There were some fantastic highlights, great releases, stellar shows, sublime singles and lots of interesting news in the music world over the past 50 or so weeks. But 2016 hasn't been much of anyone's year, overall. Luckily music is one of those things that gets you through both the good and the bad, and reveals things to you and about yourself that perhaps you couldn't have found on your own. And when you don't want to think about something, when you just want to feel it, music is perhaps best choice there is.
I know I missed out on listening to a lot of music that was released this year. I have a bad habit of ignoring the big releases, the names that get attention right away, in favor of ferreting out the smaller artists and labels for their contributions. There are so many year-end lists from big notables to little blogs like mine, that I find it useless to repeat what other people have listed and said just to fit into some stereotypical style. In a year that has challenged me in a immeasurable number of ways, the only way I've been able to survive is by just being me and being true to my own tastes.
So while I am technically still on a graduate school hiatus, my lust for listening has not lessened. My ability to chase story ideas and reach out to artists has suffered, and it's been difficult to sacrifice one passion (writing about music) for another (assignments for school --> which is on this blog). I hope this next year I can lift more musical interests back up into my routine, whether through reviews, features, mentions, playlists, or my long-in-the-making podcast. So if you're still with me, stay tuned.
But here is a short list of what stuck with me in 2016: a year of transition, trials, and beginning anew in the middle of instability and the unknown.
Top Albums
1. Kyle Morton - What Will Destroy You
2. David Bazan - Blanco
3. Daughter - Not to Disappear
4. Royal Canoe - Something Got Lost Between Here and the Orbit
5. Roosevelt - Roosevelt
6. SALES - SALES LP
7. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
8. School of Seven Bells - SVIIB
9. Porches - Pool
10. Deep Sea Diver - Secrets
Wingman - Honcho
Radiation City - Synesthetica
Hannah Epperson - Upsweep
Square Peg Round Hole - Juniper
All The Roses - ROSES EP
Joseph - I'm Alone, No You're Not
Pinegrove - Cardinal
Emma Ruth Rundle - Marked for Death
Astronaut Husband - Collection of You
Savages - Adore Life
Grouplove - Big Mess
Laura Gibson - Empire Builder
Day Wave - Headcase/Hard to Read
Lapsley - Long Way Home
Andy Schauf - The Party
Methyl Ethyl - Oh Inhuman Spectacle
Bear Hands - You'll Pay for This
Tiger Lou - The Wound Dresser
Douglas Dare - Aforger
Marian Hill - One
Gordi - Clever Disguise
Holidae - Tantrum
A Piano In Every Home - North American Review Part I & II
Ed Carlsen - The Journey Tapes
Tycho - Epoch
Little Tybee - Little Tybee
Faint Peter - Redoubt
Top Songs (in no order)
Andy Schauf, "The Magician"
Grouplove, "Enlighten Me"
Sylvan Esso, "Kick Jump Twist"
Many Voices Speak, "Video Child"
Too Many Zooz, "Warriors"
Racing Glaciers, "Sertraline"
Ed Carlsen, "Loose"
FRAEA, "Criminal"
BLAJK, "French Class"
Roosevelt, "Fever"
Glass Animals, "Life Itself"
Bob Moses, "Tearing Me Up"
Tiger Lou, "Untitled #3"
Father John Misty, "Real Love Baby"
Goldroom, "Silhouette"
Nick Leng, "Drivers"
Joseph, "White Flag"
Gordi, "Can We Work It Out"
Swimming Tapes, "Souveniers"
FEiN, "Don't You"
PYN, "My Baby"
Queue, "More"
Phosphene, "Be Mine"
Edward Vanzet, "Everyday"
I know I missed out on listening to a lot of music that was released this year. I have a bad habit of ignoring the big releases, the names that get attention right away, in favor of ferreting out the smaller artists and labels for their contributions. There are so many year-end lists from big notables to little blogs like mine, that I find it useless to repeat what other people have listed and said just to fit into some stereotypical style. In a year that has challenged me in a immeasurable number of ways, the only way I've been able to survive is by just being me and being true to my own tastes.
So while I am technically still on a graduate school hiatus, my lust for listening has not lessened. My ability to chase story ideas and reach out to artists has suffered, and it's been difficult to sacrifice one passion (writing about music) for another (assignments for school --> which is on this blog). I hope this next year I can lift more musical interests back up into my routine, whether through reviews, features, mentions, playlists, or my long-in-the-making podcast. So if you're still with me, stay tuned.
