Top 50 Albums of 2015 Honorable Mentions

ACTION BRONSON- MR. WONDERFUL

Action Bronson_Mr Wonderful

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long waited major label debut after a slew of successful mixed tapes is an eclectic hit or miss, but the highs are very strong and Bronson never kowtows toward commercialism.

Buy Mr. Wonderful [Explicit] Amazon

Buy Easy Rider [Explicit] Amazon

 

 

 

 

ADELE- 25

Adele_25

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most commercially successful album in a longtime by the biggest and most likable musical star on the planet is mostly successful if a bit middle of the road and boring at times. World conquering lead single “Hello” and Tobias Jesso Jr. collab “When We Were Young” are the highlights.

Buy 25 Amazon

Buy Hello Amazon

 

 

 

 

ARCA- MUTANT

Arca_Mutant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2nd full length all instrumental album by esoteric super producer that sounds like Earth is battling the robots and the robots are winning.

Buy Mutant Amazon

Buy Anger Amazon

 

 

 

 

BEACH HOUSE- THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS

Beach House_Thank Your Lucky Stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
2nd full length release in 2015 by admirably consistent Baltimore dream-pop duo.

Buy Thank Your Lucky Stars Amazon

Buy Elegy to the Void Amazon

 

 

 
LEON BRIDGES- COMING HOME

Leon Bridges_Coming Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old sixties soul throwback has a real deal voice and half an album full of great tunes.

Buy Coming Home Amazon

Buy Flowers Amazon

 

 

 

 

BUILT TO SPILL- UNTETHERED MOON

Built To Spill_Untethered Moon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Long running Idaho indie outfit led by singer/guitar God Doug Martsch is a low key return to form in “Untethered Moon”. It’s great to see a band approach middle age and still have this much fire.

Buy Untethered Moon Amazon

Buy Never Be The Same Amazon

 

 

 

 

GARY CLARK JR.- THE STORY OF SONNY BOY SLIM

Gary Clark Jr._The Story Of Sonny Boy Slim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Austin, Tx Blues guitar-phenom follows his muse and releases album influenced by R&B, Soul, Gospel, Funk & Hip Hop.

Buy The Story of Sonny Boy Slim Amazon

Buy Hold On Amazon

 

 

 

 

MIKAL CRONIN- MCIII

Mikal Cronin_MCIII

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Under-appreciated follow-up to the pretty great “MCII”, Cronin continues to deliver enjoyable, driving melodic power-pop.

Buy MCIII Amazon

Buy ii) Gold Amazon

 

 

 

 

LANA DEL REY- HONEYMOON

Lana Del Rey_Honeymoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lana at her least commercial and accessible, but her most cinematic & ethereal. Contains the great “High Be The Beach” which wins the award for the most Lana Del Ray song ever written.

Buy Honeymoon [Explicit] Amazon

Buy High By The Beach [Explicit] Amazon

 

 

 

 

DESAPARECIDOS- PAYOLA

Desaparecidos_Payola

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Conor Oberst’s (aka Bright Eyes) only actual band is him at his most political and angriest. A welcome return from this thoughtful punk act after a thirteen year gap between albums.

Buy Payola Amazon

Buy City on the Hill Amazon

 

 

 

 

FETTY WAP- FETTY WAP

Fetty Wap_Fetty Wap

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debut album by Patterson, NJ raised rap flavor of 2015 plays as a collection of singles and is mostly successful. Features huge radio hits “670”, “My Way”, “Jugg” and of course the monumentally successful “Trap Queen” which started it all.

Buy Fetty Wap (Deluxe) [Explicit] Amazon

Buy Trap Queen [Explicit] Amazon

 

 

 

 

COLLEEN GREEN- I WANT TO GROW UP

Colleen Green_I Want To Grow Up 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three chord, hook-filled grunge-pop debut influenced by Ramones as well as nineties female fronted groups like Veruca Salt, the Breeders and Belly.

