Best Music of 2015

[all swedes are racist]

So, kinda coming out of nowhere, D'angelo (! -- I know, right?) dropped a new record last week. Hot damn, it's a motherfucking smoker. Edited my list to add this.

[Raja]

S.Carey ( of Bon Iver ) came out with Range of Light this year. Love that record. Here's my favorite song off it. If you're a fan of Bon Iver, or that sort of music, this album is ace.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

Adding to my list:

Spoon - They Want My Soul

"Inside Out"

Hadn't heard of this band until last week when I saw this album on a best of the year list (again, best of the year lists are the fucking best). This album is fantastic, and apparently Spoon has been around for a good long while so I'll probably dig into their older stuff at some point. Wikipedia says it's all been pretty well received critically, so that's exciting.

[Inigima]

Spoon have been referred to as the "most consistent" band in modern rock. The old stuff is all pretty good, but you probably want to start with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

[Theda Baratheon]

George Ezra - Budapest - This guy's voice is just pure magic. I can't say I picked this track of his because it was so much better than his others (Blame It On Me needs a special mention, after all) but I had to pick something by GE because his voice is just that good.

Funny; I was gonna mention Ezra but definitely not for this track. Don't get me wrong; it's a good pop tune, really is. But the best track on the album is definitely ''Did You Hear the Rain?'' and closely followed by ''Spectacular Rival''

there's something v intriguing about him...something more than another pale white boy singing bluesy pop, which there is an abundance of in the UK atm, a promise i find is most obvious in these two tracks. definite potential there. whereas budapest and cassy o and his others on the album are decent and i enjoy them; theyre catchy pop in comparison to a lot of chart crap i have to listen to in work, but it's those two songs Did You Hear The Rain & Spectacular Rival that are easily the standout pair on the album. They're kinda sinister, sexy, bluesy and Did You Hear The Rain in particular is fucking CATCHY.

[Mya Stone]

Hmm. No Hozier mentions?

I'm really into the new Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars collaboration. Uptown Funk is everything I loved about Prince and Morris Day and the Time with a new funk.

Speaking of Prince, I bought both of his albums released this year, and I've got to say, I truly enjoyed them both.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

Spoon have been referred to as the "most consistent" band in modern rock. The old stuff is all pretty good, but you probably want to start with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

Cool, I'll check that out. Thanks for the recommendation. :)

[DeathYon]

I'm going to recommend Swans - To Be Kind for anybody that enjoys experimental and progressive rock.

[Biter]

I'll recommend Lykke Li's I Never Learn. My favorite song is Never Gonna Love Again, but No Rest for the Wicked and Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone are also worth a listen.

[Night's_King]

Somehow I forgot the Skálmöld's MEÐ VÆTTUM was also released last year. Here's Að hausti.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

2015 was another fine year for music. Below are my 15 favorite albums of the year, unranked, with an example track from each. I chose 15 because it's 2015, and I'm very clever like that (this was actually a complete accident).

Share however many favorite songs/albums/artists of 2015 you want to share- just give me new stuff to listen to!

 

Andrew Combs - All These Dreams, "Foolin'"

Beach Slang - The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us, "Hard Luck Kid"

Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit, "Dead Fox"

Dave Rawlings Machine - Nashville Obsolete, "Pilgrim (You Can't Go Home)"

Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear, "The Ideal Husband"

Grandparents - Sincerely, Bagman, "Headwarmer"

Grimes - Art Angels, "Kill V. Maim"

Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free, "Flagship"

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Paper Mâché Dream Balloon, "N.G.R.I. (Bloodstain)"

Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass, "Why Don't You Believe In Me?"

Public Service Broadcasting - The Race For Space, "Gagarin"

Ryan Adams - 1989, "All You Had To Do Was Stay"

Waxahatchee - Ivy Tripp, "Grey Hair"

Yo La Tengo - Stuff Like That There, "Butchie's Tune"

Young Buffalo - House, "Pill"

[KiDisaster]

I'm reposting this from the other thread and no one can stop me  

---

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly

Starting off with my absolute favorite album of 2015, and the one that shoved its way immediately into my top five hip-hop albums of all time. Hell if I took the time to really sit down and think about it it would probably end pretty damn close to the top on my favorite albums ever of any genre. Jazzy instrumentals with some of the best lyricism and vocals Kendrick's ever done, powerful messages and a concept that builds from start to finish with an immensely satisfying conclusion. I've raved about this album so damn much to everyone who would listen because it's a goddamn masterpiece.

Standout track: Every single one, deserves to be listened to start to finish. But my favorite is 'u'.

