My 10 Favorite Albums of 2015

Besides what some washed out rock stars like to say, music is alive and well. And 2015 was a very good year for music. A lot of new artists and some old ones doing some amazing comebacks. I had to leave some good albums out of this list, Beast Coast — California Nights, Grimes — Art Angels and Joey Bada$$ — B4.DA.$$ were all in heavy rotation but… I could only fit 10 albums here.

10 — Desaparecidos — Payola

It’s been 13 years since Desaparecidos’ previous album but the waiting was worth and they have blown away all expectations. Goddamn, this is a good album! The band’s energy and frustration are front and center in each song and Oberst’s ferocity in the lyrics is only matched by the music itself. The album’s most acidic cut is Search the Searches, a poisonous ode to the NSA.

9 — Courtney Barnett — Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit

Courtney Barnett is a refreshing new artist and this is a great indie album. Courtney is such a damn clever lyricist, she is so witty! Her music is so simple but crunchy and fun. I also love her monotone voice and near talking delivery, really fun to listen to

8 — Waves — V

Wavves remain Wavves, critics don’t like them but I’m pretty sure they don’t give a flying shit about critics. “V” is a solid album, contagious and sarcastic and it keeps a high energy throughout. The guitars are still crunchy but not too distorted and the vocals are crystal clear. Wavves have found themselves at their peak.

7 — Beach slang — The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us

This is a fantastic album made for blaring and singing along to. The 10-track album blazes by in about a half hour and overflows with grungy ’90s alt-punk. The band’s middle-aged singer and songwriter James Alex Snyder is making 40 years old sound as vital as 18 years old. Songs like Young & Alive, Too Late To Die Young, and I Break Guitars don’t sound desperate. Rather, they showcase a self-aware artist working at the peak of his powers.

6 — Redman — Mudface

He’s still got it. Redman can still rap his ass off. The beats on the album are banging and the lyrics are on point. Also the whole thing is pretty short so its not like you’re getting a lot of filler and that is because Mudface is clearly meant to be a placeholder until we finally get Muddy Waters 2 [the follow up to his 1996 album Muddy Watters] that will be released next year

5— Chvrches — Every Open Eye

I think this album is actually better than their debut. Every Open Eye is a bit more diverse and the structure of the songs are better as well. Sharp lyrics and killer hooks are pop’s greatest attributes and this album is full of them. This is a perfect synth driven set.

4 — Dr Dre — Compton

This is a solid album. This is Dre delivering the kind of album people have been waiting for, and everyone [myself included] had to wait for a long time but Compton delivers in all major categories — beats, lyrics and great special guests. Kendrick Lamar is a real bright spot throughout the album and leaves his mark on Compton.

3 — Neon Indian — VEGA INTL. Night School

The third album by this American electronic band is phenomenal I haven’t stop listening to it since it was released in October. The upbeat energy is fantastic while being extremely catchy. Alan Palomo, the brains behind the band, manages to make you fell like you are in a super cool 80’s nightclub for the 50-minute duration of the album.

2 — Sleater Kinney — No Cities To Love

The first release in ten years for the indie rock trio, Cities To Love is the band’s most focused, accessible and often furious work. The hooks are catchy, the drumming is precise and the riffs are creative. Like most great albums, this one gets better and better with each listen. And before you ask me, yes, that is Carrie Brownstein from the cult US TV comedy Portlandia playing the guitar.

1 — Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp A Butterfly

I have no doubt in my mind that To Pimp A Butterfly is the best album released this year, and probably the best hip-hop album of this last decade. Even if you don’t like Rap you should check this album out. Lamar is a lyrical genius full of soul and passion. He mixes world issues and his own through high levels of poetry on funky, jazzy and experimental hip-hop instrumentals. I cannot get enough of this album. It is philosophical, insightful, emotional, passionate, and wise. A true masterpiece!