Listed below are the best albums of 2016 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 59,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 3 hours ago).
"The two first songs are a prelude to an extraordinary punk rock album (the transition between those songs on the vinyl version is delicious). The balance of the album is a bit more generic but there is some original and refreshing punk rock songs like My Life Is Over and I Couldn't Be Happier and...""The two first songs are a prelude to an extraordinary punk rock album (the transition between those songs on the vinyl version is delicious).
The balance of the album is a bit more generic but there is some original and refreshing punk rock songs like My Life Is Over and I Couldn't Be Happier and Familiar Patterns.
Favorite tracks: If This Tour Doesn't Kill You, I Will, DVP
Less favorite tracks: The Coast, Old Wounds"[+]Reply
"4.25 out of 5. This Dinosaur Jr album as a fairly more alternative feel to it. The band is know for their almost whiny vocals and dirty guitar riffs but this record has less of this and sweeter of overall tones, or at least in Dinosaur Jr standards. Love is..., Left / right, lost all day and be a...""4.25 out of 5.
This Dinosaur Jr album as a fairly more alternative feel to it. The band is know for their almost whiny vocals and dirty guitar riffs but this record has less of this and sweeter of overall tones, or at least in Dinosaur Jr standards.
Love is..., Left / right, lost all day and be a part are all great exemples of this.
Die hard fans may not welcome such a direction but i personnaly think it makes for one of their stand out modern albums.
Plus, big grungy songs like Walk for miles are still there to remind you this is a legendary-forever-underground-incredible-sounding rock band.
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"As it has already been pointed out multiple times, the album cover is so eye-catching it's impossible to ignore. It's not only about style, the samurai concept runs through the whole album both in a literal -that's obvious, I guess - and in a figurative - a warrior/artist who needs utmost precisi...""As it has already been pointed out multiple times, the album cover is so eye-catching it's impossible to ignore. It's not only about style, the samurai concept runs through the whole album both in a literal -that's obvious, I guess - and in a figurative - a warrior/artist who needs utmost precision while doing his thing if he wants to survive - way. It's an album I wouldn't easily recommend to someone whose tastes I don't know, because it's not the most accessible ablum. But if you get into it, it's a fantastic experience - and every time it seems even better than the previous, it just keeps growing on you. It's not an album you can just let play in the background and do something else, it requires your full attention and it unquestionably deserves it. The production keeps coming at you with unexpected twist after unexpected twist, so many unique and seemingly random sounds but in the end it all makes sense. And what to say about his rapping. At points it may seem like he lacks in energy, but that's his style and it fits the dark themes of his songs like a glove. The lyrics work both in one/two lines scale (for example the positive/negative antithesis "The harmony dreamin' had me constantly schemin' Rarely peace, and barely a beast, armed like a demon") and in verse/song scale ("Don't place win it, just no snakes in it, play the grass safely And trust every cut is nuts won't let 'em castrate me If happen to make cash, don't let the cash make me Regardless I'm a guarded artist, never graph hasty No fame, but became a favorite 'cause they know I labored That's when heart allow you market value, they overrate it That show is dated, slowly faded, could meet eternal Can battle hard against catalogs with one leafy journal Broke and filthy, innocence safe from cloaked and guilty Every session respectfully reppin', hope the 'ville see My civil aims - to get a little change and be still me Even if max bustin' back to dust, you can't kill sheep I need money"). There is nothing that even remotely resembles a weak track here, if you told me there are 10 equal tracks I would believe you, but if I had to pick a highlight it would probably be Finer Things / Tamahagene (if nothing else, it's the longest, so more time to enjoy!)."[+]Reply
"An extremely charming album, it's also an album of much maturity for Modern Baseball. No matter what, this album always manages to wiggle into my feelings, regardless of when I listen to it. I'd recommend this to anyone who has a taste for emo."Reply
"Let's face it Hamilton Leithauser has got the sort of name that screams head of the IMF rather than kick-ass rock n roller but ...he manages to get away with it...just. Teaming up with Rostam from Vampire Weekend seems to have been a fortuitous experience with the songs being a more concise and c...""Let's face it Hamilton Leithauser has got the sort of name that screams head of the IMF rather than kick-ass rock n roller but ...he manages to get away with it...just.
