Here we go, here we go, here we go again! The 6th Year of My Year End List!!! This year had some great great albums. I thought the year started out with a bunch of great albums all in the first three months, which just couldn’t last the whole year, and it didn’t. This year had a really top heavy list of albums. My top 3-5 albums were some of my favorite albums in the last five years. I thought hip hop had a little bit of a down year for new artists. Usually there a few new artists that I like, not so much this year. To make up for it some old favorites did have very good projects. Modest Mouse, Belle and Sebastian, Death Cab, The Decemberists, Kendrick Lamar, and Dr. Dre all released something this year. That is very impressive. Yes you read that right, DR. DRE!
As always, I’d love to hear what you guys liked for the year. I don’t listen to everything. Give me your suggestions, your money, and we are now accepting music/band onesies. We want the baby to be hip and cool right out the womb. So if there is a website that can make an Outkast onesie, we would gladly take it. (I’m told this is best viewed using Google Chrome)
Of what I’ve heard, here are my lists… Enjoy.
25 Top Albums
1. Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
2. Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
3. Sufjan Stevens – Carrie & Lowell
4. Vince Staples – Summertime ‘06
5. Modest Mouse – Strangers to Ourselves
6. Tame Impala – Currents
7. Decemberists – What a Terrible World World, What a Beautiful World
8. Belle & Sebastian – Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
9. My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall
10. Kurt Vile – b’lieve i’m going down
11. Pusha T – King Push: Darkest Before the Dawn: The Prelude
12. Beach House – Depression Cherry
13. Libertines – Anthems For Doomed Youth
14. Dr. Dre – Compton
15. Action Bronson – Mr. Wonderful
16. Joey Bada$$ – B4.DA.$$
17. Death Cab for Cutie – Kintsugi
18. A$AP Rocky – At.Long.Last.A$AP
19. Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color
20. Tobias Jesso Jr. – Goon
21. Archy Marshall – A New Place 2 Drown
22. Freddie Gibbs – Shadow of a Doubt
23. Milo – So the Flies Don’t Come
24. Jay Rock – 90059
25. Beach House – Thank Your Lucky Stars
Album of the Year
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
My #1 Album of the Year comes from Compton rapper, Kendrick Lamar. To Pimp a Butterfly is a brilliant masterpiece. It is a perfect story and piece of art that ties together beautifully. If people listen to one or two tracks and make a judgement on the album, that is flawed. You must listen to the whole thing to understand the depth and thought of the project. I love it. I was so impressed by Father John Misty this year and I Love You, Honeybear would be #1 any other year. This is the 2nd time Kendrick has topped my list. I think that right now, Kendrick Lamar is on top of his game and the game. Every time he puts out an album, I keep thinking having high hopes, and he’s never let me down. His features on tracks are almost always better than the whole album he is featured on. I kept wondering if I was being biased whenever he was on a track because I always think he is the best. But, in fact, he is really that good.
