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defrogYes, I still do this.
And this year, we continued the trend of the last few years in which I’m buying a lot less new music than I used to. In fact, the releases you see below are pretty much every LP/EP I bought or acquired in 2016. So rather than do a Top 20, I’m going to do a Top 10 and categorize everything else under “Honorable Mentions”.
Ironically, there were plenty more new releases I was interested in this year, but thanks to the online preview ability we have these days (and I’m pretty sure that is what’s makes a huge difference in my buying patterns), I passed on them. Either I wasn’t that knocked out by what I heard, or it was okay but I just couldn’t imagine myself still listening to it a year from now. I don't think every album has to be an instant classic, of course – and indeed the majority of this list wouldn't qualify for that description. But there wasn’t enough incentive to click “buy”, I suppose.
The other thing I should address is the fact that three albums here were Obvious Candidates for every Best of 2016 list in the Western hemisphere. You’d be hard pressed to find a Top 10 list that doesn’t have David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and/or Nick Cave on it. Of course, there will probably always be debate on whether any of these albums would get as much critical acclaim if they had been made under different, less tragic circumstances (i.e. Bowie and Cohen dying shortly after the album's release, and the death of Cave’s son Arthur). But I feel pretty strongly that all three of them warrant the hype on their own merit, if only because (1) I liked the four Blackstar tracks I heard before Bowie died, and (2) I liked the lead-off single from Skeleton Tree before I even knew about Cave’s son.
Blimey, what a year, eh?
DISCLAIMER: Based on music I actually bought between December 2015 and November 2016, and therefore a useless metric for everyone else.
TOP 10 DEF LPs/EPs I BOUGHT IN 2016
1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree (Bad Seed Ltd)
2. David Bowie, Blackstar (ISO/Columbia)
3. The Claypool Lennon Delerium, Monolith Of Phobos (PIAS/Prawn Song/Chimera)
4. De La Soul, And The Anomymous Nobody (AOI)
5. Shonen Knife, Adventure (Damnably)
6. Bob Mould, Patch The Sky (Merge)
7. The Thermals, We Disappear (Saddle Creek)
8. Leonard Cohen, You Want It Darker (Columbia)
9. Yello, Toy (Polydor/Island)
10. Fantastic Negrito, The Last Days Of Oakland (Blackball Universe)
HONORABLE MENTIONS
John Carpenter, Lost Themes II (Sacred Bones)
Jambinai, A Hermitage (Bella Union)
Lush, Blind Spot EP (Edamame)
Iggy Pop, Post Pop Depression (Caroline)
Dan Sartain, Century Plaza (One Little Indian)
Seratones, Seratones On Audiotree Live (Audiotree)
Tacocat, Lost Time (Hardly Art)
Tricot, Kabuku EP (Bakuretsu Records)
Underworld, Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future (Caroline)
Tony Joe White, Rain Crow (Yep Roc)
BEST LIVE ALBUM
Kate Bush, Before The Dawn (Fish People)
BEST ALBUM FROM A MUSIC ARTIST I ACTUALLY KNOW
Richard Michael John Hall, Space Rock (Bandcamp)
BEST ALBUM FROM A BAND THAT I PLAY IN
Banäna Deäthmüffins, Political Songs For Miley Cyrus To Sing
BEST COVER ART
TOP 10 DEF LPs/EPs I BOUGHT IN 2016: EXTENDED PLAY
1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree (Bad Seed Ltd)
Well, it was always going to be this or Blackstar. And I’m not sure if I can explain what gives this one the edge. I think it’s just the immersive atmosphere that the music generates – Cave has always been good at literate doom and gloom, but it feels at times like he’s actually tapping into an interdimensional alternate realm of hopelessness, feeding it into the mixing board and letting it run in the background as he searches for meaning and hope.
