Best Albums of 2015

[Mash011]

12 minutes ago, ace56blaa said:

really great, would love to see them at glasto, but doubt they would, they barely play fests here i swear

Yep, far as I know the only one they've done is Great Escape way back in 2009. Would love to see that change of course.

[maelzoid]

41 minutes ago, Zac Quinn said:

TPAB with 11 Grammy nominations. That's good enough for me like.

Except the Grammys are a complete joke. Apart from the billion or so categories, just looking back over the years reveals how incredibly out of touch they are, not to mention their inability to pick works of enduring value over ephemeral junk.

[mrf]

47 minutes ago, Keithy said:

Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think... (Shambolic/Awesome at Williams Green)
 

What actually happened? I wasnt there so only have the comments to go on, without knowing the context....

[FloorFiller]

1 hour ago, mrf said:

What actually happened? I wasnt there so only have the comments to go on, without knowing the context....

i wasn't there either (saw her on the Pyramid earlier on when she was... not great) but wasn't she just absolutely wrecked, forgetting the words to the songs and just being a bit of a mess?

[Bradders]

Yeah she seemed a bit pissed. Not as bad as forgetting the words, as far as I remember, just a bit more of a don't-give-a-fuck performance really. At the end of the last song she threw her guitar on the floor and walked off without a word, for example. She was better than on the Pyramid, but not as good as at The Forum last week.

[Bradders]

This is my top 10, I think.

1. Grimes - Art Angels

2. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit

3. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love

4. Julia Holter - Have You In My Wilderness

5. Tame Impala - Currents

6. Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon

7. Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass

8. Ezra Furman - Perpetual Motion Machine

9. Hot Chip - Why Make Sense?

10. Chastity Belt - Time to Go Home

Edited December 7, 2015 by Bradders

[Winslow Leach]

I still haven't listened to the Julia Holter album, and there are plenty that I recognise as great but wouldn't necessarily put on my personal list (here's lookin' at you, Sufjan), but mine are, in no particular order:

 

Courtney Barnett- Sometimes I Sit, etc.

Floating Points- Elaenia

Jamie xx- In Colour

Kendrick Lamar- To Pimp a Butterfly

Young Fathers- White Men Are Black Men Too

Anthony Naples- Body Pill

Joanna Newsom- Divers

Marina & the Diamonds- Froot

Mbongwana Star- From Kinshasa

Levon Vincent- Levon Vincent

[Rumblestripe]

I won't bother people with my list as most are covered above but I haven't noticed any other mentions of my absolute favourite number one album of the year...

Jason Isbel - Something more than free

(apologies if it has been mentioned!)

For me it is the bona fide classic of the year, an album that I cannot stop listening to. I guess some will be put of with the "Country Music" thing but it really transcends genre. Give it a go if you haven't already.

[Keithy]

1 hour ago, FloorFiller said:

i wasn't there either (saw her on the Pyramid earlier on when she was... not great) but wasn't she just absolutely wrecked, forgetting the words to the songs and just being a bit of a mess?

Oddly I actually loved it. Was right at the front it was just the right side of 'good' shambolic. Think it was a combination of tiredness and drunk but it's sometimes nice to see a less than polished, something other than 'going through the motions'. If it was the first time you'd seen her then you'd have probably thought it dreadful and wondered what all the hype was about. But as i was fanboying out and singing, I didn't really notice her missing words to be honest.

[General Lee]

Not a classic year for me.

1) Sun Kil Moon - Universal Themes

2) Panda Bear - .... Meets the Grim Reaper

Also in no order I really enjoyed...Joanna Newsom (in particular the last two songs on Divers are an amazing finish), Everything Everything, Courtney Barnett, Kurt Vile, Deerhunter.

Biggest disapointment: Blur. A couple of songs aside it was very boring. 

 

 

[Bradders]

Yeah everyone was very excited about that Blur album when it came out, lot of hype, good reviews, then seems to have been forgotten about. Deservedly so, really.

[TomViolence]

Hey, hey! Had a listen back to the Blur album a few times last week and it's still brilliant! Definitely in my top 10 for the year.

