Monday, December 26, 2016

The Best Albums of 2016


We wait all year for this day - and here it is - our picks for The Best Albums of 2016. As always, we've enlisted the help of some of our pals from across the world to share what new music has touched them the most this year. There's also a HUGE Spotify playlist to tune into - featuring tracks from each release, as chosen by all of our contributors. You'll discover that sucker all the way at the bottom of this page. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions, so feel free to leave some feedback (and even your own lists) in the comments section below - or interact at the Life On This Planet Facebook Page. I should also mention that there are already some promising records announced for the first quarter of 2017 - can't wait for those and to do this all again in the new year. Okay, let's get to it. - Bret

Bret Helm
Life On This Planet Blog | Audra

10. Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow
09. Minor Victories - s/t
08. Marissa Nadler - Strangers
07. James - Girl at the End of the World
06. Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter
05. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
04. David Bowie - Blackstar
03. Eagulls - Ullages
02. The London Suede - Night Thoughts
01. Preoccupations - s/t

Sarah Quarrie
Life On This Planet Blog

10. Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter
09. Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam - I Had a Dream You Were Mine
08. The Veils - Total Depravity
07. White Lung - Paradise
06. Mass Gothic - s/t
05. Eagulls - Ullages
04. Minor Victories - s/t
03. Preoccupations - s/t
02. The London Suede - Night Thoughts
01. Angel Olsen - My Woman

Jesse Deitermann
Saturday Night Music Club

10. Warpaint - Heads Up
09. Preoccupations - s/t
08. Minor Victories - s/t
07. Eagulls - Ullages
06. Tim Burgess - Same Language Different World
05. Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions - Until the Hunter
04. Still Corners - Dead Blue
03. Travis - Everything at Once
02. Sulk - No Illusions
01. Fear of Men - Fall Forever

Jaymz Todd
Saturday Night Music Club

10. Marching Church - Telling It Like It Is
09. James - Girl at the End of the World
08. Soviet Soviet - Endless
07. Operators - Blue Wave
06. DVSN - Sept 5th
05. Agnes Obel - Citizen of Glass
04. Wild Beasts - Boy King
03. Underworld - Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future
02. Gallant - Ollogy
01. Anderson .Paak - Malibu

Rob Clark
Rockford, IL

10. Trentmoller - Fixion
09. Agnes Obel - Citizen of Glass
08. Frightened Rabbit - Painting of a Panic Attack
07. Angelica Garcia - Medicine for Birds
06. Margaret Glaspy - Emotions & Math
05. Eliot Sumner - Information
04. Kate Tempest - Let Them Eat Chaos
03. David Bowie - Blackstar
02. Savages - Adore Life
01. Shearwater - Jet Plane & Oxbow

John Magness
Uttoxeter, England

10. Bloc Party - Hymns
09. David West - Peace or Love
08. Teenage Fanclub - Here
07. James - Girl at the End of the World
06. Michele Stodart - Pieces
05. ABC - Lexicon of Love II
04. DIIV - Is the Is Are
03. Ben Watt - Fever Dream
02. David Bowie - Blackstar
01. Eliot Sumner - Information

Ron Marrs
New Orleans, LA

10. Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions - Until the Hunter
09. The Claypool Lennon Delirium - Monolith of Phobos
08. PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project
07. The Julie Ruin - Hit Reset
06. Angel Olsen - My Woman
05. Tricky - Skilled Mechanics
04. Helen Gillet - The Wind Shakes the Trees
03. Emma Ruth Rundle - Marked for Death
02. Boy Harsher - Yr Body is Nothing
01. Darkher - Realms

Sierra Anna Jones
Okinawa, Okinawa

10. David Bowie - Blackstar
09. Puce Mary - The Spiral
08. Soft Kill - Choke
07. Fear of Men - Fall Forever
06. Emma Ruth Rundle - Marked for Death
05. Marissa Nadler - Strangers
04. Black Marble - It's Immaterial
03. Weyes Blood - Front Row Seat to Earth
02. DIIV - Is the is Are
01. Angel Olsen - My Woman

Jason Jones
Okinawa, Okinawa

10. Kristin Kontrol - X-Communicate
09. Fear of Men - Fall Forever
08. Julia Jacklin - Don't Let the Kids Win
07. Eagulls - Ullages
06. Marissa Nadler - Strangers
05. Black Marble - It's Immaterial
04. David Bowie - Blackstar
03. Angel Olsen - My Woman
02. Weyes Blood - Front Row Seat to Earth
01. DIIV - Is the is Are

Jonathan Salisbury
Saturday Night Music Club

10. Woods - Sun Eater in the River of Life
09. Nick Waterhouse - Never Twice
08. Heron Oblivion - s/t
07. DIIV - Is the is Are
06. The Frightnrs - Nothing More to Say
05. Jim James - Eternally Even
04. Leonard Cohen - You Want it Darker
03. Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
02. Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Skeleton Tree
01. David Bowie - Blackstar

Jason DeWolfe Barton
Audra

10. Brian Eno - The Ship
09. Neurosis - Fires Within Fires
08. David Bowie - Blackstar
07. Russian Circles - Guidance
06. Sumac - What One Becomes
05. Mizmor - Yodh
04. Alcest - Kodama
03. Lush - Blind Spot
02. Kadhja Bonet - The Visitor
01. Cobalt - Slow Forever

Listen in on our MASSIVE Spotify playlist - featuring a track from each album as chosen by all of our contributors:


If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out our feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine (click image below)

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8 comments:

  1. Excellent! Thanks for doing all the compiling, Bret, both in the post and on Spotify. A lot of work, but it looks and sounds great! Looking forward to checking out good stuff I have missed from the lists!

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    1. Thanks for the kind words and for being part of the fun once again! :)

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  2. I look forward to this list every year! Thank you !

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  3. A great read must compile my top ten

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  4. Good stuff all around. Many of these made my list. Cheers guys! Henry

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  5. Excellent list. I have a lot of listening to catch up on here! I did manage to see a couple of my favourites on here though, including my choice for album of the year, Suede - Night Thoughts. An amazing return to form for Brett Anderson (and co.).

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  6. Good to see Angel Olsen on a lot of lists. A perfect record.

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