Albums of 2016

Nick
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nick »

Solange- A Seat at the Table

After the great "Lemonade" we were served up back in spring, we now have the second great album from the Knowles sisters this year, Solange's "A Seat at the Table".

Unlike the genre-hopping "Lemonade", Solange's album keeps to a relaxed smooth, almost spacey R&B. Interludes litter the tracklist, but they don't distract from the album. In fact, the interlude's on this album are used to great effect, helping advance the thesis of the record rather than distract from it, and never running long enough to become tedious. The thesis of the album, as evidenced form the title, is empowerment, namely, for black people and women. And the lyrics here do everything in their power to drive that thesis home, and help propel this album to a certain echelon of high profile albums of black empowerment from this decade, such as "To Pimp a Butterfly" and "Black Messiah".

But all that talk of messages would be a wash if the music isn't up to snuff, which it certainly is. On "A Seat in the Table", Solange is able to take funk, R&B, and psychedelic soul and forge a sound that flows seamlessly from song to song, never boring the listener even after 21 tracks. "A Seat at the Table" never has the sort of firebrand theatrics of her elder sister's "Lemonade", but there's plenty of beauty found here in the more subdued nature of this record.

Verdict: Very Good/ Great
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Jirin »

Current top 10:

1. David Bowie - Blackstar
2. Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered
3. Savages - Adore Life
4. Tindersticks - The Waiting Room
5. The Avalanches - Wildflower
6. Lucinda Williams - The Ghosts Of Highway 20
7. Underworld - Barbara Barbara - We Face A Shining Future
8. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
9. Milk Teeth - Vile Child
10. Amber Arcades - Fading Lines

Climbing fast, possible EOY top 10:

Preoccupations - Preoccupations
Nick Cave - Skeleton Tree
Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate
Myrkur - Mausoleum
Frank Ocean - Blonde
Nick
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nick »

Green Day- Revolution Radio

There is absolutely nothing in "Revolution Radio" that will change anyone's mind on Green Day. Despite being a fan, I was still a bit apprehensive about this album, especially as lead single "Bang Bang" was pretty underwhelming. Thankfully, "Bang Bang" ends up being one of the weaker songs on this album, and songs like "Revolution Radio" and "Outlaws" can stand up next to some of Green Day's stronger material in their discography. That being said, much of the album does come off as "American Idiot" B-sides. There's a whole lot of feeling here, but the band has done nothing to push their sound forward in well over a decade. This isn't necessarily bad, some bands are meant to evolve and others are meant to subtly perfect a certain sound. The problem here is that Green Day perfected this particular sound in 2004.

Verdict: Good/ Decent
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by notbrianeno »

My top 50 so far (out of 115)

Essential:
1. blond | Frank Ocean
2. elseq 1-5 | Autechre

Excellent:
3. Skeleton Tree | Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
4. Coloring Book | Chance the Rapper
5. A Moon Shaped Pool | Radiohead

Great:
6. Sirens | Nicolas Jaar
7. Love Streams | Tim Hecker
8. Hopelessness| ANOHNI
9. The Life of Pablo | Kanye West
10. The Colour in Anything | James Blake
11. Varmints | Anna Meredith
12. Atrocity Exhibition | Danny Brown
13. The Hope Six Demolition Project | PJ Harvey

Good:
14. Lemonade | Beyonce
15. | David Bowie
16. Blank Face LP | ScHoolboy Q
17. Bottomless Pit | Death Grips
18. For All We Know | NAO
19. Emily's D+Evolution | Esperanza Spalding
20. Freetown Sound | Blood Orange
21. The Glowing Man | Swans
22. Endless | Frank Ocean
23. Slime Season 3 | Young Thug
24. The Divine Feminine | Mac Miller
25. ANTI | Rihanna
26. untitled unmastered. | Kendrick Lamar
27. Puberty 2 | Mitski
28. Security | Gaika
29. 22, a Million | Bon Iver
30. Malibu | Anderson .Paak
31. Weezer (White Album) | Weezer
32. Too Many Voices | Andy Stott
33. Views | Drake
34. No One Deserves Happiness | The Body
35. Air | Astronoid
36. Strangers | Marissa Nadler
37. 99.9% | Kaytranada
38. Terminal Redux | Vektor
39. Lines | Wacław Zimpel
40. Moth | Chairlift
41. I'm Up | Young Thug
42. Hollowed | Ital Tek

Fair:
43. The Impossible Kid | Aesop Rock
44. Mind of Mine | ZAYN
45. New Introductory Lectures on the System of Transcendental Qabala | Kel Valhaal
46. Black Terry Cat | Xenia Rubinos
47. Summer 08 | Metronomy
48. MY WOMAN | Angel Olson
49. Cheetah EP | Aphex Twin
50. Schmilco | Wilco
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nick »

Moses Sumney- Lamentations (EP)

Equal parts Nina Simone and Radiohead, Moses Sumney's new EP is, in many ways, a mystical listening experience. The songs here sound religious, and that's not because of the lyrics, the music simply has the quality of tender religious hymns. The five songs on this short (19 minutes) EP have equal parts soul, acoustic folk, and avant-garde aspirations that make them seem many decades older than they actually are, as if Sumney is rediscovering songs written a century ago in a strange land. Sometimes the songs blend together a little too easily, and I wish he'd do something to differentiate the songs from one another, giving us five different forms of beauty as opposed to just one.

Verdict: Good
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nassim »

My latest list :

Fantastic :
1) Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial

Great :

2) Moderat - III
3) The Avalanches - Wildflower
4) Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
5) Aesop Rock - The Impossible Kid
6) PUP - The Dream is Over
7) La Femme - Mystère
8) David Bowie - Black Star
9) Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
10) Vince Staples - Prima Donna
11) Daughter - Not to Disappear

Very good (very even group, albums with most likely change order before the EOY)
12) case/lang/veirs - case/lang/veirs
13) Bon Iver - 22 A Million
14) Beyonce - Lemonade
15) Mitski - Puberty 2
16) Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered
17) Explosions in the Sky - The Wilderness
18) Architects - All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us
19) Nicolas Jaar - Sirens
20) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
21) Michael Kiwanuka - Love and Hate
22) Anna Meredith - Varmints
23) White Lung - Paradise
24) Anohni - Hopelessness
25) Deakin - Sleep Cycle
26) Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition
27) Parquet Courts - Human Performance
28) Emma Pollock - In Search of Harperfield

Good :
29) Kate Tempest - Let Them Eat Chaos
30) Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
31) Ka - Honor Killed the Samurai
32) Animal Collective - Painting With
33) YG - Still Brazy
34) Frank Ocean - Blond
35) Let's Eat Grandma - I, Gemini
36) DJ Shadow - The Mountain Will Fall
37) James Blake - The Colour in Anything
38) Savages - Adore Life
39) Weezer - Weezer (White Album)

OK :
40) Puppetmastaz - Keep Yo Animal
41) Modern Baseball - Holy Ghost
42) Brood Ma - Daze
43) Weval - Weval
44) Angel Olsen - My Woman

Meh :
45) Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam - I Had a Dream That You Were Mine
46) C. Duncan - The Midnight Sun
47) De La Soul - And the Anonymous Nobody
48) Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression

No thanks :
49) Andy Stott - Too Many Voices
50) Kaytranada - 0,9999
51) The Field - The Follower
52) Tim Hecker - Love Streams

I also fell asleep during Mutual Benefit and Okkervil River’s latest, but it’s more due to when and where I listened to them than to any fault of the albums (plus I often fall asleep to albums I love anyway).



