20. KEN Mode-Success
KEN Mode are normally a Winnipeg metal band, but they took a risk and decided to make a noise rock album produced by Steve Albini, who is a staple of the 80's-90's rock scene, producing albums for Pixies and Nirvana as well as being in 3 different bands that pushed boundaries for noise rock. What KEN Mode did with this record is nothing short of the best noise rock album in the classic late 80's-early 90's style since Big Black and The Jesus Lizard were putting out their best work. Singer Jesse Matthewson snarls with a sinister tone similar to Steve Albini's time in Big Black. The drums have a snappy crispness to them. The riffs are undeniably catchy and well-crafted. It's angsty revivalist rock that could only be made by people who themselves were captivated by the same music they effectively are close to besting.
19. Godspeed You! Black Emperor-Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress
Godspeed are undoubtably the band most representative of post-rock, crafting intense soundscapes normally reserved for film scores. The music they've made since returning in 2012 has been much more urgent, but nonetheless still some of the most beautiful music ever crafted. Here, they've laid down a roughly 40 minute album separated into 4 songs, but it's really meant to be taken as one long piece, as that's how they performed it live. It ends up being some of the most volatile pieces they've recorded in years.
18. Nickelus F and Shawn Kemp-Trick Dice
Travis Miller, more notably known as Lil Ugly Mane, is a unbridled genius in the underground hip-hop scene. He's been known to be an elusive figure who puts out an obscene amount of music but never makes many public appearances and wouldn't dare speak on the method behind his craft. I would say he's in the top 10 modern hip-hop producers still active. Unfortunately, that activeness may cease to be soon, but this being one of his last projects is fine by me. Under the producing name Shawn Kemp, Travis produces for a rapper named Nickelus F, someone I hadn't heard before. This is one of those projects where it sounds like the producer and rapper were constantly challenging each other. These beats would not work without Nickelus F's gruff, raw voice with pitch-perfect flow and cadence, and vice versa. The lyrics are well-written and the beats are some of the best I've heard all year. It sounds like that perfect cassette you found on the side streets of Chicago that you listen to over and over again but never find out who made it. True collaborative meshing if I've ever heard it. Still waiting on that final Lil Ugly Mane mixtape, though.
17. Majical Cloudz-Are You Alone
In 2014, in front of a fairly large crowd at Pitchfork Music Festival, Majical Cloudz' keyboard broke. Instead of canceling the set, singer Devon Welsh sung the most stripped down versions of his songs possible, and instead of being a failed performance, it brought those in attendance closer and more intimately with the band. This year, the two man band released a new set of songs that reflect that minimalist sound that night. Devon Welsh has an enormous talent for creating amazing vocal melodies that seem to collapse into the synth, ethereal textures until they are as one. While most of the songs are about love, Welsh writes some of the rawest reflections of love heard all year. At the end of that show in 2014, the audience helped count down to 1 before the band destroyed the broken keyboards to much applause. This album feels very much like the triumph felt at that show. Here's hoping they get to return to Pitchfork next year and really show the festival goers what they're really about.
16. Sun Kil Moon-Universal Themes
2015 was an interesting year for singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek. He got into a bunch of feuds with bands for superfluous reasons, caused problems with music publications, and made diss tracks that were as hilarious as they were petty. While most of his exploits could be summed up with "Old man yells at cloud", there's a self-awareness to his persona that I feel is overlooked by all who wrote about him this year. Because of the things he said, many music publications decided to include that in their assessment of his music, but I know better. The fact of the matter is this is everything that made last year's Benji an emotionally raw and private autobiography multiplied by a factor of 10. Not a single track on this album is shorter than 6 minutes, and each song goes through multiple musical passages in an ever changing formula. The album screams "self indulgence", but that's sort of what's made Mark Kozelek's work so interesting as of late.
