In no particuliar order , since JL put out his top 7 of 2016, I’m going to give you my spin on the year so far. 1st up is Billy Childish and his band CTMF. Billy is rock ‘n’ roll. He is the master of the beat and the truth , there is no disputing his genius. Billy Childish has been going at this for Decades and this Album is a return to the very beginnings , at the dawn of punk rock Billy stepped on to the scene with primitive beats influenced by the early days of rock ‘n’ roll. Through the decades Billy has put out too many albums to count , he’s always been one to never rest on past accomplishments. For my Generation , raised in the 70’s , Billy is one of the best of our Generation maybe the best, that’s up to others to decide but for me if you aren’t a fan of all things Childish, you don’t know rock ‘n’ roll 
next up is the new album from our good friends The Death Valley Girls. What more do you need to know to understand that they are the future of rock ‘n’ roll.This is what I had to say about “Glow In The Dark” You can “label” the Death Valley Girls any way you want to , doesn’t much matter to me what you call their take on rock ‘n’ roll. To me The Death Valley Girls are among the best of the best in 2016. They have that unique ability to blend all kinds of sounds into one that they can truly call their own. I think the other thing that stands out for me is that they are a Band, I don’t think this works if you take any one of them out, from the bass to the drums and one of the coolest guitar riffs and band jams in years to the lead vocals and the harmonies it just all comes together for them. 
From Portland Oregon , we have The Reverberations. This is what I said a few weeks ago ” if you are not a part of the garage rock gang , well I don’t know why but if you are not digging these tracks we really have a problem. It’s all there, the Sonics scream, Brian’s harmonica , total bad ass guitar jams, seriously these guys are on top of their game and this new album is pretty much a guarantee lock for one of my top 5 of 2016. I love The Reverberations , hey guys…do you need a publicist??” 
This is what I had to say about “Nosebleed Weekend” I have a handful of Bands that I think need paid attention to and one of those bands is The Coathangers. It’s cool , reminds me a little of the late 70’s and CBGB’s . I could close my eyes and see The Coathangers tearing it up kicking bottles of beer off of tables,in a bar where people get suckered punch for something they shouldn’t have been doing, you know that place. In a crowded with mediocrity industry that is begging for some soul and authenticity , The Coathangers demand the attention of all who seek those speaking the truth of true rock ‘n’ roll. 
While we are on the list of bad ass ladies who rock, next up is the new album from Bleached “Welcome the Worms” . after a long wait between albums, Bleached come back with a excellent new collection. From the opening track “Keep On Keepin On” Bleached demand your attention for the entire album, full of wicked guitar licks, distortion, harmonies and everything else that we have come to expect from Bleached. I think most good songs are built on the writing and without a doubt , Bleached put thoughts to pen better than most. You can tell that they have taken their time to put out a record that speaks to their professionalism . My advice would be to buy this today , play often and loud and get lost in the coolness that is – Bleached.
from Hidden Volume Records is the new EP” There is a Reason” from Brooklyn’s own , The Above. From the opening track “Holding Back” it’s quite apparent that The Above are staking their claim to being one of the coolest bands ,of 2016. When you play The Above you hear the history of the British Invasion . ” I Wanna Take Her Home” will have you shaking your head in total excitement. The Kinks themselves would be impressed. ” I just Can’t Forget About That Girl” will convince you that you are hearing something from an American Band that hasn’t been accomplished since the days of ‘The Rascals” and early “Byrds” . “Say Your Cool” just flows so easily that you will be singing along halfway through and the killer guitar licks will assure you that you are hearing something worth telling your friends about. Up Next is the title Track ‘ There is a Reason” I’m picking up a little Steve Winwood around the time of Traffic and that’s about as impressed as I’ve been in the 3 years we have been reviewing and talking to bands. “You Look Unwell” closes out this excellent EP , with a rocking tune leaving you with one undeniable fact…The Above are able to assimilate some of the greats that have come before into a sound that is uniquely their own.With this new EP from Hidden Volume Records The Above are proudly proclaiming , The Kids Are Alright….
sticking with the whole garage rock let’s return to the 60’s beat with a 2016 take on the whole thing next up are The Mystery Lights: You really need to give this album a proper listening to, so cool it’ll blow you away. The Mystery Lights are the first band signed to Wick , which is an imprint of Daptone Records. I feel good knowing that The Mystery Lights are going to help spread the word that rock n roll is Alive and kicking and that is a good thing. 
Next up on this list is “MIDWEST FARMER’S DAUGHTER” by Margo Price. My Dad loved Country music it’s how I came to love Johnny Cash at the age of 16 and I’ve always had a thing for singer-songwriters , that’s the 70’s to me , sure punk came later but High School was all about the singing and writing and all these years later Third Man Records brings us the magnificent Margo Price and for sure if this album isn’t on everyone’s end of year list , I’ll be a little mystified. 
I’m going to close this list out with some more kick ass rockers, The Backseat Angels. This Album from Rum Bar Records is just about worn out from me playing , I love these guys and this is probably one of my most played albums of 2016. I love everything about this, the glam, the pop, the rock , it just kicks ass and these lyrics are the best and the rhythm breaks are way cool. This Album was put out by Rum Bar Records and like I told their founder Lou in an email, If labels were gangs who did the whole Hemingway fight it out for top of the pile thing, my money would be on the line up from Rum Bar Records.
well that’s all for me so far, remember my list isn’t a best of list, I’m no critic. My list is what I like to play when I have some spare time and it is an ever changing list. These albums all have staying power and for me at least that’s is why I have included them. 2016 has been an exceptional year for rock ‘n’ roll. Some of these bands are veterans who fight the good fight and some are kids , giving it a shot. We here at 50thirdand3rd understand that a list is just a list and it’s what you’re thinking and if what you think is different from me, like Ben says…”Right On”
