Despite the grey cloud hanging over this year, the music released has been nothing short of fantastic…a definite bright spot that we could all cling to when the times got tough. These were the songs and albums that challenged us as listeners, played to all of our emotions, and were just catchy af.

My favorite 16 of 2016 are moody, energetic, passionate, and quirky. These are songs I’ve grown more and more attached to over the year, and have definitely been a comfort to listen to during a year with many ups and downs.

While many of us are eager to put this past year in our rear-view mirrors, we know that 2017 is already going to be a crazy ride. No matter what the new year hurls at us, we can rely on music to help us keep chugging along. There are already a slew of albums that will drop in early 2017 for which I am super duper pumped. I have a feeling, at least music wise, it’s going to be a lit year.

If you like the songs below, head on over to New Jams Vol. 3 on Spotify to listen to all of the great songs I’ve curated throughout this year.

Happy holidays, friends!

• Jarrow-“$$Spoilers$$”

Jarrow is the solo project of 20 year old Melbourne musician Dan Oke. “$$Spoilers$$” is a shining example of bright, indie garage rock.  This sunny track that showcases the most spunk and personality can be found on his recently released debut album, 2003 Dream.  The accompanying video to this single is also something to behold.

• Bungalow-“Fox”

I couldn’t glean much from the interwebs on Dutch indie-electronic duo Bungalow. However, I do know that their debut ep, 90/92 is pure listening magic. Though the ep only contains four songs, “Fox” is the song that grabbed my attention immediately…which maybe isn’t completely fair because it IS the first song. Regardless, it’s the catchiest song with the greatest promise of shimmy shaking.  The ep as a whole is a blend of killer vocals, tremendous synths, and smooth production. Give the four tracks a spin and see if you’re not craving more before the last song is over.

• Francis and the Lights-“See Her Out”

THIS SONG. THE SYNTHS. OMG.  As soon as I heard the first few seconds of this song, I was snapped out of a work daze like I had just taken a midday caffeine break for my senses. Francis and the Lights lead singer Francis Starlite nails the mix of echo-y auto-tuned vocals layered over powerful, driving synths. The result is this bang up tune that could get even the most reluctant of listeners to hit repeat. “See Her Out” is the opening track on their latest album Farewell, Starlite! Start with this song, stay for the rest of the album.

• BOYBOY-“Daylight”

On the heels of his first three singles, “Boy”, “Need Your Love”, and “Vices” comes “Daylight” from the mysterious LA via New Zealand artist known as BOYBOY. While these are the only four songs on his Spotify and SoundCloud pages, he’s built strong momentum with the release of each song. “Daylight” is the most captivating, with a fetching hook and stimulating beat. I don’t know if it’s his anonymity, or the fact that his songs are all so addicting, but I feel very enthusiastic about him as an artist and am super eager for him to release new music.

It was exactly one week ago today while I was listening to the #NewMusicFriday playlist, that one song in particular came on, and I literally had to stop what I was doing to click over to Spotify. The song that caught my attention was “drugs” by EDEN.  I immediately started doing research on the artist–Who is this person? What other songs are available? Is the artist going on tour anytime soon or did I completely miss the boat?

Thankfully, I managed to glean some information from the Google machine regarding the person responsible for creating the latest song for which I cannot stop hitting repeat. EDEN is the moniker under which Jonathon Ng releases music for your listening pleasure. This 20 year old Irish multi-instrumentalist has previously released tracks as The Eden Project.  He has his own label, MCMXCV, through which he released his most recent EP, “End Credits” in 2015.

What struck me initially about the song “drugs” was the line: “Cause I’m a fucking mess sometimes” which is (naturally) delivered right before the drop.  I’m not sure if the lyric resonated with me so much because the first time I heard the song I may have been going through a brief period of self-loathing… or maybe because it’s a universal feeling many of us may have experienced before? After listening to the song on repeat solely because I liked how it sounded, I decided to delve into the lyrics. The song seems to revolve around the comparison of relationships to drugs because, “Hey! Sometimes I just can’t quit you regardless of the gigantic mess you’re making of my life” amirite?

Relating love to a drug is definitely nothing new. However, EDEN is able to spin the woes of relationships into a piece of music that showcases lyrics sung with a great deal of emotion layered on top of well crafted electronic beats.  The song is a little dark, a bit moody, but definitely a dance-y piece you should be listening to on repeat. The song has a completely unique feel, which makes it a true indie-electronic gem.

EDEN’s newest EP is scheduled to be released on August 19th.  You can pre-order “I Think You Think Too Much of Me” here.

If you live in North America, he’ll be embarking on a tour beginning on Sept 7th.  Find the full tour schedule+tix here.

Listen to “drugs” below, and make sure you keep EDEN on your radar.

The band has three singles currently on SoundCloud; “Just Wanna See,” “The News,” and “Thunder,” the latter of which is a song in support of Bernie Sanders.

You can catch SHAED at School Night in Brooklyn on June 20th and at Warby Parker Sound Sessions in DC on August 4th.

“One In A Million,” their latest musical gem, has the catchy hooks and danceable electronic beats that make a song instantly addicting. Ducati’s voice immediately lures the listener in, and, coupled with Sloan’s expert production, will have you hitting repeat before the song is even over.

So go ahead–press play, put on repeat, and dance yourself into the weekend.

