It’s been a good year so far for music. I’m finding excellent stuff every month. We’re halfway through the year, so here’s a quick recap of my top 10 records of 2016 so far.
- David Bowie – Blackstar: A powerful way to end one’s career, let along a legendary life.
- The Besnard Lakes – A Coliseum Complex Museum: It’s still the most lush, beautiful record I’ve heard so far this year.
- Night Beats – Who Sold My Generation: This band gets better with each record, and this one is a tour de force.
- King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Nonagon Infinity: Easily the craziest record of the year so far. You can play it on an infinite loop beginning with any track and it will repeat without any noticeable pauses, stutters, or breaks.
- WALL – self-titled EP: WALL are currently my favorite discovery of 2016. They’ve brought back a fierce post-punk edginess that I didn’t know I was yearning for until I heard them.
- Underworld – Barbara, Barbara, We Face a Shining Future: This record is so good that it might go higher on my Best of 2016 list by the end of the year. It’s a fabulous return for the band and wonderfully optimistic.
- Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool: One word to describe this record – Heartbreaking. Most of the songs are about the end of Thom Yorke’s 20+ year relationship with his girlfriend.
- All Them Witches – Dying Surfer Meets His Maker: This is simply a great rock record. No muss, no fuss.
- The Duke Spirit – Kin: I’m so happy they’re back and even happier that they’ve put out the best shoegaze record of the year so far.
- Golden Dawn Arkestra – Stargazer: Pure cosmic funk that can induce dancing in even the grumpiest of grumps.
Keep your mind open.
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