2016, musically, will forever be my worst. Music from the 31 list covers some tremendous acts, new and familiar. But I lost David Bowie; we all did. Not only was he my musical touchstone, spanning an entire adult life, he inspired me to listen to new artists and genres. He made it glorious to be weird and inspired unrepentant self-expression. Bowie’s influence went far beyond music yet remained anchored to the epochs defined by his albums: Ziggy, the thin white duke, a harlequin. With his passing it feels like time, itself, has been set adrift.
We have no real choice but to live. And to live means celebrating the things that make us alive. Bowie always embraced new sounds and new visions. I will honor his memory with each new song and share them with you.
NEWCOMERS
Alabama Shakes, Grimes, Joywave, Kurt Vile, Lower Dens, Marissa Nadler, Nothing but Thieves, Peaches, Savages, Sufjan Stevens, Sunflower Bean, Tame Impala, The Heavy, Wavves, White Reaper, Whitney, YACHT
FAMILIAR FACES, FRESH SOUNDS
case/lang/veirs
SECOND-TIMERS
Bob Mould, John Doe, The Avett Brothers
RETURNING FAVORITES
Iggy Pop, Ladyhawke, Laura Marling, Lucius, Phantogram, Robbie Fulks, Sleater-Kinney, David Bowie, Sia, Garbage
Enjoy!
2016 Playlist
Track by track, with artist
- Fare Thee Well, Carolina Gals
ROBBIE FULKS - Atomic Number
CASE/LANG/VEIRS - Don’t Wanna Fight
ALABAMA SHAKES - Empty
GARBAGE - Ondine
LOWER DENS - Born Again Teen
LUCIUS - The River
LADYHAWKE - No Matter Where We Go
WHITNEY - Drink of Water
JOHN DOE - Gardenia
IGGY POP - Lazarus
DAVID BOWIE - Unstoppable
SIA - Fourth of July
SUFJAN STEVENS - Cruel World
PHANTOGRAM - Tongues
JOYWAVE - I Thought the Future Would Be Cooler
YACHT
- Venus Fly
GRIMES - Painkiller
NOTHING BUT THIEVES - Heavy Metal Detox
WAVES - The End of Things
BOB MOULD - Surface Envy
SLEATER-KINNEY - Half Bad
WHITE REAPER - Evil
SAVAGES - What Happened to the Love?
THE HEAVY - Close Up
PEACHES (FEAT. KIM GORDON) - Pretty Pimpin
KURT VILE - Janie in Love
MARISSA NADLER - False Hope
LAURA MARLING - Let It Happen
TAME IMPALA - Come On
SUNFLOWER BEAN - Smithsonian
THE AVETT BROTHERS
