Top 200 Albums of 2015!

Okay—so here's the deal—

I listened to WAY TOO MUCH MUSIC in 2015—due to being unemployed for most of 2015, and/or having long commutes, and/or having lots of time to listen to music while painting. So, I am doing an elongated top list this year.

Of the 900+ albums I listened to this year, I have narrowed my list to around 200 LPs and 30 EPs. Below is a comprehensive list of both of those lists, including some honorable mentions! I try to share a little bit about each album, and the album arts are arranged in groups of 9, since that was easiest for my #CrigTop200 Instagram contest.

There is also a companion playlist for each list that will be introduced during the lists!

LET’S DO THIS!

Special Release Honorable Mentions:

Since I don't normally include soundtracks, live albums, or covers to my full list, here is a list of some special releases I want to count as #CrigTop200 Honorable Mentions!

- “1989,” Ryan Adams

Ryan pulled a perfect Ryan Adams move and capitalized on the popularity and novelty of arguably one of the most successful and catchy albums in recent memory by covering Taylor Swift’s 1989 album in its entirety in true Ryan Adam chill alt-rock Americana style. It’s quite a feat.

- “23 Live Sex Acts!” Against Me!

On this truly authentic live album, you get to hear Laura Jane Grace stop one of the band’s most popular songs to stop a security guard from kicking a fan out of the crowd. It’s punk as fuck.

- “The Chopin Project,” Olafur Arnalds & Alice Sara Ott

Olafur Arnalds is one of the premiere neo-classical composers today. This collaboration album with violinist, Ott, is a beautiful take on one of the greatest composers of all time.

- “Manglehorn Soundtrack,” Explosions in the Sky

Explosions in the Sky has found its true calling—scoring films. The band has an incredible way of maintaining true to their form while adapting it to whichever project they’re commissioned.

- “Close,” Pianos Become the Teeth

These two songs were a special Record Store Day releases. Both tracks fill me with some feels since this band is pretty close to my heart.

- “More Acoustic Songs,” Real Friends

The album title is all you need to know. Real Friends has a powerful way of reimagining its tracks to fit a new acoustic mold. And the cover of the Starting Line’s “Islands” is BRILLIANT!

- “Meow the Jewels,” Run the Jewels

I LOVED the novelty of this album. The remixes are all very great. The quality of repeat listens wasn’t completely present for me—but this is such a cool project.

- Self Love

Self Defense Family and Touche Amore teamed up to form a massive project that combines both band’s styles on these two weird, heavy, and gorgeous songs.

- “Studio 4 Acoustic Session,” Tigers Jaw

Tigers Jaw is just great. Tigers Jaw live and acoustic is the most endearing thing you’ll hear all year. Hearing Ben and Brianna share their love for the songs that would become “Charmer” is such a treat.

- Hotline Bling,” Drake

Is anyone gonna deny the success of this song? I still have no idea what a hotline bling is/was but I know that this song is a thing that I enjoyed—and enjoyed parodying like everyone else, haha!

- “So There,” Ben Folds

I couldn’t figure out how to categorize this album when constructing my list—so I figured I’d put it here. This album carries the magnificent orchestral layering that Folds is known for—while the end of the album is purely a Concerto—the dude went above and beyond for this one!

- “Hamilton,” Original Broadcast Cast

I wasn’t sure what was going on with this soundtrack until someone explained the incredible premise to me after I saw it popping up all over the Internet. And damn—this is a gorgeous combination of classical, jazz, and hip-hop to tell the story of Alexander Hamilton.

- “Good Talk, Vol. 1 & 2,” Off & On

This brilliant indie pop rock dual-EP release is from Boston’s own, Off & On. Great tunes for chilling out in the sun, or just lounging on a good day.

- “Adaptation,” PANIC SOUP

Here is another release I struggled to categorize—even though it’s listed as an EP, it felt like an LP at times with its construction. Alas, this Chinese instrumental post-rock band combined some impressive jazzy elements to create a very unique style on this release.

- “Many Beautiful Things,” Sleeping at Last

Ryan O’Neil kept himself even busier this year, taking on his first motion picture soundtrack, and the outcome was absolutely beautiful! This DIY pianist/producer is a nonstop musical machine.

- “Twin Danger,” Twin Danger

This jazzy LP contains a number of fantastic originals from Sade’s Stuart Matthewman and Vanessa Bley. Bley’s voice sounds magnificent over a brilliantly reconstructed cover of “No One Knows,” by Queens of the Stone Age.

- “No Life for Me,” Wavves/Cloud Nothings

When two powerhouse punk/alt-rock acts collaborate on an album, you’re sure to have a damn good time. This LP is weird, explosive, and showcases what makes both bands such great listens.

TOP 30 EPs of 2015

Here are my top 30 EPs of the year!

I explored just over 110 EPs this year and these are the few that stuck with me!

Also, here is a full Spotify playlist for you to check out all of these EPs in order from top to bottom! Enjoy!

Click HERE for the playlist! 

30. “T-Shirt Weather,” Circa Waves

Surf rock is not read. Circa waves brings a vibrant take on a style of music that has lost its luster over the last few decades.

29. “M3LL155X,” FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs has the voice of an angel—literally. I think they may actually be angelic. This chill EP is a reminder that they have complete control over their voice.

28. “Clean,” The Japanese House

The Japanese House released two great EPs this year, along with “Pools to Bathe in,” the British chill-Pop duo constructed some dynamic and lavish tunes.

27. “Selfish Son,” Selfish Son

Post-punk and shoe-gaze go hand-in-hand with this quick exploration of the human condition. Selfish Son show a great deal of potential for its future releases.

26. “The Beyond/Where the Giants Roam,” Thundercat

I’ll be honest—I was hoping for a little more from Thundercat this year; yet, this quick 16-minute EP is a nice demonstration of what the Grammy-nomiated producer has to offer.

25. “Supermoon,” S. Carey

Sean Carey is devoted to making crisp, atmospheric piano music that encapsulates a multitude of emotions. Hypermoon shows Carey reimagining a number of his tracks in vibrant, methodical ways. Including a new original and a BRILLIANT cover of Radiohead’s “Bulletproof…I Wish I was.”

24. “Bashful Creatures,” Hippo Campus

Taking a note from early Vampire Weekend and Local Natives tunes, Hippo Campus created two golden pop EPs this year. Groovy, bubbly, and technical, the band brings together a very accessible sound.

23. “Weightless,” To Sail Beyond the Sun

Instrumental post-rock is hit or miss for me. I love the genre—probably my go-to genre for most moods—yet, its recent popularity has flooded the market. To Sail Beyond the Sun released an EP that is expertly arranged for a debut EP

22. “River & Rain,” Bury the Moon

Bury the Moon released a debut EP that is both tragically calming and invigoratingly alive with its piano-driven tracks blanketed in post-rock beauty. Such mastery on an initial release is beyond me. This is a special EP for me—it was constructed by a group of students that I once taught while living in Oregon.

21. Moving Mountains/Prawn

Moving Mountains unceremoniously returned this year with this beautiful split with one of the best new acts making tunes today, Prawn. This split was a perfect match—both artists put their best accessible and soothing foot forward.

20. “Swell,” Drug Church

I’m not the biggest Self Defense Family fan, but I LOVE Patrick Kindlon’s other project, Drug Church. Maybe it’s the straightforward nature of Drug Church’s punk style, or maybe I don’t get Self Defense Family. REGARDLESS, this EP set the tone for an incredible LP later in the year.

19. “Saint Cecilia EP,” Foo Fighters

Out of the blue, the Foo Fighters released this dazzling new EP, ripe with five tracks that show a more raw side of the band that hasn’t been present on a number of the band’s recent releases. I love that they let themselves loose.

18. “Empty Nest,” Mree

My top album of 2013 was Mree’s “Winterwell.” In my ears, Mree is the female Bon Iver. Her tunes are gorgeous, lavish, and full of life and atmosphere. This EP gives a glance into her evolution and maturity as a person and an artist.

17. “The End of Everything,” Plini

Plini’s first two EPs took my top spots two years ago and this year he returned with the final chapter in his EP trilogy! Plini has such a mastery of metal riffage and has already made a name for himself in the prog metal scene.

16. “Dazed,” Teenage Wrist

This is a solid debut EP from this LA-based grunge band. There are some wonderful melodies woven through the heavy riffs of distortion and light, airy vocals.

15. “Head in the Clouds,” State Faults

State Faults dominated a lot of my summer listening. Perhaps it was due to a lot of self-loathing on my end, but this EP delivers a solid dose of a spastic punk and hardcore that helped me exorcise a lot of my struggles this year.

