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Top 10 Albums of 2016
Alright, vinyl enthusiasts — It's time for us to travel back in time, drop the needle on the turntable, and revel in the rhythm of a truly iconic year—2016. Let me tell you, this year was stacked with some delicious sonic treats that not only filled our living rooms with an enchanting melody but also truly made their mark on the world of music. We saw artists push boundaries, challenge norms, and produce some of the most riveting records that, quite frankly, belong in every vinyl enthusiast's collection. So, get comfy and prepare for a nostalgic trip as we recount our favorite vinyl albums of 2016.
David Bowie's Black Star: A Timeless Cosmic Elegy
David Bowie - Blackstar
Kicking off our list is 'Blackstar', David Bowie's final gift to the world. Released just two days before his sudden departure, this seven-track album served as a poignant farewell, encased in jazz-infused rock and somber, brooding undertones. The record, expansive in its scope, is a beautiful labyrinth of surrealism and despair, a testament to Bowie's enduring ability to surprise and enchant. Every note seems to carry a profound weight, a sense of impending farewell. The vinyl version of 'Blackstar' is an aural and tactile experience; its distinctive artwork and clear pressing allow Bowie's swansong to shine in all its spectral beauty. This monumental album undoubtedly deserves its place as one of the top vinyl records of 2016.
Embrace the Lunar Soundscape: Radiohead's 'A Moon Shaped Pool' on Vinyl
Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool
Dive into the deeply introspective world of 'A Moon Shaped Pool', a poignant offering from Radiohead. This album is a labyrinth of haunting melodies, intriguing musical arrangements, and layered lyrical prowess that probes the human condition. The band's ninth studio album explores themes of love, loss, and desperation, underpinned by an air of existential dread that resonates throughout the record. Each spin of the vinyl offers an almost cathartic journey, revealing new layers of complexity and emotional nuance. The result is an album that’s both intellectually stimulating and deeply affecting, securing its spot as one of the top vinyl records of 2016.
Savor the Zesty Empowerment: Beyoncé's 'Lemonade' on Vinyl, a Masterpiece of Strength and Resilience
Beyoncé - Lemonade
Immerse yourself in the emotional rollercoaster that is Beyoncé's groundbreaking 'Lemonade'. This album is not just a collection of songs but a cohesive story told with fierce honesty and profound depth. Beyoncé navigates through themes of infidelity, empowerment, and the Black woman's experience in America with an unmatched intensity. With its seamless blend of pop, R&B, rock, country, and soul, 'Lemonade' transcends genre boundaries, offering listeners a multi-faceted sonic experience. Its wide-ranging appeal is a testament to Beyoncé's transformative artistry and her ability to connect with audiences on a deeply personal level. 'Lemonade', available on vinyl, left a lasting mark in 2016 and continues to be an essential addition to any record collection.
Dive into Emotional Depths: Frank Ocean's 'Blond' Vinyl, an Intimate Soundtrack to Life's Complexities
Frank Ocean - Blonde
Following a four-year hiatus, Frank Ocean returned with 'Blonde', an album that confidently strays from conventional musical norms. Throughout the record, Ocean's soft yet powerful voice navigates through minimalist production, spinning tales of lost love, introspection, and personal growth. 'Blonde' pushes boundaries, pairing ambient synths with evocative lyrics and experimental sounds, resulting in an unconventional R&B masterpiece. Tracks like 'Nights' and 'Ivy' perfectly exemplify this blend of vulnerability and innovation. Its idiosyncratic style struck a chord with vinyl enthusiasts, who appreciated its deep, rich sound on wax. One of the top-selling records of 2016, 'Blonde' is a unique album that rewards multiple listens, revealing new layers each time the needle hits the groove.
Bon Iver's '22, A Million' Vinyl, an Enigmatic Journey Through Experimental Folk Landscapes
Bon Iver - 22, A Million
With '22, A Million', Bon Iver reinvents the wheel, blending their signature emotive folk with an experimental sonic palette. The album showcases Justin Vernon's ability to pair profound lyrics with innovative soundscapes, resulting in a project that is both groundbreaking and deeply moving. Filled with cryptic symbolism, the tracks span from the haunting '715 - CR∑∑KS' to the transcendental '8 (circle)'. It's an album that thrives in its abstraction, inviting listeners to find their own meanings. The vinyl format adds an extra layer of warmth to this intricate production, making '22, A Million' a beloved album among vinyl collectors. A definitive best-selling vinyl of 2016, it's a testament to Bon Iver's uncanny ability to push boundaries while preserving the emotive essence of their music.
