Nothing Else Matters: 2016 top 15

Honorable Mentions:

 The Strokes - Future Present Past

The Strokes are the only band on my radar that have never released what I consider to be a bad album. Although this is just barely enough new music to even be called an EP, I enjoyed it immensely as it continued their journey further down the new wave/synth pop road.  If this was a full length album it would be nestled inside my top 10. 
If you only want one song: "Drag Queen"




Daniel Romano - Mosey

Country is a road less traveled for me but once I heard the first song “Valerie Leon”, I was hooked.  At times it’s a bit self indulgent and weird for my tastes but there are plenty of enjoyable tracks here to get down on, if you’re into that sort of thing of course. 
If you only want one song: "Valerie Leon"

Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial

Seems this was THE under-the-radar album to like this year if you wanted to be cool.  Splattered all over year end lists and praised endlessly by my local radio station, it is indeed good.  It is not THAT good.  Clocking in at 70 minutes, it is bloated with unnecessary bullshit that drowns out the truly excellent songs. If they had cut this fucker in half it would’ve been amazing.  I have no tolerance for albums this long anymore.  I am a curmudgeon.  I know.  But it has some seriously killer songs.

If you only want one song: "Vincent"



CRX - New Skin

Nick Valensi as a frontman? Who knew?  The best way I can describe this is that it’s the equivalent of a run of the mill Strokes album.  Which is perfectly fine with me.  Josh Homme production is audible (if he had sang Broken Bones I would’ve guessed it was a QOTSA song), but otherwise it maintains that core Strokes sound.  I’m very impressed that between this, AHJ’s solo stuff, and Julian's solo stuff, they all can maintain a line of overlap despite oftentimes producing drastically different music. A very, very, good album.

If you only want one song: "Ways to Fake It"



Public Access T.V. - Never Enough

4 kids from NYC drop out of high school and pursue good old fashioned rock ‘n roll full time. They crash and burn, blow all their money, and end up homeless with drug addictions. I made up the second part.  Killer riffs and catchy vocals that are sure to hook anybody reading this list.  PLEASE check this out.  It pains me that this didn’t make the top 10.

If you only want one song: "End of an Era"




And here’s the list!

10: Dawes - We’re All Gonna Die

I could make a killer top 10 list of my favorite all time Dawes songs, but up until now they never made an entire album that I truly loved.  This was it.  I don’t know what exactly changed (could be me in all honesty), but I do enjoy the hell out of this one.  Catchy melodies, some nifty guitar work, and of course that Taylor Goldsmith voice that I can’t get enough of.

If you only want one song: Ugh. Tie: "One of Us"/"Roll With the Punches"



9: Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Getaway

If you want to call it nostalgia I’ll tell you you’re wrong.  This is truly a great effort and a nice rebound from what in hindsight was a disappointing post JF album, I’m With You.  Potentially a Danger Mouse miracle, this album is good top to bottom.  There’s literally only one song I skip.  It is lacking in the guitar department for sure, but it's superb in many other aspects.  I’m not sure what the future holds for my favorite band of all time, but I’m no longer scared about it.

If you only want one song: "Detroit"


8: Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor’s Guide to Earth

A beautiful album that truly toes many musical lines and mixes several different sounds effectively and efficiently.  First of all, he can flat out sing his ass off.  His lyrics are poignant and well delivered.  It has a classic country sound but still comes across hip, modern, and cool at the same time (perhaps the Dap Kings involvement is who to thank).  In any event, it is a must listen.  Bonus points for an awesome album cover. 

If you only want one song:  "Brace For Impact"




7: White Denim - Stiff

As the foremost expert on White Denim, I can say that I was severely disappointed about the departure of guitarist Austin Jenkins following Corsicana Lemonade.  His riffs and solos transformed their breakout album, D, into a forceful fast paced attack that absolutely floored me for the better part of 2 weeks nonstop.  Stiff is a reminder that James Petralli still runs the show and can handle an axe just fine.  Not quite up to par with the aforementioned albums but still super good.

If you only want one song:  "Had to Know (Personal)"


6: Pete Yorn - Arranging Time

As a self admitted sucker for the solo pure pop singer-songwriter, I was a bit annoyed that nothing by Pete Yorn before this really grabbed me, but this one sure did.  Reasons are unclear.  It seems to be a bit more produced; the sounds are flushed out very well and it’s not just a dude and a guitar and a faceless drummer. I think more than anything when I heard this I was in the right frame of mind to let Pete have sex with me. 

If you only want one song:  "In Your Head"




5: BROS - Vol. 1

Ah yes, and here are the Sheepdogs (for all intents and purposes of course). The Currie brothers told the other boys to eat shit apparently, and this is what happened.  And boy is it excellent.  Their trademark 70’s-ish sound is perpetuated and of course Ewan still graces us with that voice.  Just a great great throwback 70’s rock album.

If you only want one song: "Tell Me"



4: Mayer Hawthorne - Man About Town

Neo Soul is a genre that I also love under a blanket with the lights off when nobody is around to call me out on it.  Mayer pretty much just tries as hard as he can to look like Robin Thicke and slay as many woman as he can with his music.  He surely succeeds at the first and I have to assume also the second.  This album is best enjoyed with a snifter of Cognac and a sexy big booty bitch next to you. I mean theoretically of course. 

If you only want one song: "Love Like That"




3: Ray Lamontagne - Ouroboros

Ohhhhhhh boy did this motherfucker get me.  Ray is like many artists/bands, in that they  have made 10-20 songs that I truly love but never an album that has me coming back to it repeatedly.  That shit has changed.  Created with Jim James from the start, it was initially conceived as two single 20 minute songs (side A and B).  The trademark Ray vocal is all over it of course, as well as the reduced drumming and bass, and the murky, dirty, guitar that is present mostly on side one.  I cannot get enough of this album.

If you only want one song: "Hey, No Pressure"


2:  Marco Benevento - The Story of Fred Short

After the first line of the first song, “I wanna see you in the afternoon, tomorrow” I was already all in.  Melodic pop tunes with drum machines and synths?  Hey there, how’s it going?  Tracks 5-11 were allegedly trimmed down from a 4 hour piece of music he made one night and connected together to form a continuous “song”.  Absolutely fantastic all the way through.  You cannot go wrong here.  Thanks to Ironfish for the recommendation.

If you only want one song:  "All the Other Dreams"




1: Whitney - Light Upon The Lake

If you told me Smith Westerns were going to break up and THIS was going to happen I would’ve asked for the breakup to be as soon as possible.  Pop music in the most beautiful way possible AND the guitar player can handle his share AND the lead singer is the drummer which is weird and his voice is super unique.  Absolutely perfect from beginning to end, no way else to cut it.

If you only want one song:  "No Matter Where We Go"