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Thread: Top 10 of 2015

  1. #1

    Top 10 of 2015

    1. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
    2. Bjork - Vulnicura
    3. Natalie Prass - s/t
    4. Viet Cong - s/t
    5. Earl Sweatshirt - I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside
    6. Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper
    7. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
    8. Tinashe - Amethyst
    9. Death Grips - Jenny Death
    10. Dawn Richard - Black Heart

    Only the top four stand much of a chance of making my final top ten, but I don't foresee Kendrick or Bjork's albums moving much at all. Both are masterpieces.

    Quick, unorganized thoughts:
    Thought I was done with Panda Bear, then he threw the "Tropic of Cancer"/"Lonely Wanderer" one-two punch at me and got me interested again. Straight up prettiest things he ever touched. While Earl's voice isn't quite as distinct this time around, the introspection and moody production has me hooked again. I was a fan of Tinashe's Aquarius debut last year but still may like her new EP better. Seems like the mixtape format allowed her to indulge her more experimental impulses.

    Anyway, what does your list look like?

  2. #2
    What is best in life? D_Davis's Avatar
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    Kendrick Lamar and Kamasi Washington are both in my top.

    Both are total masterpieces.

  3. #3
    Quote Quoting D_Davis (view post)
    Kendrick Lamar and Kamasi Washington are both in my top.

    Both are total masterpieces.
    i was watching the npr stream of his (kamasi's) concert last week. it was dope

  4. #4
    Super Moderator dreamdead's Avatar
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    Not sure about placement yet, but these albums get returned to quite a bit. Naturally, several demand even more time...

    Kamasi Washington - The Epic
    Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
    Sleater-Kinney - No Cities to Love
    Kauan - Sorni Nai
    Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
    Hop Along - Painted Shut
    Dreadnought - Building Realms
    Tame Impala - Currents
    Joan Shelley - Over and Even
    Stara Rzeka - Zamknęły się oczy ziemi


    Cloakroom is the best blend of a post-Hum aesthetic that still tries to do something new, and Tribulation and Enslaved are my requisite metal releases. Hop Along opened for The War on Drugs this last tour and were stellar--their new album is equally good.
    Last edited by dreamdead; 11-05-2015 at 04:22 AM.
    The Boat People - 9
    The Power of the Dog - 7.5
    The King of Pigs - 7

  5. #5
    Venusian Rubbed Moscow sevenarts's Avatar
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    Here's a top 20 I made for another board:

    Young Thug | Barter 6
    Graham Lambkin / Michael Pisaro | Schwarze Riesenfalter
    Sun Kil Moon | Universal Themes
    Mount Eerie | Sauna
    Kendrick Lamar | To Pimp a Butterfly
    Sicko Mobb | Super Saiyan Vol. 2
    Michael Pisaro | Melody, Silence
    Eric La Casa / Taku Unami | Parazoan Mapping
    Future | Beast Mode
    Zum Goldenen Schwarm | Aufgang

    Billy Woods | Today, I Wrote Nothing
    Radu Malfatti | One Man and a Fly
    Sean McCann | Ten Impressions For Piano & Strings
    AL-90 | Code-915913
    Jenny Hval | Apocalypse, Girl
    Fraufraulein | Extinguishment
    Tut | Preacher's Son
    Tinashe | Amethyst
    Ka | Days With Dr. Yen Lo
    Nidia Minaj | Danger

  6. #6
    Super Moderator dreamdead's Avatar
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    Updated top ten

    Kamasi Washington - The Epic
    Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
    Grimes - Art Angels
    Kauan - Sorni Nai
    Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
    2814 - 新しい日の誕生
    Dreadnought - Building Realms
    Tame Impala - Currents
    Joan Shelley - Over and Even
    Stara Rzeka - Zamknęły się oczy ziemi

    HM: Deafheaven's New Bermuda; Vince Staples's Summertime '06; Hop Along's Painted Shut

    Chvrches's latest has four excellent singles and a lot of... just mediocre songs. It's bewildering to me how uneven that album is.

    I'm hoping that the new Grimes delivers, and want to get to the Joanna Newsom as well.
    Last edited by dreamdead; 12-17-2015 at 02:21 AM.
    The Boat People - 9
    The Power of the Dog - 7.5
    The King of Pigs - 7

  7. #7
    What is best in life? D_Davis's Avatar
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    To me, Chvrches sounds like one of those Christian bands that youth pastors try to get their kids to listen to by saying, "They're Christian, but they sound just like so-and-so!"

    There is a quality to the vocals and the production that just screams Christian band trying to sound like a non-Christian band to me.

  8. #8
    What is best in life? D_Davis's Avatar
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    My top 10 right now:

    1. Kamasi Washington - The Epic
    2. Kendrick Lamar - TPaB
    3. New Order - Music Complete
    4. Marconi Union - Departures
    5. Jaga Jazzist - Star Fire
    6. Chris Dingman - The Subliminal and the Sublime
    7. Eyeliner - Buy Now
    8. Madoka Ogitani - City
    9. Kiara - Delfines
    10. CFCF - The Colours of Life
    Last edited by D_Davis; 11-05-2015 at 06:51 PM.

