Top 10 Songs of 2016
What a clusterfuck this year has been, ammirite? But you have to think, we're just entering the age of hyperinformation-shitstorms and I don't see the years getting less intense in the near future. We all know within minutes when our favorite celebrity or artist dies, and while some of us mourn for the actual person and their family, many more of us mourn because it's a part of our youth dying, one of our treasured memories.
Like most of my friends, 2016 was just a terrible year in many ways. But when I started composing this year's top 10 list, my tenth here on this blog, I looked to last year's for context. I discovered that I got to see my three top favorite songs of last year performed live in really excellent situations. I got to see Human League perform, in Glasgow, three songs I had never seen them do, and got to talk to them about those songs afterward. And, there was the small matter of "Mixed Signals," the album my band released in July, shortly after my brother released his own new album under his "S No S" moniker (check them out here and here). So, while I can certainly give voice to the sadness, anger, shock and disappointment that 2016 inflicted upon me, it would be disingenuous of me not to mention the happiness, joy, and amazement that somehow coexisted in the same time.
Putting that into perspective, I shall share my top 10 tunes of this most extreme year, but don't tune out after #1, because this year I will be highlighting a few other odds and ends to celebrate and entire decade of me writing this series!
Honorable Mentions
"Last Time" - Animotion Who would have thought? Animotion are back, and sounding better than ever. Their new album "Raise Your Expectations" - their first in 26 years - is out later this month.
"Numb" - Melanie C This was probably my favorite track on the artist formerly known as Sporty Spice's latest album, "Version of Me."
"I Love You Always Forever" - Betty Who As a fan of the original version by Donna Lewis, I was delighted to hear this new take which adds enough elements that Betty has made it her own, while keeping what made this such a great song in the first place.
10. "New Start (All I Ever Wanted, early version)" - The Human League
Maybe it's cheating to put this in here, or it may just look like blatant advertising the The Human League's recently released career anthology, A Very British Synthesizer Group. Admittedly, this is essentially repackaging their greatest hits once more, justifying a hefty price tag with beautiful packaging (including a book), all their music videos and tons of television appearances, along with a bonus disc of unreleased tracks. So technically, this song was released in 2016! But in truth, it's a demo version of the lead single from their ill-fated, but my favorite, Secrets album. I have heard this demo before as it was pretty widely distributed on the internet. But I've never heard it sound this good, and it proves my original thinking that the song "All I Ever Wanted" didn't quite fit with the rest of the album. Hearing this and the very-different "SH5 (Liar, early version)" shows that there were some edges on Secrets that were rounded-out by the slick production that maybe shouldn't have been.
9. "Drive it Like You Stole It" - Sing Street
If you haven't seen the movie Sing Street, you really should do so immediately! You're reading this blog, which means you must like music, and I think also indicates that you will love this movie! The premise in a nutshell, is that a school boy in 1980s Dublin lies to impress a girl, telling her that he needs her to be in his band's music video. The only problem? He doesn't have a band at all! He is able to put one together very quickly, and the different phases they go through will have you cheering them on the whole time! It's a really fun movie that mixes nostalgia with a timeless story of love and escape. This is one of the most fun songs from the film, but the entire soundcheck is definitely worth checking out.
8. "Kill V. Maim" - Grimes
Grimes is one of those artists who is able to effectively straddle the line between pop and alternative so deftly. She definitely has her artistic flair and sense of individuality, yet she is able to polish her tracks to a shine. Plus, her music videos are some of the most visually appealing and creative works being made at the moment. This song was from her 2015 album "Art Angels" but was released as a single early in 2016, which is when I finally started getting into her despite having known about her for awhile. I like her high-pitched voice.
7. "Freakin' Me Out" - The Mowgli's
The Mowgli's are a really fun pop/rock group from right here in Los Angeles. They have a sort of hippie ethic with a lot of big, sing-a-long choruses and their live show is really fun. They have a male and female duo on lead vocals, the guy is really cute, and they can both sing really well. Katie, the girl, kind of reminds me of Ana Matronic from the Scissor Sisters. This song has a really upbeat vibe and will have you dancing and singing along in no time!
6. "Higher" - The Naked & Famous
This band from New Zealand released their third album, "Simple Forms" this year and in my opinion was a much better record than their sophomore effort, In Rolling Waves, which I found to be a little tedious at first, although it improves upon further listening. This was the first single from the album and has that euphoric, harmonious quality that TNAF do best. I got to see them perform this and a few other songs at Amoeba when they launched the album, and they sounded just as great live as they do on record.
