Well another year down... and what a year it was. While the world was going to hell and everyone's favorite artists and musicians were dying every other day, me and my lil volunteer radio show that could turned the corner, either putting on or being a part of six different live events, including Fisherman's Village Music Festival, inviting more guests into the studio and sold merch for the first time in the history of the show.

Surrounding all of this change was a really stellar year in music. It seemed like every week I was finding new artists and new songs to play on air for you, and here was some of my favorites from 2016. This list is not meant to be in any sort of order. I just wanted to share my favorite records of 2k16.

Drake - Views

Drake gets moody and introspective on this record populated by sparse production and quick-witted verses.  

Highlights:

9
Weston Road Flows
Redemption
One Dance

Pinegrove - Cardinal

From New Jersey, Pinegrove explores an "emo" sound that is injected with some country twang.

Highlights:

Old Friends
Cadmium
Aphasia

Great Grandpa - Can Opener EP

Great Grandpa is bringing some much needed muscle to a Seattle scene that has become more bleh than bite.

Highlights:

Cheeto Lust
Mostly Here
Let It Get Bad

Grieving - Demonstrations EP

Cambridge, UK's Grieving sounds more at home here in the PNW than in the UK. For fans of Sunny Day Real Estate.

Highlights:

My Friend, The Ghost
Little Armoured
Warmest Jets

Modern Baseball - Holy Ghost

Philly's own Modern Baseball splits their new LP in half (the first six songs are written by Jake Ewald while the last five are written by Brendan Lukens), giving the whole LP two different personal subjects to tackle.

Highlights:

Wedding Singer
Every Day
Apple Cider, I Don't Mind
What If...

Frank Ocean - Blonde

Frank's back. What more can I say? This album deals with so much... just put it on and lay back and relax.

Highlights:

Nikes
Solo
White Ferrari
Godspeed

Bon Iver - 22, A Million

Like Frank Ocean, we waited a long time for the new Bon Iver, and oh man, was it worth it. Delicious.

Highlights:

10 d E A T h b R E a s T ⚄ ⚄
33 "GOD"
666 ʇ
8 (circle)

Crystal Desert - Black Summer EP

I was enamored with Crystal Desert's Black Summer release series. Everything this Everett band did in 2016 was magical. Somehow, this EP got left off of a lot of local "best of's." Not this one.

Highlights:

Monolithica
No Fair (Wipers Cover)
Revenge Complex
Black Summer

Weezer - Weezer (White Album)

Weezer made a good record! Finally! You wouldn't know it by the abysmal single that Seattle rock radio took hold of, but this album is packed with classic Weez goodness. Check the deluxe version for the impeccable "Friend of a Friend".

Highlights:

California Kids
(Girl We Got A) Good Thing
Do You Wanna Get High?
L.A. Girlz

Oliver Elf Army - The Mystery of the Booty Warrior EP

Everett's Oliver Elf Army brings the early-2000's Seattle snot-rock back to the North Sound, and this EP is only the start. 2017 will be the year of Oliver Elf Army, just you wait! Everett Til The Grave!

Highlights:

Booty Warrior
Bellevue Brats
Dilaudid

Fauna Shade - Floral Hall EP

Fauna Shade are nice guys. I would know. Their newest EP showcases exactly what the 'Shade does best — lull you with a breezy jam, then clock you in the back of the head with a barn burner.

Highlights:

1973
No Nostalgia
Bazzle Shabazz

Kanye West - The Life of Pablo

The most polarizing dude in music, it's Kanye West! Love him or hate him, Kanye has made one amazing album after the next, and The Life of Pablo is no exception.

Highlights:

Ultralight Beam
FML
Real Friends
Wolves

Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool

A beautifully sad, anxious and dark record from start to finish. Radiohead finally nails down a studio recording of fan favorite True Love Waits and finds a return to form on A Moon Shaped Pool.

Highlights:

Daydreaming
Ful Stop
Glass Eyes
True Love Waits

Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book

I know I said I wasn't going to pick and album of the year... but seriously, this is it. Magnificent from start to finish, Chance gets personal, spiritual, political and everything else on this record. A masterpiece, but the best of all? It's technically a mixtape, which means it's free to download.

Highlights:

No Problem (feat. Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz)
Summer Friends (feat. Jeremih & Francis & The Lights)
Same Drugs
Finish Line / Drown (feat. T-Pain, Kirk Franklin, Eryn Allen Kane & Noname)

Leava - Brunt EP

Leava's Brunt EP was performed and released in a basement amid an art show over the summer. How rad is that? Producer/musician Simon Nicol's solo project is ever-changing, and this iteration of Leava is dark, brooding and extremely personal.

Highlights:

Go Away
Basement
Curtains

Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered.

Kendrick's "leftovers" from his 2015 LP To Pimp a Butterfly would be someone else's masterwork. This album is a peek into the creative process of one of the best emcees on the planet.

Highlights:

untitled 02 l 06.23.2014.
untitled 03 l 05.28.2013.
untitled 05 l 09.21.2014.

Midnight Lights - It's Been A Year

Everett's pop-punk/emo darlings Midnight Lights have been flying under the radar in Mill Town for the past year, but that won't be the case for much longer. This EP is full of guitar trickery, sing-along vocals and introspective lyrics.

Highlights:

It's Been A Year
Keep Moving Forward
Dogboy

TELLERS - Walking Blind EP

TELLERS turns the corner on this three song EP, exploring a new sound with the help of producer and Leava frontman Simon Nicol (who recorded drums on the record). I'm excited to see where the Everett five piece takes the new sound in 2017.

Highlights:

Walking Blind
Punching Bag

-Honorable Mentions-

Some records came out a bit too late in the year for me to really get into them. I like them, but I don't LIKE like them... not yet.

Yung Lean - Frost God

The pride of Sweden, a e s t h e t i c rapper and Sad Boys crew member Yung Lean dropped this surprise mixtape earlier in December. Grab it for free here.

Early Favs:

Back at It
Hennessy & Sailor Moon (feat. Bladee)
Crystal City (feat. A$AP Ferg)

Run The Jewels - Run the Jewels 3

It was a Christmas f*cking miracle! Killa Mike and El-P gave us all the gift of Run the Jewels on Christmas Eve.

Early Favs:

Legend Has It
Call Ticketron
Panther Like a Panther (feat. Trina)
Everybody Stay Calm

Childish Gambino - "Awaken, My Love!"

Childish Gambino decided to make a 2016 version of a Parliment/Funkadelic record, and it's damn good.

Early Favs:

Have Some Love
Redbone
Baby Boy

Henry J. hosts the weekly radio show The Stereo Wire on 90.7 KSER. Tune in Friday nights at 8:30 PM.