The Best Albums of 2016 (so far)

So, here we are at mid-year, and it's time to recognize some of the excellent releases that have come out in the first half of 2016. As always, I've enlisted the help of some of my friends and family to provide some additional insight and coverage of the wide musical spectrum. I've also collected tracks from each release - chosen by all of our contributors - in a huge Spotify playlist. You'll encounter that beast all the way at the bottom of this post. I look 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. Click on an album cover to purchase - or investigate a release further. Okay, let's do this thing. - Bret

Bret Helm

Life On This Planet Blog | Audra

The London Suede - Night Thoughts
Minor Victories
David Bowie - Blackstar
James - Girl at the End of the World
Eagulls - Ullages
Mass Gothic
Cullen Omori - New Misery
Pete Yorn - ArrangingTime
Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow
Primal Scream - Chaosmosis 

Sarah Quarrie

Life On This Planet Blog

Minor Victories
David Bowie - Blackstar
Savages - Adore Life
The London Suede - Night Thoughts
The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come to Expect
Mass Gothic - s/t
Eagulls - Ullages
School of Seven Bells - SVIIB
HAELOS - Full Circle
Kevin Morby - Singing Saw

Jesse Deitermann

Saturday Night Music Club

Fear of Men - Fall Forever
Eliot Sumner - Information
Wyldest - Dark Matter EP
Charlie Hilton - Palana
Kristin Kontrol - X-Communicate
Operators - Blue Wave
Tokyo Police Club - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Radness
Pity Sex - White Hot Moon
Lush - Blind Spot EP
Bent Shapes - Wolves of Want

Jaymz Todd

Saturday Night Music Club

James - The Girl at the End of the World
Operators - Blue Wave
LUH - Spiritual Songs for Lovers to Sing
David Bowie - Blackstar
Oddisee - Alwasta
Odonis Odonis - Post Plague
Beyonce - Lemonade
Xiu Xiu - Plays the Music of Twin Peaks
Ashley Shadow
Public Memory - Wuthering Drum

Brent Berg

Saturday Night Music Club

Iggy Pop - Post Pop Depression
Charles Bradley - Changes
Pookie and the Poodlez - Young Adult
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band - 55
Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered
David Bowie - Blackstar
Ty Segall - Emotional Mugger
Scorpion vs Tarantula - s/t EP

Jason DeWolfe Barton

of Audra

Cobalt - Slow Forever
Astronoid - Air
Eagulls - Ullages
Cult of Luna - Mariner
Mitski - Puberty 2
M83 - Junk
Lush - Blind Spot EP
Nails - You Will Never Be One of Us
David Bowie - Blackstar
Underworld - Barbara Barbara, we face a shining future

Jonathan Salisbury

Saturday Night Music Club

Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Black Mountain - IV
Tindersticks - The Waiting Room
Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered
Heron Oblivion
DIIV - Is the is Are
Marissa Nadler - Strangers
Charles Bradley - Changes
David Bowie - Blackstar
Feels

Rob Clark

Rockford, IL

David Bowie - Blackstar
Shearwater - Jet Plane & Oxbow
Savages - Adore Life
Tortoise - The Catastrophist
DIIV - Is the is Are
Polica - United Crushers
Frightened Rabbit - Painting of a Panic Attack
Sturgill Simpson - A Sailor's Guide to Earth
Paul Simon - Stranger to Stranger

John Magness

Uttoxeter, England

DIIV - Is the is Are
Ben Watt - Fever Dream
The Last Shadow Puppets - Everything You've Come to Expect
David Bowie - Blackstar
James - Girl at the End of the World

Ron Marrs

New Orleans, LA

Helen Gillet - The Wind that Shakes the Trees
Black Tusk - Pillars of Ash
Daughter - Not to Disappear
Julianna Barwick - Will
Lush - Blind Spot EP
Marissa Nadler - Strangers
David Bowie - Blackstar
PJ Harvey - The Hope Six Demolition Project
The Cult - Hidden City
Tricky - Skilled Mechanics

Sierra Anna Jones

Okinawa, Okinawa

David Bowie - Blackstar
DIIV - Is the is Are
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Marissa Nadler - Strangers
Minor Victories
Japanese Breakfast - Psychopomp
Puce Mary - The Spiral
Eagulls - Ullages
Wild Nothing - Life of Pause
Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow

Jason Jones

Okinawa, Okinawa

Savages - Adore Life

David Bowie - Blackstar
The London Suede - Night Thoughts
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Santigold - 99 Cents
DIIV - Is the is Are
Eagulls - Ullages

If you're a vinyl enthusiast, check out my feature on the Spin Clean Vinyl Record Cleaning Machine:

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Planet Rotations #205

In the age of digital music, we tend to skip through albums, listening to one or two tracks - missing some of the deeper cuts that may be brilliant. I am a big fan of the album format, and love to experience the entire collection the way the artist intended. Listening to one or two songs is like randomly reading a few chapters of a book and expecting to understand the completed work. Like any music lover, I love to share what I'm listening to and discover some new things from friends.

If you've been following the LOTP Facebook page, then you already know that Sarah Quarrie is collaborating with me on the blog. So here are 6 records from both of our playlists for this week - the first 2 rows are my picks, the second 2 are hers. You'll also notice a Spotify player at the bottom, which features a song from each album. This will be an ongoing playlist that you can follow directly on Spotify. Please put your own lists in the comments below, or interact at the Life On This Planet Facebook or Twitter. 

(text version below image)

Bret's 6

JJ72 - s/t

Underworld - Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future

Ashley Shadow - s/t

James - Girl at the End of the World

Eagulls - Ullages

Primal Scream - Chaosmosis

Sarah's 6

Sneaker Pimps - Becoming X

IAMX - Metanoia

School of Seven Bells - SVIIB

Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead

Robots in Disguise - We're in the Music Biz

Listen to our ongoing Spotify Planet Rotations Playlist!

