Top 15 Albums of 2015
Here we are again another year has come and gone. It seems
like the time flies by so fast but than when I compile this yearly list I
realize all the experiences I have encountered, new people I’ve met, changes I
have endured and best of all new music I’ve discovered and enjoyed.
This list brings to you what I feel were the very best albums of the year. Most of these albums were released in 2015 though there are a few from 2014, which impacted me heavily through 2015.
This list brings to you what I feel were the very best albums of the year. Most of these albums were released in 2015 though there are a few from 2014, which impacted me heavily through 2015.
This list is my fourth annual year end countdown. Here are the links to the previous countdowns:
2011: http://rock-music-more.blogspot.com/2011/12/rock-albums-post-x-15-favorite-albums.html
2011: http://rock-music-more.blogspot.com/2011/12/rock-albums-post-x-15-favorite-albums.html
2012: http://rock-music-more.blogspot.com/2012/12/rock-albums-post-xii-favorite-albums-of.html
2013: http://rock-music-more.blogspot.com/2013/12/rock-albums-xiii-favorite-albums-2013.html
I hope you enjoy this list and as I did I hope you discover
some great new music you may have missed along the way.
15. “Memories” by Mind.In.A.Box
Release Date: March 24, 2015
Label: Dreamweb Music/Metropolis Music
Producer: Stefan Poiss
Chart Positions: N/A
Singles: N/A
Chart Positions: N/A
Singles: N/A
Mind.In.A.Box is an Austrian quartet formed in 2000. Their
unique brand of technopop is usually described as a cross between futurepop and
progressive trance.
Their albums are works that weave together to tell a story.
Each album continues in the epic story of mystery that is based upon science
fiction, fantasy and noir fiction.
Their music is heavy in beats and bass wrapped with electron
pulses of guitar threads and mysterious dark understated vocals. The music is intricately woven together featuring spacey
synth-lines, melodic counterpoints, builds, breakdowns and a whole ecosystem of
complex delays, verbs and other time based effects that never seem to trip over
one another regardless of their density in the mix. Simply put there is a whole
lot going on in this music. Putting on the headphones and listening to the
album is like taking an astral trip into a fourth dimension of conciousness.
“Memories” is one of this year’s most unique albums.
"Up There" by Mind.In.A.Box
Release Date: June 30, 2015
Label: Tru Thoughts
Producer: J-Felix
Chart Positions: N/A
Singles: “Patience,” “Late Night SOS”
As a lover of funk and jazz this
album was a must for me to pick up. What I love most about this album is it’s
heavy influence from 80’s style funk with some great pitched up vocal samples
and funky rhythmic bass lines. The bass keeps this album moving and grooving.
J-Felix is a singer, producer and
multi-instrumentalist from Brighton in the UK.
"101 Reasons" by J-Felix
Release Date: May 6, 2014
Label: Innovative Leisure
Producer: BadBadNotGood, Frank Dukes
Chart Positions: N/A
Singles: “CS60,” “Can’t Leave The Night”
This hip-hop jazz band focus’s more on the jazz and less on
the hip-hop. The axis of this Canadian group is Matthew Tavares’ improvised and
expressive keyboard/piano work. Though what he does on the keyboard is far
beyond what you expect to hear from the instrument. He brings his jazz sounds
into the present from the future and creates an atmospheric sound filled with
beats, bass and textured electronics.
This instrumental album appeals to my need for the unique
and original. Though the album is somewhat left of center it is filled with
enough traditional bebop jazz type sounds to appeal to those that are not quite
so risky in their music tastes.
"Kaleidoscope" by BadBadNotGood
12. “Algo Sucede” by Julieta
Venegas
Release Date: August 14, 2015
Label: Sony U.S. Latin, Ohanion S.
