Best Albums of (the first 1/2 of) 2016

[UndKeineZwEier]

2016 is over halfway through. So let's discuss our favorite albums from the first half of the year.

In no particular order:

Blackstar - David Bowie
Bloodiest - Bloodiest
The Glowing Man - Swans
Adore Life - Savages
IV - Black Mountain
A Moon Shaped Pool - Radiohead
Lost Themes II - John Carpenter
Minor Victories - Minor Victories
Tired of Tomorrow - Nothing
Old Locks and Irregular Verbs - Henry Threadgill

[fortysixand2]

Swans - The Glowing Man
Deftones - Gore
Mamiffer - The World Unseen
Melvins - Three Men and a Baby
Future - Purple Reign
Sumac - What One Becomes

[hellboy]

Not sure I'm willing to commit any of these the a best of list (it's also pretty incomplete, since I haven't kept good records of what I've listened to this year), but albums I've enjoyed so far this year:

PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project
Wrong - Wrong
Deftones - Gore
Graves at Sea - The Curse That Is
Gojira - Magma
Nails - You Will Never Be One Of Us
Beastwars - The Death Of All Things
Weekend Nachos - Apology

[UndKeineZwEier]

I should check out that Graves At Sea album. I remember liking the first single.

[Calfium Jay]

New Swans is terrible.

[hellboy]

Terrible is pretty harsh, uninspiring is more the word I'd use. It just sounds like then going through the motions. Certainly won't be anywhere near my best of lists.

[Calfium Jay]

1. Kanye West - The Life Of Pablo
2. Prurient - Unknown Rains
3. Imperial Triumphant - Inceste
4. Mammifer - The World Unseen
5. Autechre - Elseq 1-5
6. Venetian Snares - Traditional Synthesizer Music
7. Ulver - ATGCLVLSSCAP
8. Vatican Shadow - Media In The Service Of Terror
9. Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - Cognition / Observation
10. CFCF - On Vacation
11. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
12. Sissy Spacek - Disfathom
13. Death Kneel - Under The Roman Clamour

[Calfium Jay]

Terrible is pretty harsh, uninspiring is more the word I'd use. It just sounds like then going through the motions. Certainly won't be anywhere near my best of lists.

Yes. It just sounds like crap culled from the cutting room floor during the sessions for their last album. Absolutely devoid of harmony, melody or even purpose. The worst Swans album I've ever heard and I've heard them all.

[hellboy]

Absolutely devoid of harmony, melody or even purpose.

I feel that way about most Swans albums to be honest.

[Bill Hilly]

1. Kanye West - The Life Of Pablo
2. Prurient - Unknown Rains
3. Imperial Triumphant - Inceste
4. Mammifer - The World Unseen
5. Autechre - Elseq 1-5
6. Venetian Snares - Traditional Synthesizer Music
7. Ulver - ATGCLVLSSCAP
8. Vatican Shadow - Media In The Service Of Terror
9. Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe - Cognition / Observation
10. CFCF - On Vacation
11. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
12. Sissy Spacek - Disfathom
13. Death Kneel - Under The Roman Clamour

Must be a bad year in music for Calfium if he has to contradict himself. How in the gigantic fuck do you have Radiohead in your best albums list?

[Bill Hilly]

David Bowie - Blackstar
Radiohead - AMSP
Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth
Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered
Snarky Puppy - Culcha Vulcha
The Claypool Lennon Delirium - Monolith of Phobos
DJ Shadow - The Mountain Will Fall

[hellboy]

Must be a bad year in music for Calfium if he has to contradict himself. How in the gigantic fuck do you have Radiohead in your best albums list?

Did he? I seem to remember him saying he thought it was alright

[Bill Hilly]

He deleted his post in that thread. He posted about the album closely around the time that he shat on their entire catalog, minus Hail to the Thief and Amnesiac. I do recall that he did comment about liking the 2 tracks that came out prior. Maybe a change of heart? It is a grower.

[Calfium Jay]

Must be a bad year in music for Calfium if he has to contradict himself. How in the gigantic fuck do you have Radiohead in your best albums list?

I already wrote about this. I said the new one took me by surprise completely considering I didn't think much of their old stuff. Wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened.I don't hate them...just don't get excited by them.

[Calfium Jay]

He deleted his post in that thread.

I've never deleted a post on this forum in all the time I've been here.


see...

New track is much better than the first. Getting a good vibe for this new material.......

[Bill Hilly]

Maybe I am wrong and I apologize if that is the case. I remember your positive posts about AMSP, but I thought you made an additional post on the day of release. Maybe I had that confused with your post about all their other albums. Which reminds me, have you listened to Kid A? You don't have it listed as one of the albums you rated, but you love Amnesiac. Kid Amnesiac.

[Calfium Jay]

Yeah I like Kid A.

I'll get around to buying a copy one of these days. Just add it to my list..... Shame that they never repeated that Amnesiac vibe on any subsequent albums. Murky, dark and weird.....not to mention somber.

[Bill Hilly]

I agree. I think this new one has the most similarities to the Kid Amnesiac era. Probably why I like it so much, and maybe you as well.

[nxrm]

If These Trees Could Talk – The Bones of a Dying World
Explosions in the Sky – The Wilderness
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
Mogwai – Atomic

[xZ1mM3r]

Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide To Earth

Im still listening to this album, it is pretty amazing from start to finish.

[xZ1mM3r]

Krizz Kaliko - GO

[hellboy]

Adding The Drones - Feelin Kinda Free to my shortlist. Excellent album!

[Bill Hilly]

I want to add 2 more albums that blew me away this week. I'd be surprised if they don't hold on and make my top 10 at year's end:

Esperanza Spalding – Emily’s D+Evolution --- This woman is a baaaaaaad mother fucker.
Anderson .Paak – Malibu ------- Very soulful west coast vibe. He's like a cross between D'angelo and Kendrick. Very cool sound.