2. David Bowie, Blackstar (ISO/Columbia)
Only Bowie could turn his death into art, and that’s arguably why his final album hit home with so many fans. Not everyone agrees, of course, especially people who prefer a specific Bowie era (Ziggy Bowie, Berlin Bowie, etc) and find the music here falling short of his career watermarks. Or they don’t like that he hired a jazz combo as his backing band. It’s not a perfect album by any means, but for my money, there’s enough good material here that holds up to any of his classics, and it’s proof that Bowie’s creativity was firing on all pistons up to the end, and that he could always surprise you.
3. The Claypool Lennon Delerium, Monolith Of Phobos (PIAS/Prawn Song/Chimera)
And so of course I’m going to follow that up with an album that no one else put on their Best-Of list – this collaboration between Sean Lennon and Les Claypool, in which they create oddball psychedelic prog rock for yr pleasure. It’s an interesting mix that sometimes leans more towards Lennon’s delay-heavy dream-psych musings or Claypool’s goofball character studies, but overall strikes the right balance. It works a lot better than you might think. Of course, what other make of this may depend on their opinion of Lennon and/or Claypool – personally I like them both, so that wasn’t an issue for me.
4. De La Soul, And The Anomymous Nobody (AOI)
The ninth studio album by De La Soul arrived 12 years after their previous album, and it’s epic in length, ambition and musical scope. According to legend, the group got together with some musicians and recorded hours worth of music, then used that as their sample base. The result is an album so musically diverse – hip-hop, P-funk, soul, indie rock, funk-metal, it’s all here – that it’s hard to classify it as straight hip-hop. Whatever you want to label it, it’s an entertaining and creative album.
5. Shonen Knife, Adventure (Damnably)
This is album number 20 from Shonen Knife, who marked their 35th anniversary in 2016. It also heralds the temporary return of original member Atsuko Yamano, who filled in on bass while current bassist Ritsuko Taneda is on maternity leave. Like most SK albums, there aren’t any real surprises here, but it’s still a delight to listen to. And in a year like 2016, it’s refreshing to hear Naoko Yamano writing songs about positive things (rock’n’roll t-shirts, wasabi, Hawaiian vacations, green tangerines, etc). The Motorhead/Dio tribute song is also welcome.
6. Bob Mould, Patch The Sky (Merge)
This is Mould’s 12th solo album, and one that continues his Sugar-ish hot streak that started with 2012’s Silver Age. As usual, I’m here mainly for that awesome guitar sound, but it’s a strong collection of songs as well. I still feel that Silver Age is the most satisfying overall of the last three albums, but there’s plenty to like here.
7. The Thermals, We Disappear (Saddle Creek)
The Thermals return with album #7, which is thematically concerned with how people resist the end of things, be they relationships or life itself to the point of posting everything about themselves online in a possible bid for immortality after we die. Musically, it’s also a step forward in that The Thermals expand their sound slightly – it’s still simple three-chord power-pop with Hutch Harris’ earnest yelp, but with more layered guitars and judicious use of echo on a few tracks.
8. Leonard Cohen, You Want It Darker (Columbia)
The 14th and (as it turns out) final album from Cohen. It’s a high note to go out on – even this late in the game, Cohen still had a way with words and imagery. Helping things out here are the musical arrangements via his son Adam Cohen, which are in some ways the kind of minimalist background typical of a Cohen album, but with some striking variations from the formula here and there.
9. Yello, Toy (Polydor/Island)
The 13th album from sampling synth pioneers Yello, still going strong after 36 years. I’m a fan of their singles from their 80s/early 90s heyday, and on first pass there’s not much here that lives up to the classic hits. But it grew on me, and it does sport classic Yello trademarks – a lush cinematic atmosphere with playful burps and burbles to keep you from taking it too seriously, while Dieter Meier mumbles Leonard-Cohen style between the guest vocals.
