2016.5: Best National Albums and Songs (So Far)

We’re halfway there.

Jon Jon Scott, @soundverite1

Albums:

• Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
• Kendrick Lamar – untitled and unmastered
• Anderson.Paak – Malibu
• Jessy Lanza’s -Oh No
• Kanye West – The Life Of Pablo
• Eccentric Soul: Sitting in the Park
• Space Echo (The Mystery Behind the Cosmic Sound of Cabo Verde Finally Revealed)
• Coxsone’s Music: The First Recordings Of Sir Coxsone The Downbeat 1960-62
• Oddisee – Odd Tape
• James Blake -The Colour in Anything
• Wake Up You – The Rise & Fall Of Nigerian Rock 1972-77

Adam, Reviler

Albums:

1. Doug Tuttle – It Calls On Me
2. Car Seat Headrest – Teens Of Denial
3. The Body – No One Deserves Happiness
4. Mrs. Magician – Bermuda
5. The Coathangers – Nosebleed Weekend
6. Casey Mecija – Psychic Materials
7. Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered
8. Kanye West – The Life Of Pablo
9. Forever – s/t
10. Lionlimb – Shoo

Songs:

1. Car Seat Headrest – Fill In The Blank
2. Doug Tuttle – Falling To Believe
3. The Coathangers – Make It Right
4. Mrs. Magician – Phantoms
5. Kanye West – Waves
6. Tegan And Sara – Stop Desire
7. Lionlimb – Tinman
8. Idle Bloom – Old Bone
9. Public Access TV – In Love And Alone
10. Casey Mecija – Palms Lose

Kyle, @solace

Albums:

1. Arbor Labor Union – I Hear You
2. PKEW PKEW PKEW – PKEW PKEW PKEW
3. Diarrhea Planet – Turn To Gold
4. Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial
5. Margaret Glaspy – Emotions and Math
6. Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth
7. White Denim – Stiff
8. Mitski – Puberty 2
9. Parquet Courts – Human Performance
10. Beyoncé – Lemonade

Jon, Reviler

Albums:

1. David Bowie – Blackstar
2. Brigid Mae Power – S/T
3. Kaytranada – 99.9%
4. Parquet Courts – Human Performance
5. Beyonce – Lemonade
6. Cate Le Bon – Crab Day
7. Swans – The Glowing Man
8. Chance the Rapper Coloring Book
9. Damien Jurado Visions of Us on the Land
10. (tie) Julianna Barwick – Will / Ziemba – Hope is Never

Songs:

1. Beyonce – Formation
2. Parquet Courts – Pathos Prairie
3. Oddisee – Slow Groove
4. Kevin Morby – Cut Me Down
5. Mitski – Your Best American Girl
6. Brigid Mae Power – It’s Clearing Now
7. Damien Jurado – QUACHINA
8. Cate Le Bon – Crab Day
9. Chance the Rapper – Summer Friends
10. Kaytrandada – Drive Me Crazy

Josh, Reviler

Albums:

1. Anohni – Hopelessness
2. Anderson .Paak -Malibu
3. Cavern of Anti-Matte – Voids Beats Invocation Trex
4. Matmos – Ultimate Care II
5. Kendrick Lamar – untilted. Unmastered.
6. Beyonce – Lemonade
7. Sheer Mag – III EP
8. Kaytranada – 99.9%
9. Prins Thomas – Principe Del Norte
10. Huerco S – For Those of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have)H/M: Blood Orange – Freetown Sound; Chance the Rapper – Coloring Book; Oliver Coates – Upstepping; Deerhoof – The Magic; Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool; David Bowie – Blackstar; Deakin – Sleep Cycle

Songs:

• Jaye Bartell “Tuesdays”
• Kanye West “Real Friends”
• Domo Genesis – DAPPER feat. Anderson .Paak
• Parquet Courts “Human Performance”
• Beyonce “Hold Up”
• Chance the Rapper “All We Got”

Michael Cyrs, @mjcyrs

Albums:
1. Deakin – Sleep Cycle
Dreamlike, intimate, and magical. Haven’t found a situation this album doesn’t improve. 33 minutes of uplifting bliss.
2. Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered.
Kendrick’s Amnesiac. He’s the greatest of all time. “It’s happening.”
3. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
A welcome addition to their catalogue. “Easy on the ears, hard on the heart.” Thom Yorke speaking in simple platitudes for once: “One day at a time,” “Broken hearts make it rain,” “The damage is done.”
4. David Bowie – Blackstar
“Lazarus” for the win. An alternative guitar riff, a Destroyer saxophone line, an anthemic push to the end… Heartfelt and soul-crushing, but just as enjoyable and creative as Bowie has ever been.
5. PJ Harvey – The Hope Six Demolition Project
The year of the saxophone (again). The year of Brexit. The year Polly Jean launched her most directly political attack in 25 years. Let England Shake, my friends. “Community of Hope” for song of the year.
6. Kevin Morby – Singing Saw
The only straight rock and roll album I’ve been able to sit all the way through in years. Sadboy Kevin Morby makes delicate, hooky pop greatness.
7. The Body – No One Deserves Happiness
The Body’s most “pop” record to date. Super fun hardcore at times, super grueling doom at others. Also the background vocals/monologues/features are incredible, male and female.
8. Ty Segall – Emotional Mugger
Most fun he’s had since he’s had access to expensive studios. A guy I thought had jumped the shark totally proving me wrong.
9. Wye Oak – Tween
A short, sweet message from them. Unexpectedly refreshing and direct. “Watching the Waiting,” “No Dreaming,” and “Too Right,” zomg.
10. The Drones – Feelin Kinda Free
Gareth Liddiard is so angry the whole time, it’s great. The most effective white rapping since Sleaford Mods on “Taman Shud.” “Tooo think IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII once looooovvveeddddd youuuuuuuuu!”
Honorable mentions
Islands (SIRHAS), Kaytranada, Mitski, Tim Hecker, Anderson .Paak, Big Ups, Parquet Courts, Tortoise, Yoni & Geti, King Gizzard
Stuff I haven’t fully digested, but definitely really enjoy
Kanye, Death Grips, Car Seat Headrest, Deerhoof, and Swans.

