Thread for all 2016 albums of the year lists

listened to that Western Skies Motel album off the Norman Records list, held my attention more than I thought it would based on the description, really nice album.

That Western Skies Motel album on the Norman list is gorgeous. I think they're Danish, but they sound like the uncanny, backwoods stuff of Bruce Langhorne or Scott Tuma. The C. Diab is lovely, too.

Xpost

reminded me a bit of koen holtkamp/mountains, which is always a good thing

I've heard half of those Norman Records list... some of them are really good and glad they're giving deserved attention to some ignored records but there's also some boring ones in there. At any rate these sort of 'non-zeigeist' lists are always better than the consensus ones. Yeah we all love Lemonade but I prefer finding out about records I might have overlooked instead of the ones we've talked about all year.

lmao frank ocean is some fresh bollocks

except 'nights' maybe

I also do not get the Frank Ocean one :/ It's not particularly bad and there's a couple of songs that I liked but it doesn't feel like it should stand proudly above the rest of any of the other 'big' albums released this year.

i don't much like the argument 'it's not bad, just a bit dull and mediocre' - dull and mediocre is literally the worst music except idk skrewdriver (which is p dull and mediocre, musically speaking, anyway)

fortunately there's so much other great stuff

Gorilla vs Bear http://www.gorillavsbear.net/gorilla-vs-bears-albums-of-2016/

01 A TRIBE CALLED QUEST | We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service
02 JESSY LANZA | Oh No
03 KEDR LIVANSKIY | January Sun
04 KAYTRANADA | 99.9%
05 RADIOHEAD | A Moon Shaped Pool
06 FRANK OCEAN | Blonde
07 DIANA | Familiar Touch
08 KORNÉL KOVÁCS | The Bells
09 BURIAL | Young Death / Nightmarket
10 BEYONCÉ | Lemonade
11 WEYES BLOOD | Front Row Seat to Earth
12 KYLE DIXON & MICHAEL STEIN | Stranger Things Vol. 1 + 2
13 KENDRICK LAMAR | untitled unmastered.
14 YUMI ZOUMA | Yoncalla
15 VARIOUS | Sky Girl (Compiled by Julien Dechery + DJ Sundae)
16 FEAR OF MEN | Fall Forever
17 CROSS RECORD | Wabi-Sabi
18 ANDY SHAUF | The Party
19 S U R V I V E | RR7349
20 DANNY BROWN | Atrocity Exhibition
21 NEGATIVE GEMINI | Body Work
22 HOOPS | HOOPS + tapes #1-3
23 VESUVIO SOLO | Don’t Leave Me in the Dark
24 CARLA DAL FORNO | You Know What It’s Like
25 CLINT MANSELL | San Junipero OST (Black Mirror)
26 KADHJA BONET | The Visitor
27 NICOLAS JAAR | Sirens
28 TROLLER | Graphic
29 KERO KERO BONITO | Bonito Generation
30 WHITNEY | Light Upon the Lake
31 LEON VYNEHALL | Rojus
32 NXWORRIES | Yes Lawd!
33 ANGEL OLSEN | My Woman
34 POSTILJONEN | Reverie
35 EQUIKNOXX – Bird Power Sound
36 MARIA USBECK – Amparo
37 JAPANESE BREAKFAST – Psychopomp
38 KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH – Ears
39 DREAMBOAT – Dreamboat
40 NV – Binasu
41 LIZ – Cross Your Heart
42 DJDS – Stand Up and Speak
43 CARLY RAE JEPSEN – E•MO•TION Side B
44 CFCF – On Vacation
45 STILL CORNERS – Dead Blue
46 CASEY MECIJA – Psychic Materials
47 PURO INSTINCT – Autodrama
48 MERELY – Uncanny Valley
49 KATIE GATELY – Color
50 MARISSA NADLER – Strangers
51 WHITE DENIM – Stiff
52 PARTS – Parts
53 MOOD HUT – Disco Mantras
54 BOY HARSHER – Yr Body Is Nothing
55 AMBER ARCADES – Fading Lines
56 HINDS – Leave Me Alone
57 NITE JEWEL – Liquid Cool
58 ARIANA GRANDE – Dangerous Woman
59 CASS MCCOMBS – Mangy Love
60 JULIANNA BARWICK – Will

listening to the upper reaches of the norman records list. unfortunately it is nigh all insipid rubbish as feared

The Burial 12" that came out day before yesterday at 9, above Beyoncé at 10 on GvsB is sheer challops.

That Jessy Lanza is an impressive find; really enjoying this one

We Got it From Here is probably the album of the year but people let me tell you, it really frosts my ass that my beloved Nice as Fuck record isn't getting the acclaim it deserves.

I'm sad and a little surprised that Katie Dey record didn't take off, everyone I've played it for has become an insta-fan, def my #1 of the year

Good for Chris GvB putting that one at the top!

Actually that GvB list is pretty much otm. Missing ones from that list that I'd add and it would be pretty much my kind of list: Noname, Cavern of antimatter, Anna Homler, Moderat, Xenia Rubinos, KING... overall it's a pretty good top 10. I'd just move Frank Ocean and that Burial to the bottom of the list.

Trolled is pretty great.

Dammit, Troller

I thought the Jessy Lanza record was a big disappointment

cool to see that sky girl comp on the gorillavsbear list, got a lot of play from me this year

Ah yes Jessy Lanza would also be way lower in my list. Not my cup of tea but I understand why some people would rave about it. I also understand why that same people will forget completely about it in three months... and in 2019 when they're making their top albums of the 10's lists it wont make their top 100.

Hey remember those mid-00's lists!? People thought Sigur Ros and Interpol were really cool back then.

