Steve Gunn & Black Twig Pickers – “Trailways Ramble” [2015]

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Very Warm

I’ve been listening to Steve Gunn a bit, about a year or so and I just found this collaboration record, Seasonal Hire, from earlier this year with Black Twig Pickers, a bluegrass group. This record is pretty great – it’s like a mixture of blues, bluegrass and drone, interestingly enough. The last track is more on the drone side, which I really, really enjoyed. Check this out if you’re interested.

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Shigeto – “Detroit Part 1” [2013]

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Very Warm

Hello. Here’s one of my favorite wet fall songs. It’s also from a Michigan musician about a Michiganian city. Not sure why it reminds me of fall exactly – maybe it’s the mbira sounding a little bit like raindrops. I actually do remember listening to this one while driving in the fall rain. Everything stems from memories.

Trying to make a fall albums blog post, let’s see how long it takes!

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Underrated/Overlooked Records of 2015 so far

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Very Warm

Here we have a collection of 25 records that I feel as though not enough people are talking about in 2015. For each album I break down what it is, who it sounds like, and if it’s absolutely essential for your 2015 musical experience. You can click the album covers on this post to open up a sample of the record to see if you really dig it.

 

1. Ash Koosha – GUUDa1827440053_10
What it is: An insane, frenetic mix-a-lot electronic album with intense, frenzied sounds collapsing & reforming at a breakneck speed.
RIYL: Arca, Clarence Clarity, Lotic
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Yes, if you’re looking for a really unique electronic experience from 2015, look no further. If not, it might be cool to check out for a bit.

 

2. Braille – Mute SwanoRiQ9N
What it is: Moody mix of downtempo electronic, woozy RnB, laidback house and watery aesthetics. Lots of interesting textures and samples.
RIYL: Sepalcure, Machinedrum, FaltyDL
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Not really. If you’re super into the artists listed above, then yes. But if not, then you’re all good with skipping this.

 

3. Broken Water – Wroughtbroken_water_cd
What it is: The best Dinosaur Jr. / Sonic Youth / MBV collab album of 2015. 80s/90s proto-grunge.
RIYL: Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Ovlov
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Maybe, there are a few really killer songs on here, but for those looking for a really faithful recreation of the distinct sound of the three artists listed above collaborating with each other, definitely.

 

4. Clarence Clarity – No Nowclarence_clarity_-_no_now
What It Is: The most absurd pop album you’ll hear all year. As if an alien listened to adult contemporary radio stations from the 90s/early 00s and created some mutated version of that.
RIYL: Man, fuck if I know. Tobacco?
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Yes. You have to listen to this at least once or twice. It’s wild.

 

5. Daniel Bachman – Rivera0872409397_10-560x560
What It Is: Solo instrumental guitar wizardry. Dude puts fingerpicking tumblr stars into their graves.
RIYL: John Fahey, Itasca, William Tyler
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? It’s really nice to work to, plus hearing some straight-up DIRTY slides on the guitar is like a revelation. I like it a lot, so maybe.

 

6. Domenique Dumont – Comme Çaa2031369735_10
What It Is: A vacation condensed into audio form. A bubbling, twinkling chillwave bubble bath on some Mediterranean beach. Don’t ask me why the Mediterranean exactly.
RIYL: Air France, Korallreven, Studio, Balearic revivalists.
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? I think so, for sure. Extremely overlooked & overwhelmingly pleasant. TREAT YO’ SELF

 

7. Gossamer – Automaton91hmAHT7mGL._SL1479_
What It Is: Experimental, downtempo electronic music. Lots of atmospheric field recordings & minimal, yet appropriate use of bass. Downright hypnotic at some points.
RIYL: Nosaj Thing, Jon Hopkins, Flying Lotus
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Absolutely – one of the most interesting and subtly unique electronic albums of the year.

 

8. Heathered Pearls – Body Complexr8sG6j
What It Is: Ambient techno, similar to Gossamer in some ways but in this case a bit more equipped for the dance floor. Lots of smooth, dreamy moments backed with steady, minimal beats.
RIYL: Tycho + Matthew Dear, Beacon, Ghostly Artists in general.
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Electronic fans; do it up. Totally great mix of low key and high energy aspects of electronic music.

