Here are my songs of the year!
15. "Peach Pit" - PEACH PIT - Sweet Fa
A nice "slice" of dreamy power pop coming out of rainy ol' Vancouver.
14. "Be Apart" - Porches - Pool
Pulled in by the beautifully dissonant piano riff, "Be Apart" entrances you in a head bobbing groove from start to finish. Sad dance music.
13. "Monotony" - Preoccupations - Preoccupations
Back after a name change, Preoccupations wrote an album chock full of jarring and challenging rock tunes, following in the footsteps of their first album Viet Cong. What makes these songs captivating is the push and pull between comfort and discomfort displayed in both the instrumentation and the lyrics of their work. "Monotony" is a perfect example of this.
12. "Cinnamon" - Cullen Omori - New Misery
2016 saw the remnants of the Smith Westerns' glorious legacy reemerge in two new projects: Whitney and Cullen Omori. Omori, former SW lead singer, went off on his own, creating synth pop tunes directly in the lineage of his former band. "Cinnamon" is the best of his new tunes, but misses the catchy guitar riffs of his old band.
11. "It Ain't Safe" - Skepta feat Young Lord - Konchiwa
2016 was the year that UK grime music hit the North American mainstream. Skepta was the king of this grime-mania, winning the illustrious Mercury Prize for his album Konchiwa. "It Ain't Safe" is my favourite from the album, with its simple grimy bassline, typically boisterous lyrics, and catchy chorus.
10. "Hello Clouds" - Justin Martin feat FEMME - Hello Clouds
For the last decade, Justin Martin has been on the cutting edge of house music, taking the four-on-the-floor groove to new levels. Hello Clouds is no different. Full of rich vocals, unique sounds and great grooves, Hello Clouds is one of the year's best albums regardless of genre. The title track is a perfect window into everything you can expect and more from this musical genius.
9. "Can't Stop Fighting" - SHEER MAG -III
That riff. That howl. C'mon.
8. "Dead Weight" - White Lung - Paradise
A ridiculously intense punk song with a shredding guitar and great lyrics. What more can you ask for?
7. "Can't Complain" - Justin Jay feat Josh Taylor and Benny Bridges - Fantastic Voyage
Following in Justin Martin's footsteps, Justin Jay is reimagining house music by going back to real instruments. A guitar solo in a house song? Real lyrics? Get those hips shaking.
6. "Come Down" - Anderson .Paak - Malibu
I was late to the Anderson .Paak bandwagon. His NPR Tiny Desk concert was a darn good introduction. He starts the session with "Come Down," one of the songs of the summer.
5. "Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales" - Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
As the climax of an incredible album, "Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales" is an epic. It's a blast of nostalgia that sends shivers up your spine.
4. "Butterfly" - Twin Peaks - Down in Heaven
A fun moshy song with a catchy chorus. Great live song.
3. "Fool" - Frankie Cosmos - Next Thing
A brilliant little jingle with an emotionally charged heart.
2. "Familiar Patterns" - PUP - The Dream is Over
It's hard to pick a bad song off this record. "Familiar Patterns" stands out with its high energy chorus and heavy breakdown at the end. You'll also hear classic PUP riffage and Stefan's charismatic yelp.
1. "No Matter Where We Go" - Whitney - Light Upon the Lake
Number 1. Whitney also emerged from power pop band Smith Westerns, and recorded one of the albums of the year. Their sound takes elements of power pop and jangle rock to create unique tunes and catchy choruses. "No Matter Where We Go" was the song of the summer; a carefree driving love song complete with clean guitar riffs and Julien Ehrlich's falsetto vocals. I just can't get enough!
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