April 2016 Music Roundup

My favorite albums of April

Releases from 2016: Babymetal's Metal Resistance, Sunrise Skater Kids's Friendville, Avantasia's Ghostlights.

Older releases: I listened to everything 5 Seconds of Summer has done, and while they're not my favorite band, I still like what they're doing with pop-punk and they have some really fun songs. I finally got to listen to some Blackmore's Night live albums (they're hard to find), and they're just as great as I hoped; I'll have to pick up a tour DVD sometime, and I'd love to one day be able to attend one of their concerts. Phoenix is a band that I'd heard of for years but never listened to properly; thanks to Sarah for getting me into them—they're really good. I finally caught up on some missing albums from favorite bands/singers: Mest, Carly Rae Jepsen, Zella Day, The Graduate, Story of the Year, and Amber Pacific stand out as particular favorites. Oh, and I listened to a ton of K-pop this month. Just a ton. (28 LPs/EPs.) I've never listened to much before, but a song by Fiestar came up on YouTube after I watched something else, and then I fell out of control down the rabbit hole listening to a bunch of different groups. I've cooled off a bit for now, but I added a couple dozen bands to my to-listen list, and I'll continue to revisit this month's favorites in the coming months. No regrets.

Recommendations: Babymetal is lots of fun (J-pop/metal). Mest, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Amber Pacific have some really good pop-punk albums. I love Zella Day's voice. The Graduate is way overlooked (kind of a post-rock feel). I've loved everything Carly Rae Jepsen and MS MR have done. And if K-pop is your thing, Miss A's Hush, After School's Dress to Kill, and BoA's Only One are pretty great.

Full April list

bolded albums are ones that I purchased

++ means I loved it

+ means I liked/really liked it

* means I'm indifferent or that it had some good songs

– means I won't listen again

183. Ice Nine Kills – The Burning EP [2007] +
184. Ice Nine Kills – The Predator EP [2013] +
185. The Classic Crime – Phoenix [2012] ++
186. The Classic Crime – Seattle Sessions EP [2007] ++
187. Coheed & Cambria – The Color Before The Sun [2015] +
188. Colleen D'Agostino – Collide EP [2015] ++
189. Babymetal – Babymetal [2014] ++
190. Babymetal – Metal Resistance [2016] ++
191. 5 Seconds of Summer – 5 Seconds of Summer [2014] +
192. 5 Seconds of Summer – Sounds Good Feels Good [2015] +
193. 5 Seconds of Summer – LiveSOS [2014] +
194. 5 Seconds of Summer – Unplugged EP [2012] +
195. 5 Seconds of Summer – Somewhere New EP [2012] ++
196. 5 Seconds of Summer – She Looks So Perfect EP [2014] +
197. 5 Seconds of Summer – Don't Stop EP [2014] ++
198. 5 Seconds of Summer – Amnesia EP [2014] ++
199. 5 Seconds of Summer – Good Girls EP [2014] +
200. 5 Seconds of Summer – She's Kinda Hot EP [2015] +
201. Twin Forks – Twin Forks [2014] ++
202. Twin Forks – Twin Forks EP [2013] +
203. Blackmore's Night – Past Times With Good Company [2002] ++
204. Blackmore's Night – A Knight In York [2012] ++
205. Crown the Empire – The Fallout [2012] +
206. Crown the Empire – Limitless EP [2011] +
207. Phoenix – United [2000] +
208. Phoenix – Alphabetical [2004] +
209. Phoenix – It's Never Been Like That [2006] ++
210. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix [2009] ++
211. Phoenix – Bankrupt! [2013] ++
212. The Veronicas - The Veronicas [2014] +
213. Carly Rae Jepsen - Tug of War [2008] ++
214. Fiestar – Black Label EP [2015] +
215. Fiestar – A Delicate Sense EP [2016] +
216. Stellar – Marionette EP [2014] +
217. Stellar – Sting EP [2016] ++
218. Busted – Busted [2002] +
219. Busted – A Present For Everyone [2003] ++
220. Miss A – A Class [2011] ++
221. Miss A – Touch EP [2012] ++
222. Grayling – Everything That Burns EP [2016] +
223. Miss A – Independent Women Part III EP [2012] +
224. Miss A – Hush [2013] ++
225. Miss A – Colors EP [2015] ++
226. Molly's Revenge – Trio [2013] ++
227. Jarrod Alonge – Beating a Dead Horse (Deluxe) [2015] ++
228. After School – Virgin [2011] ++
229. After School – New Schoolgirl EP [2009] +
230. After School – Because of You EP [2009] +
231. After School – Bang! EP [2010] ++
232. After School – Happy Pledis EP [2010] +
233. After School – Red/Blue EP [2011] ++
234. After School – Flashback EP [2012] ++
235. After School – Playgirlz [2012] ++
236. After School – First Love EP [2013] ++
237. After School - Dress to Kill [2014] ++
238. After School – The Best of After School 2009–2012: Korea Version [2013] +
239. After School – BEST [2015] ++
240. Sunrise Skater Kids – Friendville [2016] ++
241. Orange Caramel – The First Mini Album [2010] ++
242. Orange Caramel – The Second Mini Album [2010] ++
243. Orange Caramel – Lipstick [2012] ++
244. Orange Caramel – Orange Caramel [2013] ++
245. Sleeping With Sirens – With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear [2010] ++
246. Sleeping With Sirens – Madness [2015] ++
247. Sleeping With Sirens – Live & Unplugged [2016] +
248. The Classic Crime – What Was Done, Vol. 1: A Decade Revisited [2014] ++
249. Carly Rae Jepsen – Curiosity EP [2012] ++
250. Mest – Not What You Expected [2013] ++
251. Mest – Broken Down [2014] ++
252. Avantasia – The Mystery of Time [2013] ++
253. Avantasia – Ghostlights [2016] ++
254. Zella Day – Kicker [2015] ++
255. Zella Day – Zella Day EP [2014] +
256. Zella Day – Cynics vs. Dreamers EP [2012] ++
257. Zella Day – Powered By Love [2009] ++
258. BoA – Kiss My Lips [2015] ++
259. BoA – Who's Back? [2014] ++
260. BoA – Only One [2012] ++
261. The Graduate – Only Every Time [2010] ++
262. MS MR – How Does It Feel? [2015] ++
263. PVRIS – Acoustic EP [2014] +
264. Story of the Year – Page Avenue: 10 Years and Counting [2013] ++
265. Broadway – Kingdoms [2009] ++
266. Amber Pacific – The Turn [2014] ++