I've revised my ongoing album of the year list and cut out a lot of the non-essential albums. This list will likely be rearranged a few more times before the end of the year, my tastes and attitudes most likely changing throughout the year. In fact, I had to take a break from listening to new albums because I had started getting pretty cynical about everything, so I decided to get into more French Chanson and other international music to remove myself from what I'd been listening to. Now that I'm refreshed, I'm excited about all the great releases coming up, like, the rise of Hinds, the reunited Libertines, and the chance for a new punk classic in Titus Andronicus’ new album. Hopefully this list causes someone to look up some new music they haven't heard of. I still have around 20 albums to go through, including Asap Rocky, Vince Staples, and Sun Kil Moon.
Passed on albums:
Calexico, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Reptar, Surfer Blood, Jesse Malin, Panda Bear, Twin Shadows, Lightning Bolt, Smallpools, Ryley Walker (good if you like instrumental), Songhoy Blues, Pond, Airborne Toxic Event (came out with two albums and I'll give the second a try), THEEsatifaction, Simon Joyner (super influential artist that I kick myself for not being able to get into), Wale, Little Comets, Imagine Dragons, The Decemberists, Tyler the Creator (might go back eventually), The Milk Carton Kids, Faith No More, Holly Herndon, Mew, Ceremony, Brandon Flowers, Jim O’rourke, River City Extension, Karen O, Jenny Hval Matthew E White, Twenty One Pilots, Yowler, Jaill, Surgeons in Heat, Mumford and Sons, Johanna Warren, Modest Mouse, Twerps, King Khan, Eric Caboor, Waters, The Vaccines, Lord Huron, Jake Xerxes Fussel, Death Cab for Cutie, Mount Eerie, Say Lou Lou, Hello Death, Shana Falana, San Fermin, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Metz,
Honorable Mentions:
Mini Mansions-The Great Pretenders- Kinda sounds like a really cool video game soundtrack.
Shamir- Ratchet- Super fun dance music, I just couldn’t relate to the vibe.
Oddisee- The Good Fight- Decent rap album
Florence and the Machine- How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful- Probably a great album but I can’t stand her voice for too long!
SOAK- Before We Forgot How To Dream- I was really pulling for her! Still a cool album though, listen to Sea Creatures.
Algiers- S/T- No qualms about the album, just not my thing.
Matt & Kim- New Glow- Not a technical marvel, but I maintain that it’s still a fun album.
Chastity Belt- Time to Go Home- Such an overtly feminist album. This may make it’s way back on the list. Listen to Cool Slut and Time to Go Home
Holly Miranda- S/T- Listen to All I Want is to Be Your Girl
Jazmine Sullivan- Reality Show- Critically acclaimed album I will look back into.
60. The Brian Jonestown Massacre- Musique de film imagine
This is a score to an imaginary French film. Given the premise, it turns out pretty well. I found myself trying to put together where the songs would go in a movie. It’s a little sad that the only BJM album I could get into is an album where they aren’t really them. It’s all instrumental, aside from female French vocals on a few songs. BJM, famous for being a trainwreck, have put together a really neat project.
59. Breakfast in Fur- Flyaway Garden
This sounds like a soundtrack to a Wes Anderson's version of a David Lynch movie. At times it's twinkling, and other times, it's atmospheric. I'm usually a very lyric driven music listener, but, I found myself wanting less vocals (although some of the light airy vocals add to the atmosphere) just so I could languish in the mood of the instrumentation.
58. Screaming females- Rose Mountain
Their cover of Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off brought Screaming Females back to life for me. I had originally listened decided not to write about them. Watching the video, however, led me to appreciate them a bit more. The instrumentation sounds like they could bust into a metal song at any moment, which turned me off because a metal band fronted by a non-metal singer is kind’ve just a hard rock band and haven’t we evolved past hard rock? Marissa’s vocals are strong. I’ll probably get some flack for this but I kept getting a No Doubt vibe from a lot of the songs. I dare you to listen to Wishing Well and not imagine a roller skating Gwen Stephani.
57. Danny Kroha- Angel Watching Over Me
I can’t complain too much about this release. This is the first solo effort for the ex-Gories (fantastic blues punk band from the 80s) singer and comes across as a guy, who very simply, just wants to play some tunes that he loves. All the songs are folk and gospel covers, which were recorded at Third Man Records so you know Jack White was super onboard with this. Kroha uses a lot of classic instruments like, as written on the Third Man website, “banjo, dulcimer, diddley bow, washtub bass, jug, and mouth organ.” At the end of the day, this is a passion product. A product written to throw some spotlight on genres that are slowly becoming obscured or dulled by the shiny new music scene of the 2010’s. Not an album that’ll blow the mind of a lot of people, but if you’re a fan of masterful musicianship and history, maybe you’ll get something from this. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s like the perfect album to put on when you’re driving out to WherethefuckamI Lake to go fishing.
56. Migo- Napkin Back
Really promising album by a local Milwaukee band. There is such an impressive palette of influences on display. I particular love the fast-talking parts. Fantastic lyricism from a writer that has been plugging away for years and gets better all the time. Seeing them live, the passion is palpable and the movements frenetic. Certainly a band to get excited for and will, hopefully, continue to release more albums. My favorite local release thus far this year. Check them out, I guarantee you won't hear anything like them this year. The album is name your price on their bandcamp (which translates to free), but I recommend throwing some money at them out of good faith.
55. Unknown Mortal Orchestra- Multi-love
I was shown UMO way back in 2011 by a friend on our way to see them open for the band Yuck (remember them?!). Their first album had hints of R&B influence, more hints than full blown. The sound was more built in psychedelia and garage rock, albeit in a smoother form. In Multi-love, they fully embrace blue-eye soul. I’d describe it as garage funk. I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t too thrilled by the album. There are obviously more than a couple of good songs, but after a while they started to blur together.
54. The Cribs- For All My Sisters
How many bands can brag that the legendary Johnny Marr was a part of their band at one point? This band can. If you like really catchy punk rock, check this album out. It’s supersonic and always ready to keep moving. Heavy guitar and urgent vocals. I really liked the song Pink Snow.
