The 2015 David
Music Poll Results
1) Sufjan
Stevens, Carrie and Lowell (35 votes)
2) Adele, 25
(34 votes)
3) Original Cast
Album, Hamilton (32 votes)
4) Beach House,
Depression Cherry (15 votes)
CHVRCHES,
Every Open Eye (15 votes)
6) Grimes, Art
Angel (15votes)
7) Courtney
Barnett, Sometimes I Sit… (14 votes)
8) Carly Rae
Jepsen, Emotion (13 votes)
9) Kendrick
Lamar, To Pimp a Butterfly (12 votes)
10) Years &
Years, Communion (10 votes)
Ryan Adams,
1989 (10 votes)
Runners Up: With 9 votes: Florence + the Machine,
How Big How Blue How Beautiful; Sleater-Kinney, No Cities Left to Lose; With 8
votes: Jamie xx, In Colour; Lana Del
Rey, Honeymoon; The Weekend, Beauty Behind the Madness; Beach House, Thank Your
Lucky Stars
Notes: This was
the most competitive top three we’ve ever had in the music poll, almost resulting
in our first tie in seventeen years. (The tie was broken with the last ballot
in.) It’s also the first time that a
cast album has appeared in the top three.
(In a weaker year for Adele or Sufjan Stevens, Hamilton would have walked
away with it.) Both Adele and Stevens
are previous winners, as is Ryan Adams, who slips into the tenth spot with his
cover album of last year’s number 1. (Is he readying his version of 25 as we speak?) Other past winners didn’t fare as well – The
Decemberists eked out four votes, Coldplay not a single one (although, in
fairness, their album came out in December).
And if you’d told me a couple years ago that Carly Rae Jepsen would have
one of the most acclaimed albums of the year, I would have been somewhat
surprised (great as “Call Me Maybe” was).
CHVRCHES also managed to get only one vote short of their debut album
for their second effort, which is no small feat. And Beach House is, I believe, the first band
to have two albums hit the poll in the same year. This year there were 89 voters in the poll,
up from 86 last year.
Now, the individual Lists:
Sufjan is my
beloved (aka my list)
Let me just state for the record that this year I had no
trouble whatsoever filling a list of essentials – it was a really good music
year, with a great mix of old favorites and new faces. And my winner was such a winner, hands down.
1) Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie & Lowell
So beautiful and so depressing, so depressing and so
beautiful at the same time, and as a result it will stand, I think, as one of
my favorite albums of all time. I have
listened to it over a hundred times, I’m sure, and I’m still figuring it
out.
2) CHVRCHES, Every
Open Eye
Beating the sophomore slump by amplifying what was great
about the first album, and feeling more comfortable in your own creative
skin.
3) Years &
Years, Communion
Beyond the fact that every interview I read with Olly
Alexander makes me love him more, this had the best single of the year (“King”)
on it, as well as other practically perfect pop songs. Do all of the album tracks live up to the
singles? Nope. Does that matter? Not really.
Here’s hoping they take a page from CHVRCHES with album two, and perfect
what they do rather than trying to do something different.
4) Ryn Weaver, The
Fool
A genuine surprise for me, and one that stuck on my
headphones far longer than most other albums this year – I’ve probably listened
to “Pierre” a hundred times, because it always makes me happy with its
escapade. A fantastic intersection of
singer-songwriter and pop.
5) Brandi Carlile,
The Firewatcher’s Daughter
One of the best live shows I saw all year was Brandi
Carlile at Newport. But even on album,
these songs have a fire to them that makes this, I think, her best album to
date. If she isn’t my generation’s Bonnie
Raitt, I don’t know who is.
Runners Up:
Courtney Barnett’s Sometimes I Sit Around and Think…;
Carly Rae Jepsen’s Emotion (no one-hit wonder, she – this one’s just a wonder);
James Bay, The Chaos and the Calm
Favorite songs:
Years & Years, “King”
Ryn Weaver, “Pierre”
JD McPherson, “Let the Good Times Roll”
Matt Nathanson, “Bill Murray”
The Decemberists, “Make You Better” (an incredible song
on an unexceptional album)
Courtney Barnett, “Nobody Cares If You Don’t Go to the
Party”
CHVRCHES, “Leave a Trace” and “Clearest Blue”
Justin Bieber, “What Do You Mean?” (daft lyrics, amazing
arrangement)
The Bear’s Den, “Above the Clouds of Pompeii”
Chris K Has This
Cross to Bear
As always, I'll be
tickled if anyone else picks of my choices.
Album of the Year:
Tau Cross, s/t
2. Satan's Wrath, Die
Evil
3. The Hell, Brutopia
4. Clutch, Psychic
Warfare
5. High On Fire, Luminiferous
6. Exgenesis, Aphotic
Veil
7. Black Fast, Terms
of Surrender
8. Bonehunter, Evil
Triumphs Again
9. Vampire, Cimmerian
Shade EP
10. Enforcer, From
Beyond
11. Frosthelm, The
Endless Winter
12. Sigh, Graveward
13. Ensiferum, One
Man Army
Best Non-Metal
Release of 2015: Fidlar, Too
Guilty Pleasure Pop
Song of the Year: Elle King, "Ex's and Ohs"
How Big, Andrew H. How Beautiful!
Most Essential Album
(tie):
Hamilton Original
Cast Recording
Florence and the Machine;
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Other Essential
Albums:
Sleater-Kinney, No
Cities to Love
Troye Sivan, Blue
Neighbourhood
Scott D, In Living Colour
1. Sufjan
Stevens, Carrie & Lowell
2. Jamie xx,
In Colour
Hello, Anna Q
Adele 25.
Nothing else comes close.
Actually there's an
album called Traveller by Chris Stapleton I really like but I wasn't sure how
country would fare on your list, and one called Beautiful Monster by Sky-pony
that I thought might be too obscure.
Hello, Fiona S
David Bowie,
Blackstar (ed. note: This is a 2016 album)
Adele, 25
Lin-Manuel Miranda
et al, Hamilton the Musical
Blake N Goes Hollywood
All I do with albums
anymore is very quickly sort through them to glean the best couple songs.
My favorites:
1) U2
"Songs of Innocence", yes the one you were trying to remove from your
iPhone. It's good! (if you like U2)
(ed. note: This is a 2014 album)
2) Lana Del
Rey "Hollywood"
3) Courtney
Barnett "Sometimes I Sit…"
It's all about the
singles these days. My favorites:
1) Cloud
Nothings "Hey Cool Kid"
2) Cage the Elephant
"Cigarette Dreams"
3) Major Lazer
"Lean On"
4) Coldplay "Magic"
5) DNCE "Cake
By the Ocean"
6) U2 "Iris"
7) Lana Del
Rey "High by the Beach"
8) Courtney
Barnett "Nobody Really Cares if you go to the party"
9) Jeremih ft.
flo rida "Tonight Belongs to You"
10) Mark
Farina "Dream Machine"
My best retro-find
discovery of 2015, was the band Hospitality. Their first album
"Hospitality" from 2012 was probably my favorite album of 2015.
