Jaar
45. Aruán Ortiz Trio — Hidden Voices
This album reminds me of a cubist painting. Ortiz, Revis, and Cleaver manage to take apart sounds of familiarity like Latin drum beats and Classical melodies and rearrange them in a way that is not only bold and striking but one that creates a fresh perspective on old themes. The edges are sharp and unfamiliar at times, as the album relies a ton on improvisation and tends to steer towards the avant-garde, and the music can change swiftly and unexpectedly. However, Ortiz manages all this by maintaining an emotional core within his songs.
Genre: Modern Jazz/Avant-Garde
Favorite Tracks: Fractal Sketches, Arabesques of a Geometrical Rose
For Fans of: David Virelles, Vijay Iyer, Ornette Coleman
44. Open Mike Eagle + Paul White — Hella Personal Film Festival
Open Mike Eagle has been on a roll lately. He’s probably the best, if not the most prolific, member of the now extinct Hellfyre club — an ‘anti-rap’ collective lead, ironically, by battle rapper Nocando. Eagle raps about pretty much everyday stuff; Check to Check is a song about the compulsion to check your cellphone daily, and Leave People Alone is about not judging others. Even when he is being braggadocios, it’s more tongue-in-cheek, like when he raps the chorus of Dang is Invincible it’s more out of intentional absurdity than him taking himself to seriously.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Insecurity, A Short About a Guy That Dies Every Night
For Fans of: Milo, Aesop Rock, Jeremiah Jae
43. Avalanches — Wildflower
It’s been 16 years since the critically acclaimed Since I Left You was released by the Australian DJ group, Avalanches. Wildflower does it’s best to live up to expectations, and, though I won’t say it always does, for the most part it manages to. The formula is pretty much the same with pop and disco samples abounding, but the feature list on this album is what sets it apart from it’s predecessor. Unfortunately, that’s not always a good thing — I never want to hear Danny Brown on another Avalanches song. Overall though, it’s still a strong album with fun, engaging songs.
Genre: Disco-Pop/Hip-Hop/Psychodelic
Favorite Tracks: Subways, Saturday Night Inside Out
For Fans of: Daft Punk, DJ Shadow, Toro y Moi
42. ScHoolboy Q — Blank Face LP
This is the record I’ve been wanting Q to make since I first listened to Habits and Contradictions. It’s got Gangsta Rap, it’s got trap, and it’s got some awesome rapping by Q. I feel like with this album, he’s finally figured out his sound, and while it doesn’t really sound like YG’s Still Brazy, it’s similar in that it’s undeniably Californian. The only weird track here is the one produced by Tyler the Creator, Big Body.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: TorcH, Ride Out
For Fans of: Vince Staples, Kendrick Lamar
41. Nicolas Jaar — Sirens
Sirens features a shift in Jaar’s sound towards, oddly enough, electronic, ambient rockabilly. Sirens still has the beautifully wavy and eccentric production you’d expect, but he adds in some pop-rockabilly riffs to break up the ambiance. The rest of the project is haunting and subdued when compared to Space is Only Noise or last year’s faux-soundtrack Pomegranates, but it still brings enough beauty and contemplation to remain interesting.
Genre: Experimental Pop/Electronic/Ambient
Favorite Tracks: No, History Lesson
For Fans of: Darkside, Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, Brian Eno
40. Kanye West — The Life of Pablo
It’s been quite a year for Kanye, and not in the good sense. It’s obviously a rough time for him now, but things started off pretty weird as well. The Life of Pablo was released as a TIDAL exclusive to mixed reactions. The songs are disjointed, spiraling off into different directions as melodies are interrupted by sudden sample appearances, and at times things seem to end abruptly just as they were starting to gain direction. Even more strange, Kanye kept editing the album after it was released — he would upload new versions of the tracks on TIDAL with rerecorded vocals and remastered production (he really saved the song Wolves by doing this). Despite all it’s weirdness, The Life of Pablo really works within the context of Kanye’s life in 2016, and when the music is good, it’s really good. Much like with Yeezus, I just can’t help but with Kanye would get out of his own way. There’s gold here, but the poor execution keeps Pablo from reaching it’s potential.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Ultralight Beam, Pt. 2, Real Friends
For Fans of: Chance the Rapper, Jay Z, Frank Ocean
39. Woods — City Sun Eater in the River of Light
From the first guitar riff, you can tell this album is going to be different than the usual fare from Woods. Reggae and groove have never been their thing, but it fits oddly well into their psychedelic folk rock sound, and actually makes this their best release so far. Everything here seems fresh, which is pretty impressive from a band working on 11 years and 9 albums.
