Year in Rock 2016: Album of the Year Shortlist

Having filled my old CD Plus messenger bag with the 20 CDs that made this year's longlist and pored over them bit by bit, I feel I'm comfortable enough to slice that list in half and finalize this year's shortlist. Now, the real work starts; over the next week, I have to figure out which of the ten deserves my greatest honour. This is going to be an incredibly tough decision: I get to choose between three previous AOTY winners, two runners-up, four first time nominees and one deceased legend. Wish me luck.

Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Album of the Year are:

AGAINST ME!

Shape Shift With Me

DAVID BOWIE

Blackstar

CAR SEAT HEADREST

Teens of Denial

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

Skeleton Tree

DEFTONES

Gore

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN

Dissociation

ANGEL OLSEN

My Woman

PUP

The Dream is Over

RADIOHEAD

A Moon Shaped Pool

WINTERSLEEP

The Great Detachment

Who will take home the crown? Find out December 19th! Oh, and while we're at it, here's how I ranked Albums #11-20:

11. JULY TALK: Touch

12. THE TRAGICALLY HIP: Man Machine Poem

13. JOYCE MANOR: Cody

14. DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS: American Band

15. NOTHING: Tired of Tomorrow

16. CRX: New Skin

17. EVERY TIME I DIE: Low Teens

18. ANTHRAX: For All Kings

19. BILLY TALENT: Afraid of Heights

20. KYNG: Breathe in the Water

Until next week!

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Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2016: Solo Artist Nominees

Artists who stand alone, who put their name on their album jackets and assume full responsibility for the art they give to the world, exhibit a kind of bravery that I've always admired. It takes courage to stand on that proverbial stage in solitude; this year's nominees faced varying degrees of challenges, but they all shared the desire to stare down the criticisms and expectations of every other individual they shared the air with and exclaim, "Don't worry. I've got this." Your Year in Rock 2016 nominees for Solo Artist Recording of the Year are:

Year in Rock 2024

So, how weird is it to post a Year in Rock 2024 write-up a year late? Honestly, this is just for posterity; with a post to wrap up 2025 possibly posted by the time you see this, I couldn't stand the gap that would otherwise be present. I'll have more to say, but will wait until the Year in Rock 2025 post to say it. Instead, I'll just dive right in with the list. This will be the least exciting Year in Rock post you've ever seen. 25. The Smashing Pumpkins - "Aghori Mhori Mei" 24. Japandroids - "Fate & Alcohol" 23. Pearl Jam - "Dark Matter" 22. Cheekface - "It's Sorted" 21. Kim Gordon - "The Collective" 20. High Vis - "Guided Tour" 19. Acid Mammoth - "Supersonic Megafauna Collision" 18. Microwave - "Let's Start Degeneracy" 17. IDLES - "TANGK" 16. Jerry Cantrell - "I Want Blood" 15. Chat Pile - "Cool World" 14. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard ...

SOUND BITES

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