53. Will Butler- Policy
This is a nice tight album. I wasn’t expecting an outrageously good album. I feel like there’s this attitude in listener culture that demands that every album has to be absolutely amazing to be listenable or notable. No way! Some albums exist to get you to the next. This isn’t album I’m going to think about often or anything, but it’s still a pretty good collection of songs. A playful collection of songs that remind me of stuff like Adam Ant or Soft Cell or something 80’s-ish. This is worth a listen. There are a few songs to take away. I still get Take My Side stuck in my head.
52. Wavves & Cloud Nothings- No Life For Me
It was okay. I’m a big fan of Cloud Nothings and just alright with Wavves. This album definitely felt more Wavves influenced than Cloud Nothings, based off how consistent and surfy a majority of the songs come off. Obviously, a collaboration between two of “slack rock’s” heroes couldn’t be bad, it just wasn’t mind-blowing. I found myself liking the instrumental untitleds more than the other 7 songs. Overall, solid album that is great for a drive, but wasn’t as great as I thought it’d be.
51. Speedy Ortiz- Foil Deer
Very 90’s sound, there’s the messy guitars and casual female singer (reminded me a lot of Liz Phair). The singer/writer, I guess, is a pretty accomplished poet, being a candidate for an MFA. It’s very apparent that she knows what she’s doing lyric-wise. The album is hard to describe, it’s an aggressive album without feeling too agro, smart without sounding too clever. There’s a complexity to it that I don’t think will really jive with a lot of people. I go in and out about how much I like Foil Deer. Sometimes it’s really cool and refreshing, and other times, hard to get into when it’s playing in the background.
50. Nate Ruess- Grand Romantic
Despite my status as a gruff hipster jerk, I have a soft spot in my heart for the band, fun. I first heard them at the tail end of high school and they’e stuck with me. Fun. has the reputation of being a band that is all fluff and the prototypical mainstream blockbuster band, which they are. Not surprisingly, Nate Ruess solo sounds nearly identical. Grand Romantic is a an example of “grandiose rock.” The kind of music that plays during the pivotal moment in a sappy, “are you feeling this?!” kind of teen movie. Every song is huge and super overemotional and constantly reaches for the stars…..and it works. Grand Romantic is a apt title for this album. It tells the listeners before they even play the first song, that these songs were written by a man who still believes in magic, a man who wants his songs to be played during the first kiss between new lovers or watching fireworks at Disneyland. Admittedly, having every song be an anthem gets old somewhat quick. Listening to the whole album in one sitting is akin to eating a whole bowl of sugar and having your teeth erode between each bite. With that in mind, I could be cynical and call the songs plastic, but, sometimes, it’s fun(.) to pretend every moment can be a big one and that magic isn’t always an illusion.
49. The Tallest Man on Earth- Dark Bird is Home
I have brand loyalty to Tallest Man on Earth. I discovered him through Last.FM in high school and I've been in love ever since. His style of folk was so passionate and old fashion and steeped in woodsy, working class imagery, he grabbed me from the very first guitar strum. After every album, his sound becomes more refined and tame, which is good and bad. He's starting to sound a little more modern, but, at the same time, he's starting to stick out less. When I first heard his new single, Sagres, I heard War on Drugs. That didn't impress me. However, I heard Dark Bird is Home, and heard the new orchestral sound. An artist evolving is always going to bring good and bad. In this case, it left me feeling neutral about the release. My favorite parts were when it was just him and the guitar, like on Singers. I applaud him for trying something new, for using the studio more to get a bigger sound to appeal to more people. It just wasn't what made me fall in love with him. I fell for the artist who stood by himself on the Pabst Theater stage with just a guitar and piano and sang from his heart songs that didn't need to be dressed up. On that night, he captivated an entire theater. This album could hardly captivate me.
48. Patrick Watson- Love Songs for Robots
I think Patrick Watson would be amazing if they were signed to a bigger label and had a bigger budget. The sound has so many things going on, yet the way it’s put together kinda makes everything blur, especially since Patrick Watson’s (I know the band is also called Patrick Watson) works as a blanket. His voice is so airy that it becomes a haze. I’m a big Patrick Watson fan. To this day, seeing him in Milwaukee is still one of my favorite concerts. I wasn’t a fan at first, it takes concentration to get into the music. It takes investment in the sheer quality of his voice, the mood the songs convey, and the little moving parts that can be heard once it’s dissected.
47. Desaparecidos- Payola
Conor Oberst is my guy but I can’t totally get on board with this album. First, I HATE that he included the songs that were, supposedly, only going to be available through their website (there were 6 songs). It kinda fucked over the people that paid 5 dollars for two mp3s. Second, while the songs sound like they’ll be explosive live, recorded, they feel exhausting. It sounds like punk being played in a hallway. Too concentrated with no room to breath, leading to sounds that have nowhere to go, thus making them similar to the song that came before because it all becomes noise after a while. They felt so heavy that I got full too early in the album, which is bad for an album with 14 songs. A band can have a defined sound, but they have to leave enough wiggle room in the sound to make small, yet, noticeable changes.
With that said, the topics in the album are very important and are ones close to my heart, being a lower middle class Mexican man. Conor is very passionate about immigration, for example, going back to when he wrote the song, “Coyote Song,” a song that kinda foreshadowed a Desaparecidos reunion so he could get political again. I may get more into the album the more I listen to it. My advice is to listen to the album in chunks, maybe for the better, as to absorb the, very straightforward, messages.
46. Elvis Depressedly- New Alhambra
Despite their name and their overall sound, this album is one that strives to see things on the bright side, as the song N.M.S.S says, “no more sad songs.” Happiness isn’t written about like you would hear on some kind of mainstream pop hit, it’s written about as something that we should always try to achieve and how we should always be hopeful that it sticks around. I imagine these songs being played at the end of a movie about the end of the world and a family stands on top of a hill looking out towards the sun rising over a wasteland, knowing that they survived and are in a new world.