10. Fantastic Negrito, The Last Days Of Oakland (Blackball Universe)
If I had a category for Backstory Of The Year, Xavier Dphrepaulezz (a.k.a. Fantastic Negrito) would win it hands down. After a life of musical failure (by industry standards), crime and a near-death experience, Dphrepaulezz has re-emerged as Fantastic Negrito, playing “black roots music” (a mishmash of blues, soul, funk and gospel with a rock-ish edge to it). His debut full-length album has all that and more, with heavy social commentary, to include soundbites that I presume are via his home base of Oakland, CA. Some of the songs are a bit samey, but Dphrepaulezz is a powerful singer who brings a lot of energy to the proceedings.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
John Carpenter, Lost Themes II (Sacred Bones)
The follow-up to last years’s Lost Themes, in which Carpenter and friends create theme songs for imaginary films. This set isn’t quite as strong as the first, and of course yr opinion will depend on whether you like Carpenter’s soundtracks at all. But there’s enough good stuff here to make it worthwhile.
Jambinai, A Hermitage (Bella Union)
Second album from Korean trio that blend traditional Korean folk instruments with post-rock, heavy metal and hip-hop. The result is surprisingly hypnotic, surreal and occasionally terrifying. As a result, it doesn’t really hold up to repeated play unless cacophony is yr default musical preference. So a little goes a long way. But it’s easily the most original-sounding band I’ve heard all year.
Lush, Blind Spot EP (Edamame)
Some 18 years after they officially broke up, Lush made a temporary comeback in 2016 with this EP of four new songs – and in many respects it was like they never left. At least two of the songs here would slot in seamlessly with Lush’s early dream-pop singles. The reunion came to an end in November, so this may be it for Lush, but it was nice while it lasted.
Iggy Pop, Post Pop Depression (Caroline)
Album #17 for Iggy Pop, and possibly his retirement album. Opinions may be divided along the lines of whether you like Josh Homme (Iggy’s musical collaborator here, and it does sound a Homme record). Still, it’s very much an Iggy Pop album, with lyrics that range from languid and sentimental to sputtering rage and the occasional venture into self-aware goofiness. I’ve found that after a few listens it’s not as captivating as it was on first release. But there are some good Iggy songs here. If this is Iggy’s final statement, you can’t say he didn’t go out swinging.
Dan Sartain, Century Plaza (One Little Indian)
Sixth LP from Alabama-based singer/songwriter Sartain, and the second album in which he ditches his usual songwriting style to pay tribute to his heroes. 2012’s Too Tough To Live was a collection of (mostly) Ramones-style songs. This time, his template is 80s synth-based bands like Depeche Mode and Suicide (whose “Wipeout Beat” is covered here). It generally works – like Too Tough To Live, Sartain manages to pull off good imitations of his heroes even if he never surpasses them (which doesn’t seem to be his goal, anyway).
Seratones, Seratones On Audiotree Live (Audiotree)
Seratones hail from Shreveport, LA and play high-octane rock with a dash of soul. They came to my attention via NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, and while their debut album, Get Gone, was released this year, I felt it didn’t quite capture the excitement of their live performance. This live EP from Audiotree delivers the goods much more convincingly, particularly in regards to singer/guitarist AJ Haynes, who really lets loose here.
Tacocat, Lost Time (Hardly Art)
Third album from this Portland pop punk band, which have a rep for writing feminist songs with humor and sarcasm, but there’s a little more to them than that. Whatever the song topic, they know their way around a pop hook, and know a rousing chorus when they hear one. On the downside, sometimes they lose their way in a song, getting to a point where they seem to back off from taking the song to the next level. Still, there’s quite a few glorious pop gems here.
Tricot, Kabuku EP (Bakuretsu Records)
Second EP from Japanese math-rock band (who also just happen to be all women). The angular jazz chords and shifting time-signatures are kind of standard, but it’s the multi-layered vocals that help Tricot stand out, for my money. That said, the downside of math-rock is that it gets too hung up on technique over substance – and while there’s some substance here, very little of it sticks.
