If nothing else, 2016 was a year of comebacks. We felt tremors of a mini resurgence of jazz and funk in mainstream hip hop through artists like Kendrick and Childish Gambino, and gospel in the likes of Chance The Rapper, Noname, and Gallant (and Kanye?). A Tribe Called Quest proved they can pick up and set down their prowess when they choose, and their 2016 release had them drawing from the same stylistic well of their previous sound while building on it in a way that'll certainly shape the future. And how many Andre 3000 features can you think of this year off the top of your head?
Amidst these comeback stories, Best Case has our very own favorite returner, Jack Sipes (fitting, too, as Andre is one of Jack's favorite rappers). Earlier this year, Jack wrote us a playlist full of standout '90s basslines, a collection of Smashing Pumpkins songs for fall, and now he's got another one coming straight from the faucet for ya: songs that left an imprint upon first listen. Get into it.
More art by our friend, Jake Beaver of Problem of Pain. His band is on one of our year end lists. Check out his band and stay tuned for our lists!
By Jack Sipes:
I consider myself an attentive listener. I like to dissect songs and figure out what the artist is trying to showcase. I will listen to an album multiple times before I feel confident enough to form an accurate opinion on it (unless I really just hate it). It’s not often that I encounter albums that really captivate me upon first listen; when I do, these albums tend to stick with me and become favorites instantly. This playlist is dedicated to those albums that I knew I loved on first listen. These are the albums that had me texting my friends, asking if they’ve “HEARD THIS?!?!”. (Sorry if it’s kinda sad.)
Tracks:
- Tell Me What I Don’t Know - Danny Brown
- No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross - Sufjan Stevens
- Voyager - Daft Punk
- 29 #Strafford APTS - Bon Iver
- Love/Paranoia - Tame Impala
- How to Disappear Completely - Radiohead
- Shaver - Porches
- U - Kendrick Lamar
- I Watched the Film the Song Remains the Same - Sun Kil Moon
- I Can’t Give Everything Away - David Bowie
Eat this Apple.