12/13/16
These are the albums that called me back the most this year. I listened to a ton of new music this year--this is the stuff that sticks with me.
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| Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence |
Devin has become one of my favorite musicians--and he's certainly one of the most prolific dudes in the metal world. Several songs on this disc stand out, though "Stormbender" is the crown jewel. I'd have this in my Top 10, but a few tunes are extended beyond their welcome. He's never reached the level of "Addicted" several years ago--but he's always close. I'm always excited to see what Hevy Devy has next up his sleeve.
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| Green Day - Revolution Radio |
I know how pop-punk this version of Green Day is, but they're just so damned good at doing it. Songs like "Ordinary World," "Still Breathing," and "Troubled Times" are almost guaranteed to become mainstays in their live set. Truthfully, this would be higher if it wasn't for one of my least favorite songs of 2016, the repulsive "Youngblood."
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| Shearwater - Jet Plane and Oxbow |
This band has been around since 2001, and I just ran into them for the first time this year. This is simply a great record. It's got the lyrical sensibility of Lou Reed's early stuff, or Leonard Cohen (R.I.P.)--but this feels almost like an album straight from the late 1980's electronic-rock hybrids. The album starts very strong, and tunes like "Backchannels" and "Filaments" really push the disc to alarming heights. If you haven't heard this yet, you need to. I'm more excited to go back and hear the immense material in their back catalog.
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| Schammasch - Triangle |
#9 - Schammasch - Triangle
I don't always listen to heavy music--but when I do, I want to it be soul-obliterating. This 3 CD lineup fits the bill. It clocks in at slightly over an hour and forty minutes, and it will depress you to the core. The song "Metanoia" is the high point (perhaps because it's one of the more depressing moments???)--and the third disc is like black-metal-gregorian-chant-in-dark-moog? I just can't describe it, really. It's like Akercocke mixed with some of Ihsahn's earlier solo stuff. Just great to put you in a different state of mind. Also, I think this is my clear choice for favorite cover art of 2016.
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| Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth |
I'll admit, I first heard Sturgill because of his odd version of Nirvana's "In Bloom"--and I'll also admit that most modern country music is utter horse poop. But, this country album is different. It's earnest, and filled with wonderful string arrangements--and it's trying to be soul more than it's trying to be rock and roll. I like that. In fact, there's nothing about this album I don't like, except that nine songs feels too short. I found out yesterday this album is up for the Grammy for Album of the Year. I still think Sturgill's about as "underground" as an Atlantic Records artist can be. Every song is just very, very strong. The first song, "Welcome to Earth (Polywog)" is just weird enough to let you know what's in store for you. Also, I love the Nirvana cover. Not everyone will agree.
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| Opeth - Sorceress |
Once Opeth "jumped the shark" and put out the Deliverance/Damnation double-punch years ago, it was easy to predict their foray into what some would call prog-rock. Several handfuls of their fans have abandoned them, and are never to return. Mikael Akerfeldt, their lead singer and song writer, has stated many times that they're moving forward, and not looking back. Great irony found in the fact that their best blend of their prog-rock/metal output thusfar comes by using the organ sound every band in the 1970s was throwing on every album. This is really good--it's one of the albums that could be boring if it wasn't so ambitious. But, they cram so much into each song, and none of it feels like a throwaway. Even with all the experimentation, give me the most traditional track on this disc, "Will O the Wisp." It's a great listen, and it takes multiple sittings to appreciate everything they've accomplished on this album.
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| Lemon Demon - Spirit Phone |
#6 - Lemon Demon - Spirit Phone
It's self-produced. It sounds a bit too tinny at times. But it's everything I love about quirky bands like Devo, They Might Be Giants and Ween--polished and precise. Seriously, I'd like to see what this album would do if it had been mixed by some auditory genius. "Touch-Tone Telephone" is one of my favorite songs of the year, by far. I could place at least four more on that short list, as well. Just a really enjoyable listen--especially if you enjoy the discomfort quirky electronic music can provide.
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| Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool |
This is the soundtrack for solitude. Lyrically, this album is so separated from society--it feels like Thom Yorke is often just begging to be left alone. Some of the songs feel like they've been pulled from other eras of Radiohead, but the pacing and lyrical content just makes it all fit together in one, compact box, filled corner to corner with stark isolation. Not nearly as heavy as the Triangle album listed at #9. But, somehow, it's just as dark and brooding.
#4 - Biffy Clyro - Ellipsis
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| Biffy Clryo - Ellipsis |
This trio has been around for a very long time, and I was hoping they'd achieve the success of their 2013 double-album, Opposites. I don't know if this album is as poppy and catchy, but it's still loaded with hooks. There's a certain attitude throughout this disc--and it blends more mellow ballads (like "Medicine" and "Re-Arrange") with more aggressive songs (like "Wolves of Winter") with simplistic grace. This is my #4, but I doubt there's an album I've listened to more frequently that this one in 2016.
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| Weezer - White Album |
First of all, yes--I realize there's only ONE White Album. And it's not this one. However, this disc is perfect on several fronts. First, it combines the catchy vocal hooks of the Green Album with the lyrical skill of Pinkerton. I've found that Rivers, when he concentrates heavily on guitar hooks, often gets bored when it comes to lyrics, and vice-versa. This is, quite possibly, my third favorite in their catalog. Well-crafted songs, and every part feels intricately scheduled. For example, the bridge section of the song "L.A. Girls"--moving from subtlety, then back to crushing guitars, then back to bass-backed vocal melodies, finally building into a crescendo at the song's conclusion--it's all so well-done. It also mirrors the snarky approach of Rivers, begging for these girls to just grow up a bit. There's not a bad song in the mix. If you abandoned this band after Pinkerton, it's high time time for you to come crawling back.
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| David Bowie - Blackstar |
One of the most important rock stars in history, delivering his final masterpiece. I remember picking this up the day it came out, listening to it and saying, "Wow, this is depressing." It's almost a jazz-fusion record, but it felt so distant. Of course, within days, he was dead and it all made more sense. This was a his farewell--the Great White Duke's artistic goodbye. Standout tracks include "Blackstar," "Lazarus" and the aptly-titled "I Can't Give Everything Away." Of course, if you hear Bowie coughing and wheezing before "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore"--you realize he already had.
#1 - Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow
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| MY ALBUM OF 2016 Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow |
Relapse Records is seemingly dropping the ball. This band is doing everything right. Both this album and 2014's Guilty of Everything are little snippets of rock aggression, hidden behind intensely-delivered whispers and whimpers. Take everything you love about Smashing Pumpkins and add the subtlety that Billy Corgan can't always deliver--and you have Nothing (but everything). "Nineteen Ninety Heaven," "A.C.D." and "Eaten By Worms" are a few of my favorites. But this album reminds me of Radiohead's OK Computer or Faith No More's Angel Dust in that every song feels like a smaller part of an immense puzzle, which can only be fully enjoyed as an entire piece. Go out and listen to every thing this band has done. You're going to be begging for more!