[Mezhyp1]

Yep I'm with you TomV, it was and still is definitely better than I expected it to be

Honourable mention to The Libertines also, for a record that had unrivalled potential to be a complete car crash, it turned out to be really quite good

My persona best albums list is very much taking shape, it's been a very good year for music if you ask me

[AdamWillingham]

Loved the Blur record. 

Haven't seen  anyone mention it yet but, Clarence Clarity - NO NOW is an incredible album, definitely in my top 5

[The_Amazing_Oblong]

Top albums for me this year ;

Belle & Sebastian      - Girls in Peacetime want to Dance
The Charlatans         - Modern Nature    
Courtney Barnett      - Sometimes I sit and think and sometimes I just sit
The Cribs                  - For All My sisters
Drenge                      - Undertow
Ghost Culture           - Ghost Culture    
Jape                          - The Chemical Sea
King Gizzard             - Paper mache dream balloon
Miley Cyrus               - Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz
Modest Mouse          - Stranger to Ourselves
Ought                        - Sun Coming Down
Paul Weller                - Saturns Pattern
Royal Headache `      - High
Siskiyou                      - Nervous
Sleater-Kinney            - No Cities to Love
Sufjan Stevens            - Carrie & Lowell
Tame Impala               - Currents
Titus Andronicus          - The Most Lamentable Tragedy 
Vince Staples               - Summertime 06
Wolf Alice                     - My Love is Cool

Edited December 8, 2015 by The_Amazing_Oblong

[The_Amazing_Oblong]

Full listings of the albums I bought, downloaded, appropriated or just listened to online. Each had a few listens to qualify ;

(stars are my rough ratings out of 5. Numbers are Metritics combined score from 100)

Aqualung - 10 Futures                                                                               **     72
The Arcs - Yours Dreamily                                                                         ***    77
Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime want to Dance                               ****   76
British Sea Power - Sea of Brass                                                               *       73                
The Charlatans - Modern Nature                                                               ****   80
The Chemical Brothers - Born in the Echoes                                             ***    72
Chris Cornell - Higher Truth                                                                       ***    68
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I sit and think and sometimes I just sit       ****  88
The Cribs - For All My sisters                                                                     ****  74
The Decemberists - What a terrible world, what a beautiful world              ***   77
Deerhunter - Fading Frontier                                                                      **    81
Drenge - Undertow                                                                                      **** 78
Editors - In Dream                                                                                       ***   66
EODM - Zipper Down                                                                                  **    73
Enter Shikari - The Mindsweep                                                                   **    89
Fall Out Boy - American Beauty/American Psycho                                      **    72
Father John Misty - I love you honeybear                                                   **    87
Foals - What went down                                                                              ***  77
Frank Turner - Positive songs for negative people                                      ***  69
Gaz Coombes - Matador                                                                             ***  82
Ghost Culture - Ghost Culture                                                                     **** 81
Hot Chip - Why Make Sense ?                                                                     ***  81
Jamie XX - In Colour                                                                                    ***  87
Jape - The Chemical Sea                                                                            **** 
Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$                                                                              ***  77
Julia Holter - Have you in my wilderness                                                      **   87
King Gizzard - Paper mache dream balloon                                                **** 71
King Gizzard - Quarters                                                                               ***  68
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Kitty, Daisy & Lewis the Third                                     **   65
Kurt Vile - B'lieve I'm going down                                                                 ***  83    
Leftfield - Alternate Light Source                                                                  ***  79
The Libertines - Anthems for Doomed Youth                                               ***  70
Megan Traynor - Title                                                                                   ***
Miley Cyrus - Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz                                              **** 59
Modest Mouse - Stranger to Ourselves                                                        **** 70
Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass                                                                        *     86
Neon Indian - VEGA INTL. Night School                                                       ***  79
New Order - Music Complete                                                                        ***  76
Of Montreal - Aureate Gloom                                                                        ***  67
Ought - Sun Coming Down                                                                           **** 80
Panda Bear - Panda Bear meets the Grim Reaper                                       ***  82
Paul Weller - Saturns Pattern                                                                        **** 81
Pond - Man, It Feels Like Space Again                                                         ***  78
the Prodigy - The Day is my enemy                                                              ***  67
Public SB - The Race for Space                                                                    ***  73
Pure Bathing Culture - Pray for Rain                                                             ***  69
Rae Morris - Unguarded                                                                               ***  77
Rolo Tomassi - Grievences                                                                           **   79
Royal Headache - High                                                                                 **** 83
Ryley Walker - Primrose Green                                                                    **   83
Sexwitch - Sexwitch                                                                                      ***  79
The Shoes - Chemicals                                                                                ***
Siskiyou - Nervous                                                                                        **** 78
Sleaford Mods - Key Markets                                                                       ***  81                    
Sleater-Kinney - No Cities to Love                                                                **** 90
Slice of Life - Slice of Life                                                                              **
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell                                                                   **** 90
Sun Kil Moon - Universal Themes                                                                 ***  79
Sylosis - Dormant Heart                                                                                *    
Titus Andronicus - The Most Lamentable Tragedy                                       **** 79
Tame Impala - Currents                                                                                **** 84
Tobias Jesso Jr - Goon                                                                                 **   81
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi Love                                                        ***  72
Vessels - Dilate                                                                                             ***   75
Viet Cong - Viet Cong                                                                                   ***   77
Vince Staples - Summertime 06                                                                    **** 87
Waxahatchee - Ivy Tripp                                                                               ***   81
The Weeknd - Beauty behind the Madness                                                  **    74  
Wilco - Star Wars                                                                                          ***   83
Wolf Alice - My Love is Cool                                                                         ****  78
Youth Lagoon - Savage Hills Ballroom                                                         ***   75