75 Top Songs
1. Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
2. Father John Misty – “Bored in the U.S.A.”
3. Kendrick Lamar – “Blacker the Berry”
4. Father John Misty – “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)”
5. The Decemberists – “Make You Better”
6. Father John Misty – “I Love You, Honeybear”
7. Vince Staples – “Norf Norf”
8. Alabama Shakes – “Sound & Color”
9. Kurt Vile – “Pretty Pimpin’”
10. Sufjan Stevens – “Should Have Known Better”
11. My Morning Jacket – “Big Decisions”
12. Future Islands – “The Chase”
13. Modest Mouse – “Lampshades on Fire”
14. Tame Impala – “Let It Happen”
15. Alabama Shakes – “Don’t Wanna Fight”
16. Kendrick Lamar – “Hood Politics”
17. Action Bronson ft. Chance the Rapper – “Baby Blue”
18. Vince Staples – “Lift Me Up”
19. Tame Impala – “Yes I’m Changing”
20. Tobias Jesso Jr. – “Without You”
21. Sufjan Stevens – Death With Dignity”
22. Father John Misty – “The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apt.”
23. Archy Marshall – “Swell”
24. Joey Bada$$ – “Big Dusty”
25. Beach House – “Space Song”
26. The Decemberists – “Philomena”
27. Kendrick Lamar – “King Kunta”
28. Mac Demarco – “I’ve Been Waiting for Her”
29. Murder By Death – “I Shot An Arrow”
30. Death Cab for Cutie – “The Ghosts of Beverly Drive”
31. My Morning Jacket – “In Its Infancy (The Waterfall)”
32. Belle & Sebastian – “The Party Line”
33. Belle & Sebastian – “The Everlasting Muse”
34. Action Bronson – “Actin Crazy”
35. Modest Mouse – “The Ground Walks with, Time in a Box”
36. Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman – “So Strange Here”
37. Frankie Cosmos – “Young”
38. Vince Staples – “Senorita”
39. The Libertines – “Gunga Din”
40. The Libertines – “Fame and Fortune”
41. Kurt Vile – “Dust Bunnies”
42. Death Cab for Cutie – “Black Sun”
43. Adele – “Hello”
44. Mac Demarco – “The Way You’d Love Her”
45. The Weeknd – “Can’t Feel My Face”
46. Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment -”Sunday Candy”
47. Viet Cong – “Continental Shelf”
48. Natalie Prass – “Bird of Prey”
49. Fetty Wap – “Trap Queen”
50. Drake – “Hotline Bling”
51. Raury ft. Big K.R.I.T. – “Forbidden Knowledge”
52. Modest Mouse – “The Best Room”
53. Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman – “Vertigo”
54. Shamir – “On the Regular”
55. Kurt Vile – “That’s Life, tho (almost hate to say)”
56. Beach House – “Beyond Love”
57. Girlpool – “Before The World Was Big”
58. Car Seat Headrest – “Something Soon”
59. Joey Bada$$ – Paper Trail$”
60. Pusha T – “Untouchable”
61. Surfer Blood – “Point of No Return”
62. Rae Sremmurd – “No Type”
63. Beach House – “Sparks”
64. Big Grams – “Run for Your Life”
65. Cavanaugh ft. P.O.S. and Hemlock Ernst – “Typecast”
66. Jay Rock ft. Black Hippy – “Vice City”
67. Future Islands – “Haunted by You”
68. Travis Scott – “Antidote”
69. Dr. Dre ft. Kendrick Lamar & Justus – “Deep Water”
70. Grimes – “Flesh Without Blood”
71. Courtney Barnett – “Depreston”
72. A$AP Rocky – “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2”
73. Cayucas – “Moony Eyed Walrus”
74. Dr. Dre ft. Eminem – “Medicine Man”
75. Mick Jenkins – “Get Up Get Down”
Noteable Mini LPs or EPs
Mac Demarco – Another One
The Decemberists – Florasongs
Future Islands – The Chase
Madlib & Hemlock Ernst – Trouble Knows Me
Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman – Lice
Pleasant Surprises
1. Dr. Dre – Compton — I’ve been hoping and making fun of a project from Dr. Dre for a long time. Not only was it released, it’s pretty good.
2. The Libertines – Anthem for Doomed Youth — One of my favorite college bands came back with a good album. Very pleasant surprise.
3. Vince Staples – Summertime 06’ — I loved “Blue Suede” but didn’t realize how good he was until this album.
4. Tobias Jesso Jr. – Goon – Just a beautiful album with some great, catchy tunes.
5. Archy Marshall – A New Place to Drown — King Krule in a different form is still good.
Disappointments
1. Surfer Blood – 1000 Palms
2. Cayucas – Dancing at the Blue Lagoon
3. Mick Jenkins – Wave[s]
4. Phantogram and Big Boi – Big Grams
Overrated
1. Grimes – Art Angels
2. Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment – Surf
3. Travis Scott – Rodeo
Underrated/Overlooked Albums: Albums critics/people did not give enough love to.
1. Jay Rock – 90059
2. Pusha T – King Push: Darkest Before the Dawn: The Prelude
3. Aesop Rock & Homeboy Sandman – Lice
4. My Morning Jacket – The Waterfall
Albums that didn’t come out in 2015 that I listened to a lot
1. J. Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014)
2. Sufjan Stevens – Come and Feel the Illinoise! (2005)
3. Mr. Lif – Mo’ Mega (2006)
4. Dr. Dog – Every album, I came to the party a little late.
Most Watched Live Performance Videos
1. Father John Misty Full Performance @ Glastonbury (Watch the last 10 minutes if nothing else)
2. Future Islands – “Tin Man” @ Pitchfork
3. Modest Mouse – “Dramamine”
4. Kendrick Lamar on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
5. Run The Jewels Full Performance @ Bonnaroo
Live Performances I saw this year: In no order (New Section)
1. Father John Misty
2. Alabama Shakes
3. Modest Mouse
4. My Morning Jacket
5. Cayucas
Albums I look forward to coming out in 2016:
1. Yeasayer – Amen & Goodbye (April)
2. Cullen Omori – New Misery (March)
3. Kanye West – Swish (February)
4. Pusha T – King Push (June)
5. Run The Jewels 3 (TBA)
6. Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole (TBA)
7. Grandaddy (TBA)
8. Haim (TBA)
9. Frank Ocean (TBA)
Previous End Of Year Lists
Jugo + Rada Records 