14. “Dogged,” You, Me, and Everyone We Know

This is such a fun EP. From beginning to end, you can tell that these pop punk veterans are having a blast playing these tunes. It’s weird, it’s upbeat, it’s chill—good stuff.

13. “Good Graphics,” Rozwell Kid

It was nice for me to hear that Rozwell Kid kicked that Weezer phase they were stuck in on their earlier tunes. Not to knock Weezer, but it was apparent this band was searching for a sound and they’ve found it!

12. “Ledge,” Dikembe

I’m such a nerd for Dikembe. I fell in love with Mediumship last year and this quick EP gave me a little bit of a fill until they release their next LP. Great alt-rock tunes.

11. “Space EP,” The Devil Wears Prada

I wasn’t a fan of 8:18, but TDWP came back with a VENGEANCE with the Space EP. Similar to the Zombie EP, the storyline is pretty intense and finds the band exploring new atmospheric territory of what it means to be a metal band.

10. “Atlas: Life,” Sleeping at Last

Ryan O’Neil is one of the hardest working musicians today. He has been working on this Atlas series for a couple of years now and Life continues to showcase his atmospheric lightness and beauty.

9. “Pittsburgh,” William Fitzsimmons

Fitzsimmons is a damn-good songwriter. These acoustic tunes are simultaneously hauntingly beautiful, dark, and intimate.

8. “Transcendental,” Ocean/MONO

Holy shit—I didn’t expect this split. My body was NOT ready for this. MONO and The Ocean bring some heavy post-metal tunes and create some sonic soundscapes across TWO 12-minute epic tracks.

7. “Fury,” Koji

Koji is the songwriter i wish I could be. His ethics are amazing and his messages are on-point. I love that this EP shows him bringing together a full-band sound—similar to what Dallas Green developed City & Colour into.

6. “Barricades,” Wess meets west

Wess Meets West was a find I came across through some instagram surfing and I’m so thankful! Lots of great post-rock instrumental tunes. Dynamic, bold, mathy, and also a little heaviness.

5. “Contact Fix,” Alright the Captain

This EP is a grab-bag of what-the-shit?! Alright the Captain packs a dynamic punch of vivid post-hardcore, metal, and math rock. This is an incredibly fun listen for anyone who likes something fast and quirky while running or working out.

4. “Every Good Boy,” Owel

Owel had my number 2 album of 2013. They returned with this vibrant 4-song EP that cements why they are an important band for EVERYONE to listening to right now. This piano-driven alt-rock band shows such grace and command over its music that is WAY beyond its years.

3. “Sing Me a Song” & “Dig Me a Grave” Derive

We’ve made it to the top 3 Eps of 2015!

I had to use both of these EPs released by Derive in 2015 to demonstrate the importance of this avant garde art-punk act from Western Mass. The band makes some of the most flawless transitions from chaos to order and back to chaos that I’ve ever heard. Derive is an all-encompassing and devoted act that is dedicated to its ethics and the fair treatment of local acts and the business of art. I have met a group of hard-working humans more deserving of being on this list.

CLICK HERE to Give them a listen on their bandcamp now!

2. “Personal War,” Birds in Row

France’s art-punk/post-hardcore act, Birds in Row, returned this year with one of the most powerful releases of the year. It is short and sweet and takes no prisoners. The amount of intensity and elegance weaved throughout this EP is impressive. I was awaiting an EP that made me feel invincible when I listen to it, and here it is!

1. “Movement,” All Get Out

All Get Out also returned this year with a brilliant 5-song EP. For fans of the band, this EP immediately felt special and absolutely comfortable from the beginning of track one. Nathan Hussey’s voice has such an amazing southern twang to it that when it combines with the band’s Southern Alt-Rock tunes—a la Manchester Orchestra—there is nothing better. “Orchestra” was one of my personal favorite tracks of the year—that chorus gets me hype! And I cannot wait for whatever the band releases next!

Hope folks enjoyed my quick stroll through my top 30 EPs of 2015!

Bring on the top 200!!!

Top 200 LPs of 2015!

Okay, now is the time for the top LPs list! This was a tough list to create because I listened to so many incredible tunes this year. And a thing I tried to do was focus on the ideal that I genuinely enjoy ALL types of music. So you will find many different moods, styles, emotions throughout this list.

There is metal, noise, pop, punk, pop punk, electronic, minimalist, classical, acoustic, folk, dreampop, latin, alt-country, prog metal, death metal, beats, hip-hop, rap, R&B—so, when someone says, "Oh, I listen to everything," SEND THEM THIS LIST and tell them...

Prove it.

Here is the FULL playlist of the honorable mentions and my top albums of the year—minus a few depending on whether they exist on Spotify or not—

CLICK HERE for the full top LPs playlist!

Enjoy!!

200. “Run Wild,” Lydia

I’m always surprised when Lydia puts out a new album because I supposedly went to the band’s farewell tour 5 years ago. STRANGE. Alas, this is a solid accessible pop album.

199. “Vultures,” God Damn

A damn-fine stoner sludge metal listen. Turn it up loud.

198. “In the Wilderness,” Stranger Cat

Trippy poppy beats combined with airy and quirky vocals—this is weird and endearing listen that makes me wish Lana del Rey made music like this. I kept coming back to “Unzip Your Skin,” a tantalizingly haunting track.

197. “Quarterbacks,” Quarterbacks

These dudes put together a solid 19-track, 22-minute clean garage punk album. It’s clear there is a lot of room for growth and maturity. But this is a fun listen to fans of garage tunes.

196. “Darling…it’s too Late,” Guantanamo Baywatch

This is a fun surfer rock album made by a trio of humans that love playing living room shows and just having a good time. Put it on while driving in the sun.

195. “Sometimes,” Goldmund

Keith Kenniff of the post-rock act, Helios, is seemingly always hard at work pushing his musical genius. Sometimes displays his masterful neo-classical piano skills, which make for a lavish and haunting listen.

194. “Polaris,” TesseracT

While the new TesseracT LP doesn’t pack the same punch as the band’s previous releases—given their constant vocalist flux—this is still a solid prog-metal release with the back half of the album standing out more than the front.

193. “Volume: 1,” Magic Sword

Do you like video games? Do you like funky beats? Do you like gloomy ambience? Well, this instrumental album is the perfect soundtrack for you!

192. “Te Queiero los Domingos,” Raquel Sofia

Hell yes, I explored the world of Latin pop in 2015! Came across this album in Newbury Comics one day, checked it out and DAMN! This woman can sing! It’s an enjoyable listen no matter the slight language barrier.

191. “Cardinal,” Philip Jeck

I definitely got into noise this year. Jeck released an album that is as absurdly droning as it is disturbingly beautiful. That balance is what makes this a worthwhile listen.

190. “Ivy Tripp,” Waxahatchee

This is a fantastic punk-esque, quasi-acoustic album with uniquely powerful and insightful lyrics. I know lots of folks hold Waxahatchee in much higher regard; and I get why that would be. But I find it to be pretty comparable music to a few more dominant artists this year.

189. “Fresh Blood,” Matthew E. White

Matthew E. White has SUCH A VOICE, bro! His soothing low register lends to a successfully dynamic folk-R&B sound induced with glorious piano lines and borderline gangster rap lyrics.

188. “Subjective Concepts,” Strange Wilds

Strange Wilds brings a punk sounds dashed with some shoegaze, grunge, and exploratory elements. Fun album for running.

187. “The Agent Intellect,” Protomartyr

I love how the constructs of post-punk continue to be pushed as this grungy industrial album makes its impact on the music scene.

186. “Vitals,” Mute Math

I’ve watch Mute Math evolve so much over the years and it’s been quite the treat to watch. The band has come into its own as an indie-pop rock outfit hellbent on perfecting the groove of accessible radio rock.

185. “High Country,” The Sword

Stoner rock gods, the Sword, return with a somewhat lackadaisical album—one that doesn’t feel complete, even though its 15-tracks long. Perhaps that lends more to the bands jam-band live show; alas, another solid release.

184. “Return to the Moon,” EL VY

I’m not the biggest fan of The National, but I do love Menomena—so Matt Berninger teaming with Brent Knopf was a interesting idea to me and it came through! This is a versatile and sardonic album.

183. “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven,” Kid Cudi

Lots of artists went a different route with their music this year. Kid Cudi ditched hip hop completely and decided to create a rock album—sounds strange, but it works!

182. “Magnifique,” Ratatat

Another great Ratatat album that featured the band’s quintessential electronica vibes with plenty of animal sounds and quirky build ups throughout.

181. “Symbolic Dream,” Warm Soda

If the album art doesn’t make you want to run down to the local malt shop for a burger and fries, the tunes certainly will! Some great upbeat and cackling throwback garage rock feels on this album.

