2016 in Review: Odds & Ends
12/06/2016 08:53:00 PM
Believe it or not, despite my obsessive cataloging of all four quarters (the culmination of which is the next item on my blogging to-do list), I still haven't managed to squeeze 2016 dry just yet. So I decided to make a mix of leftover songs that got a lot of play but I never quite found the occasion to share. Some of these come from full-length albums that failed to leave much of an impression as a whole. Others come from singles or EPs, and the rest are preview tracks from upcoming releases that I can't hold off on gushing over until 2017. Relax and hit "play" now, or keep scrolling if you need more convincing. Individual track titles are linked to either Youtube or Bandcamp. (There's also an extra track that doesn't appear on the Spotify playlist, so consider that your reward for continuing to subject yourself to my rambling.)
FKA twigs - Good to Love
Despite releasing only one single in 2016, Tahliah Barnett, more commonly known as FKA twigs, left a big impression thanks to a captivating stage show (see her Pitchfork Festival performance) and a handful of intriguing multimedia projects. It doesn't hurt that "Good to Love," that solitary single, is massively intoxicating; it's been out for nearly a year now, and I still fall into a sort of stunned trance every time I hear it. On one hand, it's fairly simple, initially matching Barnett's deceptively sweet croon to sparsely atmospheric keyboards and electronic ambiance. On the other hand, it slowly gathers momentum so that by its end, the song pulses and writhes with animalistic passion, gaining more power with each repetition of its seductive title phrase.
Despite releasing only one single in 2016, Tahliah Barnett, more commonly known as FKA twigs, left a big impression thanks to a captivating stage show (see her Pitchfork Festival performance) and a handful of intriguing multimedia projects. It doesn't hurt that "Good to Love," that solitary single, is massively intoxicating; it's been out for nearly a year now, and I still fall into a sort of stunned trance every time I hear it. On one hand, it's fairly simple, initially matching Barnett's deceptively sweet croon to sparsely atmospheric keyboards and electronic ambiance. On the other hand, it slowly gathers momentum so that by its end, the song pulses and writhes with animalistic passion, gaining more power with each repetition of its seductive title phrase.
Empress Of - Woman Is a Word
Following on the heels of last year's excellent debut, Me, "Woman Is a Word" is another insanely catchy and energetic entry in Lorely Rodriguez's small oeuvre as Empress Of. Rodriguez's bold, forceful vocals take the lead, soaring effortlessly over top layers of bright, quirky synths. The melodies are so exuberant that it's difficult not to feel out of breath just listening to them. Beneath its neon exterior, though, the song has a clear social message. Rodriguez exposes the artificiality of femininity through repeated mantras: "I'm only an image of what you see," "I'm only a woman if woman is a word," "I'm only a figure if you see my frame." The result is a feminist anthem for the technological age.
Following on the heels of last year's excellent debut, Me, "Woman Is a Word" is another insanely catchy and energetic entry in Lorely Rodriguez's small oeuvre as Empress Of. Rodriguez's bold, forceful vocals take the lead, soaring effortlessly over top layers of bright, quirky synths. The melodies are so exuberant that it's difficult not to feel out of breath just listening to them. Beneath its neon exterior, though, the song has a clear social message. Rodriguez exposes the artificiality of femininity through repeated mantras: "I'm only an image of what you see," "I'm only a woman if woman is a word," "I'm only a figure if you see my frame." The result is a feminist anthem for the technological age.
Braids - Joni
Braids' Deep in the Iris was probably one of the more underrated great albums of 2015. This year's EP, Companion, was released and received just as quietly but is also deserving of high praise. Its four tracks alternate between darkly building electronic balladry and high-energy synth-pop, with "Joni" falling into the latter category. The song is relentlessly driving from the start. Raphaelle Standell-Preston's idiosyncratic vocals are juxtaposed against booming, vaguely tribal percussion as they twist and bend to fit melodies that shift on a dime, each more infectious than the last. Anxiety creeps in as Standell-Preston repeatedly asks, "Are we okay?" But she retains her confidence in the even more frequent declaration, "I want to be fine without knowing."
