Top 50 Albums of 2016

Hello to 2017, let's hope it's going to be much better than 2016 in every aspect!

As far as music is concerned, last year we lost too many great artists, while our beloved rock music, the reason for the existence of this blog, seemed to go out of fashion if we believe the various year-end lists of the established media organizations, where R'n'B, Rap and Dance music dominated.

However, we believe all is not lost for guitar music. Although I cannot say that we came across new groundbreaking rock music last year, there were plenty of worthwhile efforts and several excellent albums showing remarkable development for relatively new artists and bands like Car Seat Headrest, Angel Olsen, Savages, Diiv or Parquet Courts who are establishing themselves among this decade's important music makers.

Next to the great contributions from new(ish) artists, which also included albums by Warpaint, Goat, Factory Floor, Daughter and Quilt to name a few more, we also enjoyed the return of some familiar names from the past who added new and important chapters to their amazing history. Both Swans and PJ Harvey gave us amazing albums which could easily claim the top spot of our list, if it wasn't for our decision to dedicate the Top 5 to the work of up-and-coming artists that we feel they are the new blood of rock music of the '10s, while Black Mountain, Dinosaur Jr., The Julie Ruin, Woods, Kristin Hersh, Radiohead and, of course, David Bowie's last music statement, were also among the reasons that the heart of rock music was still beating strong in 2016 despite everything. Let's hope for more great music from all genres in 2017 because something tells me we are going to need it bad!

So, here are the 50 albums we enjoyed the most in the past 12 months, chosen of course among the new releases that we were able to listened to and buy in physical format. As always, the ranking of the list was valid as of the last day of the year, but it is not written in stone and can easily change as we are still looking to discover more great music released in 2016 that may have escaped our attention so far. A more thorough list will be published in Cool Music Database as soon as we feel that the search is over.

To 50 Albums of 2016

1. Teens of denial - CAR SEAT HEADREST

2. My woman - ANGEL OLSEN

3. Adore life - SAVAGES

4. Is the is are - DIIV

5. Human performance - PARQUET COURTS

6. The glowing man - SWANS

7. The hope six demolition project - PJ HARVEY

8. Heads up - WARPAINT

9. Requiem - GOAT

10. IV - BLACK MOUNTAIN

11. Give a glimpse of what yer not - DINOSAUR JR.
12. Hit reset - THE JULIE RUIN
13. Blackstar - DAVID BOWIE
14. A moon shaped pool - RADIOHEAD
15. 25 25 - FACTORY FLOOR
16. We got it from here... Thank you 4 your service - A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
17. Not to disappear - DAUGHTER
18. Plaza - QUILT
19. City sun eater in the river of light - WOODS
20. Wyatt at the Coyote Palace - KRISTIN HERSH
21. Next thing - FRANKIE COSMOS
22. A man alive - THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY
23. Distance inbetween - THE CORAL
24. A weird exits - THEE OH SEES
25. Emotional mugger - TY SEGALL
26. Paradise - WHITE LUNG
27. Patch the sky - BOB MOULD
28. Skeleton tree - NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS
29. The waiting room - TINDERSTICKS
30. Heart like a levee - HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER
31. Jet plane and oxbow - SHEARWATER
32. United crushers - POLIÇA
33. Pussy's dead - AUTOLUX
34. Ash & ice - THE KILLS
35. New view - ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER
36. Strangers - MARISSA NADLER
37. Case/Lang/Veirs - CASE/LANG/VEIRS
38. Funs cool - THE PRETTIOTS
39. Human ceremony - SUNFLOWER BEAN
40. Inner journey out - PSYCHIC ILLS
41. Until the hunter - HOPE SANDOVAL AND THE WARM INVENTIONS
42. Here - TEENAGE FANCLUB
43. Chaosmosis - PRIMAL SCREAM
44. Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future - UNDERWORLD
45. Painting with - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
46. Everything you've come to expect - THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
47. Eyes on the lines - STEVE GUNN
48. Mass Gothic - MASS GOTHIC
49. Sun Kil Moon / Jesu - SUN KIL MOON / JESU
50. Slugger - SAD13

Click here for our Top 50 Tracks of 2016 and enjoy below a playlist with some of the highlights from our 2016 Albums of the Year:

The Top of our 2016 CD pile

Listening Habits 10-12.2016

Less than two weeks left on 2016’s calendar and before we get into the business of presenting our favorites for this year, let’s have a look at the albums and tracks that earned the most spins and, of course, our appreciation over the last three months.