180. “American Wrestlers,” American Wrestlers

1. I love the band name. 2. I love the album art. 3. I love the tunes. Solid shoegazey post-punk tunes. If you slept on this one, wake up!

179. “Hail Mary,” iwrestledabearonce

Grindcore absurdists, IWABO, provided another array of absolutely brutal and elegant tunes this year. I kept coming back to this album because its so damn solid from beginning to end.

178. “Positive Songs for Negative People,” Frank Turner

This dude can write some damn good songs, man. Frank Turner is a folk-punk with lots on his mind and some beautiful ways of saying it.

177. “Rats in Your Bed,” Chandos

I picked this LP on clearance this year and I’m SO THANKFUL I did. These mathy hardcore tunes are so dynamically different than many artists in the same genre swath.

176. “Pure Mood,” Ringo Deathstarr

I admit, this was my introduction to Ringo Deathstarr and sure, with more time, I will probably push these tunes higher on my list. Alas, I really enjoyed this airy atmospheric post-punk album.

175. “JR JR,” JR JR

At first, I had know idea what this artist was and then I realized that the band dropped the Dale Earnhardt from its name! I dig it. These catchy, groovy jams make for a great way to usher in a name change.

174. “Vestiges & Claws,” Jose Gonzalez

This here is one beautiful album. The ambience, the elegance, and the atmosphere that Jose Gonzalez can create with an acoustic guitar are all glorious.

173. “RUST,” Harm’s Way

This is pure brutality from start to finish.  No other way around it. Put it on when working out in the gym and feel invincible.

172. “GOON,” Tobias Jesso, Jr.

Tobias Jesso, Jr has been quite busy. Not only did he release this wonderfully chill and stripped down debut LP, but he also produced and wrote a number  of songs for the new Adele album!

171. “E-MO-TION,” Carly Rae Jepson

I was hesitant as hell to give this an honest listen. But my buddy, Rene, never leads me astray. And damn—this is sexy album.  The 80s grooves are alive and well on this radio pop goddess’ sophomore release.

170. “Dodge and Burn,” Dead Weather

Do you like to groove?! Do you like HEAVY RIFFS? Do you like to GROOVE TO HEAVY RIFFS?! Well you’re in luck! This brilliant rock steady band is another Jack White project without drowning in the pretentiousness of Jack White.

169. “SOUR SOUL,” Badbadnotgood / Ghostface Killah

This album is a collaboration made in hip-hop heaven. The production and beats of badbadnotgood combined with the expert lyricism of Ghostface Killah create a crucial socially conscious album.

168. “Parlous Tricks,” Alcoa

In meeting Derek (of Defeater & Alcoa) at the album release show for Parlous Tricks, I quickly learned that he is a great dude. This album showcases his exorcism of many personal issues in his brand of southern Americana tunes.

167. “As It Were,” Marietta

The is a thin line developing between the realm of low-fi garage rock and the emo-revival. Marietta treads that line very comfortably on this well-crafted sophomore LP.

166. “Dilate,” Vessels

I love listening to Vessels when I’m working on a paper, or reading, or anything that allows me to shut off the outside world. This band creates incredible beats and beautiful atmospheres. Listen to it now, please!

165. “Divers,” Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom brings her uniquely quirky style to the forefront of the singer-songwriter realm and is a force to be reckoned with. She crafts some of the lightest melodies, coupled with charming vocals and lyrics.

164. “Broken into Better Shape,” Good Old War

I’ve been following this incredibly talented alt-Country, quasi-folk, Americana group of misfits since when they were initially formed as Days Away. And damn, it’s so cool to see them consistently making brilliant music.

163. “Heaven is Earth,” Self Defense Family

The enigmatic powerhouse of discomfort and unease returned with another album of somewhat enchanting quasi-punk, bastardized-rock tunes.

162. “From Safer Place,” Fawn Spots

Some post-hardcore for the whole family! I found this over the summer and really enjoyed using it to get out some necessary aggression.

161. “Supersonic Home,” Adventures

Who knew the members of hardcore outfit, Code Orange, had a softer side? This emo-revival/garage rock album is fittingly an adventure. I picked an absolutely GORGEOUS rainbow splatter vinyl press of this earlier in the year. Love it.

160. “Cosmic Troubles,” Faith Healer

The album cover reminds me of what my teeth used to look like before I got braces—but don’t let the art trick you, this is an airy rock album that teeters on shoegaze and quirky Americana.

159. “II,” Fuzz

The name of this Ty Segall side project is aptly titled. This is a loud and lively rock album with lots of distortion heavy riffs that are guaranteed to knock your socks off.

158. “What For?” Toro y Moi

Toro y Moi came back with another experimental electronic album—light and lovely, as you would expect from him.

157. “Purple,” Baroness

Given the circumstances of the lives of the members of Baroness, it is nothing short of a miracle that they were able to create an album as quickly as they did. This album might not see the band at the same level their were on Red or Blue, but combining all of their successful elements makes this a cohesive album.

156. “Joy, Departed,” Sorority Noise

Not sure how this band took off in the emo-revival scene as much as it did. It didn’t strike me as much of a stand-out record as many have it on their lists—however, it is a solid album with a lot of wonderful moments. I do, however, despise how they stole a riff/melody from the Wonder Years.

155. “The Color Before the Sun,” Coheed and Cambria

I feel as though Coheed and Cambria was on a downward spiral with many of its recent releases; however, this LP saw the band straying for its usual storyline concept—instead opting to create its first non-concept album. Given the artwork, I had hoped for a more prog-rock album, and less of a forced radio rock album. Alas, the dudes still got it.

154. “Please Don’t Leave,” Seasons Change

This was a pop punk album that kept me going this year. I love the vinyl press I snagged from No Sleep Records and it kept me close to these anguish-filled, emo-laden tracks full of addictive melodies.

153. “The Shape of Colour,” Intervals

Aaron Marshall is a beast of a prog/djent metal guitarist. I was surprised that he opted to go without a vocalist after his last album experimented with them for the first time. But it was nice to just have his intentionally instrumental soundscapes once again.

152. “Found in Far Away Place,” August Burns Red

The realm of metal-core and melodic hardcore is a disgusting hodge-podge of kids that can string together recycled melodies—all while TRYING to be August Burns Red, hence why none of those are on this list (In Hearts Wake, Northlane)—but there is only ONE ABR, and they are still crushing it.

151. “High,” Royal headache

This Australian punk band meshes elements of grunge with some groove and soul to create a sound that uniquely allows them to rival the likes of the Black Keys.

150. “Poison Season,” Destroyer

Dan Bejar has one of the milkiest voices I’ve ever heard. It’s so rich, so thick, so vibrant—and he pairs it with some of the most somber, cryptic, and lush tunes.

149. “Painted Shut,” Hop Along

Dude—if you wanna listen to an authentic band rock out with a strong woman lead vocalist that doesn’t give a shit about perfection, then listen to this album. Indie rock greatness.

148. “Currents,” Tame Impala

I’ll just get it out of the way—this is a good album. This isn’t a GREAT album. For me, it didn’t have the replay value of many other albums later on this list. That being said, the layers of vibrant atmosphere that Kevin Parker creates are beautiful, psychedelic and dreamy. Dude knows what he’s doing.

147. “The Night Took Us in Like Family,” L’Orange & Jeremiah Jee

I really got into chill hip-hop tunes this year. I’ve been developing that taste over the years. I came across the producer, L’Orange, who has a thick discography of tunes. This LP is an intimate collaboration with rapper, Jeremiah Jee. The two work together flawlessly.

146. “Kintsugi,” Death Cab for Cutie

I haven’t been the biggest Death Cab fan over the years. I haven’t meshed with much since Plans, but this new album gave the band a bit of vibrancy for me. It took me a couple of listens before it clicked, but I came out enjoying the crap out of this one.

145. “Como un Oceano,” All For Love

Who knew that Argentina’s own brand of metalcore could be so dynamically brutal and melodic? This album is full of heavy riffage and blasting drums—for fans of metal.

144. “No Cities to Love,” Sleater-Kinney

The original Riot Grrrls returned this year with a radio-friendly romp through some pretty damn accessible punk tunes. I feel this album would have been a bit higher for me if the lyrics were more substantive and rooted in perhaps, feminist discourse, instead of seemingly inauthentic words.

143. “Settler,” Vattnet Vishkar

The prize for most deceptive album cover goes to Vattnet Viskar! This astronaut cover is seemingly red herring for the shear hardcore brutality that appears on this album.

142. “Portraits,” Maribou State

Some of the most uplifting, jazzy, groovy beats came from this UK duo that flawlessly weave atmosphere throughout their expansive musical tapestries. There is also a companion remix album that is equally impressive.