Comments on recently listened ones :

Mystère is not as good as Psycho Tropical Berlin but still pretty good. It gains variety (the styles are more varied and there are no longer musical motifs coming back through the album) but has its weak moments too ; and the lyrics are at time cringe-worthy.

YG – Still Brazy and Nicolas Jaar – Sirens are surprisingly backloaded with fairly boring first halves. The 2nd half of Sirens is pretty wonderful though, especially Three Sides of Nazareth.

Let Them Eat Chaos has the same weaknesses as Kate Tempest previous album, the thing that really annoys me is that you can feel that the lyrics have been written with a big attention on the rhythm of the words, but the delivery completely neglects that and you severely lack any rhythmic motives that would grab your attention. Overall the album is more consistent than Everybody Down but also doesn’t have a big hit as catchy as The Beigeness.

Best moments of case/lang/veirs is when they seem to sing against each other as much as together, Atomic Number being the prime example.
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JohnnyBGoode
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by JohnnyBGoode »

1. Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool
2. Emma Pollock: In Search of Harperfield
3. David Bowie : ★
4. Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial
5. Whitney: Light Upon the Lake
6. Okkervil River: Away
7. Sunflower Bean: Human Ceremony
8. Lucy Dacus: No Burden
9. Julia Jacklin: Don’t Let the Kids Wins
10. Mothers: When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired
11. Angel Olsen: My Woman
12. Drive-By Truckers: American Band
13. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Skeleton Tree
14. The Avalanches: Wildflower
15. Michael Kiwanuka: Love & Hate
16. Damien Jurado: Visions Of Us On The Land
17. Andrew Bird: Are You Serious
18. Moddi: Unsongs
19. Parquet Courts: Human Performance
20. Anderson .Paak: Malibu
21. Bon Iver: 22, A Million
22. Fruit Bats: Absolute Loser
23. Pinegrove: Cardinal
24. Solange: A Seat at theTable
25. Sturgill Simpson: A Sailor's Guide to Earth
amnt1882
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by amnt1882 »

Will listen actively from around November so doesn't mean that much

Nailed on AOTY:
1. The Avalanches - Wildflower

Brilliant:
2. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
3. David Bowie - Blackstar
4. Underworld - Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future

Great:
5. Yeasayer - Amen & Goodbye
6. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
7. Polyenso - Pure in the Plastic
8. Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
9. Cat's Eyes - Treasure House
10. The Divine Comedy - Foreverland
11. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity
12. Anna Meredith - Varmints

Good: Not in order after this
Suede - Night Thoughts
Bon Iver - 22, A Million
AURORA - All My Demons Greeting Me As A Friend
Explosions in the Sky - The Wilderness
Jenny Hval - Blood Bitch
Preoccupations - Preoccupations
Warpaint - Heads Up
School of Seven Bells - SVIIB
Wild Beasts - Boy King

Solid:
Frank Ocean - Blonde
Lust For Youth - Compassion
Archive - The False Foundation
And Also The Trees - Born Into the Waves
Blank Banshee - MEGA
James Blake -The Colour in Anything
Perturbator - The Uncanny Valley
The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come To Expect
Local Natives - Sunlit Youth
Wild Nothing - Life of Pause
Roisin Murphy - Take Her Up to Monto
Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition
M83 - Junk
The Jezabels - Synthia
James - Girl at the End of the World
John Carpenter - Lost Themes II

Meh:
Primal Scream - Chaosmosis
Atlanter - Jewels of Crime
Polica - United Crushers
Anderson .Paak - Malibu
Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered.
Deakin - Sleep Cycle
Angel Olsen - My Woman
Junior Boys - Big Black Coat
Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression

Bad:
Animal Collective - Painting With
Paul Simon - Stranger to Stranger
Bullion - Loop the Loop
Andy Stott - Too Many Voices
of Montreal - Innocence Reaches
The Coral - Distance Inbetween

Shite:
51. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
52. ANOHNI - Hopelessness
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nassim »

amnt1882 wrote: Shite:
51. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
I think I just found my Nemesis !
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Bruno »

:laughing-rollingyellow:
amnt1882
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by amnt1882 »

Nassim wrote:
amnt1882 wrote: Shite:
51. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
I think I just found my Nemesis !
Well yeah...I tried to like the album but unfortunately I found it extremely dull and repeated listens only worsened it

For some reason I'm really bad at listening American indie rock in general... Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, The National etc never gave me any lasting impression
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Romain
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Romain »

It's maybe not the good thread but november 21, a best of Prince will be releases (PRINCE 4EVER)

All the songs are great, but te good news for our friend Moonbeam Levels, it's the release, I imagine with a perfect sound, of the song... Moonbeam Levels.

1. 1999
2. Little Red Corvette
3. When Doves Cry
4. Let's Go Crazy
5. Raspberry Beret
6. I Wanna Be Your Lover
7. Soft and Wet
8. Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad
9. Uptown
10. When You Were Mine
11. Head
12. Gotta Stop (Messin' About)
13. Controversy
14. Let's Work
15. Delirious
16. I Would Die 4 U
17. Take Me With U
18. Paisley Park
19. Pop Life
20. Purple Rain
21. Kiss
22. Sign 'O' The Times
23. Alphabet Street
24. Batdance
25. Thieves In The Temple
26. Cream
27. Mountains
28. Girls & Boys
29. If I Was Your Girlfriend
30. U Got The Look
31. I Could Never Take The Place of Your Man
32. Glam Slam
33. Moonbeam Levels
34. Diamonds and Pearls
35. Gett Off
36. Sexy MF
37. My Name Is Prince
38. 7
39. Peach
40. Nothing Compares 2 U
Nick
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nick »

Leonard Cohen- You Want it Darker

Leonard Cohen, like Nick Cave, has mostly been an artist that I've respected more than actually listened to. However, that doesn't stop "You Want it Darker" from being an appealing album to me. Cohen's voice is fantastic as usual, and the album here is tight, 9 songs long and under 40 minutes without a second wasted on extraneous detail. The album is, fittingly enough, dark, but it never drowns itself in its darkness, there's always a certain amount of light that helps balance everything out. If you want a primer of what's in store before you check the whole thing out, listen to the title track and "On the Level". They're both fantastic.