Braids' Deep in the Iris was probably one of the more underrated great albums of 2015. This year's EP, Companion, was released and received just as quietly but is also deserving of high praise. Its four tracks alternate between darkly building electronic balladry and high-energy synth-pop, with "Joni" falling into the latter category. The song is relentlessly driving from the start. Raphaelle Standell-Preston's idiosyncratic vocals are juxtaposed against booming, vaguely tribal percussion as they twist and bend to fit melodies that shift on a dime, each more infectious than the last. Anxiety creeps in as Standell-Preston repeatedly asks, "Are we okay?" But she retains her confidence in the even more frequent declaration, "I want to be fine without knowing."
Mass Gothic - Every Night You've Got to Save Me
Mass Gothic is the solo project of New York-based singer/songwriter Noel Heroux, whose self-titled album was released early this year. I went into the album blind and was surprised how much I enjoyed it, but only a few songs have truly stuck with me in the months since. "Every Night You've Got to Save Me" was a standout from the start, a bizarre mash-up of garage rock and sixties pop that works unexpectedly well. Both the production and Heroux's vocals are a bit rough around the edges. But this punk grittiness is offset by swinging melodies and girl-group style backing harmonies that should bring a smile to any listener's face. You only have to hear it once to be left humming the chorus under your breath for days.
Mass Gothic is the solo project of New York-based singer/songwriter Noel Heroux, whose self-titled album was released early this year. I went into the album blind and was surprised how much I enjoyed it, but only a few songs have truly stuck with me in the months since. "Every Night You've Got to Save Me" was a standout from the start, a bizarre mash-up of garage rock and sixties pop that works unexpectedly well. Both the production and Heroux's vocals are a bit rough around the edges. But this punk grittiness is offset by swinging melodies and girl-group style backing harmonies that should bring a smile to any listener's face. You only have to hear it once to be left humming the chorus under your breath for days.
Miya Folick - Pet Body
Earlier this year, I wrote about a song from Miya Folick's promising EP, Strange Darling. In the past few months, she's released two singles that I can only assume are leading up to a proper debut album. Both show incredible growth and diversity, but "Pet Body" is especially memorable. It's a straight-up rock banger that plays like a bit like early PJ Harvey with more fun and less morbidity. Folick reveals surprising range in her vocals as she croons, wails, and squeals her way through the song's rambunctious, bluesy melodies. The lyrics are also full of witty, self-deprecating one-liners; in the first verse, Folick sings, "How can you see me?/I'm not even here/I'm just a singular gesture/I'm just the girlfriend of the year."
Earlier this year, I wrote about a song from Miya Folick's promising EP, Strange Darling. In the past few months, she's released two singles that I can only assume are leading up to a proper debut album. Both show incredible growth and diversity, but "Pet Body" is especially memorable. It's a straight-up rock banger that plays like a bit like early PJ Harvey with more fun and less morbidity. Folick reveals surprising range in her vocals as she croons, wails, and squeals her way through the song's rambunctious, bluesy melodies. The lyrics are also full of witty, self-deprecating one-liners; in the first verse, Folick sings, "How can you see me?/I'm not even here/I'm just a singular gesture/I'm just the girlfriend of the year."
PWR BTTM - New Hampshire
PWR BTTM was one of my greatest discoveries of 2016, and it's been a delight to see them rapidly collect widespread acclaim over the course of the year. "New Hampshire" is the second of two b-sides released to mark the UK release of their debut, Ugly Cherries. Its verses are heavily drenched in melancholia, matching Ben Hopkins' subdued delivery of offhandedly-existential lines ("When I die, please bury me in New Hampshire/I really like the leaves") to gentle guitar and sparse drum hits. In typical PWR BTTM fashion, the song's second half makes room for a gnarly guitar solo and powerful harmonies from Liv Bruce. Mark my words: PWR BTTM's second LP is coming to kick everyone's ass in 2017.
