DAVE ZERO
(in no particular order)
Bob Mould – Patch The Sky ~ MORE INFO
The Monkees – Good Times ~ MORE INFO
Wheeler Walker Jr. – Redneck Shit ~ MORE INFO
Tacocat – Lost Time ~ MORE INFO
Descendents – Hypercaffium Spazzinate ~ MORE INFO
David Bowie – Blackstar ~ MORE INFO
The Thermals – We Disappear ~ MORE INFO
Drive-By Truckers – American Band ~ MORE INFO
The Frightnrs – Nothing More To Say ~ MORE INFO
A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service ~ MORE INFO
Honorable mentions:
Bun E. Carlos – Greetings From Bunezuela! ~ MORE INFO
Cheap Trick – Bang, Zoom, Crazy… Hello ~ MORE INFO
Dinosaur Jr. – Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not ~ MORE INFO
William Bell – This Is Where I Live ~ MORE INFO
VINCENT PRESLEY
David Bowie – Blackstar ~ MORE INFO
I like my Bowie dark and weird.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree ~ MORE INFO
Child Bite – Negative Noise ~ MORE INFO
Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker ~ MORE INFO
His most solid album since his classic records of the 60’s and 70’s.
Hide – Flesh For The Living ~ MORE INFO
Great industrial / EBM from Chicago.
Psychic TV – Alienist ~ MORE INFO
The once terrifying front man of Throbbing Gristle continues making dorky, pop, psychedelic rock that sounds a bit off yet really catchy.
Renaldo & The Loaf – Behind Closed Curtains & Gurdy Hurding ~ MORE INFO
Ralph Records / Residents collaborators that recorded their debut (BCC) in 1979. It went unreleased for 35 years, out on vinyl. Weirdo medieval electronic.
Savages – Adore Life ~ MORE INFO
Even better than 2013 debut.
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club – The Commandments According To ~ MORE INFO
Check out “Commandment III” for my “song of the year”. Wonderful modern take on an ole time feel good revival. Also played one of the best shows of the year.
Those Poor Bastards – Sing It Ugly LP & Necrosphere EP ~ MORE INFO
Lonesome Wyatt managed to dish out an LP of country weirdo music with the occasional hint of metal and industrial as well as a special limited EP of more abrasive tunes sold for the Halloween season.
True Widow – Avvolgere ~ MORE INFO
Super gloomy dark tunes.
Reissues:
Candlemass – Epicus Doomicus Metallicus ~ MORE INFO
1985 classic debut doom metal w/ operatic vocals.
Tony Conrad & Faust – Outside The Dream Syndicate ~ MORE INFO
1973 minimalist kraut-drone.
Death – Scream Bloody Gore ~ MORE INFO
1987 debut, the best and most original death metal.
Gwar – Scumdogs Of The Universe ~ MORE INFO
From 1990 when Gwar wrote good catchy tunes and didn’t completely rely on hosing you down with blood at their live shows.
Harmonia – Documents 1975 ~ MORE INFO
Great 1975 live show of classic Neu + Cluster krautrock.
Lungfish – Sound In Time ~ MORE INFO
Originally released in 1996. This is kind of the turning point from their early 90’s alternative rock to the great repetitive grooves that they became known for. Classic Daniel Higgs.
Melvins – Houdini ~ MORE INFO
They released/reissued three albums this year but, this is the one you want.
Morbid Saint – Spectrum Of Death ~ MORE INFO
Classic Sheboygan, Wisconsin death metal from 1988
The Shaggs – Philosophy Of The World ~ MORE INFO
1969 – Sound like nothing else in the world and they always make me feel good and a little insane
Sonic Youth – Washing Machine ~ MORE INFO
Great, overlooked SY record from 1995 finally reissued.
BOBBY HUSSY
Best Albums of 2016
Angry Angles – Angry Angles ~ MORE INFO
The complete recordings from Jay Reatard’s short lived pre-Blood Vision’s project with Alix Brown (Golden Triangle) and Ryan Rousseau (Destruction Unit)! A perfect companion and precursor to the more consistent classic, Blood Visions.