Verdict: Very Good
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Jirin »

Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition is really good.
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Romain »

Kaiser Chiefs - Stay Together 2,5 What the hell have they donne. One of my favorite band since 10 years and here, a simili Coldplay album totally different from their previous effort, absolutely nothing to save here. The biggest deception since the beginning of the year.
Alex Beaupain - Loin 6 A little bit boring. Good melodies but too much the same feeling in each song.
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker 6,5 Leonard Cohen make some Leonard Cohen…and it's not bad at all, but not very original.
Louise Attaque - Anomalie 6,5 The return of one of the French band the most broadcast at the end of the 90s. Not as catchy as their fist album but not bad at all.
Johann Johannsson - Orphée 8 Marvelous, as usual. With Ólafur Arnalds, he is my favourite ambient musician. My heart travel when I listen his music.


David Bowie - Blackstar 10
Glass Animals - How To Be A Human Being 9
Anohni - Hopelessness 9
Preoccupations - Preoccupations 9
Michael Kiwanuka - Love and Hate 8,5
Yeasayer - Amen and Goodbye 8,5
The Kills - Ash and Ice 8,5
Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm - Trance Frendz 8,5
Erik Truffaz Quartet - Doni Doni 8,5
Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression 8
Benjamin Biolay - Palermo Holywood 8
Ólafur Arnalds - Island Songs 8
Johann Johannsson - Orphée 8
Andrew Bird - Are You Serious 8
The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come To Expect 8
Prince Rama - Xtreme Now 8

Françoiz Breut - Zoo 7,5
Yuck - Stranger Things 7,5
PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project 7,5
Band Of Horses - Why Are You Ok? 7,5
Wire - Nocturnal Koreans 7
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool 7
James Blake - The Colour In Anything 7
Savages - Adore Life 7
Papooz - Green Juice 7
Jean-Michel Jarre - Electronica 2 The Heart Of Noise 6,5
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker 6,5
Louise Attaque - Anomalie 6,5
Bombay - Show Your Teeth 6,5
The Divine Comedy - Foreverland 6,5
Jain - Zanaka 6,5
Louise Attaque - Anomalie 6,5
Anderson .Paak - Malibu 6
Guided By Voices - Please Be Honest 6
Field Music - Commontime 6
Alex Beaupain - Loin 6

John Carpenter - Lost Themes II 5,5
Chairlift - Moth 5,5
Bat For Lashes - The Bride 5
Metronomy - Summer 08 4
Blood Orange - Freetown Sound 4

Bon Iver - 22 A Million 3
Memoryhouse - Soft Hate 3
Kaiser Chiefs - Stay Together 2,5
Birdy Nam Nam - Dance Or Die 1
M83 - Junk 0,4
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nick »

Sleigh Bells- Jessica Rabbit

Sleigh Bells burst onto the scene with their genre-defying, bubblegum pop meets heavy metal, chainsaw wielding cheerleader styled debut album "Treats" back in 2010, and what an album it was. The band had come up with a sound that was genuinely original, with enough sweetness to give you diabetes and enough adrenaline to soundtrack a dozen action movie trailers. But although 2012's "Reign of Terror" had some great songs (like "Comeback Kid" and "Crush"), the album felt like the band were treading water, and a lot of it came off as sounding like a "Treats" b-sides compilation. 2013's "Bitter Rivals" showed zero evolution as well, and without the highlights of "Reign of Terror" came in with a whimper, not a bang.

So now we have "Jessica Rabbit", an album that's actually, against all odds, worse than "Bitter Rivals". "Bitter Rivals" may not have been good, but at 29 minutes at least it was painless. "Jessica Rabbit" is the band's longest album to date, and all that extra weight really weighs the album down. Forget stylistic evolution, any hope of that went out the window, long, long ago. Many songs here just go by without any clear direction, meandering bursts of guitar and pep rally chants collide over electronic beats, but they don't come together just like the used to. Sleigh Bells are a band totally adverse to subtlety, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But you can be sure that I was humming along to songs like "Infinity Guitars" and "Rill Rill" and "Crown on the Ground" and "Riot Rhythm" long after my first listen to "Treats" had ended. A couple minutes after "Jessica Rabbit" came to a close and none of the songs have stuck.

It's here that I would probably end my review and just move on the the verdict, but there is absolutely no way I could end this review without mentioning the opening track of the album "It's Just Us Now". I have to mention this song, because it's honestly one of the worst songs I've heard in a very, very long time. Even though I didn't like this album, I can't really say that I outright hated any of the songs. Except for this one. I'll let you listen to it to make up your mind, but let me just say that this song has to have the single worst transition from a verse to a chorus I have ever heard. It's so bad, I honestly wonder how anyone involved in creating it could've signed off on it. It's ludicrously terrible.

Verdict: Bad
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Jirin »

A few late discoveries for just before year end activities start.

St Lenox - Ten Hymns From My American Gothic

This album reminds me greatly of Mountain Goats. A stream of consciousness rambling about his experience in America as the son of a Korean immigrant. He has this kind of rushed way of delivering lines that makes the emotion seem imminent in a way comparable to Dan Bejar.

Mi and Lau - Four Pair Of Wings

This is just s beautiful understated indie rock album.
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nick »

Kero Kero Bonito- Bonito Generation

"Bonito Generation" mixes J-pop, dancehall, and electropop music together to create a giddy, joyously uplifting album. If you were a fan of Carly Rae Jepsen's album "Emotion", you'll probably find a lot of the same wide eyed fun pop joys here. Kero Kero Bonito has some connection to PC Music (one of the members of the band performs under the moniker "Kane West" and is signed to the label), but while I've never been able to appreciate much of PC Music's output due to its heavily ironic nature, the pop pleasures found on "Bonito Generation" are absolutely sincere. A delight to listen to.

