Let me start out this post by saying that I hate year end
lists. They are pretentious. They are simple reminders of how much music I
DON'T actually listen to. As Noisey editor Dan Ozzi so eloquently puts it, "Year-end lists are incredibly
stupid and the only people who care about them are publicists and jagoff music
writers who only write to impress their small circle of fellow jagoff music
writer friends with their Very Correct Opinions about music." As 2Chainz
would say, TRUUUUUUUUUUU.
As a proud member of Le Wrong Generation, I don't exactly go out of my way to seek out new music of today. You know, because rock and roll is dead, punk is dead, etc. Instead of obsessively reading Pitchfork, MRNR, and the like, I instead spent this year trying to culture myself with the music of the past. I had a realization this year, and that was "Fuck, I don't actually know as much music as I thought I do." Shocking! I sought to learn about the great music of yesterday in the hopes that it will help me further appreciate the great music of today.
That being said, I did listen to a lot of new-to-me music this year. I listened to more music this year than I have in my entire life. In the past six months alone, I feel like my music knowledge has doubled. I would regret not writing one of these stupid lists.
Best 2015 Albums
1. Downtown Boys - Full Communism
I had never heard of Downtown Boys until I saw them at the Cocoon Room in May. Their live performance was mind blowing, and was definitely one of my most memorable shows of this year (more on that later). Their 2015 release Full Communism is what all punk music should be - angry, passionate, and relentless. I'm a sucker for a political punk song, and this album has plenty about racism, classism, and other social issues. I can't wait to see what this band accomplishes in the future.
2. G.L.O.S.S. - Demo
Girls Living Outside Society's Shit, aka G.L.O.S.S., is probably the most important band out there right now (along with Downtown Boys, of course). I don't really enjoy hardcore music, but their demo is very hard not to love. I especially love this demo because I can actually understand what singer Sadie Switchblade is screaming, a quality I find rare in hardcore. It is inspiring as hell to see such a brave group of women put their struggles as members of the LGBT+ community in 2015 into music with such strength and power.
3. Screaming Females - Rose Mountain
Unlike their predecessors on this list, Screaming Females have far more than just one album or demo under their belt. Having a history of such impressive releases, it was no surprise that Rose Mountain was yet another incredible album. Scremales singer Marissa Pasternoster is my favorite punk vocalist because I think her voice is absolutely amazing. This album does not disappoint.
4. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
Alright, I'll keep it real here. I listened to this album probably 12 times the week it came out and have not listened to it since. Not because it's a bad album, but because I overdid it in that first week. I thoroughly enjoyed this album and think Barnett deserves the hype that currently surrounds her. As a fellow self hating millennial, I especially appreciated the lyrics on this album. I love the line about having existential crises. Me too, Courtney. Me too.
(I definitely just put this album on after writing that last paragraph.)
5. Marina and the Diamonds - Froot
After the release of Electra Heart in 2012, I had very high expectations for Marina Diamandis' next release. While Froot may not be as good as it's fluffly pink predecessor, it was still a solid pop album with deeper-than-your-average-pop-album lyrics. I think Marina is far more talented than most of today's relevant pop stars, and I am holding out on her achieving mainstream success. I still miss Electra Heart, though.
I only remember listening to a grand total of five 2015 releases that weren't local bands. And I want to be a music writer.................... Shake my DAMN head. Whatever. There's always 2016, and 2017, and 2018........
Best 2015 Milwaukee Albums
1. Midnight Reruns - Force Of Nurture
The general consensus among Milwaukee music writers seems to be that this was the best Milwaukee released of 2015, and this is a consensus I am proud to be a part of. There are a lot of good things about this album, from the depressingly on-point lyrics about having anxiety to the brilliant riffs on practically every song. This is a band that deserves recognition outside of Milwaukee, and I really hope they get it.
2. Platinum Boys - Future Hits
I've seen the Platinum Boys perform live more than any other band. Their 2015 debut Future Hits was the soundtrack to my summer, so this ranking might be a little biased. Their track Candy is one of my favorite songs of 2015, and I have to act like I don't know all the words when I go to their shows. Even though the subjects of their songs (drugs, drinking, drugs, sex) get old after a while, their music is still so much fun.
