Albums of the year 2016.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

You need to have a spiritual side to appreciate HGM. I don't think linkous has one. And zip definitely doesn't.

what about me? I am pretty much in league with them with respect to this album, yet I am pretty sure that I've clearly demonstrated having a spiritual side when it comes to the music I like

Is HGM paying you guys?

[Zip City]

I agree with Smitty. There is nothing wrong with the record. A few songs I quite like. But it doesn't move me.

[Clams]

yet I am pretty sure that I've clearly demonstrated having a spiritual side

The jury's still out on that one, Floyd!

[linkous]

You need to have a spiritual side to appreciate HGM. I don't think linkous has one. And zip definitely doesn't.

My ears are radically spiritual I'll have you know.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

yet I am pretty sure that I've clearly demonstrated having a spiritual side

The jury's still out on that one, Floyd!

I did qualify it by saying "when it comes to the music I like"

[WarHenRecords]

Is HGM paying you guys?

yes

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Is HGM paying you guys?

yes

Duke Silver needs a raise

[Smitty]

Heart Luke a Levee (the song), Biloxi and Oh Happy Day are amazing songs, nothing particularly groundbreaking but just damn good songs. All three would make my top twenty songs of the year, but the rest of them on the record are solid-to-pretty good.

Its around 6 or 7 (I think) on my AOTY list.

[Zip City]

I like Ace of Cups Hung Low Band quite a bit

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

I like Ace of Cups Hung Low Band quite a bit

no Hung Low, but Ace of Cups and Band

[211poundsofpork]

I like Ace of Cups Hung Low Band quite a bit

no Hung Low, but Ace of Cups and Band

Wow, WWCD- I like what you did there. Sons of Champlin: now this is weird because if I didn't see the Chicago documentary the other night, I wouldn't have known who they were. Nice.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Heart Luke a Levee (the song), Biloxi and Oh Happy Day are amazing songs, nothing particularly groundbreaking but just damn good songs. All three would make my top twenty songs of the year, but the rest of them on the record are solid-to-pretty good.

Its around 6 or 7 (I think) on my AOTY list.

Probably falls just outside of my top 10, although I haven't given it more than half a dozen listens so maybe it climbs that list as time goes on.

[Duke Silver]

Finally got around to giving "Real" a full-attention listen on the exercise bike the other night. Great, great album. I liked LL's previous album quite a bit but thought it sounded a bit samey. "Real" is much more varied in tempo, melody and texture. And the bass lines are killer. Two thumbs up.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

I like Ace of Cups Hung Low Band quite a bit

no Hung Low, but Ace of Cups and Band

Wow, WWCD- I like what you did there. Sons of Champlin: now this is weird because if I didn't see the Chicago documentary the other night, I wouldn't have known who they were. Nice.

an original of that poster hangs in our hallway, it gave me the inspiration

[Zip City]

Man, this was tough, and I'm still not completely satisfied with it. But here we go:

1.

Felice Brothers - Life in the Dark

I went around and around before finally landing on Life in the Dark as my AOTY. This album is a full return to form for The Felice Brothers, mixing everything I love about them in a balance not heard since their self-titled album. The wry, clever, jangly tunes are offset by some of the most emotional, heartfelt songs Ian has ever written.

Top 3: Sell the House, Triumph '73, Diamond Bell




2. Wussy - Forever Sounds

After falling in love with this Cincinnati band after their Attica release, I expected big things from their follow up. At first, I was let down; it didn't immediately grab me the way Attica did. But I dug in, and as the album revealed itself, I grew to love it. I then saw them live earlier this year and was floored. This band deserves so much more popularity than they have.

Top 3: Donny's Death Scene, Hello I'm a Ghost, She's Killed Hundreds



3. Lucius - Good Grief

Lucius' sophomore album built on everything that was great about their debut (Wildewoman). Paired with legendary producer Bob Ezrin, this LA-via-Brooklyn quartet mixed soaring harmonies, pop fun, and sneaky good lyrics into one of the most fun albums of 2016.

Top 3 - Dusty Trails, Better Look Back, My Heart Got Caught on Your Sleeve



4. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

Welcome back, Radiohead! After the really uneven King of Limbs (and a multi-year break), one of my favorite bands of all time returned with a disquieting yet beautiful collection of songs that demands multiple listens.