My favorite track on the album has to be "Trampoline". It sounds like Carly Rae Jepsen covering the theme song to Neon Genesis Evangelion and is easily among my favorite singles of the year. Check it out below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Qmwsg2pyEc

Verdict: Good
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nick »

A Tribe Called Quest- We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service

"We Got It From Here..." is the first album by A Tribe Called Quest in 18 years, and due to the death of member Phife Dawg, will probably be their last. So it's a great pleasure to say that the album doesn't disappoint, or due injustice to the legacy of both Tribe and Phife. The album is a consummate blend of old school and new school, not so much a reinvention of the band but more of an update of their sound for a 2016 audience. The features list is also very "2016", with artists like Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, and Jack White scattered throughout the album. Of these artists, it's Jack White who has what is probably the most forceful presence on the album, adding blistering guitar tracks to whatever songs he's featured on. "We Got It From Here..." probably won't change anyone's mind on A Tribe Called Quest, but it's an excellent way to bookend their career, and will hopefully score them a new generation of fans.

Verdict: Good
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by JohnnyBGoode »

1. Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool
2. Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial
3. Emma Pollock: In Search of Harperfield
4. David Bowie : ★
5. Angel Olsen: My Woman
6. Whitney: Light Upon the Lake
7. Drive-By Truckers: American Band
8. Okkervil River: Away
9. Mothers: When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired
10. Michael Kiwanuka: Love & Hate
11. Sunflower Bean: Human Ceremony
12. Julia Jacklin: Don’t Let the Kids Win
13. Lucy Dacus: No Burden
14. Fruit Bats: Absolute Loser
15. Pinegrove: Cardinal
16. Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker
17. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Skeleton Tree
18. The Avalanches: Wildflower
19. Damien Jurado: Visions Of Us On The Land
20. Andrew Bird: Are You Serious
21. Solange: A Seat at the Table
22. Parquet Courts: Human Performance
23. Anderson .Paak: Malibu
24. Bon Iver: 22, A Million
25. Beyond the Wizards Sleeve: The Soft Bounce
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Jeff »

My (very) tentative top ten albums of 2016. Subject to change wildly when I revisit them toward the end of the year, and when I start looking at other lists to find interesting stuff that I've missed. That said, I have a hard time seeing anything usurping Beyonce this year, which would be my only 10/10 if I took to rating these.

1 | Beyonce | Lemonade
2 | Klein | Only
3 | Kepler Quartet | Ben Johnston: String Quartets Nos. 6, 7, & 8
4 | Denzel Curry | Imperial
5 | V/A | Gqom Oh! The Sound of Durban Vol. 1
6 | Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids | We Be All Africans
7 | Omar S | The Best
8 | Equiknoxx | Bird Sound Power
9 | Solange | A Seat at the Table
10 | Hieroglyphic Being | The Discos of Imhotep

Some other stuff I considered:
Danny Brown | Atrocity Exhibition
Gaika | Security
Henry Threadgill | Old Locks and Irregular Verbs
Huerco S. | For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)
Kanye West | The Life of Pablo
Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke, and Oren Ambarchi | I Wonder If You Noticed "I'm Sorry" Is Such a Lovely Sound It Keeps Things From Getting Worse
Konono No. 1 & Batida | Konono Meets Batida
Maxwell | blackSUMMERS'night
Mr. Fingers | Mr. Fingers 2016
Skepta | Konnichiwa
Tim Hecker | Love Streams
Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith | A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke
Xenia Rubinos | Black Terry Cat
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Jirin »

Going into my year end contest thingy here's my top 20:

1. David Bowie - Blackstar
2. Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered
3. The Pines - Above The Prairie
4. Underworld - Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future
5. Savages - Adore Life
6. Lucinda Williams - The Ghosts Of Highway 20
7. Tindersticks - The Waiting Room
8. Ben Harper - Call It What It Is
9. Frank Ocean - Blonde
10. Nick Cave - Skeleton Tree
11. Nicolas Jaar - Sirens
12. Mi and Lau - Four Pair Of wings
13. Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition
14. Bat For Lashes - The Bride
15. Myrkur - Mausoleum
16. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
17. Preoccupations - Preoccupations
18. The Avalanches - Wildflower
19. Michael Kiwanuka - Love And Hate
20. La Femme - Mystere
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Jirin »

D.D Dumbo - Utopia Defeated is a really good album that is also extremely similar to Bitte Orca.
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nick »

Justice- Woman

Justice exploded into the public consciousness with their now modern classic "Cross", back in 2007. But 2011's "Audio, Video, Disco" was a comparatively bland followup, missing all of the aggression and raw power that made songs like "Genesis" and "Stress" and "Phantom Part 2" so captivating, and all of the dance-ability and pure pop pleasures of "D.A.N.C.E." and "DVNO".

2016's "Woman" is their third studio effort, and while not exactly the runaway success that "Cross" was, is a more than worthy followup compared to "Audio...". At its best, "Woman" is a groovy, albeit somewhat standard, album of funk and nu disco. The songs here are much more memorable than that of "Audio...", and the clear, crisp instrumentation is often a joy to listen to and in some way recalls Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories". At its worst "Woman"'s songs just drag. The album is 10 songs over 54 minutes, and all of the songs here have at least a little unnecessary fat clinging onto them.

While I do wish that the album would take a little more risk with the genre it operates under (especially in light of the success of the aforementioned Daft Punk album), Justice's take on nu disco is, if anything, well executed.

Verdict: Good
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PlasticRam
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by PlasticRam »

New ratings in bold.

M83 - Junk 9.3
Bon Iver - 22, A Million 8.9
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool 8.8
Swans - The Glowing Man 8.6
Bob Dylan - Fallen Angels 8.5
Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book 8.5
James Blake - The Colour in Anything 8.4
Future - EVOL 8.4
Kanye West - The Life of Pablo 8.3
Rihanna - Anti 8.2
Paul Simon - Stranger to Stranger 8.0
Frank Ocean - Blonde 8.0
Brian Eno - The Ship 7.9
Twenty88- Twenty88 7.8
Parquet Courts - Human Performance 7.8
David Bowie - Blackstar 7.7
Anohni - Hopelessness 7.6
A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service 7.5
Beyonce - Lemonade 6.9
Drake - Views 6.5
YG - Still Brazy 6.1
Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered 5.0
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree 4.5
I feel like that
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Romain
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Romain »

Seasick Steve - Keepin' The Horse Between Me and The Ground 6 A simple and honnest blues/rock album.
La Femme - Mystère 7,5 The album start incredibly well (the four first songs) but become less interesting after. Whatever, it's a very good album again.
Justice - Woman 8 I always find Justice a lot more enjoyable than the Daft Punk. This album is nothing more than a very good disco album. Less energy than their first two albums bur a very enjoyable music.
Allah-Las - Calico Review 8,5 Simple catching melodies. Very Beatlesian on some songs. It looks like a classic pop-rock album from the 60s with some touch of modernity.
Wax Tailor - By Any Beats Necessary 9 So fun and full of energy. The biggest hit maker of the year for me. It's like a Morriconesquo-Archandroïdesque album. A rare album perfect from start to finish. I know I will listened this one a lot in the future.