Underworld, Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future (Caroline)
Ninth album from Underworld, who came to my attention in their current form with 1994’s dubnobasswithmyheadman, which was so amazing that I’ve always felt everything they’ve done since hasn’t quite lived up to that. This one is no different in that respect. But it does have its moments, mainly when Karl Hyde goes into wordplay mode.
Tony Joe White, Rain Crow (Yep Roc)
19th album from Tony Joe White, and by now you know what yr going to get – vibrato blues fronted by that deep, deep voice mumbling about growing up poor in Louisiana, Cajun witches, hootchie women, swamp tales, snake handlers, etc. No real surprises here, or variations (most songs are even in the same key) – the standout is “The Bad Wind”, an unfaithful-wife song with a twist ending.
BEST LIVE ALBUM
Kate Bush, Before The Dawn (Fish People)
This is the entire soundtrack to the epic theatrical live show that Bush did in 2014, which was structured around two song suites – The Ninth Wave from Hounds Of Love, and A Sky Of Honey from Aerial – and also includes some other songs from those albums plus one from The Red Shoes. Bush is brilliant throughout, and the songs sound great on their own, although with the visual element removed it’s hard not to feel you’re missing the full effect of the live show.
BEST ALBUM FROM A MUSIC ARTIST I ACTUALLY KNOW
Richard Michael John Hall, Space Rock (Bandcamp)
Instrumental psych rock from Evanston, IL! It’s essentially ten snippets of densely layered spaced-out riffs drenched in echo effects. It’s hard to be objective here since I know the guy, but Hall is a really good guitarist, and I appreciate the artistic creativity that went into making something like this, as opposed to (say) doing dumb little rock tunes making fun of self-help books, government ministers and Facebook memes.
BEST ALBUM FROM A BAND THAT I PLAY IN
Banäna Deäthmüffins, Political Songs For Miley Cyrus To Sing (Terribly Frog/Bandcamp)
Debut mini-album! Shameless plug, I know. But it’s my list and my blog, so why not?
Up next: the films!
This is dF
And this year, we continued the trend of the last few years in which I’m buying a lot less new music than I used to. In fact, the releases you see below are pretty much every LP/EP I bought or acquired in 2016. So rather than do a Top 20, I’m going to do a Top 10 and categorize everything else under “Honorable Mentions”.
Ironically, there were plenty more new releases I was interested in this year, but thanks to the online preview ability we have these days (and I’m pretty sure that is what’s makes a huge difference in my buying patterns), I passed on them. Either I wasn’t that knocked out by what I heard, or it was okay but I just couldn’t imagine myself still listening to it a year from now. I don't think every album has to be an instant classic, of course – and indeed the majority of this list wouldn't qualify for that description. But there wasn’t enough incentive to click “buy”, I suppose.
The other thing I should address is the fact that three albums here were Obvious Candidates for every Best of 2016 list in the Western hemisphere. You’d be hard pressed to find a Top 10 list that doesn’t have David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and/or Nick Cave on it. Of course, there will probably always be debate on whether any of these albums would get as much critical acclaim if they had been made under different, less tragic circumstances (i.e. Bowie and Cohen dying shortly after the album's release, and the death of Cave’s son Arthur). But I feel pretty strongly that all three of them warrant the hype on their own merit, if only because (1) I liked the four Blackstar tracks I heard before Bowie died, and (2) I liked the lead-off single from Skeleton Tree before I even knew about Cave’s son.
Blimey, what a year, eh?
DISCLAIMER: Based on music I actually bought between December 2015 and November 2016, and therefore a useless metric for everyone else.
