Half a year has gone by - Best Albums of 2015 so far...

[Danny Boy]

We've almost reached the halfway point of 2015. What are your favorite 10 or 15 albums of the year to date? What album do you keep coming back to?

I like to make sure I'm not missing out on anything.

I will post a list in a bit, but I think Sleater-Kinney and Courtney Barnett are the albums that I have returned to the most. I've already listened to Wolf Alice three times since Tuesday.

 

[nielsgov]

To Pimp A Butterfly and Carrie and Lowell are the obvious choices. I also love the Pinkshinyultrablast album. I'll make a list later.

 

[mikal]

Pond (by far my favorite of this year)
Sufjan Stevens
Viet Cong
Jamie XX
Faith No More
Best Coast

 

[iron yuppie]

Been something of a slow year so far, but easily my top three are:

Bjork
Sufjan
Kendrick

Two other notables are Viet Cong and Wire.

 

[Danny Boy]

I have been avoiding that Best Coast album, but maybe I should give it a shot.

 

[iron yuppie]

I have been avoiding that Best Coast album, but maybe I should give it a shot.

It's fun and extraordinarily catchy in places. It sure as hell doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's worth a listen at least.

 

[david]

Sufjan Stevens, Father John Misty, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and I actually like the new Helio Sequence album. Edit: Also, the new Robert Pollard solo album.

 

[prbiker15]

The Helio Sequence, Florence + The Machine, Brandon Flowers and Best Coast are my favorites so far.

 

[gump]

Sufjan, Courtney Barnett and Sleater-Kinney for me. I also like the new Speedy Ortiz a great deal.

Biggest disappointments: Passion Pit, Purity Ring.

 

[No spoken words]

I mean, I'm not even qualified to post anymore, as the number of new albums I like dwindles annually. I listened to the Sufjan album one time and just didn't like it at all, despite the interference hype. Ditto for Kendrick. I'm sure I am just missing something with both of those cats.

Father John Misty's album I like a lot, same for the Sleater-Kinney album.

Courtney Barnett's album grows on me with each listen.

The Jamie XX album I like a lot more than expected.

Just one listen for the Wolf Alice album but I'm in.

Biggest disappointment is the Faith No More mess, but, then again, I didn't expect much so I guess the disappointment is based more on hopes than the reality of the situation.

 

[gump]

I forgot about Ivy Tripp and the Natalie Prass album. They are in tier 2 for me, but still worth mentioning.

 

[mikal]

You all should listen to Pond.

 

[PhilsFan]

Father John Misty

 

[lazarus]

Right now off the top of my head I'd also say my favorite is I Love You, Honeybear.

 

[LemonMelon]

Kendrick and Sufjan. Best albums since 2012 IMO. There's a huge gap after that, but Panda Bear, Viet Cong and Susanne Sundfor round out my top 5. Been a great year, there's maybe 20-30 really good albums already.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

The Blur album

 

[Axver]

It's been a rather good year so far. I have a pretty clear top four:

1. Purity Ring - Another Eternity
2. Ethereal Shroud - They Became the Falling Ash
3. Westkust - Last Forever
4. Ghost Bath - Moonlover

I've also thoroughly enjoyed these ten, though I'm not sure on a ranking right now:

Alpine - Yuck
Best Coast - California Nights
God Is An Astronaut - Helios / Erebus
Metz - II
Mew - +-
Minsk - The Crash and the Draw
No Joy - More Faithful
Pinkshinyultrablast - Everything Else Matters
Solkyri - Sad Boys Club
Surf City - Jekyll Island

And these I've only heard once or twice in the past week but imagine they will stick with me:

Elder - Lore
Marriages - Salome
Spectres - Dying
Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool

Easily the worst album I've heard this year is Muse - Drones, and I tried to listen to some of Kendrick's songs but gave up because I just couldn't sit through it. I'm also baffled by the hype for Hop Along - Painted Shut. I expected to like that but it's shithouse.

 

[LemonMelon]

No Joy's album is really good, they just keep bringing it.

Metz' album was uh OK but I don't know, I need more melody in my garage rock these days. That one got past me without leaving much of an impression. I'm sure it's better live.

Hop Along won't be on by year end list, but I thought it was great.

 

[martha]

Marriages - Salome

How does this compare to Kitsune? I heard a track, but wasn't so sure. I might go see them in August.

Metz' album was uh OK but I don't know, I need more melody in my garage rock these days.

I was just thinking this very thing this morning as I was listening to it driving around. The first album is so good with the melodies thing. They're playing FYF, but I'm going to see them in San Diego.

Hop Along won't be on by year end list, but I thought it was great.

She's hard to listen to live. The band sounded good, but I kept waiting for her to pop a vocal cord.

 

[LemonMelon]

She reminds me of Janis

 

[liamcool]

Universal Themes is easily the best album so far for 2015.

Some other good ones;

Simple Songs by Jim O'Rourke.
Viet Cong by Viet Cong.
Beat The Champ by The Mountain Goats.
Wire by Wire.
Ivy Tripp by Waxahatchee.
Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon.

 

[cobl04]

I am firmly in the TPAB/Carrie & Lowell camp, but others I've enjoyed and am still coming back to include, in no order...

Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, Sometimes I Just Sit
Waxahatchee - Ivy Tripp
Colin Stetson & Sara Neufeld - Never Were the Way She Was
Alabama Shakes - Sound & Colour
Torres - Sprinter
Hot Chip - Why Make Sense?
Jamie XX - In Colour

I feel like it's been a pretty slow year too, but looking back at my google doc it's been pretty decent.

Sufjan has been my big thing for the year.

 

[Axver]

No Joy's album is really good, they just keep bringing it.

Metz' album was uh OK but I don't know, I need more melody in my garage rock these days. That one got past me without leaving much of an impression. I'm sure it's better live.

Hop Along won't be on by year end list, but I thought it was great.

Yeah, I prefer Wait to Pleasure but there's still some excellent stuff on More Faithful.

I'd say Metz's new album is better actually. I find it more intense, more direct. The first one loses me a little by the end sometimes.

How does this compare to Kitsune? I heard a track, but wasn't so sure. I might go see them in August.

I'm afraid I can't tell you how it compares. I never got around to listening to Kitsune, so this was my first exposure to them. I'll have to go back and check out Kitsune though.

She's hard to listen to live. The band sounded good, but I kept waiting for her to pop a vocal cord.

Haha yeah, this. It's her vocals that killed the album for me. Couldn't stand them.

 

[Salome]

Freedom Tower: No Wave Dance Party is probably the best Jon Spencer Blues Explosion album since Now I got Worry.
The Fade in Time by Sam Lee I really, really enjoy.
Otherwise, music wise, these first 6 months could just as well not have happened.

 

[lazarus]

I need to catch up with that JSBX album, heard an interview on NPR and my interest was piqued.

Saw them all the way back on the Acme tour, still have an orange shirt from that show.

 

[phanan]

I need to catch up on a lot of 2015 albums.

 

[the tourist]

My favorites so far are:

Lord Huron: Strange Trails
The Wombats: Glitterbug
Strange Names: Use Your Time Wisely

 

[martha]

Yes, I'm loving the Lord Huron record. Also Mikal Cronin's MC III, if that came out this year. Travis recommened the new Thee Oh Sees, and I'm digging that as well.


Sent from my iPad using U2 Interference

 

[Lancemc]

I've been so out of touch I had no idea Sufjan had something this year, but listening now and holy shit.

 

[cobl04]

What the goddamn fuck is wrong with you?