Genre: Psychedelic/Folk/Jam-Rock
Favorite Tracks: Sun City Creeps, Can’t See at All
For Fans of: Lord Huron, My Morning Jacket, Grizzly Bear
38. Childish Gambino — “Awaken, My Love!”
I have not been a fan of Donald Glover as a hip-hop artist. He’s ridiculously funny and creative on screen, but Camp is one of the worst hip-hop albums of all time, and Because The Internet isn’t much better. For his latest album, he changed his sound completely. “Awaken, My Love!” draws more from 70s funk, psychedelia, and R&B, and it is awesome. The lyrics are still a little shaky, but they fit much better on this record, and the music is actually fun rather than his usual self-deprecation. It’s a refreshing listen not simply because the album is good, but also because it represents a change in movement for Glover towards the positive.
Genre: Funk/R&B/Neo-Soul/Psychedelic
Favorite Tracks: Me and Your Mama, Boogieman, Redbone
For Fans of: George Clinton, Sly and the Family Stone, Kendrick Lamar
37. Arca — Entrañas
It’s difficult to put my finger on why I like Entrañas, or really Arca in general. It’s not pretty, but it is passionate, persistent, and incredibly personal. When I say personal, I don’t mean you’ll understand Arca while listening, but the music is focused inward. Entrañas means entrails, or bowels, and the music is just as visceral as it’s title. It shifts and whirs, churning like your stomach, and bludgeons you with sound. Entrañas is the musical version of a David Lynch project — disorienting but riveting.
Genre: Experimental/Electronic
Favorite Tracks: Culebra, Sin Rumbo
For Fans of: Oneohtrix Point Never, FKA Twigs, Haxan Cloak
36. D∆WN — Redemption
Redemption marks the end of Richard’s Goldenheart trilogy. It’s been a fascinating ride to hear her mold her sound since being in the Diddy created Danity Kane. Through her three albums, she’s moved from uninspired Jive Records-era pop to experimental R&B and electropop. She still shows her distaste for radio-pop on this record and lets us know where her true musical allegiance lies when she sings, “She said…Drake, I said King Kendrick.” All in all, Redemption is more dance styled than Goldenheart or Blackheart which makes it seem happier and worthy of it’s title.
Genre: Electronic R&B/Dance Hall/Art Pop
Favorite Tracks: LA, Renegades
For Fans of: FKA Twigs, How to Dress Well, Janelle Monae
35. Conor Oberst — Ruminations
After having a slew of disappointing solo albums and a punk side project, Desaparecidos, Conor Oberst finally got things back together, in a musical sense, and dropped a wonderfully sad record for 2016. You could think of this as Oberst’s Nebraska, as it’s incredibly sparse when compared to his last album, Upside Down Mountain. It was recorded within just 48 hours, and contains some of the most personal and intimate recordings he’s released. You won’t hear any drums or raucous guitars, but rather simple arrangements on guitar, piano, and harmonica which serve to focus the listener on Oberst’s clever yet wounded words.
Genre: Singer-Songwriter/Folk
Favorite Tracks: Barbary Coast (Later), Next of Kin
For Fans of: Sun Kil Moon, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Devendra Banhart
34. Dinosaur Jr. — Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
It’s impossible to determine the impact Dinosaur Jr. has had on guitar-loving indie rockers. They’re referenced as an influence from bands like My Bloody Valentine or even artists on the softer side like Ryan Adams and Kurt Vile, the latter actually naming Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not as one of his favorite records this year. J Mascis and crew return this year with the fantastically fuzzy sound their famous for, but reign everything in for a more tighter and focused sound. Guitar solo lovers should throw this on post-haste.
