{"id":3352,"date":"2016-12-29T18:04:13","date_gmt":"2016-12-30T01:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocc.org\/?p=3352"},"modified":"2016-12-29T18:04:13","modified_gmt":"2016-12-30T01:04:13","slug":"the-12-best-records-of-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/2016\/12\/29\/the-12-best-records-of-2016\/","title":{"rendered":"The 12 Best Records of 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>2016 was undeniably rough. Lots of shit happened, and most of that shit sucked. Still, it&#8217;s worth taking a look back at the year, because \u00a0a lot of fantastic\u00a0music came out. These are, in my opinion, the best projects of 2016. Whether you agree with me or not, hopefully this list will point you towards some new tunes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Honorable Mentions:<\/strong><br \/>\nThese are thirteen fantastic records, in no particular order, that I didn&#8217;t feel particularly inclined to write about. And that&#8217;s on me\/ But these are among the best releases of the year, and I felt that they at least deserved a mention.<\/p>\n<p>Holy Wave &#8211; <em>Freaks of Nurture<br \/>\n<\/em>Anderson .Paak &#8211; <em>Malibu<br \/>\n<\/em>Swans &#8211; <em>The Glowing Man<br \/>\n<\/em>Preoccupations &#8211;\u00a0<em>Preoccupations<br \/>\n<\/em>Woods &#8211; <em>City Sun Eater in the River of Light<br \/>\n<\/em>Ty Segall &#8211; <em>Emotional Mugger<br \/>\n<\/em>Parquet Courts &#8211; <em>Human Performance<br \/>\n<\/em>Radiohead &#8211; <em>A Moon Shaped Pool<br \/>\n<\/em>Kendrick Lamar &#8211; <em>Untitled. Unmastered.<br \/>\n<\/em>A Tribe Called Quest &#8211; <em>We got it from Here&#8230;Thank You 4 Your Service<br \/>\n<\/em>Car Seat Headrest &#8211; <em>Teens of Denial<br \/>\n<\/em>Mitski &#8211; <em>Puberty 2<br \/>\n<\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nicolas Jaar &#8211; <em>Sirens<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Alright, now let&#8217;s get into <strong>The Top 12<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>12. \u00a0Christian Fennesz &amp; Jim O\u2019Rourke \u2013 <em>Its Hard For Me To Say I\u2019m Sorry<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"01 Christian Fennesz &amp; Jim O&#039;Rourke - I Just Want You to Stay [Editions Mego]\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pr-SFf_-DH4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I really fucking like Jim O\u2019Rourke. From his days in the seminal post-rock band Gastr del Sol to his streak of exceptional solo albums such as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bad Timing,<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Eureka, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Insignificance, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">he\u2019s made a some of my absolute favorite music of the past twenty-five years.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">O\u2019Rourke has also solidified himself as one of the premier producers in indie music, producing Wilco\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yankee Hotel Foxtrot<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Smog\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Knock Knock, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stereolab\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sound-Dust, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and Joanna Newson\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ys, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">to name a few. He also has a dauntingly extensive and continually growing experimental and collaborative discography. As a result, new O\u2019Rourke releases often slip by unnoticed, but luckily <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s Hard For Me To Say I\u2019m Sorry<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> caught my eye. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sorry<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a collaboration between O\u2019Rourke and Christian Fennesz, one of the foremost glitch and ambient artists of the past two decades. The result is a beautifully lush ambient album. With just two tracks around the twenty minute mark, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sorry <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">doesn\u2019t deliver any catchy moments. But the atmospheric soundscapes Fennesz and O\u2019Rourke create on this record are gorgeous and serene. In such a tumultuous year, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sorry<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> provides a much needed peaceful pause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>11. \u00a0Death Grips \u2013 <em>Bottomless Pit<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Death Grips - Eh\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uOJFhKriSH8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What is there to say about Death Grips that hasn\u2019t been said a million times already. Not much. But even after all the cancelled shows and overt fucking with fans, they still got it. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bottomless Pit<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> really doesn\u2019t have a weak moment, but there are certainly some stand outs. \u201cEh\u201d might rival<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cI\u2019ve Seen Footage\u201d for the catchiest Death Grips song, and \u201cGiving Bad People Good Ideas\u201d is a terrific opening track. The hook on \u201cSpikes\u201d is catchy as fuck, and tracks like \u201cThree Bedrooms In A Good Neighborhood\u201d really showcases Flatlander\u2019s impressive production. Nothing super new for the band, but <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bottomless Pit<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a fantastic release regardless. