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boylebreakdown · 8 years ago

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My Favorite 25 Albums of 2016

Apologies for posting this in 2017. I listened to and enjoyed quite a bit more new music in 2016 than I usually do. Whenever I tried to make a top 10 based on my typical format, there were too many albums that it felt wrong to leave out. Anyways, here goes...

25. Jagged Jaw - Tonight Is

Jagged Jaw is the solo project of Bobby Lord, who engineered Terriers’ upcoming 2017 LP (I swear on my life it will be released in 2017!). Although his debut Tonight Is is definitely an album made by a friend, it’s objectively a solid project. He dropped it midyear out of nowhere with little to no fanfare, but the hours put into it and its attention to detail are obvious. Each synthy power-pop gem on this album has a unique arrangement that fits the song nearly perfectly. There are so many tasteful, varied production touches throughout that I’m amazed someone I know made this album. Check it out!

24. Woods - City Sun Eater in the River of Light

City Sun Eater is a really quality collection of pyschy folk rock songs. It ventures between well executed singer-songwriter pop craft and the jam-like tendencies that a psychedelic rock band would have. I’ve never really been much of a Woods fan before this album, but I really enjoyed this one. You can sense a maturity and well-calculated approach here that a band making their 9th studio album should exhibit.

23. American Football - LP2

I definitely curbed my enthusiasm leading up to this album’s release. Anyone looking to compare it to its classic predecessor is sure to be disappointed. These dudes are nearly 20 years older than their college selves who recorded it. It would be insincere to try capturing the lightning in a bottle that the original LP/EPs did. I’ve often felt that LP2 sounds a lot like an Owen record with American Football members as the backing band, and I think framing it as such and not as a true followup is the right line of thinking. When viewed as a standalone, I find plenty to enjoy -- the guitar interplay and drumming are still very clever and off-kilter; there are plenty of good hooks, whether on guitar, horns, or the new additions of vibes; what’s lacking in effective minimalism of their previous work is often made up for in lush, full arrangements. Avoid the purism and just enjoy a good album.

22. Deerhoof - The Magic

This album is a bit a let down after how focused La Isla Bonita was. Deerhoof are one of the most unique bands in music, who are always tweaking their sound. What made La Isla Bonita great was its settling into a comfortable melting pot of all their signature sounds. The Magic is definitely an album created along the same lines, but doesn’t have the same precision and focus. There are definitely songs that tap into Deerhoof at their best here -- the playful and calculatedly manic “The Devil and His Anarchic Surrealist Retinue”, the synth dream pop meets bass/drums slog of “Criminals of the Dream”, the unabashed punk pop of “Plastic Thrills” -- but there is undoubtably some filler in between. I wish this album was higher on my list, but any Deerhoof project at this point will end up being something I’d recommend.

21. Wilco - Schmilco

Though it was born out of sessions for Star Wars, which I view as the best summation of new era Wilco, Schmilco is definitely a unique direction for the band to take. In stripping down their sound and putting more of a focus on Jeff Tweedy’s songwriting, which is almost unparalleled in the genre, I found a lot to like. As has been defined since Sky Blue Sky, Wilco doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel to make a quality album. But going simplistic and showcasing their singer-songwriter chops makes for an unexpectedly great addition to their catalogue. A band that practically can do no wrong in my mind.

20. David Bowie - Blackstar

As much as anyone could want to view this album as a work separated from his 2016 death, it is impossible. Lyrics often touching on pertinent topics to a dying man perfectly contextualizes their weight in light of David Bowie’s death a mere 2 days after the release of Blackstar. This alone made the album an important one to any fan. The music, helmed by exploratory jazz players Bowie recruited after seeing them play at an NYC bar in 2014, is his most relevant sounding of his 2000s work. It reinforces his chameleon persona and penchant for surprises. Everything here makes for one of the grandest exits in history for a legendary musician. R.I.P.

19. case/lang/veirs - S/T

case/lang/veirs is a truly shared project between Neko Case, K.D. Lang, and Laura Veirs. Although none of the three fall far from the tree of adult alternative/indie rock, this album is still an organic blend of the three members’ specific styles. Each of the three is known for their high level songwriting and signature voices, and their collective experience in their careers makes for a really interesting work of collaboration. Most notably, K.D. Lang’s smokey alto sounds great over textures that are typically more in Neko Case or Laura Veir’s mature indie rock stylings (“Honey and Smoke” being the best example). Although I was brought to this project as a fan of Neko Case’s solo work, this album will have me diving deeper into the other two members’ individual catalogs.

18. Porches - Pool

This album may have been a little overhyped, but there’s no denying the existence of some very well executed pop moments here. Songs like “Be Apart”, “Car”, and “Mood” are some of the catchiest songs I heard all of 2016. While achieving this, Pool captures a very satisfying blend between dancey, electronic texture and guitar based introspective dream pop. At the front of it all is Aaron Maine, who’s unique voice and solid songwriting chops set this album apart from its sometimes lackluster contemporaries.

17. Wye Oak - Tween

Another solid LP from Wye Oak, who in my opinion are one of the better indie rock/pop bands out there right now. This album consists of outtakes spanning the Civilian and Shriek sessions, which is significant considering how different those albums are in style. There is definitely a melding of Wye Oak’s signature anthemic singer-songwriter guitar/drums approach and their experimental foray into bass driven electronic pop. What is impressive is how cohesive they make the album sound in spite of this. Although this album doesn’t quite live up to their previous two efforts (as a collection of outtakes, I’d be surprised if it did), it would have been a shame not to give this solid set of songs a release.

16. Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered

There’s a great photo on the internet that parallels Kendrick’s chronological discography to Radiohead’s -- Overly Dedicated/Pablo Honey put both artists on the map, but lacked the critical acclaim; Section.80/The Bends spoke to amazing potential; Good Kid/OK Computer serve as respective breakouts and potential all-time classics; To Pimp a Butterfly/Kid A offer a huge style shift but a similarly huge impact. It’s almost uncanny then that untitled/unmastered, a collection of sketches and B-sides from the TPABF sessions, has yet another Radiohead album parallel in Amnesiac, the companion LP to Kid A. But this album needs to be viewed as such: a great document for fans of Kendrick’s work, but not a proper follow up to what was��my favorite album of 2015. The most fleshed out songs on this album (e.g. “untitled 03” of Colbert Report fame, “untitled 06”, and “untitled 08”) were some of the best songs of 2016 and give me the same excitement that many songs from TPABF did. But as to be expected on a B-sides album, there are too many average/inconsistent/incomplete songs to make this album deserve a top 10 designation. Considering no one was expecting this album in 2016, I can’t complain much about that!

15. Bon Iver - 22, A Million

Though the big public takeaway on this album is Bon Iver’s jump toward extreme experimentation and fracturing of structure, I don’t completely buy it. To me, this is actually the logical progression from Bon Iver’s 2011 S/T release. The expansiveness of the project is still in tact, but 22, A Million simply utilizes a few more tricks. Most notable of these is the digital compression to the point of distortion and cutting out in songs like “22 (OVER S∞∞N)” or the end of “29 #Strafford APTS”. Autotune and vocoder are utilized to add a powerful and icy texture to Vernon’s voice, which is a centerpiece on this album (he uses a Prismizer vocoder this time around, which became a whole new instrument for Bon Iver live performances). At this point, Bon Iver has a established an effective and unmistakable style. Just because I believe 22, A Million doesn’t signal a seismic change, it doesn’t diminish how solid I believe this album is.

14. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

How crazy is it that Radiohead, a band that has been making albums for over 20 years, is still writing music of critical relevance and of importance to listeners? Though I’ve only been an attentive music listener since late middle school, every Radiohead album release since then has been a significant event for me. I vividly remember the nervous anticipation I felt downloading In Rainbows off their website; hearing “Bloom” in a record store before I had heard King of Limbs in full. This year, it was cueing up the “Daydreaming” music video for the first time, making sure it had my undivided attention, and then feeling that same awe once I’d finished watching. This album is by no means a step forward for the band, and some have lamented that it is more boring than their recent works. However, there’s no arguing how detailed and labored-over it sounds, just like their music always has. Because that hasn’t changed, it was a grower for me. After nearly a year of listening to it, I feel like it serves as a high quality conglomeration of their styles and sounds, from electronic to organic.

13. KAYTRANADA - 99.9%

This is my favorite “producer” album since Disclosure’s Settle. 99.9% is a fun and complex blend of different production styles Kaytranada is capable of. One minute its jazz fusion with “WEIGHT OFF” ft. Bad Bad Not Good; other times its pop crossover with “TOGETHER” or “BULLETS” ft. Little Dragon; next its complex, sampled-based house with “TRACK UNO” or “LITE SPOTS”; whatever it is, its always flowing seamlessly as an album and executed at a high level. The features also mix things up: you get budding stars like Anderson .Paak and Vic Mensa, but also R&B/Hip Hop vets like Craig David and Phonte of Little Brother, too. It’s one of the more exciting debut LPs of the year and serves as a great showcase of Kaytranada’s production talents.

12. A Tribe Called Quest - We Got it from Here...Thank You 4 Ur Service

One thing I love about this album is how evident it is that Q-Tip and crew have been continuing to be influenced by music released from 2000 on. While many comeback albums released 10+ years after a band’s previous release struggle to find a comfortable niche in the current musical landscape, We got it from here... infuses classic Tribe jazz samples and beat work with hip hop sounds and features that are not just applicable in 2016, but fresh. It also doesn’t hurt that many of today’s biggest rappers (Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak, most significantly) exhibit heavy Tribe influence in their own sound, making a final Tribe release all that more appropriate. Working in verses from Phife Dog, who died earlier in 2016, including one in on his tribute song “The Donald”, makes the album feel especially poignant.

11. Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book

If you live in Chicago as a music fan, whatever you think of his music, its nearly impossible not to admire Chance the Rapper. It seems that no other artist today is as dedicated to his/her own vision -- unwilling to compromise to a record label, unwilling to stop blatant displays of hometown pride regardless of his growing universal appeal, and unwilling to stop making quirky, joyous, and infectious hip hop music. Coloring Book is the highest example yet of Chance’s no holds barred approach. It is eloquent in its introspection and illumination of Chance’s struggles, whether they be personal (“Same Drugs”, “Smoke Break”) or grander in scope like fighting the Chicago violence epidemic (“Summer Friends”). However, the consensus descriptor of Coloring Book is “gospel album” for a reason. Through its various religious references (“Blessings”, “How Great”) and uplifting, hope-for-a-brighter-day messaging, Coloring Book has a uniquely spiritual vibe that even non-religious people can feel good about. Though there are some indulgent songs I could do without (the aimless “Mixtape” and contrived Bieber featured “Juke Jam”), this project is his most ambitious and fully realized to date.