Genre: Alt-Rock/Grunge
Favorite Tracks: Love Is…, Lost All Day
For Fans of: Pixies, Pavement, Sonic Youth
33. Denzel Curry — Imperial
One of the most talented up and coming rappers, Denzel Curry delivered a really good follow up to what, I felt, was a lackluster mixtape in last year’s 32 Zel/Planet Shrooms. The beats are a lot better on Imperial, and Zel goes back to his machine gun style flow rather than the cloud rap style that was employed last year. There are still the clever pop-culture references, from Bo Jackson to Mortal Kombat to Star Wars, as always.
Genre: Hip-Hop/Trap
Favorite Tracks: ULT, Zenith
For Fans of: Joey Bada$$, A$AP Rocky, The Underachievers
32. Glenn Jones — Fleeting
Fleeting was a surprise record for me this year. It’s deceptively complex and beautiful. Really a haunting record of instrumental banjo and guitar, Jones is able to conjure and command imagination with his picking and beautiful melodies.
Genre: Instrumental/Folk
Favorite Tracks: Portrait of Basho as a Young Dragon, Cleo Awake/Asleep
For Fans of: Steve Gunn, Jim O’Rourke, James Blackshaw
31. Pinegrove — Cardinal
Listening to Cardinal reminds me of being at a house show. The mixing and mastering on this LP aren’t quite up to snuff, but the lo-fi vibe lends it some charm, and the same can be said about lead singer Even Stephens Hall’s voice. He deliberately occupies the alt-country space of vocalists with an almost-there-but-not-quite twang, despite his being from New Jersey, and though it’s shaky at times, it feels genuine when paired with his honest lyricism. The music itself is dynamic, going from hushed to loud only in the ways an indie rock band can, and it always seems like they’re having fun.
Genre: Indie Rock/Alt-Country
Favorite Tracks: Cadmium, New Friends
For Fans of: Wilco, Jayhawks, Built to Spill
30. Anna Meredith — Varmints
Anna Meredith is a Scottish classical composer turned electronic experimentalist, and her skills as a composer and arranger are completely evident on Varmits. Each track is so meticulously crafted with thousands of small moments that come together to create huge walls of sound. It’s maximal-ism at it’s best, reminiscent of Kanye’s production in his Dark Fantasy era.
Genre: Experimental/Electronic
Favorite Tracks: Nautilus, R-Type
For Fans of: Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Holly Herndon
29. J. Cole — 4 Your Eyez Only
J Cole occupies a weird space in the world of hip-hop. He’s seen as too boring and backpacker by mainstream hip-hop fans, and as too faux-lyrical-spiritual-miracle and Jay Z influenced by lyric lovers. The reality is that he’s all of that combined but it works. Cole doesn’t always have the best lyrics and can come off as corny sometimes (try to listen to Wet Dreamz or Folding Clothes without cringing at least once), but he does spit with belief and honesty. The narratives on 4 Your Eyez Only often take the perspective of a gang-banging/drug dealing protagonist, which Cole uses to readjust our perspectives on every day life. In the aforementioned Folding Clothes, the audience’s cringe becomes introspection on realizing the song is really a meditation on a young man trying to find respite from a violent world through the most simple acts of love and service. Cole’s lyricism though is most apparent in the closer, which contains some of Cole’s most thought provoking work yet.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Immortal, 4 Your Eyez Only
For Fans of: Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Logic
28. Frankie Cosmos — Next Thing
Greta Kline’s, aka Frankie Cosmos, best talent is her lyricism. Her songs contain pure poetry, and I don’t mean like Bob Dylan or mewithoutYou’s Aaron Weiss, but rather like reading Emily Dickinson’s diary. The songs presented in Next Thing are simple and clean, but each line holds within it grand emotion and the ability to cut straight to the point.
