And just like that it’s 2017, and even more scarily, my 10th last.fm anniversary. I honestly can’t believe I joined it a decade ago.

Though I don’t spend much time on the site these days I still find the stats and graphs fascinating, athough I never judge my favourites of the year by the data alone, it really does come down to overall impression of the music over number of plays.

So herewith is a roundup of my favourite music of 2016.

A L B U M S

I’m a bit torn picking my top 3 albums – firstly over the top spot, because 2 of my favourites (Kent and Tiger Lou) released lovely albums this year. Objectively Tiger Lou’s is better, though Kent’s album is their last ever and so it definitely scores extra for sentimental value (plus it is a great album in its own right). Third place is the real tough call though – it’s between Wild Beasts’ Boy King and Shearwater’s Jet Plane and Oxbow…for this one I’m going to go with the last.fm data and number of plays…

Favourite albums:

• Tiger Lou – The Wound Dresser
• Kent – Då Som Nu För Alltid
• Wild Beasts – Boy King

Others I enjoyed, in no particular order:

• Shearwater – Jet Plane and Oxbow
• Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
• Medicine Boy – Kinda Like Electricity
• De Rosa – Weem
• Sakawa Boys — 2014 Anxiety
• Dangerfields – Embers
• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Skeleton Tree
• Beyoncé – Lemonade

Albums I missed in 2015 year and really enjoyed last year:

• The Soft Moon – Deeper (2015)
• HEALTH – Death Magic (2015)
• Fear Factory – Genexus (2015)
• Miracles of Modern Science – Mean Dreams (2015)

T R A C K S

Favourite track:

• Tiger Lou — Leap Of Love

Others I enjoyed, in no particular order:

• Kent — Den sista sången
• Tiger Lou — Undertow
• Wild Beasts – Celestial Creatures
• Wild Beasts — Eat Your Heart Out Adonis
• Kent — Egoist
• Shearwater — A Long Time Away
• Banks & Steelz — Giant
• De Rosa — Scott Fank Juniper
• Radiohead — Burn the Witch
• DJ Shadow — Nobody Speak (feat. Run the Jewels)
• Hellcats — Get in the Fire
• The Veils — Axolotl
• Kent — Förlåtelsen
• Nevermen — Mr Mistake
• Beyoncé — DADDY LESSONS
• Dangerfields — The Trip
• Medicine Boy — E.V.I.L
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds — Jesus Alone
• Stone Jets – Feeling Good

Tracks I missed in previous years and really enjoyed last year:

• Markus Krunegård – Du stör dig hårt på mig (2014)
• Hurula – 22 (2014)
• The Raveonettes – Apparitions (2011)
• Gravenhurst – I Turn My Face To The Forest Floor (2003)
• Jackson C. Frank – Just like anything (1965)

L I V E

Most enjoyable gigs I’ve attended this year:

In October 2016 I had the incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience of seeing my all-time favourite band on their final ever tour, in a tiny mining town north of the Arctic Circle…nothing can come close to that, and probably never will. Kent at Arena Arctica in Kiruna, Sweden, was the most unbelievable, enjoyable and emotional music experience in my life.*

Also while I was in Sweden I had a second ridiculously awesome once-in-a-lifetime experience (!) to see Tiger Lou, another of my all-time faves, who are officially back from the dead and responsible for my favourite album and song of 2016. Their show at Pustervik in Gothenburg was absolutely beautiful.*

Back home, the gigs I enjoyed shooting the most had to be the Queens of the Stone Age tribute show at Manila, Fear Factory at the now no-more Assembly and God Mother and Slander‘s shows at Club Med – actually basically anything at Club Med was super fun to shoot. Endless Daze was also super photogenic.

Musically I loved The Stone Jets‘ show at Cafe Roux, Hellcats at Oppikoppi, Aces and Assembly – Hellcats probably crown the list of my favourite local acts of the year. Also high on that list are Echo Beach, Dangerfields and Caelo, who co-incidentally played a great gig together at Manila (and restored my faith in First Thursdays).

*Sweden photos will be up soon, took me ages to find the time to edit them all.

– – –

Happy listening in 2017 :)