Just in time for the new year, I thought it would be great for TKP community to share notes on our favorite albums of 2015. In case you missed last year's rundown, here are the groundrules:
- Like last year, I thought it would be great to start a list to see what other artists and albums people on TKP really loved this year. If albums aren't your thing — because let's be honest, we live in an on-demand world where the single is top currency — a list of singles is great too.
- The album or single had to be released in 2015.
- Keep in mind most, if not all, of us are not music reviewers by trade. The goal isn't for everyone to put on their "critic hat" and opine on whether or not Adele's "25" was progressive or just more of the same. If you loved it, you loved it. TKP is like Planet Fitness; it's a judgement-free zone.
For me, 2015 was one of the strongest years for music I can remember in quite some time. There were a lot of phenomenal albums and songs from both new and established artists. It helped make the time I spent toiling away in Revit extremely enjoyable, and I can only hope that 2016 builds upon that. The negative side is that it made coming up with a definitive Top 10 quite hard; frankly, I probably could just rattle off 15-20 albums that I would happily listen to on repeat all day.
I was, however, able to narrow down my own list to five favorites. Before I get into my Top 5, I thought I would list my Second 5, in no particular order.
Kurt Vile : "b'lieve i'm goin down" What I love and respect the most about Vile's newest album is that it stands out from the crowd. During a time in which seemingly everything is mixed or enhanced in the studio, "b'lieve i'm goin down" feels so real and natural that you can't help but feel as though you're watching Vile finger pick his guitar live in his living room.
Jack U : "Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack U" Diplo doesn't do anything half-assed, and combining his brilliance with Skrillex's innovative, aggressive sound could only result in an album as awesome as Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack U.
The Weeknd : "Beauty Behind the Madness" He puts his pants on one leg at a time the same as you and me. The only difference is once his pants (and dreadlocks) are on, he makes gold records.
Florence and the Machine : "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful" Big Sound + Big Ginger = Easily their most complete album to date.
Courtney Barnett : "Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I just Sit." There is an innovate amount of variety that feels entirely unique, while evoking parallels with different types of present and past music. Where "Boxing Day Blues" has an almost Mazzy Star vibe to it, "Pedestrian at Best" is like a female version of the edgy Brit Rock of early Blur.
5. Logic : "The Incredible True Story"
I wanted this album to build on Logic's first major release, Under Pressure (my favorite album of 2014), which it certainly does. The problem I had was Under Pressure clearly built up my expectations too much. That, and I find the between-song skits distracting and way too long. It reminded me of Country Grammar, but only half as entertaining. Like To Pimp a Butterfly, Logic struggles to move his message past his upbringing, attempting to provide a more mature message than what we heard in Under Pressure. And for the most part, I would say he succeeded. It's just far more subtle than the last go-around, which meant I had to really listen to get to the meat of his newest story. If this album doesn't hook you from the first listen, listen again.
4. Grimes : "Art Angels"
After scrapping her first pass at Art Angels in 2014 after claiming it was "too depressing," Claire Boucher went back to the drawing board and came out with what can only be described as beautiful cacophony. There is a ton of range on the album, ranging from bubblegum pop to anger-infested proclamations to the perfect alt-rock ballad — and that's before the album really begins in earnest. In some ways, it's hard not to listen to the album and feel that it was entirely the product of the polarizing reaction she received from her 2014 single, "Go," which likely would have launched the first iteration. Thank God people reacted so fiercely, because the way in which Grimes layers the venom, the sneering and the joy is a freaking trip.
3. Kendrick Lamar : "To Pimp a Butterfly"
Where good kid m.A.A.d. city took us back to Kendrick's childhood in Compton, To Pimp a Butterfly takes us back to the old school while discussing the current state of racial injustice in America. Where good kid was rooted in the challenges he faced growing up, Butterfly embraces that culture and throws it in your face over and over and over again. While his message is stronger, more polarizing and certainly easier to grasp — though many surely bristle up when listening to the nary-veiled politics of the album — his talents are continually evident. Say what you will about the message; Kendrick is a talented motherf***er.
2. Ryan Adams : "1989"
Don't judge me. You probably won't believe this, but I haven't listened to Taylor Swift's 1989 — only the hits you can't seem to avoid. I think that's what makes Ryan Adams' version so enjoyable for me; for the most part, I have nothing to compare it against. It's like seeing the Hunger Games without ever having read the books. I can spend more time enjoying the soundscape then getting bent out of shape that Adams bastardized "Shake It Off."
Full disclosure: I am a huge Ryan Adams fan. To be honest, it's probably why I love this album so much. My interpretation of it is more like a weird greatest hits album, where different sounds from Adams' diverse career manifest throughout. The album opens with "Welcome to New York," which feels more like an early Springsteen track than anything else. From there, it becomes an enjoyable collection of songs that range from the melancholy of Ashes & Fire, to the love-scorned hatred of Demolition and , to his bluegrass and country roots of Gold and Cardinology. If you can't bring yourself to listen to the whole album, at least give "Bad Blood" a try. It's solid.
1. Tame Impala : "Currents"
Sometimes I think I'm too hard on established artists when I listen to new releases for the first time. I want to hear the artist and the genre grow, pushing the industry as a sort of artistic arms race aimed at constantly one upping one another with eargasm after eargasm. Sometimes a band's efforts to push the boundaries and get outside of their comfort zone fall flat with me (i.e. Mumford & Sons with Wilder Mind and anything from Coldplay since they hooked up with Brian Eno); other times, they hit an absolute home run.
What I love so much about Currents is that it's progressive for Tame Impala, but still very much Tame Impala. Kevin Parker & Co. stayed within themselves and maintained their sound while fiddling around with different arrangements and pacing. There's no better example than "Eventually," where they juxtapose that mellow, synthy Tame Impala sound with big, in-your-face interludes. In short, it's just plain fun to listen to.
Comments
If there's anyone else on here who likes extreme metal they should give Bosse-de-Nage a listen. Bosse-de-Nage is a post-black metal act from the Bay Area, the same scene as Deafheaven. Their new album All Fours was released earlier this year to positive reviews. They're a mix of post-metal, shoegaze, and traditional black metal sounds, with some pretty engaging lyrics to boot. I know this stuff isn't for everyone, but I like to promote it where appropriate. This album, and their previous two albums II and III are fresh takes on a genre that I think had begun to grow stale 20 years removed from the Norwegian Black Metal explosion in the 90s.
Lyrics:
i'm a huge Deafheaven fan so i just might give this a listen...only because i grew up listening to a combination of hardcore, punk, metal, indie rock/pop, hip-hop and was a huge MBV fan growing up...thanks!
p.s.--glad to know there are a lot of us with diverse (underground) tastes on this site...thought i was the only one with a hunger for all music that's far from mainstream
p.p.s.--anybody here a former WUVT staffer?
Bosse-de-Nage actually did a split with Deafheaven before Sunbather dropped back in 2012. It's worth a listen too.
