EOY 2016: What we liked this year

[RPS]

I went back to our EOY threads for years past, because I didn't want to be like a broken record and say the same thing. In 2015, I wrote it was an "exceptionally strong year". In 2014, I said I was not "overly impressed" with the output. In 2013, I said Daft Punk was my favorite album, but I optimistically noted  that 2013 that there was "terrible releases this year.... Probably more than in recent years." In 2012, @Maxx was the one starting the yearly thread and he picked a bunch of punk albums and I said I liked the Grizzly Bear album. What a fine walk down memory lane! 

I would dub 2016 as probably the strongest year of music since the early 2000s. I have listened to far more new music that I thought was great than I had in previous years. While there was lots of sad news throughout the year (RIP David Bowie), but without question this was a fine year for music. Huge records from some of the greats - Bowie, Beyonce, Radiohead, Common, Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Lady Gaga, Solange, Bon Iver, a Kendrick Lamar ep, among others. 

As with my previous years starting this thread, I am going to stump for what I thought was the best album of the year. With 2016, for the better half of the year I was convinced that David Bowie's Blackstar would in fact be #1 on my list. But one album came along and stole my heart. Frank Ocean's Blonde is, in my opinion, the greatest album of the last year. I think it may in fact be the greatest album of the 21st century. On each song, Frank Ocean sets out to warp each song throughout it. On each track, he takes a straight forward pop song and mid way through the song absolutely warps it into a psychedelic wonderland. If it weren't for Mr. Ocean, I would be picking David Bowie's final album as the best of the year. 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Oh man, 2016 in music has been a hell of a lot better than I initially expected. I've been let down, thoroughly surprised, and absolutely overjoyed in equal doses.

One of my main aims for the year, as I said in last year's EOY thread, was to try and get to a gig every month. Sadly, I failed (fuck you April!), but I've more than made up for it. I've been to 11 gigs of varying size this year so far, with four more booked, and six festivals on top of that, which is pretty fucking rad. Last year I saw about ten bands live, this year I will have seen about 92, but including repeats I believe it's 107.

Favourite Albums:
Death of a Bachelor by Panic at the Disco. This was the first album I bought this year and it is so fucking easily my album of the year. It's fantastic, and the fact I've seen them twice this year (as of next Friday!) to see it performed is awesome.

Never Happy Ever After by As It Is. My girlfriend turned me onto As It Is back in May, and by chance they were playing in Swansea so we went to see them. Instantly became a fan. This is the kind of stuff that makes me love pop-punk now, and they've got a new album on the horizon for 2017, so I suspect I'll be bringing them up again next year.

Weekend Man by Royal Republic. After re-discovering them last year, hey presto, they released a new album, and it's the fantastic garage rock that makes me love this band. Probably my second favourite album of the year, NHEA taking third.

Upside Down by Set It Off. See my praise from last year. They take the excellent stuff they did from before, tweak and experiment with it, and it comes out even more excellently. My aim for the year is to see them live, so if they could come to the UK some time soon, that would be great

 

For some reason I've felt let down by a lot of bands I like with the albums they've released this year. Ellipsis from Biffy Clyro didn't grip me, but the singles are very good on it. Youth Authority sounds exactly as I expected 2016 Good Charlotte to sound. California felt very different from Blink 182, but with the singer change it's understandable, and my opinion changes all the time on it. Wild World by Bastille lacks quantity in big-hitting singles potential but it's still a very good album that is growing on me. The Stage from Avenged Sevenfold, I haven't had time to sink my teeth into yet, but from the couple of tracks I've heard something seems off with Shadows' voice. The guitar is killer though. Only other albums from this year I've bought include In Our Bones by Against the Current, which has equal helpings of 'fantastic' and 'manufactured' pop to it. The good is very good, the rest is pretty meh. I also bought Konnichiwa by Skepta after it won the Mercury Prize, and it's okay. I give it the odd listen but I don't particularly care for it. Recently picked up Book of Souls from Maiden but haven't listened to it yet.

 

I've supplemented the above with a shit load of older albums, which I cba to list but yeah, 2016 has been my best year for music discovery and appreciation by a long shot.

 

EDIT: Want to quickly stick a line here for a band I think will be huge next year if they get a full album out: Reigning Days. They were absolutely killer when I saw them at 2000trees, I think they've got huge potential. Here's a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLxJPY_tovk

 

Edited November 10, 2016 by Jericode

[Jimmy]

Favourite releases came from: Bon Iver, Chance The Rapper, Blood Orange, Warpaint, Kano, James Blake, Frank Ocean, Glass Animals, Banks, Leonard Cohen and Honeyblood. I'm sure there's a bunch I'm missing out, but it's definitely felt like a really strong year. 

[MalaCloudy Black]

Lemonade and A Seat At The Table have to be locks for a lot of best of lists for this year, I'd think. Bowie's Blackstar was this year as well. Life of Pablo. I'm struggling to think of anything else that really gripped me. If RTJ3 comes out before 2017 it'll for sure be here.

[DFF]

I've actually made a point of tracking what new albums I've listened to from this year. For me it's a toss up between "Nattesferd" by Kvelertak and "Sorceress" by Opeth. Also worth an honourable mention: Cloudscape - "Voice of Reason", Amon Amarth - "Jomsviking", Wytch Hazel - "Prelude" and Gojira - "Magma".

