Some shit I heard and didn't mind hearing in 2016

People who read this page probably know that it's a place to come for old, forgotten music. That's because I don't really keep up with modern shit or anything. Whatever. I dunno, I got bored though, so now I'm listening to new music again.

This isn't a 'best of 2016' because everything is subjective. It's not even 'my favorites of 2016' because some of these releases I haven't even heard all the way through. They're just things that caught my ear for one reason or another. People making art that reflects themselves instead of the shit going on around them. Sometimes I don't have the attention span for an album, or I'm not in the mood for a particular genre, but I'm trying to give props where it's due.

Bizarro Jerry's 2016 List:

King - "We Are King"

Throwback R&B by two sisters and their friend who write and produce all their own songs. Their debut album has a dreamy, almost 'hypnagogic' vibe that out-hazes Sade at times, which I found impressive.

Andy Stott - "Too Many Voices"

Genre-less electronic music with bits and pieces from a lot of unlikely sources (i.e. 80's New Romantic music, Memphis rap, outsider house) that I like a LOT. I'm really excited to see what this dude does next.

Yves Tumor - "Serpent Music"

Further proof that music is transcending genres. Faded R&B mixed with industrial, lo-fi, field recordings, vaporwave-ish looped samples, religious records and creepy beats.

Zomby - "Ultra"

Stoned-out, insular dance music with elements from trap rap, 90's rave, dubstep, and ambient techno. I feel like I should hate this, but it's so tossed-off and weird that I don't. Just seems like this dude has fun with what he does.

Demdike Stare - "Wonderland"

I've learned to appreciate music that I might initially write off as 'boring' under the right circumstances. Normally I'm not too into the kind of ambient creep-fests these two guys usually cook up, but they're perfect for late-night driving. I think I'm finally sold on them with this release, though, as it's a lot more musical and beat-driven. Still creepy, but in a car-thumping, menacing kind of way.

Nicolas Jaar - "Sirens"

I have no idea what this dude is on about, but I got major feels off this. He seems very angry. His music is...strange. More shapeshifting, genre-bending weirdness that encompasses Suicide-esque synth punk, IDM and ambient, and somehow has a lot of chaotic jazz drumming and saxophone, too.

Immune - "Breathless"

Kind of like if you took the vaporwave recording aesthetic and applied it to 90's dance music. I guess a lot of these are slowed-down remixes of old dance tracks, but whatever. It's got a rainy-day kinda vibe, and I fall asleep to it a lot.

Spark Master Tape - "Silhouette of a Sunkken City"

Spark's experimental take on mainstream rap continues, and gets even darker. This came out after a 2-year hiatus where nothing was heard from him at all. I still think he's Kai Skywalker.

2 8 1 4 - "Rain Temple"

This is like the soundtrack for some 90's made-for-TV tech-thriller film, and I love it.

callasoiled - "Vapor Reflection"
callasoiled - "音響効果芸術集"

I don't know a whole lot about this Japanese producer. I don't even know if I correctly typed his or her name, because sometimes it's stylized as 'Calla Soiled,' sometimes as 'calla soiled' and sometimes like I have it. I do know that the music they make is super-luxurious, maximalist electronica that seems (to me) very modern, but also very natural. Even with trap drumkits and dubstep wobble bass popping up here and there, callasoiled's best tunes feel like a forest broken down into mathematical components, then turned into music. Last year's 'Lucoq' is the best release I've heard, but they've put out like, 5 things this year that are all pretty good.

Babyfather - "BBF Hosted by DJ Escrow"

I am apparently just as baffled by Dean Blunt's music as everybody else. I dunno, this kinda seems like he just freestyled really badly over some songs he had that sort of resembled rap music, but taking into account his public persona, it seems that wouldn't be the case, and that this is a carefully planned release. I don't know. Parts of it are obnoxious, but then it gets very disorienting and weird. It's interesting, at the very least.

Moe and ghosts X 空間現代 - "Rap Phenomenon"

Okay, it's headache-inducing math rock with female, Japanese rapping on top. It's insane. This could have only come from Japan.

Vektor - "Terminal Redux"

I've heard about 4 songs, and they were all good. Vektor has consistently been solid, and this might be their best release yet.

Deftones - "Gore"

Every time the Deftones put out a new record, it ends up being my second favorite, after "White Pony." This time, for real, this is my second favorite Deftones record. Okay, maybe third, because I have a soft spot for 'Adrenaline,' but SERIOUSLY, this is a good Deftones record. Any minor complaints I had about "Diamond Eyes" and "Koi No Yokan" (namely over-production, auto-tuned vocals, and a few kinda samey songs) are resolved here.