 

9. Institute – Catharsissbr135-institute-300_1024x1024
What It Is: Austin, TX-based punk + post-punk + garage punk + who really knows at this point. It’s on Sacred Bones Records, so there ya go.
RIYL: Protomartyr, The Birthday Party, The Jesus Lizard
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Institute seems to be one of those bands that every time I bring them up and the other person knows of them they’re always super into it, so sure. Get into it, punk fans.

 

10. Jack + Eliza – Gentle Warningsjack-eliza-gentle-warnings-15916
What It Is: Beach pop with some downright lovely guy+girl harmonies, but super minimal at the same time. Ultra refreshing pop for a world oversaturated in dreamy, too-reverbed effects. There are no drums.
RIYL: Tennis, Alvvays, Girlpool
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Not SUPER important, but a really interesting and good to have under your 2015 belt.

 

11. Jam City – Dream A GardenJam_City_Dream_A_Garden_Cover_Art
What It Is: Bizarre hybrid electronic. Warped disco grooves, bent all which ways. Some moments of ambiance, others frenzied and hectic.
RIYL: Shlohmo, Evian Christ, The Range
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Not really, but it’s a pretty neat album nonetheless.

 

 

12. Lakker – TundraLakker-Tundra
What It Is: Dark, experimental techno-leaning electronic. Huge swathes of dissonance and creepy, low-lying bass. Straight-up punishing at times. Really interesting sounding and badass.
RIYL: Andy Stott, Aphex Twin, Fuck Buttons, Haxan Cloak
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Yes, to electronic fans. Definitely, definitely, definitely listen to this.

 

13. LoneLady – Hinterlandlonelady_hinterland_new_album_the_405
What It Is: Wiry, post-punk influenced synth pop. Super unique, I really haven’t heard much else like this in my life. Definitey Talking Heads funk stylings going on here. Fuckin’ GROOVES-A-PLENTY.
RIYL: The Juan MacLean, Nite Jewel, Jessy Lanza
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Yes. Try it out for size & realize it’s your life’s calling to bob your shoulders to these beats.

 

14. Marriages – Salomemarriages-608x608
What It Is: Slow & moody rock with syrupy, yet cutting vocals. Guitar parts have some awesome distortion and have smoldering melodies.
RIYL: Chelsea Wolfe, Emma Ruth Rundle, Russian Circles
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? If you’re a fan of Chelsea Wolfe, this is a must-listen. Some really badass moments on this LP.

 

15. Outfit – SlownessENTZwJ
What It Is: Synth pop with smarts. Doesn’t go immediately for the sweetness factor, but let’s the listener boil in some sourness before getting into the grooves. Great use of noise, dissonance & atmosphere.
RIYL: Wild Beasts, Hot Chip
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Clearly a unique affair here. If you have lost your faith in synth pop, give this a try. But otherwise, nah.

 

16. Pinkshinyultrablast – Everything Else MattersPinkshinyultrablast
What It Is: Shoegaze from Russia with an incredible fusion of strange mathy elements and warping electronics. Brilliantly noisy and complicated.
RIYL: Wildhoney, Asobi Seksu, Westkust
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? If you’re into shoegaze or any type of euphoric noise, or hell even math rock to a degree, then absolutely. This record is a gem.

 

 

17. Roman A Clef – AbandonwareRoman-A-Clef-Abandonware-560x560
What It Is: You know I’m not really sure. Some really pure pop music; drawing from twee, to shameless 80s tropes, jangle pop, chamber pop, all condensed into one amazing package.
RIYL: Prefab Sprout, Nic Hessler, Belle & Sebastian
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Yes. This record is incredible and makes me feel nerdy for some reason. Please listen.

 

18. Ryley Walker – Primrose Greenryleywalker-primrosegreen
What It Is: Ultra-satisfying blend of folk rock, classic rock & even some jam band-leaning material. Van Morrison worship, which ain’t a bad thing. Awesome guitar playing and layering of tons of different instruments.
RIYL: Van Morrison, Jessica Pratt, Steve Gunn
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Yes, at least give this one listen. There are some pretty incredible instrumentals on this album that you shouldn’t be missing in 2015.

 

19. Sauna Youth – Distractionsa2455298299_16
What It Is: Straightforward post-punk: high energy, simple songwriting, group vocals, British accents, some cool experimentation- the whole nine yards.
RIYL: Total Control, Ramones, Protomartyr
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Eh, nah. Post-punk is interesting because a lot of the time it’s like you’ve heard one, you’ve heard them all. I really like this record, but that doesn’t mean you NEED to hear it.

