Cream of the Crop 2016
2016 is a year that we will all remember (and for some of us, want to forget). Especially in music. It was the year that many extraordinary artists have passed on. Artists such as Prince, David Bowie, Sharon Jones and Leonard Cohen to name a few. As sad as we are, we remember those for their incredible legacies and carry on with the influences (and countless music) they left for us.
Like the year before, more and more people are using music streaming sites such as Apple Music, Spotify and even Tidal.
But then I noticed that this year many artists are using Soundcloud to share their new music. Most notably, Kanye when he released “Real Friends” and “No More Parties In LA” via the website. I believe Soundcloud is a great website and many up and coming artists are being discovered on their every day. Thankfully it was not bought out by Spotify.
This was also election year and many of the music that was released created awareness and even shaped our political views. Nevertheless with the upcoming year and with a brand new president on the horizon, there is going to a tremendous amount of music to look forward to. Expect more artists to take a stand and to express themselves more vocally in 2017.
As for me personally, 2016 was a challenging year, but there were some great moments. I continued to progress in my career, my wife and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary (eight years total we have been together) and we had opportunities to travel a little more this past year.
I also want to give a shoutout to my one of my closest friends Joel Barber for releasing his zine Million Dollar Underwear, which I believe is one of the highlights of 2016. I am proud of his achievement (many more to come) and I am already looking forward to his next one.
If Million Dollar Underwear was an album, it would have definitely make this year’s list.
Despite 2016 being a strange and somewhat a difficult year, there was still great music and I am proud of the selections I made this year.
Without further ado, I give you 2016′s Cream of the Crop.
25. SVIIB by School of Seven Bells
Since the sudden passing of Benjamin Curtis in 2013, School of Seven Bells refrained from making music out of respect for their fellow band member. After three years of keeping quiet, Claudia Deheza felt it was time to release their final album, SVIIB. It was an album that was completed before Curtis’s death, which gives listeners one last opportunity to hear his brilliance and musicianship. The music is gentle and deeply moving. Lyrics are abstract, but convey and underlying message of the love that Curtis and Deheza once shared. It is dream pop at it’s finest and will serve as a lasting memory of a time when the two were harmonious, musically and emotionally.
24. Joanne by Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga has always been known for her pop music innovation and her vocal prowess. But her previous work, Artpop was found to be off-putting and unmemorable. This resulted in Gaga to do some soul-searching for her new music. This would lead her to create the music on her fifth album, Joanne, which was inspired after her middle name. The sound of the album threw many of her listeners off guard especially Joanne contains a more country-sounding vibe. However, it is important that listeners pay attention to the lyrics as Gaga pours out her heart on her struggles with PTSD, her recent breakup and more importantly, finding herself. It is interesting because we have always known two sides of Lady Gaga. On one side of the spectrum, is her quiet mysterious self while the other side is her theatrical on-stage presence. Joanne serves as her middle ground and helps us to see another side of her that is honest and true to herself. On top of that, this is the album where listeners can hear (and feel) Gaga’s range as a singer, which brings showcases her vocals the way it’s suppose to.
23. Love You To Death by Tegan and Sara
Since their momentous release, Heartthrob, Tegan and Sara decided to further explore their newfound indie pop sound for their latest effort. Love You To Death is quite an interesting album because the sister duo utilizes intricate pop melodies while expressing deep seated topics that both members experienced in their life such as separation and finding true love. As great as they are for making music that is fun and extremely catchy, they are able to slow it down and sing some great ballads, like the touching single, “100 times”. Furthermore with Love You To Death, Tegan and Sara continue to shine the realm of pop music.
23. In My Mind by BJ The Chicago Kid
After years of making mixtapes and collaborating with many different artists, it was time that Bryan James aka BJ The Chicago Kid released a proper album. His major label debut (from Motown), In My Mind was considered to be the first great album of the 2016. Described as a deep soul album, BJ crafted well-thought out R&B melodies while captivating listeners with his enriching soulful voice. Despite its deep and sometimes dark overtones, he conveys a firm messages of personal reflection, love and intimacy. It is now time for BJ The Chicago to make a name for himself and In My Mind marks his first step in today’s music relevance.
21. Psychopomp by Japanese Breakfast
There are moments when an artist simply catches you off guard and Michelle Zauner, aka Japanese Breakfast is by far of the biggest surprises of the year. The artist free plays and experiments with dream pop elements with high ambient tones. While the sound is endearing, listeners can feel the artist emotions as she expresses her sadness of the loss of her mother. She outpours her feels and the music propels them perfectly. It is the album’s simplicity and emotional weight that makes this one of the most surprising EPs of the year.