Top 3 - Burn the Witch, The Numbers, Present Tense



5. Kanye West - The Life of Pablo

3DD's favorite rap genius had a bizarro year, capped with a sometimes brilliant, sometimes head-scratching album. The high points are very high, especially the album opener "Ultralight Beam," which features a gospel choir, Chance the Rapper, and some gorgeous singing. There are some other really great songs here, but there are some questionable inclusions, and with the release date constantly changing (and song edits being made literally hours before it was put out), it's not surprising that it sounds unpolished and unfinished. Hell, I still love it though.

Top 3 - Ultralight Beam, Famous, 30 Hours



6. Ray LaMontagne - Ouroboros

Montagne's "God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise" was my AOTY a few years back, as Ray seemed to be peaking his mix of Stephen Stills folk, blue-eyed soul, and country roots. He followed with a Dan Auerbach produced exploration of 70's AM rock, and I wasn't sure what would come next. So when "Ouroboros" was released, I was completely blown away by the change in influences. This Jim James produced record drops the folk for a Pink-Floyd inspired rock record, with a few heavy Side A tracks that raise his sound to a new level. Montagne then toured the record with MMJ (minus James) as his backing band. If you didn't dig Ray's early records, its worth giving this one a shot just to hear how different it is.

Top 3: The Changing Man, While It Still Beats, Hey Man No Pressure



7. Wilco - Schmilco

It's the quieter, chiller half of "Star Wars"? Recorded in the same sessions, the vibe is definitely more laid back and spare, but the songwriting is tremendous (as always), as Tweedy continues to subtly evolve his songwriting from album to album. Great headphones album, as you can hear the intricacies in what seem, at first, like spare arrangements.

Top 3: Normal American Kids, Nope, Happiness



8. DBT - American Band

It's not the album we wanted, it was the one we needed. It's the first "concept" album DBT has written since DD, with scathing commentary on our fucked up country. But after the election, it became harder to listen to. Less enjoyable. I appreciate it for what it is, and really love album closer Baggage. I'll come back to this record soon, I just can't right now.

Top 3: Baggage, Ramon Casiano, Ever South



9. Dexateens - Teenage Hallelujah

This might have been my most anticipated album of the year, as Sunsphere is one of my favorite records of the past five years. While I don't think TH quite stacks up, there is a ton to love here. The Dexateens (along with DBT, Shovels & Rope, and several others) are among a growing group of Southern-based artists who are willing to discuss and expose the ugly side of rural-American culture. The 'teens do it mostly through humor, with great songs like Old Rebel, Shake n Bake Astrovan and Alabama Redneck. They even get a little Primus-esque on Jimmy John.

Top 3: Shake n Bake Astrovan, Old Rebel, Fellowship of the Saturday Night Brotherhood



10. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial

I was an early adopter of this album, latching on like so many of us have with its rawness, its clear influences, its humor, and its honesty. Plus those hooks! Its like nothing else out there right now, and I can only hope to see them on tour soon.

Top 3: Destroyed By Hippie Powers, Cosmic Hero, The Ballad of Costa Concordia

11. Shovels & Rope - Little Seeds - S & R continue to explore their sound in a really good collection of songs. Nothing especially ground breaking here, but if you're a fan, there's a lot to like.

12. A Tribe Called Quest - We Got it From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service - A brilliant final album from a rap group that most of us thought had already made their final album (years and years ago). This record was like a shot in the arm at the end of the year.

13. Claypool Lennon Delirium - The Monolith of Phobos - Born from a tour where Lennon's band (Ghost of a Saber Toothed Tiger) opened for Primus, this album was the result of a burst of creativity fueled over a few days (and a lot of edibles). Lennon and Claypool play all the instruments, and the result is typical Claypool weirdness made richer and more melodic through Lennon's psychedelic, intricately melodic tendencies.

14. Run the Jewels - RTJ3 - Scheduled for mid-January, this album was dropped on Christmas (for free!) and squeezes onto the 2016 list. Run the Jewels is a rarity in today's hip hop landscape: an actual group that trades lines and collaborates. RTJ is fiercely political, and take no prisoners lyrically. El-P has developed a signature production sound that sometimes sounds a bit "samey", but is identifiable as RTJ.

15. Quilt - Plaza - These psychedelic songsters went back to their first songs and re-recorded them for this year's album. The band sounds like they're straight out of the late 60's/early 70's, and the dreamy hooks push my buttons.

16. Black Mountain - IV - This was my introduction to this band, and the first song really grabbed me. As I've dug through the back catalog, I've found some earlier records I like better, but I'm glad to have found this band.

17. Dr. Dog - Psychedelic Swamp - Like Quilt, Dr. Dog returned to early band recordings and reworked and rerecorded them. They even brought back an original member (who hasn't been in the group in years) to sing a song.