Ali, @egyptoknuckles (no particular order)

ALBUMS
Kanye West “The Life of Pablo”
David Bowie “Blackstar”
Kendrick Lamar “untitled. unmastered.”
Anderson .Paak “Malibu”
Radiohead “A Moon Shaped Pool”
Oddisee “Alwasta”
Open Mike Eagle & Paul White “Hella Personal Film Festival”
Kaytranada “99.9%”
James Blake “The Colour In Anything”
YG “Still Brazy”
Beyoncé “Lemonade”
KING “We Are KING”
Mr. Lif “Don’t Look Down”
Massive Attack “Ritual Spirit EP”
Kamaiyah “A Good Night In The Ghetto”
Aesop Rock “The Impossible Kid”
Terrace Martin “Velvet Portraits”
Savages “Adore Life”
Chance The Rapper “Coloring Book”
CLIPPING “Wriggle EP”
ANONHI “Hopeless”
Sturgill Simpson “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth”
Death Grips “Bottomless Pit”
Blood Orange “Freetown Sound”
Vektor “Terminal Redux”
Rihanna “ANTI-”
DIIV “Is The Is Are”
Maxwell “blackSUMMERSnight”
Adrian Younge “Something About April II”
Black Tusk “Pillars of Ash”
Esperanza Spalding “Emily’s D+Evolution”
The Range “Potential”
Vijay Iyer & Wadada Leo Smith “A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke”
Primitive Weapons “The Future of Death”
Corinne Bailey Rae “The Heart Speaks In Whispers”
Kyle Craft “Dolls of Highland”
Nothing “Tired of Tomorrow”
Gallant “Ology”
Flatbush Zombies “3001: A Laced Odyssey”
G.L.O.S.S. “Trans Day of Revenge”
Whitney “Light Upon The Lake”
dvsn “‪Sept. 5th‬”
Sheer Mag “III EP”
Car Seat Headrest “Teens of Denial”
White Lung “Paradise”
Parquet Courts “Human Performance”
Mitski “Puberty 2”
Tim Hecker “Love Streams”
Swans “The Glowing Man”
Case/Lang/Veirs “Case/Lang/Viers”

SONGS
Flatbush Zombies “Your Favorite Rap Song”
YG & Nipsey Hussle “FDT”
Oddisee “Lifting Shadows”
Kanye West “Real Friends”
Schoolboy Q “Groovy Tony”
Beyonce & Kendrick Lamar “Freedom”
Massive Attack & Tricky “Take It There”
Anderson .Paak “Heart Don’t Stand a Chance”
Open Mike Eagle & Paul White “Check to Check”
KING “Red Eye”
Maxwell “Lake by the Ocean”
Aesop Rock “Shrunk”
Pusha T & JAY Z “Drug Dealers Anonymous”
Danny Brown “When It Rain”
Clipping “Shooter”

Chris Besinger, STNNNG

Things I’ve really loved this year:

Ava Rocha “Ava Patrya Yndia Yracema”…this actually came out in 2015 but fuck it, you haven’t heard it. Post-Tropicalia psych-pop/noise samba, something? I dunno, it’s great. My wife thought it was Xmas music. Tom Ze-influenced…you can get it for free on her website avarocha.com

The Velvet Underground “The Complete Matrix Tapes”…ok this also came out in 2015 but it was recorded in 1969 and it shows VU as the best bar/party/rock band ever. Mo Tucker is a great drummer. Lou is a great stage banterist. Doug Yule is cool. Sterling Morrison is godhead.

Heather Leigh “I Abused Animal” & Peter Brotzmann/Heather Leigh “Ears Are Filled with Wonder”…two great Leigh-releases (though I think “Animal” came out last year too, fuck I’m living in the past, I’m sorry mom, sorry dad) the current master of the art-absued pedal steel…”I Abuse Animal” is her solo record, her vocals are strong, dramatic, long notes held over droney noise…ends up kind of like an abstract folk ballads, somewhere in the mist between Scott Walker and Karen Dalton? Ok, sure. “Ears” is a duo with Brotzmann (and I’m slightly disappointed she doesn’t sing on it, cuz Brotz is always good with a wild abstract voice) & she is a great foil for his solo blues, pushing him into a really weird territory for him: pretty. I saw them in Chicago in May and it was some of the most beautiful playing I’ve heard coming from Brotzmann’s bell.

Rangda Live at the Cedar March 13…not a record but it should be. Obv, I love Bishop and Corsano and Chasney in their myriad projs and but there is something about this configuration that plays to everyone’s strength. Kinda of Sharrock’s “Ask the Ages” group shot through with an almost Minutemen-y style nervous tension.

Falcon Crest Live at the Turf Club June 11…also not a record, sadly I’m not sure if the crushing, smeared noise of Falcon Crest can really be captured on tape, you kinda have stand in front of it and let it swarm around you. I don’t know what the songs are called or what the words are or when they start or finish, I just know the themes, the riffs, the soul-vibe blasting over me. Secretly the best band ever.

Bill Orcutt/Jacob Felix Heule “Colonial Donuts”…this came out last yr too, but it’s good as hell.

Otherwise: the mono mixes of the first two Doors record rule the scene. I don’t really follow local music.

Spotify playlist of all our favorite (available) songs: