My Year in Music
So, I'm going over my favorite albums that I heard this year. This isn't stuff that came out this year, but that I heard for the first time. I felt this year was kinda weak but for a few stand out albums, but then was surprised that I had to whittle (and cheated a bit) to get it down to 10. In order of how I got the albums:
P.O.S. - Never Better
P.O.S. comes to hip-hop from a punk rock background, so his music has a bratty, fuck you attitude with a heavier emphasis on the music than most hip-hop. In this release, he melds the hip-hop and punk influences the best, ending with a heavy, sometimes funny, album with songs about being indignant toward society. This is one of many Doomtree related albums that I got this year, so expect a lot more hip-hop to come.
Dessa - A Badly Broken Code
Here's another Doomtree release, this one from Dessa. Dessa started out as a spoken word artist, so her music features poetic lyrics and lots of clever word play. It's mellower than P.O.S.'s, with a bigger focus on relationships. There's a lot to unpack in this release and rewards relistening.
Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep
Probably my favorite of the early Wu-Tang Clan releases, Gravediggaz is a horror-rap group kind of in the same vein as Misfits are in punk/metal. There's some gross stuff, some funny stuff, and no filler. A guilty pleasure.
The Death Set - Artificially Sweetened
The Death Set - Michel Poiccard
Here's me cheating, putting two Death Set releases together into one. Artificially Sweetened is a mixtape from The Death Set with almost no original music, but it's one of the most interesting mixtapes I've ever heard. They take snippets of rock, rap, and even spoken word and weave together something that doesn't just sound coherent, but uniquely Death Set.
Michel Poiccard is the "group's" second release (I say "group" because one of the two members died before this was made and I'm not sure how much collaboration the second guy had). Compared to the last album, this one is a bit more melodic, but not more mellow. It's jumps around a bit from fist pumpers to ballads (that you can pump your fist to). In a word, this album is fun.
Mixtaps - Maps
The Mixtapes came out of nowhere for me. I caught them randomly at a show and found them funny and light pop punk without getting too far into the goofy range. This album has that same energy and made for a very enjoyable summer.
The Knux - Daytrotter Session
The Knux are a rap/dance group from GA. The songs are heavy with good beats, something different from what I normally listen to. They sound a little like Outkast at it's more experimental. This is one of two Daytrotter albums on here, both for the same reason: I immediately loved the session, picked up the album, and was kind of disappointed. In The Kunx' case, the best songs on the album are the same as the ones on here, but the rest just sounds like filler and unpolished ideas.
Nirvana - Live at the Paramount
This is an old one. It's a live Nirvana session just at the peak of their influence. It was recorded just after Nevermind came out during its rise to the top. The set includes a lot of pre-Nevermind material that they've mastered playing, Nevermind songs that still sound fresh, and a couple of glimpses to In Utero, all played by a band at the top of its form before it really grasped the success (and pressure) that would face it in the near future.
Lydia Loveless - Daytrotter Session
The second Daytrotter Session on my list, Lydia Loveless sings an sassy acoustic country set full of songs about love loss (pun?) and angst. It's what I love in albums, hearing the artist's talent and energy come through so clearly. Again, this had me immediately going out and getting one of her albums, only to be disappointed. Not that it's bad, but it's over mixed with a full band and just doesn't have the same intimacy.
Crusades - The Sun Is Down and the Night Is Riding In
Crusades play heavy punk music that I first heard of on a heavy metal blog while still managing to be melodic. Hard to find heavy music that I can enjoy, so I really appreciate it when I hear it.
Doomtree - No Kings
After a year of getting music from various Doomtree members, their newest album dropped and it's nothing short of great. More than any other Doomtree release, this album sounds the most consistent, even with five members with distinct styles contributing. Part of it is the heavy mixing that on here, part of it is that the majority of the songs feature at least three of the members (unlike a lot of songs with two on the earlier releases). The songs are all about not having a lot to work with, but taking what you have and making something amazing with it. It's all very cathartic to listen to.
Honorable Mention: Kreayshawn - Gucci Gucci. I don't think Kreayshawn has an album out yet and most of the music on her YouTube channel is terrible club music, but this white girl song about how everyone wearing name brand clothes is a poser is one of my favorite songs of the year. It's a bratty and snotty song that is packed to the brim with attitude.