10. The Hotelier - Goodness

Although there are a few exceptions, I struggle with bands that fall into the category of current day “midwestern emo” revival (inspired by bands like American Football, Sunny Day Real Estate, Promise Ring, etc). The music too often borders on insincere in its melodrama and its instrumentals that flex dexterity just to prove it can be done. The Hotelier moves away from the sound of the revival and centers more towards consensus indie rock on Goodness. However, keeping their best qualities in the midst of this shift is what made me surprisingly love this album. Beyond the solid writing and performances from the band and singer Christian Holden, there are little touches that make this album special -- the suspension of all instruments but drums until the second chorus in “Goodness, Pt. 2”, the lengthy build section in “Sun”, etc.). The Hotelier have always been discussed as an upper echelon band in their scene, and Goodness surely has cemented their place there.

9. The Avalanches - Wildflower

The Avalanches do not disappoint on their first album since 2000’s Since I Left You. As expected, Wildflower is another vast, impressive sample collage. This time around though, the pool they choose from lends to a more psychedelic, mind-altering experience, reaching beyond their previous hip-hop leanings. The main sample in “Colours” is a great microcosm of the success of the direction they take on Wildflower -- an old children’s song plays in reverse, drums are added, and something immediately anthemic is created. Their ear for picking the right sounds to make something from seemingly nothing is what makes this album special.

8. Angel Olsen - My Woman

Although I’ve been a fan of her previous work, this is my favorite Angel Olsen album to date. The jump to greatly vary her timbral palette on My Woman makes the album almost play out like a double LP from a classic rock band -- think Sandinista by The Clash or Physical Graffiti by Led Zeppelin. At one moment its recalling classic pop structure and tones of the late 50s/early 60s (“Never Be Mine”); next, it’s purposefully meditative or repetitious, building to something exciting and cathartic (“Sister”, “Woman”); at times, it’s even right at home in a more modern and electronic texture (“Intern”). And that only covers about half of the directions it takes! The ambitiousness of this album in relation to her previous work is obvious, but it stays grounded in touchstones of Angel Olsen’s musical identity. Her songwriting has often ventured between classic singer-songwriter simplicity and more emotional stream-of-conscious looseness. And, like always, her voice drives it all, demanding your full attention at its most airy and delicate or in its chilling howls.

7. Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial

This band drew me in for some of the same reasons Cloud Nothings initially did: really solid pop songwriting in a rock/punk styling, shining without any added production gloss. Because Cloud Nothings’ jump from lo-fi to hi-fi on Attack on Memory made it easier to hear the quality of their music, I can’t help but compare that album to Teens of Denial and the similar success it’s afforded Car Seat Headrest. Though there is less pure angular bliss here than on Attack on Memory, Teens of Denial offers some of the best lyrics of its genre, ones that get better upon every opportunity to unpack them. There’s also something very endearing about the emotional croon of Will Toledo’s voice, whether its lazily talk-singing a la Stephen Malkmus or at the peak of its screaming powers.

6. Anderson .Paak - Malibu

2016 was the year of Anderson .Paak. Spurred into the spotlight by his significant contributions to Dr. Dre’s 2015 comeback, Compton, the stage was set for Malibu to be the breakout album it was. On one hand, its an album that is immediately accessible and has strong mainstream appeal. It evokes joy that only music designed specifically for having a good time could. On the other hand, it is an ambitious, critically-acclaimed masterwork, blending modern elements of hip-hop and electronic music with funk and soul effortlessly. It was a consensus favorite for many of my music listening friends this year, and I think its delicate balance between immediacy and expansiveness was the reason. As successful as this album and Anderson .Paak’s 2016 was, I believe it’s only a signal for bigger things to come.

5. Pinegrove - Cardinal

Cardinal has all of the solid elements of a great rock album. It has lyrics that catch your attention: it uses impressive wordplay and conjures vivid imagery, while keeping it genuine and deeply relatable (especially to someone also in his mid-20’s). Additionally, the music provides a unique take on various niches of rock: it pulls from alt-country, midwestern emo, and indie rock, but it isn’t beholden to any of the above. It’s very catchy while being ambitious enough in structure to keep it attention grabbing. Evan Stephens Hall has a voice that can accurately evoke the emotional highs and lows that the band and the music intend to. Add it all up, and such a solid set of elements on a debut album predicts very exciting things for Pinegrove going forward.

4. Solange - A Seat at the Table

There’s a wealth of production from different spheres of music on this album. R&B master producer Raphael Saadiq and Dave Longstreth of Dirty Projectors serve as the main co-producers, just two of a whole host of eclectic contributors (Solange is also listed as a producer and writer on each track). It all makes for a vintage R&B/new wave/indie pop blend that feels uniquely its own. Additional to this, A Seat at the Table is very 2016 appropriate in its lyrics and messaging. Throughout the album, Solange speaks from a focused black female perspective on today’s society, eloquently communicating the struggles she faces (“Don’t Touch My Hair”, “Weary”) while showing introspection and confusion in how to cope (“Cranes in the Sky”, “Where Do We Go”). Much like Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly, it’s an album beautifully constructed of emotive, far reaching, and thought provoking musings on today’s everyday issues.