Genre: Singer-Songwriter/Indie
Favorite Tracks: Fool, Embody
For Fans of: Angel Olsen, Waxahatchee, Wild Nothing
27. Vijay Iyer + Wadada Leo Smith — a cosmic rhythm with each stroke
With each release, Vijay Iyer has carved out a position of greatness for himself within the canon of modern jazz. For his latest effort, he paired with the veteran trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, and the two play off of each other with ease and deft skill. They both know when to take the back seat, and accentuate the other’s skills. This becomes apparent on even the first track, when Iyer’s subdued playing lays the ground work for Smith’s haunting melody. It’s refreshing to see the old guard and new school working together to create a statement on the future of what many people view as a dying artform. Innovation and improvisation is so crucial to Jazz within the fromwork of it’s songs, but it should be the same within it’s songwriting, and Iyer and Smith tackle that idea here with ferocity and passion.
Genre: Jazz
Favorite Tracks: Passage, Labyrinths
For Fans of: Ambrose Akinmusire, David Virelles, Rudresh Mahanthappa
26. PUP — The Dream is Over
The title of Canadian punk outfit PUP’s second LP comes from a doctor’s statement to their lead singer, Stefan Babcock, “the dream is over.” He had destroyed his vocal chords from “screaming [his] guts out every night for two years,” and the prognosis looked grim. The band forged on however, and the resulting record is as loud and rollicking as any record you’ll hear this year. PUP plays punk like The Hold Steady plays bar-rock — full throttle, embracing every aspect of the music, the crowd, and the energy between.
Genre: Punk Rock
Favorite Tracks: DVP, Sleep in the Heat
For Fans of: Cloud Nothings, Jeff Rosenstock, Set Your Goals
25. Whitney — Light Upon the Lake
Whitney was born out of the demise of the Smith Westerns. The former guitarist, Max Kakacek, and drummer, Julien Erlich, have moved to a softer side of rock than the glam/indie-pop of their previous band. Light Upon the Lake is all Jayhawks-esque alt-country, with each song deliberately paced to showcase the rootsy guitar and pastoral melodies. Each song is short and perfectly concise, which gives the album the feel of a campfire record — as if they were stories being sang to you by old friends.
Genre: Alt-Country/Indie-Folk
Favorite Tracks: Golden Days, Follow
For Fans of: The Jayhawks, Kevin Morby, Wilco
24. Sturgill Simpson — A Sailor’s Guide to Earth
Sturgill Simpson is modern country’s savior. It all started with his second album, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, which contained songs about aliens, psychodrugs, and spirituality all under the umbrella of rambling country music. He brings it back down to earth a bit with this record, as it’s framed as a guide for his son. Though the subject matter may be less esoteric, Simpson still blends country with other genres like soul on Keep It Between the Lines, or with grunge in a straight up cover of Nirvana’s In Bloom. The resulting album is a triumph of modern country, and shows that the genre can still be kept alive without resorting to asinine, white-washed pop songs.
Genre: Country/Rock
Favorite Tracks: Keep It Between the Lines, Sea Stories
For Fans of: Waylon Jennings, Jason Isbell, Merle Haggard
23. White Lung — Paradise
Kenneth William has the most amazing guitar tone on this album. It’s incredibly aggressive and bombastic but also is able to transmit his fast-paced melodies across the blur of drums and Mish Way-Barber’s epic howls. The latter half of that musical geography is no less amazing, as Way-Barber asserts her feminine power with incredible control and insistence. Paradise is a tribute to how important songwriting and passion for the craft really are, even in punk music.
Genre: Punk Rock
Favorite Tracks: Narcoleptic, Sisters
For Fans of: Parquet Courts, Beach Slang, PUP
22. Kaytranada — 99.9%
Kaytranada belongs to the category of milk carton and record bin divers with DJ Shadow, Madlib, and the Avalanches. On 99.9% he effortlessly blends soul, funk, hip-hop, R&B, and EDM to create a fresh new sound for hip-hop. The guest features are predominately rappers, but there are some R&B tracks with Craig David (remember him?) and Anderson .Paak.
Genre: Hip-Hop/Electronic
Favorite Tracks: Got it Good, One Too Many
For Fans of: DJ Shadow, Madvillain, Anderson .Paak
21. Modern Baseball — Holy Ghost
It looks like Modern Baseball has survived near collapse after Brendan Lukens checked himself into rehab last year, as they’ve returned with a triumphant emo record (yes, the oxymoron is on purpose). Holy Ghost contains less sticky pop-punk than its predecessors, preferring to churn riffs out that would fit more on a Pavement record than on a Warped Tour stage, and it feels more mature as a result. The witty one-liners and self-deprecating humor is still there, but the lyrics seem to come from reflective experience this time around rather than a compulsive desire to appear nonchalant.