Also glad I'm not the only underground listener here.
i'm going to have to track that down; i'm surprised i didn't know that already... is it on Deathwish?
interesting anecdote: a guy i knew from my "hardcore days," relocated to Boston and played in Obannon's (Jacob, Deathwish label owner) band as their bass player.
It's on The Flenser, here's a link to the wiki.
I was AM program director from 2005 to 2007.
i missed you by two years then. i was a staffer from 2009-2013. i had some great memories at the station...i always brought my laptop with me because i always discovered new music in genres i never would have listened to (jazz, NCP, bluegrass/alt-country, etc.).
great to meet a fellow WUVT alum!
If not for WUVT, college would have sucked for me. So many great memories. I did the Americana slot during the school year and Sunday afternoon Soul in the summers. I was really into Alt Country and bluegrass while I was in school but I spent those years absorbing information about indie rock from my fellow WUVTeers. Now that's all I listen to.
Americana has covered my musical needs for several years now. I lament the ebbing of the tide, though, and have trouble connecting with the many talented artists that find themselves in that genre. It is such a "catch all" of musical genres, I can't find many places to find them rounded up like in the days of "Americana" stations or programming. Chalk it up to my technophobia, as well, but I know there's stuff out there I'd love but won't hear.
I was a dj from 2010 to 2012 in a new music slot and also wrote reviews for the Woove back when it was in print (and a thing, not sure if the woove is still a thing)
In no particular order....
Hip Hop:
- Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
(The message, the instrumentation, the lyrics, the skills, the creativity, the honesty, the passion, the individualism, the leadership.. another classic from Kdot)
- Travis Scott - Rodeo
(Amazing album from start to finish bolstered by amazing production by Mike Dean. Travis Scott's not the best rapper in the game but he's the most melodic rapper and one of the best song constructors in the game.)
- B.o.B - Pycadelik Thoughtz
(Very diverse album. A little rap, a little R&B, a little rock. This album embodies B.o.B's "No Genre" mantra)
- Chance the Rapper, Donnie Trumpet, and Social Experiment Band - Surf
(Great collaborative album with beautiful instrumentation, and only 4 songs on the whole thing with cuss words; that's unheard of in today's rap)
- Jay Rock - 90059
(Very strong sophomore album from Kendrick Lamar's labelmate. Jay Rock matured with this one big time. The instrumentation is more mature and so are the themes he raps about. Jay Rock's one of the best lyricists in the game)
- Mac Miller - Good AM
(A more mature Mac Miller coming off his battle with drugs made for a more complete album)
- Big Grams - Big Grams EP
(Big Boi of Outkast and electronic rock duo Phantogram came together for a unique electronic soul rap project. I hope this isn't their last project together.)
- Raury - All We Need
(One of the most diverse artists in hip hop, Raury fuses rap with folk rock with R&B with alternative rock with soul music in a most enjoyable way. Remember the name, Raury will be a star)
- Pell - LIMBO
(Similar to B.o.B's album above, Pell gave us one of the most sonically diverse albums of the year. With production from the guitarist of rock band TV On The Radio, the sounds on this album reach beyond hip hop and give Pell that ambient sound he loves to create with.)
- Big KRIT - It's Better This Way
(This is a mixtape [not an album] but the line between mixtape and album is becoming more and more blurred these days. KRIT gives us that down south, original soul rap he's known for on this while calling out the rap game for a lot of the hypocrisies and nonsense perpetuated [again, something he's also known for].)
- J.Cole/Dreamville - Revenge of the Dreamers 2
(Another mixtape.... You can't name too many other rappers [or artists in general] that had a bigger year than J.Cole. Following the success of his 2014 Forest Hills Drive album last year, his starpower skyrocketed this year and sees him as one of the undisputed champs of hip hop. Revenge of the Dreamers 2 features verses/songs from all of his Dreamville signees and Cole let's us know he's not slowing down anytime soon with his amazing verses on the tape.)
Check out my site www.hiphopintellekts.com for more good rap with a message.
Not Hip Hop:
- Alabama Shakes - Sound and Color
- 21 Pilots - Blurryface
- Of Monsters and Men - Beneath the Skin
- Florence + Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
- Mumford and Sons - Wilder Mind
- Adele - 25
- Gary Clark Jr. - The Story of Sonny Boy Slim (EDITED: Don't know how I forgot about my man Gary.)
The Gary Clark Jr album is incredible. Nice add.
Ryan Adams - 1989
My favorite albums from 2015, in no particular order:
Edit - going through my spotify history, saved albums, etc I noticed that most of the full albums I listened to this year either came out in 2014, or during/before the mid-2000's.
Edit 2: also forgot CHVCHS and A$AP albums - both mentioned by HightyTighty, both very good.
2015 was a pretty damn good year.
Kendrick- To Pimp a Butterfly
Mumford and Sons- Wilder Mind
Keith Richards- Crosseyed Heart
Brandon Flowers- The Desired Effect
Death Cab for Cutie- Kintsugi
Dwight Yoakam- Second Hand Heart
ZBB- Jekyll + Hyde
A$AP Rocky- At. Long. Last. A$AP
Third Eye Blind- Dopamine
Chvrches- Every Open Eye
Cage The Elephant- Tell Me I'm Pretty
How did you like the Desired Effect compared to Flamingo?
It's a great album, but I'd still give the edge to Flamingo. Especially the deluxe edition. Absolutely brilliant album.
Clearest Blue had to be the best track from Chvrches new album. I'm dying to see them live.
Good call on Chvrches and A$AP
Brandon Flowers can sing?! Damn multitalented dub alumni!
needtobreathe -- Live From The Woods. Much as I love their studio work, these guys are just waaay better in concert, and this live album captures their energy perfectly. The boys from Possum Kingdom, SC, knocked it out of the park with this one.
Older song, but similar artist/power. He's Jacksonville, Fla, but still obviously Southern:
Check out J.J. Grey and Mofro:
Nice! Thanks for sharing.
1) Uncomfortable by Andy Mineo - Absolutely nails every track. A lot of truth in his lyrics. Album of the year by far for me.
2) Montevallo by Sam Hunt - Could be an unpopular choice, but I don't wanna get into the debate of whether or not he's country, but thought his debut album was very good.
I'm glad to see this thread. I always look forward to seeing what other TKP users listened to throughout the year.