45. Leon Bridges- Coming Home
Leon Bridges has been getting a lot of hype lately for bringing back the retro soul sound of greats like Sam Cook and Otis Redding. The kind of music that one can snap their fingers and sway a little to. I get the hype, people have this yearning for a time period they were never a part of. We listen to the O’Jays and are like “wow this takes me back, back to a simpler time,” even though we were never there in the first place. We want to be present, but we also want to be connected to the past because it affords us a reality we can dream about, a reality where are contemporary problems can’t find us. This the appeal of a Leon Bridges, we’re experiencing him in real time and are both in the present and in the past. We can listen to his “old sound” and feel closer to it than we would a classic artist. However, that is where I found the biggest problem with him. He doesn’t merely pay homage to the sound, he lifts it completely. The subject matter, the language, and the overall clean cut sound feels copied. I thought it sounded too out-of-date and as though he was wishing he was in the time period, rather than inspired by it. There was nothing new added to the formula, not even a contemporary lyrical detail. With that said, the album is very enjoyable. The songs are all very pleasant and he pulls off the period fantastic. While I fault him for writing songs that are decades away from where we are, he performs them with such heart and immersion that it’s impossible not to be swept off your feet by him. Seeing him live, he had a confidence and charm about him that translates to the album perfectly. He deserves all the hype he is receiving. I just hope that on his next album he puts more of his voice into it, instead of inhabiting those of the past.
44. Joey Badass- B4.Da.$$
Too many songs! There are 17 songs on the album and they don't differ much from each other. He's obviously a student of the game. Joey knows his stuff. This album is a shout out to the rap style of a Nas, MF Doom, and Little Brother. The difference between this album and those artists, is that Joey sounds like he's trying to hard to emulate rather than innovate the style. I first heard him in 2012 and he was being declared the savior of rap. It was exciting. Here's this 17 year old kid writing songs that were the complete opposite of his generations definition of rap. He was bringing back the style of the golden age of rap. I agreed with this. 1999 was fantastic, Survivor Tactics in particular sounded like a song that was warning the rap scene that an exciting new upstart was here. Hype was building. I felt a connection with Joey. I watched a video of him walking through his high school and highfiving his teachers. He was a normal kid, yet, at the same time, you could see he had promise. By no means is this a bad album. Honestly, this is a pretty good album. However, I was expecting more. I was expecting a change of the landscape. I was expecting more ambition. Not an album okay with just being solid.
43. Soko- My Dreams Dictate My Reality
I was super surprised by this album. Not that it was overwhelmingly good, or I thought it was going to be bad, it's just so different from her last album. I thought I was an Alien absolutely broke my heart. It was this album that sounded like some woman reading her diary entries from a tough year. This release is an ode to 80's pop music. She has Ariel Pink guest star on the album, and the influence is felt greatly. The songs come off retro, not old sounding, but fashionable. Very solid release, although I felt more further away from her than I used to.
42. Mikal Cronin- MClll
Mikal Cronin, known for being Ty Segall’s Paul McCartney, has made a really solid orchestra blessed surf pop record. Very textured and layered with sound. It’s been getting a lot of flak for sounding like his last album too much, but I enjoyed his last album so I don’t mind too much. I think my biggest issue with the album is that half of the songs go together as a group (being numbered i, ii, iii…) and they sound great put together, however that leaves 5 songs out of the 11 that are kinda just there, leaving a strange division. The album really picks up into a cohesive piece once hitting song 6.
41. Colleen Green- I Want to Grow Up
I have a weird connection to Colleen Green. One time, I received a free copy of some music magazine from The Exclusive with purchase, and the first story that I flipped to was an interview with her. She was so aloof and didn’t seem to give a fuck at all. The interviewer asked her why she uses a drum machine instead of real drums and she responded with, “Because I can’t play drums.” Super cool answer. Few months later, she posted on Facebook asking if anyone could drive her around town before her show. To this day, I regret not responding. I could’ve driven Colleen Green around town!
While her other albums have been kept light, this album is her having to face adulthood, face a future that is only guaranteed to end. Heartbreaking lyrics include: And I’m wondering if I’m even the marrying kind. How can I give you my life when I know you’re just gonna die?" The album still utilizes her trademark Ramones-inspired pop and light vocals. However, it now sounds like she has direction.
40. Viet Cong- S/T
This is a vinyl record. The songs go together so well that it would be blasphemous to split them up. They are obviously a post-punk band, as represented by the deadpan vocals and tense atmosphere. Interpol should take notes (aside from Turn on the Bright Lights). Incredibly constructed and immersive, I want them to create a score to a dark new-age Western where all the cowboys are robots. Listen to the song Continental Shelf for an immediate reference point, then listen to the whole album.
39. Belle and Sebastian- Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
I'll preface by saying this, Belle and Sebastian is a very influential band in the genre of indie rock. They're legacy has been devalued a little from being licensed to many quirky indie films, alright new releases, and, at the risk of sounding snobby, the disrespect of contemporary hipsters that have a "what have they done lately" attitude and only appreciate either the obvious "legends" or the "new bands on the block." Belle and Sebastian are a culturally significant band that put out very respectable albums. Very smart and charming gems that will wow when given the chance.
With that said, this album feels like watching your well-read father leave the house in his 1970's disco getup. They obviously needed a makeover. Every band should try new things after a while. However, while there are some fun catchy songs on the album, it just doesn't feel like them. By any stretch, this album isn't an embarrassment. I just miss the sincerity of Piazza New York Catcher. I miss walking home in the dark and feeling like the only person in the world, listening to Dress Up in You. I miss the organic groove of If She Wants Me. I'd take a speech from my boring old dad any day, than a dad asking me to boogie down with him.
38. San Cisco- Gracetown
I came into this album absolutely loving their debut album, so my expectations were pretty high. They aren’t a band that are going to produce life changing music or be critically acclaimed, but they are so darn fun. The subject matter never goes beyond that of boy/girl problems, making it feel like they’re a band making music for the sake of having fun or haven’t had a serious problem in their lives. The lyrics rely heavily on obvious rhymes. They’re a pop band that does their job great, making fun catchy music. These guys are meant for radio and feel very 2015.
