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!

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.