Guest List 2016

There's no getting around that 2016 was a rough year across the board, but it's nice to focus on the positives as well. Some of the biggest artists around released some of their best work, new bands rose to the scene, and I celebrated ten years of blogging. In some ways, friends and music seemed like two of the only things worth celebrating in 2016. Thanks to everyone who stuck around and has read this blog over the past ten years, it means the world to me.

Albums of 2016

2016 was a rough year filled with tremendous loss (Bowie, Prince, Phife Dawg, Lenard Cohen and many others), political unrest, police brutality, and violence across the nation. Closure feels key in these times and in the words of Chance the Rapper "the music is all we got" - here are the albums I've listened to this year and the ones that helped me find brightness in the dark.

Songs of 2016

2016 was a long, turbulent year and I'm not sad to see it go. There were times that just felt impossible and dark, but in such disapproving times, it was the music that helped to get us through. Across the spectrums of punk, trip-hop, indie-rock, industrial-techno, hip-hop, and folk, these were my favorite songs of 2016.

Madlib and DOOM - "Avalanche"

Madlib and DOOM have shared a new track called "Avalanche" and it's out now on a 7" single via Madlib's label Madlib Invazion.

Kamaiyah - "I'm On"

Bay Area rapper Kamaiyah released her excellent mixtape, A Good Night in the Ghetto, earlier this year. She's now shared a video for the lead track "I'm On".

Run the Jewels - "Legend Has It"

Run the Jewels have officially announced their third record, Run the Jewels 3, will be self-released on January 13th. They've also shared another, fire new track, "Legend Has It".

Dinosaur Jr played House of Blues (Boston)

Dinosaur Jr have been on a massive tour in support of this year's really good new album Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not. They stopped by Boston's House of Blues for a post-Thanksgiving hometown show with fellow Mass-rockers Buffalo Tom.

The Microphones - "Compressor"

Phil Elvrum has announced a new Microphones album, the first under that moniker since 2003's Mount Eerie. It's called Early Years, 1996 - 1998 and will be available on December 9th.

Sheer Mag played Brooklyn Bazaar

Sheer Mag blazed through Brooklyn Bazaar bringing their heavy dose of high voltage rock and roll and power anthems to a frenzied crowd.

Ty Segall - "Orange Color Queen"

The can't stop won't stop mentality of Ty Segall chugs along as the garage punk returns with another new record, the self-titled Ty Segall, out January 27 via Drag City.