The piano trio The Bad Plus’s 12th studio album consists entirely of reimaginings - ranging from Johnny Cash, Prince, Ornate Coleman, and Cyndi Lauper. It’s not one of the strongest in their discography - but is worth checking out for fans who want to hear more creative jazz takes on pop songs.
Guerilla Toss are an art-rock/noise-rock outfit formed in 2010 in Boston and recently relocated to NY. Their mix of punk and spastic-disco/funk grooves is cerebral, but hard hitting and visceral.
The opening track on this is the highlight - and although the rest isn’t nearly as interesting musically, it still is great lyrically and is a strong final release from the late Leonard Cohen.
English experimental techno producer Andy Stott's 5th album is dark, melodic, and eerie. Although it is not at the same level as his previous couple of releases - it is still worth checking out for fans of his work and for folks who dig stuff on the Modern Love label.
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44-(No, My Name is) Jeffery - Young Thug
Young Thug is a profilic Atlanta based rapper - and "Jeffery" is his best mixtape yet. It is more varied in vocal delivery (such as on the more aggressive “Harambe”), features great instrumentals that often have dance-hall vibes, and has better hooks than his previous mixtapes.
The Alarm Will Sound version of "Keep in Touch"
takes a work that he originally wrote for viola and tape and reimagines it as a highly emoitonal miniature viola concerto that demands a virtuousity of playing.
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42-Everything’s Beautiful - Robert Glasper
Everything's Beautiful is Robert Glasper's reimagined interpretations of Miles Davis tunes. It features artists such as Georgia Anne Muldrow, 9th Wonder, Bilal, Erykah Badu, and Stevie Wonder. It flows smoothly from track to track and has some gems on it that make it worth checking out for folks who dig neo-soul and Glasper's "Black Radio" releases.
41-Stranger to Stranger
Powell is an London based techno artist and"Sport" is his first proper debut. It's gritty and feels punk in vibe - even sampling bands like The Fall and Fugazi.
The eighth album by the Swedish extreme metal band Meshuggah was recorded live in the studio (simultaneously with all members - rather than recording each individually). This is a departure from the production on recent previous albums - creating a more raw sound while maintaining a mind-blowing mathematical precision.
Nicolas Jaar is a New York based experimental electronic artist and "Sirens" is his sophomore album. I was blown away by his previous series of EPs "Nymphs" which I put as my number 1 on my lips of Top EPs of last year. Although this album didn't meet my expectations that I had from that previous release - there are truly beautiful and haunting moments (such as in the opener "Killing Time") and some hypnotic grooves that make it worth checking out for folks who are a fan of his previous work.
This is Jullian’s first record where I feel like he’s truly found his own voice in the jazz world - his influence of rock, gypsy roots and soulful country create a sound that is traditional in melodic vocabulary but simultaneously modern in sound.
The Catastrophist is Tortoise's seventh album and their first in almost seven years. It is their first to feature guest vocalists (which sometimes work and sometimes does not). Although it's their weakest work to date - it's still the strongest post-rock album of the year and has some amazing tracks on it like "Gesceap".
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Although there are some weaker tracks on here (mostly the one's one's with more distorted guitars where Mark's voice get more lost in the mix), there are enough great cuts that make this release still worthwhile for fans of Sun Kil Moon. Mark continues the writing direction he has been going in - more personal and stream of conscious writing - it's raw, emotional, and often very humorous. The songs "Fragile" and "The Most Dangerous Mark Kozlek And John Dillenger" are highlights.
The I.L.Y's consists Zach Hill and Flatlander (who are also in the trio Death Grips) - in this project they create something between mutant-pop and punk-rock with elements of noise rock and progressive/art rock. It's more similar musically to Zach Hill's early 2000s releases than it is to Death Grips. It's slightly absurd and often funny lyrically, and is more catchy while simultaneously being more experimental than their previous releases that shows a lot of promise for this group.
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Donny McCaslin’s group includes keyboardist Jason Linder, bassist Timothy Lefebvre, and drummer Mark Guiliana, as well as guest features from David Binney, Jeff Taylor, and Nate Wood. The ensemble was Bowie’s backing band on his final record (“Blackstar”). The album is dedicated to Bowie and the album features two Bowie covers (“A Small Plot of Land” and “Warszawa”), as well as covers of Mutemath, Deamau5 and the Chainsmokers, and several originals. The originals on here are better than the covers (some of which feel like they only serve as vehicles for improvisation ) - but the powerful moments on here make this fusion/genre-bending album worth checking out.
This it the third album by the American Grindcore band, Nails - and at 21 minutes it is their longest to date. This album is absolutely brutal. The band stay true to their sound but still take some risks - such as on the intense, dynamic, eight minute closer.
