We are entering a golden age if 2015-2016 is any indication

Over the past 12 or 13 months I have purchased more exciting and artistically sublime music than I could ever anticipate.

I will be so bold as to equate it with the period between 1965-1966 when we had such atomic bombs dropped on us like Rubber Soul, Revolver, Bringing it All Back Home, Highway 61, Jefferson Airplane Takes Off, Aftermath, Pet Sounds, Turn Turn Turn, Fifth Dimension, and the list goes on...and this was only a teaser of what followed in 1967.

Just a totally off the top of my head list of some releases going back to 2015 that just blow my mind:

In no particular order....

Stephen Emmer: International Blue
Tindersticks:The Waiting Room
Leon Bridges: Coming Home
Son Little: S/T
Trixie Whitley: Porto Bohemica
Andreson Paak: Malibu
Quiles & Cloud: Beyond the Rain
Rhinanon Giddens: S/T
Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood & The Rajasthan Express: Junun
Miranda Lee Richards: Echoes of the Dreamtime
Shearwater: Jetplane And Oxbow
Guy Garvey (Elbow): Courting The Squal
Mamak Khadem: The Road
The Unthanks: Mount The Air
Shelby Lynne: I Can't Imagine
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard: Paper Mache Dream Balloon
Jacco Gardner: Cabinet of Curiosities
Glenn Hansard: Didn't He Ramble
The Silence: Hark The Silence
Kamasi Washington: The Epic
Christian Scott: Stretch Music
David Bowie (RIP): Blackstar

And looking at the release lists for the coming months...wow...

I am leaving off an absurd amount of treasures..tons of Bandcamp stuff...

And this is not even touching upon reissues...

 

Do you really think Blackstar is on the level with the 65/66 records you mentioned? Cause... I mean RIP and all, but no.

 

Excellent list

 

Wow, am I uncool.... I only know who a few of those are. Thanks for the list, I'll have to hit up Spotify and figure it out.

 

Honorable mention.

 

Nah..it's not about that.

I am the same with movies.

 

You're right. It's better than almost all of them. To me.

I also haven't heard the majority of these records. I will check them out, thanks!

 

I do.

 

I just have to throw in:

Joan Shelley: Over And Even
Samantha Crain: Under Branch and Thorn and Tree
Adrian Younge: Something About April II

 

I think it's human to channel missing Bowie and being shocked by his death into a lotta love for his album which came out only a few days before, and it's not his worst, not at all, but when the dust settles I don't think it will be quite as loved as it is right now. Not even top 15 Bowie albums for me, but way above the bottom however many...

 

A Stereophile write up on the the Johnny Greenwood Indian/World collaboration:
http://www.stereophile.com/content/man-world#KsSAx6lw8Z3b458c.97

 

A golden age for the grim reaper, yeah...

Say RIP to Maurice White!

Who's gonna be 'it' next week?


Btw, Blackstar is easily on a par with Bowie's best work.

 

Not familiar with half of the list, and I'm sure there is a lot of good music in that group of records...but highly doubt people will be discussing (and still buying) any of those records or artists 50 years from now...or even 10.

 

Yes, Maurice White, Glenn Fry, Sign Anderson, Paul Kanter...and whom ever is unfortunately next...

 

Thanks much for the list, I'll be checking some things out.

 

Of course they won't. In 1965 there was just Television, movies, books, and records. Nothing else.
No smart devices, mobile phones, social media, you tube, Spotify, and 1,000 other things competing with music.

 

There are 30 year old albums that no one talks about that I still enjoy immensely.

 

I for one will probably never know Blackstar holds up after 50 years, but for it's place in time, I think it's on a par with most of those 65/66 releases listed.

EDIT: Happy to see Unthanks on this list. Talk about timeless music.

 

Great choices for your 65-66 albums as you threw in Dylan, Byrds and 5th Dimension but I will politely disagree that current times compete musically with the 60's as far as any rejuvenation goes. I can think of better decades like the 70's or even 90's that provided anything exciting that might compare...the 70's created many sub-genres of rock ( art rock, glam rock, pre-punk, fusion,punk, new wave, ska, metal ) in addition to some great jazz and blues albums while the 90's provided grunge and rap.

 

It's been a golden age for me for quite a few years now. Can barely keep up with the good stuff and that's just the way I like it!

That Shearwater one is awesome, I agree.

Not sure what that has to do with enjoying great music.

 

About how many of these would you have been able to say "this would have been inconceivable five years ago"

 

Though the 00's have some great music imo, I also think its the decade of the least progression. So, no, I dont agree.

"Too many films. You only have so many faces in your pocket."- Marlon Brando

I think the same applies to music. Only so many variations of genres.

 

You have a point.

 

Interesting question.

 

Dear Lord, I must mention Gary Clark Jr's The Story of Sonny Boy Slim. In serious heavy rotation since the release.