My top 15 albums shook out like this:
1 Butch Walker - Afraid of Ghosts
2 Beach Slang-The Things We Do to Find People Like Us
3 The Wonder Years - No Closer to Heaven
4 Frank Turner - Positive Songs for Negative People
5 Josh Ritter - Sermon on the Rocks
6 Nate Ruess - Grand Romantic
7 Sleater - Kinney - No Cities to Love
8 Logic - The Incredible True Story
9 Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free
10 Refused - Freedom
11 Ryan Adams - 1980
12 Sorority Noise - Joy, Departed
13 Doomtree - All Hands
14 Better off - Milk
15 The Wombats - Glitterbug
For you Ryan
WilliamsAdams fans you may want to check out that Butch Walker album. He produced it and you can tell his influence is all over the record. EDIT: hahahaha. Ryan Adams. Not Ryan Williams. Although, I would listen to a Butch album produced by RMFW just because.Here's some youtube links for a few of my favorite songs from this list for those that are interested:
Frank Turner - Get Better
Butch Walker - Afraid of Ghosts
Logic - Lord Willin
Beach Slang - Hard Luck Kid
Jason Isbell - 24 Frames
Oh. I'm just gonna go ahead and say that the above list isn't what I thought was the best albums of last year, just simply what I enjoyed the most. (mumble mumble....i have questionable taste in music sometimes....mumble mumble)
+1.....for Butch Walker.
What a great talent.
I got to see him in the day with the Marvelous 3, and then 2 years ago solo.
He is raw and deep and has crazy vocal range.
If you enjoy him, check out Dallas Green, goes by City & Color.
Totally jealous of you for seeing Marvelous 3. Weirdly enough, I loved M3 but didn't really go to shows back then and then they broke up. Fast forward a couple years later and I randomly bought Butch's Letters album in the used $5 bin at the Record Exchange in Blacksburg one day. I spun the hell out of it without even knowing Butch was the singer for Marvelous 3. A year or so later when I made the connection my mind was blown. But yeah, I saw him on the Sycamore Meadows tour. Outstanding performer.
Shout out to Butch Walker. Haven't heard his new album but really like him and loved M3 back in the day. If you haven't do so yet, read his autobiography "Drinking with Strangers". Fast read with amazing stories of his music career starting with his hair metal band in the 80s.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Just ordered it used from Amazon.
Butch Walker also made an appearance on an episode of 'Live from Daryl's House" on Palladia. Great show!
The Wonder Years album is awesome. Cigarettes and Saints has been one of my favorite songs for months now.
Cigarettes and Saints and The Bluest Things on Earth might be two of the best songs TWY have ever done. Both are soooooo good.
Damn. I'd been told to listen to Butch Walker before and kind of shrugged it off, but Afraid of Ghosts is a killer track.
I'm glad you're digging it. The entire album is pretty solid. Be warned though: If you go back further in in his discography he gets a bit rockier and less folkier. If that's your thing, enjoy.
21 Pilots - Blurryface
X Ambassadors - VHS
Death Cab for Cutie - Kintsugi
Many more that I'm blanking on right now. It was a pretty good year for rock, but a great year for alternative.
My Morning Jacket's Waterfall is pretty good.
Having a little trouble putting together a list, though. I'm still listening to my favorite albums from 2008.
I'm slow.
I have really like Twenty One Pilots album Blurryface. It's not predictable and or full of Dr. Sues simple rhymes and each song sounds different which is getting harder to find.
Also thanks for the Tame Impala tip, I have always liked the singles I have heard from them and like buying albums so it's up next on Spotify.
Also liking the Big Grams mentions, a really solid collaboration and entertaining collaboration
Black Messiah technically came out last year but I'm a fan of the choice regardless
Traveller - Chris Stapleton
Hold My Beer Vol 1 - Wade Bowen & Randy Rogers
Turnpike Troubadors - Turnpike Troubadours
Something More Than Free - Jason Isbell
Underdog - Aaron Watson
Cass County - Don Henley
Brokedown - Josh Grider
Have you made it out to see any of the HMBWT shows that Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers have done? Great stuff.
I haven't but I've heard they are really good
Ouch! I don't think I've ever felt so old in my life. I've only even heard of a half dozen of these artists. Sigh.
Right there with you!
But I actually learned to like (some) hip hop after sampling last year's recommendations. Goes to show you just never know.
The thing I learned in my long ago yute, one should never discount music in any of the forms it takes. Even my dad, who would be ancient were he still alive, said often, "there's no accounting for taste", but he meant it in an inclusive, not derisive way. He was also frequently quoting John Lennon with "whatever gets ya through the night" in the same way. We argued about rock, which he didn't care for, and big band, which I didn't want to listen to, but we were in agreement on Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Flatt and Scruggs, for example. My point is that while he didn't listen to a lot of artists, most of most of the rest of us don't either, given the enormous amount of music there is in the world. And with all that said, I usually know good music when I hear it, whether I want to hear it again or not. I'll read the posts in this thread again and try to be on the lookout for an opportunity to hear some of these folks.
Doing a list this year for me was pretty difficult as last year was just so good. For some reason, I can't put any live or cover albums on my list - if I did, Ryan Adams Live at Carnegie Hall would be at the top hands down. I've also been a really big fan of the Sam Cooke covers that The-Dream just recently did.
Stand out albums for me would be: Noah Gundersen - Carry the Ghost, Leon Bridges - Coming Home, Ben Rector - Brand New, and Breaking Benjamin - Dark Before Dawn.
There's was also a pretty huge emergence of pop punk albums this year. Bring on 2016!
I still haven't listened to the new Breaking Benjamin stuff. I didn't like Failure when it came out and could never really pinpoint why. It almost felt sloppy to me from a compositional standpoint.
I thought it was a pretty solid album as a whole. I felt like I was deciding between that one and Bullet for My Valentine's Venom. Tough call.
I totally forgot about that Gundersen album when I made my list. It's really good. Slow Dancer is a hell of a song.
Whew okay been mentally preparing for this.
Now, a few others that I loved but didn't quite make my Top 5:
Parade of Lights - Feeling Electric, you may have heard these guys if you play FIFA 16 since they made the soundtrack. They opened for AWOLNATION and if you're into this new pop-rock/metropopolis fad then you're going to love these guys. They're the next big thing I believe.
Houndmouth - Little Neon Limelight, if you're into folk rock/americana give these guys a listen ASAP. This album is so fun to listen to and it excels at one of those feel good albums.
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly, not going to say much here. Though I didn't listen to it as much as others I was still able to appreciate everything Kendrick did here and he deserves absolute recognition for this album.
Anyway, I'll probably think of more I missed. Maybe I'll add those.
Now that's some variety! Good call on The Devil Wears Prada. Space EP was great! But then again, I've loved every album they've put out.
Oh yeah I have everything but country on my iPod (yes an iPod. Classic, 80gb. I love it. ). But in regards to TDWP, I lost interest after the Zombie EP. Not sure why but Space rekindled my love for them. With roots above and branches below is one of my all time favorite albums.
I pretty much agree. I thought Space came up a little short of Zombie head-to-head, but I also thought Dead Throne was their low point as a band, and even that wasn't horrible. 8:18 wasn't bad and I feel like they've gotten back on track with Space EP. Nonetheless, they'll certainly never top WRA&BB. That was such an great album.
I'm hoping people identify the best tracks, and not just the albums.
I don't mind trying new music, but I don't really want to have to listen to an entire album to figure out if I might like the artist's best work.