141. “Mars is a Very bad Place for Love,” The Breathing Effect

No only is this an incredible astronautically instrumental post-rock album, but damn—that album title is absolutely perfect. I love it. Glad I came across this album randomly. CHECK IT OUT!

140. “1000 Palms,” Surfer Blood

These are some groovy indie rock tunes for groovy indie rock folks that love to groove. Seriously, this is such a light, lively, and upbeat album.

139. “Zipper Down,” Eagles of Death Metal

Earlier this year, before the tragic terrorist attack at their show in Paris, Eagles of Death Metal released a dominant straightforward rock album that is quintessential all things man.

138. “Lightless Walk,” Cult Leader

I mean—in terms of relentlessness, this album is the pinnacle of relentless brutality.

137. “Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress,” Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Noise, noise, noise, NOISE! Godspeed You! and its members other associated acts are VERY familiar with the concept of noise. This album is no different. I almost completely dismissed the album, but the first and last tracks (of four) absolutely saved it.

136. “Everything Else Matters,” pinkshinyultrablast

These Russian shoegaze nerds chose a fitting name for their vibrant tunes. The lo-fi recordings with airy vocals make this a necessary listen for anyone seeking a soft introduction to shoegaze.

135. “Depression Cherry,” Beach House

I figured Beach House had blown through its production budget just creating all the velvet covers for the LPs & CDs for this album, but there was enough to put out another, more stripped down LP as well! I chose this album for its dreamy shoegaze atmosphere.

134. “Into the Sea,” Attalus

2015 might have been the year I lost my Christian faith—but that didn’t keep me from enjoying the ways the dudes in the post-hardcore band, Attalus, express their angst, fear, and joy through an epic hour-long journey of brilliance.

133. “Maze of Woods,” Inventions

As the side project of Explosions in the Sky’s Mark Smith and Eluvium’s Matthew Cooper, the two collaborated on another gorgeous electronic/post-rock effort. This album will take you places in the winter & in the dead of night.

132. “Copacetic,” Knuckle Puck

Pop punk bands are at the forefront of evolving the landscape of the genre into a more accessible take on the emo-revival. It’s awesome to see this, because bands like Knuckle Puck benefit greatly from the ability to explore their sounds through this new LP.

131. “The Heart is a Monster,” Failure

This badass return to form is a refreshing listen from this 90s rock powerhouse. Heavy, moody, groovy, this LP brings a little bit of everything for solid rock fans.

130. “25,” Adele

Yes, Adele had the best-selling album of all-time—makes sense, because her label refused to place it on any streaming service. Which was SMART business. While the album is very powerful—packing her distinct vocal range—it didn’t feel like it would match up to the almighty, 21.

129. “Shadow Shows,” Seryn

I initially put this in my post-rock categorization—which was half-correct. But what this alt-folk atmospheric group packs is a distinct male/female vocal duality that creates a dynamic team impact.

128. “First Four,” Doe

This UK trio kept my garage rock heart growing and growing all year. Their tunes are quirky, fun, and sardonic—all great qualities in a female-driven garage punk band.

127. “Hushed Northern Lights,” Clouds on Elektricity

This album feels like the most post-post-rock album I listened to in 2015. There are layers upon layers and then THOSE layers have layers. Give it a listen if you’re into those beautiful atmospheres.

126. “L-Shaped Man,” Ceremony

Ceremony has drifted farther and farther away from its violence-driven hardcore days—opting for a more, Joy Division meets Interpol sort of feel these days. This album is an accessible and dynamic listen for the whole family! Very little shreds of violence.

125. “Another One,” Mac DeMarco

Mac DeMarco brings his quirky, oddball augmentations on guitar tone and atmosphere to present a light, dreamy, and laid back album full of odd structures that work well together.

124. “Director,” Yonatan Gat 

Israeli multi-instrumentalist, Yonatan Gat, crafted a lively mathy and groovy rock album—absent of words or language, he proves music is universal.

123. “Camera Shy,” Camera Shy

This is one of the most endearing albums you’ll hear—Nick Bassett (of Whirr & nothing) creates soft, clean, and spacious musical arrangements and Alexandra Morte’s vocals are absolutely gorgeous throughout.

122. “In a Van Down by the River,” Break Anchor

One of the best album titles for one of the most socially conscious punk album you’ll hear this year. They devote half of a minute-long track to “Hands up, don’ts shoot!” in a sign of solidarity with those impacted by police violence.

121. “Fake Palms,” Fake Palms

It’s punk that has a little crust to it. It’s punk that has a little groove to it. It’s punk that has a little bit of everything to it. Put on your jean jacket and rock out in your garage, man.

120. “Full Heal,” Waking Aida

Waking Aida had one of my top 30 albums last year. The band constructs such bright, vibrant, uplifting instrumental math-rock blended with beautiful atmosphere and zest. 

119. “Shame,” Petal

Americana garage rock was quite a big go-to for me this year—and if there was a female-lead, YES PLEASE! This album is all that with a little bit of solemn sardonicism mixed it. 

118. “Around the World and Back,” State Champs

When I first heard this album I told my partner—well, get ready to hear State Champs on the radio. This pop punk album is very much written for radio success and I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes for these dudes.

117. “Bleak,” Froth

This band was suggested to me earlier in the year and it was the way I built up my taste for shoegaze throughout the rest of the year. Very great, accessible listen—even for me, a novice by all accounts, when it comes to shoegaze.

116. “Anthropocene Extinction,” Cattle Decapitation

I mean, unceasing brutality is still very much in these days. Cattle Decapitation does not miss a single blast beat along the way to crafting another brilliant grindcore album.

115 “Being as an Ocean,” Being as an Ocean

I’ve been hesitant with BAAO over the years, but this album helped me revisit the band’s back catalogue and focus on the elements of melodic hardcore that they do right—while sort of avoiding the preachiness of some of their lyrics.

114. “I, No Longer,” Pentimento

I saw Pentimento in the summer of 2014 and laughed because of how sadly terrible their live show was—so when I turned on this album and heard completely different sounds than that night, I was pleasantly surprised. They’ve crafted an accessible rock album—escaping their pop punk woes.

113. “Permanence,” Storm the Sky

I’ve been hard on the realm of metalcore these days, but this Storm the Sky album is pretty sweet. The band at least makes an effort to make sure each song is different and contains catchy, melodic elements—unlike so many that just do the same thing over and over.

112. “Projections,” Romare 

Archie Fairhurst has a penchant for afrocentrism, which is pretty apparent in this quasi-ambient worldly chill-step beat-driven album—something you’d put on during a chill adult house party.

111. “Abyss,” Chelsea Wolfe

Is there any denying that Chelsea Wolfe is the goth queen? Next to Adventure Time’s Marcelline, there is really no competition these days. Wolfe returns with another haunting album full of dark vastness and eerie vocal arrangements.

110. “The Smallest Light,” Daisyhead

No Sleep Records had a BIG year! So many solid releases from that label—and this LP is just one of the great things to come this year. Solid alternative rock with an emo twinge.

109. “Meliora,” Ghost BC

The enigmatic metal-gods of Ghost BC returned with an album that transcends the darkness of its own existence. While not as heavy as previous efforts, it is certainly brings some droning and folksy elements to the bands repertoire.

108. “I Become a Shade,” Seoul

As chill as it is groovy, this album surprised me as one of the better chill-step albums this year.

107. “Beat the Champ,” Mountain Goats

As many folks know, I LOVE professional wrestling. So when the folk group, Mountain Goats, announced it would be releasing a wrestling themed album, I WAS STOKED! It is full of smart insider language, stories, and brilliant analogies.

106. “CHERRY BOMB,” Tyler, the Creator

Hip-hop absurdist, Tyler, the Creator returns with a lavish and fresh sound full of dynamic beats and chill-step elements. There’s a little more heart to this album than the immature ramblings he became known for, but his hilarious one-liners are ever-present.

105. “Choose Your Weapon,” Hiatus Kaiyote

This Australian future soul band brings all things jazzy, groovy, and soulful. It’s a huge album with lots of experimental elements I haven’t necessarily heard paired together before.

104. “We Cool?” Jeff Rosenstock

Bomb the Music Industry!’s Jeff Rosenstock returned with another straightforward punk album full of hilarious lyrics—which is nice from a man not taking himself too seriously.

103. “Freedom,” Refused

A lot of people felt free to shit on this album when it first came out—hell, I had my doubts. But it’s a damn good punk album from a band that arguably helped reinvent what punk COULD be in the 90s.

102. “Universes,” Seven Davis, Jr

This hip-hop producer presents an album FULL of chill, experimental and jazzy beats—coupled with some smooth vocals and a few features.

