TranscendNoise

20. Playboi Carti – Shoota (feat. Lil Uzi Vert) (Die Lit)  Lil Uzi and Playboi Carti really come off as brothers in spirit, in their solo work and especially in their collaborations. “Shoota” shines in a power that is life-affirming and strongly addictive. In under three minutes Uzi sings a verse that embodies his wild dances on Instagram and his stage show alike and while Carti´s hook slightly fails in topping off the energy, the sketch-like nature of the song, it appearing and closing in the blink of an eye is the singular representation of  youthfulness the two rappers combine on their tracks. Their music never has to be deep and meaningful, but energetic and affective in their simple disregard for structure and hip-hop tropes, a small symphony of improvisation and style and swagger. 19. Nothing – Hail At Palace Pier (Dance On The Blacktop)  Nothing implement a metal or even black metal mindset of songwriting and mood to the most delicate sounds of...

50. Travis Scott - Watch (feat. Lil Uzi Vert & Kanye West) "One year it's Illuminati / next year it´s the sunken place" stands as one of the most telling Kanye lines of this year and incorporates both his twitter persona and all political disarray regarding our former Yeezus. Released as a teaser track for Travis Scott´s Astroworld , "Watch" was the powerful riposte towards talk about the album not happening. With both Lil Uzi and Kanye appearing on one track, Scott made one of the best and most surprising collaborations happen before people thought about something like Kanye and Lil Pump being possible. In a swagged out fashion both Scott and Vert introduce the carnivalesque sound of Astroworld and do so with immediacy and playfulness. And yet Kanye switches away and takes over with his last verse, going IT on people expecting a simple and funny verse, drowning us in his addiction, him feuding about his political and personal views and laying down his...

30. Voices from Deep Below – I Want to Stand Where the Sun Himself Shakes with Fear Voices From Deep Below are one of my top finds of 2016 and this year they delivered yet another epic shoegaze album. While they even sing “I´m hazy” in one of their songs, this album is more than just one of the best shoegaze offerings I heard in a long while. The compositions are long, hazy and reverb-soaked until the brim. But without becoming too dreamy or ethereal, Voices From Deep Below keep it on the hard-hitting side of the genre and offer up respite only to drown out the negativity and longing their songs carry. It feels good to experience this kind of aggression in such an outfit and a hunger to deliver something that feels instantly recognizable in a sea of carbon copies. If one track, check out opener “This Is The Way” to be instantly immersed and turn that shit up! <a href="http://voicesfromdeepbelow.bandcamp.com/album/i-want-to-stand-where-the-sun-himself-shakes-with-fe...

50. Mothers – When You Walk A Long Distance You Get Tired // Graveyard Lovers – Past The Forest Of The Fruitless Thoughts For the first spot, I couldn´t help myself and decided to let two records take the merit. There isn´t that much similarity between Mothers debut album and Graveyard Lovers sophomore release, musically. Mothers take a route of silent disruption and diminutive vulnerability, while GL change between subversive sucker punches against the system and introspective anecdotes and encounters of personal growth. Yet, they both share the spirit of thought-provoking rock / folk music, neither of them play music solely for entertainment purposes or to create music that just sounds good. The instrumental choices of both bands are reflected in their musical messages. In When You Walk , you´ll get the forlorn opener “Too Small For Eyes”, sounding almost like sung in solitude, more for Leschper herself, then for a crowd or microphone for that matter. But Mothers will step...