[direwolf74]

Way too hard to narrow it down to just 5. Here's my top 10 in no particular order:

Drive-By Truckers- American Band
The Hip- Man Machine Poem
Gord Downie- Secret Path
Ron Hawkins- Spit, Sputter & Sparkle
John K. Samson- Winter Wheat
Bob Mould- Patch the Sky
Iggy Pop- Post Pop Depression
David Bowie- Blackstar
Leonard Cohen- You Want it Darker
Lydia Loveless- Real

Honorable mentions:

Wilco- Schmilco
Radiohead- A Moon Shaped Pool
Wintersleep- The Great Detachment
Dinosaur Jr- Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not
Jim Bryson- Somewhere We Will Find Our Place
Lucinda Williams- The Ghosts of Highway 20
The Jayhawks- Paging Mr. Proust
Black Mountain- IV

...just to name a few. So much great music this year!


2016 rock docs that everybody should see:

Spirit Unforgettable- Beautiful film about John Mann/Spirit of the West. One of the most powerful and heartbreaking docs I've ever seen.

The Smalls: Forever is a Long Time- Tells the story of legendary Edmonton band The Smalls and follows them on their 2014 reunion tour. Very emotional if you grew up following the indie-rock scene in Western Canada in the early to mid-90s. I went to a screening in Vancouver a couple of months ago and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Lots of old school punk-rock dudes openly weeping and having to collect themselves before leaving the theatre.

Gimme Danger- Fascinating and inspiring doc by Jim Jarmusch about the legacy of Iggy & the Stooges.

[sean.bonner]

Way too hard to narrow it down to just 5. Here's my top 10 in no particular order:

Great list! Lots of albums on there I've been meaning to check out. It's rare you talk about an album on here that I don't enjoy!

[edgoffin]

I'll have to think about my tops for the year - the Lydia Loveless album is great. I just picked up Real based on her opening for the Drive By Truckers and getting good reviews, within a few days bought her whole catalogue.

[edgoffin]

My tops for 2016, excluding The Hip and Gord.

Arkells - Morning Report. A slight departure for the band, a bit more produced, some horns. Feels like an album that was done quickly, which is usually a good thing. I was so-so on it for the first few listens, I prefer the band a bit rougher sounding, but after a few listens it grabbed me. Looking forward to seeing them with Frank Turner, solid double-bill.

July Talk - Touch. Great second album. As good as they are on album, a band that has to be seen live to be fully appreciated.

Strumbellas - Hope. A good follow-up. Again, a band that has to be seen live because Simon is for lack of a better word odd and Dave is just funny.

Lydia Loveless - Real. I had heard of her, but never heard her. This album got a lot of positive press, and I did a rarity of buying it without hearing a note. Midwestern Guys is one of my top songs of the year. Sort of country, sort of southern rock, a bit explicit at times. After this I went back and bought all of her albums.

Shovels & Rope - Seeds. I guess I would classify as dirty blues mixed with folk. Album #5 for the husband/wife duo -- they don't have a bad album in their catalogue.

John Samson - Winter Wheat. Was saddened by the end of The Weakerthans, but John picked up where they left off mixing in a bit of a more quirky production from his last solo album. Vampire Alberta Blues is also a top song of the year.

Honorable mentions or need more listens:

Drive-By Truckers - American Band. Really need to listen to this beginning to end a few times. I've been less critical of their past few albums, but I know others who have called this a return to form.

Adam Baldwin -- No Telling When (Precisely Nineteen Eighty-Four). Matt Mays guitar player, full length follow-up to what was a petty good EP. Daylight is an awesome song. I think Adam is a Springsteen fan, so this has a bit of a Born to Run feel to it. For me, that means a bit too much sax.

Band of Horses -- Why Are You OK. Return to form after what was a pretty cruddy album IMO.

The Cult -- Hidden City. This was a nostalgia purchase that exceeded expectations. It's The Cult, Ian is going to sing about shaman and the mystic, while Duffy tears off some great riffs. Few dud tracks, but Dark Energy is classic Cult.

Hannah Georgas -- For Evelyn. A little bit more production than past albums, but a solid release.

Margo Price -- Midwest Farmer's Daughter. A classic country album, with a great backstory.

Sam Roberts -- Terraform. Waiting for the vinyl to arrive, but the tracks I've heard sound great

Blue Rodeo -- 1000 Arms. As above, " a grow'er not a show'er". So-so first few spins, then it seemed to click. The press has been about Greg and Jim singing together more, and I do hear that. Bit more of a Casino sound.

[daylight]

Here's a Google playlist of some stuff I've enjoyed this year that you guys might like too. Or not, whatever, it took like five minutes so if somebody enjoys a track or two that's good enough for me.

[sean.bonner]

I still love last.fm

Here's everything I've listened too in 2016.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.last.fm/user/seanbonner1/library/albums?from=1451606400&to=1480550400">http://www.last.fm/user/seanbonner1/lib ... 1480550400</a><!-- m -->

[sullivand]

Here's a Google playlist of some stuff I've enjoyed this year that you guys might like too. Or not, whatever, it took like five minutes so if somebody enjoys a track or two that's good enough for me.

I look forward to your mixes every year. Thanks for continuing to churn them out!

[sean.bonner]

Here's a Google playlist of some stuff I've enjoyed this year that you guys might like too. Or not, whatever, it took like five minutes so if somebody enjoys a track or two that's good enough for me.

What is this? 2013?

SPOTIFY MANNNNNNNNN

[sean.bonner]

Holy shit



And you thought You Want It Darker was heavy... jesus Nick.