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Show Me the Body is a New York based trio that mixes post-hardcore/punk, with rap, sludge, and funk. Pratt plays electric banjo (which generally sounds like guitar if you don't know otherwise) and has shouty vocals (somewhat reminiscent of Guy Picciotto of Fugazi) but with more of a hip hop flow, Noah Cohen-Corbett's drumming is hard hitting and intense, and bassist Harlan Steed's musicianship is remarkable. It's a mix of old sounds put together in a new original way - and is one of the best rock debuts in recent years.
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Henryk Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3 (often called "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs") is a symphony he composed in 1976 in Poland. Stetson’s reimagining of the work uses Górecki's notation, but changes the orchestration and tonal palette - shifting it from a 60-piece orchestra to a smaller ensemble of 12 musicians (including violin, cellos, electric guitars, drums, keyboards, reeds, and mezzo-soprano). In his arrangement he drastically shifts the textural, dynamic, and harmonic elements of the piece - bringing it to sound more in the vein of minimalist post-rock.
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The debut solo album by British-American artist Anohni (formerly known as Antony Hegarty who had been releasing music under that name since 2000 until she transitioned). It is a huge departure from her previous work - abandoning the chamber pop style and instead embracing a more electronic oriented pop sound with co-production from Hudson Mohawke and Oneohtrix Point Never. The album tackles political and environmental themes head-on while juxtaposing a catchy (and in Anohni’s words) "glossy, plastic sound" - which is strange and at times is psychologically dissonant (such as on the track “Execution”).
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Wardruna are a Nordic folk group that use traditional instruments including deer-hide frame drums, Kraviklyra, tagelharpe, mouth harp, goat horn and lur as well as sound from other natural sources like trees, rocks, water and torches. Runaljod - Ragnarok is the final chapter of the trilogy Runaljod - and is rumored to be their final album. The music is ritualistic - repetitive in nature, hypnotic in structure, and transcendental in energy.
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22-Wonderland - Demdike Stare
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Demdike Stare are a Manchester based electronic duo that started in 2009 consisting of Sean Canty and Miles Whittaker. This record is their most accessible so far - straying more from ambient vibes, and more into more beat-oriented haunted dance-hall vibes.
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21-"Man Made Object" - Go Go Penguin
Go Go Penguin are a minimalist jazz piano trio - the drums are often break-beat based and electronica influenced, the bass lines groove super hard, and the piano work is melodic and beautiful and often post-rockish. This would apeal to folks who dig groups like Happy Apple and The Bad Plus as well as folks who would like to hear the compositional style that you'd more typically hear in electronic music in a piano trio setting.
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20-99.9% - Kaytranada
The debut studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Kaytranada is a vibrant and fun mix of electronic muisc - combining house, funk, soul, dub, and hip-hop. It has features ranging from Craig David, BadBadNotGood and Karriem Riggins as well as many others. It's a record that is adventurous - but also accessible and pop oriented.
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19-Lemonade - Beyonce
18-Skeleton Tree - Nick Cave
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Go Go Penguin are a minimalist jazz piano trio - the drums are often break-beat based and electronica influenced, the bass lines groove super hard, and the piano work is melodic and beautiful and often post-rockish. This would apeal to folks who dig groups like Happy Apple and The Bad Plus as well as folks who would like to hear the compositional style that you'd more typically hear in electronic music in a piano trio setting.
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The debut studio album by Canadian electronic music producer Kaytranada is a vibrant and fun mix of electronic muisc - combining house, funk, soul, dub, and hip-hop. It has features ranging from Craig David, BadBadNotGood and Karriem Riggins as well as many others. It's a record that is adventurous - but also accessible and pop oriented.
Beyonce has continued to grow as an artist with her second visual album - taking more chances musically and in production and becoming more personal with her lyrics than her previous records - such as with her heritage (such as the closing track “Formation”) and her relationship with Jay-Z. I've heard some folks questioning whether these personal lyrics on the later of these two subjects is real, or some folks dismissing the album as a whole because they believe that this part is highly fabricated to create controversy / create hype. I don’t really give a shit if it is fabricated or not about what’s going on between her and Jay-Z because either way she is an extremely engaging story teller with this and her delivery of it is emotive and feels very real. There's a wide range of collaborators (ranging from The Weeknd, James Blake, Diplo, Kendrick Lamar, and Jack White) - which mostly work, but sometimes don’t (such as Jack White’s vocals and production on “Don’t Hurt Yourself”) and prevent the album from having a consistent / cohesive feel. However - the songs are tied together relatively well with the lyrics which paint a relatively coherent narrative. Although the lyrics have plenty of short-comings, her vocal delivery has enough emotion to carry them and they land well considering. Unfortunately there isn’t one version that stands up as a definitive version of the album - as the audio version excludes the transition spoken word sections and in doing so creates an album that touches less on heritage/race/culture - which I think is one of the strongest parts of the visual album. The visual album is missing some key moments (such as Kendrick Lamar’s verse) and in trying to tie these songs into a cinematic experience some songs that are a part of it feel out of place in the narrative (rather than just another song in a linked collection of songs). Despite these flaws, this is the most adventurous and bold album from Beyonce so far and I look forward to seeing her progression as an artist in the future.