Floating Points - "Kuiper" EP

Like, some weird combination of film noir instruments and ambient electronica? I don't really know. It's got a movie-feel to it, and it's pretty dark and dreamy. I dig it, along with the full-length they put out last year.

Esperanza Spalding - "Emily's D+Evolution"

Why aren't more people talking about this?? Really, REALLY cool jazz-fusion from a young bassist/singer. Like, for one thing, how many female singer/songwriter/bassists are there? And how many of them sound like Prince's weirder moments and play like fucking Jaco Pastorius?

Joao Donato - "Donato Eletrico"

I just stumbled across this album, and it's just super chilled-out Latin jazz that could've come from any era, if it weren't for random moments of record scratching and other strangeness. It's just very unassuming and enjoyable.

Autechre - "Elseq 1-5"

Okay, I've only heard a small fraction of this because I haven't been in an Autechre mood, but I love these dudes, and what I've heard is classic Autechre. In some ways, it's even noisier than they usually go for. Less chaotic and alien than something like "Confield," but definitely more experimental than their early albums.

18+ - "Fore"

What the hell is this? I'm not even sure if I like it. It might be super pretentious. Or it might just be some drug addicted, idiosyncratic weirdos. I guess it's R&B?? It's a guy and girl half-rapping/half-singing over these really strange beats...like some outsider couple version of Bones or something?

Nu Guinea - "The Tony Allen Experiments"

Cool jazz-funk with a lot of African vibes that reminds me of Bill Laswell's classic recordings. Nothing new, but not bad at all.

Burial - "Young Death / Nightmarket"

It took me a lot of listens to get into Burial. I still think his debut is better than "Untrue," which kind of bores me honestly. This...kind of bored me too...but it's just neat this reclusive dude is still putting tunes out, and it's cool to be able to get excited about new releases again.

Ho99o9 - "The Dope Dealerz / Double Barrel"

This is what the teens are doing now, and it's fucking terrifying. Like OFWG if they were actually as 'punk' as they think they are. These dudes do rap songs, and then they pick up instruments and do punk songs. Sometimes it crosses over, but not usually. These two tracks represent their two sides perfectly, much better than their previous EPs.

Melt Yourself Down - "Last Evenings on Earth"

Afro-post-punk wildness. EXCELLENT sax playing, complex rhythms, and a lot of anger. Sometimes the vocals are a little annoying, but these folks have a cool sound.

Yello - "Toy"

I didn't even realize these two weirdos were still doing shit...they must be in their 60s or 70s now. You remember 'Oh Yeah' from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' of course, but the rest of their classic output was more like the Residents Lite. I haven't heard this full album, but it sounds just as yuppie-ish, lush, and goofy as they always did.

I dunno, there's other stuff, but I don't wanna start doing the 'music journalist' thing and write about albums I'm not familiar with. This is stuff I've been ACTUALLY listening to.

What? There's still good music? (aka Bizarro Jerry's top 10 for 2012)

Yep, that's right...

Everybody else does it...

The only problem with me is that I DESPISE most modern music...I pretty much hear MAYBE one thing each year that I keep in rotation. Everything else is rehash, or just awful new ideas. So, it was pretty surprising to find that I liked a lot more music this year than in the past. I mean, it's still going to be a stretch to make this a ten-item list, but that's pretty good for me considering.

No particular order.

1. Lil Ugly Mane - 'Mista Thug Isolation'

I've been diggin' this a lot recently...didn't like it so much when I heard it over summer, but then I got into old Memphis shit and realized just how genius this fucker is. Plus, I love the concept of producer/rapper split personalities. Shawn Kemp is the producer, but Lil Ugly Mane is his rap caricature. And WHAT a caricature. Constantly doped-out pimp who makes references to the Ernest movies and drinking Vernors in the same 8 bars. The beats are all dusty-sounding and creepy as hell.

2. SpaceGhostPurrp - 'Mysterious Phonk: The Chronicles of SpvcxGhxztPvrrp'

A cohort of Ugly Mane's, this dude broke through and got signed to 4AD (best known for putting out Pixies and Red House Painters albums)...The more I listen to this album, the less I like his lyrics, but the beats are undeniably cool. I heard he's considering doing JUST production work, which might be a good idea. Not that he's a bad rapper...just a little too heavy on the sex rhymes...to the point where it's annoying. Oh well. 'Git Ya Head Bust' is probably the coolest rap song I've heard this year.