End of the 00's they were sort of ashamed to add them to their end of decade lists. Who will run that same fate come 2019? Frank Ocean? Lana del Rey? Meat Loaf?

"Braver than we are" is the sleeping giant of 2016

Had no idea there was a new Vesuvio Solo album out. Anyone here heard it?

Norman's near misses may be better than their main list: https://www.normanrecords.com/features/albums-of-the-year-2016?show=bubblers

They didn't include the meat loaf album :(

But you're not kidding that list is even better than the real one.

Per the aggregator, Angel Olsen has taken over the #6 spot, and closing in on Nick Cave. Solange close behind, Anderson .Paak, Chance The Rapper, and A Tribe Called Quest is now #10.

http://www.albumoftheyear.org/list/summary/2016/

Wouldn't say the second Norman list is 'better' than the top 50, but they both sure make for some top cherry picking.

Can't recommend the Bracken record strong enough, for all you Hood fans out there.

if you move the Radiohead and Nick Cave 10 spots and replace with maybe mitski and weyes blood that is the p4k top ten of this year.

Xpost

That Western Skies Motel album on the Norman list is gorgeous. I think they're Danish, but they sound like the uncanny, backwoods stuff of Bruce Langhorne or Scott Tuma. The C. Diab is lovely, too.

― Sunn O))) Brother Where Art Thou? (Chinaski), Thursday, December 1, 2016 4:18 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I will have to check out Langhorne and Tuma if they are of the same ilk. Relistened to Settlers again and it really is gorgeous, love the endings of Transformation and Whirl when they turn into oddly uplifting funeral dirges.

Is anyone on ILM a fan of Car Seat Headrest? I have some friends who love it and I just don't get the EOY praise it's getting. Seems like run of the mill indie rock to me and boring one at that.

― No longer active (Moka), Wednesday, November 30, 2016 7:38 PM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Combo of its general inoffensiveness, the power of promotion and a backstory hook that's easy to write about. I know many music writers who pay absolutely no attention to current "indie rock" but who love Car Seat Headrest and similar critic-approved groups like Parquet Courts. Like how a critical mass of "this is okay I guess" often averages out into year-end accolades, with a bit of "this is the only record of this type I need to listen to" thrown in.

otm about "easy to write about." I can't help but compare it to the Pinegrove record, which is so much better but also so much more difficult to articulate the merits of

I didn't know CSH had a backstory hook. It's nice when the designers insert one of those into the code, like "you grew up in a cult" or something.

the reason is that most critics have deeply jejune taste and can be safely disregarded

much like most people

A lot of very average and a few truly terrible records in this "EP"s list:

http://www.stereogum.com/1913129/25-great-eps-from-2016/franchises/2016-in-review/

My top 20 EPs:

Lindstrøm - Wingdings
Anna Wise - The Feminine: Act 1
Cavern of Anti-Matter - I’m the unknown
Kiiara - low kii savage
Hologram Teen - Marsangst
Mr. Fingers - Outer Acid
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - Sai & Co
Semi-Toned - Sing Theory
Deerful - Home
The Orb - Alpine
Bridgit Mendler - Nemesis
Pye Corner Audio / Dalhous - Run For The Shadows
Izzie Gibbs - Jutsu
Iko Chérie - The Dream Covers
Pional - When Love Hurts
Pussy Riot - xxx
Keke Palmer - Lauren
Natalie Beredze - Love Is Winning
Hot 8 Brass Band - Can’t Nobody Get Down
Aquaserge - Guerre

Hannah Peel not getting nearly enough love for her album is something of great concern.

RE: Katie Dey, I bought the album after Owen Pallett said it was the best album of the last five years. I wouldn't go that far, though "Fear O the Light" makes a pretty strong case.

Louder Than War

40 The Low Anthem - Eyeland
39 The Fall - Wise Ol' Man
38 Yeasayer - Amen & Goodbye
37 Hooton Tennis Club - Big Box Of Chocolates
36 Asylums - Killer Brain Waves
35 Bob Mould - Patch The Sky
34 Warpaint - Heads Up
33 Biffy Clyro - Ellipsis
32 Suede - Night Thoughts
31 Mogwai - Atomic
30 Doomsquad - Total Time
29 PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project
28 The Wonder Stuff - Goes Around The Sun
27 Goat - Requiem
26 Ruts DC - Music Must Destroy
25 New Model Army - Winter
24 Big Jesus - Oneiric
23 Pixies - Head Carrier
22 Purson - Desire's Magic Theatre
21 Deftones - Gore
20 Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression
19 Garbage - STrange Little Birds
18 Owen - The King Of Whys
17 Dinosaur Jr - Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not
16 Swans - The Glowing Man
15 The Coral - Distance INbetween
14 Field Music - Commontime
13 The Virginmarys - Divides
12 Minor Victories - Minor Victories
11 Deap Vally - Femejism
10 Slaves - Take Control
09 Nothing - Tired Of Tomorrow
08 Primal Scream - Chaosmosis
07 Let's Eat Grandma - I, Gemini
06 Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
05 Blossoms - Blossoms
04 Melvins - Basses Loaded
03 David Bowie - Blackstar
02 Savages - Adore Life
01 Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree

real music at last

There was a new Dinosaur Jr album?

ditto Garbage? ditto Pixies? ditto Radiohead?

louder than WAR

RE: Katie Dey, I bought the album after Owen Pallett said it was the best album of the last five years. I wouldn't go that far, though "Fear O the Light" makes a pretty strong case.

― geoffreyess, Friday, December 2, 2016 9:12 PM (two days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

That song sounds like a strange cover of Tobin Sprout buried in effects

"fear o the light" is such a good song

08 KORNÉL KOVÁCS | The Bells

This is terrific, happy to see it place somewhere. He used to post to ILM FWIW.