101. “Trading Basics,” Palm

This avant garde post-punk band doesn’t give a shit about your time signatures or song structures. Palm just does what Palm wants to do and it creates for such a groovy, quirky—yet, strangely accessible listen.

100. “A Golden Blue,” Eyes on the Shore

Perhaps one of the most accessible albums on this list is right here. This is a groovy pop rock album full of vibrant melodies and chill choruses. Kick back and soak up the sun, friends!

99. “Restarter,” Torche

The stoner sludge kings of metal returned with another heavy affront on the landscape of music. This album is expansive without losing the heart of Torche’s strengths of riffage and desperate vocals.

98. “The Race for Space,” Public Service Broadcast

Putting space launches and communications to music is not something I thought I would enjoy as much as I did. This is a light, upbeat, exploratory journey though the cosmos thanks to carefully crafted beats and ambience.

97. “Thunderbitch,” Thunderbitch

Some folks might not know this, but Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes has an alter ego, and that alter ego is a punk rock badass called, Thunderbitch. Seriously, this is a fun record.

96. “Grievances,” Kowloon Walled City

Alternate title: Chicken Soup for the Post-Metal soul. Try it on.

95. “Leaper,” Beliefs

Shoegaze can often feel drowned out or a little too lo-fi for me sometimes. But Beliefs released an upbeat, dreamy shoegaze album that teeters on moody darkness, but doesn’t give in completely.

94. “Payola,” Desaparecidos

Conor Oberst decided to saddle up with his punk project, Desaparecidos, this year and the result was a socially conscious punk assault. I wasn’t familiar with the band before this year, but it made me go back and rock out to Read Music/Speak Spanish as well!

93. “New Alhambra,” Elvis Depressedly

I got into Elvis Depressedly a couple years ago thanks to a chance meeting with @slowxdive, and I’m so thankful it happened because I’ve come to love the unconventional nature of Mat Cothran’s take on downtempo sound manipulation and lo-fi shoegaze sensabilities.

92. “I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside: An Album,” Earl Sweatshirt

I fell pretty hard for Earl’s last album, and he certainly followed it up with a quick, chill romp through the mind of a mental health-conscious black man just trying to make it in America.

91. “Helios/Erebus,” God is an Astronaut

God is an Astronaut has remained so consistent in the post-metal post-rock instrumental game—continuing to enmesh their unique brand of electronica into each album. These Irishmen also put on one helluva show—if you ever get the chance.

90. “Are we All the Same Distance Apart?” Crooks (UK)

This debut album from this UK melodic post-hardcore band meshes some more upbeat punk elements into its tales of loss and desperation. This album also freaked me out at first because the album cover features a model that looks identical to my ex!

89. “Beauty Behind the Madness,” The Weeknd

I laugh at some of Abel’s lyrics because they are so hypersexualized that they sound like someone that has never had sex. Alas, his tunes are pretty damn great—even if it’s OBVIOUS he wants to be the next MJ (see: “In the Night”).

88. “Mother,” Runaway Brother

This is such a personal, intimate album with a lot of the best qualities of the emo-revival movements—dude’s being vulnerable with their masculinity, expressing it in a healthy way.

87. “Self Portrait,” Loma Prieta

This new art-punk album demonstrates a band that took some time to create a more accessible sound—unlike some of their somewhat-unlistenable releases to the untrained ear.  That doesn’t mean this album doesn’t shred, because it does; Loma just added some new melodic elements to the arsenal.

86. “Hit Your Head,” Drug Church

I was STOKED on this album when it came out—I still need to snag it on vinyl; but damn, this is a fun, weird, and experimental punk album that makes me glad to support independent artists.

85. “Hyperview,” Title Fight

I thought this album was a great venture for Title Fight—who stripped down the hardcore tunes that got them to where they are, opting for a more atmospheric/shoegaze effort. I feel this album also inspired a few other bands to try out similar ventures.

84. “The Powers that B/Jenny Death,” Death Grips

 “My favorite color is OH MY GOD, BITCH!” That’s probably one of my favorite absurdist lyrics from Death Grips, which is a hip-hop group that comes with a steep learning curve for any listener. This dual-album no different, as it is a beast to attack—complete with some of the most alienating and inventive beats you’ll ever hear.

83. “In the Moment,” Makaya McCraven

What do you know about chill-step jazz? This 73-minute epic album is brilliantly constructed and features all you could want from an experimental jazz album.

82. “s/t,” Closet Disco Queen

Do you like groovy, guitar-driven jam-rock instrumental tunes? Then you’ll love the shit out of this album.

81. “Arizona,” Mylets

Multi-instrumentalist/one-man band, Henry Kohen crafted one of the most ambition albums of the year—all by himself, which he also performs all by himself. He spastically combines elements of electronica, punk, and Indie rock in this stunning debut LP.

80. “Every Open Eye,” CHVRCHES

I think it’s funny how some folks don’t expect me to appreciate good pop music when I hear it. CHVRCHES is my exception to the rule. I was harsh on them to begin with, but I’ve become more of a fan—especially as vocalist, Lauren Mayberry, became more vocal in affronting sexism in the music industry.

79. “In Colour,” Jamie xx

I prefer Jamie xx over the xx any day. I feel Jamie’s solo effort made a bigger impact on me because there is variety, change, exploration in the landscape of pop beats and groovy soundscapes. This is on a lot of lists for a reason—dude can create great beats and he brought in some great features.

78. “Across the Oceans,” American Dollar

If you ever need ambience, atmosphere, or gloriously lush soundscapes, check out the American Dollar. Been listening to this instrumental duo for about 8 years now and I’m constantly impressed with their output.

77. “American Beauty/American Psycho,” Fall Out Boy

Lots of folks got annoyed with "Centuries" and I didn’t let that shroud my vision of this powerful return to form for Fall Out Boy. While they may never revisit the pop punk world musically, the band still constructed one of the strongest pop rock albums of the year.

76. “That’s the Spirit!” Bring Me the Horizon

It’s almost safe to say that Bring Me the Horizon will never be the band many of us grew up with and came to love—but that isn’t necessarily a band thing. While the band isn’t screaming or slamming your ears with blasting metal anymore, it is still carefully crafting some genre-bending and melodic tunes.

75. “Hear You,” toe

 Japanese math-rock instrumental band presented another chill album that showcases why they continue to be one of the most important instrumental acts out there today. There are some vocals this time around, as “Commit Ballad” is one of the catchiest songs of my year.

74. “Heirs,” And So I Watch You From Afar

Math rock instrumentalists, ASIWYFA came back with a vibrant and lively romp through their curious landscape of post-rock. There are even some vocals this time around!

73. “What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World,” The Decemberists

Haven’t been the biggest Decemberists fan in the past, but something about this album stuck with me. Perhaps it’s the comfort of Colin Meloy’s voice or the brilliant folksy/string arrangements, but I really enjoyed this album.

72. “Long Live,” Atreyu

Holy shit—I didn’t know how much I needed this album. Atreyu took many years off, got signed by a Norwegian label, and came back with the same vibrancy of their early years with Victory Records! It was so great to jam to this album all summer.

71. “If You’re Reading This it’s too Late,” Drake

Drake dropped this mixtape out of nowhere in the dead of winter—and that was PERFECT for me. I needed this album in the winter. It’s solemn, downtempo, and chill—something I didn’t expect from Drake at all.

70. “Nonstop Feeling,” Turnstile

Dude—80s hardcore is ALIVE! Turnstile came through with this fun, heavy, and socially conscious upbeat hardcore album.

69. “The Rifts,” A Swarm of the Sun

The first time I listened to this album was right after my dad died—literally on the flight home. And it helped me drown out a lot of sadness, grief, and helped me remain calm in the post-metal noisey goodness of this LP’s atmosphere.

68. “Fragile, as Said Before,” Foreign Tongues

This album helped me a lot with my anxiety this year. The baritone vocals are very comforting over the post-punk/new wave bass lines and chilled out aura.

67. “Salome,” Marriages

This is a lovely experimental lo-fi dreamy and atmospheric trip through some shoegaze/post-metal elements. A little bit of everything for fans of post-genres.

66. “How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful,” Florence + the Machine

Florence Welch is a confident woman and as she and her band continues to evolve its tunes, it becomes more and more apparent that Florence is a performer that will last the test of time. This album is elegant and huge.

65. “Sprained Ankle,” Julien Baker

This minimalist album is absolutely necessary listening for anyone who loves simple atmospheres created from light guitars and a heavenly/quirky voice.

64. “Bleeder,” Mutoid Man

This Converge/Cold Cave grunge punk/neo-psychedelic project produced one helluva fun, fast, and groovy punk album.

63. “Carry the Fire,” Dustin Kensrue

Dustin Kensrue is one of the greatest dudes I’ve ever met—I admire his tenacity for his beliefs and for his music. His solo music always gives you a vibrant new take on how exists in this world. I love how he builds the emotion of this album—something powerful.