David Bowie - Blackstar 10
Wax Tailor - By Any Beats Necessary 9
Glass Animals - How To Be A Human Being 9
Anohni - Hopelessness 9
Preoccupations - Preoccupations 8,5
Michael Kiwanuka - Love and Hate 8,5
Yeasayer - Amen and Goodbye 8,5
The Kills - Ash and Ice 8,5
Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm - Trance Frendz 8,5
Allah-Las - Calico Review 8,5
Erik Truffaz Quartet - Doni Doni 8,5
Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression 8
Benjamin Biolay - Palermo Holywood 8
Ólafur Arnalds - Island Songs 8
Johann Johannsson - Orphée 8
Andrew Bird - Are You Serious 8
Justice - Woman 8
The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come To Expect 8
Prince Rama - Xtreme Now 8

Françoiz Breut - Zoo 7,5
Yuck - Stranger Things 7,5
PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project 7,5
La Femme - Mystère 7,5
Band Of Horses - Why Are You Ok? 7,5
Wire - Nocturnal Koreans 7
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool 7
James Blake - The Colour In Anything 7
Savages - Adore Life 7
Papooz - Green Juice 7
Jean-Michel Jarre - Electronica 2 The Heart Of Noise 6,5
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker 6,5
Louise Attaque - Anomalie 6,5
Bombay - Show Your Teeth 6,5
The Divine Comedy - Foreverland 6,5
Jain - Zanaka 6,5
Louise Attaque - Anomalie 6,5
Seasick Steve - Keepin' The Horse Between Me and The Ground 6
Guided By Voices - Please Be Honest 6
Field Music - Commontime 6
Alex Beaupain - Loin 6
Anderson .Paak - Malibu 6

John Carpenter - Lost Themes II 5,5
Chairlift - Moth 5,5
Bat For Lashes - The Bride 5
Metronomy - Summer 08 4
Blood Orange - Freetown Sound 4

Bon Iver - 22 A Million 3
Memoryhouse - Soft Hate 3
Kaiser Chiefs - Stay Together 2,5
Kings Of Leon - Walls 2
Birdy Nam Nam - Dance Or Die 1
M83 - Junk 0,4
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notbrianeno
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by notbrianeno »

Romain wrote:
Glad to see you're having a much better 2016 for listening than 2015!
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Romain »

notbrianeno wrote:
Romain wrote:
Glad to see you're having a much better 2016 for listening than 2015!
Why do you say that? :P
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notbrianeno
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by notbrianeno »

Romain wrote:
notbrianeno wrote:
Romain wrote:
Glad to see you're having a much better 2016 for listening than 2015!
Why do you say that? :P

Many more 8s, 8.5s, 9s, and a 10 from you than years before! :mrgreen:
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Romain
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Romain »

notbrianeno wrote:
Romain wrote:
notbrianeno wrote:
Glad to see you're having a much better 2016 for listening than 2015!
Why do you say that? :P

Many more 8s, 8.5s, 9s, and a 10 from you than years before! :mrgreen:
FBI ? CIA ? KGB ? Mossad ? DGSE ? :mrgreen:

The average rating for my top 20 since I use this method :
2012: 8.73/10
2013: 8.60/10
2014: 8.68/10
2015: 8.43/10
2016: 8.27/10

Hmmm....your secret service is not really efficient...hahaha!
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by spiritualized »

Romain wrote:
The average rating for my top 20 since I use this method :
2012: 8.73/10
2013: 8.60/10
2014: 8.68/10
2015: 8.43/10
2016: 8.27/10

Ouch, interesting, it seems I am much harsher than you, unless you only put your favorite listening experiences on there. Here are my average RYM ratings, based on the same years :

2012 : 6,75 (256 ratings)
2013 : 6,66 (224)
2014 : 6,52 (63)
2015 : 6,65 (48)
2016 : 5,99 (254)

Not looking very good for 2016...
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Romain
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Romain »

spiritualized wrote: Ouch, interesting, it seems I am much harsher than you, unless you only put your favorite listening experiences on there. Here are my average RYM ratings, based on the same years :

2012 : 6,75 (256 ratings)
2013 : 6,66 (224)
2014 : 6,52 (63)
2015 : 6,65 (48)
2016 : 5,99 (254)

Not looking very good for 2016...
Yes, I only take the top 20.

If I take all my listening:
2012: 7.85 (54 ratings) (but I only give notation for album>7)
2013: 6.77 (93 ratings, 38>=8)
2014: 6.77 (113 ratings, 41>=8)
2015: 6.71 (65 ratings, 20>=8)
2016: 6.62 (51 ratings, 19>=8)

Not too far :-)
Last edited by Romain on Wed Nov 30, 2016 4:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by BleuPanda »

First, my current top 20:
1. David Bowie - Blackstar
2. Nick Cave - Skeleton Tree
3. Beyonce - Lemonade
4. A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
5. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
6. Matski - Puberty 2
7. Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
8. ANOHNI - HOPELESSNESS
9. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
10. Danny Brown - Atrocity Exhibition
11. The Dillinger Escape Plan - Dissociation
12. Solange - A Seat at the Table
13. Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker
14. Anderson .Paak - Malibu
15. Frank Ocean - Blonde
16. Vince Staples - Prima Donna
17. Bon Iver - 22 A Million
18. Mogwai - Atomic
19. Drive-By Truckers - American Band
20. Parquet Courts - Human Performance



Let's see, my average for my top 20:
2010: 8.90
2011: 8.61
2012: 8.64
2013: 8.65
2014: 8.63
2015: 8.75
2016: 8.56

Though I think a better representative is how many 8/10s or higher I give:
2010: 23
2011: 22
2012: 21
2013: 25
2014: 19
2015: 19
2016: 22

So 2016 has a lower top 20 average than the previous two years, but also has more high-ranking albums overall.
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by notbrianeno »

Well I guess I'll join in too :D .

EOY Top 10 Avg.:
2010: 9.2
2011: 9.1
2012: 9.1
2013: 8.5
2014: 7.9
2015: 8.5
2016: 8.9

EOY 8/10 or higher:
2010: 10
2011: 16
2012: 10
2013: 8
2014: 5
2015: 13
2016: 16
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Nick »

2016 has been a pretty bad year for me, music-wise.

