🎧2016 Albums I Listened To The Most [15-1]🎧

As I was finishing up the first half of this list, I had the bright idea that perhaps I should credit the people and sites who have hipped me to these albums, sharing the love. I listen to most every album (and a lot of the singles) that come along on Spotify New Releases - their New Music Fridays have often evolved into New Music Weekends for me. Not a lot sticks though and I find myself drifting back to old favorites. C'est la vie.

#15
from TRIGGER at Saving Country Music

Not the happiest most upbeat album in the bunch either lyrically or musically, Rockingham rings true and got me through a few dark nights of the soul this year. Barham was playing hooky as the frontman for American Aquarium for this album. That band released the album Live At Terminal West in 2016.

#14
from New Releases/New Albums and Singles at Spotify

I've been a fan of this Australian duo since hearing "We Are The People" on Now That's What I Call Music! 73 near the end of Summer 2009. They enjoyed increased visibility in 2016 not for this new album but for another track from their 2008 debut when "Walking On A Dream" was used in this trippy Honda commercial.

#13
from New Releases/New Albums and Singles at Spotify

On my first listen, I only liked the song "Wristband" from Stranger To Stranger. Subsequent listens have revealed a couple of other favorites and, in the back of my head, I'm thinking "This guy's 75 freaking years old and he's still cranking out good music!"

#12
from STUBBY at Stubby's House Of Christmas

Read my thoughts on Behold HERE.

#11
?unsure?

Another late-nights-on-the-back-porch album for me, I do not care for the bluegrass version of his former band's "Love Stinks" one bit. Loved the original song, love bluegrass music in general but the two just don't mix for me. Kind of like Dwight Yoakam's tribute to "Purple Rain" from his latest album; two great tastes that just don't taste great together.   

#10
from New Releases/New Albums and Singles at Spotify

If you're a fan of the Daptone label, this one needs no introduction. Featuring members of Menahan Street Band, Antibalas, The Dap-Kings, the Arcs and the Budos Band, this is great music that sounds 40-50 years older than it is which is high praise.

#09
from New Releases/New Albums and Singles at Spotify

As has become somewhat the norm on Spotify, there were three or four tracks released in advance, one a week leading up to this album's release and I liked each and every one. If the rest of the album sounded like those tracks, it would have been among my favorites of 2016. 

#08
from New Releases/New Albums and Singles at Spotify

Being a fan of Since I Left You from way, way back in 2000, I was taken by surprise to see and hear this album one Friday morning. After two listens, I went scurrying back to Since I Left You. We likes what we likes.

#07
from GREG at The Old Grey Cat
(technically a late 2015 release but my list, my rules)

This is my kind of country music so predictably it got no airplay as far as I can tell. As of this writing, more than a year after the album's release, it still has less than a thousand plays on Spotify which is just plain sad. Can't wait to hear what Ms. Rylie does next after this phenomenal debut.

#06
from MARK at The CD Project

I put off listening to this one until the time was right and then one night I found myself home alone (Mrs. HERC was at her thrice-weekly yoga bless her amazingly flexible and shapely physique) so I popped a pizza in the oven and twenty minutes later I was on "a date" with Norah on the back porch. My chosen files were the high-resolution offerings from HDtracks and my wired speaker of choice was my Marshall Acton which I've taken to calling "short-stack". Despite numerous intrusions (sirens, helicopters, general neighborhood noise) throughout our audio date, I found Jones charming and seductive as always, with her band in fine form. There were times where I closed my eyes and could "see" them performing right in front of me.

#05
from TRIGGER at Saving Country Music

Keith Urban is primarily known as one of three things: Nicole Kidman's second husband, a judge on American Idol or a country singer. I first saw and heard him as the latter, opening for Dwight Yoakam last century(!) and have been a fan ever since. He's always impressed me with his guitar playing, vocals, and songwriting. Trigger gave this one two guns down (his lowest rating) but I fell hard for the pop track "The Fighter", one of my favorite tracks of this past Summer. 

#04
?unsure?

At the time of this writing, I could not find the album on ANY of the music streaming services in the US though there were a couple of tracks on YouTube. It was available via Spotify earlier this year but has since been removed.
The original album is one of my most favorite albums ever and Fry certainly gives this "sequel" his best effort but it ultimately sounds like a not-too-distant echo of the original without Trevor Horn's production which was the secret sauce on The Lexicon of Love.

#03
from New Releases/New Albums and Singles at Spotify

Her given name is Louisa Rose Allen and she first appeared to me as Foxes singing on Zedd's "Clarity", a great dance song from 2012. I hadn't heard from her since so it was nice to find an album of her own out in 2016; turns out I had missed her 2014 debut Glorious completely.

#02
from New Releases/New Albums and Singles at Spotify

A third late-nights-on-the-back-porch album, this one probably scared listeners off with its ugly cover art and awkward title. There is next to nothing about the duo behind the album or the album itself on the interwebs though the band's page on CD Baby says they hail from Canada and have been writing together for a decade and offers this inscrutable summation:

"It's like nothing you've ever heard before. You can try to match them up to a style, genre or other artist but you just can't. If you like brutal honesty, crafty lyrics and excellent musicianship, look no further." 

#01
from New Releases/New Albums and Singles at Spotify

Loved this one from the opening track "Godawful Things" and I have most definitely listened to the entire album through and through more than any other 2016 release. My neighbors can attest to this as it has been played loud, both inside and outside The Hideaway, and all across Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah on my epic road trip as well. My favorite tracks - if forced to pick - would be "Close To Me", "Call Off Your Dogs", and the sassy title track. This blast of sunshine in album form is gonna keep me warm should the temps drop below 50 this winter here at The Hideaway.