3. OFWGKTA - 'The OF Tape, Vol. 2'

Still kinda disappointed these guys aren't blowing up like I thought they would. I mean, I was all ready for these folks to be the next Nirvana and save pop music. Oh well, maybe it'll just be a lil longer of a process. We'll see once Earl's solo album drops...I'm betting it'll be the best thing this crew puts out to date. As it stands, I didn't like this QUITE as much as 'Goblin,' and I don't like either as much as 'Earl,' but I still like this a lot. Some of the beats are a little too 'commercial' sounding (Mike G, I'm lookin' at you) but overall, it's fun. Not as over-the-top as Tyler's albums, not as weird either, but as the world's first 'proper' introduction to the Wolfgang crew, it's great. Everybody can freak out about Frank Ocean's album if they want, but I really didn't think it held a candle to this shit.

4. Kendrick Lamar - 'good kid, m.A.A.d city'

To be honest, I haven't even listened to this all the way through. I heard 'Section.80' earlier this year and thought it was really cool, and even cooler since this guy's career is really taking off. Then I heard 'Poetic Justice' on the radio and figured he's just gonna become the next Drake. But, what with all my friends raving about this album, I'm giving it a second listen as we speak, and it's pretty good. Not as interesting to my ears as the previously-mentioned album, but WAYYYYY better than anything those fucks Kanye, Drake or Lil Wayne could come up with. Still cool that he's doing something different and getting recognized for it.

5. Death Grips - 'NO LOVE DEEP WEB'

 

(No picture, cuz I don't wanna put a disclaimer on the blog for ONE post. Look it up if you're really curious, it's just Zach Hill's dick with the title written on it.)

Hmmm, which Death Grips album to put on here? I mean, they put out TWO this year. I'm going with the one that immediately stuck with me more. I loved 'Ex-Military,' but then they got rid of all the cool samples on 'The Money Store,' so I didn't give it a fair shot. To me, this seems like an improvement on the sample-less style of MS. A lot more 'evil' sounding, which makes sense considering the real-life drama surrounding the album. These guys seem like genuinely unstable, crazy people. We'll see what happens.

6. Burzum - 'Umskiptar'

Everybody's pretty harsh on ol' Varg these days...it's either 'oh he's an evil racist, so I don't even give his music the time of day' or 'oh, his music's garbage now that he's paid his debt to society.' Whatever. This guy got out of jail and went right back to work after like 20 years, and I have respect for that. Also, the three records he's put out since then are some of the best black metal coming out these days, this one being my favorite. I dunno, I just really like the fact that the atmospheric tracks have guitar and words now.

7. Deftones - 'Koi No Yokan'

If you couldn't guess from the big post I devoted to this album a while back, I liked it quite a bit. Not quite up to the level of 'White Pony' or 'Around the Fur,' but it's another solid Deftones release for sure. I think I like it better than both 'Diamond Eyes' and 'Saturday Night Wrist,' but that might be the 'new album blindness' talkin'...

8. The Frogs - 'Count Yer Blessingsz'/'Squirrel Bunny Jupiter Deluxe'

I'd feel like a dick for not including this double-release, considering the recent death of Dennis Flemion, one-half of the group. Sure, it's not a 'Racially Yours,' but it's a fitting send-off to the group, which is weird considering it came out about a week before Dennis' passing. One album is serious songs, the other is the joke songs the group is known for. Both are completely worth your time.

9. Quakers - S/T

I don't know much about this album, other than one of the producers (it's rap) came from Portishead. It's also got a rapper called Guilty Simpson who I've heard of, but beyond that, i'unno. It's really cool, though. Something like 40 songs, all of them very short. Some of the beats definitely remind me of the classic trip-hop sound, but then there's old school De La Soul-style tracks, weird spacey stuff, and tracks that have a whole new sound. Like the best mixtape (REAL mixtape, not 'rap' mixtape) of rap music 89-2012, but it's not, it's an album. How bout that?

10. V/A - 'Tomorrow's Achievements: Parry Music Library 1976-86'

Okay...it doesn't REALLY count cuz it's an archive release, but I honestly can't find anything else to put on here. At least, not without bending the truth a little, and I'm not into that. What you've got here is one of the coolest library music releases ever....total BBC PBS cheese...ALL synth. Some songs are totally atmospheric, and others are like lost backing music for 'Night Rider.' Love it.