5. "Help Me Run Away" - St. Lucia
This driving, insistent pop masterpiece makes you want to get up and aerobicize! Not surprisingly, this song was cowritten by Jack Antonoff from the band fun. The whole album, Matter, is really good and I also loved the lead single "Dancing on Glass" and the accompanying video. This song echos similar themes found in many of my favorite songs (like "I Think We're Alone Now") and has that timeless motif of wanting to escape.
4. "The Sound" - The 1975
The 1975 is perhaps a little overhyped, or maybe they just haven't really had time to fully develop. As of now, they're a decent English pop band with some really catchy songs, especially this one. I wanted to love their album, but overall it's a little too derivative of things that came before it, albeit great things like Duran Duran and INXS. If they are able to continue writing big pop songs while finding their own unique style they will really be a force to be reckoned with. It was great watching them perform this on SNL.
3. "You're on the Phone" - Pansy Division
Our favorite queercore band is back with a brilliant new album, "Quite Contrary," which has been getting rave reviews and perfectly shows the band where they are today. They toured this year (I was lucky enough to see them twice) and the new material sits perfectly alongside their raunchier, classic stuff, while showing a more grown-up side to the band. "Blame it on the Bible" is a really great anti-religion song with a pop/punk sound, but this song is a classic for it's time. Everyone can identify with trying to communicate with someone who's constantly distracted by the little piece of plastic they carry around.
2. "Like I Would" - Zayn
Zayn was always my favorite member of One Direction and had the undisputed best voice in the group. So while I was really sad when he left the band, much like when Geri left the Spice Girls, at the same time I was very interested to hear where he would go as a solo artist. His debut album really showcases his gorgeous, soulful voice, and shares similar tones with Frank Ocean's Channel Orange. However, he gets bogged down a little in his quest to incorporate R&B and soul into his music, eschewing the pop rock sound of his former band, and getting a little lost in slow-jams. This was his standout track for me, slightly more upbeat than the brilliant single "Pillowtalk," but was technically a 'bonus track' which was not even included on the standard issue of the CD that I purchased. If I loved the album a little more, I would buy the green vinyl copy that includes this song.
1. "Sunday Boy" - Seth Bogart
Seth has come a long way. I first knew him as a member of the awful band Gravy Train!!!! which I only had a passing interest in because at the time, they seemed to be on the trajectory that I wished my own band at the time, Shitting Glitter, would have been on. I think I e-mailed him once through their website, and he didn't respond, so for awhile I hated him. After he left Gravy Train!!!! (yes, there are meant to be 4 exclamation marks in the name) he formed his own band, Hunx and his Punx, which was much better and had some great girl-group 60s influences. But now on his own, he released his first true solo record, and it's amazing! Like Grimes, he is able to form pop songs out of really off-kilter ideas and capture raw emotions like in this song. There aren't even that many lyrics, but it paints such a vivid picture of a bad relationship, and it has so many interesting sounds in it.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY
"Stranger Strange" - S No S My brother has been making music under the S No S moniker since before we moved to LA, and with his latest album "The Season of the Brute" he really shows his musical stripes. I'm really looking forward to the music video for this song, directed by my friends Rick Skrip and Melodie Simond.
"Skeletons" - Melissa St. Moore This is such a great song, featuring vocal contributions from The Ditty Bops. So proud of my friend Melissa! She also does an amazing electropop cover of Bowie's "Moonage Daydream" on her new EP.
FROM 2015
"1994" - PWR BTTM I don't know how this didn't end up on my 2015 countdown, as it really should have been.
"Slumlord" - Neon Indian I wasn't in love with this album when I first got it, but after seeing him live this year I finally got it.
"Play it on My Radio" - Niki and the Dove A very great, if a little repetitive, pop song with a fun video!