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>10. \u00a0Arca \u2013<em> Entra\u00f1as<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Arca - Baby Doll (feat. Mica Levi)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BTIkWp_hwqI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Arca\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Entra\u00f1as<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a brilliant mixtape, a dark, glitchy amalgam of samples, wonky drum and bass production with ample noise. On <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Entra\u00f1as, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">or \u201cbowels\u201d in English, Arca takes an introspective look at the deep dark parts hidden within. As a result, Arca does not shy away from grimy, messy sounds on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Entra\u00f1as. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">An eeriness permeates <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Entra\u00f1as<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, from the Cocteau Twin\u2019s sample worked into \u201cBaby Doll\u201d to the ghostly closing track \u201cSin Rumbo\u201d. The textural depth Arca creates on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Entra\u00f1as <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is truly staggering, as are the many atmospheric shifts. Soothing ethereal moments and abrasive explosions of noise are brought together by consistent and tight breaks making <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Entra\u00f1as<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> an arresting record, surreal, cryptic and disorienting. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Entra\u00f1as <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is a truly unique project that solidifies Arca\u2019s position as one of the most idiosyncratic and forward-thinking producers of the decade. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>9. \u00a0The Drones \u2013 <em>Feelin Kinda Free<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"THE DRONES:  BOREDOM\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2xgFy5SWl1Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Australian noise-rockers The Drones come through with an anxious, aggressive, politically charged record full of punchy, noisy experimental rock and post-punk tunes. While this album still features some frenzied, raw tracks, many of the songs are more calculated and restrained. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Feelin Kinda Free<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is the most dynamic The Drones have ever sounded, and with abounding dissonance they explore a very dark, anxious side of neo-psychedelia. There are also tons of fantastic one-liners on this record, and the cynical, biting lyrics perfectly complement the frantic, fervent instrumentation. \u201cTaman Shud\u201d and \u201cBoredom\u201d are standouts, but the whole record is fantastic. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>8. \u00a0Mild High Club &#8211; <em>Skiptracing<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mild High Club - Tesselation\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/T7YqwCvaQFU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skiptracing <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is a gorgeous psych pop record, expansive and serene with a built-in sense of nostalgia. The band\u2019s lethargic brand of psychedelia is lush, warm and enveloping, with a healthy dose of funk. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skiptracing <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is a radiant record, with Alexander Brettin\u2019s distant, muffled vocals evaporating into a hazy aura of reverb-soaked guitars and mellotron that meld together to form expansive soundscapes. Tracks like \u201cCary Me Back\u201d and \u201cChasing My Tail\u201d gently wash over you, while more soul-influenced cuts \u201cTesselation\u201d and \u201cChapel Perilous\u201d are mellow and funky. \u00a0<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skiptracing <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is vibrant, layered, and downright gorgeous from front to back. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>7. \u00a0Angel Olsen \u2013\u00a0<em>MY WOMAN<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Angel Olsen - Sister (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-mIA1r2ZELU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">After the folk-rock leanings of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Burn Your Fire for No Witness, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was surprised when Angel Olsen dropped \u201cIntern\u201d. With just icy synths to back her vocals, \u201cIntern\u201d was an arresting track, minimal but deeply emotional, reminiscent of Yo La Tengo\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">But it works, and for my money <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">MY WOMAN<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is Angel Olsen\u2019s best LP to date. The first side of the LP retains some similarities to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Burn Your Fire. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The crunchy distorted guitars are still there, as is the 60s pop influence. But unlike <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Burn Your Fire,<\/span><\/i> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">MY WOMAN<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is stylistic diverse, sparse, and more melancholic. More minimal tracks like \u201cPops\u201d, with just a lonely piano line, and the dream-pop leanings of \u201cWoman\u201d are juxtaposed with the country-rock tune \u201cHeart Shaped Face\u201d and the fantastic single \u201cShut Up Kiss Me\u201d. Olsen\u2019s vocals are enthralling; her range is extremely impressive. The highlights are many, but the two longer tracks, \u201cWoman\u201d and \u201cSister\u201d, are my favorite Angel Olsen tracks to date. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">MY WOMAN<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a gorgeous record, heartfelt and formidable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>6. \u00a0King Gizzard &amp; the Lizard Wizard \u2013 <em>Nonagon Infinity<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"King Gizzard &amp; The Lizard Wizard - Gamma Knife\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nC7ii3Ir-no?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The prolific Australian psych\/garage outfit King Gizzard &amp; the Lizard Wizard love their fuzzy guitars, and they take it up a notch on <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nonagon Infinity. Nonagon Infinity <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is a blistering record, gracefully walking the line between experimental and fun as fuck. This record never skips a beat or gives you room to breath; the album actually works as a continuous loop, with every track seamlessly blending into the next. The last track even blends into the opening track perfectly. Despite the furious, suffocating, psychedelic walls of noise, the hooks and infectious melodies cut through and are catchy as all get out. With heavy riffs aplenty, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nonagon Infinity <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">kicks some serious ass.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>5. \u00a0Nick Cave &amp; the Bad Seeds \u2013 <em>Skeleton Tree<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nick Cave &amp; The Bad Seeds - &#039;Girl In Amber&#039; (Official Audio)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xDR9ijzQbzY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skeleton Tree <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is one of the darkest, most emotionally raw albums Nick Cave has ever released. In the midst of recording <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skeleton Tree, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cave\u2019s fifteen year old son fell off a cliff to his death. And even though the album was already written, this tragic loss of his son Arthur seems to have led Cave to make <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skeleton Tree <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">the bleak, cavernous record that it is. The sparse compositions let Cave\u2019s vocals take the forefront, and his haunting voice reverberates through the record like a restless spirit<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cave\u2019s lyrics have always erred on the poetic side, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Skeleton Tree<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is no exception. But on this record, Cave\u2019s voice is as frail as it has ever sound. This album is a prescient outpouring of grief, making it one of Nick Cave &amp; the Bad Seed\u2019s most moving records in their storied discography.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>4. \u00a0Thee Oh Sees \u2013 <em>A Weird Exits<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Thee Oh Sees - Plastic Plant\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/agZqIr37rmE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thee Oh Sees return with a hypnotic, krautrock-inspired psych punk record that might just be their best record to date. John Dwyer and company have been nothing but prolific since their first release ten years ago, and with records like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Carrion Crawler \/ The Dream, Floating Coffin, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Help <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">it seemed like the best of Thee Oh Sees might be in the past. But <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Weird Exits<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> squelches that notion with spine-shattering force. This record is energetic, raw, and trippy as all get out. This is the most psychedelic Thee Oh Sees have ever been, and that\u2019s a fantastic thing. The slower, longer tracks allow for ample experimentation, but that doesn\u2019t make this thing any less heavy. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Weird Exits<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is one of the most cryptic records of 2016, shrouded is a hissing cloud of fuzz and reverb. Thee Oh Sees prove yet again that garage rock is alive and well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>3. \u00a0Deakin &#8211; <em>Sleep Cycle\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Deakin - Just Am (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UmaJTpJpUiU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Animal Collective guitarist Deakin opted to work on a solo record rather than writing, recording and touring the band\u2019s 2009 album <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merriweather Post Pavilion<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, a move that seemed questionable at the time given <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merriweather<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019s success. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sleep Cycle <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is that album, and it does not disappoint. It is a lush, dreamy, melodic record, bearing heavy resemblance to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Merriweather <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Strawberry Jam.