The National also
finally caught up to me this year. They are hard to get into! But
so worth it.
Jackie D Hears the
Lord
Albums of 2015:
1. Lord Huron,
Strange Trails (SOOOOO good)
2. Sunflower Bean,
Show Me Your Seven Secrets
"The album
didn't quite do it for me but I couldn't stop listening to the song" of
2015:
1. The Bright Light
Social Hour, Sweet Madelene
As usual, most of
the new stuff I added to my collection was not from 2015. Here are some lists
that are not exactly in order.
Top albums I
discovered in 2015:
1. The Black Keys,
El Camino (Ironically I listened to this album the year it came out and it did
nothing for me, this year it was an 100% perfect soundtrack to the novel I was
writing)
2. The Horrors,
Luminous
3. Magazine, Real
Life
4. The Cars, The
Cars
5. Lord Huron,
Lonesome Dreams
6. The Horrors,
Skying
Top songs I
discovered in 2015:
1. David Bowie,
Dodo/1984 (2003 Remastered)
2. Squeeze, Take Me
I'm Yours
3. The Chieftains,
Shady Grove
4. Vashti Bunyan,
Train Song
5. Piero Piccioni,
Once and Again-Instrumental (From "La volpe dalla coda di velluto")
6. John Denver, I'd
Rather be a Cowboy (Lady's Chains)
7. The Kinks,
Superman
8. Wolf Alice,
Moaning Lisa Smile
9. The Fall, Psykick
Dance Hall
10. Animotion, I
Want You
Jen S. is Not
Going to Lose Her Shot
Does the cast
recording for Hamilton count? If so, that's my vote!
(If not, then:
Adele, 25)
Aaron H Gets So
Emotional
Carly Rae
Jepsen, E•MO•TION
Stephen B’s High
Art
Oh man, I listened
to so little new music this year, but I think I’d have been happy if Art
Angels was the only album released in 2015.
1. Grimes, Art
Angels
2. Sleater-Kinney, No
Cities to Love
3. Disasterpiece, It
Follows Original Soundtrack
4. Deafheaven, New
Bermuda
5. Major Lazer, Peace
Is the Mission
6. Florence and the
Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
7. Sufjan
Stevens, Carrie & Lowell
8. Frank Carter
& The Rattlesnakes, Blossom
9. Titus Andronicus,
The Most Lamentable Tragedy
10. Lil’ BUB, Science
& Magic / Run the Jewels, Meow the Jewels [cat-related tie]
My biggest letdown
was To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. It topped most year-end
lists but I could hardly make it through the overlong track listing once. His
first album is still one of the best rap albums of a generation, but all I can
think of regarding TPAB is that he needed someone to bring him
back down to Earth. The album is overflowing with conflicting ideas and sounds,
barely anything makes it above the noise. Kanye can do over-the-top and make it
work—Kendrick still seems to be figuring that out.
My best
(re)discovery was Hole. Courtney Love has become such a pop-culture punchline
in recent years (and who can really blame her after living out a tragedy on the
world stage?), but Live Through This has to be one of the best
albums of the 90s, hands down. I’m not a big Nirvana guy, but I could listen to
the first few Hole albums endlessly, and I’m sad to think of the Courtney we
missed out on thanks to drugs and the paparazzi.
My favorite single
of 2015, aside from Grimes’s first two tracks off of Art Angels, is “To
Ü” by Jack Ü (the unholy producing duo of Diplo and Skrillex) featuring
AlunaGeorge. I’m no EDM expert and Diplo acts like the worst man baby in the
world, but it’s a gorgeous love song and the video features a really diverse
range of couples.
I made it through
the entire year without hearing “Hello” by Adele, “Hotline Bling” by Drake, or
anything off of Carly Rae Jepsen’s E•MO•TION. I wasn’t trying—I
just don’t listen to the radio.
Alex L + Alexander H
Looking at all these
albums I have written, I realize what a terribly typical white boy I am...
Most Listened to and
Loved (forgive me, David):
Original Broadway
Cast, Hamilton
Also loved:
Florence and The
Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful,'
Chvrches, Every
Open Eye
Lana Del Rey,
Honeymoon
Sleater Kinney, No
Cities To Love
Album By a YouTuber
I Unexpectedly Liked A Lot:
Troye Sivan, Blue
Neighbourhood
Album That Made Me
Contemplate Mortality:
Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
Roberto R’s True Grimes
Grimes, Art Angels
– DUHHHHHHHH
Rotem M Feels the Burr
Does Hamilton
Original Broadway Cast Soundtrack count? :)
Aimee F’s Got Recycled Bad Blood
In the spirit of TWO
SUMMERS, I’m gonna go with just my top TWO picks for all :).
The albums I
listened to the most on a loop and provided lots of inspiration:
Ryan Adams, 1989
Various Artists, Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Recording
And my top two
singles:
Adele, Hello
Fetty Wap, Trap Queens
And top two older
singles I discovered this year:
James Vincent McMorrow, Higher Love
Franz Ferdinand, Fresh Strawberries
Terra M, Rebel
Rebel
Easy for me this
time:
Madonna, Rebel Heart
Chvrches, Every
Open Eye
Dan P’s Deep Dive
Here are my
essential picks:
1) Joanna Newsom,
Divers
2) Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
3) Patty Griffin,
Servant of Love
4) Belle and
Sebastian, Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
5) Florence and the
Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Favorite New Singles
on Repeat:
1) Years &
Years, Eyes Shut
2) Madonna, Ghosttown
Favorite Discoveries
from the Recent Past:
First Aid Kit, Stay
Gold
Woodkid, The Golden
Age
Raina T’s Vitals
Statistics
Tough tough tough,
David!! Almost all my essential albums were from previous years. Alas:
2015 most
essential album of the year
Mutemath, Vitals
2015 other
essential albums
The Royal
Concept, Smile
Glen
Hansard, Didn't He Ramble
Half Moon
Run, Sun Leads Me On
2015 best singles
Mutemath, 'Joy
Rides'
Glen
Hansard, 'Grace Beneath the Pines'
The Royal
Concept, 'Higher Than Love'
Great Good Fine
OK, 'Take It Or Leave It'
Half Moon
Run, 'Trust'
Windowspeak, 'Narrows'
big discoveries
from previous years
Bleachers, Strange
Desire, 2014
Young the Giant,
Mind Over Matter, 2014
Midnight Faces, The
Fire is Gone, 2014
Civil Twilight, Holy
Weather, 2012
Two Door Cinema
Club, Beacon, 2012
Paper Route, The
Peace of Wild Things, 2012
Paper Route,
Absence, 2009
For Bryant P, There’s No Holding Back the Years
Most Essential
Albums:
1. Years &
Years, Communion
2. EL VY, Return to
the Moon
3. Troye Sivan, Blue
Neighbourhood
4. Lana del Rey,
Honeymoon
5. Grimes, Art
Angels
Melissa W’s Happy Burr-Day
Music discovery has
not been my strength this year, but I will say that my entire household is
obsessed with this one:
Various Artists, Hamilton Original
Broadway Cast Recording
June, 4, is quite
taken with Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr, and keeps asking to see pictures of
both the man and the actor. She's been known to be caught in her room saying to
her Beanie Boos, "Pardon me, are you Aaron Burr, sir?"