IN MEMORIAM
Obviously, the year 2016 will live in infamy as a year in which many beloved music and art icons passed away, many of them untimely. There were huge holes left in the universe by the departure from this realm of David Bowie, Prince, and George Michael. Many others who touched so many lives left us this year, and one of those that personally had meant so much to me was Patty Duke. But all of us have had to deal with these losses in our own way, many of them very publicly on social media, and there's nothing I can say that can memorialize those who have gone on in a way that hasn't already been said. However, I would like to mark the passing of someone who most of you don't know, but who was so very important in my own musical journey and to many others back in my old hometown of Hays, Kansas. Mike Ferguson, 1950-2016, was a musician and a great guy who many of us, myself included, knew primarily as one of the two co-owners of GB Records, our great little local music store. Back around 1987, when I was merely 10 years old, it came to be that there was an album I wanted (Julie Brown's "Trapped in the Body of a White Girl"). My mom and I searched, but we just could not find the cassette at our regular haunts, which pretty much only included Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Alco, and Musicland at the Mall. My mom said, "well, there's GB Records down on Main Street, let's try them." This was like a whole new world opening for me. GB Records became my sanctuary over the next thirteen years. Mike and his partner Gary were not only friendly, but they knew EVERYTHING about music, not just music history but also what was coming out in the future! I didn't usually like talking to people who worked in stores, as even as a kid I thought they were just going to try and upsell me and take as much of my money as they could, but Mike and Gary, and the rest of the staff at GB were different. They didn't seem to care if I didn't buy anything, yet expressed genuine interest when I was buying something. After awhile, they knew what I would be interested in even before I did, making suggestions or letting me know about upcoming releases. If they didn't have it, they knew how to get it - and this was all way before the Internet. They were my lifeline to the music world, and I know they served this capacity for many others. Here's to the unsung heroes of music, who may not have been in the posters on our walls, but helped us learn what it is that we love so much about music and life in general.
Like most of my friends, 2016 was just a terrible year in many ways. But when I started composing this year's top 10 list, my tenth here on this blog, I looked to last year's for context. I discovered that I got to see my three top favorite songs of last year performed live in really excellent situations. I got to see Human League perform, in Glasgow, three songs I had never seen them do, and got to talk to them about those songs afterward. And, there was the small matter of "Mixed Signals," the album my band released in July, shortly after my brother released his own new album under his "S No S" moniker (check them out here and here). So, while I can certainly give voice to the sadness, anger, shock and disappointment that 2016 inflicted upon me, it would be disingenuous of me not to mention the happiness, joy, and amazement that somehow coexisted in the same time.
Putting that into perspective, I shall share my top 10 tunes of this most extreme year, but don't tune out after #1, because this year I will be highlighting a few other odds and ends to celebrate and entire decade of me writing this series!
Honorable Mentions
"Last Time" - Animotion Who would have thought? Animotion are back, and sounding better than ever. Their new album "Raise Your Expectations" - their first in 26 years - is out later this month.
"Numb" - Melanie C This was probably my favorite track on the artist formerly known as Sporty Spice's latest album, "Version of Me."
"I Love You Always Forever" - Betty Who As a fan of the original version by Donna Lewis, I was delighted to hear this new take which adds enough elements that Betty has made it her own, while keeping what made this such a great song in the first place.
Maybe it's cheating to put this in here, or it may just look like blatant advertising the The Human League's recently released career anthology, A Very British Synthesizer Group. Admittedly, this is essentially repackaging their greatest hits once more, justifying a hefty price tag with beautiful packaging (including a book), all their music videos and tons of television appearances, along with a bonus disc of unreleased tracks. So technically, this song was released in 2016! But in truth, it's a demo version of the lead single from their ill-fated, but my favorite, Secrets album. I have heard this demo before as it was pretty widely distributed on the internet. But I've never heard it sound this good, and it proves my original thinking that the song "All I Ever Wanted" didn't quite fit with the rest of the album. Hearing this and the very-different "SH5 (Liar, early version)" shows that there were some edges on Secrets that were rounded-out by the slick production that maybe shouldn't have been.
If you haven't seen the movie Sing Street, you really should do so immediately! You're reading this blog, which means you must like music, and I think also indicates that you will love this movie! The premise in a nutshell, is that a school boy in 1980s Dublin lies to impress a girl, telling her that he needs her to be in his band's music video. The only problem? He doesn't have a band at all! He is able to put one together very quickly, and the different phases they go through will have you cheering them on the whole time! It's a really fun movie that mixes nostalgia with a timeless story of love and escape. This is one of the most fun songs from the film, but the entire soundcheck is definitely worth checking out.
Grimes is one of those artists who is able to effectively straddle the line between pop and alternative so deftly. She definitely has her artistic flair and sense of individuality, yet she is able to polish her tracks to a shine. Plus, her music videos are some of the most visually appealing and creative works being made at the moment. This song was from her 2015 album "Art Angels" but was released as a single early in 2016, which is when I finally started getting into her despite having known about her for awhile. I like her high-pitched voice.