PWR BTTM was one of my greatest discoveries of 2016, and it's been a delight to see them rapidly collect widespread acclaim over the course of the year. "New Hampshire" is the second of two b-sides released to mark the UK release of their debut, Ugly Cherries. Its verses are heavily drenched in melancholia, matching Ben Hopkins' subdued delivery of offhandedly-existential lines ("When I die, please bury me in New Hampshire/I really like the leaves") to gentle guitar and sparse drum hits. In typical PWR BTTM fashion, the song's second half makes room for a gnarly guitar solo and powerful harmonies from Liv Bruce. Mark my words: PWR BTTM's second LP is coming to kick everyone's ass in 2017.
Plush - Sheer Power
Plush is a fairly new band, and they're off to a promising start with their EP, Please, which is full of restless, sadness-imbued rock that seems to draw equally on '90s grunge, early '00s sadcore (think Carissa's Wierd), and more recent strains of cerebral emo. On "Sheer Power," Karli Helm's understated delivery swims its way to the surface of the lo-fi production, building layers of emotional conflict. The lyrics depict a narrator who culls strength from sexual dominance. "Untangle my body like thread in a loom," she commands, later boasting, "I have the sheer power of knowing I still haunt you when I'm gone." The song's abrupt end leaves the listener, like the narrator's desperate lover, hungry for more.
Plush is a fairly new band, and they're off to a promising start with their EP, Please, which is full of restless, sadness-imbued rock that seems to draw equally on '90s grunge, early '00s sadcore (think Carissa's Wierd), and more recent strains of cerebral emo. On "Sheer Power," Karli Helm's understated delivery swims its way to the surface of the lo-fi production, building layers of emotional conflict. The lyrics depict a narrator who culls strength from sexual dominance. "Untangle my body like thread in a loom," she commands, later boasting, "I have the sheer power of knowing I still haunt you when I'm gone." The song's abrupt end leaves the listener, like the narrator's desperate lover, hungry for more.
Los Campesinos! - I Broke Up in Amarante
Over the course of five albums, Los Campesinos! have proven not only their consistency as a band but also their ability to continue growing and experimenting years into their musical career; each of their releases sounds simultaneously like nothing and everything they've ever made before. "I Broke Up in Amarante" is the first taste of their upcoming return, Sick Scenes, and if it's any indication, fans are in for another solid release. It's a three-minute blast of existential rock that finds the band's instrumental chemistry at its tightest and Gareth Campesinos!' vocals and lyrics at their most breakneck and acerbic. You'll find yourself breathlessly shouting along to the earworm of a chorus in no time.
Over the course of five albums, Los Campesinos! have proven not only their consistency as a band but also their ability to continue growing and experimenting years into their musical career; each of their releases sounds simultaneously like nothing and everything they've ever made before. "I Broke Up in Amarante" is the first taste of their upcoming return, Sick Scenes, and if it's any indication, fans are in for another solid release. It's a three-minute blast of existential rock that finds the band's instrumental chemistry at its tightest and Gareth Campesinos!' vocals and lyrics at their most breakneck and acerbic. You'll find yourself breathlessly shouting along to the earworm of a chorus in no time.
Happy Hollows - Way Home
I find it difficult to explain exactly what I find so gripping about Happy Hollows' "Way Home." The track came up on one of my automated Spotify playlists, and though I'd heard the band before, the feelings that hit me over the course of its four-minute unfolding were completely new. Both Sarah Negahdari's vocals and the instrumental accompaniment soar with an effervescent, nearly transcendant lightness; as a result, you get all of the chest-pumping intensity of stadium rock without any of the requisite cheesiness. The charismatic quirkiness of Negahdari's voice, all of its little yelps and yodels, is instantly likable. This is the kind of song you listen to when you want to feel temporarily immortal.
I find it difficult to explain exactly what I find so gripping about Happy Hollows' "Way Home." The track came up on one of my automated Spotify playlists, and though I'd heard the band before, the feelings that hit me over the course of its four-minute unfolding were completely new. Both Sarah Negahdari's vocals and the instrumental accompaniment soar with an effervescent, nearly transcendant lightness; as a result, you get all of the chest-pumping intensity of stadium rock without any of the requisite cheesiness. The charismatic quirkiness of Negahdari's voice, all of its little yelps and yodels, is instantly likable. This is the kind of song you listen to when you want to feel temporarily immortal.