Coheed & Cambria - The Color Before The Sun

Coheed is my favorite band and they put out a new album this year. It being on this list was pretty much a forgone conclusion. That it would be their first "non-concept" album (non-concept in quotes because it really is a concept album, it's just a concept album about Claudio's real life rather than the sci-fi story they've been telling since the first album) had me extremely curious about how it would turn out, and a little worried it would be a major departure from the Coheed I love. It was, in a way, in that it's certainly the 'poppiest' album they've ever done and I know that turned a lot of people off. Personally though, I've always loved the few poppy songs they toss onto every album so it worked for me. If I were to rank it versus their other albums I think it would end up near the middle, but that's a list where I love even the one on the bottom. 

Standout track: Peace To The Mountain

Don't worry I don't have as much to say about the rest of these 

Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon

Lana's consistently impressed me ever since I first heard Born To Die. Not a single song on that album or the two since than I don't like and Honeymoon is probably her best work IMO. 

Standout track: Swan Song

The Weeknd - Beauty Behind The Madness

This guy caught my attention with his first few mixtapes, and then his first album was unfortunately kinda disappointing. Happy to say that isn't the case this time around. Every track is killer. Even has a Lana Del Rey feature. What's not to love?

Standout track: The Hills

The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise

The Dear Hunter is unique on this list in that they're the only group/artist I wasn't already into before 2015. They came on my radar with the release of this latest album and the recommendation from a bunch of other Coheed fans (apparently there's a big cross over. Both proggy bands with multi-album concept stories. Makes sense.) and I got hooked pretty quickly. My favorite album of their's is actually Act II so far, but the new one is fucking awesome as well. 

Standout track: A Night on the Town

[Durckad]

I'm still giving the albums I've bought this year a final few listens (Thy Catafalque, Vhol, and Kamasi Washington have not gotten much attention yet) but I think I have my favorites hammered down into some semblance of order.

1. Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.

Oh look, a Steven Wilson album at the top of my albums of the year list. What a surprise. To be fair, when I initially listened to this album it didn't click much with me, but when I saw him live and he played, like the whole album, it really helped cement how good this album is. Like all the way, straight through no weak spots good. I don't know if I like it more than The Raven That Refused To Sing, but it's pretty damn close. In short, Steven Wilson is a genius and I am a predictable fanboy.

Favorite Track: "Routine"

2. Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love

I had never listened to Sleater-Kinney before this album but I bought it blind because I thought, 'hey, this would be a perfect way to get into a well-regarded band from the 90's that I have never listened to.' Also, I liked Portlandia and I'm a closet hipster. Usually this thought process results in me blind-buying some mediocre or outright bad albums, but thankfully No Cities To Love is really good. Very catchy, anthemic, with a good dose of punky energy, and it does not overstay its welcome at all. Once the last song ends, I want to listen again, which is the mark of a good album.

Favorite Track(s): "No Cities To Love", "Bury Our Friends"

3. Chelsea Wolfe - Abyss

I've been appreciative of Chelsea Wolfe's music for a year or two now. 'Appreciative' because, while I like what she does and occasionally really enjoy it, she hasn't really been able to sell me on a full album. Apokalypsis was good and different, but I didn't like it enough to call it great, Pain Is Beauty just... I could not get into at all. Abyss, however, is just amazing. I love the mix of industrial, electronic, and doom metal. It's more cohesive than Pain Is Beauty and more 'out there' (and much darker) than Apokalypsis, but it comes together perfectly and Chelsea's voice is what holds it all together. This album kinda makes me want to go and give Pain Is Beauty another chance, just on the off chance that it might click this time.

Favorite Track(s): "Dragged Out", "Survive"

4. Gazpacho - Molok

I'm not sure exactly what kind of music Gazpacho play. Some kind of fusion of progressive rock and alternative rock with some folk thrown in sometimes? Very sedate and atmospheric usually. I first listened to Gazpacho with their last album, Demon, which I thought was good, but not good enough to break my best of '14 album list. It was a very moody, very atmospheric album. One that was almost so moody and atmospheric that I'd zone out when listening to it. Molok, on the other hand, is a bit more rocking. It doesn't exactly rock out, but it has a bit more of a driving energy to it than Demon which, being the simple creature that I am, I appreciate. It also features the song "Bela Kiss" which I would describe as being a 'polka rock' song. That sounds dumb and horrible but it's way better than my limited word skills can describe. It might take a few listens but this a surprisingly enjoyable album. I almost passed up on it but I am very glad that I did not.

