It’s that time of year when most of the major critics have already posted their “best of” lists, and we in the “fan critic” scene finally get around to posting ours. Every year, I wonder if I can even pull this off, but music is such an integral part of my internal spiritual response to surviving life in these times, I feel more-or-less obligated to share the energy and hope I have found from these songs and albums! When I began sorting and sampling a few days ago, I thought I might have five or ten albums or discs on here. Yet I ended up with thirty.
Here is my middle-aged Gen X fanboy confession. Whenever I look at all the important “best of” lists at places like Pitchfork or NPR Music or even Rolling Stone, I feel guilty for not listening to even more music and not-getting-what-others-get, perhaps even being old, ucoool, not-quite-hip.
There are always some records that everybody who is somebody seemed to list on their list -- but not me. But I am too old to care now about being in or out, but must admit it, music is still part of my daily essential spiritual diet; music is a big part of what gets me through life, especially a year like 2016. This two-hour Spotify mix of folk, Americana, soul, gospel, and psychedelic “jesushippy-Dadrock” is from the heart. I have seen the famous critics lists. Surely I have left some important things off this list, but it comes close to what helped me survive. Here is my personal list. The top thirty is followed by a link to a Spotify playlist. If you made a list or playlist, I want to see yours.
Here is my middle-aged Gen X fanboy confession. Whenever I look at all the important “best of” lists at places like Pitchfork or NPR Music or even Rolling Stone, I feel guilty for not listening to even more music and not-getting-what-others-get, perhaps even being old, ucoool, not-quite-hip.
There are always some records that everybody who is somebody seemed to list on their list -- but not me. But I am too old to care now about being in or out, but must admit it, music is still part of my daily essential spiritual diet; music is a big part of what gets me through life, especially a year like 2016. This two-hour Spotify mix of folk, Americana, soul, gospel, and psychedelic “jesushippy-Dadrock” is from the heart. I have seen the famous critics lists. Surely I have left some important things off this list, but it comes close to what helped me survive. Here is my personal list. The top thirty is followed by a link to a Spotify playlist. If you made a list or playlist, I want to see yours.
Artist - Album/Song (date of release) Artist Twitter
- Avett Brothers - True Sadness (6.24.2016) @theavettbros
- Cloud Cult - The Seeker (2.12.2016) @CloudCult
- Jim James - Eternally Even (11.4.2016) @jimjames
- Woods - City Sun Eater In the River Of Light (4.8.2016) @WOODSIST
- Judah and the Lion - Folk Hop N Roll (3.4.2016) @judahandthelion
- Crowder - American Prodigal (9.23.2016) @crowdermusic
- Tedeschi Trucks Band - Let Me Get By (1.29.2016) @DerekAndSusan
- Mavis Staples - Livin on a High Note (2.19.2016) @mavisstaples
- Run River North - Drinking From A Salt Pond (2.26.2016) @RunRiverNorth
- Ray LaMontagne - Ouroboros (3.4.2016) @RayLaMontagne
- Hiss Golden Messenger - Heart Like A Levee (10.7.2016) @hissgldnmssr
- Steve Gunn - Eyes On The Lines (6.3.2016) @SteveGunnMusic
- Frightened Rabbit - Painting of a Panic Attack (4.8.2016) @FRabbits
- Kings of Leon - WALLS (10.14.2016) @KingsOfLeon
- The Rolling Stones - Blue & Lonesome (12.2.2016) @RollingStones
- Drive By Truckers - American Band (9.30.2016) @drivebytruckers
- Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - PersonA (4.15.2016) @EdwardSharpe
- Michael Franti & Spearhead - SOULROCKER (6.3.2016) @michaelfranti
- River Whyless - We All The Light (8.26.2016) @RiverWhyless
- Amos Lee - Spirit (8.19.2016) @amoslee
- St. Paul & the Broken Bones - Sea of Noise (9.9.2016) @StP_BrokenBones
- Shearwater - Jet Plane And Oxbow (1.22.2016) @ShearwaterBand
- The Head and the Heart - Signs Of Light (9.9.2016) @headandtheheart
- Sam Bean & Jesca Hoop - Love Letter for Fire (4.15.2016) @IronAndWine
- Violent Femmes - We Can Do Anything (3.18.2016) @violentfemmes
- Conor Oberst - Ruminations (10.14.2016) @conoroberst
- Black Mountain - IV (4.1.2016) @_blackmountain_
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - This Unruly Mess I’ve Made (2.26.2016) @macklemore
- My Morning Jacket - “Magic Bullet” (11.11.2016) @mymorningjacket
- Various - Day of the Dead (5.20.2016) @dayofthedead