The Mowgli's are a really fun pop/rock group from right here in Los Angeles. They have a sort of hippie ethic with a lot of big, sing-a-long choruses and their live show is really fun. They have a male and female duo on lead vocals, the guy is really cute, and they can both sing really well. Katie, the girl, kind of reminds me of Ana Matronic from the Scissor Sisters. This song has a really upbeat vibe and will have you dancing and singing along in no time!
This band from New Zealand released their third album, "Simple Forms" this year and in my opinion was a much better record than their sophomore effort, In Rolling Waves, which I found to be a little tedious at first, although it improves upon further listening. This was the first single from the album and has that euphoric, harmonious quality that TNAF do best. I got to see them perform this and a few other songs at Amoeba when they launched the album, and they sounded just as great live as they do on record.
This driving, insistent pop masterpiece makes you want to get up and aerobicize! Not surprisingly, this song was cowritten by Jack Antonoff from the band fun. The whole album, Matter, is really good and I also loved the lead single "Dancing on Glass" and the accompanying video. This song echos similar themes found in many of my favorite songs (like "I Think We're Alone Now") and has that timeless motif of wanting to escape.
The 1975 is perhaps a little overhyped, or maybe they just haven't really had time to fully develop. As of now, they're a decent English pop band with some really catchy songs, especially this one. I wanted to love their album, but overall it's a little too derivative of things that came before it, albeit great things like Duran Duran and INXS. If they are able to continue writing big pop songs while finding their own unique style they will really be a force to be reckoned with. It was great watching them perform this on SNL.
Our favorite queercore band is back with a brilliant new album, "Quite Contrary," which has been getting rave reviews and perfectly shows the band where they are today. They toured this year (I was lucky enough to see them twice) and the new material sits perfectly alongside their raunchier, classic stuff, while showing a more grown-up side to the band. "Blame it on the Bible" is a really great anti-religion song with a pop/punk sound, but this song is a classic for it's time. Everyone can identify with trying to communicate with someone who's constantly distracted by the little piece of plastic they carry around.
Zayn was always my favorite member of One Direction and had the undisputed best voice in the group. So while I was really sad when he left the band, much like when Geri left the Spice Girls, at the same time I was very interested to hear where he would go as a solo artist. His debut album really showcases his gorgeous, soulful voice, and shares similar tones with Frank Ocean's Channel Orange. However, he gets bogged down a little in his quest to incorporate R&B and soul into his music, eschewing the pop rock sound of his former band, and getting a little lost in slow-jams. This was his standout track for me, slightly more upbeat than the brilliant single "Pillowtalk," but was technically a 'bonus track' which was not even included on the standard issue of the CD that I purchased. If I loved the album a little more, I would buy the green vinyl copy that includes this song.
Seth has come a long way. I first knew him as a member of the awful band Gravy Train!!!! which I only had a passing interest in because at the time, they seemed to be on the trajectory that I wished my own band at the time, Shitting Glitter, would have been on. I think I e-mailed him once through their website, and he didn't respond, so for awhile I hated him. After he left Gravy Train!!!! (yes, there are meant to be 4 exclamation marks in the name) he formed his own band, Hunx and his Punx, which was much better and had some great girl-group 60s influences. But now on his own, he released his first true solo record, and it's amazing! Like Grimes, he is able to form pop songs out of really off-kilter ideas and capture raw emotions like in this song. There aren't even that many lyrics, but it paints such a vivid picture of a bad relationship, and it has so many interesting sounds in it.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY
"Stranger Strange" - S No S My brother has been making music under the S No S moniker since before we moved to LA, and with his latest album "The Season of the Brute" he really shows his musical stripes. I'm really looking forward to the music video for this song, directed by my friends Rick Skrip and Melodie Simond.
"Skeletons" - Melissa St. Moore This is such a great song, featuring vocal contributions from The Ditty Bops. So proud of my friend Melissa! She also does an amazing electropop cover of Bowie's "Moonage Daydream" on her new EP.
FROM 2015
"1994" - PWR BTTM I don't know how this didn't end up on my 2015 countdown, as it really should have been.
"Slumlord" - Neon Indian I wasn't in love with this album when I first got it, but after seeing him live this year I finally got it.
"Play it on My Radio" - Niki and the Dove A very great, if a little repetitive, pop song with a fun video!
IN MEMORIAM
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