20. 24K Magic by Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars has come a long way from writing songs for other artists before branching out on his own. Since “Uptown Funk”, it was imminent that he was slowly evolving his sound from the typical mainstream pop of his earlier work. His triumphant return to music with 24K Magic marks a dynamic shift in his sound. Rather than focusing on doo wop sensibilities, he decided to channel the sounds of 90’s R&B and soul with some added funk to dance to. Of course, what makes the album so enjoyable to listen to goes beyond Mars’ vocal prowness or catchy melodies, but the attitude that he puts forth in everything he does in music. Every step, every note is never wasted. Bruno Mars is simply a showstopper and 24K Magic is clear example of that.
19. Woman by Justice
Justice is an intriguing group. On one hand they are known for their dance-infused electronic sound while the other they are known for displaying a strong heavy metal influence. This year, the French electronic duo returns with their latest album, Woman. The electronic sound is progressive with a strong arena-rock vibe. While other EDM bands continue to keep play by the rules, Justice is known for pushing the envelope and help push the genre beyond clubs and music festivals. Justice is one of the few groups in electronica that keeps the genre relevant and Woman is evident of that.
18. Nothing I Write You Can Change What You’ve Been Through by Trash Boat
I felt that listening to alternative punk scene has changed since my days in college most especially pop punk. I always felt that the bands that make the biggest impact are the ones that connect with their listeners emotionally. It is simply more than just loud vocals and melodic breakdowns. Trash Boat was a band that I stumbled upon a few months ago from a playlist and I was glad that I did. Their debut, Nothing I Write You Can Change What You’ve Been Through You is solid pop punk music and it is built on incredible musicianship, attitude and honest lyrics. There seems to be a revival going on in alternative music. Rest assure, Trash Boat is one of the band that are on the forefront of it.
17. Love Streams by Tim Hecker
Tim Hecker is musical genius and a bit of a madmen. He is known for him his bizarre experimentation and orchestrations of sound. Unlike his previous albums which can be sometimes dark and hazy musically, this time around it seems that he decided to venture on the side of hopefulness. Love Streams still possess his impeccable ability to experiment with ambient undertones and drone rock. In this case, his music feels airy and more calming instead of heavy. It is a completely unique listening experience, but it is definitely a memorable. Sometimes experimentation can come off as messy in music, but Hecker is one of the rare few that is able to compose experimental music in a very cohesive way. One thing to point out is his collaboration with renowned organist Kara-Lis Coverdale whose music contribution to Love Streams serve as one of the highlights of this album.
16. Love & Hate by Michael Kiwanuka
Michael Kiwanuka’s debut album, Home Again was an ode to old soul music (was named Cream of the Crop 2013). Rather than continuing to indulge in this type of music, the English singer-songwriter wanted to incorporate elements of electric guitar in the mix. He does this and helps modernize his brand of soul of music. Lyrically, he talks about emotional battle between love and hate and addresses the struggles of African Americans in this turbulent times. It is a fascinating album. Unlike Home Again, which indulges in the music of the past, Love & Hate focuses on the issues happening in the present and in responses evolved his music to modern times.
15. Wildflower by The Avalanche
The Avalanche returns with an album took many years to make. Wildflower is a conceptual album with psychedelic themes and ambient tones. One of the things that I admire about The Avalanche is their ability to use samples in their music. This allows their music to grow and evolve in so many different ways. In other words, the possibilities in their music world is endless and allows them to break new ground while having a little fun. Wildflower is a cohesion of funk, hip-hop, psychedelic rock, pop and so much more. It is a music shapeshifter and does so in a playful manner. The construction of this album was done wo brilliantly that only a band as bold as The Avalanche can pull off such a feat.
14. Ology by Gallant
If there was an award on Future Phonograph for breakout artist of the year, it would be given to Gallant. In his short time as an artist, he has already made one of the best R&B albums of 2016 and has collaborated with Seal, one of the most recognizable voices in R&B. Ology has a sound that is fresh but is reminiscent to 90’s soul music. Even one of the tracks is actually a cover of “Tell Me” by Groove Theory. What makes him so captivating is his voice and listeners can feel every emotions he conveys from his songs. Gallant is one of the best kept secrets of R&B today and it is about time more people know who he is.
13. The Colour of Anything by James Blake
James Blake has always been the kind of artist that desires complete control of the entire recording process. For this new album, rather than focusing on himself, he decided to share the process with those around him. He collaborated with other artists such as Justin Vernon and Frank Ocean to create a more well rounded music experience. The Colour of Anything is a result of those collaboration and his desire to leg of self-control. The music still has his signature melancholy vibe, but there is some level of positivity. In his lyrics, he talks about coming to terms with his difficult emotions and feels as ease with who he is as an artist. It is less challenging than his previous works, but nevertheless the album is still significant because of his ability to finally trust the process of music creation.
