I know its 2017 and you want to move on, but what if I said to you "Hey! It wasn't all bad! Please don't hit me!"
Cos you know what got me through this ball-ache of a year? Really good music (and friends, family, wife blah blah blah, who wants to hear about them eh?).
So, think of this years list as not only really good music, but a saviour, a rock, a comfort blanket, a good beer. It got me through the year and if you haven't heard of some of these bands I hope they bring you new joy for what I'm sure will be an even shitter 2017.
Songs of 2016
I've done this the past few years now and really love it, every time I hear a song I like I add it to a playlist for the year on Spotify. Its a great way to capture all the songs I like. Check it out if you want to hear my full list, its really bloody good.Here are some of my highlights of that list that are not featured in my top albums, or haven't got a million radio plays (like Frank Ocean, Chance the Rapper, The XX, Kanye...)
Lizzo - Good as Hell. I only heard this late in the year on a talk show and she did an amazing dance routine. Its unbridled joy, a perfect tonic for 2016.
Her - Five Minutes - A recommendation from a work colleague back home (thanks Pash!), this has been stuck in my head for most of the year.
Local Natives - Fountain of Youth. Not sure why there's no official video for this, I assumed it was a single the amount of times ive heard it. I'd kinda lost interest in Local Natives as their 2nd album was pish compared to the debut, but this, off the 3rd album, renewed my faith.
Anderson Paak - Put Me Thru. The Album "Malibu" is a great listen too, but this is a standout for me. A great slice of modern soul. Oddly, the BBC have put him in their Sound of 2017, which just shows how bad that list has become seen as he got some pretty big hype throughout 2016.
Lloyd Carner - Stars and Shards
A genuine one to watch out for in 2017, Lloyd Carner lays some great lines over chilled funky guitar tracks. Its a refreshing change of pace in hip hop.
Albums of 2016
Don't get me wrong, the below albums are all great, but I feel like the last few years before 2016 I've had more choice when it came to a top 10. Frankly, after my top 3 albums its very hard to rank them 4-10. I've spent a lot of time with them all at some point during the year and all have great tracks but they're not perfect and they haven't stuck with me for long periods I would say. I just dip into them when I feel like it.I almost thought screw it, i just wont rank them past the top 3, then I started to write and listen again and I was reminded that actually yeah, there's more good tracks than I remember on this, and this one drops off towards the end but actually is the first half of this better than the whole of that? So I HAD to rank them. I did it for my sanity, for your sanity. We need order in this volatile world, so with that here's my top 10.
10. Weezer - White Album
A real return to form for me. I feel like they've been slowly clawing their way back after their infamous grab for punk-pop stardom (which I still dont understand...). I didn't really get involved with all that, I liked the early stuff and I like this too. Is it the same, no? Will it appease some of those fans that got mad? Im not sure. Do I care? No. Its a great album in my eyes and has some classic Weezer songs like "Do you Wanna get High?", "Thank God for Girls" and "King of the World" plus something a bit different "I Love the USA".9. Childish Gambino - Awaken My Love
In which Donald Glover adds another string to his already pretty full bow. Seemingly not happy with being a successful comedian, actor and hip-hop artist, Donald adds Funk/Soul sex-god to his list of talents. And you know what? It makes you want to cry a little, its just not fair! How can one man be that good at all these things?! Its a complete transformation from his previous musical offerings instead relying heavily on Prince, Sly and George Clinton. It's an homage, but he adds his own personality to it. "Redbone" is one of the tracks of the year, and even though the album dies a little towards the end the first 3/4's could sit alongside Sly and the Family Stone and no-one would bat an eyelid.8. Frank Ocean - Blonde
There's so much going on in this much anticipated follow-up to Channel Orange by Frank it's hard to point to a single track on it. It might have even appeared higher up my list if it hadn't been an Apple Music exclusive for the first month or so, which I refused to get on principal. I think Frank Ocean crosses genre's, it's definitely hip hop at its core, but if you're an indie fan you'll find plenty to like here as there's a lot of guitar and keys. Like most hip hop albums though it suffers from too many tracks, cut out 5 from the 17 and you have a much tighter experience.Frank Ocean - 'Nikes' from DoBeDo Productions on Vimeo.
7. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam Batmanglij - I had a dream that you were mine
Gravel voiced lead singer of The Walkmen (Leithauser) teams up with equally weird named ex Vampire Weekend jack-of-all-trades (Batmanglij) for this side project. The opening track (and standout) on this record is "A 1000 times", which is apt as that's probably how many times i've played it. It's just great rock songwriting that sounds like they've been a band forever. I hope they do more stuff together as its clearly working.6. Francis and the Lights - Farewell Starlite
I would just like to show my hipster credentials here for a second, Ive loved Francis for YEARS. This year though has seen him pop-up everywhere from Bon Iver to Kanye, to Chance the Rapper and more. He's a producer / composer in demand. So why then can he not make the main stream hits for himself? Im not sure, but this is another solid album of electro soul pop from the very odd recluse. Also massive props for getting Justin Vernon to dance in this vid.5. Bon Iver - 22 A Million
Bon Iver are one of my favourite bands. But this album frustrated me so much at first, from the stupid code like names of the songs to what seems like forced weirdness pushed into potentially classic Bon Iver tracks and the ultimate sin - the VOCODER. Why do that to your beautiful voice Justin?! I get it, you're an artist, you get bored, you want to exercise your creative chops.For a while it felt like he was rebelling against himself and his fans, but repeated listens exposes the beauty and the genius of 22 A Million. It's a wonderfully creative album that still has the hooks and melodies of old Bon Iver, even if you have to work a little hard to understand them than previous efforts.
4. Whitney - Light upon the Lake
Falsetto vocals, summery vibes, acoustic guitar, a bit of horns here and there. They remind me of Teenage Fanclub. Light upon the Lake is a beautiful debut from Whitney. Barely a duff track on the record but the singles No Woman and Golden Days are standouts.3. Jeff Rosenstock - Worry
Jeff Rosenstock has been around ages and I know some of my NYC punk loving friends will have likely heard of him in one of his many bands, but for me this album was my first exposure of Jeff. Specifically he appeared on the Chris Gethard Show (one of my faves, check out) and rocked the hell out. On Worry, he writes smart, funny, indie punk shout-a-longs with ease and it seems like a direct response to all the shit 2016 has thrown at us. My personal fave off this is called "HELLLLHOOOOLE" but that doesnt have a video so here's another good one.2. Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate
I've known of Michael for a while now as my mate Matt worked with him for a video on one of his first songs, he's always had talent but his debut for me didn't make me think he was going to be much more than a good / middling success singer / songwriter. Im glad to say I was very wrong! Love & Hate is a modern day masterpiece that offers so much more than a man with a guitar - its EPIC. From the lush slow burning 10 minute opener of Cold Little Heart you know this is going to be a special record. It would sound bloody fantastic live, backed by an orchestra and I want to be there when it happens. I'm still gutted that he had to cancel his NYC show at the end of the year.His rich voice is still front and centre, but like the composition of the songs it's matured and lyrically its one of the best of the year.
1. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
I'm not going to mention that I saw these upstairs at Piano's in October 2015, with a crowd of 12 people watching, half of which were my friends. I'm not going to mention I've championed them since that gig months before they released this album which resulted them playing the Late Show TV circuit playing to bigger and bigger sold out venues across the states, ultimately appearing in many top 10 album lists, (including no.4 in Rolling Stone - and that's for OLD people!). Im above all that hipster shit so I wont mention any of it, its just not me guys.What I will say is I TOLD YOU SO! NER NER NER NER!
*AHEM*
In truth, this album surprised me as to how good it turned out to be. Teens of Denial is Will Toledo's major label debut after releasing several low key albums previously (and prolifically) including the also excellent compilation Teens of Style. It's a rare thing when someone with obvious talent matures with such great timing as this. Like I say, he's written hundreds of songs and put out albums well before this, yet Teens of Denial is better than all of what went previous.
Stuffed with ideas and killer songs, sometimes there's great songs inside great songs. Lead single - Vincent clocks in at just under 8mins and could be split into 3 great songs. On the surface CSH are a very typical college indie rock band. But scratch a little under the surface and there's so much more here, the lyrics are sharp and witty, he takes risks other bands wouldn't with composition, he knows how to play with the listener, taking them on a journey while spilling his guts out about depression, drugs, booze and teenage anxiety.
I've played this album more than the previous nine put together, its that good and there was never any doubt what was going to be my favorite album of 2016.