3. Andy Shauf - The Party

The Party offers production that is uniquely warm and intimate. It’s inviting in its vulnerability and sparseness, but enveloping in its tastefulness of arrangement and dynamics. Andy Shauf treats this album as a singer-songwriter experiment, choosing to focus in on the storytelling of one terrible party from the perspectives of multiple guests. Everyone can relate to a bummer party experience they’ve had, but the fact that he can embody this concept for an entire album without being pretentious is amazing. I already really loved this album before I saw Andy Shauf live last year, but the show brought my appreciation of him as an artist to a whole new level. For an album so dependent on orchestral instrumentation and the execution of the quietest dynamics, his four piece band captured the same vibes pretty effortlessly. It was one of the better shows I’ve seen in a long while -- one that brought back fond memories of my awe-filled first year or two of experiencing live music.

2. Frank Ocean - Blonde

I’ve always felt that Frank Ocean had a unique ability to use sparseness and simplicity, whether it be in language or musical arrangement, and make it feel purposeful and profound. Channel Orange touched on this talent a few times (“Bad Religion”, “Forrest Gump”), but it mostly was a showcase of Frank Ocean’s amazing songwriting abilities (often in the form of experimental but accessible hip hop/R&B leaning pop). On Blonde, Frank Ocean not only features this minimalism in his instrumentals, but dives much deeper in song construction as well. It is often very stream of conscious -- multiple songs have only one or two instruments at one time and no drums, setting the stage for him to meander through chorusless structures and extended meditative sections. This shift made for an initial disappointment for many fans of his previous work (including me). However, given time to digest Blonde, it doesn’t come off as contrived at all. Blonde is an excellent example of an artist experimentation, one that pushes Frank Ocean’s songwriting talents into more challenging, but often more rewarding, territory.

1. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Pretty Years

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that Cymbals Eat Guitars are my favorite band. I’ve long believed that it has less to do with objective arguments of what makes bands typically great and has more to do with things they do well that really hit on what enjoy most in music. At the core of this is Joe D��Agostino’s songwriting style, lyrically and harmonically. Because that is an element that truly doesn’t go away no matter what happens to their evolving sound, I’ve always been deeply moved by their music. This album is definitely their least ambitious from an album construction standpoint, but it also is very tasteful and diverse. There is a lot of purposeful homages to classic rock (“Wish” recalls Bowie, the claustrophobia of “Close” calls to mind elements of krautrock, “Well” definitely has some Springsteen vibes), but they always balance out to something that is uniquely Cymbals (mostly thanks to the familiarity of Brian Hamilton’s keyboard work or Joe’s voice). As bands who rise to fame from the Pitchfork hype train don’t typically stay around forever, I’ve been expecting for this band to fall off at some point or another. However, this album is just as solid as it comes and gives me a lot of confidence in Cymbals staying power. The boys have done it again!

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boylebreakdown · 9 years ago

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My Favorite Albums of 2015

10. Ought - Sun Coming Down

I immediately knew there was something special about Ought’s debut album, More than Any Other Day, from one moment: on the title track, singer Tim Darcy informs the name of the song, almost as if the listener were a congregation member, and tells the listener to follow along (“any reading material will do”), as if to parallel opening a bible and reading along. This strange transcendence beyond simple pen to paper lyrics, where delivery is a key component, continues to be the strong point on Ought’s fantastic follow up, Sun Coming Down. Tim Darcy’s lyrics are deadpan throughout, yet intelligent, humorous, and sometimes profound. The big moment akin to the debut is found in highlight “Beautiful Blue Sky”, where his exasperated delivery of typical water cooler expressions (“How’s the church?”, “How’s the job?”, “Fancy seeing you here!”, etc.) exceptionally points out the dreary nature that every day conversation can take on. The abrasive and angular music that Ought provides serves to take Darcy’s delivery even further. Moments like the gradual build of musical and vocal energy in “The Combo”, or “Sun’s Coming Down”’s utter chaos beneath Darcy’s apathetically sarcastic observations, accentuate this. Ought is an exciting and unique new outfit, now with two good albums under their belt.

Favorite Tracks: Beautiful Blue Sky, Passionate Turn, Men for Miles

9. Deerhunter - Fading Frontier

In my opinion, this album is Deerhunter’s bounce back -- whereas the messy “we don’t give a fuck” attitude of Monomania was met with lukewarm response, Deerhunter has a much greater focus on their strength of hooks and pop song craft on Fading Frontier. As a consequence, there are far fewer Bradford Cox excesses on this album (which is often the detriment of this band). With something to prove, Deerhunter pulls out some classic moments: the immaculate pop duet of Bradford Cox and Lockett Pundt on “Breaker”, the menacing and textured groove of “Snakeskin”, the pulsing and electronic slow build that is “Living My Life”. When comparing these moments to the rest of the tracks on the record, Deerhunter does come off sounding aged beyond their prime years. However, Fading Frontier is a hopeful sign of quality output for years to come.

