Best New Album of 2016

Some nice reviews coming in for Emma's new one too, that closer is so powerful in the album context, it has been quite a year so far ... Emma Ruth Rundle – Marked For Death | Echoes And Dust »

 

This Reggae/Hip Hop album from DJ Vadim is awesome...and I'm not a massive fan of both those genres.

 

It's not out for a couple of weeks yet, but I can't imagine that I'll love anything more than Hiss Golden Messenger's Heart Like a Levee in 2016:

 

2016 has been a disaster for me in terms of new albums.

Young the Giant's Home of the Strange has come the closest.

 

Emma Stone solo album?

 

I think I've heard only this one, but it's a goodie:

 

Nope. Emma Stone's favorite band though.

 

My favorite for sure...Blackstar is #2. Both are sensational. Iggy's best in years

 

Marillion - F.E.A.R.

 

Of the handful of mainstream releases I've heard, I'm going to go with Skeleton Tree by Nick & the Seeds. I love the moody atmospheric direction they have been moving in over these last two albums.

In the weirdness category, I'm going to vote for 'Ultimate Care II' by Matmos. I've always been entertained by the sounds my appliances make so this one was right up my alley.

Finally - for completely off the radar bands that should be much more popular, I'm going with the very prolific and endlessly entertaining Hillbilly Moon Explosion. Rockin' good stuff!

 

Cool album cover.

 

Easy A nswer.

 

Too soon to say, but I suppose if you're going to call it for an album that isn't even out yet, it will always be too soon to say.

 

Nick`s `moody atmospheric direction` this time greatly influenced by his son`s death, but hasn`t Nick always been `moody` and `atmospheric`?

`The Hillbilly Moon Explosion`? Their name intrigues me, what kind of sonic output do we have here Holerbot6000?

 

radiohead
the monkees
ken sharp

 

Every time I try to think of a best of 2016 (so far) my head feels like exploding!

 

I really have to say that I can't see Bowie's Blackstar not being the album of the year. Whether you love the music or not, as a completely realized piece of art (from the package design to the themes to the lyrics on down) I think it stands up there with some of the greatest things of all time. I don't find myself listening to it very often, but everything about it I find quite astonishing.

 

Well, I have an mp3 copy and it's great.

 

I could cast a tentative vote for Blackstar too. Unless Blonde somehow manages to work the magic on me that it's worked on others. People love it, but I've been unmoved so far.

 

Ken's album is really excellent.

 

FM-84's Atlas, combining 80s synth music, 90s chillout and contemporary music in a way that has really inspired me as a musician.

 

One of the problems I have in the final weeks of the year is deciding how to weigh the things that I've only heard for a month or so compared with the albums that have "stuck the course" from the Spring. It's actually quite difficult for me to say that something from the last quarter is my album of the year because I've had so little time to decide how much I like it.

 

Some great records this year. My two favourite records are haunted by death. For me:

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Skeleten Tree
David Bowie - Blackstar
Okkervil River - Away
Bon Iver - 22 A Million (Another great record from Justin)
Band Of Horses - Why Are You Ok?
Massive Attack - Ritual Spirit/Spoils EPs
DJ Shadow - The Moutain Will Fall
De La Soul - And The Anonymous Nobody
Frank Ocean - Endless (Prefer this over the more traditional release)
Marillion - FEAR (Will need a few more listens but loving it so far)
Dexys - Let The Record Show..... (Maybe not top draw but been a good companion this year)
Peter Broderick - Partners

Not out yet.....but hopefully will be a contender (The Hustle is great)

Lambchop: FLOTUS

 

So many great releases this year, from Bowie, Iggy, Bob Mould, Garbage, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Bonnie Raitt, How To Dress Well, Car Seat Headrest, Beth Orton, Lydia Loveless, it's a long list. Today just saw the release of excellent new albums by EZTV and Bon Iver. But head and shoulders over everything else is the magnificent Freetown Sound by Blood Orange. For sheer soul, inspiration, heart and relevance nothing else released this year comes close for me.