2016 had its ups and downs, but RecommNeds chugged along all year, barely keeping up with all the killer new music discoveries coming at us at a steady clip. The weekly RecommNeds is presently at exactly 125 albums and counting for the year (this playlist contains all of ’em) and I think I captured just about every genre and subgenre you could think of (and plenty that defy labels altogether), with music from our nearest neighbors to sick tunes from halfway across the globe.

There’s something for everyone, so I certainly do recommend checking out as many as you can before the year comes to a close, who knows, your new favorite band might be hidden in there. To help you get started, I’ve put together a tip-of-the-iceberg Spotify Playlist that hopefully captures some of the excellent new under-the-radar music from this year. So whether you’re into bluegrass or a jazz guy, a jam gal or lover of songcraft, looking for something quiet-and-pensive or loud-and-louder, there’s bound to be a song in there that catches your ear..

I’ve got plenty more recs in the queue for this year, I’ll try to get to as many as I can, and I’m already looking forward to seeing what 2017 brings … musically, at least. Enjoy!