Ah 2016, quite
possibly one of the wildest years ever. When we weren’t too busy mourning a
dead gorilla (RIP Harambe), indulging in memes or doing countless challenges –
we were blessed with some amazing music by many artists. These were the true
saviors of 2016, the silver lining that stood out amongst the wreckage that was
2016.
Out of the many gifts
that were bestowed unto the music scene in 2016, here are my personal
favorites. These were the albums that I listened to forwards, backwards, and on
repeat. The songs I sang in the shower, the lyrics that became Instagram
captions, and the ones I’m still blasting in 2017.
1.
Death
Spells Nothing Above, Nothing Below: For those that follow Frank Iero and James
Dewees, we’ve been waiting for this album since 2013. The pair first formed
Death Spells around 2012 when they were sharing an apartment in North
Hollywood. They opened for Mindless Self Indulgence, played a couple of
festivals like Skate Fest and released a few demos as well as their first full
single “Where Are My Fucking Pills?” and then had to put DS to the side due to
other projects. Death Spells then dropped a bomb on the fans when they
announced that the band was alive and planning to drop their debut album on
July 29th, 2016. We were shook. Death Spells has such a unique and
interesting sound. It’s a mix of electric hardcore, industrial, and
electropunk. Listening to this album was like an acid trip that you wanted to
experience again and again. As I’ve mentioned hundreds of times, I’m a fan of
Iero’s lyrics and his approach and style when it comes to music, and if you’re
a fan of Reggie and The Full Effect, The Get Up Kids, or any of Dewees various
other projects you’re familiar with his brilliance. Needless to say, as soon as
the news dropped – I pre-ordered the vinyl bundle.
Favorite track:
“Fantastic Bastards”
2.
Frank Iero and the Patience Parachutes: We all
saw this coming, please don’t judge me (or do, it’s totally fine). Iero dropped
his second solo album Parachutes under a new band name, which had the entire
fandom puzzled. When asked what prompted the name change Iero explained the
names are related to what he needs or is experiencing during the creation of
the albums in an interview with Rock Sound. During the first album “brought a celebration, or cellabration,
to distract from my awkwardness” due to feeling uncomfortable in the front man
position. “Now in my life, I need to learn how to slow down and love
where I am. I need the patience to appreciate the now.” It’s a way of
reinventing yourself, the band, and your sound as you develop a new album – and
essentially a new era for the band itself. Parachutes was a lot more raw and
personal than Stomachaches. Even the songs themselves were clearer and less
distorted, allowing Iero’s voice to shine to its full potential. The album was
also a lot more emotionally demanding than the first, each song relating to
personal experiences and hardships. One song in particular that stands out is "9-6-15" which is day Frank’s grandfather passed away, a day he calls “one of the
worst days of his life,” understandably so. Parachutes is raw, stripped down,
and it allows you to fully connect with the band on another level. Definitely
give it a listen.
Favorite track:
“Oceans”
3.
Panic! At The Disco Death of a Bachelor: AKA:
The album Brendon Urie made in his home studio that he calls “Urie-Lectric” and
I’m not the least bit surprised. Urie recorded each song himself. The
instruments, the vocals, the production – everything that went into this
masterpiece came from him and it’s absolutely brilliant. Lyrically, Urie was
inspired by his wife Sarah, which is pretty evident considering it’s basically
his way of saying “goodbye” to his bachelor days and “hello” to sweet marital
bliss. Death of a Bachelor spawned some of the band’s most visually intriguing
videos; which says a lot when you look at their earlier videos (people wearing
fish tanks on their heads, a circus-themed wedding, pornomime, etc). The video
for “Emperor’s New Clothes” starred Urie in all of his sinful glory as he
transforms into a demon, “LA Devotee” was basically Urie’s way of saying he’s
actually the Demogorgon from Stranger Things, and I’m not even going to go into
“Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time”. This album earned Urie his first Grammy
nomination and I couldn’t be more proud.
Favorite track:
“House of Memories”
4.
Tonight Alive Limitless: Limitless is the third
studio album from Australia natives Tonight Alive. The band unveiled a fresh
new sound - vastly different from the alternative rock feel of The Other Side,
and the pop punk infused What Are You So Scared Of. Like most bands, Tonight
Alive wanted to reinvent their sound and take it new level. Their sound evolved
and as the band grew and matured – so did their music. It’s more melodic and
theatrical, each song sounding like a new declaration of freedom. Almost as if
it’s their way of saying “we know this is different from what you’re used to,
but we’ve got to be free to create the way we want to.” Which is pretty ballsy,
and it’s something I can get behind. “Drive”, one of the first singles from
Limitless, is definitely on the pop spectrum. With delicious hooks and a melody
that just makes you feel good. It’s one of my favorite to see live because
Jenna’s dance moves are actually the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Even with the
new sound, there’s still a hint of their heavier angst-filled sound that TA
fans know and love; something that’s evident in their track “How Does It Feel?”
There’s something very liberating about this album and I’m grateful that I have
so many great memories from 2016 attached to it.
Favorite Track: “How
Does It Feel?”
5.
Pierce The Veil Misadventures: I believe I’ve
listened to this album at least every other day since its release. My boys in
Pierce The Veil had me shook when they dropped Misadventures. Misadventures is
the follow up to their third album Collide With The Sky, which was probably my
favorite release from PTV – but then they dropped this bad boy. It has all the
heart of a traditional PTV album wrapped in an entirely brand-spanking new
sound. Frontman Vic Fuentes said that when they went into recording, they aimed
to top the last one, which is what they strive to do for every album. I feel
they’ve accomplished that. Each song on this album represents a personal
journey for the band. The places they’ve recorded, the things they’ve
experienced, where they’ve lived – it all ties in perfectly to the album title.
So far, they’ve made all the right moves when it come to releasing singles.
“The Divine Zero”, “Texas is Forever”, and “Circles” are all so unique and
showcase bits and pieces of the magic that’s on this album. I’m almost ashamed
to admit that I listen to “Circles” at least five times a day. Almost.
Favorite Track:
“Today I Saw The Whole World”
Honorable mentions:
Green Day- Revolution
Radio (AKA Green Day emerged from their four-year break to Make America Punk
Again).
Blink-182- California
(AKA the return of my favorite pop punk dads)
I Prevail- Lifelines
( AKA “Stuck In Your Head” is actually still playing on repeat in my head on a
regular basis – thanks a lot guys)
What were your
favorite releases of 2016?
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