Buy I Want to Grow Up Amazon

Buy Wild One Amazon

 

 

 

 

GLEN HANSARD- DIDN’T HE RAMBLE

Glen Hansard_ Didn't He Ramble

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoyable roots album from this passionate Irish mensch, heavily indebted to Van Morrison. Go see him live!

Buy Didn’t He Ramble Amazon

Buy Her Mercy Amazon

 

 

 

 

HOP ALONG- PAINTED SHUT

Hop Along_Painted Shut

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passionately sung female fronted nineties influenced Philadelphia indie rock band makes good on second album. Both thought provoking and consistently rocking’.

Buy Painted Shut Amazon

Buy Horseshoe Crabs Amazon

 

 

 

 

MAC MCCAUGHAN- NON-BELIEVERS

Mac Macaughan_Non-Believers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Longtime frontman of Superchunk and Merge Records label head takes off his punk clothes to deliver very enjoyable power pop set.

Buy Non-Believers Amazon

Buy Your Hologram Amazon

 

 

 

 

JOANNA NEWSOM- DIVERS

Joanna Newsom_Divers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intricate and sophisticated album by hyper-literate singer, songwriter and harpist. Can be impenetrable at times but begins to reward after multiple listens.

Buy Divers Amazon

Buy Leaving The City Amazon

 

 

 

 

PROTOMARTYR- AGE OF INTELLECT

Protomartyr_The Agent Intellect

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tense and gloomy third album release from Detroit post-punk rockers. Driving, wiry guitar lines with catchy choruses and controlled but venomous vocals.

Buy The Agent Intellect Amazon

Buy Dope Cloud Amazon

 

 

 

 

 SPEEDY ORTIZ- FOIL DEER

Speedy Ortiz_Foil Deer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Female led, critically acclaimed Western Mass outfit is a throwback to nineties indie-rock and riot grrrl. Sophomore album is an improvement over the group’s solid debut.

Buy Foil Deer Amazon

Buy Raising the Skate Amazon

 

 

 

 

THEESATISFACTION- EARTHEE

Theesatisfaction_Earthee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rewarding second album by underappreciated hip hop/funk/New Age spiritual Seattle group who is also very interconnected with the great Shabazz Palaces.

Buy EarthEE Amazon

Buy EarthEE Amazon

 

 

 

 

TORRES- SPRINTER

Torres_Sprinter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spare and biting second album by female Nashville PJ Harvey influenced singer songwriter.

Buy Sprinter Amazon

Buy Sprinter Amazon

 

 

 

 

DONNIE TRUMPET & THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT- SURF

 Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22 year Chance The Rapper’s touring band releases eclectic free digital download album influenced by hip hop, indie-rock, funk, jazz & old school New Orleans style R&B, proving that you’ll never know where Chance will go next.

*Best track Wanna Be Cool

 

 

 

 

TY DOLLA $IGN- FREE TC

Ty Dolla $ign_Free TC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Epic, long awaited full-length debut from singer/rapper/super-producer Ty Dolla $ign that’s stylistically diverse and a bit over the top with a few big highlights like “Solid”, “Blasé”, “Saved” and “LA”.

Buy Free TC [Explicit] Amazon

Buy Blasé (feat. Future & Rae Sremmurd) [Explicit] Amazon

 

 

 

 

WAXAHATCHEE- IVY TRIPP

Waxahatchee_Ivy Tripp

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Second album by Philadelphia indie folk-punk trip featuring the great “Under a Rock”.

Buy Ivy Tripp Amazon

Buy Under a Rock Amazon

 

 

 

 

WILCO- STAR WARS

Wilco_Star Wars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best and loosest Wilco album in years was first released as a free download in July.

Buy Star Wars Amazon

Buy More… Amazon

 

 

 
YOUNG THUG- BARTER 6

Young Thug_Barter 6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of most prolific and successful artists of rap’s past few years releases retail mixed tape to much acclaim. Thug manages to be mysterious and esoteric while delivering myriad hooks and doing much to define rap’s current sound.

BuyBarter 6 [Explicit] Amazon

BuyCan’t Tell (feat. T.I. and Boosie BadAzz) [Explicit]Amazon

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