Genre: Emo/Indie Rock
Favorite Songs: Note to Self, Everyday
For Fans of: The Hotelier, American Football, The Front Bottoms
20. Noname — Telefone
The most enchanting thing about Telefone, is Fatimah Warner’s voice. Her raps are almost melodic without meaning to be, and her relaxed cadence is both calming and reassuring. It plays amazingly well into the sound she explores — a uniquely Chicagoan fusion of gospel and Brubeck-esque jazz — as it too occupies the space of improvised instrumentation. Lyrically, Telefone is an exploration of coming-of-age themes and racial dilemmas wrapped up in the perspective of womanhood. Noname questions the culture she comes from, trying to find her place in it, while celebrating it’s greatest musical triumphs in gospel, spoken word, and jazz.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: All I Need, Bye Bye Baby
For Fans of: Jamila Woods, Chance the Rapper, Mick Jenkins
19. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam — I Had a Dream That You Were Mine
With this release, it’s apparent that Rostam Batmanglij has been undervalued and underappreciated as a member of Vampire Weekend. The arrangements on I Had a Dream… are able to recall his genre bending success in Vampire Weekend without sounding like an exercise in repetition. In addition, the music is able to highlight Leithauser’s voice much better than his previous solo album, and his crooning sounds just as good here as it ever did with the Walkmen.
Genre: Folk/Indie Rock
Favorite Tracks: A 1000 Times, You Ain’t That Young Kid
For Fans of: Vampire Weekend, Bob Dylan, Angel Olsen
18. Horse Jumper of Love — S/T
On their self-titled record, the terribly named Horse Jumper of Love churns out slow paced and intentional indie rock. The album is short, not even reaching 30 minutes, but the trio’s music is mesmerizing and sucks you in with its amazing guitar riffs, like in Ugly Brunette, or through the croons of frontman Dimitri Giannopoulos. It’s not on the Spotify playlist, but you can listen to it for free at horsejumperoflove.bandcamp.com.
Genre: Slow Rock/Indie Rock
Favorite Tracks: Ugly Brunette, Dirt
For Fans of: Microphones, Stephen Malkmus, Slint
17. Isaiah Rashad — The Sun’s Tirade
The Sun’s Tirade opens with a voicemail left by TDE president Dave Free admonishing him for his lackadaisical approach to his work and album release, while simultaneously reminding him that everyone loved his last tape. This attitude of self-disappointment mixed with self-reassurance is the linchpin for the rest of the album. The Sun’s Tirade comes after a long period of alcohol abuse and depression by Rashad, and it’s a theme he tackles often, whether it’s by wishing more for his kid, or comparing substance abuse to the poverty experienced in the ghetto. Lyrically, Rashad is in the upper echelon of rappers right now, as he is able to tell personal stories of grief while mixing in bits of comedy and references to the hip-hop community at large (see Park for a slew of them). Rashad also puts on his best Kendrick impression, acrobatically shifting from character to character to fit the stories. To have Kendrick as the closest rapper to you stylistically is a pretty impressive accomplishment. The Sun’s Tirade isn’t all introspective, however, it does have some bangers and one of the best Jay Rock features ever.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Wat’s Wrong, Tity and Dollar, Stuck in the Mud
For Fans of: Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, J Cole
16. Death Grips — Bottomless Pit
Death Grips have made quite a few confusing decisions over the years for the sake of performance art, including no-shows on tour and leaking their album early to spite their record label. Most recently they announced a breakup in 2014 before releasing the second half of The Powers that B and then just continued to release music as if nothing had happened. Despite all their, at times idiotic, antics, their albums are still a tour-de-force. Bottomless Pit returns to the sound they pioneered on Exmilitary and The Money Store with more of an emphasis on Zach Hill’s drumming than any release since — just listen to the hi-hat work on Warping and you’ll see why this is a successful formula. The result is a surprisingly cohesive album that is one of their best yet.