Hello, Paige H
#1 Album*: Adele, 25
Runners Up:
Mumford
& Sons, Wilder Mind
Cam, Untamed
*but, the Hamilton
Soundtrack is easily my most-played album of the year (do Broadway cast albums
count??)
Favorite singles:
James Bay, Hold Back
the River
Missy Elliott ft.
Pharrell Williams, WTF (Where They From)
Halsey, New
Americana
David Guetta ft.
Sia, Bang my Head
Rachel Platten,
Fight Song
Megan B Shakes it Out
Thanks! I always
enjoy participating and seeing what other people post. It's so hard every year,
but I think I've got a solid top ten albums.
1. Alabama Shakes,
Sound & Color
2. Leon Bridges,
Coming Home
3. Courtney Barrett,
Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
4. Halsey, Badlands
5. Mumford and Sons,
Wilder Mind
6. Lana del Rey,
Honeymoon
7. Joanna Newsome,
Divers
8. Father John
Misty, I Love You Honeybear
9. Bjork, Vulnicara
10. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie & Lowell
10. Frank Turner,
Positive Songs for Negative People
Okay, yeah, that's
11. Oh well.
Samantha M Awakens the Force of Wilco
1. Wilco, Star Wars
2. Israel Nash,
Israel Nash's Silver Season
3. Courtney
Barnett, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
Crissa’s Even with Stevens
Here are my
favorites of 2015:
--best album:
Sufjan Stevens, Carrie
& Lowell
--essential albums:
Father John Misty, I
Love You, Honeybear
Kurt Vile, b’lieve
I’m goin down
Tame Impala,
Currents
Jamie xx, In Colour
Purity Ring, Another
Eternity
CHVRCHES, Every Open
Eye
Beach House,
Depression Cherry
--favorite track:
Tame Impala, Let It Happen
Steven M Flies
High
Here's my list:
1. Noel Gallagher's
High Flying Birds, Chasing Yesterday
2. Paul Weller,
Saturns Pattern
3. Jason Isbell,
Something More Than Free
4. Courtney Barnett,
Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I just Sit
5. Pokey LaFarge,
Something in the Water
6. Jim O'Rourke,
Simple Songs
7. Tame Impala,
Currents
8. Royce Wood
Junior, The Ashen Tang
9. My Morning
Jacket, The Waterfall
10. Torres,
Sprinter
Jinny W’s Magnum Opus
First place:
JERUSALEM STRING
QUARTET. BEETHOVEN, Opus 18 Quartets.
Harmonia Mundi, 2
disc set.
Including Ori Kam,
viola hottie.
Second place:
THE PALANCE/WOLFF
PROJECT, PART 1: REFLECTING FORWARD.
Contemporary jazz,
available at www.cdbaby.com
Alluring, jaunty,
serious, will jostle your neurons
Third place:
CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF,
TANJA TETZLAFF, LARS VOGT. BRAHMS: THE PIANO TRIOS:
Ondine, 2 disc set.
Includes some of
the most passionate music of the 19th century.
Ellen D’s Sweet Home Alabama
I had to think about
mine for a few days, but here’s my list:
1. Alabama Shakes,
Sound & Color
2. Rubblebucket,
Survival Sounds
3. Justin Bieber,
Purpose <— I’m not proud of this one…but it is what it is…
4. Father John
Misty, I Love You Honeybear
5. Lupe Fiasco-
Tetsuo & Youth
Elle
King – Love Stuff <— fun fact: I went to college with Elle (but she dropped
out)
Adele-
25
*I know there are
three 5th place albums…but it was hard to choose…all three were played over and
over equal amounts of time!
Jonathan V’s Great Depression
Jonathan's Albums
of the Year
1 Beach House – DEPRESSION CHERRY
2 Father John Misty – I LOVE YOU, HONEYBEAR
3 Grimes – ART ANGELS
4 Jamie XX – IN COLOUR
5 Editors – IN DREAM
6 Neon Indian – VEGA INTL NIGHT SCHOOL
7 Oneohtrix Point Never – GARDEN OF DELETE
8 Kendrick Lamar – TO PIMP A BUTTERFLY
9 Lower Dens – ESCAPE FROM EVIL
10
Nero –
BETWEEN II WORLDS
Jonathan's Tracks
of Year
1 Nero, The Thrill
2 Pictureplane, Riot Porn
3 Miike Snow, My Heart is Full
4 A$AP Rocky, Excuse Me
5 Mutemath, Used To
6 Chvrches, Never Ending Circles
7 Grimes, World Princess II
8 Oneohtrix Point Never, No Good
9 Beach House, Space Song
10
The
Wombats, Emoticons
Jeff Z Tells Us to
Look Into the Abyss
Ohhhh fun!
1. Chelsea Wolfe-
Abyss
2. Chvrches- Every
Open Eye
3. Sufjan Stevens-
Carrie and Lowell
4. Julien Baker-
Sprained Ankle
5. Beach House-
Depression Cherry
6. Ryan Adams- 1989
7. Grimes- Art
Angels
8. Jason Isbell-
Something More Than Free
New discovery:
Daughter
Hello, Paul G
I am old and listen
to old music, so the only new ones I can think of from 2015 are:
Adele, 25
Straight Outta
Compton soundtrack
Prokofiev:
Symphonies # 4 and 5, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
The Grand Budapest
Hotel soundtrack (released 2014 but I listened to it 2,900 times in 2015)
These, charting due
to recent deaths, I listen to too:
The Best of Bowie
Eagles Greatest Hits
Please forgive my
lameness. (That’s not an album name. That’s me apologizing.)
