B&C's 2016 Albums of the Year AKA End of Times Soundtrack

[Axver]

5) Yumi Zouma - Yoncalla (8)

Good, I'm not the only one.

Fucking shattered I couldn't go to their (free! just up the road from my place!) launch show in Melbourne because of a clash with another gig I already had tickets to.

 

[gump]

I've been a bit OOTL here lately, but I did manage to get a list together, am I still good to submit it?

Perfect timing.

I'll close it at noon tomorrow, in case anyone else is thinking of submitting.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[phanan]

1) Shearwater - Jetplane and Oxbow (10)



2) Preoccupations - Preoccupations (9)



3) David Bowie - Blackstar (9)



4) Chairlift - Moth (8)



5) Yumi Zouma - Yoncalla (8)



6) Sunflower Bean – Human Ceremony (7)



7) Common – Black America Again (7)



8) Bat for Lashes – The Bride (7)



9) St. Lucia - Matter (6)



10) Daughter - Not to Disappear (6)



11) Blood Orange – Freetown Sound (6)



12) Wild Nothing – Life of Pause (5)



13) Kanye West – The Life of Pablo (5)



14) Solange – A Seat at the Table (4)



15) Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial (3)

I was beginning to wonder if anyone else liked the Shearwater album as much as I did.

I'll get a list in shortly.

 

[phanan]

B&C's 2016 Albums of the Year AKA End of Times Soundtrack

1. Shearwater - Jet Plane And Oxbow (13)

2. Alcest - Kodama (12)

3. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool (11)

4. Russian Circles - Guidance (10)

5. Car Seat Headrest - Teens Of Denial (9)

6. Tegan & Sara - Love You To Death (8)

7. Memoryhouse - Soft Hate (8)

8. Explosions In The Sky - The Wilderness - (7)

9. Bon Iver - 22, A Million (5)

10. Carly Rae Jepsen - Side B (4)

11. Kanye West - The Life Of Pablo (4)

12. Sia - This Is Acting (3)

13. Lucius - Good Grief (3)

14. St. Lucia - Matter (2)

15. David Bowie - Blackstar (1)

 

[No spoken words]

I was beginning to wonder if anyone else liked the Shearwater album as much as I did.

I won't be making a list, but, I liked that album a lot, too.

 

[Axver]

2. Alcest - Kodama (12)

Knew I could count on you.

I'm surprised you rate the new Tegan & Sara album though. If I want to listen to Heartthrob, I'll listen to Heartthrob. And if I want to listen to its b-sides, I'll listen to Guilty As Charged / Running on Empty. Apart from Stop Desire, I was quite let down by Love You to Death.

 

[cobl04]

Runnin' on empty (runnin' on)
Runnin' blind (runnin' on)
Runnin' into the sun but I'm runnin' behind

 

[phanan]

Knew I could count on you.



I'm surprised you rate the new Tegan & Sara album though. If I want to listen to Heartthrob, I'll listen to Heartthrob. And if I want to listen to its b-sides, I'll listen to Guilty As Charged / Running on Empty. Apart from Stop Desire, I was quite let down by Love You to Death.

I figured by its lack of appearances here that others felt the same way, but I thought it was solid, just below Heartthrob.

 

[u2popmofo]

I won't be making a list, but, I liked that album a lot, too.

Same, though I may end up making a list. I probably won't. I don't know. Life is complicated.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

I was looking forward to lurking on lists by mofo and NSW. Even if they don't count for the thread, I'm curious what y'all were into this year that I may have missed.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[martha]

Same, though I may end up making a list. I probably won't. I don't know. Life is complicated.

Did you come through the storms ok?

 

[gump]

Just make a list, guys. I'm extending this until tomorrow night in order to get your submissions


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[Mack_Again]

1
2. Alcest - Kodama (12)

god Ax or I wasn't alone in this.

 

[cobl04]

Just make a list, guys. I'm extending this until tomorrow night in order to get your submissions


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

yeah, right. come the fuck on. stop talking about it and get ur lists in.

 

[u2popmofo]

I'll slap one together tonight, hope y'all like Riff Raff.