 

[Amy Lawn]

1 hour ago, The_Amazing_Oblong said:

Siskiyou - Nervous                                                                                        **** 78

Hey, somebody else listened to it. Fucking great, yes?

[Rose-Colored Boy]

2 hours ago, The_Amazing_Oblong said:

Full listings of the albums I bought, downloaded, appropriated or just listened to online. Each had a few listens to qualify ;

(stars are my rough ratings out of 5. Numbers are Metritics combined score from 100)

Aqualung - 10 Futures                                                                               **     72
The Arcs - Yours Dreamily                                                                         ***    77
Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime want to Dance                               ****   76
British Sea Power - Sea of Brass                                                               *       73                
The Charlatans - Modern Nature                                                               ****   80
The Chemical Brothers - Born in the Echoes                                             ***    72
Chris Cornell - Higher Truth                                                                       ***    68
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I sit and think and sometimes I just sit       ****  88
The Cribs - For All My sisters                                                                     ****  74
The Decemberists - What a terrible world, what a beautiful world              ***   77
Deerhunter - Fading Frontier                                                                      **    81
Drenge - Undertow                                                                                      **** 78
Editors - In Dream                                                                                       ***   66
EODM - Zipper Down                                                                                  **    73
Enter Shikari - The Mindsweep                                                                   **    89
Fall Out Boy - American Beauty/American Psycho                                      **    72
Father John Misty - I love you honeybear                                                   **    87
Foals - What went down                                                                              ***  77
Frank Turner - Positive songs for negative people                                      ***  69
Gaz Coombes - Matador                                                                             ***  82
Ghost Culture - Ghost Culture                                                                     **** 81
Hot Chip - Why Make Sense ?                                                                     ***  81
Jamie XX - In Colour                                                                                    ***  87
Jape - The Chemical Sea                                                                            **** 
Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$                                                                              ***  77
Julia Holter - Have you in my wilderness                                                      **   87
King Gizzard - Paper mache dream balloon                                                **** 71
King Gizzard - Quarters                                                                               ***  68
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Kitty, Daisy & Lewis the Third                                     **   65
Kurt Vile - B'lieve I'm going down                                                                 ***  83    
Leftfield - Alternate Light Source                                                                  ***  79
The Libertines - Anthems for Doomed Youth                                               ***  70
Megan Traynor - Title                                                                                   ***
Miley Cyrus - Miley Cyrus and her Dead Petz                                              **** 59
Modest Mouse - Stranger to Ourselves                                                        **** 70
Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass                                                                        *     86
Neon Indian - VEGA INTL. Night School                                                       ***  79
New Order - Music Complete                                                                        ***  76
Of Montreal - Aureate Gloom                                                                        ***  67
Ought - Sun Coming Down                                                                           **** 80
Panda Bear - Panda Bear meets the Grim Reaper                                       ***  82
Paul Weller - Saturns Pattern                                                                        **** 81
Pond - Man, It Feels Like Space Again                                                         ***  78
the Prodigy - The Day is my enemy                                                              ***  67