 

20. Seoul – I Become A Shade29568-i-become-a-shade
What It Is: Blissful synth pop. So seriously smooth & lush, everything about this album feels good.
RIYL: Washed Out, Craft Spells, Braids
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Yes. Treat yourself to this summer breeze of an album. Just an overall feel-good time. They’re also really great guys in that band, so support them too.

 

21. Susanne Sundfør – Ten Love SongsP4b2ZL
What It Is: Huge chamber/synth pop with incredible vocals and instrumentals. There’s one 10-minute song with a legit orchestral arrangement. There’s harpsichord, there are pulsing electronics, 80s drum hits and more. So much on this album and it’s all great.
RIYL: Chvrches, Purity Ring, Kate Bush
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Yeah, I think so. This album is MASSIVE and absolutely necessary if you’re looking for some satisfying, indulgent pop with smashing vocals that ISN’T Chvrches.

 

22. The Weather Station – Loyaltyweatherstation
What It Is: Light, smoky folk with lovely vocals. Slow melodies with nothing too in your face. Just a leisurely forest ride, delightfully simple.
RIYL: Luluc, Jessica Pratt, Laura Marling
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Yes, for folk fans and those wanting something slow & relaxing. If not, then that’s okay.

 

23. Wildhoney – Sleep Through ItWildhoney1
What It Is: Shoegaze with a pop song mindset. Saccharine, buried vocals with really loud and piercing guitars. Dreamy, jangly, overpowering & fun.
RIYL: Pity Sex, Pinkshinyultrablast, Westkust
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Yeah – looking for shoegaze that isn’t as complicated as Pinkshinyultrablast? This is your target.

 

24. Yowler – The Offera2516597152_10
What It Is: Slow, flickering singer/songwriter Maryn Jones creating bedroom folk magic. Sad and lovesick, delicate yet passionate, hauntingly beautiful.
RIYL: Waxahatchee, The Microphones, quiet Mitski
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? Oh hell yeah. Everyone needs more barebones bedroom songs in their life.

 

25. 2814 – The Birth Of A New Dayartworks-000123992723-z2pg0d-t500x500
What It Is: Vaporwave, but technically ambient electronic. Ultra atmospheric. Makes me fall asleep in the best way. I’ve listened to this on the way home on the train for two months now, a perfect accompaniment.
RIYL: Tycho, Biosphere, Eluvium
Essential To Your 2015 Experience? YES! Oh man, I love this record so damn much. Listening to it at night is so satisfying. An overall incredible experience. Just put it on and let it take you away.

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TOPS – “Anything” [2015]

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Very Warm

Oh my goodness, there’s new TOPS music out. I still haven’t tired out their last two releases, so it’s not like I’ve been clamoring for new music, but new music is definitely appreciated. This track is coming off of an upcoming 7″ on Arbutus and is of the slow burner variety. Personally I’m more into their upbeat songs more, but this song is fantastic. Love love love it.

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Soichi Terada – “Voices From Beyond” [2015/1993]

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Very Warm

Stumbled across a collection of fun, bouncy house music from Japan recently. Thought it was recent but it’s in fact a compilation called Sounds From The Far East dating back to around 1993. This dude, Soichi Terada, apparently made the soundtracks to games like Ape Escape back in the 90s and 00s, which makes sense since this stuff could definitely be appropriate in a hectic game like Ape Escape. Check it out and boogie around a bit.

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The Sundays – “Hideous Towns” [1990]

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Very Warm

For some reason I slept on this band while I was going through trying to collect all the essential jangle pop from the 80s and 90s. That was a dangerous mistake for sure, but I’m glad I made up for it now. This record is too dang good! Instrumentals are super Smiths-esque and the vocals- oh man. They’re in another league. Blissful, twee, jangly goodness. For fans of Cocteau Twins, The Smiths, Lush & Mojave 3.

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Gossamer – “Print”

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Very Warm

91hmAHT7mGL._SL1479_Hey now this one might be a little self-serving or whatever since I’m working this record to college radio, but whatever! Very few people read this anyways. This Gossamer record Automaton out on Innovative Leisure has grown to be one of my favorites of this year so far. I honestly didn’t know what to think of it on the first few listens, but eventually it morphed into one of the most unique and interesting electronic records I’ve ever heard. It has traces of classic style IDM (Boards of Canada, etc), modern style downtempo (Four Tet) and a little bit of field recording and live instrumentation mixed in for good measure. I think it’s really something special.

