Southeast Missouri State University student publication

Our Favorite Music of 2015

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

I joined KRCU’s operations director Jason Brown on his show “Left of the Dial,” as 2015 comes to a close, to talk about each of our top 10 favorite albums of the year. Titled after The Replacements’ 1985 release, “Left of the Dial” shines a light on artists under the radar of mainstream hits typically heard on the radio. Brown formerly produced and hosted “The Elliot Potter Show,” which fell along the same lines. Our choices ranged from Swedish natives to instrumental tracks to musicians who didn’t follow any rules except their own, proving 2015 was another eclectically filled year for music. Check out my list below, but visit krcu.org to see and hear the full post.

10. The Districts - “A Flourish and a Spoil”

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They may just be a small band from Lititz, Pennsylvania, but The Districts still show a lot of promise. The four young men are fresh faced and college aged, and their rock ‘n roll is just as millennial. Their youth shouldn’t be held against them, though. It’s like how The Smiths developed their own indie style in the pop-filled 1980s. “Young Blood” begins with a drum that sounds like the launching of fireworks and a guitar’s whiny distortion. The Districts add in a mix of folk to their sound, too. Rob Grote’s voice aches with a picking acoustic in “Suburban Smell.” As a whole, the album speaks to the paradox of recklessness and cautiousness in any 20-year-old.

9. Blur - “The Magic Whip”

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Damon Albarn has been back on the map in recent years. With the release of his solo “Everyday Robots” in 2014, the announcement of a Gorillaz record for 2016 and Blur’s album this year, he’s kept himself busy. “The Magic Whip” picks right back up with “Think Tank” from 2003. Albarn is free to let his other projects have influence, though, as well. Gorillaz unmistakable electronica is evident in tracks like “Ice Cream Man” and “Thought I Was A Spaceman.” It almost goes back in time to the band’s work from the 1990s and early 2000s. But it’s supposed to. For diehard fans, it’s a comeback, pure and simple. If Blur doesn’t put out anything else for another 12 years, well, they landed on a good note here.

8. The Dead Weather - “Dodge and Burn”

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Despite Jack White’s announcement of a break from the tour circuit, he shook up garage rock with his side project The Dead Weather in 2015. With the success of “Horehound” in 2009 and “Sea of Cowards” in 2010, the band had a lot of pressure to do it again. And they did. “Dodge and Burn” shows the supergroup in all its glory. Alison Mosshart’s grungy alto from The Kills, Dean Fertita’s Queens of the Stone Age desert rock, Jack Lawrence on bass from the Raconteurs and Jack White’s distinctive bluesy undertones comprise the band’s reckless energy. The release of “Dodge and Burn” is wilder than ever after five years. The single “I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)” is just as edgy, plus some, as White and Mosshart shooting each other in “Treat Me Like Your Mother” from “Horehound.”

7. Eagles of Death Metal - “Zipper Down”

In spite of the horrors of performing at the Bataclan in Paris, Eagles of Death Metal continue supporting their latest album “Zipper Down” and advocating for “peace, love and death metal.” Although, their sound is more boogie rock than “death metal.” It’s a parody to what a compilation of the Eagles and a death metal band would actually look like. Jesse Hughes and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme aren’t afraid to look at life on the lighter side. They’re having a good time just playing music. Their campaign “Play it Forward” gives back to the victims of the Paris attacks, however, it goes deeper than even that — they want to be the bright spot in the midst of brutality. The band has announced they want to be the first to hold a show at the Bataclan when it reopens.

* Album art withheld due to graphic content

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6. Leon Bridges - “Coming Home”

If anyone can conjure up nostalgic memories of momma’s kitchen and going to church every Sunday, it’s Leon Bridges. The solo artist brings his Texas roots to the forefront of his music. His inspiration from gospel and soul is bringing the genre back to its origins. Bridges is only 26 years old and “Coming Home” is his debut album, but the melodies are as old school as it gets. It’s the soda fountain of music, essentially. The fact that Bridges can create something so flawless the first time around already has audiences on the edge of their seats for the next one.