David Bowie – Blackstar ~ MORE INFO
It’s hard to find anything to dislike about this record. Poignant, topical and omnipresent. Just like the Thin White Duke himself.
Dinosaur Jr – Give A Glimpse ~ MORE INFO
In 2016 Dinosaur Jr. still sounds like Dinosaur Jr. Awesome.
A Giant Dog – Pile ~ MORE INFO
Austin, TXs finest is slowing seeping its way into the collective consciousness the American aboveground via Merge Records!
GØGGS – GØGGS ~ MORE INFO
Ty Segall + Chris Shaw (Ex-Cult). Grungey garage punk with some American hardcore leanings.
Thee Oh Sees – A Weird Exits ~ MORE INFO
Dwyer keeps on chugging away. This time pushing some hooks and riffs aside to get even more jammy and spacey.
Ty Segall – Emotional Mugger ~ MORE INFO
Ty goes electronic and skronks his way through some out there garage that borders on prog at times.
Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth ~ MORE INFO
Thee best country/folk record of the year. A country cover of Nirvana’s, “In Bloom”? Sign me up!
Sneaks – Gymnastics ~ MORE INFO
The quickest burn of the bunch at 14 minutes. Lots of replay value even if the songs are simple and concise. Very catch bass, drum machine and vocals with attitude.
So Pitted – Neo ~ MORE INFO
The best grunge record of the year. No surprise that it came out on Sub Pop. But thankfully the band throws in enough spice with various effects pedals and textures to keep it varied.
Xiu Xiu – Xiu Xiu Plays the Music of Twin Peaks ~ MORE INFO
Twin Peak melodies from Angelo Badalamenti incredible score for Lynch’s twisted TV Show revisited with moodier goth adornments from outsider Xiu Xiu, who I’m normally only marginally interested in. He did a great job on this project though!
Best Reissues:
The Country Teasers – Destroy All Human Life ~ MORE INFO
Jay Reatard – Blood Visions ~ MORE INFO
The Scientists – Numero Group Compilation ~ MORE INFO
Suicide – Suicide ~ MORE INFO
CHRIS LAY
Angry Angles – Angry Angles ~ MORE INFO
Avalanches – Wildflower ~ MORE INFO
Beyonce – Lemonade ~ MORE INFO
Case/Lang/Veirs – Case/Lang/Veirs ~ MORE INFO
A Giant Dog – Pile ~ MORE INFO
J Dilla – The Diary ~ MORE INFO
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity ~ MORE INFO
Manuel Göttsching – E2-E4 ~ MORE INFO
Moodymann – DJ-Kicks ~ MORE INFO
NxWorries – Yes Lawd! ~ MORE INFO
Sweet Spirit – Cokomo ~ MORE INFO
A Tribe Called Quest – We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service ~ MORE INFO
Various Artists – Wayfaring Strangers: Cosmic American Music ~ MORE INFO
SCOTT GORDON – Founder/Editor Tone Madison
Akasha System – Vague Response ~ MORE INFO
The Portland producer’s newest balances the stark propulsion of techno with gentle but indelible melodies.
Anicon – Exegeses ~ MORE INFO
One of those metal releases that draws on a lot of different strands (especially black metal), but isn’t too slavish about any of them, and strikes a balance of austerity and grandiosity.
Marisa Anderson – Into The Light ~ MORE INFO
One of America’s finest modern-day interpreters of blues and folk turns to the Southwest in a set of stately guitar-based instrumentals.
Benoit Pioulard – The Benoit Pioulard Listening Matter ~ MORE INFO
Songwriter/singer/guitarist/ambient explorer Thomas Meluch’s latest under his Benoit Pioulard moniker feels like a grand summation of all the disparate territory he’s covered over the last decade.