Anderson .Paak - Malibu
Take a sonically satisfying ride with Anderson .Paak's 'Malibu'. Fusing elements of hip-hop, R&B, soul, and funk, this album encapsulates the eclectic spirit of .Paak’s musical prowess. His soulful vocals weave through diverse beats and playful instrumentals, telling intimate tales of love, loss, and resilience. From groovy, upbeat numbers like 'Am I Wrong' to the emotive 'The Bird', 'Malibu' offers a dynamic listening experience. This album stands as a testament to .Paak's versatility as an artist, and its vinyl edition adds an extra layer of warmth and richness to the sound. 'Malibu' topped charts in 2016 and remains a well-loved addition to the vinyl collections of music enthusiasts worldwide.
Feel the Breezy Waves: Anderson .Paak's 'Malibu' Vinyl, a Sunlit Journey of Rhythmic Bliss
Revving up the Rebellious Anthems: Car Seat Headrest's 'Teens of Denial' Vinyl, a Cathartic Ride into Indie Rock Rebellion
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Denial
With 'Teens of Denial', Car Seat Headrest establishes their place in the pantheon of great indie rock acts. The raw energy of the album, combined with the introspective, observational lyrics of frontman Will Toledo, makes this a standout release of 2016. From the anthemic 'Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales' to the expansive 'The Ballad of the Costa Concordia', the album packs an emotional punch. Toledo's candid storytelling and the band's no-holds-barred instrumentation create a unique sonic experience, embodying the messy realities of youth and disillusionment. Its release on vinyl added an extra layer of richness to the band's sound, making it a must-have for indie rock enthusiasts and a top seller in the vinyl market. A cherished piece in any vinyl collection, it's an album that only grows with every listen.
Solange - A Seat at the Table
Solange's "A Seat at the Table" is a moving and empowering exploration of identity and black womanhood in America. The album exudes an intimate strength, pairing elegant R&B grooves with piercingly honest lyrics. The tracks tackle social and political issues while maintaining an intensely personal and vulnerable core. With guest appearances from heavy hitters like Lil Wayne, Sampha, and Kelly Rowland, each song is a compelling narrative journey. The album’s physical release, especially the vinyl edition, adds a layer of tangibility to Solange's messages, making it a must-have for any vinyl collection. Its beautifully crafted lyrics and unique soundscapes make "A Seat at the Table" an album that is as impactful on vinyl as it is transformative in its storytelling.
Pull Up a Chair, Embrace the Melodic Serenity: Solange's 'A Seat at the Table' Vinyl, an Empowering Invitation to Cultural Resilience
Color Your World with Joy: Chance the Rapper's 'Coloring Book', a Vibrant Soundtrack of Hope and Celebration
Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
Chance the Rapper's third mixtape, "Coloring Book," broke the mold of what hip-hop could be, integrating gospel and soulful melodies into a buoyant and uplifting tapestry of sound. The album explores Chance's experiences with faith, fatherhood, and the music industry, producing an inspiring narrative across its 14 tracks. With stellar guest appearances from Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Kirk Franklin, it's a star-studded affair. Though not initially available on vinyl, a special edition vinyl release catered to an enthusiastic fanbase, with the wax edition becoming a cherished piece in many collections. With "Coloring Book," Chance proved that independent artists could reach exceptional heights, all while delivering an album that's a joy to spin on a turntable.
Kanye West - The Life of Pablo
The Life of Pablo, Kanye West's seventh studio album, was nothing short of unpredictable and controversial, a perfect reflection of its creator's public persona. The record bounces across genres, moods, and themes, resulting in an eclectic blend of gospel, hip-hop, and avant-garde electronica. Tracks like 'Ultralight Beam' showcase West's genius in blending gospel choirs with hip-hop beats, while 'Famous' became notorious for its lyrical provocations. Despite its absence from the vinyl scene due to Kanye's preference for the digital medium, The Life of Pablo was so impactful that it resonated with listeners worldwide. This album is a testament to the fact that even without a vinyl release, an album can leave an indelible mark on the music landscape. If you get a chance to listen, it's an audacious project that's worth your time.