“Print” is the first single off of the album and is probably the most immediately grabbing track on the record. It has a great melody and control of bass, not letting things get too out of control. There’s also a ton of really great textures that stretch along the surface of the track, making for ghostly sound effects and twinkling ambiance to float around the outskirts of the melodies. Just lots of depth to this project. I’m a big fan.

You can pick this record up from Innovative Leisure now:

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2 8 1 4 – “恢复 (Huīfù)”

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Very Warm

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Man! So glad to be back and posting regular #content now that my “Best of the Decade So Far” lists are over. Those were a big hassle, but I’m really glad I did them. It helped me rediscover some old favorites and really put on display some underrated records that I love, so it was all worth it.

To begin my return to normal content, I’ll be starting with my perfect night train soundtrack This is the first track from an expansive ambient release called 新しい日の誕生 (Google Translate tells me The Birth Of A New Day) and is the collaborative efforts of two “vaporwave” producers, t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者 and Hong Kong Express. I haven’t paid much attention to the vaporwave movement since 2013, where it was largely dominated by pitch-shifted samples of 90s RnB, gargled self-help instruction audio, and lots of Chinese & Japanese technological culture references. This record, on the other hand, is pretty devoid of samples, minus the occasional Blade Runner-esque overhead speaker announcement, and is largely built upon slow, cascading melodies that inch along like holographic glaciers, like most ambient music should.

The first track, the one I’m posting here, is the most immediate and striking out of the bunch, as it features a muted bass line as well as some super ethereal piano and unintelligible mumbling at the beginning, as if only now you’re waking up from a life long dream; or maybe even vice versa. You’re entering the ideal dream world thanks to the assistance of futuristic dream setting drugs. Who knows? Thanks to the open-ended nature of ambient music, that’s up for you to decide.

As a whole, it sounds like the cover: dark, neon-lit, atmospheric, feeling raindrops hit your face, a slight gust at your back, the sound of thumping bass from a club a few blocks away from your house, the feeling of staring at your ceiling while lying in bed, watching the city disappear behind you by train, muscle regeneration after a long days work, running on 1 hour of sleep and an energy drink you had 4 hours ago, the feeling of having someone on your mind for an entire day, etc etc etc. A pretty interesting alternative reality.

Check it out below. Not Not Fun records will be putting out a cassette of this on August 15th, I believe, so you know your boy is gonna be picking one of those up for sure. Hope you enjoy.

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The ’10s So Far :: 50 Albums (2010 – 2014)

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Very Warm

CBK DECADE Welcome to WV’s retrospective of the decade so far – my favorite records from 2010-2014. I’ve been toying around with the idea to make a list like this for a while now, mostly for my own personal nostalgia quencher. What better way to rediscover albums that I enjoyed in high school by pitting them against records I enjoyed in college and then make a list out of all of them? This was also a good way to reevaluate the “best of” lists I made from these years to see which albums really stuck with me and which ones kind of fell to the wayside.

I’m really proud of this list and I think it’s a pretty complete summation of my music taste in this moment and a snapshot of how it’s developed over the past five years. These five years have been pretty busy, too: two graduations, a big move, my first love, two jobs that made me listen to music, loads of new friends, etc. Lots of development here. But not just me personally, but the music industry as a whole has radically changed in five short years: “true” indie music is barely a thing anymore, streaming battles between corporations, hype cycles spin much faster now, and so much more. Things overall seem like they’re going so fast.

By taking the time to re-listen to all the albums on this list, I was able to slow my own listening processes down a bit, which was really refreshing. I’ve been working on this for about two months now, so it’s not something I just whipped up in a weekend. It was seriously a difficult trial to narrow down only 50 records from the past five years to highlight on this list. As you’ll immediately see below, I couldn’t find just 50. I’m weak. Hope you enjoy!

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(51.) Gorillaz – Plastic Beach

standard-emailnewlUnfortunately this one got bumped out of the #50 spot, but I still wanted to write a little something on it since it was in the selection process up until the very end. Gorillaz are the only band on this list that I’ve liked since middle school and this album is the first one from this decade that I was legitimately on the edge of my seat for. I remember going out and buying the CD the day it came out and being delighted that my favorite band at the time had not let me down. I feel like my mind has this record’s nostalgia factor turned up pretty high, but it’s still a real good listen.

50. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972

tumblr_n0jlgnV6S31su17npo2_1280I got into this album during the dregs of my senior year of high school after seeing the massive praise it received on basically every music blog I followed at the time. The mix of airy, ambient textures with the definite piano instrumentation motif, I loved how relaxing some songs on this record were. I even submitted my AP Psych class to listen to “In The Air III” for a presentation about brain auditory functions. I owe it to this record for getting me into more ambient music, which I thank it dutifully for.

49. Clams Casino – Instrumental Mixtape

tumblr_lldmnxhvNu1qbw47xo1_500The patron saint of the ‘10s cloud rap movement, Clams Casino single-handedly made some of the most ear-catching instrumentals of the year so far in an extremely short amount of time. The lavish, bass heavy production was the sound of the first few years, with artists like A$AP Rocky, Lil B, ScHoolboy Q and countless others gaining tons of blog attraction, mostly in part for the great Clams instrumentals. I haven’t heard anything recently that got as big as this early stuff did, but I hope something comes along.

48. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories

4e6c6fb2Oh how the mighty have fallen. I ranked this record as my favorite of 2013, but clearly it hasn’t stood the test of time. At the time, though, it was a euphoric blast of fun – a brand new taste of Daft Punk after so many years of waiting! What could be better? Well, I guess since Daft Punk stuck around to make a biopic about themselves and starred in a Tidal commercial, the mysterious freshness kind of disappeared. There are great songs on here, but sometimes the cheese factor overloads my senses and feels aged poorly, even after two years. Still a fantastic return from a much-beloved band, though.

47. White Denim – Last Days Of Summer

The true music taste is coming out with mention this record. White Denim is a criminally overlooked band and this is their best album in a pack of great albums. Each song is a happy burst of sunshine, with killer grooves and an overall relaxed atmosphere. There are some slight math rock/jazz rock elements tucked away in the barbeque-scented melodies, along with definite classic rock influence. Undeniably pleasant and wistful, this record needs to be on your summer playlist.

46. Ovlov – AM

ovlov-670x670Dinosaur Jr./90s noise rock rip off bands are about a dime-a-dozen these days with the advent of labels like Exploding In Sound that pick out all the best ones, such as Ovlov, but this record & band is another story. The shredding on this record is just out of this world, with sludgy, carnal guitar textures and song structures that focus on buildup. All the best songs on the record finish with intense, climactic guitar solos that emotionally guide the listener so perfectly. Unfortunately they don’t exist anymore, but I can surely say that this brought me into the world of local-ish bands and a whole new appreciation for the state of Connecticut.

45. Grimes – Visions

grimes-visionsWhere would indie pop music, or even mainstream pop be in 2015 if it weren’t for Grimes’ smash success Visions? This record may not be the most musically complicated, but it has undoubtedly changed the contours of the indie music scene following its release. This prompted countless reproductions of indie & mainstream synth hybrid records, none of which even come close to the catchiness and effectiveness of this one. Simplicity in this case is key, with unique synth textures that are easy to listen to multiple times, along with ultra-catchy pop melodies and a super unique, pixie-like voice.

 

44. Grouper – A|A – Alien Observer & Dream Loss

Grouper-Alien-ObserverThis double album, along with Ravedeath, 1972, were definitely my introductions to ambient records, with Ravedeath occupying the electronic spectrum and Grouper’s A|A filling the lo-fi singer songwriter type approach. I absolutely adore Grouper’s music, since it’s perfect to zone out to. The muffled, smudged tones all over this record is like being at the bottom of a murky pond: you can only feel shapes around you and your sense of hearing is severely impaired, but you’re at peace surrounded by the warm water. There are some moments of sadness and darkness, but that’s for you to feel around in the depths.

43. Beach Fossils – Clash The Truth

Beach-Fossils-Clash-The-TruthLet’s be honest: the market for lazy, lo-fi indie rock records from this decade is a little too overcrowded. It’s definitely the most popular style I’ve seen in indie rock in recent years, developed by bands like Real Estate and this one here, Beach Fossils, in 2009 & 2010. So what happens when there are too many Stans in your genre pool? Make a record that is so damn catchy, inventive and captures the original aesthetic of the original trend. This record is the epitome of dreamy, lo-fi jangle rock, bringing in plenty of timbre changes in the form of varied instrumentation, guest vocals, interludes & connected tracks.