Producer: Cachorro Lopez, Julieta Venegas
Chart Positions: #11 (Mexico), #5 (Latin US), #1 (Latin Pop
US)
Singles: “Ese Camino” (#13 Latin Pop US), “Buenos Noches,
Desolacion” (#23 Latin Pop US)
“Algo Sucede” breaks no new ground for Julieta but what it
does is entertain to the nth degree as Julieta. Julieta is one of the world’s
most underrated musicians. Yes, she has achieved success and has sold near 10
million albums worldwide. But she remains largely unknown to most music lovers.
Why is that so? Could it be because she does not dance around the stage showing
off her body parts? Could it be because she keeps her life out of the press and
maintains a healthy family life with her daughter? Whatever it is Julieta is
quite the talent a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist including
guitar, keyboards and accordion.
With this album Julieta continues her ever-joyful brand of
Latin pop music. Her message is sincere and her style is straightforward. I love
that Julieta features the accordion in many of her songs. She wrote all twelve
songs on the album. “Algo Sucede” is her first album to reach #1 on any US
Billboard chart. This is cause for celebration!
With this album Julieta brings on a new era of everything that is good in pop music. “Algo Sucede,” which means “Something Happens” is an album about making things happen and opening your eyes to what is going on around you. Some of the messaging is dark in its lyrics but the end result is about self and social awareness.
With this album Julieta brings on a new era of everything that is good in pop music. “Algo Sucede,” which means “Something Happens” is an album about making things happen and opening your eyes to what is going on around you. Some of the messaging is dark in its lyrics but the end result is about self and social awareness.
"Buenos Noches, Desolacion" by Julieta Venegas
Release Date: July 16, 2015
Label: dBpm, Anti/Epitaph
Producer: Tom Schick, Jeff Tweedy
Chart Positions: #105 (US), #83 (UK), #14 (Netherlands),
#30 (New Zealand), #52 (Switzerland), #60 (Austrailia), #69 (Ireland), #83
(Germany)
Singles: “Random Name Generator” #20 (Adult Album Alternative US)
This album was released in July 2015 and I passed on it
several times. First it was because I didn’t care for the album. A month later
I was looking at it again but passed again because I really had never been
compelled to purchase a Wilco album in the past. After that I forgot about it.
Then finally in late October 2015 I was looking at the album again. This time I
decided to hit up youtube and listen to some of the tracks and immediately I
was sold. I bought it this time… despite the album cover. I really like the
lazy sort of sci-fi… lo-fi sound of the music. It’s not your typical alt-rock
outing. It is reminiscent of Brian Eno in some aspects and Bowie or T-Rex in
others. I love the space rock 70’s sound of this album. This will be a constant
in my disc player for years to come.
"Random Name Generator" by Wilco
Release Date: September 11, 2015
Label: Fuel Records
Producer: Tree63
Chart Positions: #21 (US)
Singles: N/A
If feel Jay Akins, from the bi-monthly publication Worship Leader, stated it best, "Strong melodies and well-written stories draw the listener into the moments of each song. Land is a great album full of hope and compassion for everyone listening."
I was a huge fan of Tree63 back in the early 2000’s and I purchased all their albums. Their music has always been quality and full of joyful emotion. I would always come away feeling uplifted after listening to a Tree63 album. I get the same feeling with their new album “Land” and even more than before. I would have to honestly say this is their most complex yet simplistic album of them all. Easily this is their best effort. Wonderful layers of music weaving together bring the listener to a place of wonderment.
“Land” is Tree63’s first album since 2007’s “Sunday” and it came as quite a nice surprise.
“Land” is Tree63’s first album since 2007’s “Sunday” and it came as quite a nice surprise.
"Standing On It" by Tree63
9. “The Helio Sequence” by The
Helio Sequence
Release Date: May 19, 2015
Label: Sub-Pop
Producer: The Helio Sequence, Jerimaya Grabher
Chart Positions: N/A
Singles: N/A
Why I didn’t discover this band from Oregon earlier is
beyond me. They’ve been releasing albums since 1999 and I had never heard of
them until mid year 2015. I’m pretty good at sniffing out these great
underrated bands but this one got past me.