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While recording Skeleton Tree Nick Cave’s 15-year-old son Arthur passed away in a tragical fall from a cliff. This obviously had a huge impact on the record which is incredibly dark - focusing largely on loss and mortality. It’s easily the greatest album of his in the last decade - as well as one of the best in singer-songwriter’s discography.
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17-Coloring Book - Chance the Rapper
An upbeat hip-hop mixtape that pushes into new territory with it’s “gospel-rap”. It’s got fun feel-good vibes, solid catchy hooks, tight production, and some great verses. His flow is relaxed and loose - but rhythmically dense and often extremely melodic. Although it is flawed (such as with some of the guest spots like Justin Beiber) - it’s his finest mixtape yet - it shows him taking more risks and continuing to grow as an artist and shows him spreading more joy than any other rapper is doing today.
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An upbeat hip-hop mixtape that pushes into new territory with it’s “gospel-rap”. It’s got fun feel-good vibes, solid catchy hooks, tight production, and some great verses. His flow is relaxed and loose - but rhythmically dense and often extremely melodic. Although it is flawed (such as with some of the guest spots like Justin Beiber) - it’s his finest mixtape yet - it shows him taking more risks and continuing to grow as an artist and shows him spreading more joy than any other rapper is doing today.
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16-The Glowing Man - Swans
The 14th Swans album is the final album of this line-up of Swans (completing the trilogy that “The Seer” and “To Be Kind” are also a part of). Like it’s predecessors it consists primarily of long form compositions and clocks in around two hours long. It is more hypnotic and subdued than their previous two albums - but still builds into higher energy primally raw grooves (such as with the title track). Gira’s vocal delivery is often mantraesque and feels like he is summoning in a ritualistic trance. The album has tracks some tracks that are clunkers (such as “When Will I Return” and “People Like Us”) - and the second half is stronger than the first which preventing it from reaching the level of perfection that the other two albums in the trilogy - but it is still a powerful finale to this incarnation of Swans.
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Swiss pianist Nik Bartsch creates trance inducing ritualistic jazz music that is hypnotic and cerebral. Their concerts can last up the 36 hours as they jam on mathy zen-funk grooves. His new release continues in that style but adds strings into the mix - giving the music more of a "serious music"/concert-music vibe. There are reworked earlier compositions on this record as well as compositions that I had not heard on previous releases. It's a more diverse record than any in his collection and one of the strongest.
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Elseq 1–5, the twelfth album by the British electronic duo Autechre, is 5 disks and over four hours long. The album exists only digitally and will not ever be released in any physical format - but the disk numbers are helpful since I would not recommend marathoning the entire album, but instead listening to one “disk” at a time to avoid listening fatigue. The album is extremely varied - ranging from more textural noise tracks, to more rhythmic/groove oriented tracks. Although rhythms will resemble patterns found in genres such as electro and hip-hop - the music is often unclassifiable. The architecture of it often feels loose and improvisational - but the textures are so detailed and rich that it’s easy to get lost in.
"I Long To See You" is the first album collaboration between Lloyd and Frisell - and although sometimes the album feels more like a Frisell record - the collaboration definitely works. The Marvels also contains bassist Reuben Rogers, drummer Eric Harland, pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz as well as guest vocalists Norah Jones and Willie Nelson. The tracks range from traditionals, the Bob Dylan tune “Masters of War”, older Lloyd tunes, and the new composition (which is the closer on the album), the 16-minute “Barché Lamsel”. Barché Lamsel is a Buddhist prayer to remove all obstacles—outer and inner and secret. It is the highlight on the album, and in Lloyd’s words, “It is a prayer for peace, a sutra for tenderness.” Lloyd proves that even at age 78 he is still searching and discovering new territory in the jazz world.
"Confessions" is a collaboration between the American composer Nico Muhly and the Faroese pop singer/songwriter Teitur. The songs on this album’s lyrics were taken from video and commentary they found on YouTube. Some of the videos that the took as the source material from YouTube were confessional in nature - hence the title of this record. When the duo toured with this project they played to these youtube videos live. Some of these confessions are quite odd and funny (such as one in which someone professes their love of the smells of his or her printer in the morning) while others are about relatively mundane things. In Muhly’s words “These are not confessions in a dirty way but more like if you went over to a friend's house 10 minutes before they expected you and you got a glimpse into something private. As a songwriter, Teitur focuses on a little detail or a little gesture, and then one can divine bigger content." In this way it brings a songwriter like Mark Kozelek to mind (such his writing on the album "Benji"). The instrumentation is an old school Baroque ensemble - such as one that you might here in the 17th century or earlier - but the music is still modern sounding in composition (especially rhythmically). Sometimes the orchestration illuminates these otherwise dull words in ways that are extremely emotive and heartbreakingly beautiful - such as on the closing song “Time to Dry”. I have never heard an album quite like Confessions - It is a strange art record but it’s simultaneously accessible and pop oriented.
