End Of Year Music Review 2016
Can I kick it? Yes you can! Can I kick it? Yes you can! The 7th Year of My Year End List!
This year has been extremely eventful in my life and also for this country. In a time of uncertainty and unrest, sometimes music can play a role. I would argue that music can expose problems and can also celebrate progress. I hope that we have some of both in the coming year. When people can escape their own struggles through music or feel the struggles of others, music is impactful. This is a simple music list made by a simple man. What do I know? I think I know that 2017 is going to very interesting. Let’s hope that there is still hope. Let’s hope that we can still make it through. I know I love my family and friends. I know that the masses are still good and want a positive future. Enjoy a list of songs that will hopefully make you feel happy, sad, and everything in between. I hope this list provides that. That is why art exists.
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Of what I’ve heard, here are my lists… Enjoy.
25 Top Albums
- Anderson .Paak – Malibu
- Frank Ocean – Blonde
- Kendrick Lamar – Untitled,Unmastered
- Aesop Rock – The Impossible Kid
- A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 For Your Service
- Bon Iver – 22, A Million
- Chance The Rapper – Coloring Book
- Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam – I Had A Dream That You Were Mine
- Noname – Telefone
- Local Natives – Sunlit Youth
- Ka – Honor Killed the Samurai
- Yeasayer – Amen and Goodbye
- Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial
- Clipping – Splendor & Misery
- Open Mike Eagle – Hella Personal Film Festival
- Cullen Omori – New Misery
- Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition
- Conor Oberst – Ruminations
- Netherfriends & Yomi – 808’s & Harpbreak
- Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
- The Snails – Songs from the Shoebox
- Porches – Pool
- Lambchop – FLOTUS
- Mr. Lif – Don’t Look Down
- J. Cole – 4 Your Eyez Only
Album of the Year
Anderson .Paak – Malibu
My #1 Album of the Year comes from California singer/rapper Anderson .Paak. Malibu is a Pop/R&B album with some moments of rap. I could easily put 10-12 songs on the Top 75 songs list below just from this album. This album on first listen caught me. It exudes joy and excitement. Anderson .Paak sings with an energy that makes you feel his struggles and triumphs with life in general, becoming famous, and of course women. Malibu is an album that has a California feel (sun, warmth,bathing suits) but feels right at home in my car in Indiana (in the freezing rain, shaking, questioning your existence in this frozen hellish cold). I think this is how people in the 1960s felt when listening to James Brown. There are less ad-libs (“Yes Lawd!”) but that energy is felt. Anderson .Paak is an exceptional singer and drum player which might overshadow his song writing. The soul crushing line of honesty that made me fall in love with this project is delivered two minutes into the album.
“I’m repping for the longest cycle/My uncles had to pay the cost/My sister used to sing to Whitney/My mama caught the gambling bug/We came up in a lonely castle/My papa was behind them bars/We never had to want for nothing/Said all we ever need is love”
This honesty and soul is felt throughout the album. I would not consider myself an R&B fan or Pop connoisseur, but I love this album. I would suggest to just any music fan.
Noteable Mini LPs or EPs
Sev Seveer – Smithereens
Vince Staples – Prima Donna
Highest Low/Sev Seveer – Life’s a Beach
clipping – Wriggle
Cecil Otter – Dear Echo
Rob Roy – Johnny
75 Top Songs
- Kendrick Lamar – “Untitled 07”
2. Bon Iver – “33 “God”
3. Aesop Rock – “Rings”
4. Frank Ocean – “Nights”
5. Anderson .Paak – “The Bird”
6. Frank Ocean – “Solo”
7. Anderson .Paak – “The Season/Carry Me”
8. Hamilton Leithauser + Rosdam – “A 1000 Times”
9. Danny Brown ft. Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Ab-Soul – “Really Doe”
10. Netherfriends – “Iced Cream” ft. Yomi
11. Anderson .Paak – “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance”
12. Kevin Gates – “Really Really”
13. Kanye West – “Ultralight Beam”
14. Chance The Rapper – “No Problem” ft. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz
15. Yeasayer – “Silly Me”
16. A Tribe Called Quest – “We The People…”
17. Porches – “Be Apart”
18. Bon Iver – “22(Over SooN)”
19. Rae Sremmurd – “Black Beatles”
20. Cullen Omori – “Cinnamon”
21. Clipping – “Air ‘Em Out”