37. Joanna Gruesome- Peanut Butter
What a pleasantly aggressive album! McArdle’s vocals are celestial, yet are backdropped by brash punk sounding music, aka a perfect blend. Very short album that is packed with catchy songs with tons of energy.
36. Tom Rosenthal- Bolu
His voice is so UK, it’s ridiculous. Tom Rosenthal specializes in piano based ballads, but, has an amazing amount of wit and humor (which is put on display on his B-sides). I first discovered him from an episode of the UK television series, Skins. His first album, Keep A Private Room Behind The Shop, quickly became one of my favorite albums. It was, at times, silly and, other times, heartbreaking. Two albums later, he is still able to walk that line so well. Bolu is fantastic. He expands his sound to incorporate more instruments and eccentric vocal nuances. All the songs are relatively short, making the songs blur together, creating a whole listen. Definitely recommend a listen. He’s hard to find in the US!
35. Laura Marling- Short Movie
I’m always so torn with Laura Marling. I like her because she’s like the figurehead of folk music in popular culture right now. She’s important to folk music/ She’s keeping it alive and visible and is producing objectively good albums. Her first, her least strong when it comes to persona, has her catchiest and most automatically graspable songs (Ghosts and My Manic and I). Her second album, I Speak Because I can, really started to guide the listener to where she was going to go. She was this fierce strong female voice that wrote songs inspired by great works of literature and was very mature for a 20 year old. A Creature I Don’t Know took a step back because it wasn’t anything entirely new, but was still a solid release. Next was the expansive Once I was an Eagle, which I thought was her best album She finally produced that song, Master Hunter, that was the song to play during her walk to accept an award. It was a full album that’s dark and seductive and really felt like what a contemporary folk album should sound like (not whatever Mumford and Sons were making). At last comes her fifth album, Short Movie, and I was super excited because the self titled single really floored me (still could be my favorite song of the year), then it came out and it was good but not fantastic. My first listen through, I was just okay with it. Then I listened to it a few more times (probably around 4 or 5 times) and it started to click for me. Fantastic finger picking and her voice is interesting. There’s extreme tenderness to her vocals at times, and a lot of strength at other times. Although I wouldn’t say it’s a step up from her last album, I’d say it was a nice listen. I can see how it wouldn’t appeal to listeners because contemporary listeners need a big moment or a big vocal or big fun to catch their attention again, but I would say it’s an album that if you can sit back and just chill out to it, it’s going to be a cool listen. If you listen to it always waiting for “something” to happen, you’re just going to get impatient. Not all albums need hill and valleys, sometimes the clear open road can be just as exciting and rewarding.
34. Passion Pit- Kindred
Passion Pit has always been cool because they sound like a ball of light but the lyrics are full of dark matter. Very illustrative of real people. Most of the songs are danceable and perfect for a rainy day at the same time. I came in very cynical about Kindred because Manners was a brilliant album, Gossamer lost some of it’s sheen but continues to be a fun listen, and when I heard Lifted Up as a single, I was a little put off. Listening to the whole album, I’d say it’s on par with Gossamer, or at least, a little below. There’s so much energy and vibrancy to each song, that I don’t mind how clean it sounds. In a way, I see Passion Pit influential to a lot of modern radio bands, like Moglis, Small Pools, and Youngblood Hawke. Passion Pit just does that brand of Indie pop a lot better than most bands.
33. Tenement- Predatory Headlights
This album is the definition of a super consistent punk album. The album is comprised of 25 songs, making this, in vinyl terms, a triple disc album. None of the songs are too flashy, harkening back to the days of The Minutemen and Husker Du, where the emphasis is on tight instrumentation and a I don’t give a fuck attitude. Super impressive ambition shown by this seemingly small-time band. If they ever hit it super big, this is going to be the album that the new fans are going to shit themselves over because it’s like they hit the motherload. My biggest complaint is that some of the songs just seem like filler. Given that they have no expectations placed on them, I can see why they went the route of “lets see what sticks,” however, if they were to just take out like 8-10 songs, this album would’ve been perfect. Because of those extra unneeded songs, the album begins to drag.
32. Torres- Sprinter
I’ve listened to this album multiple times trying to think of what to say about it. I haven’t been able to put my finger on exactly how to describe it. It’s an album of seething, like it’ll break into mania any second, but she holds it together. The overall mood stays intense the entire time. It makes me think of what would’ve happened if St. Vincent would’ve stayed in the direction she was heading when she released the song Grot, muggy with aching. She’s been getting a lot of praise for this album. I don’t think it’ll appeal to a lot of people, but it’s very classically good.
31. Mountain Goats- Beat the Champ
Mountain Goats has become the elder statesmen of lyrical indie music. John Darnelle, fresh off the release of his book, Wolf in White Van, he releases Mountain Goats’ 15th album and never for a second sounds like he’s phoning it in. The Mountain Goats have made classic albums (All Hail West Texas, Tallahassee, The Sunset Tree), yet continue to try and do something different, be it a full band sound or an odd new theme. This album takes the leap and uses professional wrestling as his new vehicle of self-expression. The album works surprisingly well and doesn’t require pro-wrestling knowledge to enjoy. The reason it works so well is because it has universal themes that can be extrapolated from wrestling, such as the idea of pride and when a good guy realizes that in order to survive they must turn into the bad guy. While one could assume that this is a very impersonal album given the subject matter, it is in fact very personal. My biggest gripe with the album is that it doesn’t feel like a big album. Having had so many albums penned, John Darnelle may have lost his immediacy. His slow songs are definitely the best ones. Nothing really cut me deep, instead, it was more akin to a pro-wrestling blade job. It creates an effect, but, it doesn’t feel like the real thing.
30. Eskimeaux- O.K.
This album was so good that I had to bump off Yowler and Johanna Warren off the list because they basically did the same kind of music as Eskimeaux but not as great. Eskimeaux sings innocent sounding songs with instantly catchy melodies. I swear I had a few epiphanies listening to her album. Beautiful imagery is spread all over that acknowledges the human struggle, yet maintains that we’ll get through it. The music is never overpowering, instead wrapping the listener in sound and allowing it’s richness to comfort. A great album that I hope won’t end up overlooked.