62. “IV,” Toundra

Madrid-native instrumental band, Toundra, released one of the earthiest albums I’ve ever heard. Complete with vibrant string arrangements, horns, and dynamic riffs to create an album that feels fresh with each listen.

61. “Abandoned,” Defeater

Continuing his penchant for era-based concept albums, Derek of Defeater furthers his brilliant storytelling skills with a story of a wayward pastor who is on the verge of leaving his church. The message of this album stuck with me a lot this year as I had similar demons to face.

60. “Grain,” Darius

One of the darkest, most ominous LPs released this year came from Switzerland’s Darius. This post metal album balances the dualities of light and dark so well from beginning to end.

59. “Lesser Oceans,” Fences

Hands down one of my favorite pop/indie rock albums of the year.  Didn’t know much about this dude until I nabbed his 7” with Macklemore for $1 at Newbury and I’m glad I did. Such a groovy and accessible album.

58. “I Wasn’t Born to Lose You,” Swervedriver

90s shoegaze act returned to form in the 21^st century with a DYNAMIC offering of dreamy, guitar-driven, and electronic tunes. This album caught me off guard in the best way possible.

57. “If I Should Go Before You,” City & Colour

I’ve been following Dallas Green for a while and its always so refreshing to hear him evolve his sound and branch into a different tempo or tune. This LP is laid back, dreamy, and brings a more alt-country/folk feel than his previous releases.

56. “Too,” FIDLAR

I guess going into rehab by middle school makes for some solid experiences to draw from when writing captivating party punk music. This album is heavy, weird, and honestly, just a really fun time.

55. “I Love You, Honeybear,” Father John Misty

One of the more dominant commercial releases I enjoyed this year came from Father John Misty. These dream-folk tunes are classy, sarcastic, and vibrant throughout—with captivating lyrics full of social commentary on love in the 21^st century.

54. “Ours is Chrome,” Superheaven

A name-change did not slow down the Superheaven folks from creating a sludgy grunge rock album with an identity crisis. There is a lot of groove, and a lot of melody on this album, which make it one of the more accessible albums from the scene this year.

53. “The Pull of Gravity,” Young and Heartless

It was refreshing to find a melodic hardcore album that felt new, dynamic, and interesting. Young and Heartless put a lot of themselves into this record and it shows through each track.

52. “The Album About Nothing,” Wale

Who knew the show about nothing (Seinfeld) would inspire such a vibrant hip-hop album? Wale did work on this album to ensure folks could view Seinfeld in a new light—equipped with many samples of the show.

51. “Four Year Strong.” Four Year Strong

It was nice to hear the dudes in Four Year Strong ditch whatever sounds they went for on the last LP and really return to a pop punk form that fits them better. This album is fun, upbeat, catchy, and an overall a great time.

50. “Solo,” Nils Frahm

Frahm is one of the most talented pianists in the world today. Solo is purely that—Nils and his incredible piano skills on display—also, look up the video of him constructing his piano, you won’t regret it.

49. “Handmade,” the Ongoing Concept

Not only did the members of OTC literally make their instruments by hand from trees in their backyard, they recorded and toured with them as well. The dudes continue to release unique, spastic, and powerful metal tunes.

48. “Moving Past This,” You’ll Live

This was one of my personal favorite punk albums of the year—chaos, elegance, and lots of emotions. I had lots of emotions this year, so Moving Past This helped me process many of those feels.

47. “Leaving,” Planning for Burial

I hadn’t heard many reverse crescendos until I heard this album. Some songs start at the peak & simply work themselves out in a brilliant display of musical control. A dazzlingly chaotic lo-fi noise/post-metal LP I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did.

46. “Grow,” Chon

This album would be higher on the list if it weren’t for the EP tracks the band recycled for this LP. But it’s okay because DAMN, these dudes can diddle around on those guitars—solid upbeat, quasi-instrumental, metal.

45. “Oh Wonder,” Oh Wonder

London’s mellow R&B duo, Oh Wonder, released a piano-driven debut LP that is simultaneously groovy & heartfelt throughout. “All We Do” stands out as a testament to this group’s potential.

44. “La Di Da Di,” Battles

I love how the avant garde math-rock experimental nerds in Battles returned with an LP adorned with fucking fruit & eggs. This album is catchy, groovy & weird—as much you would expect by now.

43. “Before we Forgot How to Dream,” SOAK

This Irish songwriter has such a unique voice—high, tonal & capable of striking any & all emotions through your bones. This minimalist album is simultaneously haunting, eerie & gorgeous.

42. “The Most Lamentable Tragedy,” Titus Andronicus

Anarchist DIY punk legend, Patrick Stipples, wrote a 90-minute punk opera that puts American Idiot to shame. This album is huge, loud, and fast—and it doesn’t give a shit about what it leaves in its tracks.

41. “King Push—Darkest Before Dawn: the Prelude,” Pusha T

One of the most politically charged rap albums of the last decade came out just before the end of the year and Pusha T makes clear statements about the injustice black & brown bodies experience in America.

40. “Pull the Thorns from Your Heart,” Senses Fail

This is perhaps the most honest album of the year. Lead singer, Buddy, uses this LP to tell his coming out story as being a queer in the hardcore music scene.

39. “Never Were the Way She Was,” Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufield

Neufield’s violins & Stetson’s immense woodwinds score the atmosphere in this tantalizingly ominous neo-classical album that is one of the most beautifully haunting albums of the year.

38. “New Bermuda,” Deafheaven

Post-black metal outfit, Deafheaven, followed up its acclaimed, Sunbather, with an unrelenting LP that maintains the band’s staying power as a dominant force in the post-metal wave. I wasn’t as into it as Sunbather, but it is still a powerful listen.

37. “Lore,” Elder

Mass’ own, psychedelic/prog metal band, Elder, pack a lot into this 5-track, hour-long LP, that shows the band becoming very comfortable with its gloomy and groovy style.

36. “Sometimes I Sit an Think & Sometimes I Just Sit,” Courtney Barnett

I hope Courtney wins the Grammy for Best New Artist. She’s a bad ass. This garage punk/indie-rock album is proof she’s only getting started.

35. “V,” Scale the Summit

This instrumental prog-djent metal/guitar virtuoso project was on repeat for me while working at the warehouse. Delicately constructed tunes that build off each other flawlessly.

34. “Tragedy Will Find Us,” Counterparts

Counterparts are one of the most consistent melodic hardcore bands. It doesn’t fuck around with pleasantries; instead, the tunes are heavy, intense, and vulnerable—just the way I like them.

33. “Darkness Forgives,” The Saddest Landscape

I feel TOO MANY people overlooked this album. This return to the scene brought out the best in these post-hardcore Boston-natives. This album gave me life during my big bout with depression this year. Much needed tunes for me.

32. “V,” Wavves

“Pony” was one of my songs of the summer, man. This album gave me a lot of opportunities to expel some necessary aggression in a positive way. Lots of great grungy rock anthems on this LP.

31. “Sgurr,” Thy Catafalque

Hungarian avant-garde black metal act, Thy Catafalque, produced one of the most brilliantly balanced metal albums I’ve ever heard. The structure of the album is literally symmetrical in terms of how the songs are arranged on the album—with not only the length, but tones of songs mirroring one another.

30. “Summertime ’06,” Vince Staples

Vince Staples’ youth comes through on this debut double-album. Dude is hungry. He brings a number of hooks that will get stuck in your head, and pairs them with some real lyrical genius that shows much potential for his later career.

29. “The Camel, the Lion, the Child,” He Whose Ox is Gored

This Seattle post-hardcore/black metal band blew me away. This LP has a little bit of literally everything I love in music—chaos, brutality, elegance, ambience & guttural vocals balanced with airy tonal vocals.

28. “The Ark Work,” Liturgy

Black metal avant garde nerds, Liturgy, crafted another swarm of circular guitars and blast beats—with plenty of droning electronic noise to boot. I found comfort in the chaos of this LP.

27. “Tetsuo & Youth,” Lupe Fiasco

In his most cohesively structured LP, Lupe definitely swung for the fences on this very ambitious classical/jazzy/hip-hop concept album. I will always admire how outspoken Lupe is on political and racial issues.

26. “Coma Ecliptic,” Between the Buried and Me 

So, THIS is what Rush or King Crimson would sound like if they made prog metal! BTBAM returns with yet ANOTHER epic metal album, shifting from shear brutality to focus on a more prog sound this time around.

25. “Coming Home,” Leon Bridges

Otis Redding beware! Leon Bridges has an inspiring retro-soul vibe that feels absolutely timeless. This groovy R&B is gorgeous and reminds me of how I felt for last year’s St. Paul & the broken Bones.