This album features Coldplay-esque keyboards along with some
interesting drum patterns (the drums are a main focal point in the music) and
tasty jangling guitar parts and solos. The vocals are nice and relaxing. It has
everything I like in a modern mellow type album.
“The Helio Sequence” doesn’t break any new ground but it sure is a great listen on a lazy sunny afternoon. Good driving music.
“The Helio Sequence” doesn’t break any new ground but it sure is a great listen on a lazy sunny afternoon. Good driving music.
"Red Shifting" by The Helio Sequence
8. “Saudade” – Thievery
Corporation
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Label: ESL Music
Producer: Thievery Corporation
Chart Positions: #58 (US), #2 (US Electronic
Albums), #15 (US Top Independent Albums)
Singles: N/A
Thievery Corporation has been around since the mid 1990’s
but I never paid attention to them. Finally they released “Saudade” the album
that caught my attention. At that I didn’t notice it until the spring of 2015, but after the album came to my attention I picked it up instantly. I don’t know if it was the album cover that led me to
listen to samples of the album but whatever it was I feel in love with the
music I heard. The Brazilian influenced bossa nova sound is inescapable. My first thought
was Antonio Carlos-Jobim.
The Brazilian bass rhythms and the great horn and strings
sections absolutely send me into that music heaven I so enjoy. The ultra-smooth
vocals fit so fine on a dark rainy night or a hot sunny afternoon. “Saudade’ is
the ultimate “chill” album of the year.
The irony of this album is that it reached #2 on the US
Electronic album charts yet the album has absolutely nothing to do with
electronics. I would suspect the only reason it made it this high on that particular chart is strictly because of the artists name. They have been hugely successful on the US Electronic charts since 2004, putting 7 of their albums in the Top 7.
"Firelight" by Thievery Corporation
7. “Damn Country Music” – Tim
McGraw
Release Date: November 6, 2015
Label: Big Machine
Producer: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw
Chart Positions: #5 (US), #19 (Australia), #11 (Canada),
#87 (Scotland), #3 (US Country Albums), #1 (Australian Country Albums), #3 (UK
Country Albums)
Singles: “Top of the World” #80 (US), #89 (Canada), #15 (US
Country), #7 (Canadian Country)
Tim McGraw has released a solid country music album. Every
song is filled with well-constructed musicianship and thoughtfully written
lyrics. The album is mostly uplifting and full of that good feel that we all
love.
Tim McGraw makes it clear he’s a Hank Williams fan as he mentions his name in the songs “Losing You” and “Damn Country Music.”
The popular country music duo Big and Rich are featured on the jubilant track “California.” While Tim’s daughter Gracie McGraw shows up on “Here Tonight.”
Tim McGraw makes it clear he’s a Hank Williams fan as he mentions his name in the songs “Losing You” and “Damn Country Music.”
The popular country music duo Big and Rich are featured on the jubilant track “California.” While Tim’s daughter Gracie McGraw shows up on “Here Tonight.”
I especially love the tracks “Losing You,” “Love Runs,”
“California” and “Top of the World.”
"California" by Tim McGraw
6. “The Monsanto Years” by Neil
Young + Promise of the Real
Release Date: June 29, 2015
Label: Reprise
Producer: Neil Young and John Hanlon
Chart Positions: #21 (US)
Singles: “A Rock Star Bucks A Coffee Shop”
Neil Young does it again. He made it on to my 2014, 2012 and
2011 Top 15 albums lists. This is his fourth non-consecutive year since I
started this. I will admit I like this album most for it’s social awareness
values. I feel that the issues surrounding the packaging and production of our
food (in the USA and around the world) is so messed up. I can’t believe that so
many lawmakers would vote against the simple procedure of labeling foods that
are GMO. Of course the big food industry completely duped the public by running
misleading ads making us think that putting this simple and brief information
would cause food prices to increase. Once again Neil Young scores in an attempt
to keep corporate greed in check.
