Best Album(s) of 2015

jarcher · « **on:** 16 Dec 2015, 04:14 am »

Ok - everyone else is doing it, do here's your chance! What's your vote for best album(s) of 2015?

Don't have a dog in this hunt, though I'm getting ready to check out Joanna Newson & Grimes as they are making a few "best of 2015" lists. Looking forward to hearing everyone else's suggestions! Doesn't have to be new of course, but always like to hear new album / artist suggestions.

rockadanny · « **Reply #1 on:** 16 Dec 2015, 01:00 pm »

OK, I'll kick 'er off ...

Danielle Nicole (Schnebelen), "Wolf Den" -- (genre: modern blues)

A late 2015 release on Concord Records. Wonderful singer, formerly of Trampled Under Foot.

http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Den-Danielle-Nicole/dp/B00RXPTG8C/ref=pd_sim_15_2?ie=UTF8&dpID=51kyCz2qTpL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0SA3T3PD36C4J24HGH8R

(Added genre as per FireGuy.)

stlrman · « **Reply #2 on:** 16 Dec 2015, 01:51 pm »

Cool thread ! I think I can turn you on to some great new music.
I'm streaming Grimes for the first time . Three songs in, wow !! This lady is a freakin genius !! Check out the track SCREAM. Her music is super poppy ! I like Pop. But her music is smart. There is a reason she is listed on everyone's top list.
Are you a fan of Blur? They have a new album called The Magic Whip. It's very good ! Then I would check out
Damon Albarn(lead singer) album from last year called Everyday Robots. That album was super powerful music. Very intricate, smart , and just amazing !
Here are two cuts from Everyday Robots:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CCUfitpIsW8
And :
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p9MMJgFKv24
Enjoy! Much more to add later
2014 was a bit better year for me, but I still discovered many great albums and new artists .

GentleBender · « **Reply #3 on:** 16 Dec 2015, 02:00 pm »

Faith No- More Sol Invictus
2015

This was a release I was scared of. I was afraid of a quick money grab from the fans, but I was wrong. I picked up their "Motherf*&$er" 45RPM single and was sold.

FireGuy · « **Reply #4 on:** 16 Dec 2015, 02:48 pm »

Think it will be helpful when you give us your suggestion to include the music genre. That should sort things out better.

Syrah · « **Reply #5 on:** 16 Dec 2015, 02:53 pm »

I'll chime in - Indie rock genre - Destroyer, Open Season

JoshK · « **Reply #6 on:** 16 Dec 2015, 03:16 pm »

My top albums of the year in order:
Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase. (prog)
Leprous - The Congregation (hard prog)
Riverside - Love, Fear & the Time Machine (prog)
Failure - The Heart is a Monster (rock)
Lamb of God - VII: Sturm Und Drang (metal)
Ghost - Meliora (hard rock/metal)
Faith No More - Sol Invictus (avantgarde metal/alternative)
Baroness - Purple (metal)
God is an Astronaut - Helios | Erebus (prog rock/metal)

Other albums that I bought this year, 2015 releases, but haven't had enough time listening to them to have definitive view, but all are good:
Seven Second Circle - Divide (prog)
Tesseract - Polaris (metal)
Earthside - A Dream in Static (prog)
Between the Buried and Me - Coma Ecliptic (metal)
Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud (metal)
Draconian - Sovran (metal)
Periphery - Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega (metal)
Swallow the Sun - Songs From the North I & II & III (metal)
Intronaut - Direction of Last Things (metal)
Sylosis - Dormant Heart (metal)
The Sword - High Country (metal)
Deafheaven - New Bermuda (metal)
Eagles Of Death Metal - Zipper Down (rock)
The Dead Weather - Dodge & Burn (rock)
Clutch - Psychic Warfare (hard rock)
Metric - Pagans In Vegas (pop rock)
David Gilmour - Rattle That Lock (rock)
City and Colour - If I Should Go Before You (rock)
Dead Letter Circus - Aesthesis (prog)
Scale the Summit - V (hard prog)
Soilwork - The Ride Majestic (metal)
Insomnium - Above the Weeping World (metal)
August Burns Red - Found In Far Away Places (metal)
Panopticon - Autumn Eternal (metal)
District 97 - In Vaults (prog)
Odetosun - The Dark Dunes of Titan (prog metal)
Voyager - V (prog metal)
Alyeus - And From the Sky We Fall (prog)
Agalloch - Of Stone, Wind, & Pillor (metal)
Arcturus - Arcturian (metal)

As you can see it was a landslide year for music for me at least. I spent a lot of the year getting further into prog and mostly metal. The above was just those released in 2015. There are still a number of bands I like that had releases in the year that are on my wish list including Destroyer, Ryan Adams, Libertines.

