This was a good year for music, a tough year to sort out – I have definitely heard a generation gap with artists this year. So much so I came up with two lists, the first was power pop specific (with the usual retro-influences)…
Top 25 Power Pop Albums of 2016
- The Legal Matters “Conrad”
- David Brookings and The Average Lookings
- Radio Days “Back In The Day”
- Ken Sharp “New Mourning”
- Nick Piunti “Trust Your Instincts”
- The March Divide “Saturdays”
- TUNS “TUNS”
- Somerdale “Shake It Maggie”
- Seth Swirsky “Circles and Squares”
- Teenage Fanclub “Here”
- Ryan Allen “Basement Punk”
- The Explorers Club “Together”
- The Posies “Solid States”
- The Nines “Alejandro’s Visions”
- Eytan Mirsky “Funny Money”
- The Monkees “Good Times”
- Greg Pope “Guiding Star”
- The Well Wishers “Comes and Goes”
- Emitt Rhodes “Rainbow Ends”
- Trolley “Caught In the Darkness”
- The Weeklings “Studio 2”
- Adam Levy “Naubinway”
- The Twilight Hours “Black Beauty”
- Watts “Black Heart of Rock and Roll”
- Starling Electric “Electric Company”
Note: honorable mentions to all the others I’ve reviewed this year. If I rated you a “7” or higher – you rocked, and I wish you continued musical success in 2017.
Best artist compilation (single album) released in 2016
- The Anderson Council “Assorted Colours”
- S.L.D. (Sounds Like Digging) “Indigo Grey”
- Andy Reed “Introduction To Andy Reed”
Best Box Set of 2016
Best 10 EPs of 2016
- Cliff Hillis “Make Love Not War”
- The Top Boost “Turn Around”
- Donny Brown “Donny Brown” (* note: technically released late in 2015, reviewed in Jan.)
- Cartoon Spirits “Crustacean”
- The Above “There Is A Reason”
- Son of Skooshny “Confection”
- Colorworks “Dream of Mangos”
- The Kickstand Band “Summer Dream”
- Hemmingbirds “Half A Second”
- Animal Daydream “Citrus“
One cannot live by indie power pop alone, and the alternative/indie rock genre has seen its audience changing. I hear the base elements of power pop in these bands (melody, hooks, guitars) so you could’ve thrown many of these into my main list (although I only reviewed Joyce Manor, The Lemon Twigs, Mrs. Magician and Weezer.) But I kept them separate this year, if you are looking for more of a “melodic rock” sound. In fact, many music critics consider this mainstream “power pop.”
Top 20 alternative/indie rock albums of 2016
- CRX – “New Skin”
- Nada Surf “You Know Who You Are”
- Green Day “Revolution Radio”
- Joyce Manor “Cody”
- Spirit Club “Slouch”
- Public Access TV “Never Enough”
- Crying “Beyond the Fleeting Gales”
- Plates of Cake “Becoming Double”
- Mrs. Magician “Bermuda”
- Palace Winter “Waiting For The World To Turn”
- The Lemon Twigs “Do Hollywood”
- Weezer “White Album”
- Bob Mould “Patch The Sky”
- Whitney “Light Upon The Lake”
- Elephant Stone “Ship of Fools”
- The Pack A.D. “Positive Thinking”
- Car Seat Headrest “Teens Of Denial”
- Pavo Pavo “Young Narrator in The Breakers”
- Cheap Trick “Bang Zoom Crazy… Hello”
- Dodgy “What Are We Fighting For”