Jessica S’s Badlands Self
1. Original Broadway
Cast, Hamilton
2. Halsey, Badlands
3. Florence + the
Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Elisa L’s
Mythologies
Here are some of my
2015 favorites:
Cheatahs,
Mythologies
Julia Holter, Have
You in My Wilderness
Beach House, Thank
Your Lucky Stars AND Depression Cherry
Jessica Pratt, On
Your Own Love Again
Kendrick Lamar, To
Pimp a Butterfly
Kelley Stoltz, In
Triangle Time
Like Everyone, emily
d’s Working for the Weeknd
My tie for the top
two:
Adele, 25; The
Weeknd, Beauty Behind the Madness
In no particular
order, other favorites:
Brandi Carlile, The
Firewatcher's Daughter
Halsey, Badlands
Julien Baker,
Sprained Ankle
CHVRCHES, Every Open
Eye
Ryan Adams, 1989
Ashley Monroe, The
Blade
Sleater-Kinney, No
Cities to Love
Carly Rae Jepsen,
E-MO-TION
Best Coast,
California Nights
Courtney Barnett,
Something I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
Beach House,
Depression Cherry
Justin Bieber,
Purpose (I find myself shocked to be including this but it's got some great
tracks)
Alabama Shakes,
Sound & Color
Marie A’s
Honeymoon Period
I'm going to skew
this poll terribly, because my specialty is listening to albums only 8 other
people have heard. ;-)
Lana Del Rey,
Honeymoon
Also obsessed with
the Max Richter soundtrack to the HBO series The Leftovers. Holy crap, is that
an awesome piece of artistry. Modern classical. An absolute revelation. I'm
writing a dystopian I hope will touch on themes similar to The Handmaid's Tale
(but, you know, totally unworthy of claiming to), and this album takes me there
Every. Damn. Time.
Sometimes Lena R
Sits and Listens to Courtney Barnett
Courtney Barnett -
Sometimes I sit and think, and sometimes I just sit
Disclosure - Caracal
Death Cab for Cutie
- Kintsugi
Chris Cornell -
Higher Truth
Kurt Vile - b'lieve
i'm goin down
Kendrick Lamar - To
Pimp a Butterfly
Adele - 25
Bowie- Black Star - wait
- does that count??? (ed. note: Next year)
Michael B Parties
Like It’s 1989
Greatest Records of
2015
1. 1989 - Ryan Adams
2. Sheezus - Lily
Allen
3. Zella Day -
Kicker
4. Chris Stapleton -
Traveller
5. Hamilton
6. Royal Blood -
Royal Blood
7. Leon Bridges -
Coming Home
8. Carly Rae Jepsen
- e.mo.tion
9. The Weekend -
Beauty Behind the Madness
10. Adele - 25
Courtney S’s
Founding Father Fabulousness
My album of the year
is (predictably) Hamilton!
Also love the Adele
single, Hello. Haven't listened to the rest of the
album yet because
I've been so busy with Hamilton.
Tim F Loves Hamilton Like You Do
1) Lin-Manuel
Miranda, HAMILTON
2) Various artists,
50 SHADES OF GREY soundtrack
Most-listened-to not
released in 2015:
Thomas Newman,
AMERICAN BEAUTY soundtrack
David A Knows What
He Loves
MOST ESSENTIAL ALBUM
OF THE YEAR
Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
TEN HONORABLE
MENTIONS
1. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
2. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
3. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
4. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
5. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
6. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
7. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
8. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
9. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
10. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
I Love Your List,
Billy M, But You Caint Use My Phone
Top of my list:
Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell
(Late contender:
Erykah Badu, But You Caint Use My Phone)
Top tier favorites:
Brandi Carlile, The
Firewatcher's Daughter
Courtney Barnett,
Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
Elle King, Love
Stuff
Adele, 25
Pop:
Years & Years,
Communion
Marina and The
Diamonds, FROOT
Carly Rae Jepsen,
E•MO•TION
Tiffany S’s Capitol List
Albums
1) Hamilton Original
Cast Recording
2) Misterwives - Our
Own House
3) Of Monsters and
Men, Beneath the Skin
4) Ryan Adams, 1989
5) Halsey, Badlands
6) Mumford and Sons,
Wilder Minds
7) Adele, 25
Elizabeth E Takes
Me to Chvrch
MOST ESSENTIAL
CHVRCHES, Every Open
Eye - it was a close race with Adele, but this album brought me the most joy
OTHER ESSENTIALS
Adele, 25
Misterwives, Our Own
House
Halsey, Badlands
Years & Years,
Communion
Of Monsters and Men,
Beneath the Skin
Florence and the
Machine, How Big, How Bold, How Beautiful
Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie & Lowell
Lance R Spies,
with his Every Eye…
CHVRCHES, Every Open
Eye
runner-up
First-Aid Kit, Stay
Gold (ed.
note: This is from 2014, albeit still
great)
HAMILTON (ed.
note: You are just jumping on the
bandwagon, Lance.)
HAMILTON
HAMILTON
HAMILTON
HAMILTON
(i haven't actually
heard the Hamilton soundtrack yet, I JUST KNOW IM GOING TO LOVE IT)
Carol L’s Carrie Diary
How fun! Here are
some picks:
Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie & Lowell (no contest!)
Joanna Newsom, Divers
(… but this is a close second)
Bjork, Vulnicura
Beirut, No No No
The Decemberists,
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
Best song: Fourth of
July, Sufjan Stevens; Divers, Joanna Newsom
Best live: Sufjan
Stevens, Carrie & Lowell tour
Best tour costume: Bjork
Best use of music in
TV: Please Like Me
Best use of music
in film: Mommy, dir. Xavier Dolan (technically a 2014 movie, but with a 2015 US
release date)
Andrea R’s Wild Heart
Miguel, Wildheart
Adele, 25
Kendrick Lamar, To
Pimp a Butterfly
FKA Twigs, M3LL155X
Grimes, Art Angels
The Weeknd, Beauty
Behind the Madness
Hello, Jill S
Adele, 25
The Weekend, Beauty
Behind the Madness
Florence and the
Machine, How Big How Blue How Beautiful
Lauren S Hits the Dopamine Hard
Here's my list for
2015:
1. Third Eye Blind,
Dopamine
2. Vance Joy, Dream
Your Life Away
3. Adele, 25
4. Ryan Adams, 1989
5. Lord Huron,
Strange Trails
6. Mumford &
Sons, Wilder Mind
7. Of Monsters and
Men, Beneath the Skin
8. Joy Williams,
VENUS
Favorite Singles:
1. X Ambassadors,
Renegades
2. Banners, Shine a
Light
3. Cloves, Don't You
Wait
4. Vance Joy, Snaggletooth
Nick E Searches High and Finds Lowell
This is the first
time in years I’ve had a list of albums I didn’t just like but absolutely
loved. It’s difficult to rank them, but I’ll try!
1. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie & Lowell
This one edges the
others out because it feels the most like a cohesive album to me. The whole
thing’s great, and I sometimes forget which song is which, but only because
they all work so well as a part of the whole. It’s also the most emotionally
affecting album I’ve experienced in a while.