24. “Panorama, in ten pieces,” Dumbsaint

This post-metal instrumental album is one of the best instrumental albums of the year—yet, none of the songs have more than 1,000 plays on Spotify, which is BEYOND ME. It is so well-balanced that I had a hard time reconciling that this Australian act is not more well-known.

23. “The Epic,” Kamasi Washington

This 3-HOUR album is a master class in experimental jazz! There is so much going on in each track that it feels as if you can always find something new with each listen. Such a great driving record.

22. “Milk,” Better Off

Garage grunge rock had a great year. Better Off is part of the reason why—catchy songs from dudes that don’t give a shit. Also, the album art is meant to make you want the title--perfect.

21. “Blood,” Lianne La Havas

Dude. This woman CAN SING! This R&B is groovy, lovely, and yet, packs a heaviness to it on later tracks that makes it such a balanced, dynamic LP. Absolutely love “Green & Gold.”

20. “The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us,” Beach Slang

In terms of albums that kicked my ass the second I pressed play this year, Beach Slang takes the cake. Each listen keeps me thankful for checking out this grungy punk band.

19. “Atheist’s Cornea,” Envy

Another album I feel was overlooked—Japanese post-hardcore band BLEW ME AWAY with this absolutely beautiful & gloriously brutal album. The atmospheres, the grooves, guttural screams—everything is perfect.

18.  “Instant Gratification,” Dance Gavin Dance

This is SUCH a sexy sounding record from a post-hardcore band. DGD returned again with another brilliant vocal display by Tillian Pearson, and gave me one of my favorite musical experiences of the year.

17. “Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise“ The Dear Hunter

Casey Crescenzo is literally a mad man with the way he can produce such vivid soundscapes—equipped with vast orchestral instrumentation. All to continue his Ms. Leading saga, after a few amazing, yet tangential, releases.

16. “My Love is Cool,” Wolf Alice

This UK experimental band is indefinable. Each track is something new—alt-pop, punk, grunge, shoegaze, or indie rock. The band is carried through the album by lead singer, Ellie Rowsell’s vigorous energy.

15. Life’s Not Out to Get You,” Neck Deep

I wasn’t sure if Neck Deep would follow up last year very well, and instead they released the best pop punk album of the year—and perhaps of the last decade. The story of this album is inspiring—stay true to yourself and don’t give in to fear, friends.

14. “Sound & Color,” Alabama Shakes

No sophomore slump here—Brittany Howard & gang constructed a near flawless LP full of bluesy and groovy rock tunes that will cement this band as one of the greats.

13. “Matriarch,” Veil of Maya

New vocalist, Lukas Magyar, brought a breath of fresh air to this metal band, which released one of the catchiest & most brutal albums of the year. “Mikasa” is one of my top songs.

12. “Everybody is Going to Heaven,” Citizen

Such a dynamic change from the band’s debut album—I absolutely fell in love with it. While it might have slipped down my list a few spots, it remains one of my personal favorites of the year—incredible post-hardcore.

TOP 11 LPs of 2015!

I feel these albums encompass my year in music and will all have some sort of story to conceptualize how each impacted my life in 2015—again, which was a year in which I struggled, but had this music to help me out through the anxiety and depression I dealt with.

Note: I switched to the vinyl copies of these albums—because, coincidentally, I own all of my top 11 albums. I own plenty of the top 30 as well, and a few others beyond that as well. But for the top 11, here goes!

11. “War on Women,” War on Women

Fuck yes, feminism! This third wave, pro-social justice, anti-patriarchy, anti-misogyny, pro-women’s rights, anti-slut shaming, anti-violence, pro-male allyship punk band came out with THE most important social justice album of the year. This self-titled effort found this punk at the forefront of a number of major societal issues.

The primary single, “Say It!” is a reclamation of the female body in response to supporting victims of rape and sexual violence—in telling women to speak up and speak out against the male gaze, objectification, and the violence of hypermasculinity. The band made a music video that featured many survivors sharing their voice to put a face to the epidemic of sexual violence in hopes of destigmatizing the reality of reporting sexual violence.

The women and men that make up this band have faced a lot of scrutiny for speaking out so candidly as advocates for women’s rights, but I applaud them so fucking hard for carrying the fire of justice.

This album shaped my year in MANY ways—it helped me develop my feelings on the wage gap, women’s reproductive health, and many other issues en route to simply dominating my earholes as a powerful straightforward punk/hardcore album.

10. “Dealer,” Foxing

The men of Foxing do not fear vulnerability—in fact, they wholeheartedly embrace it as a manner by which to express their many existential ails. Ever since the debut of The Albatross, I have been enamored with the way Foxing creates its brand of emo tunes. And Dealer takes everything to the next level.

Foxing was clearly out to prove they it was not a one-trick pony, because Dealer is such a lush album, full of atmospheric elegance and beauty—coupled with many tales of love, loss, and the anxieties therein.

I lost my father this year, and one of his favorite places in the world was the Redwoods in California. So for Foxing to have a song called, “Redwoods,” and have a line that repeats, “find a reason not to leave”—it really hit home with me. I’ve definitely cried many times to that line because I often believe my dad simply hung onto his life, found a reason not to leave, until he was able to see me one more time.

This album is gorgeous and full of feels—I recommend it to anyone that wants to be impressed that human beings can make such beautiful music from the heart and no where else.

9. “Pale Horses,”mewithoutYou

Before I sat down to construct this list, I still wasn’t sold on the album. As some folks know, I struggled with Pale Horses. It was certainly a grower for me. In fact, this album was initially placed on my list at number 75—no joke.

But then I kept playing a few tracks here and there, and it eventually made its way to the 20s—let it sit there while I worked on the rest of the list. And then listened to it one more times before making my final decision and it all finally clicked! This album is brilliant. Will Yip certainly brought out the best in Aaron Weiss and the gang.

As a lifelong fan of mewithoutYou, I was confident that I would eventually come around to this album, and I’m so glad I did because this is perhaps the band’s most intimate and personal album to date—which is saying a lot, knowing their full history and discography like the back of my hand. The band pushed itself to create tracks that were unconventional—even for them and their more folksier ways these days—see my personal favorite track, “Red Cow.”

Again, I’m thankful I found the light with this one because now I listen to it with much clearer vision.

8. “Harmlessness,” The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die

TWIABP is such a quirky band. Everything about it just makes me smile. I can’t help but feel like the world genuinely be a worse place without this group of interchangeable human beings making music.

This nonstop thrill-ride of emo goodness is necessary listening for anyone that wants to hear some matter-of-fact songs about the human condition as told by a group of good-intentioned, misfit kids with solid DIY ethics.

Lyrically, my personal favorite aspect of the album is how seamlessly and comfortably the band addresses mental health stigmas—en route to making sure that we affront the problems and struggles that our parents may or may not have passed on to us.

Musically, I admire how the band made it a priority to make sure no two songs sound the same whatsoever—instead focusing on how to evolve its sounds to mold and mesh within each other flawlessly as the album carries out without skipping a beat. I did not expect to hear a chug riff at one point, but damn—it was great.

Ultimately, I was not expecting this album to affect me as much as it did—simply because kids in the scene can often over-glorify and glamourize their favorite bands to the point where I don’t even want to care—but TWIABP truly lives up to whatever hype may exist. This album is going to live on long after we’re all gone and that comforts me in a strange way.

7. “Dust & Disquiet,” Caspian

While Explosions in the Sky is focusing on movie soundtracks, Caspian have taken the reigns as the premier post-rock instrumental band. Dust and Disquiet is an out-of-body-experience.

Many of the genre often find ways to cut corners, repeat riffs, melodic elements, etc. But not Caspian. Caspian went more ambient, more uplifting, and even darker—all in one album. Dust and Disquiet accomplishes what many post-rock albums miss out on—each song is its own experience, which is a stunning example of how a post-rock band stays fresh and in control of its destiny.

The band brought in some heavy screams in “Echo and Abyss,” which was a comforting change of pace for the band, and then the next track, “Run Dry,” follows up as an earthy acoustic effort that brought an unexpected shift to the album. The first time it came on, I had to check my Spotify to make sure it hadn't shuffled because all of a sudden this sultry voice was serenading me on this CASPIAN record. Such a great surprise.

Ultimately, this LP is gaining a lot of attention for a very good reason—it is a full, rich, and balanced post rock album that charters new territory for the genre at a time when I was starting to feel like everyone was copying everyone. At least I have Caspian to trust.

6. “Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega,” Periphery

Hands down, Periphery is the top metal band in the America right now. This album is damn-near flawless and the story it tells makes it one of the strongest concept albums I’ve ever heard. It’s a bit out-there, but the way the band tells it is truly a work of art.

