Top Ten for 2016 (Summa Cum Laude)

But first, a couple of shout outs.

David Bowie Lazarus



Leonard Cohen Steer Your Way



#10 Sweven Brooke Waggoner




#9 Flowers In My Head Jessica Rotter




#8 Beautiful Lies Birdy



#7 Boomerang She is We



#6 I Remember Her Ingrid Michaelson



#5 Running With the Wolves Aurora


#4 Bird Set Free Sia



#3 Murder Song Aurora



#2 The Sun Keep Rising Lissie



#1 The Trapper and the Furrier Regina Spektor

2016 top songs, Magna Cum Laude

These are really good. Not ranked otherwise.


Rachel Curtis            We Are Fish



Oathbreaker               10:56/Second Son of R



Wilde Belle                Coyotes



Wilde Belle Throw Down Your Guns



Broods                        Freak Of Nature




Brooke Waggoner Fink



Joseph                         White Flag



Joseph                        SOS



Ingrid Michaelson    Can't Drink You Gone



High as A Kite        Someone Who'll Get It



High as a Kite My Name is Liar



Sia                             Unstoppable



Lissie                        Heros



Lissie                       Daughters

2016 top songs, Cum Laude

OK, these are not ranked.  But I will post a more "elite" set after this.
Oh, and as always, this list represents what I liked.  So there are surely better songs, so be it.

What are your favorites from this list?

Delain                        Suckerpunch



The Coathangers     Squeeki Tiki



Stitched up Heart        Monster




Sonia Rao                    Minneapolis



Mother Feather           Living Breathing



Mother Feather           Mother Feather




Tove Lo                      Don't Talk About It



The Glass Child         The Year I Disappeared



The Glass Child         Save Me



Garbage                       Amends



Gabrielle Aplin          Night Bus



BlondFire                  True Confessions



Against the Currentt    Running With The Wild Things



The Raign                  When It's Over



Lake Street Dive        Call Off Your Dogs



Broods                      Free



Broods                     Heartlines



The Pretty Reckless  Walls Closing In/Hangman



The Pretty Reckless  Take Me Down



Tonight Alive           Oxygen



Tonight Alive           Human Interaction



Tonight Alive           We Are



Adia Victoria           Dead Eyes



She Is We               War



Birdy                        Wild Horses



Jessica Rotter           Lost Found



Epica                        Universal Death Squad/Universal Love Squad
These are two songs, sort of




Joseph                      Canyon



Sia                             Move Your Body



Sia                            Cheap Thrills


Regina Spektor          Bleeding Heart



Lissie                       Wild Wild West



Aurora                  Conquerer



Aurora                   Winter Bird



Aurora                   I Went Too Far



Aurora                  Warrior

2016 Summa Cum Laude Part II ( top 10)

10) Birdy Beautiful Lies

A familiar face on my list. Yet ridiculously young. <3







9)  Jessica Rotter   Plains

Not sure how I happened on this LA based singer song-writer. But I am very glad that I did.








8)  Epica   The Holographic Principle

I have loved this epic metal band from the Netherlands for some time. This may well be their best album. And it is truly an album, not just a collection of songs.





 
7)   Joseph   I'm Alone, You're Not 

This sister act from Oregon is beyond awesome. And not new to my list.





Not the album version, but what the heck.


6)  Ingrid Michaelson     It Doesn't Have to Make Sense


God I love her! What more to say. She never disappoints.





Don't cry. OK?


5)  Regina Spektor    Remember Us To Life


A Russian Jew raised in New York City. What could be more American?







4)  High As a Kite  Camp Echo

If I didn't already love Norway after this Summer. Well, here is another reason. Oh, saw them at 7th Street Entry this year. Another reason.







3)  Sia    This is Acting


Sia, OMG. She just keep getting more and more wonderful. I don't know what else to say. Get her music!


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2)  Lissie   My Wild West

From Illinois, I have been a fan for a bit. But I believe she took it to another level with this album. It's very special.







1)  Aurora  All My Demons Greeting Me As My Friend    

 
Norway was a theme for me this year. I spent a week there. Then I saw two acts live in Minneapolis that are from Norway. They both made my top 5.
Aurora is from Bergen, a beautiful and amazing city where Athena and I spent 3 nights.







There you go. I don't know if I am up to a top songs list this year. Maybe a short one?

2016 Summa Cum Laude Albums, Part I (11-20)

Sorry for the delay. Things happen.

20) Lucy Dacus   No Burden
 Singer songwriter from Virginia.






19) Wilde Belle  Dreamland

Sibling duo from Chicago. Expect more great stuff from them.




18) The Raign When It's Over


Rachel Rabin is her name and she is from London. The Raign is her stage name.