TOP 10 DEF LPs/EPs I BOUGHT IN 2016
1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree (Bad Seed Ltd)
2. David Bowie, Blackstar (ISO/Columbia)
3. The Claypool Lennon Delerium, Monolith Of Phobos (PIAS/Prawn Song/Chimera)
4. De La Soul, And The Anomymous Nobody (AOI)
5. Shonen Knife, Adventure (Damnably)
6. Bob Mould, Patch The Sky (Merge)
7. The Thermals, We Disappear (Saddle Creek)
8. Leonard Cohen, You Want It Darker (Columbia)
9. Yello, Toy (Polydor/Island)
10. Fantastic Negrito, The Last Days Of Oakland (Blackball Universe)
HONORABLE MENTIONS
John Carpenter, Lost Themes II (Sacred Bones)
Jambinai, A Hermitage (Bella Union)
Lush, Blind Spot EP (Edamame)
Iggy Pop, Post Pop Depression (Caroline)
Dan Sartain, Century Plaza (One Little Indian)
Seratones, Seratones On Audiotree Live (Audiotree)
Tacocat, Lost Time (Hardly Art)
Tricot, Kabuku EP (Bakuretsu Records)
Underworld, Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future (Caroline)
Tony Joe White, Rain Crow (Yep Roc)
BEST LIVE ALBUM
Kate Bush, Before The Dawn (Fish People)
BEST ALBUM FROM A MUSIC ARTIST I ACTUALLY KNOW
Richard Michael John Hall, Space Rock (Bandcamp)
BEST ALBUM FROM A BAND THAT I PLAY IN
Banäna Deäthmüffins, Political Songs For Miley Cyrus To Sing
BEST COVER ART
TOP 10 DEF LPs/EPs I BOUGHT IN 2016: EXTENDED PLAY
1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Skeleton Tree (Bad Seed Ltd)
Well, it was always going to be this or Blackstar. And I’m not sure if I can explain what gives this one the edge. I think it’s just the immersive atmosphere that the music generates – Cave has always been good at literate doom and gloom, but it feels at times like he’s actually tapping into an interdimensional alternate realm of hopelessness, feeding it into the mixing board and letting it run in the background as he searches for meaning and hope.
2. David Bowie, Blackstar (ISO/Columbia)
Only Bowie could turn his death into art, and that’s arguably why his final album hit home with so many fans. Not everyone agrees, of course, especially people who prefer a specific Bowie era (Ziggy Bowie, Berlin Bowie, etc) and find the music here falling short of his career watermarks. Or they don’t like that he hired a jazz combo as his backing band. It’s not a perfect album by any means, but for my money, there’s enough good material here that holds up to any of his classics, and it’s proof that Bowie’s creativity was firing on all pistons up to the end, and that he could always surprise you.
3. The Claypool Lennon Delerium, Monolith Of Phobos (PIAS/Prawn Song/Chimera)
And so of course I’m going to follow that up with an album that no one else put on their Best-Of list – this collaboration between Sean Lennon and Les Claypool, in which they create oddball psychedelic prog rock for yr pleasure. It’s an interesting mix that sometimes leans more towards Lennon’s delay-heavy dream-psych musings or Claypool’s goofball character studies, but overall strikes the right balance. It works a lot better than you might think. Of course, what other make of this may depend on their opinion of Lennon and/or Claypool – personally I like them both, so that wasn’t an issue for me.
4. De La Soul, And The Anomymous Nobody (AOI)
The ninth studio album by De La Soul arrived 12 years after their previous album, and it’s epic in length, ambition and musical scope. According to legend, the group got together with some musicians and recorded hours worth of music, then used that as their sample base. The result is an album so musically diverse – hip-hop, P-funk, soul, indie rock, funk-metal, it’s all here – that it’s hard to classify it as straight hip-hop. Whatever you want to label it, it’s an entertaining and creative album.
5. Shonen Knife, Adventure (Damnably)
This is album number 20 from Shonen Knife, who marked their 35th anniversary in 2016. It also heralds the temporary return of original member Atsuko Yamano, who filled in on bass while current bassist Ritsuko Taneda is on maternity leave. Like most SK albums, there aren’t any real surprises here, but it’s still a delight to listen to. And in a year like 2016, it’s refreshing to hear Naoko Yamano writing songs about positive things (rock’n’roll t-shirts, wasabi, Hawaiian vacations, green tangerines, etc). The Motorhead/Dio tribute song is also welcome.