3. Dogs In Ecstacy - Welcome 2 Hell
I didn't really enjoy this album that much when I first heard it, having thought that it was too electronic. However, this album has really, really grown on me. It has hella catchy and hella hilarious songs. I appreciate that they don't take themselves too seriously. They also have the funniest social media presence of any band. I wish I would have thought of the band name Dogs In Ecstacy. Whatever.
4. Jaill - Brain Cream
Jaill's psychedelic power pop sound is irresistible. They are the only local band on my work's playlist that I actually like.
I swear I listened to more local albums than these four during 2015. These are the only ones I think are worth writing about.
Best 2015 "Does This Count As Local Or Not" Album
1. Tenement - Predatory Highlights
Tenement are from Appleton, WI but play the majority of their shows in Milwaukee. So, they are a... regional... band... to me.... I guess. Anyway, Predatory Highlights was one of my favorite albums of this year, hence why it got its own category because I didn't know where to slip it in. I really, really, REALLY hate when bands are compared to The Replacements, but this is one band I will make an exception for because I actually see the comparison. I have songs from this album stuck in my head constantly. In my opinion, this is their best release to date. It's obvious why this album received national and global attention.
Best 2015 "New To Me" Albums
Disclaimer: Obviously, these albums did not come out in 2015. Most of these didn't even come out in the 21st century. These are albums that I listened to for the first time in 2015. This list is based in order of number of plays from my Last.fm. Yeah, I know I'm uncultured swine. Leave me alone.
Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Blank Generation
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
X-Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Galaxie 500 - Today
Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold
Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
The Ronettes - Presenting...
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
MC5 - Back In The USA
Death - For The Whole World To See
Simon and Garfunkel - Bookends
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps
The Slits - Cut
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country
Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out
The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
Johnny Cash - The Legend
Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Love And Hate
The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
If I were to write a little blurb about all of these albums, that would take a really long time. Fuck that. Nobody reads this blog, anyway.
So, what did I learn in 2015? I learned that I really don't know that much about music. I learned that the way I listen to music is not ideal for the music writing future that I want. I listened to a lot of new-to-me music in 2015, and I'm proud of myself for that. I start to get a headache when I think about how much music is out there that I don't know. Good thing I'm young.
As a proud member of Le Wrong Generation, I don't exactly go out of my way to seek out new music of today. You know, because rock and roll is dead, punk is dead, etc. Instead of obsessively reading Pitchfork, MRNR, and the like, I instead spent this year trying to culture myself with the music of the past. I had a realization this year, and that was "Fuck, I don't actually know as much music as I thought I do." Shocking! I sought to learn about the great music of yesterday in the hopes that it will help me further appreciate the great music of today.
That being said, I did listen to a lot of new-to-me music this year. I listened to more music this year than I have in my entire life. In the past six months alone, I feel like my music knowledge has doubled. I would regret not writing one of these stupid lists.
Best 2015 Albums
1. Downtown Boys - Full Communism
I had never heard of Downtown Boys until I saw them at the Cocoon Room in May. Their live performance was mind blowing, and was definitely one of my most memorable shows of this year (more on that later). Their 2015 release Full Communism is what all punk music should be - angry, passionate, and relentless. I'm a sucker for a political punk song, and this album has plenty about racism, classism, and other social issues. I can't wait to see what this band accomplishes in the future.
2. G.L.O.S.S. - Demo
Girls Living Outside Society's Shit, aka G.L.O.S.S., is probably the most important band out there right now (along with Downtown Boys, of course). I don't really enjoy hardcore music, but their demo is very hard not to love. I especially love this demo because I can actually understand what singer Sadie Switchblade is screaming, a quality I find rare in hardcore. It is inspiring as hell to see such a brave group of women put their struggles as members of the LGBT+ community in 2015 into music with such strength and power.
3. Screaming Females - Rose Mountain
Unlike their predecessors on this list, Screaming Females have far more than just one album or demo under their belt. Having a history of such impressive releases, it was no surprise that Rose Mountain was yet another incredible album. Scremales singer Marissa Pasternoster is my favorite punk vocalist because I think her voice is absolutely amazing. This album does not disappoint.
4. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
Alright, I'll keep it real here. I listened to this album probably 12 times the week it came out and have not listened to it since. Not because it's a bad album, but because I overdid it in that first week. I thoroughly enjoyed this album and think Barnett deserves the hype that currently surrounds her. As a fellow self hating millennial, I especially appreciated the lyrics on this album. I love the line about having existential crises. Me too, Courtney. Me too.
(I definitely just put this album on after writing that last paragraph.)
5. Marina and the Diamonds - Froot
After the release of Electra Heart in 2012, I had very high expectations for Marina Diamandis' next release. While Froot may not be as good as it's fluffly pink predecessor, it was still a solid pop album with deeper-than-your-average-pop-album lyrics. I think Marina is far more talented than most of today's relevant pop stars, and I am holding out on her achieving mainstream success. I still miss Electra Heart, though.
I only remember listening to a grand total of five 2015 releases that weren't local bands. And I want to be a music writer.................... Shake my DAMN head. Whatever. There's always 2016, and 2017, and 2018........
Best 2015 Milwaukee Albums
1. Midnight Reruns - Force Of Nurture
The general consensus among Milwaukee music writers seems to be that this was the best Milwaukee released of 2015, and this is a consensus I am proud to be a part of. There are a lot of good things about this album, from the depressingly on-point lyrics about having anxiety to the brilliant riffs on practically every song. This is a band that deserves recognition outside of Milwaukee, and I really hope they get it.
2. Platinum Boys - Future Hits
I've seen the Platinum Boys perform live more than any other band. Their 2015 debut Future Hits was the soundtrack to my summer, so this ranking might be a little biased. Their track Candy is one of my favorite songs of 2015, and I have to act like I don't know all the words when I go to their shows. Even though the subjects of their songs (drugs, drinking, drugs, sex) get old after a while, their music is still so much fun.
3. Dogs In Ecstacy - Welcome 2 Hell
I didn't really enjoy this album that much when I first heard it, having thought that it was too electronic. However, this album has really, really grown on me. It has hella catchy and hella hilarious songs. I appreciate that they don't take themselves too seriously. They also have the funniest social media presence of any band. I wish I would have thought of the band name Dogs In Ecstacy. Whatever.
4. Jaill - Brain Cream
Jaill's psychedelic power pop sound is irresistible. They are the only local band on my work's playlist that I actually like.
I swear I listened to more local albums than these four during 2015. These are the only ones I think are worth writing about.
Best 2015 "Does This Count As Local Or Not" Album
1. Tenement - Predatory Highlights
Tenement are from Appleton, WI but play the majority of their shows in Milwaukee. So, they are a... regional... band... to me.... I guess. Anyway, Predatory Highlights was one of my favorite albums of this year, hence why it got its own category because I didn't know where to slip it in. I really, really, REALLY hate when bands are compared to The Replacements, but this is one band I will make an exception for because I actually see the comparison. I have songs from this album stuck in my head constantly. In my opinion, this is their best release to date. It's obvious why this album received national and global attention.
Best 2015 "New To Me" Albums
Disclaimer: Obviously, these albums did not come out in 2015. Most of these didn't even come out in the 21st century. These are albums that I listened to for the first time in 2015. This list is based in order of number of plays from my Last.fm. Yeah, I know I'm uncultured swine. Leave me alone.
Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Blank Generation
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
X-Ray Spex - Germ Free Adolescents
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Galaxie 500 - Today
Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold
Pavement - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
The Ronettes - Presenting...
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak
MC5 - Back In The USA
Death - For The Whole World To See
Simon and Garfunkel - Bookends
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Rust Never Sleeps
The Slits - Cut
Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bayou Country
Sleater-Kinney - Dig Me Out
The Modern Lovers - The Modern Lovers
Johnny Cash - The Legend
Leonard Cohen - Songs Of Love And Hate
The Soft Boys - Underwater Moonlight
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
If I were to write a little blurb about all of these albums, that would take a really long time. Fuck that. Nobody reads this blog, anyway.
So, what did I learn in 2015? I learned that I really don't know that much about music. I learned that the way I listen to music is not ideal for the music writing future that I want. I listened to a lot of new-to-me music in 2015, and I'm proud of myself for that. I start to get a headache when I think about how much music is out there that I don't know. Good thing I'm young.