The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Smoke & Felt
Ever since I fell unexpectedly in love with last year's Harmlessness, TWIAB have been hitting home run after home run with me in regards to the songs released in its wake. "Smoke & Felt," which comes from a split 7" with Sorority Noise, is a six-plus minute epic that checks off most of the boxes that make the band's music so remarkable and, occasionally, breathtaking. It thrives on a seamless blend of youthful pop-punk and towering post-rock built out of frequently shifting melodies, loud/soft dynamics, and the alternating and interweaving of male/female vocal harmonies. It surprises until the very end, when its ominous, atmospheric grand finale is suddenly replaced with a briefly bright and peppy guitar riff.
Ever since I fell unexpectedly in love with last year's Harmlessness, TWIAB have been hitting home run after home run with me in regards to the songs released in its wake. "Smoke & Felt," which comes from a split 7" with Sorority Noise, is a six-plus minute epic that checks off most of the boxes that make the band's music so remarkable and, occasionally, breathtaking. It thrives on a seamless blend of youthful pop-punk and towering post-rock built out of frequently shifting melodies, loud/soft dynamics, and the alternating and interweaving of male/female vocal harmonies. It surprises until the very end, when its ominous, atmospheric grand finale is suddenly replaced with a briefly bright and peppy guitar riff.
Springtime Carnivore - Midnight Room
Greta Morgan's voice, from her time in the Hush Sound to her current solo work as Springtime Carnivore, has blossomed into something truly divine. Unfortunately, I don't find the songwriting on Midnight Room nearly as compelling as it was on Springtime Carnivore's self-titled debut. There are a few bright spots, but nothing quite manages to live up to the promise of its opening title track. In its case, the simplicity of its composition and arrangement pays off. Against a warm, inviting backdrop of acoustic guitar, Morgan's pristine voice glides across notes with serene ease. In the effortless chorus, no showy vocal gymnastics are required to set your hair on end and raise goosebumps on your arms.
Greta Morgan's voice, from her time in the Hush Sound to her current solo work as Springtime Carnivore, has blossomed into something truly divine. Unfortunately, I don't find the songwriting on Midnight Room nearly as compelling as it was on Springtime Carnivore's self-titled debut. There are a few bright spots, but nothing quite manages to live up to the promise of its opening title track. In its case, the simplicity of its composition and arrangement pays off. Against a warm, inviting backdrop of acoustic guitar, Morgan's pristine voice glides across notes with serene ease. In the effortless chorus, no showy vocal gymnastics are required to set your hair on end and raise goosebumps on your arms.
Eisley - Defeatist
I have to admit I wasn't too enthusiastic when I heard Eisley was recording a new album, partly because their last, Currents, didn't do much for me and partly because several of the band's core members haven't been involved in the process. However, the first taste of what they've been up to, "Defeatist," raised my interest significantly. In many ways, it's fairly standard, a no-nonsense pop-rock track in the vein of "Smarter" or "Sad" from The Valley. As unsurprising as it might be, it also illustrates what the band does best, which is write insanely catchy hooks and soak them in rich harmonies. Although lacking the unique presence of her sisters, Sherri Dupree-Bemis more than holds her own at the song's helm.
I have to admit I wasn't too enthusiastic when I heard Eisley was recording a new album, partly because their last, Currents, didn't do much for me and partly because several of the band's core members haven't been involved in the process. However, the first taste of what they've been up to, "Defeatist," raised my interest significantly. In many ways, it's fairly standard, a no-nonsense pop-rock track in the vein of "Smarter" or "Sad" from The Valley. As unsurprising as it might be, it also illustrates what the band does best, which is write insanely catchy hooks and soak them in rich harmonies. Although lacking the unique presence of her sisters, Sherri Dupree-Bemis more than holds her own at the song's helm.