Genre: Experimental Hip-Hop/Punk/Noise/Electronic
Favorite Tracks: Hot Head, Warping, Three Bedrooms in a Good Neighborhood
For Fans of: Dalek, Danny Brown, clipping
15. Autechre — elseq 1–5
Elseq was originally released in separate digital EPs to be collected in one gigantic near 5 hour album, and a bewildering collection at that. It’s impossible to listen to in one sitting, but there aren’t any good jumping in points, despite it’s division into 5 parts — the music is just too dense. On the other hand, this is exactly the kind of thing that makes digging into elseq so fascinating. It’s like stumbling out into the vastness of space, terrifying and overwhelming, yet there’s an adrenaline rush in the act of stepping into the unknown. To be fair there aren’t any bad jumping in points either, as the album defies it’s own classification as an album or music in the traditional sense — which is perhaps one of the greatest achievements possible in electronic art — it’s ‘simply’ a conglomeration of ideas.
Genre: Electronic/IDM/Experimental
Favorite Tracks: c16 deep tread, foldfree casual, spaces how V
For Fans of: Aphex Twin, Andy Stott, Tim Hecker
14. Deakin — Sleep Cycle
Ironically, the best Animal Collective album in 2016 was not made by Animal Collective and instead made by one of its least appreciated members, Josh Dibb. In fact, Dibb wasn’t even part of the recording process for Painting With. Sleep Cycle succeeds where Painting With failed — we don’t want to hear straightforward-pop Animal Collective, we want the old, psychedelic experimentation that we fell in love with on Sung Tongs and Strawberry Jam. Dibb brings the best of that sound and adds fresh ideas to the mix — Footy is one of the best songs of the year.
Genre: Psychedelic Pop/Electronica
Favorite Tracks: Footy, Good House
For Fans of: Animal Collective, Deerhunter, Flaming Lips
13. Anderson .Paak — Malibu
After hearing all of his features on Dre’s COMPTON last year, I was really looking forward to a full-length from Anderson .Paak and I was not disappointed. Malibu came out in January (which is interesting since it’s definitely a summer album), but it’s been on standard rotation all year long. He has such a unique voice and sings with amazing soul and charisma, and the arrangements on this album are infectious with some production by 9th Wonder, Kaytranada, and Madlib. Hopefully there’s a long career ahead for Paak.
Genre: R&B, Neo-Soul, Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: The Bird, The Season/Carry Me
For Fans of: Chance the Rapper, Little Brother, Kendrick Lamar
12. Nick Cave + The Bad Seeds — Skeleton Tree
Skeleton Tree was written in the wake of Nick Cave losing his son. The feel of mourning and nihilism permeates the album, and magnified by Cave’s despairing vocal delivery. The music of the album seems to have been created for the sole purpose of providing a vessel for Cave’s words. The backdrops are subdued and eerily beautiful, made with organs and synthesizers who rush in and dissipate like fog. It’s as if Cave’s lyrics on loss and grief are coming directly from beyond the veil.
Genre: Electronic/Ambient/Art-Rock
Favorite Tracks: Distant Sky, Skeleton Tree
For Fans of: Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Jeff Buckley
11. Angel Olsen — My Woman
Once a member of Will Oldham’s band, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Angel Olsen has come into her own with her last two releases. She takes the best of her accomplishments on Wolfroy Goes to Town, and adds her own spin on it, managing to sound timeless and fresh at the same time. MY WOMAN is put together perfectly, too. It knows when to swell and when to break, when to push a little too hard and when to ease into contemplation. The result are deliciously crisp and beautiful moments like the latter half of the track Sister, in which guitar reverb and pop arrangement come together breathtakingly.
