Saturday, December 26, 2015

FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2015

2015 was the Year of Psychedelia for me.

Here is a list of some of the things I listened to and enjoyed during this past year.

1. HOLY WAVE - The Evil Has Landed EP - Six great neo-psychedelic tunes.

2. FOALS - What Went Down - One of my favorite bands keeps putting out quality material.  Great album, lots of movement in the songs.

3. THE CHURCH - Further Deeper - Hard for me to believe this band has been around for as long as it has, and still has it going.  A great record, lots of moods and textures, and lots of atmosphere.

3. MY MORNING JACKET - The Waterfall - Another Jim James masterpiece.  Dreamy, druggy, and daring.

4. BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE - "+-" EP - Only three songs, but I love all three.

5. KURT VILE - B'lieve I'm Goin' Down - Took me a few listens, and I still don't like it quite as much as his last one, but it's very good.

6. NEW ORDER - Music Complete - I'm a fan, and had been waiting a long time in hopes the band would release something new.  It's a very rewarding album most New Order fans should appreciate, as it draws on all the phases of their long career since the ending of Joy Division.

7. LOW - Ones and Sixes - This is a return to form for Low.  It is more reminiscent of "The Curtain Hits The Cast" and "Things We Lost In The Fire" than their other recent albums.  Slow, dreamy, and beautiful.

8. MAGIC CASTLES - Starflower - Great psychedelic rock from this band, which records on the "A" records label (of Brian Jonestown Massacre's Anton Newcombe).

9. WILCO - Star Wars - The first couple of tracks didn't grab me, but everything after that did.  This album has a more spontaneous feel than some of their other recent releases.  It's a lot of fun.

10. TAME IMPALA - Currents - Not what I expected, but instead a more smooth, polished product of stuff that's more like Pop music.  Complete ear candy!

11. ISRAEL NASH - Silver Season

12. BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE - Mini-Album Thingy-Wingy - This is not as enjoyable for me as "Revelation" was, but it's good.  Anton Newcombe rocks.  

13. STEVEN WILSON - Hand.Cannot.Erase. - More great stuff from the master of modern Prog rock.  Keeping the Prog flame alive!

14. POND - Man It Feels Like Space Again
15. JOE JACKSON - Fast Forward
16. VERUCA SALT - Ghost Notes
17. VIET CONG - Viet Cong
18. THE ARCS - Yours Dreamily
19. JOE JACKSON - Fast Forward

Others:
BLUR - The Magic Whip - Somewhat disappointing, but still enjoyable
FETTY WAP - Fetty Wap - I'm not a Hip-Hop fan, but I do like this one.
BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE - Musique de Filme Imagine - Anton Newcombe ought to stay away from writing soundtrack music and stick to rock and roll

Ones I didn't get around to hearing yet:
MUSE - Drones
COURTNEY BARNETT - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
SWERVEDRIVER - I Wasn't Born To Lose You
COLDPLAY - A Head Full of Dreams
SUFJIAN STEVENS - Carrie and Lowell

Thanks to Jim Marquis of Major Conflict for turning me on to a number of these excellent recordings!

TEN MONTHS LATER

Ten months later, nothing had happened.  Nothing worthy of mention, anyway.  So he decided to post something, even it it was very little, if anything at all.
RichardDawkins.net