I don't rate albums on a scale of 1 to 10, but here's a look at the number of albums from each year in my top 500 albums of all time...

2010: 13
2011: 9
2012: 11
2013: 10
2014: 6
2015: 6
2016: 3

And here's a look at the number of songs from each year in my top 500 songs of all time...

2010: 10
2011: 4
2012: 4
2013: 6
2014: 1
2015: 3
2016: 1

Further analysis gets even more depressing...

My #1 song of the year is "Drone Bomb Me". If this song were instead released in 2010, it would only be ranked #9 for that year.

My #1 album of the year is "Blackstar". If that album were instead released in 2010, it would only be ranked #5 for that year.

Then again, I think this says just as much about how much of a powerhouse year 2010 was as well as how weak 2016 was.

So let's take a look at how "Drone Bomb Me" and "Blackstar" would rank if they were released in past years...

"Blackstar"

2010: 5
2011: 1
2012: 3
2013: 3
2014: 1
2015: 2

"Drone Bomb Me"

2010: 9
2011: 3
2012: 5
2013: 3
2014: 2
2015: 3
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notbrianeno
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by notbrianeno »

I've intensely disliked Childish Gambino's past output, but I'm one track into his new album, Awaken, My Love! and I'm absolutely loving the King Crimson meets Parliament vibe
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Jackson »

A Tribe Called Quest's new album is one of my favorite rap albums of the decade. An absolute delight to listen to. It's a shame it could end up being underrated because of its November release date...
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by prosecutorgodot »

I don't know about you guys, but I think the new Childish Gambino album does the gospel-soul vibe better than Coloring Book.
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by JohnnyBGoode »

1. Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool
2. Emma Pollock: In Search of Harperfield
3. Car Seat Headrest: Teens of Denial
4. David Bowie : ★
5. Angel Olsen: My Woman
6. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Skeleton Tree
7. Noname: Telefone
8. Whitney: Light Upon the Lake
9. Drive-By Truckers: American Band
10. Okkervil River: Away
11. Wilco: Schmilco
12. Mothers: When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired
13. Julia Jacklin: Don’t Let the Kids Win
14. Sunflower Bean: Human Ceremony
15. Fruit Bats: Absolute Loser
16. Pinegrove: Cardinal
17. Lucy Dacus: No Burden
18. Michael Kiwanuka: Love & Hate
19. Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker
20. Anderson .Paak: Malibu
21. The Avalanches: Wildflower
22. Solange: A Seat at the Table
23. Damien Jurado: Visions of Us On the Land
24. Andrew Bird: Are You Serious
25. Parquet Courts: Human Performance
26. Bon Iver: 22, A Million
27. Mitski – Puberty 2
28. Christine and the Queens: Chaleur Humaine
29. The Radio Dept.: Running Out of Love
30. Beyond the Wizards Sleeve: The Soft Bounce
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Dan
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Dan »

Recommending a few albums that are not mentioned here and that have been mostly absent from critics’ lists so far:

M.A.K.U. SoundSystemMezcla

They’re an eight-member group who are based in New York but whose music is anchored in Colombia. Mixed with the Colombian rhythms are touches of Afrobeat, funk, jazz, hip-hop and ska. They have an electrifying energy that reminds me a bit of Ondatrópica, whose debut album was well received on the forum a few years ago. Album teaser

Leyla McCalla - A Day for the Hunter, a Day for the Prey

A cellist and singer who sings in English, French and Haitian Creole. She takes inspiration from Haitian traditions and creates music that combines those Haitian traditions with a contemporary folk and classical style. The arrangements are simple yet multi-layered. Delightful, to me. "A Day for the Hunter, a Day for the Pray"

Calypso Rose - Far from Home

On this album the 76-year-old Calypso queen from Trinidad and Tobago transforms calypso into an exuberant Caribbean dance style, with a little help from Manu Chao. "Abatina"

Billie Marten - Writing of Blues and Yellows

This 17-year-old folkie singer-songwriter is clearly inspired by Laura Marling, but her music has a lovely atmosphere all of its own. And the songs display a quiet introspection and maturity far beyond her years. "Bird"

CéuTropix

The cool, relaxed vocals by this Brazilian songstress are reminiscent of old-school bossa nova and Tropicália. The electronic-heavy music compliments the vocals, but it can’t be accused of being old-school. So it’s a Latin American album that’s both retro and modern. And artful. "Perfume do Invisível"

Lisa Hannigan - At Swim

One of DocBrown’s favourites, and another gorgeous album by a female singer-songwriter. Minimal, understated, almost ghostly. The water is very tempting. "Ora"

Zomba Prison Project - "I Will Not Stop Singing"

Moving, beautifully sung recordings from prisoners and workers at a maximum security prison in Malawi. Mini documentary

Provisional Top 25:

[imgsize 200x133]http://www.wow247.co.uk/wp-content/uplo ... ckstar.jpg[/imgsize]
1 | David Bowie | ★

[imgsize 200x133]https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/imag ... ATRdEgONhQ[/imgsize]
2 | Beyoncé | Lemonade

[imgsize 200x133]http://tricountysentry.com/blog/wp-cont ... s-MAKU.jpg[/imgsize]
3 | M.A.K.U. SoundSystem | Mezcla

[imgsize 200x133]http://magazinesgreat.com/wp-content/up ... 00x200.jpg[/imgsize]
4 | Leyla McCalla | A Day for the Hunter, a Day for the Prey

[imgsize 200x133]http://theboombox.com/files/2016/03/A-T ... 0&a=t&q=89[/imgsize]
5 | A Tribe Called Quest | We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service

[imgsize 200x133]http://www.missinfo.tv/wp-content/uploa ... ichiwa.jpg[/imgsize]
6 | Skepta | Konnichiwa

[imgsize 200x133]http://www.musiques-en-live.com/wp-cont ... 00x400.jpg[/imgsize]
7 | Calypso Rose | Far from Home

[imgsize 200x133]http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/musicnews/img/anohni.jpg[/imgsize]
8 | Anohni | Hopelessness

[imgsize 200x133]http://static1.stereoboard.com/images/s ... 181115.jpg[/imgsize]
9 | Billie Marten | Writing of Blues and Yellows

[imgsize 200x133]http://blahblahblahscience.com/wp-conte ... 00x200.jpg[/imgsize]
10 | Céu | Tropix

[imgsize 200x133]http://www.co-sign.com/wp-content/uploa ... islost.jpg[/imgsize]
11 | Kate Tempest | Let Them Eat Chaos