22. Car Seat Headrest – “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales”
23. Chance The Rapper – “Angels” ft. Saba
24. The Roots, Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, Nate Ruess – “One Shot”
25. Noname – “Diddy Bop” ft. Cam O’bi & Raury
26. Frank Ocean/Andre 3000 – “Solo (Reprise)”
27. Porches – “Underwater”
28. A Tribe Called Quest – “The Space Program”
29. Clipping – “The Breach”
30. Anderson Paak. – “The Waters”
31. Open Mike Eagle – “Check to Check”
32. Cullen Omori – “Sour Silk”
33. Kanye West – “No More Parties in L.A.” ft. Kendrick Lamar
34. Sev Seveer – “Televised Chocolate”
35. Cullen Omori – “Two Kinds”
36. J. Cole – “Neighbors”
37. Whitney – “No Woman”
38. Isaiah Rashad – “Wat’s Wrong” ft. Zacari & Kendrick Lamar
39. Aesop Rock – “Blood Sandwich”
40. The Snails – “Shoebox”
41. Cecil Otter – “Grime”
42. J. Cole – “Immortal”
43. Bon Iver – “666”
44. Conor Oberst – “Barbary Coast (Later)”
45. Vince Staples – “Prima Donna”
46. Noname – “Casket Pretty”
47. Leonard Cohen – “You Want it Darker”
48. Cecil Otter – “Cross Countries”
49. J.Cole – “4 Your Eyez Only”
50. Lambchop – “In Care of 8675309”
51. Rob Roy – “Flickin”
52. The Lagoons – “California”
53. A Tribe Called Quest – “Kids” ft. Andre 3000
54. Ka – “Just”
55. Bon Iver – “____45____”
56. Aesop Rock – “Lotta Years”
57. Car Seat Headrest – “Vincent”
58. Kendrick Lamar – “Untitled 02”
59. Local Natives – “Villainy”
60. Yeasayer – “I Am Chemistry”
61. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam – “Rough Going (I Won’t Let Up)”
62. Local Natives – “Past Lives”
63. Schoolboy Q – “That Part” ft. Kanye West
64. Sylvan Esso – “Radio”
65. Highest Low & Sev Seveer – “Good Vibes Only”
66. Kendrick Lamar – “untitled 03”
67. Banks & Steelz – “Giant”
68. Open Mike Eagle – “I Went Outside Today” ft. Aesop Rock
69. Phantogram – “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore”
70. David Bowie – “Lazarus”
71. Danny Brown – “Pneumonia”
72. Mr. Lif – “Mission Accomplished” ft. The Perceptionists
73. Vince Staples – “War Ready”
74. Ka – “Conflicted”
75. Mr. Lif – “World Renown” ft. Del the Funky Homosapien
Pleasant Surprises
Frank Ocean – Blonde — I was shocked at how much I liked this album this much. I went into it curious and hopeful. It blew me away. This could be considered CO #1 Album of the Year. I actually began writing a paragraph explaining why this was my album of the year. Then I decided that Malibu barely edged it out. Blonde is a great album. Frank Ocean has taken all of the best parts from Channel Orange and made an entire album. It is brilliant.
A Tribe Called Quest – We Got it from here…Thank You 4 Your Service— I had no idea this was even in the works. I know when Phife Dawg died I thought it would be cool if they made one more album before he did. It happened and it’s really good.
NoName – Telefone — A brilliant writer/rapper who uses so many emotions and amazing writing to make otherwise simple music, feel complex.
Mr. Lif – Don’t Look Down – First album in seven years and Mr. Lif reminded me why I loved him in college.
Ka – Honor Killed The Samurai – This is the most underrated rapper in the world. This album is part Wu-Tang part MF Doom and part Ka. Hip Hop heads will appreciate him.
Disappointments
Banks & Steelz – Anything But Words
Phantogram – Three
Lambchop – FLOTUS
Kanye West – The Life of Pablo
Underrated/Overlooked Albums: Albums critics/people did not give enough love to.
Cullen Omori – New Misery
Local Natives – Sunlit Youth
Aesop Rock – The Impossible Kid
Ka – Honor Killed the Samurai
Open Mike Eagle – Hella Personal Film Festival
Albums and Artists that didn’t come out in 2016 that I listened to a lot:
A Tribe Called Quest – After the death of Phife Dawg I listened to them nonstop for about a month.
MF Doom – MM…Food (2004)
Santigold – Santigold (2008)
Tame Impala – Currents (2015)
Most Watched Live Performance Videos
Bon Iver:Full Concert NPR Front Row
Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
A.V. Undercover: Julien Baker covers Death Cab For Cutie’s “Photobooth”
Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals Live | GRAMMY Pro
Live Performances I saw this year: In no order (New Section)
None (We had a baby, leave me alone!)
Albums I look forward to coming out in 2017:
The xx – I See You (January 13th, 2017)
The Shins – Heartworms (March 10, 2017)
Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole (TBA?)
Arcade Fire (TBA)
Mac DeMarco (TBA)
Fleet Foxes (TBA)
Grizzly Bear (TBA)
Haim (TBA)
King Krule (TBA)
Previous End Of Year Lists
Jugo + Rada Records 