15.Busdriver-Thumbs
Well, when my favorite rapper of all time releases something, it shouldn't be surprising to find a new tape by him on my list. I would say something about how this year is Hellfyre Club's year again, but unfortunately I've had to come to terms with the fact that Hellfyre Club is no more, dissolved quietly and without much fanfare. Luckily, none of the members have removed themselves of contact with the others and remain prolific. The biggest member of the group, Busdriver, released this companion piece to last year's Perfect Hair. This album is much more playful and fun, and the themes here are actually more easy to dissect, while also being just as abstract as always. Using his absolute adeptness at wordsmithing, Busdriver talks about modern issues such as police brutality, but does so in a way that couldn't be heavy handed if it tried. Busdriver is simply one of the most impressively technical rappers right now. His flows paint colorful pictures as they dance like a free jazz instrument against the beat. It's absolutely a joy to hear, and I hope he never stops shooting his ideas out of his complex mind and onto fantastic projects such as this.
14. Viet Cong-Viet Cong
2015 was an absolute treat for fans of post-punk, and the delivering of such gifts began early in January with this debut. It's hard to place influences for this project because they sound wholly original, something definitely lacking in the post-punk genre, a genre where influences are usually the easiest to detect. The guitar lines spiral in insane patterns that become more hypnotic than anything else released this year. The production is tinny and gritty, sounding like it was recorded straight off an old tape deck. Because of stupid controversy, this band is changing its name for next year, but when you make something I still revisit 11 months later because of the impact it made, you are clearly a band worth paying attention to no matter the branding involved.
13. Hop Along-Painted Shut
Frances Quinlan's voice is soul shattering. There is a power exuded in her angst screams that are unmatched in indie rock. I saw this band open for Modest Mouse a couple of months ago and there couldn't have been a more perfect pairing. If I had to describe her voice, imagine a little kid whose voice sounds barely out of puberty screaming her head off. Where that may sound immature, where this album really succeeds is how emotionally mature the whole endeavor is. Nobody sells the unhinged struggle a person can tackle as well as Quinlan can. Compulsively listenable while still being absolutely devastating.
12. Father John Misty-I Love You, Honeybear
If I could choose an artist who completely dominated the whole indiesphere the internet provides for people to spew their opinions onto, Josh Tillman would take that prize. For some reason, this release completely captivated nearly everyone I saw whilst lurking the inner sanctums of music fandom. I guess it's ultimately not too hard to see why. Here, under the name Father John Misty, Tillman adopts his narcissistic persona and composes a set of songs that create a satisfying dissonance between dead serious lush instrumentation and FJM's deadpan snark that is the lyrics of this album. It's not all jokes, though, as the album also presents an honest depiction of a real love. This is a concept album about Tillman's wife Emma, and you get the sense that they're on the same wavelength. The album, henceforth, strikes a balance between dark humor and uncompromising romance. I think this album spoke to those people I saw praising it everywhere I went. Deep down, they all want to be as darkly and smartly comic as Tillman is on this project, but they most likely never will, so they'll probably stick to telling you your favorite album is the worst piece of shit they ever heard. At the end of the day, though, this is everyone's favorite album.
11. Courtney Barnett-Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
Yes, Pedestrian at Best is an amazing song, but I feel it's a misrepresentation of the album, which is an intelligent album and an absolute scorcher. Courtney Barnett seems to have a similar vision as a young Bob Dylan when it comes to writing. She's self-deprecating and reflective of the moments in her life when she felt most awkward. It's the perfect soundtrack for the outcast, but while Barnett's wry lyrics shine, the band doesn't just let them be the only worthwhile thing. Everyone, including Barnett, plays with intensity at moments, or with subdued energy in others. This sounds like a band that plays with the same intent as a band that captured everyones attention in the 90s, so its no wonder that actually seeing them live feels like the modern day analog to catching a band in their prime at Woodstock. I have a feeling Courtney Barnett is about to have a very fruitful career.