  9. #9
    Super Moderator dreamdead's Avatar
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    I like the new Marconi Union, but it's not nearly as dynamic for me as Different Colours. To me, there's not as many luxurious tones--it's more ambient, with two or three shifts in mood in each song, whereas their earlier material felt more vibrant. It's still good, but it's not as resonant or interestingthe last one, and it's so short that it doesn't recalibrate.
    The Boat People - 9
    The Power of the Dog - 7.5
    The King of Pigs - 7

  10. #10
    What is best in life? D_Davis's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting dreamdead (view post)
    I like the new Marconi Union, but it's not nearly as dynamic for me as Different Colours. To me, there's not as many luxurious tones--it's more ambient, with two or three shifts in mood in each song, whereas their earlier material felt more vibrant. It's still good, but it's not as resonant or interestingthe last one, and it's so short that it doesn't recalibrate.
    I totally agree.

    It's been a rather lackluster year for great ambient.

  11. #11
    Super Moderator dreamdead's Avatar
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    On the bright side, I am seriously digging the Madoka Ogitani album. Solid stuff, especially the latter half of the album. It's got a quirkiness to it, but it isn't overwhelmed by it, finding nice textures and layers throughout.

    And the Grimes--not quite what I was expecting, but excellent doubling down on pop aesthetics. The collaboration with Janelle Monae is fantastic.
    The Boat People - 9
    The Power of the Dog - 7.5
    The King of Pigs - 7

  12. #12
    Shocking Seductive Spiral Thirdmango's Avatar
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    For context of how my ratings work 3 stars is essentially I barely liked it more than I didn't, and 2.5 is it's inverse. 2 is the inverse of 3.5 and so on.

    5 stars

    1. Major Lazer - Peace is the Mission
    2. Michelle Chamuel - Face the Fire
    3. Zedd - True Colors
    4. Skrillex and Duplo - Jack U
    5. Kamasi Washington - The Epic

    4.5 stars

    6. Doomtree - All Hands
    7. Skylar Spence - Prom King
    8. Everything Everything - Get to Heaven
    9. Blackalicious - Imani Vol. 1
    10. JME - Integrity
    11. Widespread Panic - Street Dogs
    12. Modest Mouse - Strangers to Ourselves
    13. Stratovarius - Eternal
    14. Chvrches - Every Open Eye

    4 stars

    15. Shamir - Ratchet
    16. Bring Me the Horizon - That's the Spirit
    17. Foals - What Went Down
    18. Mark Ronson - Uptown Special

    3.5 stars

    19. Alabama Shakes - Sound and Color
    20. The Chemical Brothers - Born in the Echoes
    21. Galactic - Into the Deep
    22. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
    23. Roisin Murphy - Hairless Toys
    24. Fall Out Boy - American Beauty/American Psycho
    25. Muse - Drones

    3 stars

    26. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
    27. Tame Impala - Currents
    28. Ellie Goulding - Delirium
    29. Shinedown - Threat to Survival

    2.5 stars

    30. Blur - The Magic Whip
    31. Trey Anastasio - Paper Wheels
    32. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
    33. Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden of Delete

    2 stars

    34. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
    35. Chris Cornell - Higher Truth

    1.5 stars

    36. The Mountain Goats - Beat the Champ
    37. Of Montreal - Aureate Gloom
    38. Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late

    And then finally the two albums which I tried to listen to but just had to stop halfway in because I did not like it at all.

    Future - DS2
    Vince Staples - Summertime '06

  13. #13
    What is best in life? D_Davis's Avatar
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    Album of the year:

    Mbongwana Star - From Kinshasa

    Runners up:

    Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
    Kamasi Washington - The Epic
    Dreems - In Dreems
    Food - This is Not a Miracle
    New Order - Music Complete (best surprise of 2015)
    Jaga Jazzist - Star Fire
    Chris Dingman - The Subliminal and the Sublime
    CFCF - The Colours of Life
    Madoka Ogitani - City

  14. #14
    По́мните Катю... Izzy Black's Avatar
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    1. Vince Staples - Summertime '06
    2. Selena Gomez - Rebirth
    3. Dawn Richard - Blackheart
    4. Kelela - Hallucinogen
    5. Tinashe - Amethyst
    6. Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon
    7. Beach House - Depression Cherry
    8. Jamie xx - In Color
    9. Kacy Hill - Bloo
    10. Colleen Green - I Want To Grow Up
    12. Bryson Tiller - Trap Soul
    13. A$ap Rocky - AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP
    14. Made in Heights - Without My Enemy What Would I Do
    15. Jungle Pussy - Pregnant with Success

  15. #15
    Not a praying man Melville's Avatar
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    I've been trying to catch up on the year's music. Sufjan Stevens and James McMurtry are standing out right now. Mm, poignancy and Americana. Also liked the Beach House a lot when I listened to it earlier in the year. Liked the Lana Del Rey a lot less than I expected.
    I am impatient of all misery in others that is not mad. Thou should'st go mad, blacksmith; say, why dost thou not go mad? How can'st thou endure without being mad? Do the heavens yet hate thee, that thou can'st not go mad?

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