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Number I Don't Know to Number Who Cares?
2016 was a strange listening year for me. I heard lots more music, probably, than in any other year since I started with CoolDad Music. Maybe it was because of that, or maybe it was for other reasons; but it feels like I went into real depth on fewer albums than I have in the past. Looking at the list I've put together here, it also seems like my listening may have narrowed in scope -- if you can even believe that's possible -- a bit.
Oh well. I never claimed to be the authority on what was good in any given year. Consider this the long-form answer to, "So. What have you been listening to lately?" which is a question that almost always stumps me in real time. It's so weird.
I'm sure Beyoncé was great. And Solange. And Radiohead. But I, honestly, spent no time with them this year. Something for me to do over the holidays, I guess.
Here are the albums that I did spend time with in 2016. Maybe you'll find something you didn't hear that you'd like to check out. As usual, this is in no particular order; but I'll lead off with a strong contender for my favorite album of 2016.
Dentist, Ceilings
Let's be lazy for a second. From my criminally late review of Ceilings back in August:
"CoolDad Music wouldn't be what it is today without Dentist. They've helped me hone my photography skills. They've let me make videos for them, and they continue to make music that inspires me. You can see all that and say, "Yeah. So of course he's gonna say he loves their record." That's probably true; but, if you trust me at all, you should give it a listen. I think you may like it, too."
So yeah. There's that. But, on its own, Ceilings is a great record that expertly blends pop, surf, and punk into something modern and accessible. Justin Bornemann's guitar can get pretty aggressive at times here, which is a sweet counterpoint to Emily Bornemann's airy vocal.
I often make a distinction between albums that are objectively "good" and albums that I just listen to all the time. Ceilings fits comfortably into both categories. No problem.
Favorite tracks: "Meet You There (In Delaware)," "Over and Over," "You Say," "You're a Bore"
Beach Slang, A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings
James Alex of Beach Slang threads the needle. He's a grown-up dad who writes melodramatic punk youth anthems. One, tiny whiff indicating a lack of authenticity and the whole thing comes tumbling down. But, the thing is, that's who James Alex really is. Most of us still have that 16-year-old version of ourselves lurking beneath the socially acceptable layers piled on by adulthood, and James Alex and Beach Slang show you that it's ok -- even necessary -- to let that kid out every once in a while.
Favorite tracks: "Future Mixtape for the Art Kids," "Spin the Dial," "Punks in a Disco Bar"
High Waisted, On Ludlow
Retro and reverby with to-die-for guitar sounds and the bell-like voice of Jessica Louise Dye, On Ludlow is one of the records from 2016 that I keep coming back to again and again -- late-night drives back from Asbury, long days in the home office. The surfy sounds of a bygone era. There isn't much here that hasn't been done before, but High Waisted do it so brilliantly. This album became -- and remains -- a 2016 obsession for me.
Favorite tracks: "Party in the Back," "Shithead," "Door," "Hey Hey"
Lowlight, Where Do We Go from Here
There's Classic Rock and there's classic rock. Where Do We Go from Here fits squarely into the latter category without any of the baggage associated with the former. Renee Maskin, Colin Ryan, Derril Sellers, Dana Sellers, and Rey Rivera shed the country or alt-folk label that people keep trying to slap on them and deliver a pretty straightforward American rock record. Well, even that's not fair. The songwriting and the sounds on Where Do We Go from Here lift the album above anything that can be called "straightforward."
Favorite tracks: "Where Do We Go from Here," "Bones," "Motel Chronicles," "'86 Parisienne"
Outer Spaces, A Shedding Snake
I wrote a really weird review of this album when it came out and got the following comment on the blog: "Not to be disrespectful, but is this a review or an entry in your life journal?"
"Yes," was my answer.
So, I'd like to thank Outer Spaces for not only the beautiful southern-inflected, indie / Americana sounds of A Shedding Snake but also for inspiring me to keep things personal and real around here. Cara Beth Satalino's songs soundtracked a hazy, early summer video in my head; and they shaped CoolDad Music for a good part of 2016.
Favorite tracks: "I Saw You," "I Was Divided," "Born Enemy," "Heavy Stone Poem"
Bueno, Illuminate Your Room
Displaying influences from icons like Lou Reed and Pavement, Bueno's Illuminate Your Room is a weird and wild soundtrack to life in the big city. Frontman Luke Chiaruttini talk-sings his way through songs that give off the pulsing vibe of New York. There's something off here, something a little bit not-quite-right; and it makes for an intriguing listen.
