Sad day to learn of the passing of Butch Trucks, original drummer of the legendary Allman Brothers Band. This one stings a bit more as ABB are one of my favorite bands and nothing will take away from that first time I got to see them play in 1999 at Mesa Amphitheater in Arizona. The band like many of their songs (including my #1 song) stick with us on a daily basis. Legendary band, legendary songs, legends of music. You will be missed, Butch, rest easy.
The long awaited is finally here! Click below and give a listen to new music from Arcade Fire with “I Give You Power.” More words from Consequence of Sound can be found HERE.
Trampled by Turtles fans listen up and give a listen to Dead Man Winter aka TBT frontman Dave Simonett. Click play below to listen to “Red Wing, Blue Wing” off his upcoming album, Furnace, set for release on January 27. More words and tour dates from Rolling Stone can be found HERE.
Another year down, another year filled with great tunes. Below is a list (in alphabetical order) of 50 albums I dug in 2016. Normally I shy away from naming my top album because quite frankly I think there is too much great music that gets released throughout the year but this year is different because to me, A Tribe Called Quest didn’t just shock everyone by announcing and releasing its first album in 18 years, coupled with the loss earlier this year of Phife Dawg but it was the perfect album at the right time when “We The People” needed it. We Got It From Here…Thank You For Your Service is the album of the year and if you haven’t for some reason, dive into it, listen closely. We need more like ATCQ in 2017 and the years to come, there is a purpose to this album, find yours as I found mine. Peace + Love + Music. See you in 2017.
| A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It From Here…Thank You 4 Your Service |
| Anderson .Paak – Malibu |
| Angel Olsen – My Woman |
| Anohni – Hopelessness |
| Blood Orange – Freetown Sound |
| Blossoms – ST |
| Boulevards – Groove! |
| Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial |
| Catfish and the Bottlemen – The Ride |
| Chance The Rapper – Coloring Book |
| Childish Gambino – Awaken, My Love! |
| Christine and The Queens – Charleur Humaine |
| Crystal Fighters – Everything Is My Family |
| David Bowie – Blackstar |
| DAWES – We’re All Gonna Die |
| DIIV – Is the Is are |
| Empire of the Sun – Two Vines |
| Flume – Skin |
| Gallant – Ology |
| Glass Animals – How To Be A Human Being |
| GOAT – Requiem |
| Goldroom – West of the West |
| J. Cole – 4 Your Eyez Only |
| Jack Garratt – Phase |
| Kaiser Chiefs – Stay Together |
| Kaytranada – 99.9% |
| Kendrick Lamar – untitled unmastered |
| Kings of Leon – Walls |
| Lapsley – Long Way Home |
| Lewis Del Mar – ST |
| Mitski – Puberty 2 |
| Mumford & Sons – Johannesburg EP |
| Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats – A Little Something More From Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats |
| Nice As Fuck – ST |
| NxWorries – Yes Lawd! |
| Phish – Big Boat |
| Run The Jewels – RTJ3 |
| Saint Mesa – Jungle EP |
| St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Sea Of Noise |
| Sturgill Simpson – A Sailor’s Guide To Earth |
| The Avett Brothers – Trus Sadness |
| The Head and The Heart – Signs of Light |
| The Lumineers – Ophelia |
| The National +++++ – Day of The Dead (Grateful Dead) |
| The Rolling Stones – Blue and Lonesome |
| The Shelters – ST |
| Tycho – Epoch |
| Whitney – Light Upon The Lake |
| Wolfmother – Victorious |
| ZHU – Generation Why |
RTJ3 is almost here and now the dynamic duo of Killer Mike and El-P have dropped the second track from the upcoming LP due out January 13. Click play and give a listen to “Legend Has It.”
For all of us who grew up listening to A Tribe Called Quest, last Friday was like winning the lottery with the first new album in 18 years (RIP Phife). How it went down (read it here), the timing, etc. all aligned at the right moment. Don’t believe me? Have you listened to the album?! Plus Pitchfork just gave it a 9.0! Now comes the first music video for the lead single, “We The People…”
Whoops, guess I forgot to hit publish last week! Days late but what’s important is: Welcome back The xx and thanks for bringing an upbeat, bright sound this time around. Click play and give a listen to “On Hold,” the first single released off the forthcoming I See You due out January 13. More words HERE from NPR.
Sadly the list in 2016 continues to grow as over the weekend Leon Russell bid us farewell. You can read words from the New York Times, here. Time to dig in, crank it up and hit play. If you’re unfamiliar, get familiar because they sure don’t make them like this anymore.
Man, 2016………..
Rest In Peace Leonard Cohen! Another icon we bid adieu to this year.