At the top of the list of our favorite albums of the last quarter of the year you’ll find Warpaint’s third LP, "Heads Up", their most dance-influenced release so far. The quartet retains the atmospheric, fluent melody that characterizes its post-punk rooted sound, but adds more dub and hip-hop influenced grooves to the rhythm, resulting in some of the brightest, dance-oriented pop songs of their career, like the infectious "New Song" or the exquisite "White Out".

Equally majestic is "Requiem", the third and most accomplished album by the always enigmatic Goat. The Swedish group’s experimental fusion of psychedelic rock and world music is challenging and astonishingly beautiful, resulting in a unique, hour-long listening experience that you must not miss.

Other great releases we’ve enjoyed over the last three months include the return of '90s hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest with their first LP in 18 years "We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service" (as good as anything they released in their heyday), the psych-rock gem "A Weird Exits", one of the best additions into the long and ever-expanding discography of Thee Oh Sees, and, of course, the return of two of C.M.C.’s all-time favorite artists, Kristin Hersh with the double cd and book "Wyatt At The Coyote Palace" and Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds with the haunting "Skeleton Tree".

Here are C.M.C.’s 20 favorite albums for October - December 2016 and 20 excellent tracks to add to the year’s "Best Of" playlist:

Top 20 Albums

1.  Heads Up - WARPAINT
2.  Requiem - GOAT
3.  We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service - A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
4.  A Weird Exits - THEE OH SEES
5.  Wyatt At The Coyote Palace - KRISTIN HERSH
6.  Skeleton Tree - NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS
7.  Heart Like A Levee - HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER
8.  Case/Lang/Veirs - CASE/LANG/VEIRS
9.  Inner Journey Out - PSYCHIC ILLS
10. Until The Hunter - HOPE SANDOVAL AND THE WARM INVENTIONS
11. Slugger - SAD13
12. Babes Never Die - HONEYBLOOD
13. Here - TEENAGE FANCLUB
14. Head Carrier - PIXIES
15. Meet The Humans - STEVE MASON
16. FLOTUS - LAMBCHOP
17. Balance - LORELLE MEETS THE OBSOLETE
18. Monographic - THE OSCILLATION
19. Malamore - THE LIMIÑANAS
20. Mystère - LA FEMME

Top 20 Tracks

1.  Jesus Alone - NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS
2.  Soma Gone Slapstick - KRISTIN HERSH
3.  I Sing in Silence - GOAT
4.  New Song - WARPAINT
5.  We The People.... - A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
6.  Tell Her I'm Just Dancing - HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER
7.  Georgia Stars - CASE/LANG/VEIRS
8.  I'm In Love - TEENAGE FANCLUB
9.  Plastic Plant - THEE OH SEES
10. Mixed Up Mind - PSYCHIC ILLS
11. La Distinción - LORELLE MEETS THE OBSOLETE
12. Let Me Get There - HOPE SANDOVAL AND THE WARM INVENTIONS
13. The Hustle - LAMBCHOP
14. Words In My Head - STEVE MASON
15. Get a Yes - SAD13
16. Sea Hearts - HONEYBLOOD
17. Tenement Song - PIXIES
18. The Dead Are Walking - THE LIMIÑANAS
19. Mycose - LA FEMME
20. Monographic - THE OSCILLATION

Warpaint - New Song

Listening Habits 07-09.2016

After releasing about a dozen albums in five years on Bandcamp under the name Car Seat Headrest, the amazingly prolific and exceptionally talented Will Toledo is now taking his music to the next level.