2. Chvrches, Every
Open Eye
Tons of fun,
reminiscent of my favorite 80s music but still fresh, and just when you think
you’ve got a handle on the band’s formula, they’ll throw in a track that
changes everything up. Also the lyrics are nebulous in a way that I find pretty
engaging – I could make a pretty good case that “Playing Dead” is not a love
song but is actually about when you’re at a crowded concert and the person in
front of you keeps stepping back into your personal space. (This is why I hate
ponytails.)
3. Years and Years,
Communion
In a less stellar
year, this could easily have been my #1. Lots of fun. Diminished somewhat,
perhaps, by the fact that so much of the album was released in advance; the
album was pretty familiar to me by the time it finally dropped. Of all the
groups listed here, I’m most excited to see what these guys do next.
4. Beach House,
Thank Your Lucky Stars
I do, Beach House. I
do.
5. Beach House,
Depression Cherry
Two Beach House
albums in a single year was a great treat. Most of the other albums on my list
are here in part for their lyrics, but I enjoy Beach House entirely for the
sounds, which tend to fade into the background in a way I enjoy. I don’t know
what any of these songs are about after dozens of listens, and I really only
have a vague sense of liking “Lucky Stars” a little more than “Cherry.” I just
like having these albums on whether I’m actively listening or not.
Scott T’s Full Disclosure
Essential Album of
2015
Disclosure - Caracal
I was on a Drum
& Bass kick for much of 2015. Two essential D&B albums I came
across (that I doubt anyone in this poll will have interest in)
Nelver - Black &
White (2014)
Breakshift - All the
Dreams You Never Had (2011)
Some Top Songs of
2015
Artist - Song
Ratatat - Cream on
Cone
East India Youth -
Turn Away
Amason - Duvan
Icky Blossoms - In
Folds
Lower Dens -
To Die in L.A.
RAC - Back of the
Car
FFS - Call Girl
Disclosure -
Nocturnal
Best Coast -
California Nights
Freezepop - Phantoms
Silence Groove -
Reflection
Napoleon - Moogie
Wonderland
Where it Happens for Caleb H
Top Five Albums:
1. Lin-Manuel
Miranda, Hamilton
Best Song: The Room
Where it Happens
2. Tobyfox,
Undertale OST
Best Song:
Megalovania
3. Twenty One
Pilots, Blurryface
Best Song: Ride
4. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell
Best Song: The Only
Thing
5. Courtney Barnett,
Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit
Best Song: Elevator
Operator
Best Discovery of
Old Album: Django Django, Django Django
Not-A-Real-Album
Honorable Mention: Every Song in Steven Universe
Saved-My-Life
Single: Janelle Monae, Dance Apocalyptic
Favorite Music
Video At This Second: Miike Snow, Genghis Khan
Jon S thinks Grimes is an Angel!
I didn’t have much
trouble picking my favorites this year because there weren’t a whole lot of
them. But I wouldn’t say it was a disappointing year for music, because the
ones I loved, I REALLY loved. Especially my top two, Art Angels by
Grimes and Sore by Dilly Dally.
1. Grimes, Art
Angels
2. Dilly Dally, Sore
3. Courtney Barnett,
Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit
4. Dan Friel, Life
5. CHVRCHES, Every
Open Eye
6. Jamie XX, In
Colour
7. Saintseneca, Such
Things
8. Waxahatchee, Ivy
Tripp
9.
Pinkshinyultrablast, Everything Else Matters
10. Diet Cig, Over
Easy
Will W Hits the Beach
Albums
1. Beach House, Thank
Your Lucky Stars and Depression Cherry
2. Sufjan Stevens, Carrie
and Lowell
3. Courtney Barnett,
Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
4. Grimes, Art
Angels
Songs
Girlpool,
"Before the World Was Big"
Beach House,
"Sparks"
Joanna Newsom,
"Anecdotes"
Grimes, "Belly
of the Beat"
Sufjan Stevens,
"The Only Thing"
Courtney Barnett,
"Depreston"
Beach House,
"All Your Yeahs"
Carly Rae Jepsen,
"Your Type"
CHVRCHES,
"Leave a Trace"
Tobias Jesso Jr.,
"Hollywood"
John A Cries Foal
1. Foals, What Went
Down
2. Tame Impala,
Currents
3. Viet Cong, Viet
Cong
4. Metz, II
5. Father John
Misty, I Love You, Honey Bear
6. Deerhunter:
Fading Frontier
7. The Decemberists,
What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
8. Torche, Restarter
9. Chvrches, Every
Open Eye
10. Wavves &
Cloud Nothings, No Life for Me
Brian M Cries Uncle
Well, it was another
year of great music. Here's my 2¢
1. Uncle Acid, The
Night Creeper
2, Blur, The Magic
Whip
3. Ryley Walker,
Primrose Green
4. Blood Warrior,
Letter Ghost
5. The Decemberists,
What A Terrible World...
6. Jose Gonzalez,
Vestiges & Claws
7. The Brian
Jonestown Masscre, Mini Album Thingy Wingy (aka Pish)
8. Jordaan Mason,
Decline of Stupid Fucking Western Civilization
9. Kurt Cobain,
Montage of Heck
10. Marilyn Manon,
The Pale Emperor
11. Big Blood,
Double Days I & II
12. Belle and
Sebastian, Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
13. Death and
Valnilla, To Where the Wild Things Are
14. Bjork, Vulnicura
Normally, I'm not a
fan of Live albums, but this year there were many great ones. So here's my
favorites, as a bonus:
The White Stripes,
Under Amazonian Lights
Ryan Adams, Live at
Carnegie Hall
Edward Sharpe &
The Magnetic Zeros, Live in No Particular Order
The Legendary Pink
Dots, Come Out From the Shadows 4
Placebo, MTV
Unplugged
The Rolling Stones,
The Marquee Club Live in 1972
Dr. Dog, Live at a
Flamingo Hotel
Belle and
Sebastian, Live 2015
Sarah Maria V Whips it Good
1. Blur, The Magic
Whip
2. Placebo, MTV
Unplugged
3. Bjork, Vulnicura
Brant R Shows Some Style
My Essential Albums of 2015:
Car Seat Headrest/Teens of Style
Destroyer/Poison Season
Mac DeMarco/Another One
Beach House/Depression Cherry
Beach House/Thank Your Lucky Stars
Elvis Depressedly/New Alhambra
Alabama Shakes/Sound & Color
Jamie xx/In Colour
Mac McCaughan/Non-Believers
Kendrick Lamar/To Pimp a Butterfly
Tame Impala/Currents
Shamir/Ratchet
Sufjan Stevens/Carrie & Lowell
Sheer Mag/II 7" [EP]
Some of My Essential Tracks of 2015:
Yes I'm Changing/Tame Impala
What Do You Mean?/Justin Bieber
Run Away with Me/Carly Rae Jepsen
Natalie Wood/TV Girl
On the Regular/Shamir
REALiTi/Grimes
Pass the Vibes/Donnie Trumpet
Fan the Flames/Sheer Mag
Something Soon/Car Seat Headrest
Only Do/Mac McCaughan
All Your Yeahs/Beach House
Can We Still Be Friends/Tobias Jesso Jr.