12. untitled.unmastered by Kendrick Lamar
During the recording of To Pimp A Butterfly, hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar had a collection of demos that didn’t make the final cut of the album. Rather than storing these away, he decided to released them as a full length album. What is surprising is that while it does have similar elements that was used on TPAB, untitled. unmastered is an album that breathes a whole new life of its own. It is musically brash and lyrically dynamic. It is almost as though it is a separate record altogether. Many willl prefer to listen to the official release more than the demos, these demos still give a deeper insight into Lamar’s mind during the recording process and adds some additional depth to the critically acclaimed album.
11. Endless+Blond by Frank Ocean
Frank Ocean has always been an enigma. And his music is a reflection of his personality. For the longest time, even after the final days of Channel Orange, the artist has been hinting of new music, but reveals nothing about it. This caused tremendous tension and speculation among his fans. Then he released Endless, a visual album that is just as mysterious as the video he released of him doing woodwork. Endless is the kind of R&B music reminiscent to late night jazz, it gives a sense of quiet but invoking a darker tone. One of the highlights was his cover of Aaliyah’s “At your best”. A few days later, he dropped Blond, his first album from his label, Boy’s Don’t Cry. Unlike Blond, it has a more upbeat tone and it is much more accessible in terms of mainstream soul and pop. Despite the fact that Blond is counted as his “official” 2016 release, it is important to consider both bodies of work because of the connection they have with one another.
10. California by Blink-182
The recording of this album was a result of some turmoil and conflict. Founding member Tom Delonge was asked to leave the band due to years of creative differences but mostly because constraints with his other music obligations which prevented him from fully committing to the band. Expectations were not met and Travis and Mark wanted to move forward without Tom. With his departure, Mike Skiba (formerly of Alkaline Trio) joined the band as their guitarist and vocalist. After months of recording, Blink-182 version 2.0 released their latest album, California. It is important to keep an open mind in listening to this new album. The influences of Alkaline Trio is present, but without overpowering the pop punk sensabilities of Blink. California plays on the pop punk genre with some much added punches and debunks any doubts whether or not Blink-182 is still relevant. It is an album that will inspire new generations of fans while bringing joy to long time fans. It is an album that came from disaster and from the ashes brings new life to the band.
9. Blackstar by David Bowie
Like the man himself, he is shrouded in mystery, but a man that many consider an unquestionable icon. The influence that he has brought to countless artist is unmeasurable. Despite the changing landscape of music over the years, most particularly in rock music, David Bowie has continued to stay relevant. In fact, rather than cater to the masses and appeals of mainstream music, he continues to explore new ways of creating music. With every album it becomes a new form of self-discovery. He is a reminder of how far one can go if one chooses to go there. It is his insatiable need for creating that allows him to keep doing what he does. Sadly though, he is no longer with us and has passed on this past year. Blackstar serves as his triumphant farewell and leaves a legacy that many will remember of the late great artist. We express our deepest thanks to Ziggy Stardust and what he has done for music.
8. Lemonade by Beyonce
Beyonce is a force to be reckoned with. She is one of the few artists that constantly challenges the norm of mainstream music. Like her previous self-titled effort, Lemonade is visual album that was accompanied by an HBO special. Rather than just letting her music speak for itself, she uses big music videos similar to Michael Jackson to convey her message. But unlike her previous album, Lemonade displays a darker tone and reveals a spirit of deception and revenge, which sparked controversy. However, despite the darker vibe, the album is a representation of her femininity while embracing the roots of her upbring. This explains why elements of bluegrass, folk and jazz were incorporated to her establish R&B sound. Nevertheless, in comparison to all her other works, Lemonade is her most dynamic and driven work to date.
7. Awaken My Love by Childish Gambino
While Donald Glover has always been known as a rapper (among other things), he has mentioned in the past that for the upcoming record, he wanted to explore a new genre of music. 2016 was a special year for Glover because it was the year he became a father to a baby girl. His new album, Awaken My Love is his way of expressing his love for his daughter and to his wife. What is different about his latest work is that instead of hip-hop, the music is predominantly funk and soul. He channels his inner Prince and become a multi-instrumentalist to create different kind of funkadelic experience, proving that Donald Glover is truly this generation’s renaissance man.