Emily Reo - Spell
Emily Reo turns minimalism into the richest music you've ever heard. Her latest release, "Spell," sounds a bit like what would happen if Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" were stretched beyond the natural limits of its track time until it became a looping, meditative, trance-inducing organism with a mind of its own. Using little more than her own manipulated and processed vocals, a Greek chorus for our technology-obsessed times, Reo shapes two seemingly simple lines - "I can't feel anything/I don't heal anything" - into a six-and-a-half minute existential experience that, if you allow it, may briefly leave you feeling like you've been pulled out of your earthly body altogether.
Emily Reo turns minimalism into the richest music you've ever heard. Her latest release, "Spell," sounds a bit like what would happen if Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" were stretched beyond the natural limits of its track time until it became a looping, meditative, trance-inducing organism with a mind of its own. Using little more than her own manipulated and processed vocals, a Greek chorus for our technology-obsessed times, Reo shapes two seemingly simple lines - "I can't feel anything/I don't heal anything" - into a six-and-a-half minute existential experience that, if you allow it, may briefly leave you feeling like you've been pulled out of your earthly body altogether.
Solange - Cranes in the Sky
I wish I loved the entirety of A Seat at the Table as much as I love this song. Maybe it'll happen eventually. Until then, at least I have "Cranes in the Sky," four blissful minutes of chilled-out R&B that make songwriting sound easy and singing sound effortless. The stripped-down backdrop of strings, piano and percussion leaves plenty of space for Solange's sultry, laid-back vocals to bask in the spotlight. What she holds back in range, she makes up for in emotional nuance. The lyrics are constructed as a list of endless distractions: "I tried to keep myself busy/I ran around in circles, think I made myself dizzy/I slept it away/I sexed it away/I read it away," she sings leading up to the abstractly relatable refrain, "Sometimes I don't want to feel those metal clouds."
I wish I loved the entirety of A Seat at the Table as much as I love this song. Maybe it'll happen eventually. Until then, at least I have "Cranes in the Sky," four blissful minutes of chilled-out R&B that make songwriting sound easy and singing sound effortless. The stripped-down backdrop of strings, piano and percussion leaves plenty of space for Solange's sultry, laid-back vocals to bask in the spotlight. What she holds back in range, she makes up for in emotional nuance. The lyrics are constructed as a list of endless distractions: "I tried to keep myself busy/I ran around in circles, think I made myself dizzy/I slept it away/I sexed it away/I read it away," she sings leading up to the abstractly relatable refrain, "Sometimes I don't want to feel those metal clouds."
The Wild Reeds - Everything Looks Better (in Hindsight)
Another random Spotify discovery! I'd never heard of this band before, but what little I've been exposed to reminds me a lot of First Aid Kit. Layers of warm, nostalgia-invoking acoustic guitar; gorgeously understated melodies; and rich, honeyed harmonies combine in an instantly charming blend of alt-country, folk, and pop. While looking up more information on the Wild Reeds, I came across an article stating that vocalists Kinsey Lee, Mackenzie Howe, and Sharon Silva "harmonize like triplets separated at birth," which couldn't be more accurate. While their synchronization is strong enough to carry any song, "Everything Looks Better (in Hindsight)" also stands up as a feat of songwriting that is both fresh and classic at once.
Another random Spotify discovery! I'd never heard of this band before, but what little I've been exposed to reminds me a lot of First Aid Kit. Layers of warm, nostalgia-invoking acoustic guitar; gorgeously understated melodies; and rich, honeyed harmonies combine in an instantly charming blend of alt-country, folk, and pop. While looking up more information on the Wild Reeds, I came across an article stating that vocalists Kinsey Lee, Mackenzie Howe, and Sharon Silva "harmonize like triplets separated at birth," which couldn't be more accurate. While their synchronization is strong enough to carry any song, "Everything Looks Better (in Hindsight)" also stands up as a feat of songwriting that is both fresh and classic at once.