Being of a different generation, I might find some nuggets here (I like just about everything Florence and the Machine produces), but much of it I'm not really into "the hiphop".
First comment ever and the albums are in no particular order.
Tobias Jesso Jr – Goon
The buildup on this track is most excellent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu1Ko02P7vk&list=PL5xavCa109_qTI2zN5rlDB...
The Arcs – Yours, Dreamily
Who doesn't love a Black Keys side project?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CyjGhVua_s&list=PLEc6XFYfKI_DTSeJPpsSqh...
Leon Bridges – Coming Home
Anyone that sounds like Sam Cooke has my vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTrKkqE9p1o&list=PLWzjU_jXjQsFH11SS-1_zH...
Nathaniel Rateliff – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
So much of "The Band" in this track
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiMgSEIEPPI&index=6&list=PLWdwrO6Ov_l3rY...
Kurt Vile – B'lieve I'm Goin Down
Voice and song writing are so unique
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0p3AiVkWzU&list=PLfZIh-YocNrIOFR1Aoo42D...
Mine, too. Thanks for the recommendation!
Robert DeLong - In the Cards
The Districts - A Flourish and a Spoil
Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion
Frank Turner - Positive Songs for Negative People
Ryan Adams - 1989
Dawes - All Your Favorite Bands
Kurt Vile - B'lieve I'm Goin Down
Say Lou Lou - Lucid Dreaming
Glad someone else listened to the districts, favorite new band of this year, but they haven't gotten a whole lot of attention it seems
XMU played 4th & Roebling on rotation for awhile but I wasn't that impressed. Then I listened to the entire album and it was great!
Have you listened to the ep they put out before Flourish? Only 5 songs and the production's not as strong but the songs are really, really good.
I have not. I will add it to my New Rotation playlist now.
Surprised nobody mentioned Chris Stapleton.
I've been following Chris Stapleton since before his Steeldrivers days, and am glad he is finally getting some recognition. One of the purest voices in country, and a refreshing new take from the usual pop country (Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line) that has taken over the genre today. His song Parachute is also getting a ton of play during all of the bowl games this year.
THIS ^^^ so much! I also like that his wife is tagging along and providing absolutely beautiful, raw & angelic vocals on a number of his tracks. A real & true treat. But the bonus for me, the songs about whiskey 'n alkyhol.
I did! Up above :-)
Sorry, got lost in all the Kendrick Lamar and other stuff.
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly. Was a mf'ing journey. Front to back. The way he seamlessly infused jazz, funk, and hip hop together...and managed to hit on some very real and current social issues was perfect. Very very relatable album for me. Absolutely loved it.
From the Metalcore scene, I give to you:
August Burns Red - Found in Far Away Places - Probably the most musically innovative metal/metalcore album in the last 5 years, minimum. I've loved these guys from the beginning, and they have never recorded the same album twice, which I appreciate. They took some real risks on this one, and it turned out great, IMO. It's my album of the year.
Parkway Drive - Ire - This one took me a little while to come around on. It's quite a bit different from their previous work, which I love, so I was a tad disappointed upon first listen. After a few passes though, it found its way into my heart where it belongs. Nothing particularly innovative, but still one of the most intense bands out there with the best lyricist in any genre of metal and the best live show in music (IMO, of course).
Silverstein - I Am Alive in Everything I Touch - This is more post-hardcore/emo, but it's really a great album. Every track has background noise mixed in from a different city around the US/Canada. There's a good mix of harder stuff with some clean vocals. Another quality album from these guys.
The Devil Wears Prada - Space EP - This is the second EP these guys have put out, along with 3 full-length albums. They really know how to do an EP. The outer-space theme is prevalent throughout, and while it's probably not quite as good as their Zombie EP it's still a really good effort.
In Non-Metalcore (there is such a thing?), I really like the following:
Dustin Kensrue - Carry The Fire - This is my non-metalcore album of the year. Seriously, give this a listen. His voice has a grasp on my soul.
Frank Turner - Positive Songs for Negative People - Really catchy stuff, especially from a Brit. Have I mentioned I hate Brit Rock. I really like this guy, though. His best album since England Keep My Bones (which is his best work).
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Nightsweats - This is timeless stuff. Seriously, try to listen to this album and not have a good time.
Folk Soul Revival - Out of the Box - Gotta give a shoutout to my favorite Virginia boys. This is their best work since 2010's Words Off a Tongue.
August Burns Red - Ghosts
Parkway Drive - Dying to Believe
Dustin Kensrue - There's Something Dark Inside of Me
+1 for Silverstein and Folk Soul Revival.
Though I've listened to less hardcore this year, ABR continues to be my all time favorite hardcore band.
Also +1 for SON OF A BITCH!
The Night sweats get a vote for the best named backup band.
I'm curious though, why the hate for Brit Rock?
I don't hate all Brit Rock. I like Bullet For My Valentine, and really like Frank Turner and Mumford & Sons, and of course, they ruled the 60's through 80's, but I've always kind of viewed the "mainstream" British rock of my era as really whiny. Radiohead, Coldplay, Muse, even going back to bands like Oasis & Bush; I just can't get behind them.
Thanks and I can see the point.
I cut my teeth a long time ago on Rush, but I like it all.
Good Lord I am old! 512's mention of Brit Rock as Muse, Coldplay and even Bush (who I love) tells it all. Brit Rock to me is Beatles, Stones, Moody Blues, Dave Clark 5, Little Faces and then there is the mighty LED ZEPPELIN.
Always felt like Muse was the UK second rate attempt to copy Green Day (which they did NOT). JMOP.
Wow... that is a strange association. I really can't think of anything about Green Day that compares to Muse. Matt Bellamy can play guitar as well as any of the guitar legends of the 70's and Muse has a significantly more genuine edge to them. Now, realize I am biased but listen to "Plug In Baby," "The Small Print" and "Stockholm Syndrome" and tell me there is anything in the Green Day catalog like it.
I completely agree. Muse is probably my favorite band on the planet and has been since "Showbiz." To compare Green Day and Muse is apples to oranges. They're completely different in every way imaginable, though uniquely talented. I would argue that both are similarly innovative in that both bands attempted their own unique rock operas; Green Day's "American Idiot" was wholly unique, albeit dated, while Muse's "The Resistance" arena rock/anthemy attempt channeled a lot of classical music in a newish way. I love Muse and I love the way that "Drones" returned to their earlier sound; I just feel like sometimes Matthew Bellamy needs to get out of his own way and lay off the hot button political commentary.
Muse is the modern day Rush.
Oh no. Sorry. Not even remotely close. And American Idiot, Dookie and 21st Century Breakdown. Any one of those single albums absolutely p*wn whatever Muse has EVER put out combined.
Well, yes, I agree with you about Green Day vs Muse. I'm not a real big fan of Muse, but Green Day doesn't even compare to Muse. Let's put a partition in the discussion here.
