Top 50 Tracks of 2016

It's that time of the year again! The festive season is upon us, and despite what we might think or feel about 2016, we are seeing it off with a selection of some of the best music released in the last 12 months. For starters, we present today our own version of the Festive 50, 50 great tracks representing stand out moments from some of the albums we've enjoyed the most during 2016, plus a few selections taken from stand-alone single or EP releases. As usual, we are including only one track from each artist or band, so that we can fit in a wider variety of releases.

The top position of our favorite tracks list belongs to Angel Olsen with her impossible to say no command "Shut Up Kiss Me",  the astonishing, grungy power-pop single off her excellent fourth album "My Woman", one of the best examples of the reinvention of her sound which keeps the delicate melodies of folk music, but adds plentiful rock energy that lets the sparks fly on tracks like this one.

Here is the complete list of our Top 50 Tracks of 2016, which you can also stream on Spotify:

1. Shut Up Kiss Me - ANGEL OLSEN

2. The Wheel - PJ HARVEY

3. Fill in the Blank - CAR SEAT HEADREST

4. Human Performance - PARQUET COURTS

5. Florian Saucer Attack - BLACK MOUNTAIN

6. Under the Sun - DIIV

7. New Song - WARPAINT

8. I Sing in Silence - GOAT

9. Lazarus - DAVID BOWIE

10. Jesus Alone - NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS

11. When Will I Return? - SWANS
12. Bath White - 50 FOOT WAVE
13. Sad Person - SAVAGES
14. Wedding - POLIÇA
15. Burn the Witch - RADIOHEAD
16. No Care - DAUGHTER
17. Chasing The Tail Of A Dream - THE CORAL
18. Tiny - DINOSAUR JR.
19. I’m Done - THE JULIE RUIN
20. Wise Ol’ Man - THE FALL
21. Sun City Creeps - WOODS
22. Were We Once Lovers? - TINDERSTICKS
23. Soma Gone Slapstick - KRISTIN HERSH
24. Sunday Love - BAT FOR LASHES
25. Dial Me In - FACTORY FLOOR
26. I Exhale - UNDERWORLD
27. We the People... - A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
28. Where the Lights Gets In - PRIMAL SCREAM
29. Aviation - THE LAST SHADOW PUPPETS
30. I'm In Love - TEENAGE FANCLUB
31. On the Lips - FRANKIE COSMOS
32. Be Apart - PORCHES
33. Brainwasher - AUTOLUX
34. La Distinción - LORELLE MEETS THE OBSOLETE
35. Janie In Love - MARISSA NADLER
36. Sweetest Girl - ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER
37. Let Me Get There - HOPE SANDOVAL AND THE WARM INVENTIONS
38. The Spoils - MASSIVE ATTACK
39. Doing It to Death - THE KILLS
40. The Bridge - SAUNA YOUTH
41. Kiss Me When I Bleed - WHITE LUNG
42. Candy Sam - TY SEGALL
43. Oblivious - THE STROKES
44. Death Note - SPEEDY ORTIZ (mp3)
45. Golden Gal - ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
46. On My Heart - SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
47. X-Communicate - KRISTIN KONTROL
48. Reichpop - WILD NOTHING
49. Your Best American Girl - MITSKI 

50. Late 20s - BEST COAST

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