42. Fear Of Men – Loom

Fear-Of-Men-LoomIt always helps to have a good singer in your band. Now when that fantastic singer is singing great lyrics, that’s another great layer you’ve added there. Now wait a second, are you saying that the mix of great vocals that are saying the great word pairings is actually paired with perfectly arranged instrumentals? Now that blurb is so dang general and pointless, but in the context of this record it’s everything. I don’t know exactly what it is about this band, but every song they write is a 10/10 twee/jangle/indie pop piece of gold.

41. Ford & Lopatin – Channel Pressure

MEX091- Cover 500This record had to have gone under a ton of people’s radars in 2011, which is so sad, because this record is so good. Ford & Lopatin is the pairing of Joel Ford (Airbird) & Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never), resulting in an over the top synth pop epic with OPN’s signature obsession with technology of the past and its relationship with the future. It’s unabashedly 80s, but that’s the point. It sounds like someone’s been trapped in an old TV and each song is a different channel the hero has to escape through to get out, only to find it was all a dream.

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Best Of 2015 :: Songs So Far

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Very Warm

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Welcome to another “best of” list feature on this blog. This time it’s gonna be my favorite tracks of 2015 so far. I’ve alphabetized them. Let me know what your favorite songs of 2015 are so that I don’t miss any when the end of the year rolls around!

1. Beck – Dreams
Alright this song is pretty cheesy and a bit lackluster, but I can’t deny Mr. Beck Hanson. It’s pretty heavily produced and doesn’t really have too much signature Beck originality to it, but man am I excited to hear a more upbeat, poppy Beck. What I need now is an album more akin to his singles from 2013, specifically “Defriended.”

2. Björk – Family
At the time of this writing, June 22nd, 2015, this song still gives me goosebumps after repeated listens from half the year. “Family” comes after the massive centerpiece of “Black Lake” on Vulnicura and carries almost more emotional weight, which is accentuated with a bludgeoning, hammer of a beat in the first half of the track, courtesy of assisted production from The Haxan Cloak. The strings on this song are especially elegant and devastating and while they’re paired against the destructive electronics, they still stick out in the immense din. The second half of the song is where washes of synthesized choruses flood the mix, smoothing away the damage done by the first half; much like finding rare sanctuaries of solace among a storm of pain. Truly a beautiful track that will stay with me always.

3. Braids – Sore Eyes
The newest Braids record is super good. I was never too huge into this band but I found that the straightforward, synth pop sugar rush of this song/record is what I needed to unlock my passion for this band. Now this isn’t just a typical synth pop track off of a typical synth pop record, it’s lyrically dense (see track Miniskirt) and has a killer balance of piano and pulsing electronics, plus great vocals. This track is pretty addicting, which is apt since the lyrical matter is about addictions and watching porn, interestingly enough.

4. Bully – I Remember
I’ve never had a breakup with a long-time significant other, but I feel like this song is the word-for-word description of flipping through a mental photo album from a relationship long past. With great, biting imagery from lines like “I remember the way your sheets smelled,” and “I remember what you do on Christmas,” explaining the deep minutiae that might be forever etched into your brain after a relationship, I’m not sure if I ever want that to happen to me. We’ll see!

5. Chastity Belt – Joke
In my opinion, “Joke” is the track that best showcases Chastity Belt’s skills on their newest record Time To Go Home. The track is slow, catchy and starts off with the phrase “Nothing serious; everything’s a joke.” Other song titles like “Why Try” and “IDC” also develop this slacker pathos, but I feel like this song portrays it the best. The end also has a heavier, jamming part but keeps it concise, feeling like a natural progression rather than a frivolous noise session. I can’t say enough things about this record and band. I can’t wait for more music and the chance to see them live.

6. Chromatics – I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around
Hey remember when we were supposed to get a Chromatics record this year? Well the year’s not over yet, but it was promised in 2015’s first quarter and there’s no word yet besides three singles, which are all pretty good. “I Can Never Be Myself When You’re Around” is my personal favorite, since it’s basically a snapshot of what Chromatics are all about. It’s a wistful, driving song about love, but maybe something about “bad” love? A love that changes someone? Something like that. Also, the instrumental is classic Italians Do It Better (their record label) faire, which is something that seems to be only done well by them only. Please Chromatics, let’s get this whole record soon.

7. Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld – The Rest Of Us
I was a fan of Colin Stetson before this record, but with the addition of the stellar violin playing of Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire, I’m over the moon. Now this track isn’t the best at showcasing Stetson’s unbelievable skill of the saxophone, but I feel as though this song has the best balance of violin to saxophone, along with best balance of machine-like intensity to eerie uneasiness. Would love to get another record from these two.

8. Downtown Boys – Monstro
“SHE IS BROWN! SHE IS SMART!” Sure, this track cannot apply to me in any way, but the message is still there and super powerful and boy do I appreciate it. I’m not usually into many “protest” bands, matter of fact I can’t really think of any off my head, but I can say Downtown Boys are my favorite. I definitely appreciate this song more after seeing it performed live a multitude of times and getting the whole preface dialogue before it with the rallying saxophone melodies and ecstatic guitars going the entire time. This is the kind of band that needs to get big in the indie scene. There are too many losers that need this kind of message in their music.

9. Drake – Know Yourself
Gotta hand it to “Know Yourself,” the song that single-handedly got me sort of into Drake. I gotta admit, I was never too into him; not really sure why. But I gave If You’re Reading This a chance earlier this year and I’m glad I did so I can get the countless pop culture nuggets this track has already established, such as the legendary beat change and the wise words of  “I was runnin’ thru the six with my woes.” Sure, I’m not too much of a fan of the dialgue at the end, but MAN: this song is hot. I can’t even try and deny it.

10. Elvis Depressedly – New Alhambra
Undoubtedly the best track off the album of the same name, “New Alhambra” is a dreamy, swirling track with a simple melody. There are other quirks about this song that really get me as well, like the strange clipping song effects during the chorus. In fact, I’m not really sure what those are, but they add a lot to the track. It’s also the longest track on the record, which helps elongate the atmosphere to a level that’s recountable.

11. Eskimeaux – The Thunder Answered Back
If you’re noticing a trend here on these track descriptions that goes something like “this song is the best representation of all the ideas on the record” and you’re getting tired of that, then skip this blurb. Short version: it’s a damn good song. Obviously. Long version: this track has so much depth, it’s unbelievable. There are so many things going on in the song: the repeating, muffled vocals in the background, the subtle arpeggiating synth line and group shouting in the climax of the end, and of course the lyrics: “it must feel like fucking hell, to be a patchwork of yourself” being a prime example. Listen to this album.

12. Father John Misty – When You’re Smiling And Astride Me
If you read my album description from a bit ago, you’ll know that this album has sort of worn down on me a bit. Sure, I do really like it, but it’s no longer the pride and joy of my 2015 experience like it was earlier in the year. However, this swooning track right here is still a go-to soundtrack for luxuriously romantic playing out in my head. I feel as though a lot of the love songs on this record have sarcasm slathered on them, but this one is lavishly sincere, in my eyes. Especially with the instrumental. Get me on this gospel train, please.

13. Grimes – Realiti
Technically, this song is a Oblivion-era b-side but I’ll let it pass as a 2015 track. The reason I like this song so much is that it’s a breath of fresh air after the festival fuel blast of “Go,” Grimes’ last song she put out. I like the song, it just doesn’t fit into the Grimes “traditional canon,” if you will. I’m all for artists expanding and experimenting with their sound, but I guess in this case I’m just selfish. This song is lovely and I can dance to it with my girlfriend like her previous material, so I’m really okay with it.

14. Holly Herndon – An Exit (ft. Amnesia Scanner)
If you’ve ever wondered what an existential panic sounded like, I feel like this is pretty close. One of my friends said that this song should be used for psychological torture. Whenever I think I’m not going to let this song get the best of me, it gets the best of me. My stomach gets in knots, my fingers lock up, my joints strain… the list goes on. Something about the urgency paired with this chord progression is just downright mind-bending. This is one of the most powerful, original and fantastic songs on this list; a true example of what Herndon and her music is about.

15. Hop Along – Texas Funeral
It was really tough trying to pick one ultimate standout track from this near-perfect album. But the anthemic line of “none of this is gonna happen to me within my lifetime” won the battle. Hop Along is too good of a band not to know about. Just listen to this song and you’ll know.

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