ArthurDent · « **Reply #7 on:** 16 Dec 2015, 03:23 pm »

To me a worthy continuation of his work, Electric Guitar - Rock, instrumental -

Joe Satriani : Shockwave Supernova
http://www.amazon.com/Shockwave-Supernova-Joe-Satriani/dp/B00XDCBA42/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1450278750&sr=1-1&keywords=joe+satriani

JerryM · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 03:55 am »

Quote from: JoshK on 16 Dec 2015, 03:16 pm

My top albums of the year in order:
Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase. (prog)
Leprous - The Congregation (hard prog)
Riverside - Love, Fear & the Time Machine (prog)
Failure - The Heart is a Monster (rock)
Lamb of God - VII: Sturm Und Drang (metal)
Ghost - Meliora (hard rock/metal)
Faith No More - Sol Invictus (avantgarde metal/alternative)
Baroness - Purple (metal)
God is an Astronaut - Helios | Erebus (prog rock/metal)

Other albums that I bought this year, 2015 releases, but haven't had enough time listening to them to have definitive view, but all are good:
Seven Second Circle - Divide (prog)
Tesseract - Polaris (metal)
Earthside - A Dream in Static (prog)
Between the Buried and Me - Coma Ecliptic (metal)
Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud (metal)
Draconian - Sovran (metal)
Periphery - Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega (metal)
Swallow the Sun - Songs From the North I & II & III (metal)
Intronaut - Direction of Last Things (metal)
Sylosis - Dormant Heart (metal)
The Sword - High Country (metal)
Deafheaven - New Bermuda (metal)
Eagles Of Death Metal - Zipper Down (rock)
The Dead Weather - Dodge & Burn (rock)
Clutch - Psychic Warfare (hard rock)
Metric - Pagans In Vegas (pop rock)
David Gilmour - Rattle That Lock (rock)
City and Colour - If I Should Go Before You (rock)
Dead Letter Circus - Aesthesis (prog)
Scale the Summit - V (hard prog)
Soilwork - The Ride Majestic (metal)
Insomnium - Above the Weeping World (metal)
August Burns Red - Found In Far Away Places (metal)
Panopticon - Autumn Eternal (metal)
District 97 - In Vaults (prog)
Odetosun - The Dark Dunes of Titan (prog metal)
Voyager - V (prog metal)
Alyeus - And From the Sky We Fall (prog)
Agalloch - Of Stone, Wind, & Pillor (metal)
Arcturus - Arcturian (metal)

As you can see it was a landslide year for music for me at least. I spent a lot of the year getting further into prog and mostly metal. The above was just those released in 2015. There are still a number of bands I like that had releases in the year that are on my wish list including Destroyer, Ryan Adams, Libertines.

Awesome list, JoshK. Thanks for taking the time.

JoshK · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 03:58 am »

Glad you liked it Jerry! It was fun.

jhm731 · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 04:18 am »

http://www.audiostream.com/content/audiostreams-best-albums-2015#lgGpiw1ue7DqHAhu.97

mix4fix · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 04:37 am »

Quote from: stlrman on 16 Dec 2015, 01:51 pm

I'm streaming Grimes for the first time . Three songs in, wow !! This lady is a freakin genius !! Check out the track SCREAM. Her music is super poppy ! I like Pop. But her music is smart. There is a reason she is listed on everyone's top list.

I listen to Sirius XM while at work and I can usually catch a few of her older songs like "Vanessa" or "Genesis". But, I'm really liking her new stuff.

On evening, I caught her on XMU playing all kinds of stuff from some chick singing an acoustic song about a dog to the Beastie Boys.

Favorite song is "Realiti". Demo was better than the album version.

NIGHTFALL1970 · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 04:49 am »

Nightwish-Endless forms most beautiful 2015 (symphonic metal)

ebag4 · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 04:52 am »

I am really enjoying the new Shawn Mullins album, My Stupid Heart. I think this is his best work since Soul's Core. Great production, he sounds great, he has really honed his craft.

Best,
Ed

low.pfile · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 05:16 am »

Cool idea for a thread!

Here’s my top 2015 album plays this year. Based on the music only, not recording quality, etc. Yes, it's a mixed bunch.