Favorite Tracks: Breaker, Snakeskin, Living My Life

8. Wilco - Star Wars

I was lucky enough to see Star Wars performed live for the first time, but I didn’t quite get it the first time around. From the opening seconds of “EKG”, you can tell a lot of the discography spanning production variety found on 2011’s The Whole Love has been replaced with something sometimes hastily recorded and simplified. However, in getting the chance to spend time with the album, the biggest trade off is youthful excitement -- one that Wilco hasn’t harnessed in such a noisy and spontaneous way since A Ghost is Born. The current lineup of Wilco has always been talented and has been extremely strong in their ability to craft expert arrangements. However, this album is the second in a row (after The Whole Love) that proves Wilco can still channel some of the daring and defiant energy and decision making from the days before the current lineup; back when they were making a run of classic albums (Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost is Born). In light of the fact that most Wilco members are in their 50’s, this album cements them as one of the best legacy bands in the game today.

Favorite Tracks: More..., Taste the Ceiling, Magnetized

7. The Amazing - Picture You

Picture You is the third album by The Amazing, a Swedish rock band who I randomly discovered this year. To summarize their sound very simply, I like to imagine if Slowdive had more of a penchant for folk music and employed a jazz drummer. At their loudest on Picture You, their sound is distorted and sprawling; at their quietest, they are extremely endearing and, to me, mood altering. Throughout, Picture You is always very lush, expansive, and wandering, letting vocalist Christopher Gunrup’s warm voice fall comfortably into the background with the music driving songs forward. That many of these songs can jam on one section for multiple minutes, continuing to minimally build and stay interesting, is indicative of the master ability these musicians have. Now I just need these guys to come to the States so I can see them live.

Favorite Tracks: Picture You, Safe Island, Broken

6. Alex G - Beach Music

You could say that 2015 was the year of Alex G for me. Not only did I spend considerable time diving into his catalog (mainly 2014’s DSU, 2012’s Trick, and 2012’s Rules), but I was lucky enough to be in the peak of my Alex G listening phase when Beach Music was released. Prolific bedroom recordists basking in lo-fi are a dime a dozen, but Alex Giannascoli sets himself apart in many ways. Many specific tricks and tools he uses are very idiosyncratic and unique only to him. This is no different on Beach Music (e.g. pitch shifting vocal lines and harmonies used to chilling affect in “Brite Boy” or “Salt”, unexpected production accents like the ascending organ on the chorus of “Ready”, or the subtle creeping drone growing throughout “Mud”). Above all, his ear for melody and harmony pierces through any bit of lo-fi constraints holding him back. Some of the prettiest moments recall Elliott Smith, who had a similar ability but less access to technology in the same early stages of his career. Being his first release on Domino, this album has a very distinct feel of transition to it. I’m quite excited to see what it leads to.

Favorite Tracks: Ready, Kicker, Brite Boy

5. Palm - Trading Basics

Palm is a young NY/Philly indie rock band, signed to the talented Exploding in Sound Records roster. They expertly mix cacophony with pleasantness (like much of my favorite music), but take their music to realms of math rock and sometimes even prog territory. Much like a band such as Deerhoof, they leave the hidden beauty to be discovered and unpacked with multiple listens. By design, ugly sounding passages and seeming improvisation are not only calculated, but often included to set up themes for later moments in their music. Take “Crank”, the second track on their excellent debut Trading Basics, where a jarring and dissonant back and forth between guitars becomes the harmonic and rhythmic basis for a beautiful and tuneful song. On top of all this seeming disorder are simple and pleasant vocals, which juxtapose the music underneath and act as a glue for the entire album. Guitarists Kasra Kurt and Eve Alpert create a consistent vocal package drenched in chorus and delay, making both hardly discernable from each other and perfect for harmonizing (much in the same way Noah Lennox and Avey Tare processed their vocals on Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion). All in all, it makes for a debut I was not expecting to find so fun and exciting. Looking forward to what’s in store for this band.

Favorite Tracks: Egg in a Frame, Second Ward, Crank

4. Viet Cong - S/T

It was pretty sad news to hear that Christopher Reimer, guitarist of Women, my personal go-to band for angular and jarring indie rock, had passed away in 2012. Viet Cong, started by Women bass player Matthew Flegel and drummer Mike Wallace, was a band I expected to be nothing more than a consolation prize. I’m happy to report that I was wrong. Viet Cong come off much more aggressive than Women in their approach, almost falling into post punk territory that Women never quite would. However, the balance and healthy juxtaposition of disarray and pretty moments is still the main selling point. “Newspaper Spoons”, the opener on Viet Cong’s S/T album, sets the tone of this idea from the get go. As a tuneful interplay between two keyboards emerges from the noisy chaos preceding it for most of the song, I can’t help but recall the dissonant drones surrounding the pretty melody of “Can’t You See”, the surreal opener on Women’s 2011 Public Strain. From there, Viet Cong continues to expertly push the listener away and pull them right back in with an extremely potent knack for tunefulness (e.g. the never ending intro of “March of Progress” transitioning into a jubilant, twinkly major guitar interplay until its end; “Bunker Buster”’s barbaric back-and-forth march of riffs exploding into an glorious harmonic triumph at roughly the 2 minute mark). This might not be Women all over again, but it’s a consolation prize I can more than live with.