Last evening we revealed the final lineup and set times for the 3 days we will be taking over 902 E Cesar Chavez. I’m seriously blown away by all of the bands that will be killing it on the Ernie Ball stage this year.

And I know that it sounds crazy, but all 3 days are FREE.  I’ve never known anyone to turn down a free party. Especially a free party that will be serving free Green Flash beer and Sparkling Ice (for all you non-drinkers, children, anyone that needs a break from beer…). We’re also buddying up with La Barbecue again this year to satisfy all of your BBQ wants and needs.  What could make this better?  How about some amazing product demos from our dynamic and innovative sponsors: Sengled, Wearhaus, and Ernie Ball.

Spread the word! Tell your friends! Bring the whole family! Just make sure you RSVP.

The Yard’s playlist has been recently updated so you can now dance along to songs from all of the artists playing our showcase. If the weather’s nice where you are (gorgeous here on the East Coast), turn up the volume, roll down those windows, and car dance to your heart’s content.

Interested in how last year’s showcase was? See below…

Looks like a hell of a time, right?! Right. See you in Austin!

That’s right friends, we just announced phase 1 of the lineup for The Yard, (brought to you by The Most Definitely and Concord Music Group) and it is a doozy. The lineup includes a diverse list of musicians, so there will definitely be music that appeals to a wide variety of musical tastes.

Come join us March 16, 17, and 18 from noon-8 p.m. for 3 insane days of parties in the warm Austin sun.  If you’ve never been to The Yard before, now is your chance to discover a ton of new music, for free! If you have been before, then you know the drill-RSVP to as many parties as possible in an attempt to avoid some serious FOMO.

All you have to do to attend The Yard is RSVP. Yes, the parties are FREE. There will also be FREE Green Flash beer to quench your thirst, and FREE Illy coffee to keep you going all day/night.

The Yard is all ages, too, so bring the whole family. Just remember to RSVP.

Come hang/dance/party to music from Arkells, Chad Valley, Fickle Friends, Geographer, Lucky Chops, Powers, Spirit Animal, Sun Club, Yuna, and more!

To wet your appetite, listen to the playlist below. It will be updated with each new round of announcements, so keep listening.

Need more proof of why you should be attending The Yard this year?  Really? Well, fine. Peep the video below from The Yard parties last year, and be prepared for even more fun this year.

Their newest song is an amalgam of rambunctious, high intensity garage pop mixed with roaring beats and memorable lyrics. When I first heard it, I felt like my natural reaction was to break into spontaneous dance moves. It is immediately catchy, and manages to pull you in completely by the time the chorus hits. Attempts at not dancing around while listening to this song will be futile.

Spring King are currently on tour in the U.K. (go check ’em out and make me extremely jealous by telling me how amazing their live set is). They’ll be playing some shows over the summer alongside Wolf Alice and Kaiser Chiefs.  Check out “Rectifier” below, and make sure your volume is turned up loud enough so that everyone around you can fully enjoy this monumental song.

Fortunately, after all of that perusing, I can tell you guys this: New Portals is the new project from adorable Northern Irish husband and wife duo Michael and Ruth Aicken of The Jepettos. Unlike The Jepettos (folksy-pop music), New Portals’ sound is piano driven, indie electro-pop with a catchy disco beat…totally a sound I can get on board with. Though they only have 3 songs on their Soundcloud and Spotify pages, all 3 are alluring, dazzling, and will gently shake you out of any “morning after imbibing in one too many drinks” stupor and get you ready to take on the day.

This single, along with the previously released “Wall Watcher,” will appear on the band’s debut album, Human Ceremony, due out February 5th.  Sunflower Bean will embark on a European/North American tour in support of their new record beginning on February 2nd.  Check out the tour dates below to see when they’ll be swinging by a city near you.

Tour dates:

02/02 Bristol, UK @ Louisiana
02/03 Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
02/06 Paris, FR @ Le Pop Up Du Label
02/08 Copenhagen, DK @ Ideal Bar
02/09 Berlin, GR @ Berghain Kantine
02/10 Hamburg, GR @ Molotov Bar
02/12 Brussels, BE @ Botanique
02/13 Lille, GR @ LA Peniche
02/15 Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s
02/16 Manchester, UK @ Soup Kitchen
02/18 London, UK @ The Dome
02/19 Brighton, UK @ Bleach
02/25 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
02/26 Hanover, NH @ Bones Gate Fraternity
02/27 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Club Upstairs
02/28 Montreal, QC @ Quasi Des Brumes
03/01 Toronto, ON @ Smiling Buddha
03/02 Detroit, MI @ Majestic Café
03/03 Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
03/04 Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s 20 Lanes
03/05 Rochester, NY @ Lovin’ Cup
03/06 Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
03/10 Washington D.C. @ Black Cat
03/11 Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
03/15-20 Austin, TX @ SXSW 2016
03/24 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
03/25 La Jolla, CA @ Che Café
03/26 Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
03/27 San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall
03/29 Seattle, WA @ The Vera Project
03/30 Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt
03/31 Portland, OR @ Analog Café Lounge
04/01 Nampa, ID @ Flying M
04/02 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
04/03 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
04/05 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
04/06 Madison, WI @ The Frequency
04/07 Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
04/08 Columbus, OH @ Rumba Café
04/09 Pittsburg, PA @ The Smiling Moose; Upstairs