His thirteenth album (and second for Matador), "Teens Of Denial", is his first one recorded with a full band, in a proper recording studio, with the help of an experienced producer (Steve Fisk, whose credits include Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Beat Happening to name but a few!) and the results are nothing short of spectacular! The sprawling, 70-minute record, is an indie-rock epic, the kind of which we have not heard since the heyday of Pavement or Modest Mouse. Toledo may wear his influences on his sleeve (and that got him into trouble in the case of The Cars), but he proves to be an excellent songwriter who puts his personal stamp on every Car Seat Headrest song. Have a listen and discover some of the most original guitar tunes you'll hear this year - "Teens Of Denial" is classic indie-rock in the making!

Another exceptional work that stands out among our 16 favorite albums of the last few months is the latest installment in Swans' series of new millennium epics that started with 2010's "My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky" and reaches to new heights with "The Glowing Man", another monumental record that stands alone in a universe of sound of its own creation, far removed from anything else you'll hear in 2016. Don't take into account the ranking order in our list; Swans work can only be compared with previous Michael Gira creations and "The Glowing Man" is without a doubt counted among the greatest achievements in the history of his unique band!

Although September is not over yet and at the moment of compiling our favorite new albums list I only had time to give it just a couple of listens, Angel Olsen's third album "My Woman" had such an immediate impact that I simply had to include it here and in one of the top spots, no less! Fans of her previous work already know and admire the power of her amazing voice, but what makes "My Woman" special is that her songwriting has kept evolving, going beyond folk and country, adding all kinds of rock flavors in it and producing her strongest collections of songs to date. I think we have already found our September Album of the Month!

Add to the above the latest albums by Dinosaur Jr., The Julie Ruin and Factory Floor, another trio of records that will definitely be in the running for our Top 20 of the Year, and I think we have a pretty strong album list in our hands! Here are C.M.C.'s favorite albums and tracks for the period July - mid-September 2016:

Top 16 Albums

1.  Teens Of Denial - CAR SEAT HEADREST
2.  The Glowing Man - SWANS
3.  My Woman - ANGEL OLSEN
4.  Give A Glimpse Of What Yer Not - DINOSAUR JR.
5.  Hit Reset - THE JULIE RUIN
6.  25 25 - FACTORY FLOOR
7.  Pussy's Dead - AUTOLUX
8.  Ash & Ice - THE KILLS
9.  Barbara Barbara, We Face A Shining Future - UNDERWORLD
10. X-Communicate - KRISTIN KONTROL
11. The Bride - BAT FOR LASHES
12. Eyes On The Lines - STEVE GUNN
13. Jesu / Sun Kil Moon - JESU / SUN KIL MOON
14. Nocturnal Koreans - WIRE
15. Tell Me If You Like To - SPRING KING
16. Acoustic Recordings 1998 - 2016 - JACK WHITE

Top 20 Tracks

1.  Shut Up Kiss Me - ANGEL OLSEN
2.  Vincent - CAR SEAT HEADREST
3.  Finally, Peace - SWANS
4.  Tiny - DINOSAUR JR.
5.  I’m Done - THE JULIE RUIN
6.  Dial Me In - FACTORY FLOOR
7.  I Exhale - UNDERWORLD
8.  Soft Scene - AUTOLUX
9.  Sunday Love - BAT FOR LASHES
10. Impossible Tracks - THE KILLS
11. Nocturnal Koreans - WIRE
12. Ancient Jules - STEVE GUNN
13. America’s Most Wanted Mark Kozelek And John Dillinger - JESU / SUN KIL MOON
14.  Gertrudis, Get Through This! - MOURN
15. X-Communicate - KRISTIN KONTROL
16. Rectifier - SPRING KING
17. Carolina Drama (Acoustic Mix) - JACK WHITE
18. 100% Or Nothing - PRIMAL SCREAM
19. Consequences of Love (Chris and Cosey Remix) - DEATH IN VEGAS
20. The Soft Bounce - BEYOND THE WIZARDS SLEEVE

 Angel Olsen - Shut Up Kiss Me

 

Top 40 Albums of the first half of 2016

As we leave behind the first half of 2016, it's a good time to stop for a breather and have another listen to the albums that stood out for us among the many new releases of the year so far.