Favorite Tracks: Death, Bunker Buster, Continental Shelf

3. Ava Luna - Infinite House

Ava Luna, a Brooklyn based indie art-rock band, have created their most accessible work to date with Infinite House (a fact that may seem strange to those first hearing them). Even with its sonic sheen and high production quality courtesy of mixer Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Spoon, Tame Impala), Ava Luna’s challenging sound recalls a complex band such as Dirty Projectors in their vocal interplay and spastic, unpredictable arrangements. However, Ava Luna almost certainly surpasses such an influence by focusing on specifics they have an edge on; more affinity for soulfulness, pricklier punk influenced tinges, and more interesting and varied vocal approaches. Using these tools to the best of their ability, Infinite House becomes a monster of an album. At any one moment, you can find it jumping back and forth between a subdued, challenging, but in-the-pocket verse to a loud, aggressive, almost improvisatory chorus in opener “Company”; Displaying a catchy as hell true pop song like “Coat of Shellac” then spouting a thorny 7 minute funk-meets-noise jam a la “Victoria”. Although it may seem scattered, multiple listens of Infinite House provides clarity to the discordance, proving it to be purposeful and impeccably constructed. Ava Luna have me more excited for their future than about any artist on this list because they possess such vast talents, originality, and are in the midst of hitting their stride.

Favorite Tracks: Roses and Cherries, Tenderize, Best Hexagon

2. Tame Impala - Currents

Kevin Parker’s first complete foray into pop on Currents interestingly takes Tame Impala to a place where their music becomes more unique and varied than ever before. Familiar elements of 70’s pyschadelica and 60’s recording techniques have now been infused with more ideas: 80’s synths and textures, as well as more touches of modern electronic production. As his skills have increased with every album, Parker has been able to do more subtle experimentation and quirks within each song, as well as create a more varied sonic palette across his albums. This time around, with two albums under his belt, he is more confident than ever to refine the quirks that make Tame Impala unique and to do away with things he finds inessential. As he brings the project into more commercial environments, the songs truly shine with originality to a degree that is quite rare (especially for a band that was originally known for being derivative of Beatles/Pink Floyd/pyschedelic-rock-in-general). Not exactly sure where Tame Impala goes from here, but Currents strikes a fascinating balance between what once was for the project and the exciting things that might be on the horizon.

Favorite Tracks: The Less I Know the Better, Eventually, Disciples

1. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

I know it’s not often (or even ever, honestly) that I’ve included a rap album on my top 10, but there’s a reason this album is my number one choice for album of the year. To Pimp a Butterfly has the feel of an important landmark type of album -- one that is ignorant to its opportunity to take the easy route towards the greatest commercial heights possible and instead opts to step up and outward beyond an already ambitious catalog of previous work. It is a perfect blend of boundary pushing and accessible. Beyond the fact that the album carries similar stellar production from typical TDE collaborators (Sounwave, Terrance Martin, Thundercat), it also has a sound all its own, influenced by various styles of music (P-funk, Avant-Garde Jazz, etc.) typically outside the scope of popular hip-hop under this large of a microscope. Its biggest uncertain step in my opinion is the decision to stray from the successful and lauded concept of a chronological storyline, something Kendrick uses in his “short film” of an album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. To Pimp a Butterfly transitions to something much more subjective and scattered. Yet, even though there is not necessarily an story arc you can follow, Kendrick’s poem that he slowly reveals throughout the album ties each distinct piece together in a way that I have never heard before on an album. All these risks that turn out to be successful small details are a testament to Kendrick’s amazing abilities as a master producer (many collaborators on the album have spoken of his rare perfectionist-like insistence on overseeing all aspects of his albums). If there is anything I’ve learned from this album, it’s that while I am still rooted in the consistency of quality output that “rock” music can provide across a year of music, hip-hop and rap have more tools at their disposal to create something remarkable (more potential for narrative and emotive drama, less constraint on the influences that can be pulled from, etc.); sometimes this results in pushing boundaries beyond the musical nomenclature of what we as listeners have heard before. That’s exciting, and Kendrick Lamar is no doubt at the forefront of those capable of doing so.

Favorite Tracks: These Walls, How Much A Dollar Cost, Momma

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear

Jamie XX - In Colour

Bully - Feels Like

Kurt Vile - b’lieve i’m goin’ down

All We Are - S/T

OTHER ALBUMS I LIKED:

Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit

Mac DeMarco - Another One

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell

Speedy Ortiz - Foil Deer

Nosaj Thing - Fated

Sleater Kinney - No Cities to Love

Hop Along - Painted Shut

Braids - Deep in the Iris

Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect

Dr. Dre - Compton

Empress Of - Me

Vulfpeck - The Thrill of the Arts

“LOCAL” CHICAGO MUSIC WORTH NOTING (This stuff is good, I swear):

Paperduck Records - Caesar Salad (https://paperduckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/caesar-salad)

Lamp - Little Ones (https://lampbandcamp.bandcamp.com/album/little-ones)

sewingneedle - vote of no confidence (https://sewingneedle.bandcamp.com/album/vote-of-no-confidence)

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boylebreakdown · 10 years ago

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My Favorite Albums of 2014

10. Glass Animals - Zaba

If there was one conclusion I came to in 2014, it is that I find no genre more frustrating today than electronic indie pop. When trying to get into artists of this ilk, I often find it really disenchanting; for a style with so many sonic possibilities at hand, it seems like there are so many artists who become acclaimed without pushing boundaries or even bringing uniqueness to tried and true formulas. Glass Animals, a band that I was turned onto through my work with Harvest Records, is one of the few artists I heard this year that disrupted this trend. Zaba, their debut album, mixes intelligent sampling with an approachable R&B aesthetic, which by no means is reinventing the wheel. However, the cohesiveness and effectiveness of their wide-ranging timbres, all within a radio friendly format no less, kept me listening again and again. It was fun to see them twice this year and watch them continue to build their fan base and popularity. I see big things for this band in the future.