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11-A Seat at the Table (Solange)
Solange Knowles is Beyonce’s younger sister - but her voice is quite unique and her music is much more subtle and laid back. Despite the chill vibes - their is a strong political message throughout album hitting on topics of racial tensions in America as well as celebration of black pride. Although it is in the vein of modern R&B/neo-soul it also feels sort of in the indie-rock realm at times as well. This record has contributions from Q-Tip, Dave Longstreth from Dirty Projectors, Andre 3000, as well as Questlove who all really help bring the psychedelic soul vibes to the table.
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Solange Knowles is Beyonce’s younger sister - but her voice is quite unique and her music is much more subtle and laid back. Despite the chill vibes - their is a strong political message throughout album hitting on topics of racial tensions in America as well as celebration of black pride. Although it is in the vein of modern R&B/neo-soul it also feels sort of in the indie-rock realm at times as well. This record has contributions from Q-Tip, Dave Longstreth from Dirty Projectors, Andre 3000, as well as Questlove who all really help bring the psychedelic soul vibes to the table.
10-The Life of Pablo - Kanye West
Kanye’s seventh album is his most raw, loosest, and most fragmented release yet - and in my opinion his most interesting release as an artist. What is perhaps even more interesting than the music on the album is the way the album was released - for the first few months after it’s release it was only available for streaming, and in those months Kanye updated the album making significant changes declaring it a "living breathing changing creative expression." These changes ranged from vocal additions, new lyrics, altered mixes, new songs, as well as other alterations. No one has ever released an album in this way - which is only now possible because of streaming (and it's something that I might adapt for my own work).
The album feels at times like a mixtape in in the varied styles and different personnel who are a part of it (ranging from producers such as Madlib and Karriem Riggins and vocalists and rappers such as Chance the Rapper, Sia, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd) - but the features all work, and although there are some weaker moments - the album still stands strongly as a whole - Despite the skeletal fragmented nature of the album - the music is cohesive in the sense that it feels like a broken puzzle that almost fits together, but is even more interesting because it doesn’t.
The album feels at times like a mixtape in in the varied styles and different personnel who are a part of it (ranging from producers such as Madlib and Karriem Riggins and vocalists and rappers such as Chance the Rapper, Sia, Kendrick Lamar, and The Weeknd) - but the features all work, and although there are some weaker moments - the album still stands strongly as a whole - Despite the skeletal fragmented nature of the album - the music is cohesive in the sense that it feels like a broken puzzle that almost fits together, but is even more interesting because it doesn’t.
Like Kanye himself has become - the album is more unpredictable, more emotionally explosive, and has less of a filter. Kanye is perhaps the most interesting character study of our generation - he is someone who has a messiah complex and not just whole heartedly embraces it - but is completely open about it. This is a man on the edge - seeing himself as a divine genius artist, but simultaneously on the brink of insanity - and (for better or worse) this is not a life-like persona - but is completely real. Although some of the subject matter he raps about is often unrelatable to most people as we can not imagine living his lifestyle (such as being upset that the bleach from a model’s asshole got on his teeshirt and ruined his teeshirt) - the music and his presence is so emotionally engaging that the listener is drawn in and feels all the feels. There’s more humor and more soul vibes in this record than we’ve been hearing since his first couple albums and this feels like the most joyful record Kanye has made since then as well. Part of that joy comes from the gospel influence on a lot of this record (such as on the opener) - and there is an overwhelming feeling of spirituality throughout the entire album, even through what we consider profane - and in that creates a duality which makes this album so conceptually fascinating.
9-On Behalf of Nature - Meredith Monk
Meredith Monk is a New York based composer, singer, film maker, choreographer, and director who has been creating multi-media work since the 1960s. She works in the concert music/"serious" music realm - using elements of minimalism and alternative voice techniques. Her vocal ensemble includes several collaborators including John Hollenbeck. Him being on board for this project definitely helps bring it to the next level since he is perhaps the greatest living arranger working in jazz right now. Her new album "On Behalf of Nature" is a poetic meditation on the environment which is chorally based is extreamly spiritual, beautiful, and sometimes bizare and bewildering - It's one of the best in her 50 year discography.
8-Old Locks And Irregular Verbs - Henry Threadgill
Threadgill is known as one of the most important composers in jazz and at age 72 he’s still pushing into new territory on “Odd Locks and Irregular Verbs” which is a tribute to Lawrence D. “Butch” Morris (the composer-conductor responsible for creating a distinctive form of conductor-led collective improvisation for large-ensemble built on a technique he called “Conduction”) who passed away in 2013.