10. Earl Sweatshirt-I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside
Odd Future is no more. This doesn't really seem like a bad thing, though. If anything, it's helped showcase each individual rapper's talents on their own merits. Tyler, the Creator has just gone off and continues to make his experimental version of jazz-hop. Meanwhile, Earl Sweatshirt has never really had much to prove. He's always been an absolutely gripping artist, way ahead of his years. Doris from 2013 showed he had great talent but it still felt like an Odd Future project. This, however, feels like a true debut. It's lean and hyper-replayable. The whole album feels like a deep drug induced trance. It's no wonder, then, that a major factor of the content has to do with Earl's addiction to Xanax. This album is a depressing sit, so it may seem like it risks being more of the same, but Earl is absolutely hungry on this album. This seems to be the moment in his discography that will be remembered as where he found his voice. He's always had the rhythmic intricacy and scheme of someone like MF Doom, but now he can stand on his own with the best of them. Mark my words, he will be regarded with the best of them
9. Kendrick Lamar-To Pimp a Butterfly
I really don't know how much else I can say about this project. I mean, I wrote a nearly 7 page paper surrounding it. Everyone who's writing about music has exhausted every possible word and hyperbolic praise towards it. I won't do it the disservice of continuing that method. Instead, all that really needs to be said is that this is the album that 2015 will be remembered for, this is the project Kendrick Lamar will be remembered for, and this is exactly the kind of message that needed to be placed out into the world. It reflects our time and current dilemmas while seeming timeless at the same time. That's about the best an album can do.
8. Tame Impala-Currents
I don't know if Kevin Parker could have captivated people with another psychedelic rock album. Lonerism basically provided the be-all end-all statement on psych rock revivalism. I'm glad Kevin Parker seemed to agree. Instead, we get a crisp, tightly composed set of synth-heavy disco influenced tracks. Every instrument on this project is given just the right amount of room to breath. It's the work of a master producer and multi-instrumentalist crafting exactly the music he wants to make. The album itself is filled with self-aware lyrics about how he anticipates people will react to this sudden change in focus for the sound of the Tame Impala project. These are some of the best vocal melodies of Parker's career, and the project as a whole is a testament to my belief that 2015 was when artists truly let their experimental sides shine.
7. The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die-Harmlessness
This album floored me. Before I heard this album I believed they were a pretty good emo revival band. Then I saw them live in a chapel and heard this album upon release within a month. Now I will sing this band's praises till the end of time. This is the single most well crafted emo album I've heard since The Brave Little Abacus, who nobody I've ever talked to knows about. That's what this emo scene is, though. I'm referring to actual emo, too. It's a scene made up of modest bands who are doing the most interesting stuff musically but are overshadowed by cheesy angst that makes up what basically amounts to pop-punk. It's actually not even fair to condense what this album does to only emo. This is in fact the most tightly crafted and inventive rock album to come out in years. It hits high crescendos, David Bello wails with uncompromising emotion, and the multiple guitars weave their way through each other. It's fantastic, and for all the praises I've sung of the emo genre over the past year, its the album I most would want to introduce to people.
I'm also throwing in a link to this absolutely fantastic live video. I feel like it's central to understanding the power of this band.
6. milo- So the Flies Don't Come
From the ashes of the Hellfyre Club comes the best hip-hop project of the year. Milo has had a rough time lately, and a lot of this contributed to the fall of the Hellfyre Club, but from this, he released the best project he's ever put out and became a voice well worth hearing. Milo is the true poet of rap, creating hyper-literate songs with intricate rhyme schemes and astounding lyricism. Paying attention to this project is one of the most rewarding experiences of the year in music. He's the kind of wordsmith you could spend hours deciphering. The reason why members of the Hellfyre Club remain my favorite rappers in the whole expanded genre is they do things wholly new and unique. You can't find an album with such a strong and clear focus like Milo's. You get a sense that Milo is fed up and this is his way to defend both the black man and the artist in him. There are messages here that could become full fledged words to live by. That being the intent seems pretty unlikely but regardless, Milo is a voice well worth paying deep attention to.