Favorite Tracks: "Pools", "Hazey", "Cocoa Hooves"

9. Snowmine - Dialects

Snowmine frontman Grayson Sander’s musical background as a neo-classical composer always adds an element of intrigue when listening to his band. How it can be expounded upon in a pop context is fascinating to me. Snowmine’s debut Laminate Pet Animal provided a great example of this, as it set relatively straightforward indie alt rock with plenty of orchestral backdrops. Dialects picks up where their debut left off, but brings more subtle complexity in its construction. Lusher, verby textures and a greater variation in production push these songs to extremely effecting and creepy places, all while not straying from accessibility. Additionally, as a band that vows to self-manage themselves without help from a record label or external promotions, I really respect Snowmine’s mission statement. They’re lucky to have the talent to back up such a bold direction. Seeing this band at Schubas in September reaffirmed to me the gem that this album is, as I didn’t give it the attention it deserved earlier in the year.

Favorite Tracks: "You Want Everything", "Rome", "Further Along Further Away"

8. tUnE-yArDs - Nikki Nack

In a similar fashion to musicians like Annie Clark of St. Vincent, Merrill Garbus has a talent for arrangements. On W H O K I L L, her 2011 breakthrough, I was impressed with her ability to essentially write for a minimal loop-based live set, only accompanied by bass. On Nikki Nack, with a plethora of synthetic sounds/effects and concret timbres in tow, tUnE-yArDs takes a major step towards becoming more of a fleshed out project. The presence of a larger scope and extra instrumentation does wonders for Garbus’ arrangement capabilities. Where some of the left of center moments on Bird Brains and W H O K I L L made me feel like she had run out of ideas, a newfound focus of concept pilots weirder moments on these new songs into enjoyable and sometimes stunning territory. Additionally, Garbus' skill for successfully utilizing motivic material in the strangest ways is at its best. The conjoining of seemingly unrelated A and B sections in songs like "Find a New Way"and "Water Fountain" is the kind of stuff that few musicians can pull off.

Favorite Tracks: "Wait For a Minute", "Real Thing", "Find a New Way"

7. Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like a Bell

Hundred Waters, following up a self-titled debut that flashed brilliant moments, improve all across the board here. Not only is The Moon Rang Like a Bell more consistently enjoyable than its predecessor, but its high points have greater impact. Hundred Waters' greatest strength comes in their attention to dynamics and subtlety. While each song brings harmonic and melodic interest at its core, subtle moments like the ascending dissonance leading into the last chorus of "Cavity" or the fluctuating rhythm of the drums in "Out Alee"'s down section are what really make this album special. A young, immensely talented electronic indie pop band (signed to Skrillex's OWSLA label!), Hundred Waters are continuing to realize their potential as one of the more exciting indie rock/pop up-and-comers.

Favorite Tracks: "Cavity", "Out Alee", "Xtalk"

6. Deerhoof - La Isla Bonita

2014 was definitely the year of Deerhoof for me. Somehow, even through my continued exposure to them and my adoration of their 2012 effort, Breakup Song, I never delved deeply into their vast (and intimidating) discography until this past year. There really is no band like them. While they continuously focus on reinventing themselves and staying as free as possible in a pop song format, their uncanny affinity for hooks, dynamics, harmony, and instrumental interplay always seems to pull together a product ranging from solid to extraordinary. Thirteen albums into their career with all these same focuses intact, La Isla Bonita still sounds as fresh, complex, and daring as almost any of their previous works. Considering how absolutely rare it is that a band could release so much music that holds up over the course of 20 years, I feel validated in elevating them to status of one of my favorite all-time bands.

Favorite Tracks: "Black Pitch", "Big House Waltz", "Paradise Girls"

5. Wye Oak - Shriek

Citing an “overuse of their formula” throughout their career, Wye Oak inverts their approach on Shriek with Jen Wasner ditching guitar for bass. Such a dramatic shift for a band can often pose problematic, but this is no typical band. Evidence of their strong musicianship is all over this album. Forced within these confines, a newfound reliance on grooves and heavy electronic backdrops make it work. Wasner’s use of bass as equal parts a lead and rhythm instrument seems so simple, but comes off sounding like nothing I’ve heard before. With so many newfound weapons in their arsenal, Wye Oak sound reenergized and as creative as ever. The beauty of Shriek for me is how obvious it is that this is the same band amidst so many sonic changes. In the end, Wasner’s solid lyrics and songwriting are in tact, if not slightly improved with such a new and exciting backdrop. From the moment I heard they were going in this new direction, I was very excited to see where it would lead. There's no way I could have predicted how successfully they’d implement it. Almost nothing gets me as excited as seeing a band preserve quality while altering their approach to keep things interesting. No band did it better in 2014. Also, “The Tower” is my song of the year.