'The Life of Pablo', A Dynamic Journey Through the Mind of a Musical Maverick
Alright, we've shared our top vinyl picks from 2016. Agree? Disagree? Couldn't care less? Let us know in the comments below. Tell us about your personal favorites. We promise we won't judge...much.
What Does DMAs Stand For? Doesn't Matter Anyway
I remember getting Definitely Maybe in 7th grade and running into the dining room to play “Up in the Sky” for my mom. “Listen to how much this sounds like the Beatles,” I said. Pride swelled in my adolescent mind; I had made a legitimate comparison. I can only imagine a 7th-grader today saying to his or her own parent, “Check out this Australian band called DMA’s that I found on YouTube. Listen to how much they sound like that one old band you like, Mirage or something.” “Oasis, you mean?” the dad might say. Yeah, that’s the one. The resemblance is striking, but lead singer Tommy O’Dell might have a point when he says, “I think if you put an acoustic guitar down with a poppy melody and noisy guitars over it, it’s going to sound like that [Oasis] anyway.”
Themselves revivalists, Oasis created a sound in the 90s so appealing to the masses that by now it has been revived at least a couple times by a long list of bands, not the least important of which is DMA’s. Originally based out of Sydney, Australia, then signed to Mom + Pop Records in the U.S. (the same label that carries Courtney Barnett, another Australian). DMA’s consists of three members, though their touring band has recently expanded to six to help replicate that “wall of guitars” sound in a live setting.
“While some bands can get snippy after one too many comparisons to other bands by journalists, Took [another member of the band] is happy to acknowledge the band’s influences, listing Primal Scream, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Bruce Springsteen, Sonic Youth, Bob Dylan, Doc Watson and, yes, Oasis.”1
“Delete” is the well-received single that helped propel DMA’s into the limelight, and that song appears on both last year’s self-titled six-song EP, as well as their debut album Hills End which was just released in February. Hills End is full of catchy songs that drum up a number of obvious comparisons. Arctic Monkeys first came to my mind, but the profundity of Oasis comparisons they have received in the press is more than appropriate. Tommy O’Dell just sounds like Liam Gallagher, holding his notes, not hiding his accent, and slowly enunciating the words. Imagine the way Liam sings, “Is it myyy imaaginay-she-unnn?” on “Cigarettes and Alcohol” and you’ve got a pretty good idea of what this means. Or see for yourself in this performance of “Delete” from youtube:
So even if they do sound just like Oasis, Oasis was an amazing band, and we need more of those, so please, revive all of the great sounds of the past, all the bands that have wowed us from past generations. It’s like Plato’s idea of the forms: that there is just that one perfect “form” of any one thing (a chair, a bed, a band) that exists somewhere in the cosmos, and everything we witness down here is just a copy of that original form. Of course this idea is ridiculous, as if there’s just that one form of the quintessential Britpop band, and all the Kula Shakers, Pulps, Blurs, Ashes, and Oases are just faded imitations of that greater form. Though not the original form, DMA’s fits well into the category of Britpop. They don’t necessarily make it priority no. 1 to craft their own original sound, but is there anything wrong with that? Not to me. Personally, I hope more bands are as successful at reviving the 90s alt rock sound as young band has already been, especially if their idols are used as springboards towards further expansion and experimentation.
April's Vinyl Me, Please Shipment
April is not the cruelest month. Instead, as seems to be the case on a monthly basis, it was a great month to be a member of the best damn record club out there. The album of the month was certainly no slouch, as the folks at VMP chose one of the greatest hip-hop albums of the 90s to disseminate amongst its followership. This was Fugees’ 1996 masterpiece The Score, which includes what were at the time the ubiquitous singles, “Ready or Not,” “Killing Me Softly,” and Wyclef’s “No Woman, No Cry,” as well as such deep-cut classics as “How Many Mics,” “Zealots,” and “Fu-Gee-La.” To round out the package, the disc itself was two-toned black and translucent orange.
The VMP website includes a great article by Jeff Weiss on the background of this monumental album here.