Somewhat in order (favorites at top):

SOAK - Before We Forgot How To Dream https://youtu.be/TXL-SSnCoHo

Ibeyi - Ibeyi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHRAPIwsS5I

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell https://youtu.be/adKEqin5SoI

The Paper Kites - Electric Indigo https://youtu.be/KOxq8EOTPR4

Andra Day - Cheers To The Fall https://youtu.be/kNKu1uNBVkU

Leon Bridges - Coming Home https://youtu.be/EC5Lisj1hGI

Gary Clark Jr. - The Story of Sonny Boy Slim https://youtu.be/cHKTAyaWVqU

FireGuy · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 01:43 pm »

Quote from: NIGHTFALL1970 on 17 Dec 2015, 04:49 am

Nightwish-Endless forms most beautiful 2015 (symphonic metal)

Excellent work from Nightwish. Got to see them here in Buffalo this past April. I would say best live performance I've ever seen.

ctviggen · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 01:58 pm »

Quote from: JoshK on 16 Dec 2015, 03:16 pm

As you can see it was a landslide year for music for me at least. I spent a lot of the year getting further into prog and mostly metal. The above was just those released in 2015. There are still a number of bands I like that had releases in the year that are on my wish list including Destroyer, Ryan Adams, Libertines.

Wow, that is a banner year. Thanks for the list.

ctviggen · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 02:00 pm »

Quote from: low.pfile on 17 Dec 2015, 05:16 am

Cool idea for a thread!

Here’s my top 2015 album plays this year. Based on the music only, not recording quality, etc. Yes, it's a mixed bunch.

Somewhat in order (favorites at top):

SOAK - Before We Forgot How To Dream https://youtu.be/TXL-SSnCoHo

Ibeyi - Ibeyi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHRAPIwsS5I

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell https://youtu.be/adKEqin5SoI

The Paper Kites - Electric Indigo https://youtu.be/KOxq8EOTPR4

Andra Day - Cheers To The Fall https://youtu.be/kNKu1uNBVkU

Leon Bridges - Coming Home https://youtu.be/EC5Lisj1hGI

Gary Clark Jr. - The Story of Sonny Boy Slim https://youtu.be/cHKTAyaWVqU

Could you characterize these in terms of types of music? I can no longer handle metal, for instance, so if any of these were metal, I wouldn't listen to them.

low.pfile · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Dec 2015, 04:55 pm »

Quote from: ctviggen on 17 Dec 2015, 02:00 pm

Could you characterize these in terms of types of music? I can no longer handle metal, for instance, so if any of these were metal, I wouldn't listen to them.

ctviggen, I don't do metal myself.

the youtube links included were to give a hint at the music type.

but here are some general classifications....

SOAK - Before We Forgot How To Dream https://youtu.be/TXL-SSnCoHo [ Irish Singer/Songwriter]

Ibeyi - Ibeyi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHRAPIwsS5I [international / Afro-Cuban roots /soul]

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell https://youtu.be/adKEqin5SoI [ Singer/Songwriter]

The Paper Kites - Electric Indigo https://youtu.be/KOxq8EOTPR4 [ Australian folk-rock ]

Andra Day - Cheers To The Fall https://youtu.be/kNKu1uNBVkU [ Retro Soul ]

Leon Bridges - Coming Home https://youtu.be/EC5Lisj1hGI [ Retro Soul ]

Gary Clark Jr. - The Story of Sonny Boy Slim https://youtu.be/cHKTAyaWVqU [ Blues Rock ]

jarcher · « **Reply #19 on:** 18 Dec 2015, 01:30 am »

Quote from: jhm731 on 17 Dec 2015, 04:18 am

http://www.audiostream.com/content/audiostreams-best-albums-2015#lgGpiw1ue7DqHAhu.97

That & the NYT Best of 2015 list is what inspired me to launch this thread, particularly as I noticed a few albums making both lists. So far can't say I've been thrilled with what I have been able to listen to through Tidal, which is why I've reached out to AC for more real listener recommendations vs the music critic choices. Grimes / Art Angles had a few decent tracks. Sujan Stevens / Carrol & Lowell every track sounds the same and somewhat whinny (whinny seems to be in fashion in the 2010's). For some reason Joanna Newsom isn't available to stream on Tidal.

For me so far I've liked the most the posthumous Pops Staples / Don't Lose This album most - particularly the first track "Somebody was watching over me" and "No News Is Good News" - my theme song lately.

http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?mobile=1&URI=http%3A%2F%2Fmobile.nytimes.com%2F2015%2F12%2F13%2Farts%2Fmusic%2Fbest-albums-of-2015.html%3Freferer%3D%26_r%3D0