From the ashes of the Hellfyre Club comes the best hip-hop project of the year. Milo has had a rough time lately, and a lot of this contributed to the fall of the Hellfyre Club, but from this, he released the best project he's ever put out and became a voice well worth hearing. Milo is the true poet of rap, creating hyper-literate songs with intricate rhyme schemes and astounding lyricism. Paying attention to this project is one of the most rewarding experiences of the year in music. He's the kind of wordsmith you could spend hours deciphering. The reason why members of the Hellfyre Club remain my favorite rappers in the whole expanded genre is they do things wholly new and unique. You can't find an album with such a strong and clear focus like Milo's. You get a sense that Milo is fed up and this is his way to defend both the black man and the artist in him. There are messages here that could become full fledged words to live by. That being the intent seems pretty unlikely but regardless, Milo is a voice well worth paying deep attention to.
5. Sufjan Stevens-Carrie and Lowell
So, who would have thought 2015 would have brought us Sufjan Stevens' most devastating work? Not only that, but it's probably the most focused on a theme he's been in years. You feel like you learn the most about Stevens in the songs enclosed here. This was also probably a refreshing release for existing fans, as it's a return to a more stripped-back style of songwriting not done by him in a number of years. The album acts as an ode to his childhood and his relationship with his mother, who left him when he was young. The emotional impact comes from the complete sincereness of this project. This is the kind of draining work Nick Drake would put out. Simple but intensely effective.
Sufjan Stevens-No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross
4. Protomartyr-The Agent Intellect
I did this band a disservice. Last year they released an album that I listened to once and felt bored and never revisited it. I believe most of this had to do with my unfamiliarity with post-punk at the time. I expected something else. Nontheless I was curious enough to check them out at Pitchfork Fest this year. I was impressed, enough to want to check out the new album when it came out. It completely knocked the wind out of me. This album is bold, fresh, and tightly composed. From the opening seconds of The Devil in His Youth, I felt like I was hearing an important album. They would never admit it, but the sounds of Detroit, the bands hometown, emanate with decrepit exhaustion. It's sharp and self-referential. Usually I worry when I like an album upon first listen, because usually that means that the experience is shallow and lacking in any lasting power. Not true with this. In a year with a wealth of post-punk wonders, Protomartyr is the most promising and feel the most experienced.
Protomartyr-I Forgive You
3. Death Grips-The Powers That B
Shocking, I know. How unexpected that the newest Death Grips release is in my top 5. For a band that was supposed to have been broken up, they were remarkably prolific this year. Every year is Death Grips' year, but especially this year. They released an instrumental tape with absolutely no presence by MC Ride and they led fans on with cryptic youtube uploads like a distorted, barely comprehensible live set of new material. Having your favorite band be as secretive and unpredictable as Death Grips has been a wild ride, one I'm glad to see continue. I honestly do not know what they could possibly do to advance their sound further, but they did so here, so I'm sure I can be proven wrong. This is both the most accessible and loudest Death Grips record yet. The addition of noise rock guitars was a complete shock, but one that payed off. This is one of those bands where the process of making the songs seems an abstraction. I have no idea how they came up with some of the sonic concepts on this record. Lyrically, we still get the normal cryptic fare, but MC Ride opens up a bit. He seems jaded to the fame in being in the band. Someone who takes lyrics to heart might even be concerned for his mental state. All I really know is this band has yet to let me down, and still keeps me on my toes at every turn. I have no qualms about it: I am incredibly biased towards this band. They've provided the soundtrack to my late high school career. As sappy as it may sound, I have a bond with this band. It may be difficult to get others into this band as much as I am, but I'm fine with them being mine to enjoy, even if nobody else really gets why.