29. Dan Deacon- Gliss Riffer
He’s a maximalist to the truest degree. This is album starts with one of my favorite songs of the year, Feel the Lightning, and only continues to get weirder and more claustrophobic. The music is a sugar rush, threatening to never end even when you’re ready to come down. His vocals are cold metallic that start to rile up as the album goes on. It finally ends in an eruption of electronic mash that is both beautiful and tiring. That’s how I would describe this album, exhausting beauty.
28. Stornoway-Bonxie
It’s really stupid hard to find this album! I listened to it twice on Youtube and now it’s gone! However, I do remember that I liked it quite a bit and would regard it as a return to form. They were being hyped a whole bunch in 2010 with their album, Beachcomber’s Windowsill, then dropped off with two just alright albums. These guys were also my second indie concert I ever went to (the first being The Morning Benders). I’ll never forget being an 18 year old kid looking doe-eyed as the singer launched into an off-mic rendition of one of their songs, filling Turner Hall with his strong voice. Bonxie has an appropriate album cover, because it’s similar to how I saw him that night, a soaring bird.
27. Lady Lamb- After
If she doesn’t blow up at some point, than I think it’s time to start questioning everything I know about music. So instantly listenable for the casual listener and enough artistry for a cold-hearted critic to be melted. On top of that, she’s a very pretty girl! Every song packs a punch and are so cleanly produced. This is a breakout album if I’ve ever heard one. There is so much she can do with her voice and she knows how to put together pop songs that are wonderfully crafted. With her being so young, it’s promising that she’ll only get better, which is scary given how good this one is. My biggest gripe is that every song is too big sounding or too well produced, it’s too clean sounding.
26. Wolf Alice- My Love is Cool
Not going to lie, it took a while for me to enjoy the album. I thought it sounded like a lot of what is coming out in the indie pop world….then I kept listening. I tried over and over after not being able to get past the first four songs. They were getting such great reviews. I must have been missing something! Then I got to You’re a Germ and I loved it. This is the most hard edged pop album to come out this year, truly a band of trades. Hints of grunge (Moaning Lisa Smiles), Blondie-like punk (You’re a Germ), and pop (Giant Peach). Having the ability to play aggressive one second and atmospheric the next is what a band needs to stand out in today’s music scene. Being an amalgamation of different styles is where music is heading. They have been getting lauded all over the critic sphere and they can safely say they won me over.
25. Hop Along- Waitress
I have never heard someone blow out their voice so many times in a single album. She straight up goes for it. After track 3, the album really picks up and turns into an album that’ll pummel you into the ground. Frances, the singer, is really the intangible and her powerful, yet imperfect, voice drives the whole album.
24. My Morning Jacket- The Waterfall
My Morning Jacket is always going to be one of those bands that are always going to be considered a big band. There are in the ranks of TV on the Radio, Wilco, and The National, bands that consistently release quality work but won’t ever be considered “the band.” They’re the workmen bands, bands with a big reputation, but are looked over for the new exciting bands. If a sitcoms needs to bring up a stereotypical hipster band, they’ll name one of these bands. With that said, this release from My Morning Jacket is their strongest release lately. Evil Urges (2008) got too experimental and Circuital saved them some face. The Waterfall does what a waterfall does, it replenishes them.
The album utilizes what made My Morning Jacket a household name, Jim James’ gigantic vocals and amazing guitar work. His voice is just layered on layered and the band gives him so much support, matching his dynamism. They made a career out of their amazing live performances and these songs sound like that’s where they’ll flourish. These songs make you want to hear them live because it feels like there’s reserved energy still in the wings. At the end of the day, that’s what you want an album to do. I came in not a huge MMJ fan, but I think they may have brought me to their side a little with this album. In a way, these guys are saving yesteryears idea of rock’n’roll. Jim James is a traditionalist. He did Monsters of Folk with Conor Oberst and M.Ward to celebrate folk music and did the same thing with New Multitudes, a project that fleshed out blueprints to Woody Guthrie songs. His solo album paid tribute to mid-tempo blue-eyed soul. My Morning Jacket, they bring us back to the days of guitar solos and artistry.
23. Palma Violets- Danger in the Club
Really fun album. If I had to pick a band to trash my house during a house party, this would be the band. The album just exudes this image of a bunch of good timing guys fucking around and creating magic. Even their slower songs sound more like pub sing-a-longs than ballads. Their use of gang vocal really gives the songs a big boost. All the songs sound big and energetic. They just come off as the cool band. My biggest issue is that it's very similar to their first album. While that isn't necessarily a complaint, I highly enjoyed their debut, I just wish there was more signs of change. When listening to Peter & the Gun, I instantly thought of Tom the Drum. I will continue to champion these guys though, we need more "cool bands" in order to not get bogged down in "indie sadness."
22. The Districts- A Flourish and a Spoil
I like this album more than I feel like I should. It was unjustly written off as a Strokes rip-off. The Districts have produced a really catchy and exhilarating album that is grounded by the right amount of emotionalism. I feel like every time I listen, I start liking them even more. Obviously, these guys aren’t wholly unique, but every single song delivers on some level. 6 AM is one of my favorite songs of the year (could be my favorite). Suburban Smell gives me chills. 4th and Roebling gets me ramped up. I’d say if you aren’t into the pretentious bullshit I’m into, this is the album that’s worth a listen because it fits right in the middle of casual and critical perspectives.
