36. Arctic Monkeys

36. Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Hotel Base And Casino

This band has evolved so much since their punk inception. This current release from Alex Turner and group from their studio in Sheffield is my favorite by far. It's a futuristic tale of a moon colony written on Turner's piano at his house. The band utilized older vintage instruments and the sound is both compelling and familiar, while maintaining an experimental vibe.



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37. Hop Along

37. Hop Along - Bark Your Head Off, Dog

This is Hop Along's third album, and perhaps their finest. Frances Quinlan is the lead vocalist and she provides a raucous environment on this new outing. While 2015's Painted Shut was truly exceptional, the Philly based band really outdid themselves this time. If you ever get a chance to see this group live, do it, you will not be disappointed.



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38. Typhoon

38. Typhoon - Offerings

I have loved Typhoon's previous albums. They have been the sort of melancholy, love lost indie pop that I really dig, with big brass sections and the like. However, with their fourth album, the band has taken a new turn and put out a darker, more thought-provoking record. Kyle Morton is lead vocals and guitar of Typhoon. The album is described as being in four parts: Floodplains, Flood, Reckoning, and Afterparty. He is quoted as saying, "It's a record from the perspective of a mind losing its memory at precisely the same time the world is willfully forgetting its history." It's existential dread amped up to 11. It's beautiful, haunting and brilliant.



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39. Ezra Furman

39. Ezra Furman - Transangelic Exodus

You may remember Ezra Furman from such bands as Ezra Furman and the Harpoons or Ezra Furman and the Boy-friends or Ezra Furman and the Visions. However, he is solo on his most recent effort. This particular album is very experimental and a fantastic listen. He's a musician based in Chicago, which has become my second home.



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40. Ought

40. Ought - Room Inside The World

Ought is a (new) New Wave band out of Montreal. They consist of Tim Darcy (vocals, guitar), Ben Stidworthy (bass), Matt May (keyboards) and Tim Keen (drums). This is their third album and their first one on the Merge label. Tim Darcy's deep baritone does not disappoint on this record. I continued to see this band listed as post-punk, but have yet to discern that in their sound, which either means the critics are wrong, or I am grossly misinformed.



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41. tUnE-yArDs

41. tUnE-yArDs - I can feel you creep into my private life

In times of political strife, art seems to pour forward. Artists often seek their craft to speak to the current world and rage against it. Merril Garbus, who is an artist through and through, engages in our political dialogue by asking what it means to be white in a world of privilege and injustice. It's a difficult, but necessary listen and stays true to her unique style. You can see them in other Top 50 recounts both here and here.



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42. Parquet Courts

42. Parquet Courts - Wide Awake!

On the fourth release from Parquet Courts, they have enlisted the aid of Danger Mouse. Danger Mouse produced albums typically find their way into this blog because the man is a musical genius. Parquet Courts consist of A. Savage (vocals, guitar), Austin Brown (vocals, guitar), Sean Yeaton (bass) and Max Savage (drums). They are decidely punk and unforgiving about it. This new album takes them on journeys that they have otherwise precluded much to the joy of myself. This is a band worth seeing live.




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43. The Wombats

43. The Wombats - Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life

This is the fourth release from Liverpool rockers, The Wombats. The band consists of Dan Haggis, drummer; Tord Øverland Knudsen, bassist and
Matthew Murphy, lead vocals and guitar. This band has only gotten bigger and while this new album isn't breaking any new ground, it's got a great groove all the way through. Look for them at arena shows soon.





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44. Now, Now

44. Now, Now - Saved

Now, Now is a band formed in Minnesota and based in Minneapolis. The band is composed of two high school marching band friends, Cacie Dalager and
Bradley Hale. After almost splitting up, they have radically changed their sound from brooding guitar ballads to jangly pop. Talent is talent and Cacie's vocal abilities and their combined musical prowess make this a must listen.



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45. Kurt Vile

45. Kurt Vile - Bottle It In

I mean, really, how could Kurt Vile's new badass album not make it into the Top 50. If you were lucky, you got to see him on tour this last week right here in OKC. You may remember his last album hitting the Top 50 back in 2015 in roughly the same place here. Not to sleight him, his music is definitely his own and this album remained on repeat more often than not. In particular, you will find two roughly 10 minute songs that make this album with 'Bassackwards' and the title track.



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46. Eddie Berman

46. Eddie Berman - Surrounded By The Sound: Ten Covers By Eddie Berman

Eddie Berman is a brilliant guitar and piano player from South Los Angeles. I discovered him as a result of him and Laura Marling working together. This particular album sees him covering the likes of Radiohead, Paul Simon, Kurt Vile, Manu Chao, The Kinks and more. Normally I wouldn't include a covers record in this particular lineup, but his versions of these songs is so perfectly done, that you simply must listen. If you haven't listened to Eddie Berman before now, check out the album he came out with last year, Before The Bridge.



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47. Snail Mail

47. Snail Mail - Lush

Lindsey Gordon literally just graduated high school in Baltimore earlier this year. She is the singer/songwriter/creator of Snail Mail. Her debut album got picked up by Matador and her introspective pop leaves you wondering how someone so young can have such depth and insight into the human condition. Look for big things in the future from this girl.



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48. Cat Power

48. Cat Power - Wanderer

Wanderer is Chan Marshall's tenth album and her first one in six years. If you will recall, her previous album, Sun, garnered her a #6 spot in 2012, here. (Wow, I've been doing this awhile). This probably would've got a higher ranking, but it came out in October and I haven't got to spend as much time with it. However, what I have heard is her usual melancholy, yet powerful girl and a guitar sound that sends you right to your core.



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49. Fantastic Negrito

49. Fantastic Negrito - Please Don't Be Dead

Fantastic Negrito aka Xavier Dphrepaulezz, if you remember, won NPR's Tiny Desk Contest in 2015. He had played in various bands he led throughout the years, but also spent a large portion of his life as a club owner, gun runner, coke dealer and petty thief. A car accident left him badly mangled and he had given up music forever, until his son was born. He submitted his contest video at the behest of friends, tapping into a core Blues tradition from his youth.



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50. Sure Sure

50. Sure Sure - Sure Sure

We kick this cavalcade of music off with Los Angeles based band, Sure Sure. They are singer Chris Beachy, guitarist and singer Charlie Glick, drummer and percussionist Kevin Farzad, and producer and bassist Michael Coleman. Apparently, they have acquired much of their recent fame to the internet, which is fantastic for our current music climate. This band is all sunshiny, pop-driven beats being produced from their home turned studio.





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