Okay, now I think if you want to compare Muse to another band, I think they are closest to what Rush was in the 70s. Political lyrics, progressive instrumentation, a certain grandeur to their presentation.
Sure, if you're excluding all of the albums sales, Grammys, other awards, sold out shows, initiation into the R&RHOF during first year eligibility. Probably should flip that statement. And, in actuality, Green Day's American Idiot plus their single "121 Guns" are VERY political. Way more politically insightful than anything Muse could ever hope to put out. In fact, it's almost like Bellamy is making a feeble attempt to copy Armstrong and pass it off as his own.
Yes, definitely should flip that statement. Was written in haste while walking into the mall.
But yes, I'm excluding all of the things you mentioned and only comparing the style of music.
I don't think that was meant that Muse was so much better as to be incomparable, but rather that their sound is just categorically different. They may both be alternative, but one is a former punk band that sold out and went mainstream, and the other is a progressive-tilted band that no matter how hard they try will never be Coldplay. It would be like comparing Zeppelin to Skynyrd.
Though for the record, as someone who loves Rush, I cringed at the comparison, though for the life of me I can't come up with a better one.
Yes, thank you for putting it into better words. My wife kept saying, "They just sound like Coldplay."
The Rush comparison was brought to my attention by a former co-worker. We were discussing Muse and he, knowing I'm a huge Rush fan, said, "You realize Muse is just a modern day Rush, right?"
My response was probably similar to yours. It went something like, "Noooooo....no.....dammit."
I think if Bono and Geddy Lee had a baby, it might be Matt Bellamy.
Ha! That's a good one. I'll have to tell that to my former coworker.
And Jethro Tull and early Rod Stewart and a bunch more. But hey, let's not forget those monsters of British rock, Herman's Hermits!!! Okay, I left out the Monkees on purpose. But, obviously, I seriously and facetiously digress.
Edit: Really, though, I dissed Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Traffic...OK, I'll quit. The more I drink, the more I rememberate.
+1 for Herman's Hermits, lol! My husband and I walked, or rather, skipped, down the aisle to "I'm Into Something Good".
Do people still buy entire albums ( in whatever form digitial, cd etc) I don't think I've done that since '05. I seem to buy a song here or there or just listen for free on an app.
I do. Just bought couple actually (digital) and even requested a couple CDs and vinyls. One particular that I purchased digitally was the Blues Bros Original Soundtrack.
It just seems albums always have a few songs that don't hold up to the others.
Agreed. Then there's always the off chance that maybe what you listened to didn't connect at the time but it does later (often the case with me).
There aren't many albums I've listened to where each song has been as equally as listenable and enjoyable as the other.
All true, but the album used to be an artists way of expressing themselves, not always in a commercial and easily available way, so flip sides and deep tracks were just that, until sometimes being discovered years later to be good stuff. Also, when an artist used to release an album, THEY GOT FREAKIN' PAID FOR IT! If you steal music, you are stealing an artist's livelihood in a profession that is incredibly difficult to make a living in. Rant over.
I'm the opposite from you. I can count on one hand how many times I've only bought a single and not the whole album.
Granted I collect CDs and records so that has something to do with it. I like to have a physical copy and not just digital (last I counted I have over 475 CDs and about 50 records. Just started with records this past summer though.)
I'm right with you, i don't buy singles and will only buy albums. If you like an artist support them and everything they make. This makes me a bit pickier when i do pick up something on vinyl but I want it to be some so complete front to back and something i can pass on to my kids. So far for 2016 the vinyl I have bought are Leon Bridges- Coming Home, The Arcs-Yours, Dreamily, and Simon & Garfunkel's-The Concert in Central Park
Jason Isbell "Something more than free" made me rethink an entire genre.
If you like Isbell you should check out his last album Southeastern, my favorite by far.
Also the Drive By Truckers was a band he was in and while a little more southern rock oriented than alt country, still some good stuff.
Ryan Bingham is also pretty good, a little more traditional but still alt country.
One more I forget, my bad:
Wale - The Album About Nothing
I listen to mostly Bluegrass/country, blues, and rock. Not much rap and hip hop for me.
My top albums would be (in no specific order):
City and Colour - If I Should Go Before You, specifically the songs Lover Come Back and Northern Blues
Chris Stapleton - Traveler, the entire album
The Foo Fighters - Saint Cecilia EP, I wasn't overly impressed with Sonic Highways and Saint Cecilia gets back to their hard hitting rock they're known for.
Four Year Strong - Self-Titled. I've been a huge FYS fan since early high school and this is one of my favorites from them. It's up there with Enemy of the World.
Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley - Before The Sun Goes Down. the entire album is great. Two very talented guys doing Haggard covers and some originals.
The Steeldrivers - Muscle Shoals Recordings. I haven't listened to this one as much, but it's still a great album. Up there for one of my favorite Steeldrivers albums.
Eric Church - Mr. Misunderstood. Overall just a great album.
Easton Corbin - It's About To Get Real. I think it's a good album considering the current direction of younger country singers (i.e. FGL, Luke Bryan, etc.) I've always liked him though. He reminds me a lot of young Alan Jackson.
Now see I really enjoyed Sonic Highways. I'm curious about St Cecilia. I think this band is a lock for the R&RHOF when they become eligible.
I enjoyed Sonic Highways based off of the concept. The songs weren't bad but I wasn't overly impressed with it.. I've heard the mini series is kickass though. Definitely check out St. Cecilia. It's a lot more in your face hard rock like their older stuff. It's free on iTunes too so go check it out!
And yea definitely they should be. If not the band then at least Dave Grohl. A lot of people aren't huge fans of him but he has been one of the major factors for today's rock scene with his days in the DC underground, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures, and now as a producer. He's a super chill down to earth guy too.
Edit: if you haven't read Grohl's biography "This Is A Call" you should check it out too. Pretty cool account starting from when he was a kid and just being introduced to the underground scene in DC to moving to Seattle, joining Nirvana, starting FF, etc. it was a fairly quick read for me too.
No, they should DEF induct the entire Foos especially because of Pat Smear. Freakin legendary. Grohl already got in with Nirvana. My personal fave from the miniseries was Nashville and the vid Congregation they shot with Zac Brown on guitar and BGVs. Too bad they NEVER put that vid on YouTube (drives me absolutely effin insane). I'm just gonna purchase the epi off of iTunes (mainly for the vid at the end).
That's true. I forgot nirvana was already in. I agree that Pat Smear is awesome though. He added another element to the band when he (re)joined the band.
I'll have to check out the miniseries sometime
Rob Ickes. Wow. I love What It Is.
He's a phenomenal musician. I'm a huge fan of Blue Highway and he's the reason I started playing dobro. Don't know if you're into bluegrass, but his work on Alan Jackson's "The Bluegrass Album" is amazing.
Three Bells should be on my album list too actually. Rob Ickes, Jerry Douglas, and Mike Auldridge. Three dobro legends recorded it right before Mike passed away.
Ickes was awesome on The Bluegrass Album. I haven't listened to a lot of bluegrass since I stopped DJing an Americana slot on WUVT many years ago but I always preferred Rob Ickes to Jerry Douglas. Much respect for learning to play the dobro. Very hard instrument to play well.
Yea it was actually the album that made me want to learn. And yes, I agree! Jerry Douglas is great, but Rob just makes it seem so effortless and always plays the right note at the right time. He and Andy Hall from the Infamous Stringdusters are my favorite dobro players, followed by Jerry Douglas and Mike Auldridge.
Rob's side project Three Ring Circle is great too. It's him, Greg Pomeroy, and Andy Leftwitch who is basically Rob's equivalent on the mandolin. Andy is a phenomenal instrumentalist. This is Rob and Andy performing one of Rob/Blue Highway's originals Monrobro. It's absurd how much talent these two have.
And yea man, it's way harder than it sounds. Been playing guitar for 12 years and figured it be a pretty easy transition, but after playing dobro for 2 years now too, I still feel like I haven't learned anything at all haha
Strung Out-Transmission.Alpha.Delta
Edited to add Millencolin-True Brew
Great album and amazing song
Nathaniel Ratliff-s.o.b
That "I Keep Forgettin'" loop that WatchESPN plays at every commercial break. It's all I need. /s
Top albums for me were
Great Albums
High on Fire - Luminiferous
If you like riffs this will not disappoint as with of all Pike's albums.
Jeff the Brotherhood - Wasted on the Dream
The most polished album from JTB, with a few great songs and only a couple of studio driven ones that keep this from being even better.
Windhand - Grief's Infernal Flower
Probably my favorite Doom album of the year, not quite as good as Soma was but pretty fantastic and does Richmond proud once again.
Very Good Albums
Jason Isbell - Something More than Free
Some great songs here like Children of Children, the title track and 24 Frames and just a step back from Southeastern which is an all time classic.
The Mountain Goats - Beat the Champ
Lyrically the most in depth concept album I heard this year. While at first glace an album about wrestling might seem simple but the songs are anything but if you get into John's lyrics.
Lord Dying - Poisoned Alters
My riff of the year probably came from Darkness Remains, but overall a great sophomore effort with tons of sludge metal goodness for all.
Ryan Bingham - Fear and Saturday Night
Another great alt country album by a guy who always seems to have a highlight or two up his sleeve.
Weedeater - Goliathan
Dixie and company brings another great stoner/sludge metal effort here with a solid effort all around, still I wish they could convey their live shows into the albums.
Solid Albums
My Morning Jacket - The Waterfall
A righting of the ship after a couple of lackluster efforts, some really good tracks and a nice flow to the album. Still one of the greatest live acts going right now.
Jeff the Brotherhood - Global Chakra Rhythms
The brothers are finally back on their small label and it shows on this psyched out album. Lots of sitar and indian influence on this album.
The Dears - Times Infinity Vol 1
Finally the back on the scene after a few years off and basically this is a typical dears album, but after a strong start I wanted a little more on the backend of this effort.
Top songs of the year.
Forest Clouds - Windhand
Black Cherry Pie - Jeff The Brotherhood
Darkness Remains - Lord Dying
Dark Side of the Compass - High on Fire
I Used to Pray for the Heavens to Fall - The Dears
Children of Children - Jason Isbell
Whatever I Want - Jeff the Brotherhood
In Its Infancy (T Waterfall) - MMJ
Heel Turn 2 - The Mountain Goats
Top Shelf Drug - Ryan Bingham
Chris Stapleton - Traveller
Anderson East - Delilah
Enough people know about Stapleton, but I discovered Anderson East when I saw him open for Sturgill Simpson in Knoxville. It was just him acoustically and I couldn't get a read on him so I started browsing YouTube and found his Muscle Shoals Sessions......wow. Soul, horns, energy!
Delilah came out and start to finish is easy to listen to, something for everyone.
Haven't seen it on here but Lovetap by Smallpools was great all the way through. Anybody who listens to alternative music has heard "Dreaming" by now, but there are some other gems on there as well.
Chris Stapleton - Traveller
Cam - Untamed
Thomas Rhett - Tangled Up (won't win any awards, it's just fun)
Adele - 25 (I'm not too proud)
Biggest disappointment: Eric Church - Mr. Misunderstood; I like all of his previous albums, and this one was unremarkable at best.
Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but this came out when I was travelling, and then I wanted to wait until I finished my end-of-the-year post for my own blog...but that's taking way longer than expected, so let's just do this now.
Anyways, 2015 was a really, really great year for music. I normally do a top 10, but had to do 15 this year because whittling it down that far was not feasible. I could make a case for any of these to be in my top 5, and I'd go to bat for all of them as been some truly excellent pieces of music. And note, these are my favorite albums, not best. Also, sorry for the length, I tend to get carried away talking about music.....