21. Eels*- Live from Royal Albert Hall
I don’t know why I love the Eels so much. If I had to name my top 10 bands, somehow they’d make it in even though I can’t put my finger on why. It could be because Hombre Lobo was the first steps I took away of radio rock. It could be because of all the personal turmoil the singer E went through in his life, from the suicide of his sister, the cancer-related death of his mother, his cousin dying on 9/11, his divorce, and the death of his famous physicist father, Hugh Everett III, who came up with the Many Worlds Theory, which is basically the idea of there being multiple realities. Or it could just be that Eels are plainly amazing. E has such a gruff emotional voice that can convey grizzled sadness or barking rock’n’roll. I don’t know how else to describe this live album but to say that this is a masterclass in live performance. There are cool covers, heartbreaking moments of articulation, and songs that come to life (notably, I Like Birds which gets a makeover into a rockabilly song). There are a few moments on the album that really got to me. It could have been nostalgia, I’ve been a fan for a long time and this feels like it could be an appropriate goodbye if they were to end it here. It also could be that after 20 years of being a band, Eels are the masters of what they do.
20. Waxachatchee- Ivy Tripp
Waxahatchee is the patron saint of the DIY movement. Her influence is small but is vital for the progression of the indie music scene and how music listeners listen to albums. The lines are starting to become blurred when indie music is brought up. As a community of music listeners, we are losing the definition of independent music. It isn’t something like Mumford and Sons or Imagine Dragons or some other band that has that happy-go-luck, synthetic emotional feel to them. Its artists like Waxahatchee and Courtney Barnett and Mitski, artists that are making art, rather than 4 minute ads. Artists that don’t have a thousand producers and money backing the project, but are releasing ingenious music nonetheless.
Listening to Waxahatchee’s first album, American Weekend, it sounds like it was recorded on a karaoke machine, but it was heartbreakingly beautiful and honest. She followed that up with the critically acclaimed Cerulean Salt, which smoothed out some of the edges and continued her soul baring style of music, which then got her signed to the massively popular Merge Records (a label that has housed such giants like Mountain Goats, Arcade Fire, and Neutral Milk Hotel). Now she’s on her third record and her sound has evolved once again.
The album is carried by her vocals. She has an understated voice that sounds small and aches like a lover. Her voice is so pronounced that she even harmonizes with herself on some songs! Her lyrics are personal and tackle the issue of how scary the future is considering that it’s amorphous. It’s always changing, especially at such a young age where nothing has solidified yet. The best way I can describe the album is that it’s real and doesn’t sugarcoat the feeling of being empty.
19. Death Grips- The Powers That B
Listening to this album is like fucking under the red skies of the rapture. It’s just so loud and aggressive and fulfills those primitive urges of uncontrollable anger, sadness, and violence. The first half, Niggas on the Moon, is alright, not the best. The second half, Jenny Death, destroys everything in its path with reckless abandon. It’s as though Death Grips wants to take everything we’ve come to know as commercial music, squish it in their palms, and create a beautiful mess. From the upfront violence of I Break Mirrors With My Face In The United States, complete anarchy of The Powers That B, and almost anthem like On GP, Death Grips have stumbled onto the secret of releasing the animal instincts of its listeners. For that same reason, is why I can’t be in love with the album. More on this when I talk about Kendrick.
18. Tobias Jesso Jr- Goon
This son of a bitch kills me. From the very first time I heard Hollywood last year, I was smitten. It came out at the tail-end of 2014 and instantly become my favorite song of the year. The combination of slow piano, tender vocals, and the dissonance of the purposely bad sounding trumpets at the end, blew me away. Goon quickly became my most anticipated release of 2015. All things considered, it delivered. Great music to walk along a lake to. He’s a songwriter in the vein of Paul McCartney and Randy Newman. It’s like you’re twisting and swirling in the most beautiful kind of hurricane that takes place in the dreams of a broken lover. This album was brought on by him going to Hollywood to try and make it as a musician. In the end, he failed with that endeavor and went back home. What the fuck is wrong with the world?! He’s money and I’m very happy he is receiving so many endorsements (including, strangely, from Taylor Swift).
17. Donnie Trumpet & The Social Project- Surf
I don’t think there’s been a more positive sounding album to come out this year than Surf. Many expected this to be a Chance the Rapper driven project, but it turns out that was just a marketing team trying to garner attention by focusing on the most popular bit player. What the album actually is is an album made up of very talented musicians coming together and performing in many different styles, showcasing a sense of harmony. That’s what this album exudes, harmony. This album is a celebration. I think a lot of people go into a rap/hip hop album with preconceived notions of what to expect, so when one comes out that doesn’t look to attack or over-emote, it could be blown off. Surf is a masterclass in showing what happens when people get together and intend on making something different.
16. Alabama Shakes- Sound and Color
They absolutely fucking kill it on this album. I love their debut, however, this album capitalizes on their potential. Listen to Miss You and you’ll get the hype. Brittney’s voice is such a powerhouse! It’s straight up rock’n’roll, the original blues influence included. A thoroughly enjoyable listen that needs to be listened all the way through first and foremost. I wasn’t a big fan when casually checking it out one day, but, I gave it attention and now I love it. Postmodern at its best. Blues, punk (the greatest), rock, and RnB (Over My Head) all smashed into one cohesive product.
15. Mac Mccaughan- Non-believers
Probably this year’s biggest surprise for me (so far). I know Mccaughan is a legendary name, he’s the singer for one of indie’s most influential bands, Superchunk, and he started Merge Records, but I thought this would be another phoned in solo endeavor from another older musician. Man, was I wrong. This was a great album of power pop! There’s an 80’s vibe, but, in like the good kind of 80’s, like when punk was finally starting to evolve. This could be one of this year’s most underrated albums.
14. Bill Fay- Who is the Sender?
He sounds like a translucent man hovering above the Earth, trying to comprehend societies troubles. The entire album he preaches change, that today’s modern world needs to look at itself. While he doesn’t provide answers, does he need to? He’s an old man. He can just complain if he wants to. Bill Fay is an artist who has been around since 1970, his early folk sound transforming into more of an earthy, low tone. The music is slow moving and beautiful.
