2015+16 stuff to know
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0 days, 2 hours, 23 minutes
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November 29, 2016
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2010s
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There's a lot of great releases from big names this year I'll speed through, but if you haven't listened to [A Moon Shaped Pool](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI2oS2hoL0k), [Blackstar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-JqH1M4Ya8), [22, A Million](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISCEilPMNak), [Wildflower](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjfspM5sDIA), [We Got It From Here...](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAoqWu6wmfI), or [The Return of the Dragon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddVgk2gcOqs), you're missing out. Someone already mentioned Pinegrove, so I'll skip that, but in a similar vein there's [Cloud District](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycl4JQuHP08) who sound somewhat like a mix of Pinegrove and Modern Baseball. There's [Cardboard Swords](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw6wydKCH_w) who have some of those qualities and some Front Bottoms in them too. [Animal Flag](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssiBFo83DuE)'s "LP" has some of that Pinegrove-y sound, as well as some Man Orchestra vibes and Bright Eyes influences. It's all songs that had been out on EPs before but were reworked and is seriously great. Similarly, [Elvis Depressedly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYkO1h9Zo1w) had a double EP situation come out this year that's softer still and a little closer to spookyghostboy or even Daniel Johnston than Brand New but I could see some crossover appeal. If you're after something a little harsher, there's [No Fixed Star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE-I1M4SQ6w), a band formed from the ashes of Troubled Coast that is making really interesting, cool ambient hardcore. There's also [Fist Benders](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXTcuoECPKE), with a release that's technically from 2015 but still feels pretty new and has a certain TDAG feel to it in places. Also from last year is [Bay Faction's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86IkBWy6hqg) spectacular S/T, which floats between a lot of sounds but seems like something Brand New fans might like. Harsher still is [Old Gray](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3kfsXj6xIE)'s new track, though the album's not out yet and it certainly doesn't seem as abrasive as An Autobiography (not in a bad way though). (Also from Cam Boucher is [It Kindly Stopped For Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZqbYOONZ1o) which is probably my favorite acoustic project of the year.) About as harsh as I'll listen to is a group called [Rene Descartes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3dFieVX9-I) who unfortunately broke up this year after releasing their first and only EP but really do make loud, angry, good stuff. Dowsing and Free Throw's collaboration, [Party Year](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2jDz-Q85gQ) was somewhat overlooked by a lot of people earlier this year and is really great fun. I thought [Say Anything](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqEkoiAcGLk)'s new album was also really fun, though I know there were some mixed feelings there. There is, as we've all learned, [Julien Baker](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoUcRbnVrLQ) who I think has been great and obviously Brand New seems to like. Outside of this sort of scene of music, I was rather a fan of a couple of baroque pop releases in [Tindersticks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxZS7uXSvEU) and [Field Music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FGPDau_QwA), two bands who have been around for a while but this year put out each of their best works in my opinion. [Coldair](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJVXs1Dz6Pg) put out a gorgeously dark electronic album that I felt like went surprisingly under-appreciated for a SUB POP release. [Howes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cdfY5NzPd4) also had a great little electronic project, albeit much more ambient and weird. [Zusha](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cdfY5NzPd4) made an interesting folk album infused with a lot of klezmer ideas that I respect more than I enjoy, perhaps, but a few tracks get spun a lot and it's a fascinating listen. Finally, my song of the year has to be for [Panic is Perfect](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5yzNaeByLU) with Go Go Go. It came out as a single last year, but the LP it's on finally materialized this year, and it really is a monster of a pop rock hit that, for whatever reason, didn't really make it in the US. Portugal and South America were fans, and the band got some decent success off of that, but they're great guys who make spectacularly catchy songs and put on one of the best live shows I've ever seen, and after seeing them 3 times now I can tell you it's always special and fun. EDIT: Playlist of all but 3 of the artists here + some extra stuff not mentioned above: https://open.spotify.com/user/1243113847/playlist/4dnzRW1qyK0UlsLBfZ9Gah
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brandnew
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benpaco
Reddit Timestamp
11/28/16 13:07
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