Kevin Gates – Islah ~ MORE INFO
Not gonna pretend this is a perfect album, but the rapper/singer creates some furious earworms here (“2 Phones,” “Kno One,” “Really Really”), mixing grit with exuberant hooks.
Danny Paul Grody – Sketch For Winter VII: Other States ~ MORE INFO
A pleasantly disorienting set of synth and guitar instrumentals.
Mary Halvorson – Away With You ~ MORE INFO
Already the most compelling jazz guitarist and composers going, Mary Halvorson pushes into ambitious new territory here with an eight-piece band.
Steve Hauschildt – Strands ~ MORE INFO
The most moving and stylistically diverse electronic record I heard all year.
Homeboy Sandman – Kindness For Weakness ~ MORE INFO
“I’m about to see whose sternum is a firm bone.”
Huerco S – For Those Of You Who Have Never (And Also Those Who Have) ~ MORE INFO
A shape-shifting producer delves deeper into his primordial side.
Lycus – Chasms ~ MORE INFO
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Nots – Cosmetic ~ MORE INFO
Nots’ take on punk gets more focused and biting on their second release.
Spray Paint – Feel The Clamps ~ MORE INFO
This band’s clanging, bizarre post-punk keeps taking on new dimensions but still sounds as distinctive as ever.
Vince Staples – Prima Donna ~ MORE INFO
A short and rattling follow-up to Summertime ’06, but just as memorable in its own way.
A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service ~ MORE INFO
Has there ever been a year when people spent so much time consoling themselves with new music from the recently dead? Of all the deaths of great artists this year, Phife Dawg’s saddened me the most—he was only 45, and it came so abruptly. The album Tribe was working on at the time of Phife’s death turns out to be not just a loving tribute to the Five Foot Assassin, but also a sprawling and contemporary show of vitality from one of hip-hop’s greatest outfits.
Ryley Walker – Golden Sings That Have Been Sung ~ MORE INFO
Guitarist/singer Walker’s third album stretches out beyond the folk tropes and delves fully into the stretchy, wooly, eccentric territory his work has been hinting at all along.
YG – Still Brazy ~ MORE INFO
The cathartic hip-hop album we really needed in 2016.
CORBIN REYNOLDS – Owner/Operator Stalzy’s Deli, Vinyl guy
Anderson .Paak – Malibu ~ MORE INFO
Drive-by Truckers – American Band ~ MORE INFO
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool ~ MORE INFO
Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial ~ MORE INFO
Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide to Earth ~ MORE INFO
Angel Olsen – My Woman ~ MORE INFO
David Bowie – Blackstar ~ MORE INFO
Charles Bradley – Changes ~ MORE INFO
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity ~ MORE INFO
TESSA REINA DE ECHEVERRIA – Co-Owner Williamson Magnetic Recording
Drive-by Truckers – American Band ~ MORE INFO
Bob Mould – Patch the Sky ~ MORE INFO
Savages – Adore Life ~ MORE INFO
Local and Near-Local Releases Of Note:
Daisy Chains – Above Board ~ MORE INFO
Pollinators – Self Addressed Envelope ~ MORE INFO
Tippy – Public Displays of Affection ~ MORE INFO
MADCITY’S BEST SELLERS OF 2016
Aesop Rock – Skelethon ~ MORE INFO
Atmosphere – Fishing Blues ~ MORE INFO
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit, and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit ~ MORE INFO
Bon Iver – 22, A Million ~ MORE INFO
David Bowie – Blackstar ~ MORE INFO
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree ~ MORE INFO
Brian Eno – The Ship ~ MORE INFO
PJ Harvey – The Hope Six Demolition Project ~ MORE INFO
Kendrick Lamar – Untitled, Unmastered ~ MORE INFO
Lydia Loveless – Real ~ MORE INFO
Bob Mould – Patch The Sky ~ MORE INFO
Protomartyr – The Agent Intellect ~ MORE INFO
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool ~ MORE INFO
Savages – Adore Life ~ MORE INFO
Kamasi Washington – The Epic ~ MORE INFO