So from top to bottom in this format:
#) Artist - Album (Genre)
{Quick word(s) about the record}
[link to representative song(s)]
1) Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color (soul-rock, r&b, blues-rock, rock&roll)
A massive step up from the retro-leaning debut. They play with space and timing in their performances in ways that very, very few bands ever manage. As players, they've reached another level (and damn does it show live). Also, Brittany's voice is a powerhouse and these songs are catchy and powerful and occasionally other-worldly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oib0a2_itA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ1w76m0JKo
2) Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free (Americana, folk, country)
Jason Isbell is without a doubt the best songwriter working right now. It's not close, and that's not me exaggerating, it's just a level-headed survey. This is maybe the slightest step down from Southeastern, but that was an all-time classic. This album is more about character sketches than personal narrative, and he can say more in one line than most songwriters in a full song. This is the work of an all-time great in his prime (again, level-headed survey). (Also, listen to "Speed Trap Town" if you feel like crying at work).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIC4KY4Ak6s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lhk70M1KpDs
3) Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit (indie-guitar-rock)
Courtney Barnett delivers big riffs backing excellent, thought-provoking songwriting. That is literally my favorite kind of band. The riffs derive from Nirvana and Pavement and other 90's sources. The writing is a master class in stream-of-consciousness that makes the significant seem minor and the pedantic seem life-changing. But most of all, it shares a perspective and state of mind that is assuredly her's, something most songwriters take a lifetime trying to achieve.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-nr1nNC3ds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NVOawOXxSA
4) Dawes - All Our Favorite Bands (folk-rock, Americana, understated guitar solo master class)
Taylor Goldsmith is one of the finest songwriters around. I've been listening to this album for 6 months, and still find myself being floored by lines I didn't notice before. The band is also at it's best here, and are putting on a clinic for melodic, understated guitar solos (think a very, very (, very) concise Jerry Garcia or Mark Knopfler).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNpSpMMfQis
5) Baroness - Purple (heavy-rock, stoner-rock, metal)
I had almost given up on heavy music, but this late 2015 addition has pulled me back in. Simultaneously their heaviest and most melodic record, it also features their proggiest song-structures with some most excellent break downs (the transition at the end of "Kerosene" is an unadulterated Rush-ism). Strong stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBYnFo8tcJI
6) The Districts - A Flourish and a Spoil (indie-guitar-rock)
Another entry into my favorite mode of music (big riffs, heady lyrics), and my favorite new band of 2015. It's catharsis and jams and top-notch two-guitar interplay and emotional wrecking balls and huge choruses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLZ-i2hu6GA
7) Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly (hip-hop)
If I was judging purely off artistic audaciousness this would be the top spot. Rarely does someone dive so fully and honestly into themselves, social issues, and society at large, and accomplish it so masterfully, with all the beauty and ugliness of life in tact. Fuses classic hip-hop with jazz and funk in new ways. Lacks the songs and narrative that made good kid m.A.A.d city impulsively listenable, but a challenging, important work of art.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaB2g_eF6T8
8) Kamasi Washington - The Epic (jazz, jazz-fusion, etc)
I love jazz, but there's not a whole lot of modern players that make me as excited as the old stuff (note, this is more my failing than the scene, so if you want to turn me onto something great, please do) but this album bowled me over. Strong elements of Coltrane circa A Love Supreme and Ole, as well as Hancock's 70's fusion albums, plus whatever else was on Kamasi's mind that day. He had the gall to call his debut album The Epic, and at 3 cds with 3 hours of music delivers. Is it a bit much? Of course. But when the food's this good you don't quibble about portion size. You eat till you're full and spend the rest of the year working on the leftovers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuQdtFb_Z2k
9) Futurebirds - Hotel Parties (alt-country, psychadelic-americana)
Straight outta Athens, GA, Futurebirds take a psychadelic approach to alt-country, but on Hotel Parties trim down the jams to focus on their finest batch of songs to date. Excellent, cutting lyrics about life on the road (that manage to be universal enough to apply to anyone) matched with some spaced out arrangements. Some great tunes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjniTLP4TiM
10) The Trillions - Superposition (garage-rock, power-pop, math-rock, rock&roll)
Among the finest bands in RVA, the Trillions combine garage-rock power with startling precision in their riffs and compositions. Musically complex but balanced by some straight-ahead rock&roll, this is great stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WGb7YYafaA
11) Chris Stapleton - Traveller (americana, country)
He's been blowing up lately after the CMA wins/performance, but this guy's got the songs to prove it. A former Nashville hit-maker turned real-country torch bearer, the man can write some damn fine songs, and put together a hell of a band to play 'em. He's also one of the best singers around, matching an old-school soul croon with a heavy twang.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zAThXFOy2c
12) John Moreland - High On Tulsa Heat (folk-blues, americana)
Moreland is a hell of a songwriter, and a master of sad songs. Though as he says it, it's not that they're sad, they just make you feel a lot. I can attest to that. Half of this album is solo acoustic, the other shambling Americana, all backing excellent writing and a voice that cuts straight to the bone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c40ou27eoFs
13) Built to Spill - Untethered Moon (indie-guitar-rock)
Doug Martsch is among my very favorite guitar players and this is him at maybe his best. His voice and lyrics bend towards a cautious catharsis and sense of wide-eyed wonder but the band turns up the volume and shows off his excelent sense of compsitional layering and inventive solos (see: the squawking southern-rock breakdown of "All Our Songs", the Death Star tractor beams of "On The Way", the stomping stoner-rock riffage of "So", and the barely contained strangling chaos of "When I'm Blind").
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnq1OrbwHt4
14) Screaming Females - Rose Mountain (punk, hard-rock, indie-guitar-rock)
This should be ranked higher. Screaming Females are the best punk band in the world, and continue their ridiculous run of ridiculously good albums with Rose Mountain. The songs here are catchier, and the guitar crunch is cleaner than ever, but they are still intent on pummelling you with riffs and solos from one of the best guitar players of the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxIdHvFemxg
15) Oddisee - The Good Fight (hip-hop, soul-loops & boom-bap)
Lives and Brooklyn but from the DMV area. Oddisee is a top-notch producer with a flow that's every bit as strong. Lyrically the album is basically a tour-de-force of his perspective on life and what it means to fight for what you want to better yourself and the world. It sounds way more self-important and pretentious when I say it though, so just listen. (TKP SPECIAL! Since a lot of you guys seem to be into intelligent hip-hop LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM RIGHT NOW. HAPPINESS AND JOY AND BEATS AND RHYMES AND LIFE WILL RAIN DOWN ON YOU BECAUSE IT'S A REALLY DAMN GOOD RECORD).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYFNV-qrB1o
First 4 out: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Natalie Prass, Modest Mouse, Cage the Elephant
Ok, sorry for my total failure at brevity. I'll stop now.
+1 for Futurebirds! This is a list I can get into. Definitely WUVT approved.
Awesome! Futurebirds are great. I saw them at the Camel a couple months ago (very small venue in richmond, I was 2 feet from them) and they killed the new stuff.
And I really miss my radio show. If I knew about half the music then that I do now it could have been even better. I used to think the long-timers were a little curmudgeonly with us students, but I kind of get it now.
Once you graduate and move away, you realize how smart the long timers are and why those shows are the one you really HAVE to listen to.
Len's show is friggin amazing and Alan Moore, Zy, and Jim Dubinsky play great stuff. Full Nelson Bandana was one I always enjoyed too. Not sure if Josh is still around.
Len, Jim, and Zy were great shows, I should really tune in again. Jim got me listening to the drive-by truckers which opened up a huge can of worms.
The best call I ever got during a show was from a trucker who said he passed by all the time and loved catching my show. He thanked wuvt in general and started listing shows, "you, len, [a few others] are great man, you guys play the SHIT out of the radio." That was a good day.
That's a good call. Ever talk to Mike from Craig County? When I graduated I regretted never having gone out to one of his potluck jams.
I didn't, hadn't heard of him. My biggest regret is never going to the bluegrass jam at the county store...I think that was Giles County though.
There was a bluegrass jam that met at the General Store in Floyd that was pretty good, and a friend and I went to the one at the River City Grill in Radford every Monday.
Floyd General Store was the one I was thinking of, didn't know about the Radford one. So many missed opportunities.
Yea the Radford one was a lot of fun. It's at the River City Grill right across the street from Sharkey's. There were usually about 10-20 people playing and they had a pretty good menu and bar. Do you play an instrument?
Yup. I play guitar mainly and dabble in other string instruments on occasion. I'm probably more focused on songwriting at this point though.
Awesome. I play guitar and dobro! haha if you have the chance, you should definitely stop by the Radford jam even if its just to watch. It's a lot of fun and they're there for about 3-4 hours on Monday nights.
Also, OT but I like your user name. Gremlins is such a good movie.
Props on the dobro, difficult instrument but so great to listen to. One day I will make it to the Radford jam. I have zero experience with bluegrass but I know a few traditionals and I like to think I'd be able to keep up at least.
