Music-Drop Magazine

My knowledge of Danny Brown before listening to this record was that he’s name dropped Bob Dylan, Lou Reed and Joy Division in interviews before, I’ve been interested in him since reading about that, and to be honest Atrocity Exhibition is completely unique in that it sounds like a Post Punk Hip Hop classic, which are two genres I never thought of putting together. Danny Brown has previously been known for a variety of Hardcore Hip Hop records, which range from party anthems to melancholy tunes, this album is dark, manic, surreal and anxious; as such it’s almost perfect. The album was named after a Joy Division song and a J.G. Ballard novel. The drumming on Atrocity Exhibition is recalling of the primal drumming of Stephen Morris, of Joy Division and New Order, which perfectly informs the album’s depressing tone. The album itself is even named after the opening track of Joy Division’s final album Closer , so it’s pretty easy to see how the famous Manchester ban...

As far as music goes I’m a pretty bias sort. I have my preferences and the music I listen to often is contained within those preferences. I like alternative rock with a lot of guitar, sometimes I try the new releases of artists I like (Typically critically acclaimed artists) but I am very dependent on publication’s tastes, and I do follow several reviewers who I know share my tastes. This sometimes means I don’t listen to some of the more obvious albums of a year so that’s why I’m doing this, to rectify my issue and listen to what could be considered representative of 2016’s sound. So I decided to look at 20 sources of the best album of the year, add them all up, do a little aggregate, and churn out a top 20. Then I want to listen to those 20 albums, give them my personal opinions while laying them out in a fashion that makes them easy for the reader/listener to access. Iggy Pop's best album since The Idiot just missed out on the top 20. The lists I chose wer...