17) Lauren Aquilina Isn't It Strange
 Love the UK,  don't I?   Ms Aquilina has been on my list before.  Most likely will be again.










16) Lake Street Dive Side Pony
 From Boston.  Founding member Mike Olson is from Minneapolis -  explains the name.









15) Broods Conscious

Great Duo from New Zealand. 



 



14) The Pretty Reckless Who Are You Selling For
 This LA band keeps getting better.







13) Tonight Alive Limitless
 Australia is awesome.







12) Adia Victoria Beyond The Bloodhounds

From South Carolina and currently based in Nashville. Great album.







11) She Is We War

Seattle area denizen Rachel Taylor is the person behind this act. Was originally part of the duo He is We. I find this album to be addicting.

2016 Magna Cum Laude Albumns

Here is the next batch. Some really great albums, and these aren't even my Summas. Again, not rank ordered.

Against the Current   In Our Bones
From Poughkeepsie, NY.  This is their first full (non EP) album.




Anouk    Queen for a Day

I have long been a fan of this Dutch singer.   Never really all that well known in the US for some reason.




Blondfire   True Confessions

Singer Erica Driscoll is from Michigan. Currently based in LA.



Soundcloud link -> Sex, Lies, and Destruction

Brooke Waggnoner    Sweven
Based in Nashville, Brooke Waggoner is an amazing talent.






Gabrielle Aplin   Miss You

This UK singer has established herself as one of my favorites.  Miss You is a small EP, but it makes my list anyway.







Garbage   Strange Little Birds
Been a huge fan of Shirley, Butch and company since the 90s.   This album shows they still got it.  And they seem to have captured their late 90s sound. Oh, and I still <3 Shirley









Green Day  Revolution Radio


Speaking of 90s bands that are still awesome. Is this the only male fronted act on my list? Sorry about that.





Groenland     A Wider Space
Canada consistently delivers bands I love. Here is another one. There is a lot of sophistication in this album. From Montreal.





Lucius    Good Grief

Third album from this New York (Brooklyn) band.







Marina Kaye   Homeless

This 18 year old French singer came to fame via the French version of "Got Talent" when she was 13. Another short EP that makes my list. (In case anyone cares, the EP came available in the US in 2016, so under my rules - which I break at my discretion anyway - it's a 2016 album)





Oathbreaker    Rhea

I just discovered this band from Belgium. May take some adjusting to, but I love the sound. Love it!




OnDeadWaves   OnDeadWaves

Polly Scattergood is one of my very favorite artists (UK based, big surprise). This is one of her side projects.







Rachel Curtis   Rachel Curtis

Out of Michigan. Great little EP.





Rïcïnn   Lïan

From France. I love this artist.







The Glass Child      Under Northern Skies


Charlotte Eriksson is (IIRR) an American living in Europe (Germany now though it London not that long ago). She puts out some really wonderful music.







The Joy Formidable  Hitch

This rock band from Wales puts out another great album.





Tove Lo    Lady Wood

What can I say about this Swedish pop singer? I really like this alubum







White Lung  Paradise

Hailing from Vancouver, I just discovered this band recently. Oh Canada, love you so much.





 

2016 - Cum Laude Albums

OK ,  I am so sorry to be so late.  Be here we go.   Anyway, as always, these are what I like.  I make to assertions what matters to anyone but me.  But I share because some like my music preferences.

And yes, it almost entirely female singers and female fronted bands. No apology for that.

Magna Cum Laude and Summa Cum Laude will come soon. The Cum Laude list is not rank-ordered.

Ash Koley - Elements

Love this Toronto act.



 

Colbie Caillat The Malibu Sessions
This California girl keeps putting out great stuff. Don't know why her popularity seemingly has fallen off (has it?). Don't care. She makes my list.


Daya   Sit Still, Look Pretty

From Pittsburgh, young and talented.

 


KT Tunstall   KIN 

Love this singer from the UK.  Saw her at the Cedar live a bit back; that was special.




Lera Lynn   Resistor

From Houston Texas.
 




Mother Feather Mother Feather
From New York




Nemesea Uprise
I never really get tired of bands from the Netherlands.



Rachel Platten Wildfire
From Massachusetts, most of you have heard a couple of her songs, this is a very nice album front to back.

Skarlett Riot Sentience
A damn good hard rock act from the UK.



Sonia Rao Meet them at the Door
This Indian-American singer has had music on over 35 TV shows. Based in Nashville.




Steady Holiday Under the Influence
Singer Dre Babinski is based in LA



Stitched Up Heart Never Alone
Another LA based act, but quite different from the one above. This band ROCKS!



The Coathangers Nosebleed Weekend
From Atlanta


The Droids Divide By Zero
Husband Wife duo from North Carolina



Weaves Weaves
Toronto just keeps giving me acts I love < br />