...and some notes about the state of music in 2012, if you're interested:

*Killer Mike is boring and unoriginal. Why is everybody losing their shit about this guy?
*Frank Ocean's album was pretty cool, and definitely more original than ANY R&B released since the days of the Fugees, but I think that has a tendency to make people look for something that isn't there. He still uses a lot of auto-tune, and had a lot of help making the music, but he's on the right track for a pop musician.
*If you are in a band, please consider NOT over-producing your shit. This rendered so many albums unlistenable to me. It might be the thing to do nowadays, but so was gated reverb in the 80's.
*God damn a lot of shitty music is coming out these days. Please, no more 'wave' stuff...i.e. 'chillwave.' If you wanna write shitty 80's dance songs, then call it like it is. It's not ironic or cool just cuz you've got some hipstery blurry photo on the album cover.
*Rap music is where it's at. I think rock might be exhausted as a genre. It had its heyday in the 60's/70's, and again in the 90's. Currently, however, hip hop/rap is the only genre with consistently interesting albums coming out.
*Lots of sorta-cool releases happened, but they just didn't hold my attention. Guided By Voices and Dinosaur Jr both put out competent releases this year, but neither expanded on their sound, or refined it in a way they haven't tried before. Sorry folks, but Dinosaur is NOT 'just as good' as they were in the 80's, or even the 90's. I'd take one of J's solo Dinosaur outings over new stuff any day.

Lastly, my band (recently disbanded) put out two full-lengths this year. How 'bout that? You can hear both HERE.

New music? What's that?

Since I don't really make a point of hearing newer music (it's kind of hard for me to get excited about boring, faceless bands that seem to be everywhere these days) it doesn't make much sense for me to post a 'best of 2009' list like everybody else. But, working at WIDR has turned me on to some good new records, so I compiled a list that pretty much sums up all new music I've heard in the past year. I just tuned out everything else.

BIZARRO JERRY'S TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2009

1. Antipop Consortium - Fluorescent Black
This album is pretty good. I don't like it as much as Arrhythmia, but it's pretty good.

2. Dinosaur Jr - Farm
This album is pretty good. I bought it on 2xLP because I buy every single new thing J. Mascis releases except those fuckin' shoes. I listened to it about 8 times total this past year, which isn't bad...but I also listened to Green Mind about 300 times.

3. Themselves - CrownsDown
This album is pretty good. I listened to it something like 5 times then got tired of it. Doesn't have the same lasting impression as The No Music did. I still rock that shit regularly. Maybe I'll get back into this at some point.

4. Edan - Echo Party
This is more of a song than an album...it's a 30-minute array of old-school hip hop samples, weird analog effects and Edan playing whatever the hell instruments he plays. I like it, but I just heard it like 2 days ago and I guess it came out in 2009, so cool.

5. Wino - Punctuated Equilibrium
This guy is a crazy biker dude who has been in some sweet bands (Saint Vitus, the Obsessed) and his album is heavy as hell. I think I rocked this for a good week before I got bored with it.

6....haha, oops, I can't even think of another record. Oh well, instead here are my top 10 thoughts while browsing this list of albums released in 2009 to refresh my memory.

1. I didn't even know Sepultura were around still. They've got that big scary black dude instead of Max Cavalera so who cares.

2. Matt and Kim, you guys have an idiotic and lazy band name and you suck.

3. How did that bitch from TLC put out a new record?

4. Haha, the Jonas Brothers. Why is Disney so fucking stupid?

5. Why do people care about some stupid cokehead from the Darkness? Didn't that band really suck? Isn't Hot Leg another really stupid band name? Fuck them and Wolfmother. Fags.

6. There are a lot of really ugly people who make boring music too. Case in point: Micachu

7. I thought that band the Woods were okay, but on closer inspection they seem to be rather lame.

8. Oops, I just fell asleep reading an article about Grizzly Bear and how great and 'rich' their sound is. BO-RING. I could go on a rant about pseudo-hippies with stupid beards that make boring pseudo-folk-hippie-indie bullshit and pat each other on the backs for a 'job mellow-done' each time one of them comes out of their fun-loving mushroom haze and puts some 'songs' down on a reel-to-reel in some gay cabin...but I think I already did.

9. Hahaha, there's a band called Chickenfoot and they have a backwards 'k' in their name. They're probably nu-metal of some sort, but I don't care to find out. I do want to know why these people like backwards letters so much though. Is it like a snakebite serum where it's actually made from the snake's venom but you reverse the properties, so reversing the 'k' makes it a vowel or something? Who cares?

10. Dude. Music sucks.