Best of Lists 2016

2016 was an awesome year of tons of genres I love. This year heralded the return of some of my favorite bands as well as some newcomers who I'll be sure to keep my eye on in years to come.

It feels like a cliché at this point to introduce a list along with a meta commentary on the nature of lists, etc, but I still feel the need to clarify that as much as I love making lists, the order of my picks have swapped more places more often than I can count, and will probably change tomorrow. It’s also a bit more diverse (between indie and established artists) and, well, random than my previous years have been.  IVM favorite bands who a few years ago would have been shoe-ins on my year end list released albums this year that never clicked (Relient K,  House of Heroes, Paper Route, Switchfoot, Showbread, Future of Forestry, etc) — and as a caveat for IVM readers expecting Christian artists, many of my picks are decidedly not religious, though I hope you’ll give them a chance regardless.… Continued →

Let me start off by saying there were so many great releases from many of my favorite artists in 2016 that picking a Best Of list was quite challenging. If they weren’t all released in the same year I could have easily ranked any of my top 5 LPs as #1. Also, all the artists in my top 5 have been around since the late 90s/early 2000s, which speaks highly of these artists’ longevity in a music industry that is continually turning over artists. Top LPs: 1) Relient K – Air For Free Though Relient K never became inactive, Air For Free felt like a comeback record, and it’s the perfect one at that for longtime fans like myself that were worried the RK they knew and loved was a thing of the past.… Continued →

In 2016, I saw my tastes in music grow a bit more. This would account for why you’ll see some albums make an appearance on this list that, if you know me, you wouldn’t normally expect to see here. Overall, I thought it was a pretty good year for music, but a number of times some of the albums I was most excited about lost something after numerous listen throughs. This could account for why some albums (if you know me) you’d expect to see on my list are noticeably absent.… Continued →

The Best of 2016: Ben Kunz Here’s my personal list of favorite albums that came out in 2016. This wasn’t as incredible a year for music as 2015 was for me, but it still ended up being pretty solid. I’m a long-winded guy so for the sake of anyone who might read this I saved the descriptions for the top 15 only. Check it out and let me know your thoughts below!! Secular artists who have little or no ties to the Christian music world have asterisks beside them.… Continued →

1. Showbread “Showbread is Showdead” How couldn’t I include my favorite Raw Rock band on this list? It’s sad that this is the final Showbread album, but I don’t think they could have ended their legacy any better. I didn’t think very highly of the last two albums, but “Showbread is Showdead” had me reminiscing on the good days of “Nihilism”. Any album that includes a song with a Korg synthesizer, screaming, a booming bass guitar, and a chorus that sounds like a cheerleader squad is cool in my books (e.g.… Continued →

2016 was a great year for Christian music, so great in fact that I found it difficult to keep up with all of the releases coming out! These are the albums that I found myself listening to the most over the course of the year though, and after spending a few days listening to the others that I missed, I’m quite comfortable saying that these are the best releases of the year! 1. Switchfoot – Where the Light Shines Through 2. Dogs of Peace – Heel  3.… Continued →

1. Paper Route “Real Emotion” Picking a number one album for 2016 seemed impossible with so many great alternative and rock releases this year. But when I started looking at my most played songs of 2016 on Spotify, it became clear which album deserved top spot. Although Paper Route’s “Real Emotion” took a few listens to sink in, it is a great follow up to the “Peace of the Wild Things” and is deserving of being my pick for best album of 2016. 2. House of Heroes “Colors” House of Heroes finally put out a concept album after years of teasing us with loosely themed albums.… Continued →

Overall, I sadly didn’t feel like 2016 was saturated with tons and tons of great music and found myself grasping at straws to pull this list together. With that said, there truly are were a few gems and I encourage you to check out each of the bands on this list. I’ve also included a sampler play list at the bottom for quick reference. Hopefully something on this list will connect with you! 1. Viscera – My Epic There’s a reason these guys consistently make it onto “best of” lists.… Continued →

Here's a little list of some of my favorite releases this year. Check them out!

Check out my "Best of 2016" list and feel free to comment with your faves that I may have missed.