Andrew Bird - Left Handed Kisses (feat. Fiona Apple)
I have to admit that despite liking a handful of songs and finding his live performances very impressive, I'm not really on the Andrew Bird train. That being said, add Fiona Apple to anything and I'm automatically in. For me, this song is made much better by its video (see link above), the raw emotion of which really brings out the chemistry between Bird and Apple as vocalists. Their delivery of back-and-forth lyrical barbs elevates the song's rather simplistic melody into something special - especially when Apple accuses, "The point your song here misses/Is that if you really loved me/You'd risk more than a few fifty-cent words/In your backhanded love song," each syllable spit more bitterly than the last from between gritted teeth.
I have to admit that despite liking a handful of songs and finding his live performances very impressive, I'm not really on the Andrew Bird train. That being said, add Fiona Apple to anything and I'm automatically in. For me, this song is made much better by its video (see link above), the raw emotion of which really brings out the chemistry between Bird and Apple as vocalists. Their delivery of back-and-forth lyrical barbs elevates the song's rather simplistic melody into something special - especially when Apple accuses, "The point your song here misses/Is that if you really loved me/You'd risk more than a few fifty-cent words/In your backhanded love song," each syllable spit more bitterly than the last from between gritted teeth.
Joanna Newsom - Make Hay
I'm so pleased my 2015 Album of the Year winner and all-around favorite songwriter has graced us with a song that allows me to lavish even more praise on her in 2016. "Make Hay" is a scrapped track from last year's Divers that is, unsurprisingly, just as impressive as anything on the album proper. Newsom leaves a lasting impression with only voice, piano, and the matryoshka dolls of her puzzling lyrics and mercurial melodies. Lyrically, it mirrors Divers' closer, "Time, as a Symptom," reversing the quiet confidence of its centerpiece declaration, "Love is not a symptom of time/Time is just a symptom of love," to reveal its less certain origins: "How was I to know/Seeing my seconds pass in a line/If there was a way to reckon love/Except as a symptom of time?" (Though unavailable on Spotify, this track is downloadable from Drag City's website as of the time of this writing.)
I'm so pleased my 2015 Album of the Year winner and all-around favorite songwriter has graced us with a song that allows me to lavish even more praise on her in 2016. "Make Hay" is a scrapped track from last year's Divers that is, unsurprisingly, just as impressive as anything on the album proper. Newsom leaves a lasting impression with only voice, piano, and the matryoshka dolls of her puzzling lyrics and mercurial melodies. Lyrically, it mirrors Divers' closer, "Time, as a Symptom," reversing the quiet confidence of its centerpiece declaration, "Love is not a symptom of time/Time is just a symptom of love," to reveal its less certain origins: "How was I to know/Seeing my seconds pass in a line/If there was a way to reckon love/Except as a symptom of time?" (Though unavailable on Spotify, this track is downloadable from Drag City's website as of the time of this writing.)
Amanda Palmer - Machete
I find Amanda Palmer exhausting in terms of the number of disparate musical projects she's involved in at any given time, so I've taken to ignoring her until the moment she releases a proper album. But I'll never fully give up because every so often she turns out a song that reveals just how truly gifted she is when she wants to be. "Machete" is one of those, a soul-crushingly devastating tribute to a close friend who died far too young. Amidst a lush swelling of piano and strings, the lyrics alternate between macabre imagery ("You took your machete/And you hacked through the woods in the surrounding/And you said, 'I don't know where I'm going/I just know that I'm heading/From the dead things piled up behind me'") and straightforward honesty ("It seems like yesterday you were alive/And it's as if you never really died").
I find Amanda Palmer exhausting in terms of the number of disparate musical projects she's involved in at any given time, so I've taken to ignoring her until the moment she releases a proper album. But I'll never fully give up because every so often she turns out a song that reveals just how truly gifted she is when she wants to be. "Machete" is one of those, a soul-crushingly devastating tribute to a close friend who died far too young. Amidst a lush swelling of piano and strings, the lyrics alternate between macabre imagery ("You took your machete/And you hacked through the woods in the surrounding/And you said, 'I don't know where I'm going/I just know that I'm heading/From the dead things piled up behind me'") and straightforward honesty ("It seems like yesterday you were alive/And it's as if you never really died").
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