Blake from Canada

Blake from Canada

And I did not want to deprive you guys out there from one of the best lists/mails received in honor of the Top 20 Countdown of 2016. Here’s Blake’s!

Blake from Canada

Well here we go. Like you know, musical preferences, for those who care about music, are a deeply personal thing. I never judge a persons likes and dislikes because we're all different and what turns me on about a song might be the thing that turns someone else off. I'm not doing a perfectly ordered Top 20 but the records listed are records that I own or will own. The only time I spend money on a slab of vinyl is if the record turns me on from start to finish, so to me, all of these records are top notch.

1. KINGS OF FROG ISLAND (kofi) - IV
This record was recorded in 2013 but not released on a physical format until this year. So I think it should be a part of 2016's releases. Dammit, I'm not even gonna ask! It just is! And this is because for 3 years now this record has remained my favorite record of all time and I'm not sure it will ever be replaced. I'm not sure why this record clicks with me on the level it does but I love every second, every note, of this one. An absolute stunner!
2. THE COSMIC DEAD - RAINBOWHEAD
I see this record as perhaps their most accessible record to date but maybe that's just me...anyways, what a record! Acid rock freakouts have never sounded so good. Could listen to these few songs on repeat all day long.
3. COLOUR HAZE - LIVE VOL.1 EUROPA TOURNEE 2015
All recorded live here and there but a 2016 release so it counts! And any Colour Haze release is gonna end up high on my year end list no matter what. Probably the most underrated band that has ever existed. The kofi album IV, may be my single most favorite album but as far as bands go, these guys will always be numero uno...
4. HOTEL WRECKING CITY TRADERS - PHANTAMONIUM
This is another instrumental album that blows me away. The allure of this release never seems to fade no matter how often I take it for a spin.
5. KING BUFFALO - ORION
Probably one of the most widely appealing records on my list, this one took me by surprise. I wasn't immediately impressed by their name but after I listened to it, who the hell cares? Clean vocals and some really strong songwriting and melodies make this one a surprise favorite for me.
6. GOAT - REQUIEM
So far this bunch has not let me down. This record is kinda their "unplugged" album, if you will. Fewer psychedelic guitar freakouts, more acoustic, and I think the vocals are turned down a bit in the mix but there is something about them, whoever these guys are, that keeps me coming back and looking forward to more..
7. AHKMED - THE INLAND SEA
Not the continent you'd associate with the genre but more and more bands of their kind seem to be popping up these days. Loud in some parts, quiet in others, but always comes across with a strong mellow, laid back vibe. Two thumbs up!
8.SONORA - TONAL/NAGUAL LIVE AT JAM BAR 2016
Here's one from Russia. These guys don't even have a Discogs listing, nothing has been released on a physical format but I would purchase this one in a heartbeat. It really makes my day when I stumble across something like this. It feels like it my own special thing that maybe only myself and a few others have discovered.
9. KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD - NONAGON INFINITY
Man, what do I say...I've not been a huge fan up until this point. Portions of the songs bleed into others and are rehashed a bit here and there but there is something about this record that is like heroin...it's sooo addictive!
10. LEE VAN CLEEF - HOLY SMOKE
This one has just been released so many people may have not yet given it a listen, but for a first release, wow....I mean like...wow. I live in Canada so it takes a while but the vinyl is ordered and until then...I wait.
11. ALBINO RHINO - UPHOLDER
12. MUGSTAR - MAGNETIC SEASONS
13. DUEL - FEARS OF THE DEAD
14. ELECTRIC EYE - DIFFERENT SUN
15. BLOWN OUT - NEW CRUISER
16. GIOBIA - MAGNIFIER
17. BLACK RAINBOWS - STELLAR PROPHECY
18. COSMIC FALL - FIRST FALL
19. 1000 MODS - REPEATED EXPOSURE TO...
20. MYTHIC SUNSHIP - OUROBOUROS
21. IT'S NOT NIGHT IT'S SPACE - OUR BIRTH IS BUT A SLEEP AND A FORGETTING
22. SEEDY JESUS WITH ISAIAH MITCHELL - TRANQUONAUTS
23. SALEMS BEND - ST
24. SWAN VALLEY HEIGHTS - ST
25. COMET CONTROL - CENTER OF THE MAZE

There...that's enough for now. I just love it when people say that rock is dead. It's alive and thriving, you just wouldn't know it by the radio or the Billboard 100. The best part of the changes occurring with regards to the music industry and downloading, blablabla...is that artists can avoid big record labels, and with the internet, do it all themselves which means 100% creative control. Records are being made exactly as the artist wished to. There are too many records being made to possibly buy and I listen to a lot online and download and listen in my car, I admit it. But when I come across an album I love, I make the purchase. When they tour close by, I buy a ticket. I'm 45 and the last 10 years or so have been the most exciting period for music in my life and I don't see it changing much...lucky for all of us...

Thanks for listening...
B Thibeau
( in Canada eh? )