Rachel Mallin and the Wild Type at CrossroadsKC at Grinders
2016 featured a ton of quality tunes. Here is a rundown of my favorite tracks of the year:
Rachel Mallin and The Wild Type “White Girls”
“White Girls” is my favorite song of 2016. The self-effacing nature of the lyrics are counterbalanced by an upbeat, surf rock melody.
Marian Hill “I Want You”
Jazz-laced indie grooves and soulful vocals from electronic pop duo Marian Hill.
Local Natives “Fountain of Youth”
Local Natives put out my favorite album of the year, Sunlit Youth. Love the pulse and drum work in this song. Excellent indie rock vibes.
Laura Gibson “Two Kids”
A sweet love song from underrated singer-songwriter Laura Gibson.
The Hunna “You and Me”
Uptempo indie-pop from England’s the Hunna. They bring the energy here for sure.
Sylvan Esso “Radio”
Catchy grooves and passionate vocals made this one of the biggest songs of the year. They also put on one of the strongest sets I saw this summer.
Eleanor Friedberger “Open Season”
Quality vocals and guitar work from past interview subject Eleanor Friedberger. I love the vibe of this track.
The Naked and Famous “Higher”
Big, poppy sounds from the Naked and Famous. The band really goes epic on this song.
Warpaint “New Song”
A poppy tune from past interview subjects Warpaint. This song finally got them on mainstream radio. It’s great to see a band this trippy and great getting more recognition.
Bear Hands “Boss”
Past interview subjects Bear Hands indie rock smash it here. “If you taught me how to fish, I would sweep the sea clean” are some of my favorite lyrics I’ve heard in a long time.
Bishop Briggs “River”
Really soulful vocals from Bishop Briggs. This song was overplayed a lot this year, but it’s still excellent.
Phantogram “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore”
The emotive vocals and pulsing grooves make “You Don’t Get Me High Anymore” one of the biggest tracks of the year. Three is an excellent album.
K.Flay “Blood in the Cut”
Nice grooves and intense delivery from K.Flay. She also put on one of the most hard-hitting shows in KC this year. Her set was a perfect blend of hip hop and indie rock.
Whitney “No Woman”
I love the growing sprawl of this tune and the horn work really pushes the song in unexpected directions.
Maggie Rogers “Dog Years”
Maggie Rogers showcases her glorious voice on “Dog Years.”
Tags: 2016, favorite songs, Songs of the Year
McClainJohnson.com 
December 14, 2016 at 3:39 am |
[…] had a chat about my favorite song of the year, “White […]
December 21, 2016 at 2:10 am |
[…] album of 2016. Check out these live videos I shot of “Airplanes,” “Wide Eyes” and one of my favorite songs of the year “Fountain of […]
April 6, 2017 at 5:20 pm |
[…] beasted a set at RecordBar. I covered the show for X1051. Check out this rocking version of my favorite song of last year, “White […]
May 13, 2017 at 1:53 am |
[…] together, bringing those real KC vibes to people around the country. “White Girls” was my favorite song of 2016. Rachel is a past interview subject of mine and was my most frequent live guest of last year. Check […]