Musically this is a sound album. Each song is fantastically
produced and arranged as all of Neil Young’s works. This album brings me back
to Neil Young’s Crazy Horse days with some great guitar riffs and nicely
recorded harmonies.
Best tracks; “Big Box,” “A Rock Star Bucks A Coffee Shop”
and “Working Man.”
The album features Willie Nelson’s sons Lukas and Micah Nelson. Lukas formed the band Promise of the Real.
The album features Willie Nelson’s sons Lukas and Micah Nelson. Lukas formed the band Promise of the Real.
"A Rock Star Bucks A Coffee Shop" by Neil Young + Promise of the Real
Release Date: March 31, 2015
Label: Joyful Noise Recordings
Producer: Reptar
Charts Positions: #13 (US Top Heatseekers)
Singles: “Ice Black Sand,” “Amanda”
“Lurid Glow” is one of 2015’s most unique albums. This one
has a sound all of it’s own. Reptar really can’t be compared to any other group
as they are paving their own way with their own style. The mix and guitars and
drums work together with great effect. The guitar sounds are absolutely
stunning – very animated and alive. Much of their music has an 80's new wave feel to it yet still very current day alt-rock in nature. I most enjoy Graham Ulicny’s spirited
vocals; he’s a one of a kind. Some of their songs have an early 80’s era Talking Heads flavor to
it.
Graham Ulicny
"Cable" by Reptar
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Label: ECM
Producer: Manfred Eicher
Charts Positions: #8 (US Jazz Albums) #17 (US Top
Heatseekers)
Singles: N/A
“Break Stuff” is 2015’s experimental jazz work of the year.
The album is both muscular and delicate at the same time with beefy bass lines
surrounded by compassionate piano parts and driven by funk-filled pulse moving
drums.
The album at many points is an exercise of irony combining
the avant-garde with the classic.
“Hood” pushes the envelope of experimentalism with its simplified bass and beat mode. Iyer’s working of Thelonious Monk’s “work” is as refreshing and effective as Monk’s original. Monk is Vijay’s number hero. He also puts in an inspiring performance with John Coltrane’s “Countdown.”
“Hood” pushes the envelope of experimentalism with its simplified bass and beat mode. Iyer’s working of Thelonious Monk’s “work” is as refreshing and effective as Monk’s original. Monk is Vijay’s number hero. He also puts in an inspiring performance with John Coltrane’s “Countdown.”
“Break Stuff” is colorful, rhythmic and original. An album
that will become a jazz classic for all times.
"Break Stuff" album presentation by Vijay Iyer Trio
3. “Rattle That Lock” by David
Gilmour
Release Date: September 18, 2015
Label: Columbia
Producer: David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera
Charts Positions: #8 (US Jazz Albums) #17 (US Top
Heatseekers)
Singles: “Rattle That Lock” #5 (US), #1 (UK, New Zealand,
Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Czechoslovakia,
France, Italy, Portugal, Scotland), #2 (Canada, Australia, Austria,
Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands, Croatia, Holland, Ireland), #3 (Denmark,
Finland, Korea)
“Rattle That Lock” has been a huge hit worldwide having
reached the Top 3 in more than 20 countries worldwide. I was over-ecstatic when
I heard that David Gilmour was releasing another album. Personally I did not
think he’d be putting another out. But here it is nine years after “On An
Island” and it is a solid collection of music, but we would expect no less from
David Gilmour, one of the chief creative forces behind the classic band Pink
Floyd.