Public SB - The Race for Space                                                                    ***  73
Pure Bathing Culture - Pray for Rain                                                             ***  69
Rae Morris - Unguarded                                                                               ***  77
Rolo Tomassi - Grievences                                                                           **   79
Royal Headache - High                                                                                 **** 83
Ryley Walker - Primrose Green                                                                    **   83
Sexwitch - Sexwitch                                                                                      ***  79
The Shoes - Chemicals                                                                                ***
Siskiyou - Nervous                                                                                        **** 78
Sleaford Mods - Key Markets                                                                       ***  81                    
Sleater-Kinney - No Cities to Love                                                                **** 90
Slice of Life - Slice of Life                                                                              **
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell                                                                   **** 90
Sun Kil Moon - Universal Themes                                                                 ***  79
Sylosis - Dormant Heart                                                                                *    
Titus Andronicus - The Most Lamentable Tragedy                                       **** 79
Tame Impala - Currents                                                                                **** 84
Tobias Jesso Jr - Goon                                                                                 **   81
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi Love                                                        ***  72
Vessels - Dilate                                                                                             ***   75
Viet Cong - Viet Cong                                                                                   ***   77
Vince Staples - Summertime 06                                                                    **** 87
Waxahatchee - Ivy Tripp                                                                               ***   81
The Weeknd - Beauty behind the Madness                                                  **    74  
Wilco - Star Wars                                                                                          ***   83
Wolf Alice - My Love is Cool                                                                         ****  78
Youth Lagoon - Savage Hills Ballroom                                                         ***   75

 

Yo if you can give Meghan Trainor three stars you need to listen to Chvrches' new thing. Best pop album in years.

[Amy Lawn]

5 minutes ago, Zac Quinn said:

Yo if you can give Meghan Trainor three stars you need to listen to Chvrches' new thing. Best pop album in years.

It's no Carly Bae Jepsen

[Rose-Colored Boy]

2 minutes ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

It's no Carly Bae Jepsen

I have concluded that I must've been in a bad mood the day I listened to that, wasn't feeling the hype at all

[Amy Lawn]

1 minute ago, Zac Quinn said:

I have concluded that I must've been in a bad mood the day I listened to that, wasn't feeling the hype at all

It's in the year's top 10 for me, I love it. Bonus tracks are amazing as well.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

Just now, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

It's in the year's top 10 for me, I love it. Bonus tracks are amazing as well.

Will give it another bash

[Winslow Leach]

55 minutes ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

It's in the year's top 10 for me, I love it. Bonus tracks are amazing as well.

I thought it had a few absolute bangers but that there were also times where she got a bit lost under all the production.

[Amy Lawn]

7 minutes ago, Winslow Leach said:

I thought it had a few absolute bangers but that there were also times where she got a bit lost under all the production.

Lost?

 

Edited December 8, 2015 by GETOFFAMYLAWN

[The_Amazing_Oblong]

16 hours ago, GETOFFAMYLAWN said:

Hey, somebody else listened to it. Fucking great, yes?

Yes. Really good album all the way through. Reminds me very much of Arcade Fire. In fact don't think I would have gotten into it so easily without previously listening to Arcade Fire.

 

15 hours ago, Zac Quinn said:

Yo if you can give Meghan Trainor three stars you need to listen to Chvrches' new thing. Best pop album in years.

I will have a bash at the new Chvrches album. Enjoyed The Bones of what you Believe. I think I was in Spain when Every Open Eye dropped. I liked the Meghan Trainor album in much the same way I like Lily Allen albums, pure bubblegum feelgood pop.