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5. Modest Mouse - “Strangers to Ourselves”

With every new album since the start of the members’ careers, Modest Mouse has evolved their approach to music. “Strangers to Ourselves” received some flack for its over-produced sound compared to older albums, like “The Lonesome Crowded West” and “The Moon & Antarctica,” but it can’t be disputed, Isaac Brock is still taking risks. Brock wouldn’t have written “Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996)” 20 years ago. On the other hand, “Sugar Boats” sounds as if it’s straight out of the archives. The band already reported a part two of sorts to be issued in the near future as well. Besides “Strangers to Ourselves,” Modest Mouse also re-released “Building Nothing Out of Something,” “Interstate 8” and the EP “Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks” this year.

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4. Built to Spill - “Untethered Moon”

Influencers of Modest Mouse, Built to Spill edged the band out with the release of “Untethered Moon.” The five piece is sticking to what they know best, unlike Brock’s domino-effect boldness. They seem like they could care less about presentation. “Untethered Moon” comes in a jewel case with a cat and dog album cover for crying out loud. What’s important to them is making good music. In “All Our Songs,” Doug Martsch sings, "I found a place where I know I’ll always be tethered / And I knew, when I woke up, rock and roll will be here forever." Take “Living Zoo,” for example; it’s the epitome of Built to Spill. Martsch is playful in the use of his lyrics, while remaining serious about his craft. Its simplicity shows music for what it was intended to be.

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3. Pokey LaFarge - "Something in the Water"

St. Louis-native Pokey LaFarge puts a new spin on blues storytelling. The twang and swing in his voice sets the listener smack dab in the heart of America. LaFarge is taking grassroots and Americana sounds and applying them to the new millennium. The barbershop style isn’t dead according to him. And it’s believable after the 12 tracks of “Something in the Water.” LaFarge hits on the cliché music topics of love and travel and fun, but he does it with Midwest charm. Considering his previous self-titled debut album, “Something in the Water” offers a balance between the past and the present. He’s accepting of more contemporary influences, yet he won’t stray from his early 20th century foundation.

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2. Father John Misty - “I Love You, Honeybear”

Father John Misty’s lyrics are arguably some of the sassiest of 2015. Coming from Fleet Foxes as the band’s drummer on “Helplessness Blues,” he fits to the mellow classification, but with brasher themes. “Bored In The USA” criticizes American politics and culture. “The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apartment” pokes fun at the pettiness of stereotypes. Following the pep of “Fear Fun” from 2012, “I Love You, Honeybear” takes a turn in its self-critical lyrics. The album centers on a modern-day analysis of how far humanity pushes civil lines.

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1. The Tallest Man on Earth - “Dark Bird Is Home”

The Tallest Man on Earth took the most prominent 180 this year. From just a man and a guitar on “Shallow Grave,” “Wild Hunt” and “There’s No Leaving Now,” Kristian Matsson is backed with a full band on “Dark Bird Is Home.” Even so, the singer-songwriter from Sweden still sounds like himself. He’s first and foremost a solo artist, and that doesn’t change because of extra instruments. If anything, it amplifies that aspect. Matsson may be a modern-day Bob Dylan, but the designation is steered in a new direction here. His lyrics are less about storytelling and more about his own personal experiences when compared to his former recordings. “Dark Bird Is Home” has given Matsson more spotlight than usual. He released a music video for “Darkness of the Dream,” his first ever, just a little over a month ago. Overall, the addition of the band merely makes The Tallest Man on Earth stand a bit taller.

Compacted list:

10. The Districts - “A Flourish and a Spoil”

9. Blur - “The Magic Whip”

8. The Dead Weather - “Dodge and Burn”

7. Eagles of Death Metal - “Zipper Down”

6. Leon Bridges - “Coming Home”

5. Modest Mouse - “Strangers to Ourselves”

4. Built to Spill - “Untethered Moon”

3. Pokey LaFarge - “Something in the Water”

2. Father John Misty - “I Love You, Honeybear”

1. The Tallest Man on Earth - “Dark Bird is Home”

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