Top Ten Albums of 2015

[nyquillyn]

I love Tarkio and the early Decemberists albums, but haven't really liked anything since The Crane Wife.

Have you listened to the one that came out earlier this year?

I have not. I'll give it a listen now.

[matt reeder]

To get back to the main topic...it seems like the consensus is that this year was weaker than last year. Last year produced 4 - 5 albums I still listen to on a regular basis and this year has produced several albums I like but do not necessarily love and only a couple I really love. I'm still holding out hope we'll get some great albums (cough Radiohead cough) before the end of the year though.

Interesting perspective. I think I'm the opposite. I had a fairly long list of things that I liked from last year, but only a handful of albums that I would ever consider for "album of the year." This year, I think my top ten, when I finish it, is going to be made up largely of albums that I've considered for that tag even though my list of stuff I've enjoyed is shorter. Definitely a lot of high quality material this year.

Last year was epic for me:

* St. Vincent - St. Vincent
* Spoon - They Want My Soul
* The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream
* Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2
* Thurston Moore - The Best Day
* Beck - Morning Phase
* Ex-Hex - Rips

I just loved all of those albums. Other than the Titus Andronicus and Sleater-Kinney albums there hasn't been anything this year that I've listened to a ton, and a lot of the albums I've really enjoyed I haven't been able to internalize the way I did for some of those.

[epilogue]

I love Tarkio and the early Decemberists albums, but haven't really liked anything since The Crane Wife.

Have you listened to the one that came out earlier this year?

I have not. I'll give it a listen now.

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts. I hope you enjoy it.

[epilogue]

Oh man, I forgot about Still by Richard Thompson!

Feels like that album is older than this year. It's already so "classic" in my mind. That needs to be on my list. Also Primrose Green is gorgeous.

[chewm]

And then I realized that what bothered me about the Decemberists is that they were like a cross between Out of Time, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and some traditional music.

As much as I love the decemberists, this is true.

[Mike]

And then I realized that what bothered me about the Decemberists is that they were like a cross between Out of Time, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and some traditional music.

As much as I love the decemberists, this is true.

Yeah, but those are good attributes!

Did I mention how much I love Joanna's Divers yet? I love it a lot.

[chewm]

And then I realized that what bothered me about the Decemberists is that they were like a cross between Out of Time, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and some traditional music.

As much as I love the decemberists, this is true.

Yeah, but those are good attributes!

Did I mention how much I love Joanna's Divers yet? I love it a lot.

I've been meaning to listen to it, I love Sapokanikan.

[Mike]

I've been meaning to listen to it, I love Sapokanikan.

That's a contender for song of the year for me. I love the way it shifts the mood throughout the song so seamlessly. Going from a kind of upbeat Chamber Pop song to that melancholic ending without seeming abrupt. The melodies are gorgeous in that song. Interested to hear your opinion about the whole album. There are a few more songs on hear that reach the height of Sapokanikan for me. The title-track for example.

[chewm]

Wow, this Grimes album is nothing like what I expected from her. It's really poppy.

[psychobain]

far from definitive:

Other Lives - Rituals
Tame Impala - Currents
Steven Wilson - Hand.Cannot.Erase
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
Rachel Grimes - The Clearing
Mew - + -
Jamie XX - In Colour
Ryley Walker - Primrose Green
Silversun Pickups - Better Nature
Foals - What Went Down

[LoathedVermin72]

Wow, this Grimes album is nothing like what I expected from her. It's really poppy.

I was afraid of that. I think the whole "REALiTi" debacle illustrated that she doesn't really understand what people like about her music. I mean, obviously, she should make whatever music she wants. But it's a bummer if she's abandoning what she so clearly excels at.

[LoathedVermin72]

In other news, I am really fucking sick of new album streams being done via Spotify.

[chewm]

I still like it for the most part, the title track is really good.

[chewm]

I've been meaning to listen to it, I love Sapokanikan.

That's a contender for song of the year for me. I love the way it shifts the mood throughout the song so seamlessly. Going from a kind of upbeat Chamber Pop song to that melancholic ending without seeming abrupt. The melodies are gorgeous in that song. Interested to hear your opinion about the whole album. There are a few more songs on hear that reach the height of Sapokanikan for me. The title-track for example.

I really enjoyed this on my first listen. Time, as a sympton is fucking gorgeous.
It might grow to be one of my favorites this year.

[Kaius]

In other news, I am really fucking sick of new album streams being done via Spotify.

You should really get Spotify.

[LoathedVermin72]

In other news, I am really fucking sick of new album streams being done via Spotify.

You should really get Spotify.

But I don't want to.

[Kaius]

In other news, I am really fucking sick of new album streams being done via Spotify.

You should really get Spotify.

But I don't want to.

It's totally worth it.

[LoathedVermin72]

In other news, I am really fucking sick of new album streams being done via Spotify.

You should really get Spotify.

But I don't want to.

It's totally worth it.

But I will never use it outside of stuff like this.

[Kaius]

In other news, I am really fucking sick of new album streams being done via Spotify.

You should really get Spotify.

But I don't want to.

It's totally worth it.

But I will never use it outside of stuff like this.

Why not.

[LoathedVermin72]

In other news, I am really fucking sick of new album streams being done via Spotify.

You should really get Spotify.

But I don't want to.

It's totally worth it.

But I will never use it outside of stuff like this.

Why not.

Because I've never been a streamer. I always download everything I listen to.