Mike's Music Blog: Top Albums of 2015 Honorable Mentions

One of my new years resolutions this year was to listen to 365 new albums this year (one new record a day). I achieved this - so I have a shit ton of honorable mentions this year.

in no particular order:

Sour Soul (BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah)

A collaborative hip-hop record with BADBADNOTGOOD providing some live groovey soulful instrumentals with Ghostface MCing

-youtube-

Compton (Dr. Dre)

It's not at the same level as "The Chronic" or the first half of "2001", but this thing has some crazy tight beats, solid hooks, and some great verses (such as those from Kendrick and Eminem).

-full album youtube-

Hive1 (Tyondai Braxton)

Poison Season (Destroyer)

But You Caint Use My Phone (Erykah Badu)

What You Hear is What You Hear (Thomas Brinkmann)

-this maybe should be on my top 50...I'm still digesting it-

Ba Power (Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba)

-this record is tight - but if you're new to this amazing group from Mali, check out their 2011 record "I Speak Fula"

Imani Vol 1 (Blackalicious)

-youtube-

Foil Deer (Speedy Ortiz)

Shadow of a Doubt (Freddie Gibbs)

No Cities to Love (Sleater-Kinney)

The Bad Plus Joshua Redman (The Bad Plus & Joshua Redman)

Filament (8th Blackbird)

Moonlover (Ghost Bath)

Born in the Echoes (The Chemical Brothers)

Stuff Like that There (Yo La Tengo)

We are the Drum (Kendrick Scott)

Platform (Holly Henderson)

RNBW (W00dy)

-bandcamp-

Harm (infinity girl)

-bandcamp-

Art Angels (Grimes)

In Between (Big Eater)

-bandcamp-

Past Present (Scofield)

New Bermuda (Deafheaven)

-Deafheaven trying to prove how metal they are... It's not as good as their previous record "Sunbather" and some really shitty guitar work and some cheese - but there's some moments that are great and since some people are really excited about this record it might be worth checking it out if your a fan of their previous record.

Maze of Woods (Inventions)

Live at 9:30 (Animal Collective)

-some tight jams on this

Midwest (Mathias Eick)

Vision Eye Lens in a See of Blindness (Tunnel Visions)

-droney psychedelic goodness-

-bandcamp-

Covered - Robert Glasper

R&B - Adam Rogers & David Binney

-this isn't as cool as I thought it would be...it's basically them playing standards...but they do this pretty darn well.

If You're Reading This It's Too Late (Drake)

-really solid mixtape-

-youtube-

Damogen Furies (Squarepusher)

Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (Courtney Barnett)

Blossum (Lustre)

-if Angelo Badalamenti wanted to make a black metal/dream pop soundtrack for Twin Peaks it might sound something like this-

Iatrogenic (Citrusphere)

-band website-

Carrie and Lowell (Sufjan Stevens)

-this record is too consistent and by about halfway through I'm bored out of my fucking mind - but there are a few great songs such as "Should Have Known Better" and "Fourth of July".

"Dry Food" (Palehound)

-bandcamp-

Star Wars (Wilco)

Untethered Moon (Built to Spill)

-this record isn't great -but the opener on here is solid and the closer with the absurdly long guitar solo is a lot of fun-

-full album youtube-

I Wasn't Born to Loose You (Swerve Driver)

25 (Adele)

Although it’s not as great as it’s predecessor, it’s a solid follow up to 21

Fashion Week (Death Grips)

Gliss Riffer (Dan Deacon)

I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside (Earl Sweatshirt)