 

[cobl04]

It's RiFF RAFF, you fucking idiot


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[lazarus]

I'll slap one tonight

Your proclivities with prostitutes are of little interest to this forum, sir.

 

[intedomine]

1. Nick Cave & Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree (14)

Ever the marvellous lyricist, the words are even more compelling given Cave’s personal tragedy.

But the songs are just immensely gorgeous. Rings of Saturn my favourite, followed by Girl in Amber and I Need You. Sublime.



2. David Bowie – Blackstar (13)

See above – context adds a whole new level to the listening experience. How I wish that I found time to give this a spin in the 48 hours or so before Bowie died.

The album made me revisit so many of his albums in the months to come, but this is awesome in its own right. Girl Loves Me is my favourite, followed by Lazarus and I Can’t Give Everything Away



3. Preoccupations - Preoccupations (11)

This post-punk effort had all the ingredients of something that I’d like. It’s stellar all the way through, full of intensity. The front half is particularly stacked with Memory probably the standout with Monotony and Anxiety close behind.



4. Rihanna – Anti (9)

Always a sucker for Rihanna’s vocal, this album is particularly exciting to me because there are so many versions of her on here. Takes a few listens to digest as a full album. Contrary to others, I would have liked “Bitch Better Have My Money” to be included. Kiss It Better is my standout, followed by James Joint, Needed Me, Never Ending.



5. Kanye West – The Life of Pablo (9)

I wouldn’t say that “I miss the old Kanye”, but not quite on par with Yeezus or Dark Twisted Fantasy. Almost purchased a ticket to see him in Sacramento late last year (I just happened to be in the city at the time). Lucky I didn’t! No More Parties in LA my favourite, Real Friends , Father Stretch My Hands and FML are other peaks.



6. DMAs – Hill’s End (9)

Good fun, this one. Blend of Stone Roses and Oasis, with a knack for a good hook and the latest ‘lad’ look. Originally a kind of novelty live act, but it seems that that wider recognition following the release of this album is beginning to sanitise them a bit. Play it Out, Let Down and Melbourne are my faves.



7. Underworld - Barbara, Barbara, We Face A Shining Future (9)

Well worthwhile if you generally like the type of electronica that comes out of Britain. Love Hyde’s vocal throughout. I Exhale and If Rah are an exhilarating way to kick things off and it doesn’t really ease up aside from Santiago Cuatro, which is a really beautiful interlude



8. Wild Beasts – Boy King (8)

Wild Beasts are relentlessly consistent, and have come a long way since “Hooting and Howling”. This album is particularly synth-heavy, but each song has a capacity to resonate well after you’ve finished listening to the song. Celestial Creatures and 2BU are probably my favourites.



9. Danny Brown – Atrocity Exhibition (6)

This idea of hip hop as post punk triggered my interest in Atrocity Exhibition only about a month back and I’m pretty blown away by this. I’m struggling to really get a grip on what all of this is about (lyrically in particular), but both the production and Danny Brown’s energy is tremendous. Could rise, with time. Tell Me What I don’t Know, Really Doe and When It Rain have especially grabbed my attention.



10. Courteeners - Mapping the Rendezvous (3)

Britpop-revivalists, I suppose. Liam Fray thinks he’s Noel Gallagher, but probably has a better voice and better lyrics. There are a couple of blundering ballads, but it’s the pop-rockers and the 17th (which is my most repeated song of 2016) that have kept me happy.



11. Merchandise – A Corpse Wired For Sound (3)

This is nowhere near as good as previous album “After The End”, but still pretty good. Lead single Flower of Sex hinted at something particularly great, but the album probably didn’t follow through with that song’s high standard. Right back to the Start and Lonesome Sound are quite good as well. Would love to check this mob out live.



12. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool (3)

8 months or so on, and probably my least favourite Radiohead album since Pablo Honey. Saved by the opening duo of Burn the Witch and the incredible Daydreaming, which for me, is the best one-two start to a Radiohead album since Ok Computer, I haven’t found myself revisiting this as much as I might have liked or anticipated. I hope this changes with time, but the rest of the album, bar Ful Stop and Tinker Tailor, are just not exciting me that much... yet.