Genre: Indie Rock/Pop/Folk Rock
Favorite Tracks: Give it Up, Sister
For Fans of: Patty Smith, Cat Power, Courtney Barnett
10. David Bowie — Blackstar
Blackstar is going to be talked about for a long time — a final album, released just two days before a legendary artists death, that was touted as a”parting gift” for his fans. It’s a tragic and beautiful moment in music history, and Bowie seemed to be clairvoyant enough to foresee it. Blackstar is a lamentation of his own mortality, but also a restructuring of his own legacy. The rock icon decidedly goes down a non-rock path, preferring to explore the sounds of jazz, electronica, and the avant-garde. Bowie’s always been known as an innovator, and this record resurrects that talent and brings it full circle, drawing again on the inspiration of his contemporary musicians. His producer cited To Pimp a Butterfly and Death Grips as inspirations for the album. In the same way that he’s returned his innovation to life, Blackstar will sustain his later career and stand as one of his greatest achievements. The insane thing is that Bowie might’ve anticipated it all; after all, the lead single is Lazarus.
Genre: Art-Pop/Experimental
Favorite Tracks: Lazarus, I Can’t Give Everything Away
For Fans of: Julia Holter, Talking Heads, Anohni
9. Car Seat Headrest — Teens of Denial
Will Toledo is right at home on Matador Records, as Teens of Denial sounds like a tribute to Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Guided by Voices, and the rest of the 90s indie scene. There are few musicians that are still making this kind of music today, so it’s awesome to hear a guitar driven indie rock album in 2016. Toledo is imminently quotable as well, and his songwriting skills have come a long way since his early bandcamp days. There’s still a feeling of lo-fi on Teens of Denial that pervaded his digital work, but the major label production really helps highlight all of the intricacies in his tunes.
Genre: Indie Rock
Favorite Tracks: Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales, The Ballad of Costa Concordia
8. Aesop Rock — The Impossible Kid
Aesop Rock has always been known as a backpacker champion for his intentionally enigmatic lyrics and thesaurus-like vocabulary. However, the Impossible Kid contains some of the most intimate stories and lyrics he has recorded during his career. Aes covers topics like the passing of his friend, Camu Tao, growing apart from his brother, psychotherapy, homelessness, growing old, and his cat, Kirby. The record also features some of the best production he’s had over the years, and everything fits together perfectly into a focused project. The crazy vocabulary is still there, but Aesop really bares his mind and soul for what seems like the first time on this record.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Dorks, Blood Sandwich
For Fans of: Atmosphere, Lupe Fiasco, Sadistik
7. Radiohead — A Moon Shaped Pool
A Moon Shaped Pool is probably the most accessible Radiohead album to date since OK Computer, and it’s honestly easier to think of it as not being a Radiohead album. It’s a record that decidedly takes a more hushed and simplistic approach than 2011’s King of Limbs, and I think that helps it succeed a bit more. Radiohead are going to always have enormous expectations for their music, and rather than try to live up to them, Yorke and Co. have tried to circumvent them entirely here. A Moon Shaped Pool is a record that wins you over based on it’s charm and songwriting rather than massive scope.
Genre: Art-Rock/Indie
Favorite Tracks: Desert Island Disk, Identikit
For Fans of: Alt-J, The National, Boards of Canada
6. Bon Iver — 22, A Million
Justin Vernon continues to reinvent his sound on his first release in 5 years. A few things remain consistent — his breathy falsetto and Gertrude Stein approach to lyricism — but overall this record is a world apart from the previous two. It’s lushness comes from it’s ability to warp and change itself, sometimes unexpectedly. The songs presented are short and sweet, and no one idea lingers too long. Even the tapes used are warped and used, evident on the end of #29 Strafford Apts, and Vernon shifts the pitch and timbre of his voice to fit the flow of the moment. The preference of sound over meaning has always been present in Bon Iver, just check the lyrics of his past songs, but Vernon stretches the idea to his limits here.
Genre: Electronic/Indie Pop
Favorite Tracks: 715 — CRΣΣKS, 8 (Circle)
For Fans of: James Blake, Kanye West, Fleet Foxes
5. A Tribe Called Quest — We Got it From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
The first Tribe album in 18 years comes as a political bomb dropped just three days after the presidential election concluded. They obviously keyed in on the fear and unrest in the country, most noticeably show on the chorus of We The People. Though the album is predominately political commentary, the trio also dish about personal struggles including the loss of Phife Dawg just months before the album’s release. Ironically, the track entitled The Donald is the least political out of all the songs, and deals solely with Phife’s passing.The sound on this record is classic Tribe with jazzy drums and beefy bass, but Q-Tip has learned a lot in his solo tenure, and uses that knowledge to push things further towards orchestrated, maximalist chaos.