The 40 albums that follow are those we have played the most over the past six months or, for the newer ones, those we think we'll be listening to a lot in the near future. It's also worth noting that there is no ranking order in this list; there will be plenty of time to think about that in December's final reckoning. However the order of presentation is not totally random, so near the top you'll find those albums that impressed us the most in the first half of 2016 and which are most likely to feature among our top selections at the end of the year.

The three covers we have chosen to feature before unveiling our list say all we are going to say at this point about which albums we think are the best candidates for the title "Best album of 2016 so far". Of course there were plenty of other excellent releases to consider but here are the 40 long-players that did it for us:

Top 40 Albums of January - June 2016

• Adore life - SAVAGES
• Teens of denial - CAR SEAT HEADREST
• Is the is are - DIIV
• Human performance - PARQUET COURTS
• The hope six demolition project - PJ HARVEY
• The glowing man - SWANS
• IV - BLACK MOUNTAIN
• City sun eater in the river of light - WOODS
• Plaza - QUILT
• Not to disappear - DAUGHTER
• A moon shaped pool - RADIOHEAD
• Blackstar - DAVID BOWIE
• A man alive - THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY
• United crushers - POLIÇA
• Distance inbetween - THE CORAL
• Next thing - FRANKIE COSMOS
• Paradise - WHITE LUNG
• Patch the sky - BOB MOULD
• Emotional mugger - TY SEGALL
• Jet plane and oxbow - SHEARWATER
• Painting with - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
• Ash & ice - THE KILLS
• Chaosmosis - PRIMAL SCREAM
• The waiting room - TINDERSTICKS
• New view - ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER
• Strangers - MARISSA NADLER
• Funs cool - THE PRETTIOTS
• Mass Gothic - MASS GOTHIC
• Human ceremony - SUNFLOWER BEAN
• Everything you've come to expect - THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
• Life of pause - WILD NOTHING
• SVIIB - SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
• Hold/Still - SUUNS
• Stiff - WHITE DENIM
• Kin - THE DUKE SPIRIT
• Pool - PORCHES
• Tell me if you like to - SPRING KING
• Sun Kil Moon / Jesu - SUN KIL MOON / JESU
• Pussy's dead - AUTOLUX
• X-communicate - KRISTIN KONTROL

Listening Habits 05-06.2016

At the top of the list of our favorite albums for May - June 2016 we have Parquet Courts' "Human Performance", perhaps the best effort yet for the New York-based indie rockers who have had an excellent run in the last 4 years, offering us a string of outstanding releases starting with 2012' "Light Up Gold".

The same can be said for Woods, also from the Big Apple, who recently released their 9th album "City Sun Eater in the River of Light". Woods have been supplying us with an awesome blend of folk and psych rock for several years now and their latest effort finds them in top form, picking up right where they left off with 2014's excellent "With Light and with Love".

It's no alarm and no surprise that Radiohead's return is also among the best releases of the last couple of months, and the same is true for Bob Mould and Kristin Hersh's 50 Foot Wave, who both add terrific new chapters to an outstanding legacy that goes all the way back to the '80s and two of our all-time favorite bands, Hüsker Dü and Throwing Muses respectively.

We did have a few surprises lately though and perhaps the best one came from The Coral whose "Distance Inbetween" is not only their best job since resurfacing a few years ago, but also a record that can compete with their mid '00s output for the honor of being named their best effort yet.

White Lung have given us evidence in the past that they can rock as inspiredly hard as their '90s indie rock heroes and "Paradise" adds more fuel to their fire, while Frankie Cosmos, aka singer-songwriter Greta Simone Kline, excels at the two-minute pop song, singing elaborate tales that you simply cannot believe how they all have fitted in the brief but wonderful 28 minutes of her new album "Next Thing".

Lots more great staff on offer recently as you can see in our Top 15 Albums list below. Have a listen and make sure to pay us a visit next week to see what will make it in our Top 30 list for the first half of 2016.