Don't Wanna Fight/Alabama Shakes
Young/Frankie Cosmos
Wastes of Time/Elvis Depressedly
Hard 2 Wait/iji
Times Square/Destroyer
Debbie Downer/Courtney Barnett
Ong Ong/Blur
While the Song Remains the Same/Noel Gallagher
Play for Today/Belle and Sebastian
Without Me/Mac DeMarco
Albums It Took Me Until 2015 to Find Essential:
James Carr/You Got My Mind Messed Up [1967]
Neko Case/Fox Confessor Brings the Flood [2006]
Christopher Cross/Christopher Cross [1979]
Donovan/What's Bin Did and What's Bin Hid [1965]
Ducktails/The Flower Lane [2013]
Daryl Hall and John Oates/Abandoned Luncheonette [1973]
Hefner/Dead Media [2001]
Hollywood Brats/Hollywood Brats [1973]
Carole King/Music [1971]
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart/Belong [2011]
The Rubinoos/The Rubinoos [1977]
Paul Siebel/Woodsmoke And Oranges [1970]
Starbuck/Moonlight Feels Right [1976]
Supertramp/Breakfast in America [1979]
Maggie S Lists All the Kings
As ever, my list is
singles, not albums. And it's songs I found this year, not necessarily songs
released this year.
1. Nieves -
"Winter"
2. Raury -
"God's Whisper"
3. The Chemical
Brothers feat Miguel & Lorde - "This is Not a Game"
4. Manicanparty -
"You Are My Soul"
5. Inner Oceans -
"I Don't Mind"
6. Christine and the
Queens - "No Harm is Done"
7. Cold War Kids -
"First"
8. SAFIA -
"Counting Sheep"
9. Ra Ra Riot &
Rostam - "Water"
10. Editors -
"All the Kings"
11. AWOLNATION -
"Jailbreak"*
12. Brighton -
"Forest Fire"
*This song struck me
so hard as I was driving to Kansas that I actually had to pull over by the side
of the road because I was not able to listen to it and drive at the same time.
Christopher P Will Always Be the King of Hayne
1. Emile Hayne, We
Fall
2. Chvrches, Every
Open Eye
3. Ben Folds, So
There
4. Marina and the
Diamonds, Froot
5. Little Boots,
Working Girl
6. Monarchy, Abnocto
7. Rebecca Ferguson,
Lady Sings The Blues
8. Hawksley Workman,
Old Cheetah
9. Lana Del Rey,
Honeymoon
10. Patty Griffin,
Servant Of Love
Joe M’s Visions of Joanna
Queens reigned
supreme this year. The year saw the heaviest rotation and most moments of
musical enlightenment from these two albums.
Joanna Newsom,
Divers
Courtney Barnett,
Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit
Top tracks:
Courtney Barnett,
Pedestrian at Best
Shamir, On the
Regular
Chance the Rapper,
Sunday Candy
Kurt Vile, Pretty
Pimpin'
Kendrick Lamar, King
Kunta
Best music video:
Chance the Rapper,
Sunday Candy
Hello, Corey W
1. Adele, 25
2. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie and Lowell ( I know, but I’m going for sing-along-ability this year and
Adele nailed that.)
3. Of Monsters and
Men, Beneath the Skin
4. The Weeknd,
Beauty Behind the Madness
Coe B’s Treasury Department
Here is my top album
of 2015:
1. Hamilton
(Broadway Cast Album)
Runners up (in no
particular order)
* Halsey
(Badlands)
I love writing to
her music!
* Kendrick Lamar (To
Pimp a Butterfly)
Lyrics, lyrics,
lyrics!
* Grimes (Art Angel)
Another nice artist
to write to.
* Grace Acladna
(Songs of the Subconscious)
She’s a new artist
with just a 4-song EP right now. Glad I “discovered” her in 2015.
* Alessia Cara
(Know-It-All)
Cute, fun, pop
music.
* Lianne La Havas
(Blood)
I love her voice and
her jazzy vibe!
* The Weekend
(Beauty Behind the Madness)
My niece got me into
him, but now I have to admit, he’s my guilty pleasure… and my ringtone!
Suf’s Up for Joseph H
Here's my list for
2015:
Sufjan Stevens:
Carrie & Lowell
Joanna Newsom:
Divers
Jamie XX: In Colour
Grimes: Art Angels
Disclosure: Caracal
Beach House:
Depression Cherry
Father John Misty:
'I Love You, Honeybear'
Kevin K Finds Some Cities to Love
The year started off
very strong but tailed off about mid-year. I found that lots of albums had some
great singles, but not too many great albums.
Top Ten Best Albums
1. No
Cities to Love – Sleater-Kinney
2.
Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit – Courtney Barnett
3.
Ratchet - Shamir
4.
Poison Season – Destroyer
5. Back
On Top - The Front Bottoms
6.
Glitterbug – The Wombats
7.
Another Eternity – Purity Ring
8.
Music Complete – New Order
9.
Sound & Color – Alabama Shakes
10. All Your
Favorite Bands – Dawes
Best Songs of the
Year
*
A New Wave - Sleater–Kinney
*
On The Regular - Ratchet
*
Dream Lover – Destroyer
*
Don’t Wanna Fight – Alabama Shakes
*
All Your Favorite Bands – Dawes
*
Flood on the Floor – Purity Ring
*
I Remember – Bully
*
Look At Your Life – Death
*
Huarache Lights – Hot Chip
*
Should Have Know Better – Sufjan Stevens
*
King Kunta – Kendrick Lamar
*
Make You Better – The Decembrists
*
Lifted Up (1985) - Passion Pit
*
Dreams – Beck
*
The Legend of Che Guerrero – The Mountain Goats
*
Aqua Profunda! - Courtney Barnett
*
America – First Aid Kit
*
Getting Ready to Get Down – Josh Ritter
*
Shock n Awe – The Go Rounds
*
This Is Not a Party – The Wombats
*
Random Name Generator – Wilco
*
Monday (Overtime I Turn Around) - The Bottle Rockets
*
Pretty Pimpin – Kurt Vile
*
Knee Me On The Fire Escape – Rhett Miller
*
Cough It Out - The Front Bottoms
*
Biscuits – Kacey Musgraves
*
S.O.B. - Nathaniel Ratliff & The Night Sweats
*
Bad Blood – Ryan Adams
*
Number One – Tuxedo
·
Singularity
– New Order
Andy P Takes Communion
Years & Years,
Communion
Florence and the
Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Adele, 25
Not sure how
helpful that is. I doubt there’s a place for podcasts or NPR’s Marketplace on
the list… :)
Dean B Carries On
I've got a top 6
this year and a link to my Best of 2015 Spotify mix. Hope that gets me in
the door!