(I think I was at this show...)
P.O.S. - Never Better
P.O.S. comes to hip-hop from a punk rock background, so his music has a bratty, fuck you attitude with a heavier emphasis on the music than most hip-hop. In this release, he melds the hip-hop and punk influences the best, ending with a heavy, sometimes funny, album with songs about being indignant toward society. This is one of many Doomtree related albums that I got this year, so expect a lot more hip-hop to come.
Dessa - A Badly Broken Code
Here's another Doomtree release, this one from Dessa. Dessa started out as a spoken word artist, so her music features poetic lyrics and lots of clever word play. It's mellower than P.O.S.'s, with a bigger focus on relationships. There's a lot to unpack in this release and rewards relistening.
Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep
Probably my favorite of the early Wu-Tang Clan releases, Gravediggaz is a horror-rap group kind of in the same vein as Misfits are in punk/metal. There's some gross stuff, some funny stuff, and no filler. A guilty pleasure.
The Death Set - Artificially Sweetened
The Death Set - Michel Poiccard
Here's me cheating, putting two Death Set releases together into one. Artificially Sweetened is a mixtape from The Death Set with almost no original music, but it's one of the most interesting mixtapes I've ever heard. They take snippets of rock, rap, and even spoken word and weave together something that doesn't just sound coherent, but uniquely Death Set.
Michel Poiccard is the "group's" second release (I say "group" because one of the two members died before this was made and I'm not sure how much collaboration the second guy had). Compared to the last album, this one is a bit more melodic, but not more mellow. It's jumps around a bit from fist pumpers to ballads (that you can pump your fist to). In a word, this album is fun.
Mixtaps - Maps
The Mixtapes came out of nowhere for me. I caught them randomly at a show and found them funny and light pop punk without getting too far into the goofy range. This album has that same energy and made for a very enjoyable summer.
The Knux - Daytrotter Session
The Knux are a rap/dance group from GA. The songs are heavy with good beats, something different from what I normally listen to. They sound a little like Outkast at it's more experimental. This is one of two Daytrotter albums on here, both for the same reason: I immediately loved the session, picked up the album, and was kind of disappointed. In The Kunx' case, the best songs on the album are the same as the ones on here, but the rest just sounds like filler and unpolished ideas.
Nirvana - Live at the Paramount
This is an old one. It's a live Nirvana session just at the peak of their influence. It was recorded just after Nevermind came out during its rise to the top. The set includes a lot of pre-Nevermind material that they've mastered playing, Nevermind songs that still sound fresh, and a couple of glimpses to In Utero, all played by a band at the top of its form before it really grasped the success (and pressure) that would face it in the near future.
Lydia Loveless - Daytrotter Session
The second Daytrotter Session on my list, Lydia Loveless sings an sassy acoustic country set full of songs about love loss (pun?) and angst. It's what I love in albums, hearing the artist's talent and energy come through so clearly. Again, this had me immediately going out and getting one of her albums, only to be disappointed. Not that it's bad, but it's over mixed with a full band and just doesn't have the same intimacy.
Crusades - The Sun Is Down and the Night Is Riding In
Crusades play heavy punk music that I first heard of on a heavy metal blog while still managing to be melodic. Hard to find heavy music that I can enjoy, so I really appreciate it when I hear it.
Doomtree - No Kings
After a year of getting music from various Doomtree members, their newest album dropped and it's nothing short of great. More than any other Doomtree release, this album sounds the most consistent, even with five members with distinct styles contributing. Part of it is the heavy mixing that on here, part of it is that the majority of the songs feature at least three of the members (unlike a lot of songs with two on the earlier releases). The songs are all about not having a lot to work with, but taking what you have and making something amazing with it. It's all very cathartic to listen to.
Honorable Mention: Kreayshawn - Gucci Gucci. I don't think Kreayshawn has an album out yet and most of the music on her YouTube channel is terrible club music, but this white girl song about how everyone wearing name brand clothes is a poser is one of my favorite songs of the year. It's a bratty and snotty song that is packed to the brim with attitude.
Click to view(I think I was at this show...)