[LittleDaniel]

I think my top three albums of the year so far were The Life of Pablo, Danny Brown's Atrocity Exhibition, and Open Mic Eagle's Hella Personal Film Festival.  AJJ's new album was pretty good too, way better than their last effort.

That, uh, might be it?  I like some Gucci Mane that came out this year, and its been a strong year for rap in general.  Or maybe its just been a weak year for everything else.

I do look forward to listening to some of the suggestions in this thread though!

[apsham]

AJJ's The Bible 2 and Watsky's x Infinity were the only two things I think I really got into this year.

[MalaCloudy Black]

After listening to Crowbar's new album I'd have to put it up there. The Serpent Only Lies has some great tunes on it.

[LittleDaniel]

1 hour ago, apsham said:

AJJ's The Bible 2 and Watsky's x Infinity were the only two things I think I really got into this year.

The only song that I didn't like at all was American Garbage (to the point that I skip it 100% of time) and the first song is definitely the best song, but still overall it was a good album.  It's no Knife Man, but that's a hard thing to be.

[apsham]

1 hour ago, LittleDaniel said:

The only song that I didn't like at all was American Garbage (to the point that I skip it 100% of time) and the first song is definitely the best song, but still overall it was a good album.  It's no Knife Man, but that's a hard thing to be.

Oh absolutely Cody's Theme is the entire reason that the entire album got stuck in my head - I'd start it and get busy at work and let it run and now I pretty much need to have the whole thing on loop. The album doesn't end all that well for me, I don't mind American Garbage but the last two tracks are kinda eh... but the whole thing is a concept so I accept it for what it is.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

I bought one 2016 album this year.

 

It was "Adore Life" by Savages and it's magnificent and brilliant and awesome.

 

Oh I also bought albums and EPs from bands we played with this year. Some of them were very good.

[Cymbols]

Hmm, to be fair @Jericode pretty much got it spot on.

Panic! at the Disco, Set it Off, As it Is, Against the Current, Blink 182, Young Guns, Jeremy Loops and Good Charlotte all released some good albums. 

I listened to Brandon Flowers, Tonight Alive, New Found Glory and Yellowcard for the first time, all of which are pretty good at least. 

Saw Twenty One Pilots once again this year, and it was the first time my friends had heard of them, so going with a group of people for the first time was fun! Transviolet were a good support act too. 

Weirdly, outside of TOP, Beach Weather, who were support for Against the Current were my favourite live performance. 

And to close out the year, Prides and The Chain Gang of 1974 have released new music, which makes me hype for their albums next year. TCGO1974 also told me on Twitter that he's coming to the UK next year which I'm massively looking forward to. 

I've probably forgotten some stuff too  

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

@Cymbols How was the Young Guns album? Haven't bothered listening to it properly but they were good when they supported Billy Talent so should probably get around to it if it's decent.

[Cymbols]

7.5/10 I enjoyed. Not too dissimilar to the last two albums, so if you liked them, chances are you'd like it. 

[RPS]

Pitchfork has listed it's top 50 albums of the year... their top 10? 

10 - Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
09 - Angel Olsen - My Woman
08 - Anohni - Hopelessness
07 - A Tribe Called Quest - We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your service
06 - Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
05 - Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
04 - David Bowie - Blackstar
03 - Beyoncé - Lemonade
02 - Frank Ocean - Blonde
01 - Solange - A Seat at the Table

[apsham]

Came across the revelation that track 2 from the new AJJ album is about John Du Pont and that's entirely random.

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

9 hours ago, RPS said:

Pitchfork has listed it's top 50 albums of the year... their top 10? 

10 - Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
09 - Angel Olsen - My Woman
08 - Anohni - Hopelessness
07 - A Tribe Called Quest - We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your service
06 - Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
05 - Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
04 - David Bowie - Blackstar
03 - Beyoncé - Lemonade
02 - Frank Ocean - Blonde
01 - Solange - A Seat at the Table

I haven't listened to a single one of those albums, how many of them are actually worth listening to?

Actually, never mind, I've just looked at their full Top 50 and I only know about 8 of the artists, none of whom I listen to, never mind the albums

[RPS]

 

14 hours ago, Jericode said:

I haven't listened to a single one of those albums, how many of them are actually worth listening to?

Actually, never mind, I've just looked at their full Top 50 and I only know about 8 of the artists, none of whom I listen to, never mind the albums

I personally dug 4 of them (Frank Ocean, Solange, David Bowie and Anohni), but it depends on what you like. If you like traditional rock music? Radiohead and Angel Olsen are probably your best bets. If you are open to listening to something that pushes you out of your comfort zone, try the Anohni or Bowie album. Bowie's album is a very jazz-focused reflection on life and existence that he released 3 days before he died. Anohni's album is basically protest in the form of dance music - I don't think there has been another album like this released before. 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

Gonna add GLA by Twin Atlantic as a late positive for the year, very good album in my opinion.

[Benji]

blink-182 and PATD albums. I am a simple man with simple tastes "Sober" from the blink album was my most played track of the year.