Favorite tracks: "I Got Your Back," "Oh Lord I'm Confused," "Eye on the Cards"
Rosebug, Worst Way
In my review of Worst Way, I mentioned that it was one of the albums of 2016 that pulled me in for a deeper listen. The album swings between post-punk and dream pop. It even has moments of singer-songwriter-y introspection. It's held together, though, by the theme of the all-consuming nature of attraction and relationships along with the voice of Becca Chodorkoff.
Favorite tracks: "Hello," "I Am the One," "Sundowner"
Japanese Breakfast, Psychopomp
Let's stay with dream pop for a second. Throw in, maybe, a little shoegaze and some moving sentiments about a recently lost parent, and you have this short gem of a record.
Allyson Dwyer wrote back in April:
"I kind of don't want to gush too much, but let's just say I demanded that CoolDad let me write this review. And now, as I write it, I find myself unable to really articulate what it is about the music -- beyond, "yeah, it's my 'thing'" -- that drew me in. But sometimes you just hear something. It clicks, and you just sense something within it that speaks your language. Which explains why the 25 minutes fly by every time, and I replay it once more."
She's not kidding. She begged me.
Favorite tracks: "In Heaven," "Everybody Wants to Love You," "Heft"
Roy Orbitron, Girls' Boyfriends
Having your heart broken by your "one-in-a-million." Dreams of leaving New Jersey for New Orleans. Thoughts of giving up and just allowing yourself to drown. Roy Orbitron mastermind, Conor Meara, lays everything on the line in a way and with a sound like nobody else. He does a lot of things like nobody else actually. I mean, who else surprise releases an album they've toiled and sweated over for a year in the middle of a random Sunday afternoon?
Favorite tracks: "Domestic Use (Oh, Nettie!)," "Swimmer's Ear," "Fuck College"
Dead Stars, Bright Colors
I remember discovering Brooklyn's Dead Stars when Allyson Dwyer messaged me about a video she saw on Brooklyn Vegan or something. "Seems like your kinda thing." It certainly was. Dead Stars play around with fuzz and noise and glide guitar all in the service of some very catchy pop. If you were to open a recipe book and look up the recipe for "CoolDad's Favorite Stuff," those would pretty much be the ingredients. Bright Colors is more of what I loved about 2014's Slumber, and it's another one of those easy goto records for me.
Favorite tracks: "Calm Punk," "In My Mind," "Unpopular"
Very Fresh, Hey, It's Me!
Rooted in the sounds of 90s indie rock, this 5-song EP from Very Fresh veers between sweet and snide as it deals with growing up and living up to expectations. I could hear much of this being handled in acoustic, singer-songwriter fashion; but Cindy Lou Gooden opts for the rock and roll approach and it works.
Favorite tracks: "California Low," "Schedule IV"
Lost Boy ?, Goose Wazoo
Lost Boy ?'s Davey Jones makes lo-fi garage pop. But there's more to it than that. Lost Boy ? songs reflect the weird goings on inside Jones's brain -- from talking chickens to blob detectives to intrusive thoughts to replaying embarrassing moments over and over. I mean, have you seen his brain?? It's that quirkiness that takes Goose Wazoo someplace interesting, someplace where rock music has personality and wit.
Favorite tracks: "Born 2 Lose," "Pimple Sith," "It Before"
Paper Streets, Simple Silver Stars
Each successive release from Paper Streets has brought them closer to what I always knew they could be. With their Simple Silver Stars EP, I think they may have gotten there. Mitch Easter -- who recorded some of the most important music in the world to me -- worked with the guys; and, while things may sound slightly more subdued than before, the feeling is still there. This is jangly, dreamy indie pop that often has a sense of tension and angst just beneath the surface.
Favorite tracks: "Once More with Feeling," "Freddy's Dead"
Bad Moves, Bad Moves
This DC-area super group makes punky power pop, and they do it so well. When I came across this EP, I listened to it for about two weeks straight, and it's still in heavy rotation. Something about talking about the general shittiness of the world in the form of two- and three-minute pop songs is irresistible to me.
Favorite tracks: "Shitty Tomorrow," "Get Slow"
Parquet Courts, Human Performance
In my little capsule review of this record about a week and a half ago, I made the pronouncement that I thought that Parquet Courts were an "important" band. That's such a dumb thing to say, but it's true. There are a lot of influences in Parquet Courts' music that are easy to pick out, but I think this New York 4-piece -- like a lot of bands in this round-up -- are showing that there are still places that guitar-based rock music can go before we declare it old and tired and out of ideas.
Favorite tracks: "Human Performance," "I Was Just Here," "Captive of the Sun," "One Man No City"
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