Genre: Hip-Hop/Jazz Rap
Favorite Tracks: We The People, Solid Wall of Sound, Conrad Tokyo
For Fans of: Kendrick Lamar, Mos Def, The Roots
4. Thee Oh Sees — A Weird Exits
A Weird Exits has Thee Oh Sees putting more emphasis on the psychedelic part of psych-rock. The band ventures more into the realm of prog, but is able to ride out the jams rather than get bogged down in technicality for the sake of technicality. The whole thing is hypnotizing, perhaps a side-affect of adding a second drummer, even when it gets down to it’s softest moments like in the closer, The Axis. Released after A Weird Exits was a companion album, An Odd Entrances, that explored some of the more esoteric and cosmic sounds that were hinted at on A Weird Exits. The two records combine for a complete experience of psychedelia and mayhem.
Genre: Psych-Rock/Stoner Rock/Garage Punk
Favorite Tracks: Ticklish Warrior, The Axis, Jammed Exit
For Fans of: Ty Segall, Parquet Courts, White Lung
3. Danny Brown — Atrocity Exhibition
Danny Brown has always had interesting musical influences. He has sampled bands from the Allen Parsons Project to Al Green to This Heat, and for his newest LP, he’s named it after a Joy Division song. Atrocity Exhibition has about the same level of mirth you’d find on a Joy Division album as well, as Brown raps about addiction, depression, and mental illness throughout the project. The production is almost nothing like what you’d find on XXX and Old. It’s dark and off-kilter, at times there is no clear rhythm, and his ability to rap over literally anything, including faux-1980s Detroit techno, is astonishing.
Genre: Experimental Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Really Doe, Pneumonia
For Fans of: Earl Sweatshirt, A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar
2. Ka — Honor Killed the Samurai
A samurai is honorable, but sometimes he must use his sword. Using the myth of the samurai, Ka reconstructs the New York streets through dense metaphor and gritty yet sparse production. It’s hard to imagine hip-hop working without drums, but that’s exactly what makes Ka’s music so unique and impactful. His voice and flow guide you through his stories of loss, sacrifice, and poverty, and he never loses a step. He’s like a human metronome — disciplined, like a samurai. The metaphor is apt and hits home for anyone who has seen a certain Kurosawa film. Sometimes to maintain our honor, we must do dishonorable things. To help people, we must use our swords. Lyrically this is one of the most dense hip-hop albums in recent memory, and each lyric is crafted perfectly, often delivering multiple meanings and implications at one. After all, Ka, “could battle hard against catalogs with one leaflet journal.”
Genre: Hip-Hop
Favorite Tracks: Mourn at Night, $,
Finer Things / Tamahagene
For Fans of: Roc Marciano, RZA, Nas
- Frank Ocean — Blond
It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what Blond is about thematically, and that’s because it isn’t about one specific thing. In the beginning of a year defined by racial and political tension (though at times, what’s the difference?) and both emotional and physical violence, a nation searched desperately for some sort of cultural identity, and at the end of this year, we are still searching. It’s easy to get swept up in the political circus, and to start identifying people by their movements and movements by their more radical people, but what gets lost are the everyday lives of our fellow humans. We stop thinking of people as people — Trayvon Martin becomes an idea rather than a 17 year old kid who had a life, musical tastes, aspirations, and friends before he was taken far too soon. Frank’s album is a reminder of this truth. Sure, Blond mentions Trayvon and cultural unease, but it’s because it’s a part of Frank’s life as a whole. He tells stories to convey meaning, because it’s the philosophical and emotional context of everyday life is not so easily extrapolated into a tweet or tumblr post or one-liner song lyric. He’s not broadcasting a message, he’s broadcasting what it’s like to be Frank — definitive evidence that human beings are still human. That is what makes Blond both contemporary and classic — it serves as a reminder that we can’t forget what, and who, we are fighting for.
Genre: R&B/Hip-Hop/Art-Pop
Favorite Tracks: Nikes, Solo, Nights
For Fans of: Anderson .Paak, Drake, Kanye West
