Best Albums of 2016
What a difference a year makes!!! 2016 has been a bad year...and not just for music...big household names from film, TV and Radio have all been taken from us in one way or another...let us hope that there isn't a massive shock saved up for Christmas!!!
Anyway, back to the music...in many ways this year for me has been a year of discovering old bands that I can't believe I missed the first time around and of revisiting bands that I have not given much time to over the years. Overcoming my hatred of Morrissey has been one of the hardest things to do this year...although I still dislike the fella I can at least like some of The Smith's songs now...and being introduced to Gang of Four has been a revelation!!! I can't believe that I have loved bands like New Fast Automatic Daffodils for years without listening to one of their biggest inspirations. All thanks for this has to go to Claire @musicnostalgic ...a shining light in a crappy year..she's been absolutely amazing for me. What hasn't been amazing is the distinct lack of new material from decent new bands...although this list has 5 and a bit new bands featuring in it...I say a bit as Hinds have been around as Deers for a few years now...I think I'd struggle to make a list of 15.
Well here we go again...
# 10 ~ Around The House - Chook Race
If you are a fan of jangly guitars, boy-girl harmonies and everyday lyrical observations then this Aussie indie band will be right up your street!! I found them through following Paul Smith (Maximo Park) on Twitter. He posted a picture of their album that he was listening to...so decided to give them a go...and I'm glad I did. Granted they don't pull up any trees or blow you away with their music...but don't underestimate their simple pop-laden songs...I can hear a likeness to The Wedding Present albeit a more jangly one...sunny mornings are made all that brighter with their album in your ears.
Standout songs: 'Hard To Clean', 'Pictures Of You' and 'Sometimes'
# 9 ~ Head Carrier - Pixies
This band don't really need any introduction from me! I have so much time for this band...well did when Kim Deal was with them. Their first three albums are still played on a regular basis in my house and will be for years to come. This offering...not so much! I find it hard to like this that much if I took away the three singles that have been released off it. Pitchfork summed it up perfectly for me..."these Pixies are happy to just twang and jangle instead of slash and burn". That being said...I do love a bit of Pixies now and again.
Standout songs: 'Tenement Song', 'Talent' and 'Um Chagga Lagga'
# 8 ~ Brilliant Insanity - Teleman
Made up of ex-Pete and the Pirates band members...the brothers Thomas and Jonny Sanders and bass player Pete Cattermoul added drummer Hiro Amamiya and Teleman was born. This album has given me two of my most addictive earworms of the year. Having toured with Franz Ferdinand, Metronomy and Maximo Park over the past few years you can definitely hear their inspiration through this album. It is packed throughout with shimmering keyboards...euphoric sing-a-long choruses and indie pop guitars...careful though...earworm warning!!!
Standout songs: 'Düsseldorf', 'Tangerine' and 'Superglue'
# 7 ~ Going, Going... - The Wedding Present
Although I don't think this album is going to draft in new fans of The Wedding Present...what it does do is give the purists an epic 20 songs to get their teeth stuck into. David Gedge's sound on this is as hard as it has been for quite a while...with some songs harping back to 'Seamonsters-like' feedback with a deceptively sweet melody in between seething guitar noise...all the things that I love about The Wedding Present. If it had been jam-packed with these songs then this would have been much higher in my list...sadly it isn't...I can safely say hand on heart that I love half of the album...and with that being 10 songs it's enough to get them to number 7.
Standout songs: 'Bear', 'Broken Bow' and 'Bells'
# 6 ~ Velcro Hooks - Velcro Hooks
If you have not heard of Bristol's Velcro Hooks...they were a band that since 2012 with an ever growing fan base from gigs have showed promises of producing an album packed with plenty of snarly over-driven guitars and feedback that wouldn't let you think straight for a week. This year they released that album! Fuelled by a rumbling bassline the guitars screech and swirl around beautifully with raw aggression and it's this style of "we're going to do it our way...if you don't like it...tough!" that I think makes this a good album.
Standout songs: 'Chinchilla Woman', 'Severin' the Mind' and 'Wheatglove'
# 5 ~ Big Box Of Chocolates - Hooton Tennis Club
Last year saw Hooton Tennis Club at number 1 in my best of 2015 with their amazing indie surfer rock debut 'Highest Point in Cliff Town'...this years offering sees them collaborating with Orange Juice's Edwyn Collins who was on production duties. All the things that made their debut so good are here although slightly more studio production involved...anyone who knows me knows how much I love an album to sound like a live experience...where their debut sounded like it was in your bedroom with you...played on 3rd hand instruments...this one sounds like it was made in your posh mate's garage with shiny spanking new guitars. This is a very good album in a time when difficult 2nd albums don't always make it!!!
Standout songs: 'Bootcut Jimmy the G', 'Bad Dream' and 'Meet Me at the Molly Beach'
# 4 Leave Me Alone - Hinds
This Madrid-based quartet formerly know as Deers...had to change their name to Hinds due to copyright infringements. The songs that they had released as Deers are included on the album...it is a really good debut...it's full of raw jangly indie pop that has a freshness that keeps you hooked. This kind of music relies heavily on being messy with production but packed with raw power...and these four carefree and mainly pissed women have seamlessly pulled it off. Although it isn't an album that I have gone back to time and again throughout the year...for the first 3-4 months since it's release in January it got played plenty of times to keep it high up this list.
Standout songs: 'Chili Town', 'Bamboo' and 'San Diego'
# 3 ~ Alas Salvation - Yak
If you listen to music sometimes to clear your head of worries and stresses by using unrelenting noise to test your extremes then this band is for you...and then some! The first time that I heard them I was blown away by them...if musically you could be hit full on in the face with a freight train...in a good way...then that is one way that I would describe them. It's quite remarkable that they are only a 3-piece from the sound they produce. Their live shows are meant to be a full-on experience that the album comes close to re-achieving...fingers crossed the London-based trio tour near me soon!
Standout songs: 'Harbour The Feeling', 'Use Somebody' and 'Take It'.
# 2 ~ Dry Food - Palehound
Released in the US last year...it finally hit the UK this March through Heavenly Records...and my word...Heavenly have done it again! 'Dry Food' showcases singer Ellen Kempner's vocal range and storytelling prowess beautifully. It is one of the most moving of break up albums that I have heard for long time...yes you can clearly hear 90s band inspirations throughout her songs but she has her own added twist of Kempner to each song. Her deep...quite open and personal lyrics all on top of at times fuzzy acoustic guitar strums and swoony melodies make this album a work of art.
Standout songs: 'Molly', 'Dixie' and 'Dry Food'.
# 1 ~ Human Performance - Parquet Courts
From the first listen this album had me grinning from ear to ear. The media cry that they are back to their best!!! They never went away! Another album of catchy but not polished indie garage rock full of influences that never grow old. This album is far more early Velvet Underground than 90s Pavement....although the similarities are always there. Having watched loads of live performances via youtube...Andrew Savage's voice always makes me picture him thrashing away on his guitar and foaming at the mouth...this is not a different scenario. Amazingly, this is the New Yorker's 5th album in as many years...I hope the next five keep going in a similar vein.
Standout songs: 'One Man, No City', 'Dust' and 'Pathos Prairie'
That wraps it up for another year...what is to come next year? From the artists that are planning album releases next year doesn't fill me full of confidence yet...although Gorillaz new album will I'm sure grab my attention...the Liam Gallagher effort??? maybe not so much.