Favorite Tracks: "The Tower", "Shriek", "Sick Talk"

4. St. Vincent - S/T

This was one of the first exciting albums to come out in 2014. After the brass instrumentation focus of Love this Giant, Annie Clark's collaboration with David Byrne, I wasn't entirely sure which direction she would be taking her next release. I was happy to hear her continue to flesh out the signature sound she cultivated on Strange Mercy. The interesting thing is while this is her most recognized album to date, St. Vincent delves even further into strange territory. At the album's core, Annie Clark's frail yet powerful vocals mixed with her talent for arrangement succeed as they always have. However, any remnants of her baroque pop leanings have all but disappeared, replaced with minimoog patches and otherworldly synth textures. While her continued focus on fuzzed out guitars still provides a spark, a greater variation in timbres gives more colors on her palette to orchestrate from. In all, while I believe Strange Mercy may have hit a transitional sweet spot in her two approaches, I have to applaud her for continuing to push an already incredibly unique sound to new places.

Favorite Tracks: "Regret", "Prince Johnny", "Digital Witness"

3. Sun Kil Moon - Benji

There's truly something admirable about a songwriter who can reference Panera Bread not once, but twice on the same album and make it work. Though it can sometimes come across as long-winded, Mark Kozelek's lyrical prose is beautiful in its ability to provide meaning to seemingly meaningless instances of daily life. Although I myself am half Kozelek's age, it's impossible for me not to relate to his contemplations on the fragility of life told in such unafraid and honest words. Delivered via eery classical guitar backdrops and Kozelek's vulnerable, haunting voice, it makes for a chill-inducing listening experience. During the end of last school year when I was most into this album, I found it almost impossible to not give it my undivided attention every time I listened. Although The War on Drugs feud that happened near the end of the year left a bad taste in everyone's mouth, it is downright wrong to let that overshadow the mastery of and unique nature of Benji.

Favorite Tracks: "I Watched the Song Remains the Same", "I Can't Live Without My Mother's Love", "Micheline"

2. Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow

Memorable experiences outside of just listening to music often weigh largely on my sentimental attachment to it. Two years ago, I left Bombay Bicycle Club's Lollapalooza aftershow floored by two new songs they had played. In the case of So Long See You Tomorrow, a sneak peak of what was to come provided me just the right amount of added anticipation that made the album all that much more gratifying upon its release. On Bombay Bicycle Club's previous album, A Different Kind of Fix, a dramatic shift towards sampling and lush, reverb-laden textures provided a near perfect example of a band reworking their sound while preserving the quality of their previous releases. On So Long See You Tomorrow, the key word for Bombay Bicycle Club is here "augmentation" rather than "reinvention". Where their previous work sometimes sounded scared of abandoning a guitar dominance, more synths and electronics emerge to take these songs to previously uncharted territory. Frontman Jack Steadman, an electronic music producer himself, brings forth a wealth of unique Middle-Eastern music samples, gluing together these ambitiously vast new timbres and keeping each track playful but honest. The emphasis of electronics onSo Long See You Tomorrow and my growing interest in all forms of electronic music over the past year allows me to pinpoint an interesting explanation for my connection to this band. In discovering them early on in their career when my favorite bands consisted of The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys, I was instantly drawn to Bombay Bicycle Club's fresh take on a similar style of indie alt rock. As I continued to develop my music tastes throughout high school and early college, my favorite new genres and aspects in music seemed to mirror the maturations and additions that Bombay Bicycle Club made in the same timeframe. Although I have no knowledge of what the future holds for this band, Bombay Bicycle Club continues to be a band I'm proud to call one of my favorites.

Favorite Tracks: "Home By Now", "Luna", "It's Alright Now"

1. Cymbals Eat Guitars - LOSE

When this album was first streaming on NPR this summer, I was in New York and I couldn't get wifi or a reliable enough signal listen to it. I'll always remember the moment I got home after a week of waiting, finally listening to it all the way through 3 times. The extended wait to hear it reminded me of my earliest music listening habits; waiting patiently for a CD release, buying it, and making sure the first time I heard it was perfect. That cycle of anticipation and satisfaction is not something I necessarily lament over losing on a consistent basis. However, the nostalgia it brings when it does happen on those rare occasions always makes it special. These days, it takes a lot more to elicit that childlike wonder in me. As my taste in music has grown, I sometimes find myself in ruts of not finding very much exciting new music to listen to. More than probably any other band today, Cymbals Eat Guitars evokes that reassurance of music's importance in my life. Whether its the sentimental connections I have to them (being the first music festival band I ever saw, going to Madison to see them them with my best friends I don't see very often, etc.) or the fact that they possess almost all of my favorite traits of musicians (emotive vocals, incredible lyrics, fucked up noisey soundscapes, emphasis on pedals in the writing process, etc.), I can't deny the strange link I feel towards them. Although obviously serendipitous, D'Agonstino's lament of "wanting to wake up wanting to listen to records" and having that feeling allude him on "XR" is eerily relatable to me in a general sense. In a time where meaningful musical experiences are harder to come by, I'm lucky that I can always count on Cymbals Eat Guitars.

Favorite Tracks: "Jackson", "Chambers", "Place Names"

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