But here is a short list of what stuck with me in 2016: a year of transition, trials, and beginning anew in the middle of instability and the unknown.
Top Albums
1. Kyle Morton - What Will Destroy You
2. David Bazan - Blanco
3. Daughter - Not to Disappear
4. Royal Canoe - Something Got Lost Between Here and the Orbit
5. Roosevelt - Roosevelt
6. SALES - SALES LP
7. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
8. School of Seven Bells - SVIIB
9. Porches - Pool
10. Deep Sea Diver - Secrets
Wingman - Honcho
Radiation City - Synesthetica
Hannah Epperson - Upsweep
Square Peg Round Hole - Juniper
All The Roses - ROSES EP
Joseph - I'm Alone, No You're Not
Pinegrove - Cardinal
Emma Ruth Rundle - Marked for Death
Astronaut Husband - Collection of You
Savages - Adore Life
Grouplove - Big Mess
Laura Gibson - Empire Builder
Day Wave - Headcase/Hard to Read
Lapsley - Long Way Home
Andy Schauf - The Party
Methyl Ethyl - Oh Inhuman Spectacle
Bear Hands - You'll Pay for This
Tiger Lou - The Wound Dresser
Douglas Dare - Aforger
Marian Hill - One
Gordi - Clever Disguise
Holidae - Tantrum
A Piano In Every Home - North American Review Part I & II
Ed Carlsen - The Journey Tapes
Tycho - Epoch
Little Tybee - Little Tybee
Faint Peter - Redoubt
Top Songs (in no order)
Andy Schauf, "The Magician"
Grouplove, "Enlighten Me"
Sylvan Esso, "Kick Jump Twist"
Many Voices Speak, "Video Child"
Too Many Zooz, "Warriors"
Racing Glaciers, "Sertraline"
Ed Carlsen, "Loose"
FRAEA, "Criminal"
BLAJK, "French Class"
Roosevelt, "Fever"
Glass Animals, "Life Itself"
Bob Moses, "Tearing Me Up"
Tiger Lou, "Untitled #3"
Father John Misty, "Real Love Baby"
Goldroom, "Silhouette"
Nick Leng, "Drivers"
Joseph, "White Flag"
Gordi, "Can We Work It Out"
Swimming Tapes, "Souveniers"
FEiN, "Don't You"
PYN, "My Baby"
Queue, "More"
Phosphene, "Be Mine"
Edward Vanzet, "Everyday"
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Best Live Show
Moon Hooch, Fox Theater, Boulder, CO [October] (Runner-up: Deep Sea Diver, 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN [March]) |
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Best (only) Festival I went to this year:
Basilica Block Party, Minneapolis (The Fray, Death Cab for Cutie, Cold War Kids, Gary Clark Jr., Ryan Adams)
Favorite Publication on:
Bearded Gentleman Music
True Love Waits: How Radiohead Taught Us to be Unconditional (over 2,000 Facebook likes!)
Rift Magazine
It's a 3-way tie between getting to cover Cantus' Covers concert, Holidae's CD release, and Wingman's debut.
Bandsintown
Lucius at First Avenue
The Aural Premonition
Working with Reddening West definitely made 2016 a special year, as well as the time I spent with A Piano in Every Home. Finally publishing words about long-time favorite Lemolo made for an especially satisfying start to the year.
Special thanks to all the musicians, publications and people that made this year possible!
Basilica Block Party, Minneapolis (The Fray, Death Cab for Cutie, Cold War Kids, Gary Clark Jr., Ryan Adams)
Favorite Publication on:
Bearded Gentleman Music
True Love Waits: How Radiohead Taught Us to be Unconditional (over 2,000 Facebook likes!)
Rift Magazine
It's a 3-way tie between getting to cover Cantus' Covers concert, Holidae's CD release, and Wingman's debut.
Bandsintown
Lucius at First Avenue
The Aural Premonition
Working with Reddening West definitely made 2016 a special year, as well as the time I spent with A Piano in Every Home. Finally publishing words about long-time favorite Lemolo made for an especially satisfying start to the year.
Special thanks to all the musicians, publications and people that made this year possible!
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