[imgsize 200x133]https://bandcampblog.files.wordpress.co ... .jpg?w=600[/imgsize]
12 | Bon Iver | 22, A Million

[imgsize 200x133]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ci73kOpWUAA0_co.jpg[/imgsize]
13 | Radiohead | A Moon Shaped Pool

[imgsize 200x133]http://www.musicology.uk.com/wp-content ... 00x400.jpg[/imgsize]
14 | Michael Kiwanuka | Love & Hate

[imgsize 200x133]https://www.maspormas.com/wp-content/up ... ratweb.jpg[/imgsize]
15 | Moderat | III

[imgsize 200x133]http://thedrop.fm/files/2013/09/dannybr ... 0&a=t&q=89[/imgsize]
16 | Danny Brown | Atrocity Exhibition

[imgsize 200x133]http://www.anacortesnow.com/modules/mod ... sp-134.jpg[/imgsize]
17 | Karl Blau | Introducing Karl Blau

[imgsize 200x133]http://www.stereoboard.com/images/stori ... 150916.jpg[/imgsize]
18 | Lisa Hannigan | At Swim

[imgsize 200x133]http://americansongwriter.com/wp-conten ... /07/ss.jpg[/imgsize]
19 | Sturgill Simpson | A Sailor's Guide to Earth

[imgsize 200x133]http://hardrockfm.com/wp-content/upload ... -com-1.jpg[/imgsize]
20 | Zomba Prison Project | "I Will Not Stop Singing"

[imgsize 200x133]http://www.stampthewax.com/wp-content/u ... 0x400.jpeg[/imgsize]
21 | Kano | Made in the Manor

[imgsize 200x133]https://www.stonesthrow.com/images/2015/suede-ap.jpg[/imgsize]
22 | Anderson .Paak | Malibu

[imgsize 200x133]http://images.complex.com/complex/vsc4d ... lherkk.jpg[/imgsize]
23 | Frank Ocean | Blonde

[imgsize 200x133]http://www.neverenoughnotes.co.uk/wp-co ... 00x400.jpg[/imgsize]
24 | Shura | Nothing's Real

[imgsize 200x133]https://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/artic ... %20big.jpg[/imgsize]
25 | Leonard Cohen | You Want It Darker
...will keep us together.
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JohnnyBGoode
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by JohnnyBGoode »

I second the Billie Marten album just outside my last list
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Romain
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Romain »

The Weeknd - Starboy 3 Same big problem than his previous album… autotune. So: r'n'b + autotune pushed to the max + 18 times the same songs with the same ryhtm=not an album for me but for sure, a big success.
Ultimate Painting - Dusk 7 A 60's pop album with catching melodies, it's what I need now.
Guillaume Perret - Free 7,5 The live is a lot more energic than the album but its a good electro-jazz album with three very good piece of music.
Peter Doherty - Hamburg Demonstrations 8 Excellent, like his first album. These damn english are really good for the melodies ;-) Some songs are very like the young Bowie.



David Bowie - Blackstar 10
Wax Tailor - By Any Beats Necessary 9
Glass Animals - How To Be A Human Being 9
Anohni - Hopelessness 9
Preoccupations - Preoccupations 8,5
Michael Kiwanuka - Love and Hate 8,5
Yeasayer - Amen and Goodbye 8,5
The Kills - Ash and Ice 8,5
Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm - Trance Frendz 8,5
Allah-Las - Calico Review 8,5
Erik Truffaz Quartet - Doni Doni 8,5
Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression 8
Benjamin Biolay - Palermo Holywood 8
Peter Doherty - Hamburg Demonstrations 8
Ólafur Arnalds - Island Songs 8
Johann Johannsson - Orphée 8
Andrew Bird - Are You Serious 8
Justice - Woman 8
The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come To Expect 8
Prince Rama - Xtreme Now 8

Françoiz Breut - Zoo 7,5
Yuck - Stranger Things 7,5
PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project 7,5
La Femme - Mystère 7,5
Guillaume Perret - Free 7,5
Band Of Horses - Why Are You Ok? 7,5
Wire - Nocturnal Koreans 7
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool 7
James Blake - The Colour In Anything 7
Savages - Adore Life 7
Ultimate Painting - Dusk 7
Papooz - Green Juice 7
Jean-Michel Jarre - Electronica 2 The Heart Of Noise 6,5
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker 6,5
Louise Attaque - Anomalie 6,5
Bombay - Show Your Teeth 6,5
The Divine Comedy - Foreverland 6,5
Jain - Zanaka 6,5
Louise Attaque - Anomalie 6,5
Seasick Steve - Keepin' The Horse Between Me and The Ground 6
Guided By Voices - Please Be Honest 6
Field Music - Commontime 6
Alex Beaupain - Loin 6
Anderson .Paak - Malibu 6

John Carpenter - Lost Themes II 5,5
Chairlift - Moth 5,5
Bat For Lashes - The Bride 5
Metronomy - Summer 08 4
Blood Orange - Freetown Sound 4

Bon Iver - 22 A Million 3,5
Memoryhouse - Soft Hate 3
The Weeknd - Starboy 3
Kaiser Chiefs - Stay Together 2,5
Kings Of Leon - Walls 2
Birdy Nam Nam - Dance Or Die 1
M83 - Junk 0,4
Last edited by Romain on Sat Dec 17, 2016 5:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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bonnielaurel
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by bonnielaurel »

My provisional list with comment on RYM:
https://rateyourmusic.com/list/bonniela ... ms-2016-1/
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Jirin »

There's finally starting to be a lot of CDs that don't even get a physical release. I know most people don't want them anymore, but I don't trust any digital copy to truly be 'Permanent', and I don't trust the record companies to find some loophole that lets them just delete things that I bought and say it was really just a license or something. Don't want to spend money on anything that can be licensed out from under me.

Blonde is the biggest one, but also Cowtown - Paranormal Romance and Mi and Lau - Four Pair Of Wings. Three out of my top 20. Annoying. We'll see if newer computers can still reliably burn CDs.
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Jirin »

So as some people know I'm a big dork and I put my favorite albums in tournaments just because it's fun. Here's current state of my year end tournament for 2016, which I decided to make double elimination this year.

5-0 (Winner bracket);
David Bowie - Blackstar vs The Pines - Above The Prairie

4-1 (Loser bracket):
Yndi Halda - Under Summer vs Myrkur - Mausoleum
Underworld - Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future vs Wild Beasts - Boy King
Savages - Adore Life vs Frank Ocean - Blonde
Winner of Cowtown - Paranormal Romance/Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered vs Winner of D.D Dumbo/Jesu - Jesu & Sun Kil Moon
Winner of Tindersticks - The Waiting Room/Lucinda Williams - The Ghosts Of Highway 20 vs Michael Kiwanuka - Love & Hate.