Not buying one the new Baroness as their heaviest album see red or blue or my fav the split they did. I used to love these guys, especially since they're from Lexington, but the past couple of albums have been let downs for me. I did like Petes other project Valkyrie last album kind of late70s style rock.
Had no idea that Pete was in Valkyrie, I saw them at Gwarbq this year and they were one of the highlights of the festival for me.
Purple's not the heaviest consistently, but it's got a lot of their nastiest riffs in my opinion. I may have overstated though, just from the fact that it's considerably heavier than Yellow&Green while also being more melodic which I think is a pretty rare feat for a metal band. I haven't listened to the split, to be honest, I probably should.
Yeah, Purple is heavier than Y&G for sure and IMO a better album overall. The split has much harsher vocals similar to first and second or the other two albums. I think honestly maybe I just don't love Baizley's voice when he is melodically singing as opposed to the growl. And to be fair I have gotten more of a heavy and harsh streak in my tastes in the last couple of years.
I wished I could have made it down to see that show as I love Down and I really wanted to catch a band called Mutoid Man, but had too much going on.
I've been following this band basically since they started since all the original members are from my hometown. It's definitely been interesting following all of their albums through the years and listening to how their sound has evolved over time and with new members. I definitely think Purple has some of the best melodies and overall songwriting I've ever heard from the band, but the production is really weird. The sound seems overly compressed and it sounds like all my speakers are blown out. Definitely didn't come off sounding as good as it could have, because these are all really good songs.
It is sad that the harsh Baizley growls from the EPs have disappeared, but I do give them a ton of credit in that they have never put out any two records that sound the same. I will always think of Red Album as being their best work and best sound, but it always excites me when any new Baroness comes out. Just keeps me guessing what these guys will do next.
Yeah I think the vocals mostly comes down to taste. I don't listen to a lot of metal, so I'm partial to the new stuff but I don't think it's radically different from Blue Record. I actually got into the band because a clerk at Crossroads (formerly of Blacksburg, in case it wasn't there when you were) who I talked to a lot knew them personally and recommended then brand-new Blue Record when I was buying a Clutch cd.
Totally agree on the production. They brick-walled the hell out of it in the mastering, making it yet another victim to the loudness war. On top of that, I think Fridmann doesn't produce a lot of heavy bands, and this felt like him trying out stuff he'd done with the Flaming Lips on Embryonic that makes sense for a psych band, but not a metal band. Specifically where he pushed the drums all the way into the red to give them a super-compressed sound. It's kind of cool at first but wears on your ears, and just comes off as harsh where the rhythm section needs to have a lot more warmth and dynamicism to support all these guitar-heavy arrangements.
ie. compare
The Sparrow Looks Up At The Machine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loj2EEMiicU
with
Morningstar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYF5FCu_M-k&list=PL3cuituvaZOZaBTln3rxxW...
Yeah I definitely remember Crossroads being in Blacksburg. We used to have a Crossroads in Lexington too back in the day. Purple is hands-down some of the best songwriting these guys have done. The vocal melodies and hooky choruses are great, and that melody is what separates this album from Blue Record for me. Just has a lot less metal and more pop/rock feel to it while still having a trademark Baroness heaviness. I feel like Purple is a more refined attempt at what they were experimenting with on Y&G.
Red Album stands out to me so much since it came out my senior year, and everyone into the music scene at my high school was stoked when the album came out. It was their first full length, and so many Baroness standards came from that album (Rays on Pinion, The Birthing, Isak, Wanderlust). The guys had all relocated to Savannah, GA and rose to prominence there, but the band definitely had its roots in Lexington. I remember they and Valkyrie (whose original members are also all from Lexington) would play shows at the skate park and elsewhere around town when they were just starting out in the early-mid 2000s. It was definitely a fun local music scene. It wasn't surprising at all that they kept the Lexington connection with Pete from Valkyrie joining the band when they switched guitarists before recording Blue.
Controversial Opinion - I've seen a lot of people list To A Pimp From A Butterfly. I appreciate the social relevance of the album given all of the issues in Ferguson, NYC, Baltimore, etc, but I really didn't enjoy the album that much. IMO Kendrick's lyrical and story telling abilities are his biggest strengths, and neither are really featured on this album. Does anyone else agree, or am I just not cultured enough to appreciate it?
(EDIT) Second Question: I notice I'm the only one who listed Compton: A Soundtrack. Do other's not like it, or have less people hear it since it's not on Spotify? Listening to it today, I think it's the one of most cohesive hip-hop albums to come out in the last half decade. Why no love here?
I tentatively agree. I think the story-telling aspect is still there but it's much more conceptual this time around. The songs build into a pretty complete idea and show the progression of his psyche (which is kind of the "story" here, I think), but it's certainly nothing like the "short-film" that good kid was billed as. I do think that one of Kendrick's strong suits is his ability to rap in different voices to convey different characters and states of mind (which plays into his storytelling) and To Pimp A Butterfly shows that off better than anything he's ever done. I don't enjoy it as much but every time I put it on, it's an intense experience that pulls me in and I end up glad I put it on. I think it's an incredible work of art, but I'll only listen to it when I'm ready dive into something that intense. So yeah, culturally significant, technically accomplished, but nowhere near as much fun to listen to.
I would disagree that the lyrical and story-telling aspects aren't there, however, they are MUCH more subtle and nuanced than GCMC. As a result, it's somewhat less accessible to people who don't really put the time in to focus on the album and digest it, and that might be turning you off. My biggest problem with the album is that there are maybe two songs that can stand on their own. If "King Kunta" or "The Blacker the Berry" comes up on shuffle, they're easy to pick up and listen to. But the rest of the album basically HAS to be listened to as an album, which to me is a real downside. I think if that J. Cole/Kendrick collab actually drops this year, it'll be a lot more accessible, and much more enjoyable to listen to.
As for Compton, I was really excited when I heard about it, but I was greatly underwhelmed when I listened to it. Can't point to anything in particular cause it's been a while, but it was pretty disappointing to me.
Really?! I liked it soooo much more than Kendrick's album. It definitely has to be listened to in order, and there's really not a single on it, but it's just soooo classic west coast. As an album, I like it more than 2001 (which definitely has better singles, but isn't something I care to listen to start-to-finish IMO). I don't think anything could touch The Chronic.
1) Kendrick's album seemed to be less storytelling and more "deep cuts," per se. He was relating stuff to his life and etc., but some people didn't enjoy that part of the lyrical aspect. Even though he was getting deep, some of the people that listened to the album couldn't relate to it or follow a story.
2) I think Compton was a good album overall, but it's just not one of my favorites to listen to. That's just me, but I still listen to some songs from time to time.
Hey, can someone start a best of 2016 thread? I'm always on mobile and that's waaaay too much effort for me. I'm ready to see what you've crazies have been listening to for the past year.