Teaming up with Rostam from Vampire Weekend seems to have been a fortuitous experience with the songs being a more concise and coherent set than his time with The Walkmen as well as turning out one of the best albums of the year."[+]Reply
"Pretty good. May sound monotonous at times though. 'How' is a great song for me. Best tracks: 'New Ways' 'How' and 'Made of Stone' Worst: 'No Care' (good melody but bad lyrics)"Reply
"SOUNDS LIKE A stressed out drunk Australian slurring his grievances It starts with a noisy 30 second eruption, embraces a brief gasp for breath, and then unloads again. A deep roaring bass and slow smash of the drum kit sets the foundation while the vocals and guitars present an unnerving bit of ...""[Maniacal Aussie rock]
SOUNDS LIKE
A stressed out drunk Australian slurring his grievances
It starts with a noisy 30 second eruption, embraces a brief gasp for breath, and then unloads again. A deep roaring bass and slow smash of the drum kit sets the foundation while the vocals and guitars present an unnerving bit of chaos. As Gareth Liddiard pleas for a free private execution, the furious noise of the guitars could potentially let loose at any given moment. “Private Execution” is a demanding re-introduction to one of Australia’s finest rock bands, and everything that makes them tick.
The tension continues on “Tamad Shud”, which has a dance pop vibe in the type of way Deerhoof does it. Less dense and threatening than the lead track, it unassumingly becomes more and more demanding as the pace gradually increases, and open space constricts.
A shift occurs with “Then They Came For Me”. It begins minimally, relieving some of the preceding tensions. Over the plodding bass and drums, Liddiard sounds relatively relaxed and reflective. Waves of guitars sweep through occasionally. Over the course of the song, that sense of relaxation gives way to frustration. Everything comes crashing together, no longer speaking with predictability.
It gives way to scorned ballad, “To Think I Once Loved You,” a genuinely biting tale of broken heartedness. Opening with a transitional electronic hum, “Tailwind” follows with further contemplation. It’s an exploration of the aftermath of prior devastation. The song ends with an odd little aching piano and organ.
“Boredom” restores the energy, delivering the closest thing to an infectious Drones pop song. It’s virtually new jack swing, highlighted by Liddiard’s paranoid political rants. On “Sometimes” Fiona Kitschin takes the lead, singing the dreamy ballad about witness protection. Liddiard returns to front the powerful finale “Shut Down SETI” which builds its way towards a loud cataclysmic end.
Following their tremendous 2013 release I See Seaweed, The Drones sound even more ambitious on Feelin Kinda Free. Gareth Liddiard remains a central focus with his volatile vocal presence which often commands with an air of “Shut the fuck up! I’ve got something to say!” And he does have something to say. Liddiard holds nothing back, setting sight on his targets and then unloading with the unhinged attack that makes The Drones such a rare presence. While it’s not the conventional fast paced three chord rock we often think of with punk, this is punk rock as it should be. The Drones are dynamic, noisy, impassioned, and threatening in all of the right ways.
FAVORITE SONGS
Boredom, Shut Down SETI, Tailwind"[+]Reply
"The queen of the anti-folk scene delivers again. An overlooked, but very important song of 2016: The Trapper And The Furrier Favorite Tracks: Bleeding Heart, Older And Taller, Grand Hotel, Small Bill$, The Trapper And The Furrier, Tornadoland."Reply
"Ray goes full Pink Floyd on this uncompromising sonic adventure produced by My Morning Jacket's Jim James. Meant to be listened to as a whole, Ouroboros is as vital in today's vinyl resurgence as it is drenched in Lamontagne's influences. Although it can be derivative at times, this is a true art...""Ray goes full Pink Floyd on this uncompromising sonic adventure produced by My Morning Jacket's Jim James. Meant to be listened to as a whole, Ouroboros is as vital in today's vinyl resurgence as it is drenched in Lamontagne's influences. Although it can be derivative at times, this is a true artist pushing forward into new and exciting territory. "[+]Reply