Death Grips-The Powers That B
2. Deafheaven-New Burmuda
Metal has grown for sure. Over the past decade or so, the focus has become less about technical proficiency and more about crafting a sonic space that ushers forth a deep feeling. This feeling could be anything, because metal has expanded to high experimental lengths. Metal isn't all about scaring people anymore. It hasn't been for a while. Deafheaven is a band that is evidence of that. I truly thought Sunbather was as far as this band could go. Instead, they release something truly boundary-crushing, genre-bending, and astoundingly beautiful. I can't count the amount of times they pulled the rug out from under me during my first listen and left my jaw on the floor. The compositions have a heightened focus, and all have a uniqueness to them that makes each song stand out. Any song here could be a favorite, for a different person and for a different reason. The crescendos are soul-lifting, and the softer moments are beyond beautiful. This album is a revelatory listen. It was so close to being my favorite album of the year. No metal album was as endlessly inventive as this album was this year.
Deafheaven-Brought to the Water
1. Grimes-Art Angels
I certainly wasn't expecting this at all, especially considering I had no idea what to think the first time I heard this album. I like her previous album, Visions, a fair amount, but this album sort of confounded me. I didn't get it. I think I finally do now. Make no mistake, Grimes is not pop. To call Grimes pop is doing a huge disservice to the depth of this work. If anything, this is lightyears beyond what she was doing previously. Claire Boucher, Grimes' actual name, talks a lot about how Grimes is her creation, not her herself. She views herself more as a producer. At this point Grimes as a narrative has escaped her control, so this album reflects that. Not only that, but she proves to be a major voice in music, with a complete and definable sound all to herself. It's very commendable that this album is 100% hers, all crafted by her, from the beats, all the singing, and even every live instrument on the album. It's full of incredibly well put together songs with some of the most rewardingly catchy components of any song all year. Boucher also does something pretty amazing with the content. Nearly every sound in the album, especially the guitar sounds, conjure up strong images of nostalgia. It's like she grabbed every sonic reference to a 20-somethings childhood of listening to the radio. I can't remember which listen led me to turn around on this album so hard, especially since my early tweets were pretty condemning. I feel ashamed of those tweets looking back, even though it was only about a month ago. At the same time, it's indicative of something I'm noticing as a trend with my listening. This is the third year in a row where my album of the year is something I either didn't get or kind of hated upon first listen. In 2013, it was Arcade Fire. In 2014, it was Busdriver. Now it's Grimes. This is an incredibly important thing to notice for me. It reminds me of why I love music in the first place. No other medium rewards me for my patience as much. I get all these experiences that grow as I grow. The music I love is mine and mine alone. You form a close bond with your favorite music. Due to unintended consequences, I've become defined by the music I love. At times that's problematic, but I do truly think music can make you a richer and more lively person. In the same way that Claire Boucher crafted a love letter to music of the past, my love for this album is a constant reminder of my love for music as a medium.
Grimes-World Princess Part 2
Sufjan Stevens-No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross
4. Protomartyr-The Agent Intellect
I did this band a disservice. Last year they released an album that I listened to once and felt bored and never revisited it. I believe most of this had to do with my unfamiliarity with post-punk at the time. I expected something else. Nontheless I was curious enough to check them out at Pitchfork Fest this year. I was impressed, enough to want to check out the new album when it came out. It completely knocked the wind out of me. This album is bold, fresh, and tightly composed. From the opening seconds of The Devil in His Youth, I felt like I was hearing an important album. They would never admit it, but the sounds of Detroit, the bands hometown, emanate with decrepit exhaustion. It's sharp and self-referential. Usually I worry when I like an album upon first listen, because usually that means that the experience is shallow and lacking in any lasting power. Not true with this. In a year with a wealth of post-punk wonders, Protomartyr is the most promising and feel the most experienced.