Alpha and Omega serve as two separate stand-alone albums, but WHEN THEIR FORCES COMBINE, they tell a story of a man born to a cult and stories of the experimentation of ritualistic sacrifices therein. After losing his faith and ultimately committing suicide, the man is sent to hell and is reborn to avenge the political forces afoot within hell.

Yeah, it’s pretty intense. The album artwork is also pretty intense, hence the black and white album cover of the vinyl pressing—what lies within is quite gory.

Alas, Periphery somehow followed up its perfect album, “This Time It’s Personal,” with this dominant prog-djent album that cements each member’s spot in music history as one of the most powerful forces of music production. While the album showcases vocalist, Spencer’s clean vocals more than his pure guttural screams, that is in no way a bad thing. The melodies in “Alpha,” “22 Faces,” and “Omega,” make this experience truly special.

However, nothing struck me more than “Priestess.” This groovy ballad truly showcased the control this band has over how its presents its brand of metal. The song shows the protagonist of the albums teetering on his own mortality, conflicted with his faith—something I struggled with a lot this year, including the reality that I almost attempted suicide again this year. So this song, in some ways, helped keep me alive because I was able to reconcile that simply leaving my faith would be an easier solution than ending my life.

Wow—okay, wasn’t expecting to share that bit, but there you have it! This album kept me alive this year—literally.

5. “Carrie & Lowell,” Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan caught a lot of notoriety for his latest LP—one that shows him toning down his typical extravagant noisemaking talents, instead opting for a minimalist approach to telling the story of his relationship with his schizophrenic mother and step-father while living in Oregon as a child.

The true triumph of this album does not lie solely in the misfortune and vexation of the story, but in Sufjan’s isolated decision to let these songs breathe and live for themselves, without the need for any extra bells and whistles—literally. Instead, this is a man with his guitar and/or piano, telling stories as he remembers them as a child.

I read a powerful interview with Lowell, Sufjan’s titular step-father, and it really gave me a lot more insight to the construction and production of this album—implicitly that Sufjan wrote all of the songs as they appear on the record, without Lowell knowing. Sufjan then

I’m glad to know that this album was a gateway for many people to come to Sufjan’s music—because if I’ve said this once, I’ve said this a million times, he is one of the greatest songwriters of my generation of musicians. I’m so glad to be experiencing his music at this moment in history.

4. “Peripheral Vision,” Turnover

I’m not sure an album helped my mental health this year more than this Turnover album. I needed a vibrant, dreamy album full of upbeat positivity—even if many of the lyrics aren’t necessary along the same lines. Alas, the nu-gaze craze of bands chilling out their tunes into dreamy soundscapes was most successful for former pop punk band, Turnover.

The entire album has a consistent aura of good vibes. “Cutting My Fingers Off” starts the album off like an atom bomb of chill atmosphere. “New Scream” completely engulfs you in feeling of weightlessness when the chorus hits. It’s like riding on a cloud of positivity.

The album continues through “Dizzy on the Comedown,” which is one of the catchiest songs of the year and always made me feel like I should dance wherever I was listening to it. Later, the album offers “Take my Head,” which, to me, read like someone being so fed up with the nuisances of existence and the person would prefer smashing their head in than deal with the monotony of life—which is a real feeling I think many of us might have experienced in our lives.

This shoegazey style makes for such an accessible listen that if you’ve slept on this album, I truly feel like you’re missing out on such a lovely experience. A few tracks from this album have already been picked up by the Starbucks folks, so I imagine that this album and this band will be taking off in no time. JUST WATCH!

3. “Destrier,” Agent Fresco

Alright—apparently many folks didn’t believe me when I said that this album is truly one of the most dynamic albums you will hear in 2015—if not, in the last five years.

The Icelandic experimentalists in Agent Fresco present an album that is so multifaceted that I cannot put a finger on how to categorize the album in whole, but in pieces.

“Destrier” is a tale of life and death, and the feeling inherent with both of those existential realities. It also happens to be the album I purchased merely hours before my dad would die. I randomly came upon the record at a shop in Portland, Oregon that morning—a morning when my dad made sure I was able to have brunch with my friends instead of sitting around with him. Just as I came across the album, i got a text from my sister that I should come home immediately. I turned to the counter, purchased the album, and drove back to Salem. The vinyl came with a CD, and having already been very comfortable with the album, I put it in so that I would have something comforting me on my drive to say goodbye to my father.

The reality of the fleetingness of life hit me hard that day. And this album perfectly encapsulates many of those feelings.

In “Dark Water,” singer, Arnor Dan, does a masterful job with his vibrant voice to vary his vibrato victoriously over a chorus that is flawlessly unique and unconventional. Throughout the album, the band constantly reinvents its sound—see: “Howl,” a lively post-punk romp through the vibrancy of life. And then there is “See Hell,” which contemplates finding comfort in the end of life. And then, “Angst,” which is a quick, unexpected, and spastic blast of anger, screams, and fear before retiring to the next track, “Death Rattle”—which, as you can assume by the title, isn’t the most comforting of tracks.

Alas, this album is beautiful and I think anyone and everyone should give it a shot. And holy shit—the first track contains the sound of a guitar being frozen, which is a first in recorded history—so who doesn’t want to hear that?

2. “No Closer to Heaven,” The Wonder Years

Evolve or perish—in some cases, that is the reality of the music industry. Lots of folks have claimed to been disappointed that this album wasn’t pop punk enough—or at all. To those people—I say, what’s your point?

For the Wonder Years, pop punk wasn’t enough anymore. The dudes have grown up and are now playing tunes that reflect their experiences as such. No more singing about Captain Crunch or surviving the van life. No—this is real life shit—life, death, loss, religious hypocrisy.

Dan Campbell outdid himself lyrically on this album. The emotions he captures in “Cigarettes & Saints” are a testament to his brilliance as a songwriter—especially calling out the hypocrisy of religious fanaticism. “I Don’t Like Who I Was Then” includes one of my favorite subtle professional wrestling references in the first verse—it makes me smile every time I hear it.

I think this album is one of the most flawless releases of the year. The band puts its unique effervescent energy into each song like on previous releases, but the song structures and the stylistic choices are a bit more experimental rock than pop punk. The balance the band achieves is one of the best elements of the album, constructing bright rock tracks with heavy emotional tracks, fast and fun tracks, and even more solemn, chill tracks.

There’s a little bit of everything in this album and that’s what sold me on this album. And I’m so thankful that the band did not settle for mediocre and managed to avoid falling into traps that others (The Story So Far, Silverstein, August Burns Red) have fallen into by essentially rewriting the same song/album over and over and claiming it’s any sort of evolution for the band, when all they did was write the same album again but just used different words and song titles.

This album is fresh, angry, optimistic, and heartfelt. It is flawless.

Note: There is only one change I would have made with the album—move “Cigarettes & Saints” to the last track, and reorder “No Closer to Heaven” after “A Song for Ernest Hemingway.” But that’s just me.

1. “To Pimp a Butterfly,” Kendrick Lamar

Here it is! My number one album of 2015.

To some this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, but to others, if you haven’t checked out the shear revolutionary power of To Pimp a Butterfly, you are missing out.

Kendrick Lamar teamed up with Thundercat to craft one of the most important hip hop albums ever created. This 16-track, 78-minute epic tale of insecurity, mental health, blackness, and inequality is a thrilling take on the current and historical contexts of structural racism, injustice, and oppression of not only black and brown bodies, but also the stigma of mental health.

The first time I listened to this album, I had to keep stopping just so I could focus on Kendrick’s word—I wound up sitting in downtown Boston just listening to entire thing before finishing my run. It was that important to me to give my entire focus to Kendrick’s words.

Now that I’ve had about 9 months with the album, it has stayed as vibrant and important as that first listen.

“Alright,” fittingly, became a theme song for the Black Lives Matter movement. It is a testament to the perseverance and resiliency of black humans in America. “King Kunta” is one of the catchiest songs of the year—if not, my personal favorite song of the year. It also serves as a brilliant coup-de-grace for anyone who stands in King Kendrick’s way.

Beyond those tracks, there are “How Much a Dollar Cost,” a powerful tale of Kendrick interacting with a homeless man asking for change and how that changed his life. “Blacker the Berry” was his first release for this album, where he unapologetically presents the most pro-black song I’ve heard in a long time—the line, “your plan is to terminate my culture” always stands out in my mind when thinking of this album.

Kendrick has produced a dazzlingly dominant hip hop album that has affected me in many ways this year and has made me more dedicated to being a better advocate.

Okay! Thus ends the #CrigTop200—please stand by while I select the winner of the FREE vinyl copy of this album!

Final word count: 12,383