2015 mix:
Favorite Albums:
1. Sufjan Stevens,
Carrie & Lowell
2. Wilco, Star Wars
3. Beach House,
Thank Your Lucky Stars / Depression Cherry
4. Ben Folds, So
There
5. Nathaniel
Rateliff and the Night Sweats
6. Ryan Adams, 1989
Favorite TV Shows:
- Detectorists
- Better Call Saul
- Last Man on Earth
Ronnie A’s Sound Tracks
Best soundtracks
2015
Hamilton
Love & Mercy, for its re-creation of “God Only Knows” and
“Good Vibrations”
Craig Armstrong, Far
from the Madding Crowd
Carter Burwell, Carol
Carter Burwell, Mr.
Holmes
Michael Brook, Brooklyn
Amy Winehouse, Amy
Anne Dudley, Poldark
Ben Salisbury and
Geoff Barrow, Ex Machina
David G’s Tame (but
Current) List
This isn't how I
expected my year to turn out, but it is exactly that.
Tame Impala, Currents
Troye Sivan, Blue
Neighbourhood
Holly Miranda, Holly
Miranda
Bjork, Vulnicura
Joanna Newsom,
Divers
D'Angelo, Black
Messiah
Wolf Alice, My Love
is Cool
Kamasi Washington,
The Epic
Wilco, Star Wars
FFS, FFS
Joel P Plays Pretend
10 best EPs or LPs
to play start to finish
Seinabo Sey,
“Pretend”
Purity Ring, “Begin
Again”
The Japanese House,
“Clean” or “Pools to Bathe In”
Years & Years,
“Real”
MNEK, “Small Talk”
Oh Wonder, “Oh
Wonder”
Adele, “25”
Carly Rae Jepsen,
“Emotion”
CHRVCHES, “Every
Open Eye”
Disclosure,
“Caracal”
Full list with
singles: https://medium.com/@joelcifer/the-best-music-i-came-across-in-2015-fc1c32e88ec5#.1k35y9yr5
It’s Not Hard Out
Here for a Pimp on Giles G’s List
Here's my little
list
1. Kendrick
Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
2. Blur - The
Magic Whip
3. Courtney
Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think
4. Dr. Dre -
Compton
5. Sufjan
Stevens - Carrie + Lowell
6. Jamie XX -
In Colour
7. The Weeknd
- Beauty Behind The Madness
8. Leon
Bridges - Coming Home
9. Vince
Staples - Summertime '06
10. Kamasi
Washington - Epic
Special mention for
D'Angelo, who is inclusion this year slightly confused by the release of his
album at the very end of '14. It was certainly one of the best albums of
last year.
Phil B Votes for Hamilton
#1 Album of the
Year: Hamilton Soundtrack -- a transcendental hip hop album.
#2 Album of the
Year: Kendrick Lamar -- To Pimp a Butterfly
Hello, Cassandra P
Adele, 25
Miguel, Wildheart
Puff Daddy & the
Family, MMM
Erykah Badu, But You
Cain't Use My Phone
Drake & Future,
What Time to Be Alive
Drake, If You're
Reading This It's Too Late
Amy Winehouse &
Antonio Pinto, Amy: The Original Soundtrack
Zach F’s 10-Dollar Choice
Most Essential Album
2015:
Hamilton Original
Broadway Cast Recording
Runners up:
Bjork, Vulnicura
The Arcs, Yours
Dreamily
Speedy Ortiz, Foil
Deer
Punch Brothers, The
Phosphorescent Blues
Singles:
Heartless Bastards,
Gates of Dawn
Speedy Ortiz,
Raising the Skate
Tame Impala, Let it
Happen
Courtney Barnett,
Pedestrian at Best
Django Django, First
Light
Jose Gonzalez, Leaf
Off / The Cave
Hello, Eamon T
Adele, 25
Ryan Adams, 1989
New Order, Music
Complete
Beach House, Depression
Cherry/Thank Your Lucky Stars
David Bowie,
Blackstar
Sleater-Kinney, No
Cities To Love
Blur, The Magic Whip
Disclosure, Caracal
Lana del Rey,
Honeymoon
Florence and the
Machine, How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
Carly Rae Jepsen,
E•MO•TION
Kari L’s Great Shakes
Honestly I listened
to a lot of old soul, but in between that there was also:
Alabama Shakes,
Sound and Color
Sleater-Kinney, No
Cities To Love
The Decemberists,
What a Terrible World What a Beautiful World
Beirut, No, No, No
Holly Golightly,
Slowtown Now!
Beach House,
Depression Cherry
Leon Bridges, Coming
Home
Soundtrack: The
Diary of A Teenage Girl
Songs:
Hate Street Dialogue
w/Rodriguez, The Wanderings of Avenir
Spectre, Radiohead
Drew L’s Favorite Tragedy
Just going with my
top record this year:
Titus Andronicus,
The Most Lamentable Tragedy
Teri Y Shows His Emotion
Lot's of fun singles
in 2015, but only two whole albums really stuck with me all year.
Carly Rae Jepsen,
Emotion
Marina and the
Diamonds, Froot
Eugene K’s Up Late Nights Thinking of This List
Jeremih, Late
Nights: The Album
If Prince and Drake
had a kid, I feel like his name would be Jeremih. Fetty could be a distant
cousin.
Drake, If you’re
reading this it’s too late
Was it possible to
escape Drake in 2015? There is no escape velocity (not that I’m even looking
to).
Marian Hill, Sway
From the cello(?)
notes and the simple swing HIll lends to the proceedings I was hooked.
Fetty Wap, Fetty Wap
Who knew that the
twisting vocal lines Fetty Wap wraps around the sparse productions could
support an entire album (and would wrap themselves so tightly around my
eardrums)? I want to make an allusion to Joni Mitchell, but Fetty’s melodic
lines aren’t really as far out there.
Justin Bieber,
Purpose
If everything on
this album were as good as the first three singles, it’d top this list; as it
is, I don’t actually know what’s on this other than those singles but that's
enough for a mention.
Original Broadway
Cast, Hamilton
Suddenly Hamilton
was everywhere. Early in the year I tried (and failed) and tried (and failed)
to get tickets to this at the Public. Then I did the same after the transition
to Broadway. As luck would have it, a friend had extra tickets and I didn’t
give up my shot. From Lin-Manuel’s assured performance at the White House all
those years ago to this must have been an amazing journey. A mix of musical
forms, the Broadway tunes work best for me (tho nothing tops that first
performance all those years ago in front of the 44th president of the United
States.