Protomartyr-I Forgive You
3. Death Grips-The Powers That B
Shocking, I know. How unexpected that the newest Death Grips release is in my top 5. For a band that was supposed to have been broken up, they were remarkably prolific this year. Every year is Death Grips' year, but especially this year. They released an instrumental tape with absolutely no presence by MC Ride and they led fans on with cryptic youtube uploads like a distorted, barely comprehensible live set of new material. Having your favorite band be as secretive and unpredictable as Death Grips has been a wild ride, one I'm glad to see continue. I honestly do not know what they could possibly do to advance their sound further, but they did so here, so I'm sure I can be proven wrong. This is both the most accessible and loudest Death Grips record yet. The addition of noise rock guitars was a complete shock, but one that payed off. This is one of those bands where the process of making the songs seems an abstraction. I have no idea how they came up with some of the sonic concepts on this record. Lyrically, we still get the normal cryptic fare, but MC Ride opens up a bit. He seems jaded to the fame in being in the band. Someone who takes lyrics to heart might even be concerned for his mental state. All I really know is this band has yet to let me down, and still keeps me on my toes at every turn. I have no qualms about it: I am incredibly biased towards this band. They've provided the soundtrack to my late high school career. As sappy as it may sound, I have a bond with this band. It may be difficult to get others into this band as much as I am, but I'm fine with them being mine to enjoy, even if nobody else really gets why.
Death Grips-The Powers That B
2. Deafheaven-New Burmuda
Metal has grown for sure. Over the past decade or so, the focus has become less about technical proficiency and more about crafting a sonic space that ushers forth a deep feeling. This feeling could be anything, because metal has expanded to high experimental lengths. Metal isn't all about scaring people anymore. It hasn't been for a while. Deafheaven is a band that is evidence of that. I truly thought Sunbather was as far as this band could go. Instead, they release something truly boundary-crushing, genre-bending, and astoundingly beautiful. I can't count the amount of times they pulled the rug out from under me during my first listen and left my jaw on the floor. The compositions have a heightened focus, and all have a uniqueness to them that makes each song stand out. Any song here could be a favorite, for a different person and for a different reason. The crescendos are soul-lifting, and the softer moments are beyond beautiful. This album is a revelatory listen. It was so close to being my favorite album of the year. No metal album was as endlessly inventive as this album was this year.
Deafheaven-Brought to the Water
1. Grimes-Art Angels
I certainly wasn't expecting this at all, especially considering I had no idea what to think the first time I heard this album. I like her previous album, Visions, a fair amount, but this album sort of confounded me. I didn't get it. I think I finally do now. Make no mistake, Grimes is not pop. To call Grimes pop is doing a huge disservice to the depth of this work. If anything, this is lightyears beyond what she was doing previously. Claire Boucher, Grimes' actual name, talks a lot about how Grimes is her creation, not her herself. She views herself more as a producer. At this point Grimes as a narrative has escaped her control, so this album reflects that. Not only that, but she proves to be a major voice in music, with a complete and definable sound all to herself. It's very commendable that this album is 100% hers, all crafted by her, from the beats, all the singing, and even every live instrument on the album. It's full of incredibly well put together songs with some of the most rewardingly catchy components of any song all year. Boucher also does something pretty amazing with the content. Nearly every sound in the album, especially the guitar sounds, conjure up strong images of nostalgia. It's like she grabbed every sonic reference to a 20-somethings childhood of listening to the radio. I can't remember which listen led me to turn around on this album so hard, especially since my early tweets were pretty condemning. I feel ashamed of those tweets looking back, even though it was only about a month ago. At the same time, it's indicative of something I'm noticing as a trend with my listening. This is the third year in a row where my album of the year is something I either didn't get or kind of hated upon first listen. In 2013, it was Arcade Fire. In 2014, it was Busdriver. Now it's Grimes. This is an incredibly important thing to notice for me. It reminds me of why I love music in the first place. No other medium rewards me for my patience as much. I get all these experiences that grow as I grow. The music I love is mine and mine alone. You form a close bond with your favorite music. Due to unintended consequences, I've become defined by the music I love. At times that's problematic, but I do truly think music can make you a richer and more lively person. In the same way that Claire Boucher crafted a love letter to music of the past, my love for this album is a constant reminder of my love for music as a medium.
Grimes-World Princess Part 2
