Lots of death, lots of politics, lots of pain and anger in the world and in the music of 2016. And as it has always been, the music can make it at least feel a little better. The expression alone, but also the kinship and the hope that it brings.
There was incredible artistry and creativity in both the words and the music of last year. The variety of classifiable and unclassifiable music styles here alone is astonishing, as is the storytelling and poetry of many of the lyrics. I was struck by the return of the ‘broadside;’ topical songs that tap current events and emotions like old folk, corridos, or calypso. Sturgill Simpson, Drive By Truckers, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Ben Harper, Sharon Van Etten, and Common all have cuts here, and there were so many more. My ‘Witness’ playlist – old songs and new – is here: https://open.spotify.com/user/1260266133/playlist/2f1DBkGNH5mhs7r5gbPPC1
Amidst all the musicians who died this year, one passed at the end of 2015 and his album was released this year. Allen Toussaint left us with a cover of Paul Simon’s ‘American Tune’ that is so politically timely and so fitting for him; I found really riveting. (I put together a collection of his songs – by him and others – which you can listen to here: https://open.spotify.com/user/1260266133/playlist/7Dsze6GGjIHE4cizLlXFMm )
Of the old guard, The Stones have shown us that old men were meant to play those old blues tunes; Leonard Cohen sounds like he’s halfway to the afterlife on his really excellent last record, Lucinda Williams made some of the best music of her life last year, De La Soul returned with a very creative album. (I made a Leonard Cohen playlist right here; so many incredible songs: https://open.spotify.com/user/1260266133/playlist/0xeIRcXhZ05O8mrNXsEXB8 )
I was happy to discover a lot of new artists: Valerie June, Pony Hunt, Obongjayar, Kiko Bun, The Frightnrs, Overcoats, Sierra Hull, Mandolin Orange, Margo Price and Big Thief among them. And I’ll keep looking for more ways to find more music – we know it’s out there!
Here’s the link to Spotify if you’d like to listen to my Top 40 of 2016… https://open.spotify.com/user/1260266133/playlist/19ZkG5ey0VaQ3LiuNPdCux
| Song | Artist | Album |
| Workin’ Woman Blues | Valerie June | Pushin’ Against a Stone |
| Ain’t No Man | The Avett Brothers | True Sadness |
| Hands of Man | The Stray Birds | Magic Fire |
| Ophelia | The Lumineers | Cleopatra |
| House of Mercy | Sarah Jarosz | Undercurrent |
| Over You | Pony Hunt | Heart Creek |
| Nighttime Hunger | Overcoats | Nighttime Hunger (single) |
| Creeping | Obongjayar | Creeping (single) |
| I’m a King Bee | The Rolling Stones | The Rolling Stones in Mono |
| St. Ides | Macklemore and Ryan Lewis | This Unruly Mess I’ve Made |
| Brace for Impact | Sturgill Simpson | A Sailor’s Guide to Earth |
| Sticky Situation | Kiko Bun | Sticky Situation (single) |
| Hate To See You Go | The Rolling Stones | Blue & Lonesome |
| What Would You Give? | The Devil Makes Three | Redemption & Ruin |
| It Seemed the Better Way | Leonard Cohen | You Want It Darker |
| God Don’t Never Change | Lucinda Williams | God Don’t Never Change |
| Hey Brother | The Frightnrs | Nothing More To Say |
| What It Means | Drive By Truckers | American Band |
| Everybody Knows (for Trayvon Martin) | Hurray for the Riff Raff | Everybody Knows (single) |
| Call It What It Is | Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals | Call It What It Is |
| Not Myself | Sharon Van Etten | Not Myself (single) |
| Letter to the Free | Common | Black America Again |
| Drawn | De La Soul | And the Anonymous Nobody… |
| Celebrate | Anderson.Paak | Malibu |
| Wristband | Paul Simon | Stranger to Stranger |
| Look How Far We’ve Come | Dylan LeBlanc | Cautionary Tale |
| I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine | Eric Clapton | I Still Do |
| Here and Whole | Joan Shelley | Cost of the Cold (single) |
| Is It Me | St. Paul and the Broken Bones | Sea of Noise |
| Wantin’ Ain’t Getting’ | Esme Patterson | We Were Wild |
| Black River | Sierra Hull | Weighted Mind |
| Wildfire | Mandolin Orange | Blindfaller |
| Hands of Time | Margo Price | Midwest Farmer’s Daughter |
| St. Elizabeth | Kaia Kater | Nine Pin |
| Then I Found You | Kieran Kane | Unguarded Moments |
| Cold To See Clear | Nada Surf | You Know Who You Are |
| Plunder | The Felice Brothers | Life In The Dark |
| Masterpiece | Big Thief | Masterpiece |
| American Tune | Allen Toussaint | American Tunes |
| And We Bid You Goodnight | Sam Amidon | Day of the Dead |
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