Raised Eyebrows: 2016 Hangover (Randy)

2016 was a year many of us of would like to have forgotten for a variety of reasons. But as stated before, for better or worse, 2016 was one of the finest years for music this century. I was able to wrangle together mixes featuring 90 different records from 2016 that needed your attention in a few articles for SOTO. You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

Now that the sun has set on 2016 and the shit is prepared to hit the fan in 2017, I’m taking a look at a few records that didn’t get their due and a few rad LP’s about to be released. Peace attack 2017.

Suzanne Kraft – What You Get For Being Young

After obsessing over Kraft’s wonderful 2015 LP Talk From Home, I was stoked to have this meditative effort around to close out the year/be hopeful for the new one.

Wovenhand – Star Treatment

Ex-16 Horsepower leader is now taking his solo acoustic project into foggy, whip chain noir territory.

East of the Valley Blues – EOTVB

A sort of acoustic instrument ambient record. Waging heavy peace.

Pete Astor – Spilt Milk

I was late to the game on this one. A superior pop record and a shooting star in the Astor catalog.

Immersion – Analogue Creatures Living on an Island

Each song a journey with no real destination. Every sound adds to the dream.

Chris Forsyth and The Solar Motel Band – The Rarity of Experience

Late on this one too. This band hits every pleasure point. Best descriptor is PURE HEAT.

Shearwater – Jet Plane and Oxbow

I am a sucker for the motorik groove found on Radio Silence.

Scott Hirsch – Blue Rider Songs

Hiss Golden Messenger engineer gets his Double-J Cale groove on.

The Mood Illusion – Strangers in the Night

Austin’s Bob Hoffnar leads you and his band through a non-ordinary trip through the places behind the places that you thought you were headed to.

Rob Noyes – The Feudal Spirit

Guerilla guitar soli.

Noveller – A Pink Sunset For No One

Drowning in sound, lost in dream, followed by land. Truly original scapes from Sarah Lipstate.

Brokeback – Illinois River Valley Blues

I love this band. Interplay for days from these Chicago heavies.

Michael Chapman – 50

Living legend Michael Chapman celebrates 50 years in the tunnel with an album made with friends and admirers.

1 Response

  1. Jay says:

    If you listened to and enjoyed all of these albums, props to you. As someone who follows music somewhat closely, I recognized 7 out of the 110 bands you listed over the three parts. I find the lists to be intentionally obscure if not downright pretentious. But then, most year end lists are full of pretension and virtue/hipness signalling rather than the quality of the music.

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