Top 15 Albums

 1.  Human Performance - PARQUET COURTS
2.  City Sun Eater In The River Of Light - WOODS
3.  A Moon Shaped Pool - RADIOHEAD
4.  Distance Inbetween - THE CORAL
5.  Next Thing - FRANKIE COSMOS
6.  Paradise - WHITE LUNG
7.  Bath White EP - 50 FOOT WAVE
8.  Patch The Sky - BOB MOULD
9.  Strangers - MARISSA NADLER
10. Funs Cool - THE PRETTIOTS
11. Chaosmosis - PRIMAL SCREAM
12. Kin - THE DUKE SPIRIT
13. Hold/Still - SUUNS
14. Stiff - WHITE DENIM
15. Punk 45: Chaos in the City of Angels and Devils. Hollywood From X To Zero & Hardcore On The Beaches: Punk In Los Angeles 1977-81 - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Top 15 Tracks

1.  Sun City Creeps - WOODS
2.  Burn The Witch - RADIOHEAD
3.  Chasing The Tail Of A Dream - THE CORAL
4.  Dust - PARQUET COURTS
5.  Bath White - 50 FOOT WAVE
6.  Dead Weight - WHITE LUNG
7.  The End Of Things - BOB MOULD
8.  Sinister - FRANKIE COSMOS
9.  Janie In Love - MARISSA NADLER
10. Where The Light Gets In - PRIMAL SCREAM
11. Hands - THE DUKE SPIRIT
12. Stabler - THE PRETTIOTS
13. Real Deal Momma - WHITE DENIM
14. Translate - SUUNS
15. Female Vampire - JENNY HVAL

 Parquet Courts - Dust

Listening Habits 03-04.2016

The five years we had to wait from 2011's masterpiece "Let England Shake" to this year's "The Hope Six Demolition Project" is the longest between-albums period in PJ Harvey's astounding  24-year trajectory. It was certainly worth the wait as the new album may not achieve the impossible, which would be to surpass a record that stands among the best of this decade and is certainly one of Harvey's finest hours, but it does accomplish the next best thing; to be its worthy successor and another fascinating chapter in Harvey's ever-changing, constantly evolving musical career.

As on her previous album, PJ Harvey once again structures her songs as musical documentaries. The focus this time has shifted from the devastation of war and the tragedies it has caused in the last hundred or so years of English history and turns to the harsh social and political realities of today's world. Travels to far and wide places, from Washington, to Kosovo, to Afghanistan, provide the themes for her rock reportage, while the lyrics try to describe the hard facts adopting a journalistic approach. With a body of songs with such a difficult subject matter, the challenging task of the music is not only to convey the sentiments of its creator about the societal ills described in the lyrics, but also to give the artistic strength to the songs to become powerful, moving experiences. PJ Harvey and her stellar cast of musical accomplices have once again succeeded in taking on this challenge and as a result you'll probably find yourself humming along to lyrics like "Here's the highway to death and destruction, South Capitol is its name" or "They're gonna put a Walmart here" like it's the most natural thing in the world.

Our list of favorite albums for Spring 2016 also includes the mighty fourth full-length by psychedelic heavy rockers Black Mountain (another welcome return after a six year period), the third and best effort so far by Boston psych-rockers Quilt, the experimental electro-folk concocted by Thao & The Get Down Stay Down with the help of Tune-Yards' Merrill Garbus who produced their fourth LP, Poliça's politically charged "United Crushers", the third LP by the Minneapolis synthpop group led by Ryan Olson and Channy Leaneagh, the return of Animal Collective and The Last Shadow Puppets, as well as the fine debuts by New York-based indie-rockers Sunflower Bean and Mass Gothic (the new group led by Noel Heroux, formerly of Hooray For Earth). Here's the complete list of our favorite albums and songs for March - April 2016:

Top 12 Albums

1.  The Hope Six Demolition Project - PJ HARVEY
2.  IV - BLACK MOUNTAIN
3.  Plaza - QUILT
4.  A Man Alive - THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN
5.  United Crushers - POLIÇA

6.  Painting With - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
7.  Mass Gothic - MASS GOTHIC
8.  Human Ceremony - SUNFLOWER BEAN
9.  Everything You've Come To Expect - THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
10. Life Of Pause - WILD NOTHING
11. SVIIB - SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
12. Pool - PORCHES