6. Bob Mould, Patch The Sky (Merge)
This is Mould’s 12th solo album, and one that continues his Sugar-ish hot streak that started with 2012’s Silver Age. As usual, I’m here mainly for that awesome guitar sound, but it’s a strong collection of songs as well. I still feel that Silver Age is the most satisfying overall of the last three albums, but there’s plenty to like here.
7. The Thermals, We Disappear (Saddle Creek)
The Thermals return with album #7, which is thematically concerned with how people resist the end of things, be they relationships or life itself to the point of posting everything about themselves online in a possible bid for immortality after we die. Musically, it’s also a step forward in that The Thermals expand their sound slightly – it’s still simple three-chord power-pop with Hutch Harris’ earnest yelp, but with more layered guitars and judicious use of echo on a few tracks.
8. Leonard Cohen, You Want It Darker (Columbia)
The 14th and (as it turns out) final album from Cohen. It’s a high note to go out on – even this late in the game, Cohen still had a way with words and imagery. Helping things out here are the musical arrangements via his son Adam Cohen, which are in some ways the kind of minimalist background typical of a Cohen album, but with some striking variations from the formula here and there.
9. Yello, Toy (Polydor/Island)
The 13th album from sampling synth pioneers Yello, still going strong after 36 years. I’m a fan of their singles from their 80s/early 90s heyday, and on first pass there’s not much here that lives up to the classic hits. But it grew on me, and it does sport classic Yello trademarks – a lush cinematic atmosphere with playful burps and burbles to keep you from taking it too seriously, while Dieter Meier mumbles Leonard-Cohen style between the guest vocals.
10. Fantastic Negrito, The Last Days Of Oakland (Blackball Universe)
If I had a category for Backstory Of The Year, Xavier Dphrepaulezz (a.k.a. Fantastic Negrito) would win it hands down. After a life of musical failure (by industry standards), crime and a near-death experience, Dphrepaulezz has re-emerged as Fantastic Negrito, playing “black roots music” (a mishmash of blues, soul, funk and gospel with a rock-ish edge to it). His debut full-length album has all that and more, with heavy social commentary, to include soundbites that I presume are via his home base of Oakland, CA. Some of the songs are a bit samey, but Dphrepaulezz is a powerful singer who brings a lot of energy to the proceedings.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
John Carpenter, Lost Themes II (Sacred Bones)
The follow-up to last years’s Lost Themes, in which Carpenter and friends create theme songs for imaginary films. This set isn’t quite as strong as the first, and of course yr opinion will depend on whether you like Carpenter’s soundtracks at all. But there’s enough good stuff here to make it worthwhile.
Jambinai, A Hermitage (Bella Union)
Second album from Korean trio that blend traditional Korean folk instruments with post-rock, heavy metal and hip-hop. The result is surprisingly hypnotic, surreal and occasionally terrifying. As a result, it doesn’t really hold up to repeated play unless cacophony is yr default musical preference. So a little goes a long way. But it’s easily the most original-sounding band I’ve heard all year.
Lush, Blind Spot EP (Edamame)
Some 18 years after they officially broke up, Lush made a temporary comeback in 2016 with this EP of four new songs – and in many respects it was like they never left. At least two of the songs here would slot in seamlessly with Lush’s early dream-pop singles. The reunion came to an end in November, so this may be it for Lush, but it was nice while it lasted.
Iggy Pop, Post Pop Depression (Caroline)
Album #17 for Iggy Pop, and possibly his retirement album. Opinions may be divided along the lines of whether you like Josh Homme (Iggy’s musical collaborator here, and it does sound a Homme record). Still, it’s very much an Iggy Pop album, with lyrics that range from languid and sentimental to sputtering rage and the occasional venture into self-aware goofiness. I’ve found that after a few listens it’s not as captivating as it was on first release. But there are some good Iggy songs here. If this is Iggy’s final statement, you can’t say he didn’t go out swinging.