“Rattle That Lock” displays the many shades of David
Gilmour’s musical abilities and tastes. In many ways the album reminds me stylistically
a bit of the Pink Floyd album “A Momentary Lapse Of Reason” from 1987. It opens
with a moving instrumental “5 A.M.” which features Gilmour’s ever fresh and
competent guitar chords. The title track “Rattle That Lock” features an upbeat
more centered pop sound from the master of guitar and at the age of 69 his
vocal performances are surprisingly crisp. “A Boat Lies Waiting” is style new
and different for Gilmour. It begins sounding like his normal fare but once the
vocals start were in for such a treat. He employees a stacked vocal effect
layering voice upon voice to sound like a wall of voices, which include Graham
Nash and David Crosby. The mood is somber and awakening to the importance of
those we love. This song is especially poignant as it is a tribute to the late
Pink Floyd keyboardist Richard Wright. “Dancing Right In Front Of Me” is an
interesting pop sort of tune that we usually do not hear coming from Gilmour,
this one is a treat just because it’s different for him. “In Any Tongue” is
classic David Gilmour the way we’ve come to know him from his first days with
Pink Floyd. “The Girl In The Yellow Dress” is a complete departure for David
Gilmour as he delves into a cool jazz sound. The song opens with a delicious
double bass jazz riff and continues with an acoustic jazz guitar. Daivd’s wife
Polly Samson wrote the lyric as David says, "Polly wrote a beautiful
lyric about a girl dancing in a jazz club wearing a yellow dress that comes
from a picture that we have by Johnny Dewe Mathews," Gilmour continued.
"I recorded it again at Abbey Road with a different band, including Jools
Holland on piano, Robert Wyatt playing coronet and Rado Klose – who has been a
friend of mine since I was born – on guitar."
“Today” is quite possibly my favorite song on the album. I
love the way it opens with a multi-voiced choral vocal than works into a rock
and roll song full of riveting guitar and Gilmour’s rough sounding vocal. The
song is an all out classic rock type tune you’d hear on any radio station back
in 1978. “Today” was actually put together by three pieces of music Gilmour had
discarded. It was co-producer, Phil Manzanera, that found these pieces and
turned them into a song with his insightful acoustic guitar added.
“Rattle That Lock” is one of the great albums of 2015 with
many memorable musical moments. My favorite tracks are “Rattle That Lock,”
“Today” and “A Boat Lies Waiting.”
"Today" by David Gilmour
Release Date: May 19, 2015
Label: Matador
Producer: John Reis
Charts Positions: #20 (US Hard Rock Albums), #11 (US
Heatseekers), #31 (US Independent Albums)
Singles: “Your Life In France,” “The Separation,” “The
Understanding”
“The L Shaped Man” was a huge departure from Ceremony’s
previous album “Zoo.” This album was quite a bit more dark and somber. That’s
what attracted me the darkness and the mood. Much of it reminds me of Joy
Division.
The first few piano chords in the opening song “Hibernation”
set the mood for the entire album, stark, dark and simplistic. The album
contains a certain sort of beauty hidden behind the electric rock guitar chords
and dour vocals. The songs all speak about making it through life, love and
loss. The album deals with lead singer, Ross Farrar’s recent break-up. This is
a personal album for the band. I feel a certain sort of energy and peace
emanating from this set of emotionally raw and exposed songs. It’s put up front
our fragilities and our faults mixed with our beauty and love.
I especially love the lyrics in the song “The Pattern,” in
which Ross Farrar repeats “it’s happening again” several times through the end
of the song. It reminds of us of how we so often repeat our mistakes over and
over in life. How we seem to be attracted to the same unhealthy habits and
relationships. Do you grow? Do we learn from these mistakes? All we know is
that it’s happening again.
“The L Shaped Man” is most definitely influenced by Joy
Division and this is a great thing when it is done properly and Ceremony has
hit the nail on the head to perfection. After all Ceremony took their name from
a Joy Division song.
I give this album an A+ for its introspection. “The L Shaped Man” is a high point in Ceremony’s career and will move on to become one of their pivotal releases. I can’t help but to believe that “The L Shaped Man” is only the beginning of a set of classic recordings by Ceremony. The best is yet to come.
I give this album an A+ for its introspection. “The L Shaped Man” is a high point in Ceremony’s career and will move on to become one of their pivotal releases. I can’t help but to believe that “The L Shaped Man” is only the beginning of a set of classic recordings by Ceremony. The best is yet to come.