6. Puberty 2 by Mitski
Mitski has always been known as a gifted songwriter and her latest album, Puberty 2 solidifies that. In the album, she discusses complex themes from personal experiences such as racial identity, love and depression. While it mostly carries a vibe of sadness, there are moments of happiness and she is able to balance both sides of the spectrum in great fashion. In addition to that, while the lyrics are complex and thought-provoking, the music is rather straightforward. She channels dreamy pop tendencies with classic indie rock, which shows that Mitski’s overall intent is convey her personal message, in hopes that it would lead to a deeper connection with those that share similar experiences. Furthermore, her songwriting is one of the album’s biggest strength and proves her evolution as an artist.
5. A Moon Shaped Pool by Radiohead
Since King of Limbs, Radiohead was having some challenges creating the new album. Known for their experimental approaches and using technology in their music, the band decided to use a more analog approach. This caused some difficulty in the recording process and took much longer than anticipated. This was reflected upon the completion of this year’s release, A Moon Shaped Pool. Upon listening, one would notice slightly more calming feeling, which is channels back to the time of Kid A and Amnesiac. It still displays an art rock sound which encompasses the use of rock elements with drum machines and synthesizers. However, this time around, the music takes a backseat and the songwriting is placed at the forefront of the album, with lyrics talking about love, forgiveness and regret. This is Radiohead’s most challenging album, but one of those that given time and desired listens will reap it’s extraordinary listening experience.
4. We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service by A Tribe Called Quest
Every year there is always a handful of groups that will return to the music scene and create new music. This year, one of the biggest names to reunite is the legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest. They returned with a brand new album, their first in 18 years. Their latest, We Got It From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service, draws back to early times when hip-hop was was used to have a voice for the common good. Influences such as brotherhood, politics and humanity were prominent in the albums. What is even more interesting is how former member Phife Dawg’s presence is still felt on the album despite his passing few months ago. Another thing to point out is how this album was created not because of their love for hip-hop or their need to express their views on these turbulent times, but it is created out of their love for one another as brothers. This album may be their final album as a group, but it all the more signifies their relevance not just in hip-hop, but in music in general.
3. Emily’s D+Evolution by Esperanza Spalding
Esperanza Spalding is a music prodigy and has mastered a wide range of instruments, but her most notable instrument is the ciejlo or bass. Her body of work encompasses jazz, neo soul and and R&B. This year she decided to fully immerse herself conceptually to her music, even to the point of change her look and creating a whole new persona. Emily’s D+Evolution is completely experimental and absolutely adventurous. Produced by the late David Bowie and Tony Visconti, she blends her usual jazz with elements of funk and pop. This showcases her imaginative side and forward thinking. This is a monumental example of an artist progression as an artist and evolving into something extraordinary.
2. i like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it by The 1975
It can be said that UK’s The 1975 is simply just an alternative rock band. However, listening to their latest album proves otherwise. It is no surprise that the band love to play with and experiment with different influences. From incorporating elements of dance pop to using ambient Sigur-Ros like elements, it is clear they are not one-dimensional. In addition to that, what makes i like it when you sleep… so interesting and fun to listen is the album’s element of surprise. Every song is different, yet they are all cohesive, similar to puzzle pieces that when put together form a big picture. This allow listeners to always be intrigued and to not know what to expect. Perhaps, the band is in the midst of evolving musically and this album not only serves as their middle ground, a place where all of their different influences are slowly blending together, but a place that would catapult them to new territories of sound.
1. Coloring Book by Chance The Rapper
If there is one thing I would consider to be the shining moment of this past year, it would be this mixtape. Chance The Rapper’s third mixtape titled Coloring Book is simply a masterpiece. From its lushful melodies, uptempo beats, all the way down to the beautifully painted artwork that graced the cover which captured Chance’s expression of happiness when holding his daughter. It was said that Coloring Book is the superior version of Surf, the album he collaborated with Nico Segal on. Although you hear remnants of Surf in some of the melodies, this mixtape is so much more. Described as “gospel rap”, Chance utilizes elements of gospel music including the use of a choir to not only create a unique listening experience, but to also bring about a strong sense of spiritual fulfillment with heartfelt soul. Although the hip-hop artist from Chicago did admit that the spiritual aspect was not something he intent to have on the mixtape, but rather it was something that brought for naturally out of fruition from all of the positive experiences he had over the course of two years (birth of daughter, music acclaim, philanthropy, etc.). One thing worth mentioning is what Zane Lowe pointed out about Coloring Book and that is the strong presence of faith on the mixtape, noting, “faith in music and faith in God go hand-in-hand.” This is one important aspect that I loved about this Coloring Book. It is the kind of music that gives one hope and inspiration in trying times. In moments of sadness, it is the kind of music that will give tears of joy and sadness. This is what Coloring Book embodies and serves as a representation of who Chance is, not just as an artist but as an individual.