#bestsongs2016

Song(s) of the Year (part 1)…

This year’s Song(s) of the Year list is compiled of tasty tracks from albums that didn’t make the Top Ten Albums of the Year cut, enjoy….

The Amazing

“Ambulance”

Partisan

“Ambulance” oozes stark beauty from every crevasse and it’s mid-tempo lurch is devastatingly cathartic. The Amazing build and build around singer Christoffer Gunrup’s airy voice until the chorus delivers on all the surging momentum, leaving the listener all but spent at song’s end.

Pianos plunk, guitars weave like spider webs, muffled drums provide an essential heartbeat, and voices float through the ether; this is “Ambulance.”

Angel Olsen

“Sister”

Jagjaguwar

“Sister” was a standout, amongst many, on Angel Olsen’s latest LP ‘My Woman.’ Highlighting the journey over the destination, “Sister” take the scenic route until the pace culminates in a rousing six-string peak. The video/song form a cohesive trajectory wrapped in dreamy vibes, which is all anyone could ask for, so press play already……  

Banks & Steelz

“Giant”

Warner Bros.

With my interest in hip hop long gone, I still found myself drawn in by the voraciousness of Banks & Steelz’ “Giant.” Banks & Steelz is the unlikely (or likely if you know those involved) pairing of Paul Banks (Interpol) and RZA (Wu Tang). Honestly, it took a few listens before finally succumbing to its forceful power. The track rides at a blistering pace as RZA provides the muscle and Banks applies the finesse.

Death Index

“Fast Money Kill”

Deathwish

It was a busy year for Carson Cox (Merchandise), but he still found time to pair up with Italian multi-instrumentalist Marco Rapisarda to release a self-titled debut under the Death Index moniker full of no-nonsense deathrock that aims to punish the senses and sooth the fray. “Fast Money Kill”bursts outta the gate with thrash riffs and brutal blasts, while Cox lays the croon on thick. Before you know it, the fucker’s done.

Gold Class

“Kids on Fire”

felte

Australia’s Gold Class returned in 2016 with a bruising new motorik post-punk single titled “Kids On Fire.“ Singer Adam Curley pushes the melody and creates a sense of importance around every syllable, while backed by melodic muscle and the ever punishing propulsion of Mark Hewitt’s drumming. Gold Class have a knack for making skeletal arrangements sound larger than their meager means and “Kids On Fire” is no exception.

Song(s) of the Year (part 3)…

This year’s Song(s) of the Year list is compiled of tasty tracks from albums that didn’t make the Top Ten Albums of the Year cut, enjoy….

Odonis Odonis

“Game”

felte

There’s an air of darkness in what the Toronto based Odonis Odonis create and “Game” gets to the straightforward heart of said darkness through a combination of cathartic haze, echoed percussion, and detached vocals. “Game” stands out amongst the noisier moments of their 2016 LP ‘Post Plague’ for it’s straightforward approach and classic post-punk feel, utilizing slap-back drums and cavernous amounts of goth gloom. 

Ritual Howls

“God Swamp”

felte

Detroit Deathrock.

There’s been a serious lack of savagely dark gothic rock, the kind prone to stark western noir. Luckily for us, Ritual Howls came back in 2016 to fill that void.

“God Swamp” is a dirgey Southern Goth nightmare, in the best of ways and that’s long before vocalist Paul Bancell’s troubled tenor comes in. “God Swamp” feels like the track you’d play for someone who’s never heard Ritual Howls before and they’re either going to get it or they’re not, no middle ground (and one in which I’m sure makes fellow death dealer King Dude black with envy).

Savages

“Adore”

Matador

The brilliant “Adore” is the true centerpiece of Savages’ 2016 LP ‘Adore Life’ and the best song I’ve heard in a very long time. “Adore” hits every emotional/emotionless beat I needed it to, with its stalker-like rhythm and distorted guitars, creating the perfect bed for Beth to stretch out some pure balladry. Dipping its toes in some torch-song waters, “Adore” takes a very Morrissey-solo ballad and flips the script by adoring life as opposed to wallowing in it (but let’s be real, Moz has always reveled in his self-imposed “misery”).  

Witching Waves

“Flowers”

HHBTM

London’s Witching Waves brought their post-punk meets post-hardcore hybrid in 2016 with their latest LP ‘Crystal Cafe.’

Melding the perfect amount of tension filled noise with moody brooding, Witching Waves create a successful dynamic. Furthering that dynamism is the dual female/male vocal assault that only works to embolden the cause. “Flowers” closes out the album and is the best representation of the post-hardcore meets post-punk aesthetic. The bass takes the lead and the Fugazi vibes run rampant, truly saving the best for last.

Wolf Parade

“Mr. Startup”

Wolf Parade Productions

Wolf Parade returned in 2016 with the brief but quenching ‘EP 4′ and with it a fantastic new track titled “Mr. Startup.”