13. Radical Dads- Universal Coolers
This is probably my pick for personal fun album, thus far. It's all just so loud and the vocals are just so classic riot grrlll, borderline tuneless, shrill, and exciting. I absolutely love this record. It's an album that is ever going to reach album of the year stratosphere, but it's an album that will warrant many future listens from me. You cannot listen to "In the Water" without imagining yourself at a concert putting your hands in the air and pogoing to the chorus, singing to the words. This is my version of what people get from a band like Imagine Dragons. In terms of quality and fun, it's a perfect balance. I can't say everyone will like it, as it is an acquired taste, reserved for those who like big guitars and loud voices.
12. Drake- If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
I'm not a very knowledgeable Drake fan, but I bumped big time for this album. It just makes you want to do stuff with your shoulders (?). He just sounds cool and has this swagger to his voice. I was thoroughly satisfied by a majority of the songs, which is surprising considering how long the album is. Rap really isn't my thing, so there isn't much I can say about this album that would be insightful, but Drake is such a big name that I don't think I need to say much for people to check him out. It's fucking Drake, right?
11. Girlpool- Before the World Was Big
The bare essentials to start a great band: bass, guitar, and two vocalists. Girlpool has been one of my hype bands for a while since I heard their first EP last year. Both members aren’t even 20 yet, I believe, making their subject matter come off very sincere. They sing about, basically, growing up and uncertainty. Coupled with their bare-bone and minimalist technique, this is one of the year’s most honest albums. My favorite part of the album, and the band, is that it pretty much sounds like two girls yelling, while primitively pounding on instruments, putting idea to practice, instead of just singing about a subject and not characterizing it.
10. The Sonics- This is the Sonics
Never have I been more surprised than listening to this album. I honestly gave this album a try out of courtesy. This is a band that has been around for 50 years and are sometimes cited as being the originators of punk rock. Me, being a diehard believer in punk, not in terms of the stereotyped fast and furious sound, but in the absolute essence of what punk rock meant and means, wanted to be respectful. These guys fucking killed it. There are very few bands that still play as aggressive as these guys. They sound like 20 year old kids here. All the songs are short and never give you time to breath. After listening to this album, I’ve come to the conclusion that these guys are either warlocks or one of the best ever. The list of bands that they’ve influenced is bananas, Japandroids, Nirvana, L7, LCD Soundsystem, Flaming Lips, and the White Stripes (Jack White cites them as what influenced the White Stripes the most).
9. Jessica Pratt- On Your Own Love Again
The story of her first album goes that they were recorded in 2007 and finally released in 2012. That’s a span of five years, yet Jessica Pratt feels even more out of contemporary times than that. Her music is very serene. She isn’t a powerhouse in the vocal department like other current indie artists like Regina Spektor or St. Vincent, but there’s an innocence in her voice, or maybe frail wisdom. She doesn’t belt out notes, instead, opting to play with them nimbly between her fingers. Her voice is accompanied by her similar fingerpicking guitar style. Freak folk is the label that’s been ascribed to her, although she would say otherwise, hoping rather to stay undefined, and that’s fair.
On Your Own Love Again is a warm album that should be sold with an Irish hot chocolate and a window to stare out of to watch the just fallen snow lay delicately on everything. Not an album that is going to gel with everyone on the first listen, or depending on the situation, at all. This is an album that works best when it’s being paid attention to. Every word she sings is full of emotion, not in the big cinematic kind of way, but in the relatable sense, making it infinity more real. A great album to listen to all the way through.
8. Bully- Feels Like
One of my absolute favorite releases of the year. Bully has been one of my hype bands (along with Olivia Chaney, Hinds, Girlpool, Vince Staples, White Reaper, etc) and my faith was paid back with interest. I saw them play at the Cactus Club in Milwaukee and, if you know the Cactus Club, it’s a small little place with a stage only a couple feet tall. The opener, Whips, finished their set, resulting in half the audience leaving, surprisingly. A beautiful blonde woman steps on stage during the intermission and starts sound checking, casually going through the motions. The lights dim, signaling the beginning of the set. There are only like 25-ish people left in the room, and there’s no doubt that these people made a smart decision. While the venue was tiny, the sound of the band made it feel like a big deal. It was fast paced and in our faces. It was defiant.
These are painfully catchy songs. It’s explosive! Exciting! The right amount of punk influence and pure rock, it feels contemporary but also a fit within the boundaries of the 90’s. Alicia Bognanno’s vocals are a sandstorm of rustled yells and witty one liners. There are many little lines that are flung and stick in my memory, causing me to reflect on dumb things, like the realities of relationships or just my shitty degree I’m working towards. The music blistering, but not in that obnoxious way. I highly recommend listening to this album and choking on your spit if you can’t respect whats going on on it.
7. Courtney Barnett- Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit
Courtney Barnett is the quintessential modern day rocker. She comes off as a true troubadour of music, someone that off-handedly makes music but doesn’t have this over-the-top celebrity stature. Her image and music are so approachable, bereft of pretention or majesty. When listening to her music, it comes off that she isn’t the kind of musicianship that is trying to craft the next big hit or trying to force some big message. It feels like she is simply doing what is natural.
In all honesty, this is where we are in music right now. Over-the-top emotionalism is out of fashion, her lyrics come off casual and flung out. There is a quote from Christopher Nolan when asked about the overt 9/11 influence in the Dark Knight, he essentially says that he didn’t go out of his way to make associations, they simply came about because it was in his consciousness naturally. It came about because it is part of his thoughts now. I get the same feeling from Courtney Barnett. It doesn’t feel like she sat in a room by herself and strained to come up with songs. It sounds like they were always a part of her, just waiting to flow out. In just letting it all come out, we get an inside look to her psyche and her personality. Her style of lyricism is steeped in turns of phrases and an offbeat, interesting perspective. Nobody writes like she does right now. You would have to go back to the 90’s and listen to Stephen Malkmus and his band, Pavement.
She borrows a lot from other genres. She’s a post-modern artist. Hell, it makes sense, we’re in a postmodern world! If an artist isn’t reaching their hand in the grab bag of history, then they aren’t doing what they need to do. She has the rhythm of pop music, the musicianship of grunge and general 90’s indie rock, and the laidback attitude of classic punk.