It features Ensemble Double Up, Threadgill’s first new band to record in fifteen years - which consists of 2 pianos, 2 alto saxophones, tuba, cello, and drums. Threadgill (who is a saxophonist and flutist) doesn’t play in this ensemble and instead dedicates all of his energy to composing and sculpting the compositions.
He’s expands on the interval stuff he was doing for the last 15 years (with his previous group Zooid) and on this record gives the performers more freedom. The use of two pianos (Jason Moran and David Virgules) vastly expands the harmonic environment to one that is more polyphonic and shape-shifting. The album is one composition divided into four parts, which feels like a journey of sorts - according to Virelles, “The ensemble parts are like a maze that need to be played very precisely, with interlocking phrases throughout, keeping a very specific rhythmic, harmonic and textural relationship between all the elements.”
7-Ultimate Care II - Matmos
Matmos are an experimental electronic duo who have been at it since the 90s. They are perhaps best known for their work with Bjork (on "Vespertine" and "Medula") and for using extreamly unconventional samples (such as the snippings from surgical procedures, rats in cages, semen being ejaculated, and rhinoplasty). Their new album, "Ultimate Care II" is a one track, 38 minutes long multi-section composition based on the wash cycle of a washing machine, in which all the source material comes from a recording of a wash cycle that is manipulated. It features contributions from Dan Deacon, Jason Willett, and Horse Lords whose contributions blend seamlessly into the composition. The sounds on this record range from sampling of the sloshing sounds of the washing machine to drumming on the metal body - to sections that are sparse and more electronic where it is more difficult to hear what the exact source material was - to sections that are extremely intense and primal (such as the finale of the piece). This composition takes a machine and it's mechanical process and turns it into something that is organic and almost tribal sounding at times. It is the best experimental album of the year and the best in their discography.
6-Aziza - Aziza (Dave Holland / Chris Potter / Lionel Loueke / Eric Harland)
Dave Holland explained that the name Aziza has come from one of their songs, “Aziza Dance” written by Lionel Loueke - which in his birthplace of Benin, Africa, Aziza means a supernatural race of forest dwellers giving practical and spiritual advice - and this ensemble is centered around creating spiritual music, often influenced by music from Africa. A lot of this sound comes from Loueke because of his West African style jazz guitar playing and occasional vocals. The album features eight original compositions—two from each band member. Louke’s composition sandwich the album - and are standouts in defining the group’s original sound - the closer "Sleepless Nights" is one of my favorite cuts on the record.
This record is amazing because the musicians, compositions, and performances are all amazing - but it could have been better. This ensemble is best when they use their compositions act as a vehicle for extended improvisation (as you can hear on the centerpiece of the album “Blue Sufi”) and for that reason many of these songs were far more powerful when I saw them live at the Newport Jazz Festival. I think if they chose fewer tracks and made them more extended plays it would have provided for a stronger record. Or on a different note - even as modern as the music on this album is, the production is very traditional - the studio is just treated like a way to capture a document of these compositions in the present moment rather than using the studio as an instrument - and I think if it were approached in the way (which is more unconventional for jazz artists in this vein) it could have pushed further into something more original (although it would have required an outside force that aligned with this collective minded group’s vision). This is the most exciting new jazz ensemble in years and this debut shows that they are the real deal - looking forward to hopefully seeing this group again in the near future and to hear future releases from them.
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5-Blond(e) - Frank Ocean
I was hesitant to get into this record since it came out a day after his visual album “Endless” which absolutely infuriated me (which I mentioned on my dishonorable mentions list) - But it’s his greatest achievement so far as an artist and the best R&B album of the year. The album is more psychedelic, experimental, skeletal, and far better than his previous release “Channel Orange”. It features an impressive list of guests ranging from Jon Brion, Beyoncé, Kim Burrell (who is one of the greatest gospel singers of all time), André 3000, and James Blake - but despite the varied artists contributing, the album still feels cohesive.
It’s a record that is deeply personal and often has a stream on conscious kind of approach to the song writing (such as on the opener and closer of the record) - full of melancholy, but also often filled with beauty and euphoria. The concepts of duality and bisexuality are woven into the fabric of the record. This is not only true of the dense lyrical material - which is sometimes explicit in him speaking on his experience with as a bisexual (relationships and his feelings around the public's reaction to his coming out) and visions of duality/the cyclical nature of reality/the psychedelic nature of the strange loop (such as in "Seigreid when he sings "I've tried Hell / It's a loop... / and the other side of a loop is a loop) - but also in other elements of the record. Even the title of the album which is spelled “Blond” (the male spelling in French) on the cover and is spelled “Blonde” (the female spelling in French) in the album listing. There are also countless musical choices that reinforce this feeling of grappling with duality - such as contrasting voices oddly juxtaposed. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is in the exact middle of the record (30 minutes in - on the track "Nights") there is an unexpected drastic sonic shift in the song - and when the hook returns the second time it is harmonized completely differently over a different feel. This is by far the best thing that has come out of the Odd Future camp and will surely be a trend setter in the realm of experimental R&B.