18. Hamilton Mixtape - The phenomenon that was Hamilton on Broadway created a lot of fans among established rap and R&B artists alike. SO Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda curated a mixtape of covers, work-upped demos, and original songs "inspired" by the musical by artists like Nas, Sia, Queen Latifah, John Legend, and Chance the Rapper. The results aren't always great, but there are some shining moments, especially among the originals.

19. Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book - Chicago MC (and Kanye protege) Chance dropped his first album and introduced himself as an up and coming star. The duality of the hop hop thing is addressed, with equal parts religious spirituality and braggadocios party life.

20. Amanda Shires - My Piece of Land - Shires has a unique voice in the Americana scene, and while I didn't quite like this one as much as her last release, I think what she does is great. I've missed seeing her live a few times, and plan to fix that ASAP.

21. Conor Oberst - Ruminations - Oberst strips it down, with most songs accompanied by just a guitar or a piano. He's still floating a bit in his post-Bright Eyes career, but he's still a prolific songwriter.

22. Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered - An EP of outtakes from To Pimp a Butterfly and other sessions, these songs are a mostly good, but disjointed group of hip hop. Even Kendrick's leftovers outshine most hip hop out there.

23. Handsome Family - Unseen - I heard them interviewed on NPR and gave the album a shot. It's a mood record, with slower tempos, lilting arrangements, and some sublime pedal steel.

24. Carl Broemel - 4th of July - My Morning Jacket's lead guitarist releases another solo record, and while it starts out very strong, it sort of wanes by the end. The early songs are really great, and hopefully one might make its way into the MMJ setlists.

25. John Paul White - Beulah - Former Civil Wars songwriter makes some gorgeous songs.

[paulc]

Tonights order ......

Billy Bragg & Joe Henry – Shine a Light
Felice Bros – Life in the Dark
Drive-By Truckers - American Band
The Interrupters – Say it Out Loud
Two Cow Garage – Brand New Flag
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
Case/Lang/Veirs - s/t
Kevin Morby – Signing Saw
Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity
Hiss Golden Messenger - Heart Like a Levee
Dexys - Let the Record Show: Dexys Do Irish and Country Soul
Wussy - Forever Sounds

Bowie's didn't do much for me and Lydia's Real is too polished .... keep it raw, girl.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

Lydia's Real is too polished .... keep it raw, girl.

glad to hear I'm not the only one who thinks this way. There is nothing wrong with the album, I just don't think it's my favorite from her

[Duke Silver]

Nice list and write-ups, Zip. It's funny, we like a lot of the same stuff but to very different degrees, and your standout tracks are almost uniformly my least favs on their respective albums.

[Clams]

8. DBT - American Band

It's not the album we wanted, it was the one we needed. It's the first "concept" album DBT has written since DD, with scathing commentary on our fucked up country. But after the election, it became harder to listen to. Less enjoyable. I appreciate it for what it is, and really love album closer Baggage. I'll come back to this record soon, I just can't right now.

Top 3: Baggage, Ramon Casiano, Ever South

I agree that this record became much harder to listen to and enjoy after the election. The listening experience completely changed. Banned Imagine went from a smart song about the Bush years to a knowing and prescient song about today and tomorrow. Cooley is a fucking genius.

Good write-ups, zipster.

[Iowan]

Nice list and write-ups, Zip. It's funny, we like a lot of the same stuff but to very different degrees, and your standout tracks are almost uniformly my least favs on their respective albums.

My tastes are the same way in relationship to Zip. We love a lot of the same bands but very rarely agree on specific songs.

[Zip Up to Michigan]

Heart Luke a Levee (the song), Biloxi and Oh Happy Day are amazing songs, nothing particularly groundbreaking but just damn good songs. All three would make my top twenty songs of the year, but the rest of them on the record are solid-to-pretty good.

Its around 6 or 7 (I think) on my AOTY list.

I agree, they are really solid, enjoyable tunes. I think the one issue I have is they aren't long enough." Biloxi," "As The Crow Flies," and "Say it Like You Mean It" could all almost be doubled in length. Then there's "Cracked Windshield" which seems to go on forever and not get anywhere (especially with "Smokey's Song" preceding it). Minor complaints , though. It's a superb effort. Really looking forward to catching these guys at the end of the month.

[Iowan]

Heart Luke a Levee (the song), Biloxi and Oh Happy Day are amazing songs, nothing particularly groundbreaking but just damn good songs. All three would make my top twenty songs of the year, but the rest of them on the record are solid-to-pretty good.