The biggest knock about her is that her voice is deadpan, which is hard for the contemporary listener to get used to because in the standard milieu, women have to sound like women, emotional. However, it just makes her music a little more interesting and fresh. Her words get a different meaning based off her voice, sincere becomes ironic and problems turn into annoyances. This album is truly one of the top albums of the year.
6. Olivia Chaney- The Longest River
Absolutely stunning. There are a lot of different kinds of beauty. There's the kind like Sufjan Steven's album that touches you on an empathetic level. There's the kind like Tobias Jesso Jr. that swoons. Olivia Chaney's The Longest River is the kind that takes you back to your childhood. Takes you back to a time where you were a child looking up at the infinite blue sky and letting your mind drift to familiar places and places where you have yet to travel to. It makes you feel innocent again. Endlessly enchanting.
5. Downtown Boys- Full Communism
#unpopularopinion, hispanics are treated as a joke race. We are treated as jokes. I don’t know if it’s because we haven’t gone through the overt struggles and political movement of African Americans, or if we have become subconsciously chained to the idea of being the modern day “help,” but we are talked about as punchlines or criminals. There are many different stereotypes associated with hispanics that are continuously joked about until it borderline becomes reality within the minds of many, resulting in casual racism under the guise of “just joking around.” Personally, there have been many times where I have felt dehumanized by the way I have been talked to.
This is why Downtown Boys’ album, Full Communism, resonates so much to me. They are a band that sings in both english and spanish and tackle many institutionalized beliefs and practices with bold sincerity and seriousness. Downtown boys does what punk music is supposed to do, attack injustice. This is what they do the entire album. There have been few moments this year that struck me more than hearing the lyric, “She’s brown! She’s smart!” yelled so loud and so passionately. I don’t know where this album will stand in history, but it will be remembered by me for a while.
(side note)- the music is great too! It starts off very pixie-ish, than turns into what the pixies would be if helmed by Kim Deal. The horns reminded me a lot of X-ray Spex’ fantastic classic punk album, Germfree Adolescents. On top of that, they end with a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in the Dark, giving it new meaning and me a treat because Dancing in the Dark is one of my guilty pleasure songs.
4. Sleater Kinney- No Cities To Love
I feel like all the love Sleater Kinney is getting from music listeners is a little fake. I think if Carrie Brownstein hadn't been on Portlandia, Sleater Kinney would have only been embraced by the music purists and people who grew up with them, which is pretty bold of me to say. Before they went on hiatus, the last time they were in Milwaukee was in 2005 and they weren't selling out the 2000 seat Riverside Theater. They were playing a tiny little bar called The Globe and I'm sure it wasn't sold out. Hell, Corin Tucker (the other lead singer) was here like a year ago playing the Cactus Club, and no one was talking about that gig. And it wasn't like they were producing bad albums towards the end, if anything, they were making the most commercially viable material of their career. Every single one of their albums have been top ten of their respective years. Their influence in the riot grrrl genre was tremendous. They weren't in-your-face feminist, like Bikini Kill, but they just oozed the image of strong, powerful women that were unafraid of a man's world. Yet, they weren't overly loved by the casual music listener. Now they are.
With that said, No Cities to Love is an album that establishes how great they are and makes the case that we should've missed them every single day of their 10 year break. This is how you make a rock'n'roll album! No knocking on the door to let them back in popular consciousness, they broke the door down and yelled, "we're back!" It doesn't even sound like it's been 10 years, or that it's a comeback album, it's simply the queens coming back to remind everyone that they're still in charge.
3. Father John Misty- I Love You, Honeybear
Oh god, what can I say about Father John Misty. This was one of the few albums that made me stop what I was doing and physically say, “oh shit.” I was blown away from the first song. FJM has the best vocals of any album this year. His songwriting is nuanced and equal parts emotional and so sarcastic you just have to assume he’s kind’ve a dick (although I know it’s a gimmick). In an age of bland “rockstars,” FJM is this glowing beacon of charisma. Seeing him in concert was the most sex thing I’ve ever experienced (that’s not a typo or mistake). From the first time I listened to this album, I was like “this is album of the year.” Every song brings something uniquely amazing and memorable, whether it be a subtle joke, emotional anecdote, or the fading claps of an invisible audience.
2. Sufjan Stevens- Carrie & Lowell
Even just hearing a few seconds of this album, gives me chills. When I heard that Sufjan was going back to his folk roots, I didn't think it'd produce anything quite so evocative. It's so spare, in comparison to a lot of other releases, but it fills me up with more emotion than I thought an album could. I just listened to a one minute sample of The Only Thing to refresh my memory of the individual songs and I could feel my eyes start to well up. Sufjan's hollow, frail vocals are angelic. I don't think I can say enough about this album or explain why you, the person reading, should give the album a chance, other than saying that life is more fragile than we want to admit. Life is this delicate balance of foreboding destruction and absolute beauty, and this album captures that relationship in the most haunting of ways.
1. Kendrick Lamar- To Pimp a Butterfly
My friend asked me which album I thought was better, The Powers That B by Death Grips and To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick. I picked Kendrick. At the time, it made complete sense but I didn't know why. Now I know why. I chose to live in a world of meaning. A world where movies are films, not blockbusters. A world where music is art, not ads. A world where sex is making love, not fucking. The problem with this world is that it brings along troubles that we can't sweep under the rug or excuse as just being how things work. Young people are being shot on the streets. Children grow up in broken homes and lives. People of color are mistreated by the public and themselves. The system that we have erected is flawed. People who chose to live in a world of meaning recognize this and it tortures them every single day because it can't be changed when everyone else just wants catharsis, to have simple releases from a harsh reality. To Pimp a Butterfly isn't afraid to explore and talk about the issues of, not only the world we live in, but the ones that we cause ourselves. Looking at the cover, it's obvious that this is a black album. Listening to the music, all the influences that it encompasses, it's obvious that this is a black album. The most impressive part is that it's an unrelenting and unanbashingly black album. This isn't a roll down the windows and blast as loud as you can album, this album is important. It has meaning. Of all the albums on this list, this album has the best chance of being timeless. It is a modern masterpiece.
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