4-Bottomless Pit - Death Grips
"Bottomless Pit" is the fifth album from experimental hip-hop outfit Death Grips who combine hip-hop with elements of punk, industrial, and noise music. "Bottomless Pit" is more of a return to the sound of their debut, “The Money Store” (it has catchy hooks but is mindbending in sound) but also utilizes the raging punk rock guitar work that we heard on "Jenny Death" (with even elements of grindcore) as well as the cerebral spastic nature of "Niggas on the Moon". However there is a far more crisp production on this record than any of their previous releases making it a brutal piece of ear candy.
This album is a record for the fans - but in a LA hardcore way. If you're unfamiliar with the origins of LA hardcore - the relationships bands had with their fans were generally the bands would try to rile up their fans by any means necessary - often actively insulting them to get a rise out of the crowd (the closing part of "The Decline of Western Civilization" of the band X's performance is a perfect example of this). Death Grips have been really good at pissing off their fans - pretending that they were going to quit/end Death Grips, cancelling shows for no apparent reason, and endlessly toying with their fans on the internet. And in this way, this record is extremely meta - sometimes it's very explicit and clear such as on "BB Poison" where they are mocking their fans on twitter - quoting specific hashtags and such. But for the most part it's far darker, more meta, and more abstract.
It'd be difficult to approach some of the lyrical matter on this album without talking about the suicide of a fan of Death Grips who left this as his suicide note:
"I am ready to take my own life. Many bad experiences led me to this dark void that I am locked in. Maybe by my own hands? I don't really care anymore. I just wanted to say thank you for showing me the other side. the side that is locked away deep inside a person. I am mad. Mad all the time and depressed all the time. I can't take it. I'm not afraid of dying but i am afraid that I can't hear DG in the after life if there is such a thing. I don't know, but I hope your music transcends to the unknown. A place where DG's essence exists. A place where art exists. I love art. That's the one thing that kept me alive this long. So just to ease minds, DG didn't "influence" me to do this. this is my own fucking choice. but thanks for making my life a little better. you're my absolute fave and I will fight the gods if they don't allow me to follow DG's efforts can't see Earth. Anyways, continue doing great things. I love you Stefan, Zach, and Andy.
I will be watching.
-AJJ"
At Lollapalloza when Death Grips decided not to show up for their set, they had this email projected on the backdrop and played their CD on a CD player. Their fans were outraged and decided to destroy the equipment. Anyway - this suicide note is subtly referenced on the album and is an undercurrent on a lot of the lyrical material (such as on the opening track "I Keep Giving Bad People Good Ideas"). This song and the album as a whole is primarily about how art/music can corrupt the viewer/listener - and Death Grips play with the concept that as you are listening to this record, it is happening to you.
The title of the album "Bottomless Pit" is a reference to Charles Manson's shelter/hideout cave in Death Valley. He told his followers that this was the actual cave from the book of revelations and that they would find a lost city of gold there where they would go to later emerge after a global war destroyed almost all of civilization. This war he said would be based on racial tensions between blacks and whites which is a scenerio he called "Helter Skelter" (which is mentioned by MC Ride in the song"Spikes"). The title track which is the closer on the album is lyrically the most distrubing and violent sexually (which is of course MC Ride speaking metaphorically to his listeners) - while musically the most triumphant and even joyous (even in a major key). It plays with the fact that Death Grips have developed a cult following who are at their command - and subtly plays with the idea of mass murder/group suicide - although the lyrics are extremely twisted and often graphic, in my opinion MC Ride is speaking metaphorically - on the death of the ego. Conceptually this record is one of the most disturbing mind-fucks I have ever experienced - it takes the lyrical approach of Hip-Hop battle rap, the philosophy of nihilism, the attitude of LA Hardcore, and the insanity of cult leaders and packages it into a 40 minute sonic assault.
Check out the most apathetic and chilled out cut from the album, "Eh":
This album is a record for the fans - but in a LA hardcore way. If you're unfamiliar with the origins of LA hardcore - the relationships bands had with their fans were generally the bands would try to rile up their fans by any means necessary - often actively insulting them to get a rise out of the crowd (the closing part of "The Decline of Western Civilization" of the band X's performance is a perfect example of this). Death Grips have been really good at pissing off their fans - pretending that they were going to quit/end Death Grips, cancelling shows for no apparent reason, and endlessly toying with their fans on the internet. And in this way, this record is extremely meta - sometimes it's very explicit and clear such as on "BB Poison" where they are mocking their fans on twitter - quoting specific hashtags and such. But for the most part it's far darker, more meta, and more abstract.
