Top 5 New Albums 2016

Top 5 New Albums of 2016

5. American Football 2

Polyvinyl Records, 10/21/2016

Perennial favorite American Football reunites to try to recreate 1999. Not bad.

(Buy it here at Polyvinyl.)



4. Landing - Complekt / Third Sight

These Are Not Records, 11/25/2016

El Paraiso 6/17/2016

Two Landing albums in 2016. Complekt is among their best. Third Sight is quite good, too. Spacey drone pop tryyps.

(buy them here and here.)


3. The Lowest Pair - Uncertain as it Is Uneven / Fern Girl and Ice Man

Team Love 4/15/2016

Team Love 4/15/2016

Two years ago, The Lowest Pair's debut album earned the top spot on my list. Now, they have five albums. That's almost disturbingly prolific. Nevertheless, both new albums released in April of this year were solid, listenable, and fun. Still banjo-tastic. Still heartachingly honest. Still amazing.

(You can buy it here.)


2. Beauty Pill Describes Things as They Are

Butterscotch Records, 4/21/2015

OK, so this is a 2015 release. Well, I can't get EVERYTHING immediately as it comes out. I'd be more broke than I already am. It's been 11-odd years since Beauty Pill's last album. Bandleader Chad Clark has faced a busy life, health issues, and a revolving door of bandmembers. Several songs from the album were released in the intervening years. It was worth the wait.

(Here's the official site.)

1. Temper and Hold - The Speed of Travel

Grafton Records, 10/7/2016

Another beautiful album from Temper and Hold. Andi Camp (formerly of Ribbon Fix and solo fame) leads this Portland power trio, and they bring the rawk. Pure, powerful emotion bled through every song. Beautiful packaging on the vinyl release. Strap in and give it a listen.


(Buy it from the band/label here.)