Favorite EPs of 2016

[15] I EP - Yankee Bluff (self-released)
New material from the same Algernon Cadwallader/Snowing/Glocca Morra dudes that had brought you Dogs on Acid (RIP). Extra lo-fi jangly pop tunes that are mostly good, but, I've come to expect more from these guys.
Top jam: "Agassi"


[14] Desire for Lust EP - Slanted (self-released)
New York based songwriter doing 90s-style indie rock bedroom recordings and releases everything for free on Bandcamp. Lots of Pavement/Sebadoh chords.
Top jam: "Golden Child"


[13] Big Deal Party EP - Jackal Onasis (Exploding in Sound)
One of many quality releases from Exploding in Sound in 2016, but really, it's just another year for them. This is a solid mix of heavy, dark, 90s Sub Pop style indie rock and east coast shoegaze.
Top jam: "Runty Little Puppy"


[12] Slow Worries EP - Slow Worries (Contrzst!/Adagio 830/De Graanrepubliek)
Female fronted indie rock from Amsterdam, sounding like a more punk, sloppier (not complaining) Helium, or something along those lines.
Top jam: "Glorious"


[11] New Age Hooey EP - Lloyd Braun (self-released)
My band Lawnmower had the honor to play with this band in Grand Rapids toward the end of 2015 and again in early 2016 for the release of this, their New Age Hooey EP. This is some nice fuzzy and jangly guitar pop that wouldn't sound out of place on The Adventures of Pete & Pete. There are some production issues (kick drum is pretty much inaudible), but the playing and songs on this EP are surely there.
Top jam: "The Point"


[10] Versace Summer EP - Jank (self-released)
Fast, zany, technical emo punk with some quality melodies and plenty of great guitar chords. Some of the moments might be a little too silly for me, but the good ones outweigh those. Definitely an improvement over their 2015 LP, Awkward Pop Songs (which is still good).
Top jam: "Chunks (Kool Enuff)"


[9] Big Lack EP - Minihorse (Friendship Fever)
My Ypsilanti Boys released two EPs in 2016, Big Lack being the most recent. Minihorse are one of the best bands going in Michigan right now, and whenever I talk about them to someone who hasn't heard them, I describe them as a shoegaze-y ode to Teenage Fanclub. I think I prefer the EP they released earlier in the year (more on that later), but still, this rules. "Blueblack" has some nice Swervedriver and Hum tones that I hope to hear more of in their future.
Top jam: "Blueblack"


[8] Krill EP - Krill (self-released)
Krill is one of the weirder bands in the Exploding in Sound crew, and this is their final document, released posthumously. There are moments that are some of their best yet (like all of the out of tune yet beautiful "Jubilee"). Definitely a great note to go out on.
Top jam: "Jubilee"


[7] Else EP - Solids (Topshelf/Dine Alone)
Montreal's Solids sound like a grungier, swampier version of Swervedriver, so yeah, this EP was my jam.
Top jam: "Blank Stare"


[6] Overreactor EP - Lifted Bells (Run for Cover)
Four dudes noodling some emo jams like crazy with Bob Nanna singing. I was not aware this was a thing until this year, and I had no expectations, and they're awesome. Mathy, but not so much that it's not catchy too.
Top jam: "Kingston Vale"


[5] Confront the Truth EP - Tony Molina (Slumberland)
FINALLY a follow-up to 2013's Dissed and Dismissed. Color me shocked when I heard this for the first time and there were no hugely distorted guitars and instead a bunch of folky acoustic ones. Instead of sounding like Weezer and Teenage Fanclub, these songs sound like Beatles and Big Star ballads, and I am absolutely okay with this.
Top jam: "No One Told He"


[4] The Small Wins EP - Spook the Herd (Exploding in Sound)
Another Exploding in Sound entry on this list, and it's the second best. I had no knowledge of this band, decided to take a chance because of the label they're on (I used to listen to everything Jade Tree or Polyvinyl would put out no matter what when I was in high school. Exploding in Sound and Don Giovanni are that way for me now). This is some excellent guitar pop with melodies and hooks a-plenty.
Top jam: "Slurpee Surf"


[3] III EP - Sheer Mag (Wilsuns/Static Shock)
Another year, another Sheer Mag EP. When is that full length coming? They continue to do the lo-fi Thin Lizzy thing, this time with some nods to The Strokes, too. This is the best they've sounded yet. When the guitarmonies kick in during the outro of "Can't Stop Fighting," it is one of the greatest musical moments in 2016.
Top jam: "Can't Stop Fighting"


[2] More Time EP - Minihorse (self-released)
Here's that first Minihorse EP I was referring to earlier. More extremely catchy shoegaze pop, featuring some truly fantastic songs. "Howler" is my favorite, though, because it actually sounds like classic Death Cab for Cutie to me.
Top jam: "Howler"


[1] Is a Toad in the Rain EP - Stove (Exploding in Sound)
Stove's 2015 LP, Is Stupider, was a slightly more shoegaze version of Steve Hartlett's other on-again-off-again band Ovlov. Seems like in 2016, they decided to chill out and go for straight smooth shoegaze ballads. I will not complain, as these songs are tremendous. These tunes are a lot more subtle, which is cool, as it allows for the melodies to come through more, and makes for quite a beautiful soundscape.
Top jam: "Goose Ghost"