It'd be difficult to approach some of the lyrical matter on this album without talking about the suicide of a fan of Death Grips who left this as his suicide note:
"I am ready to take my own life. Many bad experiences led me to this dark void that I am locked in. Maybe by my own hands? I don't really care anymore. I just wanted to say thank you for showing me the other side. the side that is locked away deep inside a person. I am mad. Mad all the time and depressed all the time. I can't take it. I'm not afraid of dying but i am afraid that I can't hear DG in the after life if there is such a thing. I don't know, but I hope your music transcends to the unknown. A place where DG's essence exists. A place where art exists. I love art. That's the one thing that kept me alive this long. So just to ease minds, DG didn't "influence" me to do this. this is my own fucking choice. but thanks for making my life a little better. you're my absolute fave and I will fight the gods if they don't allow me to follow DG's efforts can't see Earth. Anyways, continue doing great things. I love you Stefan, Zach, and Andy.
I will be watching.
-AJJ"
At Lollapalloza when Death Grips decided not to show up for their set, they had this email projected on the backdrop and played their CD on a CD player. Their fans were outraged and decided to destroy the equipment. Anyway - this suicide note is subtly referenced on the album and is an undercurrent on a lot of the lyrical material (such as on the opening track "I Keep Giving Bad People Good Ideas"). This song and the album as a whole is primarily about how art/music can corrupt the viewer/listener - and Death Grips play with the concept that as you are listening to this record, it is happening to you.
The title of the album "Bottomless Pit" is a reference to Charles Manson's shelter/hideout cave in Death Valley. He told his followers that this was the actual cave from the book of revelations and that they would find a lost city of gold there where they would go to later emerge after a global war destroyed almost all of civilization. This war he said would be based on racial tensions between blacks and whites which is a scenerio he called "Helter Skelter" (which is mentioned by MC Ride in the song"Spikes"). The title track which is the closer on the album is lyrically the most distrubing and violent sexually (which is of course MC Ride speaking metaphorically to his listeners) - while musically the most triumphant and even joyous (even in a major key). It plays with the fact that Death Grips have developed a cult following who are at their command - and subtly plays with the idea of mass murder/group suicide - although the lyrics are extremely twisted and often graphic, in my opinion MC Ride is speaking metaphorically - on the death of the ego. Conceptually this record is one of the most disturbing mind-fucks I have ever experienced - it takes the lyrical approach of Hip-Hop battle rap, the philosophy of nihilism, the attitude of LA Hardcore, and the insanity of cult leaders and packages it into a 40 minute sonic assault.
-itunes-
Check out the most apathetic and chilled out cut from the album, "Eh":
3-We Got it From Here....Thank you 4 Your Service - A Tribe Called Quest
“We Got it From Here....Thank you 4 Your Service” is the sixth Tribe Called Quest album - their first since 1998, and their best since 1993. It features the entire group with the exceptions of the group's DJ, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, who was occupied producing the Luke Cage soundtrack with Adrian Younge. Despite passing away several months before the album’s release, Phife Dawg (one of the two main rappers) is still a part of this record as well as frequently given tribute by the other members of the group. Jarobi White, the fourth, and often, unheard member of A Tribe Called Quest steps up as lead emcee for the first time on this final album. It’s the first time hearing him since the groups 1990 debut, since he quit Tribe to pursue his love for cooking. Because of this I was initially worried he wouldn’t hold his own - but Jarobi delivers on this final Tribe album. The album also features guest appearances from folks like André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Jack White, Kanye West, Consequence and Busta Rhymes.
Q-Tip is the leader of the project and producer on the album - and his growth as an artist since the group’s last album is very clear on this. Musically many tracks resembles some of his under-rated jazz oriented work on “Kamal the Abstract” - both harmonically and in groove - but with catchier hooks that you’d more expect to hear from a Tribe record. One clear example of this is the song “Melatonin” which features a stacked fifths instrumental riff that plays with odd groupings. The record is often experimental sonically with the production such as on “Solid Wall of Sound” and the Radioheadeque texture on the beginning of “Ego”. There is a strong influence of reggae and dub on some tracks such as “Black Spasmodic” and “The Donald” - the later which is one of the most soulful Tribe grooves in their discography and some of their most psychedelic dubby production. In the 16 track, hour long run-time the album covers a diverse, but cohesive array of sounds and moods - ranging from the beautiful and reflective beat of “Lost Somebody” to more joyful tracks like “This Generation” which is an ode to the future of hip hop and youth of today. This album honors the classic tribe vibes and makes references to older material (such as the “Bonita Applebum” sample in “Enough!”) while still creating something aseptically unique and modern. And as one last interesting side-note - the end of this record makes their discography a loop - as it ends with tribute to the recently deceased Phife Dog- with his name being the last word spoken on the album - while the first song on Tribe’s first album begins baby being born and the first words you hear after that is Q-Tip (the other main rapper in the group). This record holds up to Tribe’s greatest albums, and even after all this time, Tribe were able to come back and deliver the best Hip-Hop album of the year.