Favorite Track(s): "Bela Kiss", "Choir of Ancestors"

5. Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful 

I loves me some over-the-top metal and this year has been sorely lacking in over-the-top metal that's been enjoyable. Thankfully, Nightwish managed to fill that cheddar-shaped hole in my heart rather ably. If you've heard Nightwish before, this album brings nothing new to the table other than the presence of a goddamn 24 minute song (!!) and the first studio album with new singer Floor Jansen. Floor keeps things a bit dialed down here and while I wish she'd ratchet things up once in a while (and she, like, totally can), I can appreciate that she doesn't oversing just because she can. But, I'm not against an album not doing much new as long as it's good and, thankfully, Nightwish succeed at that which is doubly important when the album is almost 80 minutes long. I like pretty much every song on the album, even the 24 minute monstrosity has only a few moments that I would consider editing down and that's pretty amazing.

Favorite Track(s): "My Walden"

[Myshkin]

1. Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.

Oh look, a Steven Wilson album at the top of my albums of the year list. What a surprise. To be fair, when I initially listened to this album it didn't click much with me, but when I saw him live and he played, like the whole album, it really helped cement how good this album is. Like all the way, straight through no weak spots good. I don't know if I like it more than The Raven That Refused To Sing, but it's pretty damn close. In short, Steven Wilson is a genius and I am a predictable fanboy.

Favorite Track: "Routine"

I saw the title of this thread and said to myself 'it's time to pimp some Steven Wilson'. Looks like you beat me to it. Seriously it's hard to overstate how amazing Hand. Cannot. Erase. is.  I'd say it was the best album so far this decade if not for Wilson's other masterpiece, The Raven That Refused To Sing. 

[Elder Sister]

This thread is so awesome; thank you, people!

Here are my favorites of the year - 

Leon Bridges, Coming Home album - I have worn this album out; seriously every single damn track on this album is pure magic.  He sounds like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and a young Marvin Gaye all rolled into one person.

Smooth Sailin'

Another vote for Sturgill Simpson, although technically, since the album was released in 2014, it doesn't really qualify for this thread other than being so freaking amazing you need to listen to another song from it.  Here's my favorite track of Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.

Life of Sin

Chris Stapleton, Traveler - another fantastic, gritty, alt-country artist who makes real music.

Nobody to Blame

Dave Rawlings Machine, Nashville Obsolete - his music is introspective, moody, and always fantastic.

Short Haired Woman Blues

[MisterOJ]

Chris Stapleton, Traveler - another fantastic, gritty, alt-country artist who makes real music.

Nobody to Blame

 

Of course he makes real music. He's my cousin! 

[KiDisaster]

1. Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.

Oh look, a Steven Wilson album at the top of my albums of the year list. What a surprise. To be fair, when I initially listened to this album it didn't click much with me, but when I saw him live and he played, like the whole album, it really helped cement how good this album is. Like all the way, straight through no weak spots good. I don't know if I like it more than The Raven That Refused To Sing, but it's pretty damn close. In short, Steven Wilson is a genius and I am a predictable fanboy.

Favorite Track: "Routine"

I'd heard of Porcupine Tree but never listened to anything of theirs or this guys. Been listening to The Raven That Refused To Sing at work this morning and it's fantastic. Thanks!

[red snow]

audiobooks have chewed up a lot of my music time this year but new albums that have stood out are

 

Youth lagoon - savage hills ball. Probably my favourite in the sense it was a surprise and gets better with every listen.

Villagers - darling aritmetic (excellent live show too)

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie and Lowel. Haven't fallen in love with it yet (probably a matter of time) and still solid.

Chvrches/passion pit/purity ring - all very similar in style and not their best but easy listening if you like the electro pop.

 

There were a lot of disappointing follow-ups to bands for me this year (I won't bore you with a list). Last year was particularly good and it often feels like a 2-3 year cycle is required for good follow ups. I've done a bad job at getting into anything new though. I'll be checking this thread in an attempt to help remedy this.

 

[Elder Sister]

Of course he makes real music. He's my cousin! 

Wow!  I love him - that is so cool!

[kairparavel]

So, nothing groundbreaking or off the beaten mainstream for me but:

Florence and the Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. LOVE LOVE this album    Queen of Peace/Long and Lost

Faith No More - Sol Invictus  Matador

AND OF COURSE

Adele 25 

Also enjoyed Alabama Shakes - Sound and Color Don't Wanna Fight   - the opening is just so...mmm mmm good

Cold War Kids - Hold My Home  First

Taylor Swift - 1989 

George Ezra - Wanted on the Voyage

Eagles of Death Metal - Zipper Down