Jen H. S. Gives Lin a Win
#1 Hamilton Broadway
Cast Recording (of course)
Blue Neighborhood:
Troye Sivan
1989: Ryan Adams
Paper Gods: Duran
Duran
No Place in Heaven:
Mika
Kiddo: Tove Stryke
The Desired Effect:
Brandon Flowers
Sound & Color:
Alabama Shakes
Vamala: Champs
Our Own House:
MisterWives
Hello, Danielle P
My list remains
unapologetically popular and half the songs may have been discovered from the
CW or during Teen Wolf.
Album: Adele,
25
Singles:
1)Adele, Hello
2)Drake, Hotline
Bling
3)Little Big Town,
Girl Crush
4)One Direction,
Perfect
5)Iggy Azelia, Rita
Ora,
6)Selena Gomez, Same
Old Love
7)Dierks Bentley,
Riser
8)Nikki Minaj, Pills
and Potions
9)And The World was
Gone, Snow Ghosts
10) Florence and The
Machine, Ship to Wreck
Still on Repeat from last year --
Album: Taylor Swift,
1989
Singles: Damien
RIce, Colour Me In
Ed Sheeran, I see
Fire
Ben L’s a Chelsea
Girl
Ranked my top 5; the
rest in no particular order (and truly all over the place)
1. Chelsea Wolfe,
Abyss
2. Kelela,
Hallucinogen
3. Kacey Musgraves,
Pageant Material
4. Years &
Years, Communion
5. Carly Rae Jepsen,
Emotion
Tinashe,
Amethyst
FKA Twigs, M3LL155X
Grimes, Art Angels
Purity Ring, Another
Eternity
Speedy Ortiz, Foil
Deer
Shamir, Ratchet
Shlohmo, Dark Red
The Weeknd, Beauty
Behind the Madness
Troye Sivan, Blue
Neighborhood
Jazmine Sullivan,
Reality Show
Jamie xx, In Colour
Justin Bieber,
Purpose
The Soft Moon,
Deeper
PWR BTTM, Ugly
Cherries
Leila S’s Caught
the Glitterbug
I am terrible
at knowing which year albums actually come out in. But I'm pretty sure the
Wombats' GLITTERBUG came out in 2015, in which case it was my favorite album of
the year. (Also my favorite show of the year.) The other essential albums of
the year that's immediately coming to my mind are EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES,
by Night Terrors of 1927; and GIRLS IN PEACETIME WANT TO DANCE, by Belle &
Sebastian. And my single of the year is either "Give Me a Try," by
the Wombats, or "Clearest Blue," by CHVRCHES. There were loads of other
songs and albums I loved this year, but for all I know they were from 2014 or
even some other, indeterminate year in the past.
Hello, Alicia G
Album of the year:
1. ADELE 25
(Song of the year: "Hello" - duh!)
2. Kamasi Washington
"The Epic"
3. The Weekend -
"Beauty Behind the Madness"
4. Kendrick Lamar
"To Pimp a Butterfly"
5. FKA Twigs
"M3LL155X"
The Only Thing for
Jeffrey W
In no particular
order aside from the top two:
1.
Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell
2.
Adele, 25
3.
Grimes, Art Angels
4.
Carly Rae Jepsen, E•MO•TION
5.
Sleater-Kinney, No Cities to Love
6.
Chvrches, Every Open Eye
7.
Hamilton Broadway Cast Recording
Dash G Flies Like
a Butterfly…
Looks like I sent
the list myself like an idiot. Here's my list.
1. Kendrick Lamar,
To Pimp a Butterfly
2. Kamasi
Washington, The Epic
3. Homeshake,
Midnight Snack
4. Jamie xx, In
Colour
5. Vince
Staples, Summertime '06
6. Tame Impala,
Currents
7. Drake, If You're
Reading This It's Too Late
8. Adele, 25
9. A$AP Rocky,
At. Long. Last. ASAP
10. FKA twigs,
M3LL155X
Honorary Mentions
- Tobias Jesso Jr.,
Goon
- Chvrches, Every
Open Eye
- Earl Sweatshirt, I
Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside
Bill C Carries
That Load
1. Sufjan
Stevens, Carrie & Lowell
2. Brandi
Carlile, Firewatchers Daughter
3. Adele, 25
4. Oh Wonder,
Oh Wonder
5. Justin Bieber,
Purpose
Susan V’s Grateful Playlist
I know I am too late
and most of my albums aren’t even from 2015, but I am submitting anyway!
The Grateful Dead,
American Beauty (I heard “Ripple” playing over the speakers of Blue Ribbon
Bakery while at lunch with Cece Bell in the spring and then who should be
playing in SF over the ALA weekend??? The Dead were the soundtrack to a
very exciting year for Cece, EL DEAFO, and me.)
Future Islands,
Singles (Tamar and I took a road trip to the Osheaga Music Festival in Montreal
in August, where we had the best time eating poutine and sitting in beautiful
Parc Jean Drapeau. We were totally blown away by Samuel T. Herring’s
devil-summoning voice and dance moves.)
Straight Up,
Badfinger (Got it on vinyl recently and it just makes me very happy)
Nathaniel Rateliff
& the Night Sweats, same (Music for the honky tonk Mississippi girl I am
deep inside)
LP1, FKA Twigs (Cannot
get enough of her kooky style)
Lawrence U Doesn’t Keep His Music at Bay
1. Chaos and the
Calm - James Bay
2. Dopamine - Børns
3. Our Own House -
Misterwives
4. Depression Cherry
- Beach House
5. Blue Neighborhood
- Troye Sivan
6. 25 - Adele
7. Higher Than Here
- James Morrison
8. Time - Mikky Ekko
9. Title - Meghan
Trainor
10, VHS - X
Ambassadors
Benjy A’s Got the
Ghosts and the Struts
Ghosts in My Head
by Andrew Watt and Have You Heard by The Struts.
Lucas K Really Really Really Really Really Likes…
Carly Rae Jepsen,
Emotion
Kristin E Ends Our Poll With
Another One
Mac
DeMarco, Another One
Car
Seat Headrest, Teens of Style
Sufjan
Stevens, Carrie & Lowell
Yo La
Tengo, Stuff Like That There
Blur,
The Magic Whip
Beach
House, Thank Your Lucky Stars
Shamir,
The Ratchet
Grimes,
Art Angels
And
because I don't live alone:
Imagine
Dragons, Smoke + Mirrors
Fall
Out Boy, American Psycho
And
because I don't know the whole album but still have ears:
Carly
Rae Jepsen, "Run Away With Me"