"Your Life In France" by Ceremony
1. “Twin Danger” by Twin Danger
Release Date: June 30, 2015
Label: Decca Crossover
Producer: Guy Eckstine, Vanessa Bley, Stuart Matthewman
Charts Positions: #7 (US Jazz Albums)
Singles: “Coldest Kind Of Heart”
NPR Music’s staff writes:
“Cocktail jazz isn't a sound you hear very much in pop music these days. But a duo known as Twin Danger is causing a scene with their self-titled debut album and live shows.
“Cocktail jazz isn't a sound you hear very much in pop music these days. But a duo known as Twin Danger is causing a scene with their self-titled debut album and live shows.
It's a familiar mood for saxophonist Stuart
Matthewman; he co-wrote many of the biggest hits for Sade, like "No
Ordinary Love" and "Your Love Is King."
Matthewman's latest singer is Vanessa Bley, the
daughter of jazz piano great Paul Bley.
Behind their smooth exterior, there is a certain
punk ethos to the way they handle themselves when they perform live. As Matthewman
told NPR's Arun Rath: "We always said about how we wanted the band to look
and be on stage: if Frank Sinatra was in The Clash."
Vanessa Bley came up with the name Twin Danger.
She explains why: "In Manhattan, I'd go to this bar near 21st and Park . Around
6, all these businessmen would come in in suits. They'd go into the basement
and about an hour later come up in total drag and have this epic party. It
certainly displays this idea of having two sides to yourself."”
I first came to discover Twin Danger as I was conducting my weekly Amazon. com new release check. I usually check out the Alternative rock and jazz section. Twin Danger was listed in both sections. This intrigued me. I just knew I had to check them out. I listened to a few samples on Amazon and I really liked what I heard so I jumped on over to youtube and listened to a few of their songs in full. I was instantly sold on this smooth smoky jazz club sound. My first impression was that this music is authentic. This is not a group of people attempting to be “cool,” they are “cool” and the music is simply spot on both musically and vocally. I ordered my copy from Amazon right at that moment.
Right from the first listen I knew the album would be my favorite of the year. There was some strong competition with David Gilmour’s “Rattle That Lock” and Ceremony’s “The L Shaped Man,” but in the end it was the purity of the music and vocals from Twin Danger that won out.
I first came to discover Twin Danger as I was conducting my weekly Amazon. com new release check. I usually check out the Alternative rock and jazz section. Twin Danger was listed in both sections. This intrigued me. I just knew I had to check them out. I listened to a few samples on Amazon and I really liked what I heard so I jumped on over to youtube and listened to a few of their songs in full. I was instantly sold on this smooth smoky jazz club sound. My first impression was that this music is authentic. This is not a group of people attempting to be “cool,” they are “cool” and the music is simply spot on both musically and vocally. I ordered my copy from Amazon right at that moment.
Right from the first listen I knew the album would be my favorite of the year. There was some strong competition with David Gilmour’s “Rattle That Lock” and Ceremony’s “The L Shaped Man,” but in the end it was the purity of the music and vocals from Twin Danger that won out.
I love their cool smooth calm energy and feel
that Twin Danger will have a long and successful career in music. This is just
the beginning.
"Sailor" by Twin Danger
Worthy Mention:
The following albums did not make the Top 15 but deserve a worthy mention.
- "25" by Adele (this may make the 2016 list)
- "A Head Full Of Dreams" by Coldplay
- "No, No, No" by Beirut
- "Going Back Home" by Roger Daltrey and Wilko Johnson
- "Sand In The Sky" by The Expendables
- "Shockwave Supernova" by Joe Satriani (best album packaging of 2015)
- "Smoke and Mirrors" by Imagine Dragons
- "Ixora" by Copeland
- "Absent Fathers" by Justin Townes Earle
Thank You for stopping by!!! Please post your thoughts.
What's your favorite album from this list?
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