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And this is why <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sleep Cycle <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is such a welcome surprise. The two most recent Animal Collective LPs, 2016\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Painting With <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">and 2012\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Centipede Hz, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">have been dense, cluttered records, suffering from chaotic samples and noise that muddle many tracks. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sleep Cycle<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is free of these issues, making it easily the best Animal Collective-related project in years. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sleep Cycle<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is short, sweet and absolutely infectious. Deakin\u2019s warbling vocals are delightful, the lyrics are personal and resonant, and Deakin\u2019s vocal melodies are phenomenal. Instrumentally the album throws back to mid-2000s Animal Collective. \u201cFooty\u201d recalls \u201cCuckoo Cuckoo\u201d and other Avey Tare songs from <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Strawberry Jam<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, but Deakin makes it distinctly his own. \u201cJust Am\u201d is a brilliant track, bouncing along with a subtle groove and skeletal drum beat. \u201cSeed Song\u201d floats along effortlessly into the emotional, panoramic closer \u201cGood House\u201d. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sleep Cycle<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is healing music, meditative, introspective and soothing. While Animal Collective has recently forayed into more manic territory, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sleep Cycle <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">inhabits a different realm entirely, blissfully calm and hypnotic. I just wish this album wasn\u2019t so fucking short.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>2. \u00a0Danny Brown &#8211; <\/strong><em><strong>Atrocity Exhibition<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Danny Brown  &quot;Ain&#039;t it funny&quot; (prod. Paul White)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2E_fbmDH2_A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Atrocity Exhibition <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">is an absolutely brilliant album. Danny Brown creates an album so mind-blowingly different and weird that it\u2019s mere existence almost seems impossible. The production is bizarre and off-kilter and freaky, with cuts like \u201cGolddust\u201d, which features a sample from krautrock band Embryo, and \u201cAin\u2019t It Funny\u201d. The opener, \u201cThe Downward Spiral\u201d sets the dark, manic, nihilistic tone of the record with themes of drug abuse, depression, and desperation. The lead single \u201cReally Doe\u201d, while unlike most other tracks on the record, is a banger with exceptional features from Kendrick, Ab-Soul and Earl Sweatshirt. But even ignoring \u201cReally Doe\u201d, Danny Brown consistently kills. His flow is insane, especially given the angular, skeletal production. Danny\u2019s verses are heavy and honest, but his twisted sense of humor pushes through the gritty, bleak atmosphere he creates.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This record is grotesque, unsettling, dark, and without a doubt one of the absolute best hip-hop releases of the century so far. <\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>\u00a0David Bowie \u2013\u00a0<em>Blackstar<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"David Bowie - Lazarus (Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y-JqH1M4Ya8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">David Bowie died on January 10, 2016, 18 months after being diagnosed with cancer, and only two days after his 25th and final studio album, \u00a0<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Blackstar<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">was released<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Entirely removed from the context of his death,\u00a0<i>Blackstar<\/i> is still an incredible record. With arranged jazz, electronic, and avant-garde elements tied together with an art-rock sensibility,\u00a0<i>Blackstar<\/i> is perhaps the farthest Bowie ever strayed from pop. Intricate grooves, screeching horns, occult imagery and some of Bowie\u2019s most emotional vocals ever make this an astounding record. But this record is more than that;\u00a0<i>Blackstar\u00a0<\/i>is Bowie\u2019s swan-song, a response to his own impending death. The menacing, dark vibe of the record is cut by undercurrents of acceptance and self-reflection, highlighted by musical and lyrical allusions to Bowie\u2019s past records. Never has a record so poignantly captured the uncertainty of death as this one.\u00a0<i>Blackstar<\/i> is Bowie\u2019s flawless farewell, and shows the dedication he put into his art, regardless of the circumstances.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2016 was undeniably rough. Lots of shit happened, and most of that shit sucked. Still, it&#8217;s worth taking a look back at the year, because \u00a0a lot of fantastic\u00a0music came out. These are, in my opinion, the best projects of 2016. Whether you agree with me or not, hopefully this list will point you towards [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1122,"featured_media":3361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa7fJU-S4","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1122"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/socc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}