Top Album Picks of 2016 (Justin)

2016 was a strong year for music. With the sheer amount of incredible albums released, it was hard to narrow it down to just ten. The rise of the alternative idol scene had a big influence here, and alt-idols ended up taking the majority of the slots here. I'm not even usually an idol fan! Below are my top ten albums of 2016, followed by some mini-albums, and finally some honorable mentions. Enjoy!

#10: The Oral Cigarettes - FIXION

The second album by this pretty straightforward rock outfit, FIXION is packed with catchy choruses and memorable riffs. One of the only straight rock albums I enjoyed this year.

Standout tracks: 気づけよBaby, 狂乱 Hey Kids!!, A-E-U-I

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#9: Kinoko Teikoku - Ai no Yukue

An album I didn't really appreciate on first listen, and definitely not Kinoko Teikoku's best. Still, I ended up revisiting it and found a lot to like here. It's a very minimalist, stripped-back effort for the band, but it's full of emotion and skillful playing alike.

Standout tracks: Last Dance, 雨上が, ​クライベイビー

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#8: Bed In - RICH

These newcomers to the idol scene bring a flashy, neon-tinted look at 80s-throwback pop. Between the vocals and the glittery synths, there's a lot to like here. Bonus points for idols who play their own instruments!

Standout tracks: GOLDの快感, ♂×♀×ポーカーゲーム

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#7: PassCode - VIRTUAL

PassCode's unique take on electronicore calls back to bands like Fear, and Loathing in Las Vegas with vocoder-infused vocals and harsh screams interspersed when you least expect them. A perfect follow-up to ALL is VANITY, a strong album in its own right.

Standout tracks: MOON PHASE, AXIS, Never Sleep Again, Nextage

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#6: Seiko Oomori - TOKYO BLACK HOLE

One of my favorite songwriters in pop music, who has written for the likes of Shishido Kavka and You Kikkawa. The follow-up to her amazing 2014 album Sennou, TOKYO BLACK HOLE is packed with gems. Possibly one of the best pop albums of the decade!

Standout tracks: TOKYO BLACK HOLE, マジックミラー, 愛してる.com, さっちゃんのセクシーカレー, 劇的JOY!ビフォーアフター, ■ックミー、■ックミー, 無修正ロマンティック ~延長戦~, ​少女漫画少年漫画

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#5: POLYSICS - What's This???

I originally struggled with this one because of the length (19 songs!) but it caught on quickly. POLYSICS proves they don't know how to slow down with some of their best work in years. This synth-driven punk rock is bursting at the seams with an explosion of energy.

Standout tracks: SUN ELECTRIC, アルプスルンルン, Funny Attitude, 春夏秋冬, Be a Human

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#4: BiSH - KiLLER BiSH

Opening with the incredible DEADMAN, this album represents a new era for BiSH. Full of punk and hard rock, BiSH proves that they're nothing like their predecessors in BiS. While this wasn't the BEST album BiSH released in 2016, it's a great addition to their discography, full of some of their best work.

Standout tracks: DEADMAN, オーケストラ, 本当本気, Am I FRENZY??, summertime, Hey gate, ​生きててよかったというのなら

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#3: BILLIE IDLE - bi bi bi bi bi

BILLIE IDLE returns with their loudest album yet, dropping the POLYSICS-inspired synth punk for a much more raw, 80s-influenced sound. Newcomer Akira fits in perfectly with the group as they blast through these short-but-sweet pop punk gems.

Standout tracks: 泣きそうサンデー, 本当の夢を, BiG BiG WAVE, 理由無き反抗期, はじまりエモーション

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#2: Zenbu Kimi no Sei da. - Yamikawa IMRAD

An amazing debut! My favorite new group of the year comes through with a loud, fast, cute-but-terrifying sound that can't be matched by anybody else in the genre. The songs are sweet with deep and dangerous undertones, led by synth but supported by punchy production, vocoder effects, and the occasional harsh scream.

Standout tracks: ねおじぇらす✡めろかおす, ヤンデレクイエム, 哀whynot, The Battle of Identerror, やみかわぐんぐんか, ​ShitEndプラシーボ

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#1: BiSH - FAKE METAL JACKET

Where BiS failed, BiSH succeeded. Both groups came back this year with albums packed with re-recordings of old songs, but BiSH was able to deliver a strong album without overpowering the listener with old material. While the re-recorded tracks sound fine, the new songs are where BiSH shines and proves that they've outgrown their predecessors. Almost every song on here is strong in its own right, an album which really has no filler. BiSH's best work yet, and an album which will surely endure the test of time. This album solidified BiSH as my favorite idol group, one of the few I really follow and whose releases I anxiously await every time.

Standout tracks (not counting re-recordings): Primitive, beautifulさ, 身勝手あいにーじゅー , デパーチャーズ , ウォント , All You Need is Love, DEAR..., BUDOKANかもしくはTAMANEGI 

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Mini-albums

In no particular order, I want to use this space to mention some very strong mini-albums which left impressions on me this year.

YukueshirezuTsurezure - Antino未deology

Shiggy Jr. - 恋したらベイベー

Oyasumi Hologram - 2

Guso Drop - 夢四

BILLIE IDLE - 4 in 1

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Honorable Mentions

Finally, here are some albums which didn't quite make my list, but were still great albums in their own right. The Jun Togawa x Vampillia album would have made my list if I had listened to it in 2016, but unfortunately I wasn't able to hear it until this year.

Nerd Magnet - Crazy, Stupid, Love

Boris with Merzbow - Gensho

Suiyoubi no Campanella - UMA

Hijokaidan x Jun Togawa - Togawa Kaidan

Lui Frontic Akabane Japan - Up! Up!! Up!!!

Jun Togawa x Vampillia - わたしが鳴こうホトトギス

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