As always, the members-only vinyl store this month was full of difficult decisions, but I ended up narrowing it down to the following three to add to the shipment:
Black Mountain – IV
I first heard this Canadian band way back in 2005 when they dropped their debut self-titled album. I listened to that one a couple times, enjoyed it for the most part, particularly the song “Modern Music,” and then never heard of them again until now, over ten years later, when I notice in the member store that they are coming out with a fourth album. I must have missed In the Future (2008) and Wilderness Heart (2010), but that’s okay with me; as much as I like this one, I’ll probably check them out soon. It’s actually kind of nice to have been oblivious to Black Mountain for that ten-year hiatus of not even acknowledging the band’s existence, since now, listening to the latest, on bright green translucent vinyl, it’s like a totally different band than what I remembered. Here on IV, Black Mountain has a sound that many describe as 70s revivalist, blown up to much grander scales than I remember; it sounds cleaner and more epic, and in a good way, not like how First Impressions of Earth sounds “cleaner” than Is This It. The stand-out tracks for me are definitely “Cemetery Breeding,” a song about exactly what the title would lead you to believe: procreating in a graveyard. And then “Space to Bakersfield” is a psychedelic jaunt back to memories of watching my hand morph into a goat hoof on a bright orange couch by the player piano. Likely enough, it reminds me a bit of Black Sabbath, if Black Sabbath were to incorporate into their structure a female singer and a wider variety of song types.
Suuns – Hold/Still
This is my wife’s favorite album from this month’s haul, and probably mine too. It’s something different from really anything that I could name right now. It’s an album that makes dissonance pleasurable, meaning the songs often sound just a bit “off” in some aspects, like the instruments might not quite be in what most people would consider the “same key,” but this was the plan it seems, to allow sounds that don’t seem at first to work together to eventually cohere into something truly enjoyable. Some listeners might be turned off by the first track, in which Suuns takes the dissonance to the most extreme (and partially annoying) level, at least in comparison with the rest of the album. Much like I remember hearing Conor Oberst mention that he would often “test” his listeners by filling the first track of Bright Eyes albums with noise, dialogue, etc., to see which “true” fans have the desire and patience to make it beyond the first track. A questionable tactic I suppose, but one that Suuns may have unwittingly adopted. “Fall,” the first track, gives us a good idea of what kind of things are to come: harsh and at times abrasive sounds. As the album progresses though, the remainder is comprised of wonderfully strange and melodic tunes that are sung as if through a clenched jaw and backed up by what sounds like percussion run through a distortion pedal. As a whole the album has a slow groove that fits perfectly a stormy dusk.
Glenn Gould – The Goldberg Variations
Why not have some classical music in my collection was what I was thinking when I added this to the cart. It had been talked up quite a bit by the other VMP forum members, so I thought I’d give it a shot. I’m glad I did too, because it’s a great album to put on when you’re having lobster and caviar with your more-sophisticated neighbors. In a dream perhaps. Classical music has never been my preferred genre to be honest—I’ve given it a shot and have always enjoyed it, but it’s not a go-to genre for me by any means—but the more I heard about Glenn Gould’s eccentricities and how he can be heard humming along to the Bach variations that comprise the album, I found it to be something anomalous to the genre that might be good to have around. Upon the second spin, I still haven’t heard the humming, but I haven’t been listening that closely. It was almost a shame to open the album at all, since it came in a protective plastic case with the back of the album having the following warning about how not to use it with a needle that has been played over a certain amount of hours.
Recommended Needle Life Chart
Osmium (metal) tip…………not over 20 hours
Sapphire (sy. Jewel)………...not over 65 hours
Diamond (genuine)…………not over 800 hours
Having no clue if my needle was diamond or otherwise, I threw it on anyway. The music is Bach, and we all probably have a thought about what that means. The songs range in tempo from turtle-slow to rabbit-fast. Besides obviously the compositions themselves, what’s on display here is the virtuosity of Gould himself. You can hear that he has knowledge of the material to such an extent that he could vary the tempo in any way he wished, as if he could play the songs backwards or upside down like Mozart in Amadeus, and I can’t help but respect that.
Editors note: you might be able to find a replacement needle for your record player HERE