Dan Sartain, Century Plaza (One Little Indian)
Sixth LP from Alabama-based singer/songwriter Sartain, and the second album in which he ditches his usual songwriting style to pay tribute to his heroes. 2012’s Too Tough To Live was a collection of (mostly) Ramones-style songs. This time, his template is 80s synth-based bands like Depeche Mode and Suicide (whose “Wipeout Beat” is covered here). It generally works – like Too Tough To Live, Sartain manages to pull off good imitations of his heroes even if he never surpasses them (which doesn’t seem to be his goal, anyway).
Seratones, Seratones On Audiotree Live (Audiotree)
Seratones hail from Shreveport, LA and play high-octane rock with a dash of soul. They came to my attention via NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, and while their debut album, Get Gone, was released this year, I felt it didn’t quite capture the excitement of their live performance. This live EP from Audiotree delivers the goods much more convincingly, particularly in regards to singer/guitarist AJ Haynes, who really lets loose here.
Tacocat, Lost Time (Hardly Art)
Third album from this Portland pop punk band, which have a rep for writing feminist songs with humor and sarcasm, but there’s a little more to them than that. Whatever the song topic, they know their way around a pop hook, and know a rousing chorus when they hear one. On the downside, sometimes they lose their way in a song, getting to a point where they seem to back off from taking the song to the next level. Still, there’s quite a few glorious pop gems here.
Tricot, Kabuku EP (Bakuretsu Records)
Second EP from Japanese math-rock band (who also just happen to be all women). The angular jazz chords and shifting time-signatures are kind of standard, but it’s the multi-layered vocals that help Tricot stand out, for my money. That said, the downside of math-rock is that it gets too hung up on technique over substance – and while there’s some substance here, very little of it sticks.
Underworld, Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future (Caroline)
Ninth album from Underworld, who came to my attention in their current form with 1994’s dubnobasswithmyheadman, which was so amazing that I’ve always felt everything they’ve done since hasn’t quite lived up to that. This one is no different in that respect. But it does have its moments, mainly when Karl Hyde goes into wordplay mode.
Tony Joe White, Rain Crow (Yep Roc)
19th album from Tony Joe White, and by now you know what yr going to get – vibrato blues fronted by that deep, deep voice mumbling about growing up poor in Louisiana, Cajun witches, hootchie women, swamp tales, snake handlers, etc. No real surprises here, or variations (most songs are even in the same key) – the standout is “The Bad Wind”, an unfaithful-wife song with a twist ending.
BEST LIVE ALBUM
Kate Bush, Before The Dawn (Fish People)
This is the entire soundtrack to the epic theatrical live show that Bush did in 2014, which was structured around two song suites – The Ninth Wave from Hounds Of Love, and A Sky Of Honey from Aerial – and also includes some other songs from those albums plus one from The Red Shoes. Bush is brilliant throughout, and the songs sound great on their own, although with the visual element removed it’s hard not to feel you’re missing the full effect of the live show.
BEST ALBUM FROM A MUSIC ARTIST I ACTUALLY KNOW
Richard Michael John Hall, Space Rock (Bandcamp)
Instrumental psych rock from Evanston, IL! It’s essentially ten snippets of densely layered spaced-out riffs drenched in echo effects. It’s hard to be objective here since I know the guy, but Hall is a really good guitarist, and I appreciate the artistic creativity that went into making something like this, as opposed to (say) doing dumb little rock tunes making fun of self-help books, government ministers and Facebook memes.
BEST ALBUM FROM A BAND THAT I PLAY IN
Banäna Deäthmüffins, Political Songs For Miley Cyrus To Sing (Terribly Frog/Bandcamp)
Debut mini-album! Shameless plug, I know. But it’s my list and my blog, so why not?
Up next: the films!
This is dF