13. Kendrick Lamar – Untitled, Unmastered (1)

To Pimp A Butterfly was one of my most listened to albums this year and one of this century’s masterpieces, so naturally I endeavoured to check out this follow-up. It’s ok, but I can see why these didn’t make the cut. The sequence from Untitled 2 to 5 is pretty great though.



14. Travis – Everything at Once (1)

As a follower of the band, I was always going to buy into this. It’s standard Travis, nothing new.. a pleasant mix of happy-go-lucky pop-rock songs and the fragile, floaty, pretty ballads that get me every time. 3 Miles High, What Will Come and Idlewild are my favourites.



15. Jagwar Mar – Every Now and Then (1)

Cottoned on to this one quite late, but this is fun psych-pop rock that is easy to please. Checking them out at Laneway in a couple of weeks. Expecting them to deliver some good festival vibes with tracks like Batter Up and Say What You Feel .

 

[Axver]

DMAs, really? Them and Violent Soho are what's wrong with mainstream Aussie rock at the moment. God did they draw some shithouse fans to last year's Laneway.

 

[LemonMelon]

I did not like Boy King, which is strange because I've loved everything else they ever put out. The new, more mainstream dance direction just does not work for me at all.

Nice to see Preoccupations and Atrocity Exhibition pick up some points at the end though

 

[u2popmofo]

1 Radiohead A Moon Shaped Pool 11
2 Shearwater Jetplane and Oxbow 10
3 DIIV Is The Is Are 10
4 White Lung Paradise 10
5 Mogwai Atomic 10
6 Mitski Puberty 2 10
7 Explosions in the Sky The Wilderness 8
8 Okkervil River Away 8
9 Rob Crow’s Gloomy Place You’re Doomed. Be Nice. 5
10 The Hotelier Goodness 4
11 A Tribe Called Quest We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service 4
12 Wild Nothing Life of Pause 3
13 Whitney Light Upon the Lake 3
14 Bon Iver 22, A Million 2
15 Carseat Headrest Teens of Denial 2

EDIT: Interference does not like spreadsheet formatting....or at least MY spreadsheet formatting...

 

[Axver]

9 Rob Crow’s Gloomy Place You’re Doomed. Be Nice. 5
10 The Hotelier Goodness 4

Good man.

That Rob Crow album feels almost like a Pinback album in all but name to me.

 

[u2popmofo]

Good man.

That Rob Crow album feels almost like a Pinback album in all but name to me.

Agreed, I probably would have rated it higher if I had more time to think about it. Possibly my favorite thing he's done since Summer in Abaddon.

 

[gump]

Alright folks, thank you for all your lists. I will now finish counting the votes, check for hanging chads, and release the results tonight.

 

[lazarus]

Unfortunately, our attempt to suppress voter turnout in Oceania was unsuccessful.

 

[gump]

Unfortunately, our attempt to suppress voter turnout in Oceania was unsuccessful.

We need to start screaming "voter fraud" in preparation for Australian disenfranchisement in the 2017 poll.

Some statistics before we start later today:

- 20 lists were submitted in total.

- 130 albums were included in these lists.

- 80 albums received only one vote.

- 57 albums received at least 10 points in total.

- The most frequently voted album was included in 16 of the 20 lists.

- The least frequently voted album that made it to the top-10 was included in only 4 lists.

- Albums with the most points outside of the top-30: Okkervil River - Away, Beyoncé - Lemonade (I’m disappointed in you, B&C).

- There were no 1 vote/15 points albums this time around. The closest were 1 vote/13 points for Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas - Mariner, Steve Gunn - Eyes on the Lines, and Vektor - Terminal Redux.

- Highest number of 1 vote albums in a single list was 9. I won’t name names.

 

[Lancemc]

Because Lemonade isn't very good.

 

[LemonMelon]

Lemonade is fine, it's just overhyped.

 

[iron yuppie]

Also that Shearwater album is going to have the strongest 11th hour run of anything on these lists ever.

 

[nielsgov]

If there ever was a middling album, it's that one...

Sent from my H60-L04 using U2 Interference mobile app