Its around 6 or 7 (I think) on my AOTY list.

I agree, they are really solid, enjoyable tunes. I think the one issue I have is they aren't long enough." Biloxi," "As The Crow Flies," and "Say it Like You Mean It" could all almost be doubled in length. Then there's "Cracked Windshield" which seems to go on forever and not get anywhere (especially with "Smokey's Song" preceding it). Minor complaints , though. It's a superb effort. Really looking forward to catching these guys at the end of the month.

I liked "Cracked Windshield" a ton but agree that "Smokey's Song" is a little pointless.

[Duke Silver]

I really enjoy Cracked Windshield (esp. the "I can fix this, babe" verse at the end), but I can see why someone might find it a little tedious.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Lost in the shuffle is the also excellent Vestapol which comes with bonus editions of Heart Like A Levee.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Indeed. No matter his post count, it's not like I've said anything insulting, I just find broad generalizations of this nature baffling, particularly when Real has appeared on several year end best of lists. Then again, maybe it's Clams' fault.

I think one has to take a look at himself if he feels insulted on an Internet message board, but you did chose to use vulgar language and that kind of immaturity diminishes the weight an opinion can hold...but hey, that's just my opinion.

Out of sheer curiosity, could you provide the link(s) of the year end best of lists this album is scoring high on? I'm genuinely interested in knowing what publications are ranking it so high, and what else they have at the top of their list. Thanks!

AV Club has it at 15

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/669- ... s-of-2016/

American Songwriter has it a t 26

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/669- ... s-of-2016/

It's on Glide's top 20

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/629- ... s-of-2016/

#14 on No Depression Reader's Poll

http://nodepression.com/article/your-50 ... lbums-2016

From Bloodshot Records, and this is only showing half the image, not shown here are American Songwriter, Tidal, Bandcamp, Noisetrade, the Bluegrass Situation, No Depression, Chicago Tribune, Sound Opinions and AllMusic.

Lydia Loveless's 'Real' left quite the impression on 2016. All of these fine publications named the album (or songs from it) one of the best of the year. (And if you ask us, this was a banner year for music, if nothing else.)

[allisonsdc]

My favorites of 2016:

1. Drive by Truckers - American Band
2. Lydia Loveless - Real
3. Marcus King Band
4. Hard Working Americans - Rest in Chaos
5. Dean Ween Group - The Deaner Album
6. Bo Bedingfield & the Wydelles
7. The Skiffle Players – Skifflin’
8. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
9. Alejandro Escovedo - Burn Something Beautiful
10. Wussy - Forever Sounds
11. Russian Circles - Guidance
12. Emma Ruth Rundle - Marked for Death

[linkous]

I think one has to take a look at himself if he feels insulted on an Internet message board, but you did chose to use vulgar language and that kind of immaturity diminishes the weight an opinion can hold...but hey, that's just my opinion.

Out of sheer curiosity, could you provide the link(s) of the year end best of lists this album is scoring high on? I'm genuinely interested in knowing what publications are ranking it so high, and what else they have at the top of their list. Thanks!

AV Club has it at 15

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/669- ... s-of-2016/

American Songwriter has it a t 26

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/669- ... s-of-2016/

It's on Glide's top 20

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/629- ... s-of-2016/

#14 on No Depression Reader's Poll

http://nodepression.com/article/your-50 ... lbums-2016

From Bloodshot Records, and this is only showing half the image, not shown here are American Songwriter, Tidal, Bandcamp, Noisetrade, the Bluegrass Situation, No Depression, Chicago Tribune, Sound Opinions and AllMusic.

Lydia Loveless's 'Real' left quite the impression on 2016. All of these fine publications named the album (or songs from it) one of the best of the year. (And if you ask us, this was a banner year for music, if nothing else.)

Stop trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear man.

I think it's shit, I don't know anybody who doesn't think she's shit. You love it. I'm happy for you but chill out ffs

[Duke Silver]

That image also crops out Duke Silver at Three Dimes Down dot com, who gave "Real" two thumbs up.

[ndavis86]

brad armstrong-empire: dexateens guitarist. formerly fronting the band 13ghosts. armstrong plays all instruments (not banjo or drums). reminds of lucero dude's last pale light in west. except better and louder.

I love Last Pale Light, so definitely need to check that out.

Ditto, and really digging this album. Thanks for the rec, dime!

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Stop trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear man.

I think it's shit, I don't know anybody who doesn't think she's shit. You love it. I'm happy for you but chill out ffs

I don't give a fuck what you think.