Top 15 Tracks

1.  Florian Saucer Attack - BLACK MOUNTAIN
2.  Roller - QUILT
3.  Wedding - POLIÇA
4.  The Community Of Hope - PJ HARVEY
5.  Nobody Dies - THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN
6.  Every Night You’ve Got To Save Me - MASS GOTHIC
7.  Wall Watcher - SUNFLOWER BEAN
8.  Aviation - THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
9.  TV Queen - WILD NOTHING
10. Be Apart - PORCHES
11. Confusion - SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
12. Vertical - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
13. I Serve The Base - FUTURE
14. Psykick Espionage - JOANNA GRUESOME
15. Late 20s - BEST COAST

Listen to our Spring '16 playlist on Spotify:

Black Mountain - Florian Saucer Attack

Nothing compares to Prince, though, so here's a little something from his untouchable '80s period - R.I.P:

Prince And The Revolution - Let's Go Crazy

Listening Habits 02.2016

Our February list of favorite albums is the first one to feature mostly 2016 releases and among them at least two that already have earned a place in our shortlist for "Album of the Year"!

DIIV’s sophomore album "Is The Is Are" comes almost four years after their debut "Oshin", a record with strong moments, like the excellent single "Doused", that despite its ups and downs left the promise of greater things to come from Zachary Cole Smith and his band. After a period of turmoil for the DIIV front man, his band resurfaced last year with a handful of exciting new songs and some very promising live shows indicating that DIIV were back on track again. 

Indeed the new, incomprehensibly titled, 63-minute long double album "Is The Is Are" is nothing less than a triumph for DIIV, featuring 17 equally strong tracks, buzzing with melodic guitars and powerful rhythms. Dream pop meets krautrock influences, '80s new wave melodies clash with grunge-era raw energy and the end result is fresh, intoxicating 21st century rock’n’roll.

Two more sophomore albums complete our Top 3 for this month. Savages’ perfectly formed debut "Silence Yourself" took 2013 by storm, ending up among the top positions of many year-end lists (no. 3 in ours). The equally strong "Adore Life", bristling with life-affirming new rock anthems like "The Answer", "T.I.W.Y.G." or "I Need Something New", showcases a more mature and confident band that looks certain to repeat the triumph this year. It is so far the album we have played the most during the first couple of months of 2016, with the more recent DIIV release gaining momentum and closing the gap lately.

The third sophomore release that completes the month's Top 3 was certainly more of a surprise to me. Daughter’s atmospheric 4AD debut "If You Leave" didn’t raise too much the profile of the band and it was actually Warpaint’s remix of "Winter" that made me notice them. The two excellent singles that came at the end of 2015, "Numbers" and "Doing the Right Thing", showed the band’s true potential and now their second album "Not to Disappear" comes to prove that Daughter can create majestic, sad and beautiful music that fits right in with the great, dark pop tradition of their label.

Here are the lists of our favorite albums and tracks for February 2016:

Top 10 Albums

1.  Is The Is Are - DIIV
2.  Adore Life - SAVAGES
3.  Not To Disappear - DAUGHTER
4.  New View - ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER
5.  Emotional Mugger - TY SEGALL
6.  Jet Plane And Oxbow - SHEARWATER
7.  Blackstar - DAVID BOWIE
8.  The Waiting Room - TINDERSTICKS
9.  Distractions - SAUNA YOUTH
10. Art Angels - GRIMES

Top 10 Tracks

1.  The Wheel - PJ HARVEY
2.  T.I.W.Y.G. - SAVAGES
3.  Is The Is Are - DIIV
4.  Cathy With The Curly Hair - ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER
5.  Doing The Right Thing - DAUGHTER
6.  Were We Once Lovers? - TINDERSTICKS
7.  Lazarus - DAVID BOWIE
8.  Filaments - SHEARWATER
9.  Emotional Mugger / Leopard Priestess - TY SEGALL
10. The Bridge - SAUNA YOUTH

Diiv - Bent (Roi's Song)