Q-Tip is the leader of the project and producer on the album - and his growth as an artist since the group’s last album is very clear on this. Musically many tracks resembles some of his under-rated jazz oriented work on “Kamal the Abstract” - both harmonically and in groove - but with catchier hooks that you’d more expect to hear from a Tribe record. One clear example of this is the song “Melatonin” which features a stacked fifths instrumental riff that plays with odd groupings. The record is often experimental sonically with the production such as on “Solid Wall of Sound” and the Radioheadeque texture on the beginning of “Ego”. There is a strong influence of reggae and dub on some tracks such as “Black Spasmodic” and “The Donald” - the later which is one of the most soulful Tribe grooves in their discography and some of their most psychedelic dubby production. In the 16 track, hour long run-time the album covers a diverse, but cohesive array of sounds and moods - ranging from the beautiful and reflective beat of “Lost Somebody” to more joyful tracks like “This Generation” which is an ode to the future of hip hop and youth of today. This album honors the classic tribe vibes and makes references to older material (such as the “Bonita Applebum” sample in “Enough!”) while still creating something aseptically unique and modern. And as one last interesting side-note - the end of this record makes their discography a loop - as it ends with tribute to the recently deceased Phife Dog- with his name being the last word spoken on the album - while the first song on Tribe’s first album begins baby being born and the first words you hear after that is Q-Tip (the other main rapper in the group). This record holds up to Tribe’s greatest albums, and even after all this time, Tribe were able to come back and deliver the best Hip-Hop album of the year.
-spotify-
-itunes-
2-Moon Shaped Pool - Radiohead
The other main shift on this album is Thom’s approach as a songwriter - which largely stems from his recent separation from his partner of almost 25 years. While it isn’t purely a break-up album - It approaches heartbreak in my favorite way - where it confuses heartbreak with the apocalypse and the apocalypse with heartbreak - but also taps into dread and paranoia of the current state of the world (such as on “Burn the Witch”), seamlessly switching between the extremely personal and the universal in a cohesive but abstract narrative filled with existential anxiety and the psychedelic nature of loss of meaning. The lyrics often also seem more spiritual in nature (such as on “Daydreaming” and “Desert Island Disk”). The closer on the album “True Love Waits” (which Thom had been performing as a solo acoustic song for the last 20 years) is heartbreakingly beautiful in this context and Greenwood’s orchestration and Nigel’s production bring this song to a new level that was previously unimaginable and it easily one of Radiohead’s greatest ballads. This record pushes the band into uncharted territory and is an essential listen for any Radiohead fan and any fan of art-oriented rock music.
-spotify-
-website-
1-Blackstar - David Bowie
David Bowie’s final album is one of his greatest works, and is easily his greatest album in over 35 years (since 1980’s “Scary Monsters”). The lyrics primarily deal with Bowie’s then imminent death (he died two days after the album was released) - his processing of his own passing, his legacy that he’s leaving behind, and the nature of mortality. The lyrics are cryptic but often very personal and real. The band backing Bowie on the album is the jazz ensemble is Donny McCaslin’s group (which consists of Donny McCaslin on flute, saxophone, and woodwinds, Jason Lindner on the keys, Tim Lefebvre on bass, Mark Guiliana on drums) who released the album “Beyond Now” this year (which is also on this list), as well as “Fast Futures” which I mentioned in my top 50 of last year. The album also features some great guitar playing by one of my favorite guitar players, Ben Monder. The musicians that Bowie chose to back him on this record never get in the way and really support Bowie’s vision of the album.
Bowie mentioned that he had been listening to a lot of Kendrick and Death Grips which served as inspiration for this record - the Kendrick comparison is the easiest to draw musically since he is being backed by amazing jazz musicians, but where Bowie is paving new territory here is that this is the first time that new jazz musicians have been used in an alternative-rock context (rather than a hip hop context) - bringing the album into a new cross section of genres. It took me a while to hear the Death Grips connection - and it’s one that’s hard for me to articulate - but lyrically is the easiest place to see how this inspiration shaped this album, especially on “Girl Loves Me” which uses Polari (British gay-culture slang) and Nadsat (a fictional language created by Anthony Burgess in “A Clockwork Orange”) in its lyrics. And as Death Grips and as with other records that deal with death this year (such as “Skeleton Tree” and “You Want it Darker”) - I think it will make a lot of people uncomfortable - as great art/music/film can do: it transports you into it - it breaks your preconception of your identity/sense of self - and being transported into the window of a man on the brink of death is intense and further amplifies this phenomenon for folks who are willing to let themselves be lost in it.
There has never been an album like Backstar - but I’m sure that there will be many that follow the path that it has begun (as many Bowie albums have in the past). This is not only a landmark album for Bowie and a perfect swan song - but also a landmark album for the genre of rock music.
Much love,
<3
MORE LISTS:
-Honorable Mentions 2016
-Top EPs 2016
-Dishonorable Mentions 2016
-Top Albums 2015
-Top Albums 2014
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