This tournament started with 64 albums, I had 8 brackets seeded 1-8. Biggest surprises here are Yndi Halda which started with 6 seed and Wild Beasts which started with 8 seed. Jesu also started with an 8 seed but had Blackstar in the first round, I suppose it's also a surprise that survived in the loser bracket, upsetting Bon Iver and Preoccupations.

I can't imagine anything other than Blackstar winning but 2nd place is wide open.
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by Romain »

GoGo Penguin - Man Made Object 7 A very enjoyable electro-Jazz album with a excellent rhytmic. You can love that even if you are not a jazz lover.
Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Denial 7,5 An excellent simple rock album… one of the best of the year.
Madness - Can't Touch Us Now 8 So much good songs that the album looks like a Best OF.
Pavo Pavo - Young Narrator In The Breakers 8,5 How lovely is this music. Every year there is a new group that create surprise. This year Pavo Pavo is the winner. Like Moodoïd, Django Django, Glass Animals, Portugal! The man or Electric Guest, this is the kind of album I know immediately I will listened years after years.



Final list for 2016

David Bowie - Blackstar 10
Wax Tailor - By Any Beats Necessary 9
Glass Animals - How To Be A Human Being 9
Anohni - Hopelessness 9
Pavo Pavo - Young Narrator In The Breakers 8,5
Preoccupations - Preoccupations 8,5
Michael Kiwanuka - Love and Hate 8,5
Yeasayer - Amen and Goodbye 8,5
The Kills - Ash and Ice 8,5
Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm - Trance Frendz 8,5
Allah-Las - Calico Review 8,5
Erik Truffaz Quartet - Doni Doni 8,5
Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression 8
Benjamin Biolay - Palermo Holywood 8
Madness - Can't Touch Us Now 8
Peter Doherty - Hamburg Demonstrations 8
Ólafur Arnalds - Island Songs 8
Johann Johannsson - Orphée 8
Andrew Bird - Are You Serious 8
Justice - Woman 8
The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come To Expect 8
Prince Rama - Xtreme Now 8

Françoiz Breut - Zoo 7,5
Yuck - Stranger Things 7,5
Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Denia 7,5
PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project 7,5
La Femme - Mystère 7,5
Guillaume Perret - Free 7,5
Band Of Horses - Why Are You Ok? 7,5
Wire - Nocturnal Koreans 7
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool 7
James Blake - The Colour In Anything 7
Savages - Adore Life 7
Ultimate Painting - Dusk 7
Papooz - Green Juice 7
GoGo Penguin - Man Made Object 7
Jean-Michel Jarre - Electronica 2 The Heart Of Noise 6,5
Leonard Cohen - You Want It Darker 6,5
Louise Attaque - Anomalie 6,5
Bombay - Show Your Teeth 6,5
The Divine Comedy - Foreverland 6,5
Jain - Zanaka 6,5
Louise Attaque - Anomalie 6,5
Seasick Steve - Keepin' The Horse Between Me and The Ground 6
Guided By Voices - Please Be Honest 6
Field Music - Commontime 6
Alex Beaupain - Loin 6
Anderson .Paak - Malibu 6

John Carpenter - Lost Themes II 5,5
Chairlift - Moth 5,5
Bat For Lashes - The Bride 5
Metronomy - Summer 08 4
Blood Orange - Freetown Sound 4

Bon Iver - 22 A Million 3,5
Memoryhouse - Soft Hate 3
The Weeknd - Starboy 3
Kaiser Chiefs - Stay Together 2,5
Kings Of Leon - Walls 2
Birdy Nam Nam - Dance Or Die 1
M83 - Junk 0,4
discord
Let's Get It On
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Re: Albums of 2016

Post by discord »

1. Arabrot - The Gospel
2. David Bowie - Blackstar
3. Skepta - Konichiwa
4. Angel Olsen - My Woman
5. Rihanna - ANTI
6. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
7. Weezer - Weezer
8. Teenage Fanclub - Here
9. Anthrax - For All Kings
10. Convextion - 2845
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notbrianeno
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Posts: 917
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 4:47 am

Re: Albums of 2016

Post by notbrianeno »

discord wrote:1. Arabrot - The Gospel
2. David Bowie - Blackstar
3. Skepta - Konichiwa
4. Angel Olsen - My Woman
5. Rihanna - ANTI
6. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
7. Weezer - Weezer
8. Teenage Fanclub - Here
9. Anthrax - For All Kings
10. Convextion - 2845
Welcome to the forum!
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notbrianeno
Movin' On Up
Posts: 917
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 4:47 am

Re: Albums of 2016

Post by notbrianeno »

It appears RTJ3 has been released early as a christmas present. Too late for most blog/magazines, but just in time for the AMF EOY poll!
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PlasticRam
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Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:51 am

Re: Albums of 2016

Post by PlasticRam »

New ratings in bold.

M83 - Junk 9.3
Bon Iver - 22, A Million 8.9
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool 8.8
Swans - The Glowing Man 8.6
Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth 8.5
Rae Sremmurd - SremmLife 2 8.5
Bob Dylan - Fallen Angels 8.5
Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book 8.5
James Blake - The Colour in Anything 8.4
Future - EVOL 8.4
Kanye West - The Life of Pablo 8.3
Rihanna - Anti 8.2
Robbie Williams - The Heavy Entertainment Show 8.2
Paul Simon - Stranger to Stranger 8.0
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial 8.0
Frank Ocean - Blonde 8.0
Solange - A Seat at the Table 8.0
Kid Cudi - Passion, Pain & Demon Slayin' 7.9
Brian Eno - The Ship 7.9
Twenty88 - Twenty88 7.8
Parquet Courts - Human Performance 7.8
David Bowie - Blackstar 7.7
Anohni - Hopelessness 7.6
A Tribe Called Quest - We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service 7.5
The Weeknd - Starboy 7.1
Beyonce - Lemonade 6.9
Travis Scott - Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight 6.8
Meek Mill - DC4 6.6
Drake - Views 6.5
YG - Still Brazy 6.1
The 1975 - I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful yet So Unaware of It 5.8
Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered 5.0
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree 4.5

Edit: New ratings;

M.I.A. - A.I.M. 8.5
The Avalanches - Wildflower 8.7
Last edited by PlasticRam on Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:32 am, edited 2 times in total.
I feel like that
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