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

Follow us on Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

Planet Rotations #204

In the age of digital music, we tend to skip through albums, listening to one or two tracks - missing some of the deeper cuts that may be brilliant. I am a big fan of the album format, and love to experience the entire collection the way the artist intended. Listening to one or two songs is like randomly reading a few chapters of a book and expecting to understand the completed work. Like any music lover, I love to share what I'm listening to and discover some new things from friends.

If you've been following the LOTP Facebook page, then you already know that Sarah Quarrie is collaborating with me on the blog. So here are 6 records from both of our playlists for this week - the first 2 rows are my picks, the second 2 are hers. You'll also notice a Spotify player at the bottom, which features a song from each album. This will be an ongoing playlist that you can follow directly on Spotify. Please put your own lists in the comments below, or interact at the Life On This Planet Facebook or Twitter. 

(text version below image)

Bret's 6
Brett Anderson - Slow Attack

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Firstborn is Dead

Wye Oak - Tween

Concrete Blonde - Bloodletting

The London Suede - Night Thoughts

Xymox - Twist of Shadows

Sarah's 6
Haelos - Full Circle

Fear of Men - Fall Forever

The Secret Meeting - Ultrashiver

Mitski - Puberty 2

Curve - Gift

Curve - Doppelganger

Listen to our ongoing Spotify Planet Rotations Playlist!

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

Follow us on Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

Planet Rotations #203

In the age of digital music, we tend to skip through albums, listening to one or two tracks - missing some of the deeper cuts that may be brilliant. I am a big fan of the album format, and love to experience the entire collection the way the artist intended. Listening to one or two songs is like randomly reading a few chapters of a book and expecting to understand the completed work. Like any music lover, I love to share what I'm listening to and discover some new things from friends.

If you've been following the LOTP Facebook page, then you already know that Sarah Quarrie is collaborating with me on the blog. So here are 6 records from both of our playlists for this week - the first 2 rows are my picks, the second 2 rows are hers. You'll also notice a Spotify player at the bottom, which features a song from each album. This will be an ongoing playlist that you can follow directly on Spotify. Please put your own lists in the comments below, or interact at the Life On This Planet Facebook or Twitter. 

(text version below image)

Bret's 6
Chapterhouse - Whirlpool

The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland

Pale Saints - The Comforts of Madness

Nothing - Tired of Tomorrow

Bee Gees - 1st

Colvin & Earle - s/t

Sarah's 6
Trashcan Sinatras - Wild Pendulum

Craft Spells - Nausea

Wye Oak - Tween

Chapterhouse - The Best of

Bat for Lashes - Two Suns

Mogwai - Les Revenants Soundtrack

Listen to our ongoing Spotify Planet Rotations Playlist!

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

Follow us on Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

Planet Rotations #202

In the age of digital music, we tend to skip through albums, listening to one or two tracks - missing some of the deeper cuts that may be brilliant. I am a big fan of the album format, and love to experience the entire collection the way the artist intended. Listening to one or two songs is like randomly reading a few chapters of a book and expecting to understand the completed work. Like any music lover, I love to share what I'm listening to and discover some new things from friends.

If you've been following the LOTP Facebook page, then you already know that Sarah Quarrie is collaborating with me on the blog. So here are 6 records from both of our playlists for this week - the first 2 rows are my picks, the second 2 rows are hers. You'll also notice a Spotify player at the bottom, which features a song from each album. This will be an ongoing playlist that you can follow directly on Spotify. Please put your own lists in the comments below, or interact at the Life On This Planet Facebook or Twitter. 

(text version below image)

Bret's 6
Minor Victories - s/t

Slowdive - Souvlaki

The Sundays - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic

Fields of the Nephilim - Elizium

Jozef van Wissem - When Shall This Bright Day Begin

Rachel Gowell - Waves are Universal

Sarah's 6
Minor Victories - s/t

Pulp - His 'n' Hers

Editors - The Back Room

The Twilight Sad - Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave

Cullen Omori - New Misery

Robert Smith - It Never Was the Same / There's a Girl in the Corner

Listen to our ongoing Spotify Planet Rotations Playlist!

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

Follow us on Facebook / Twitter / YouTube

Planet Rotations #201

In the age of digital music, we tend to skip through albums, listening to one or two tracks - missing some of the deeper cuts that may be brilliant. I am a big fan of the album format, and love to experience the entire collection the way the artist intended. Listening to one or two songs is like randomly reading a few chapters of a book and expecting to understand the completed work. Like any music lover, I love to share what I'm listening to and discover some new things from friends.

If you've been following the LOTP Facebook page, then you already know that Sarah Quarrie is collaborating with me on the blog. So here are 6 records from both of our playlists for this week - the first 2 rows are my picks, the second 2 are hers. You'll also notice a Spotify player at the bottom, which features a song from each album. This will be an ongoing playlist that you can follow directly on Spotify. Please put your own lists in the comments below, or interact at the Life On This Planet Facebook or Twitter. 

(text version below image)

Bret's 6
Mark Kozelek - Sings Favorites

The London Suede - Coming Up

White Lung - Paradise

Kristin Kontrol - X-Communicate

Social Distortion - s/t

Mojave 3 - Ask Me Tomorrow

Sarah's 6
White Lung - Paradise

Woods - City Sun Eater in the River of Light

The London Suede - Coming Up

Flunk - The Songs We Sing: Best of

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Let Love In

Ty Segall - Manipulator

Listen to our ongoing Spotify Planet Rotations Playlist!

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

Follow us on Facebook / Twitter / YouTube