2015 Albums ----------- I turned 35 in 2015, which sounded very old at the time. My relationship with music was also making me feel old. I saw three bands this year: The Psychedelic Furs, The Church, and The Chameleons. It was the year of 80s nostalgia I guess. I was very much treading musical water, keeping in touch with the artists that hadn't let me down in the past. That ended up working out really well in 2015, as several of my favorites released their best work. .. image:: images/2015.jpg :width: 900 :alt: My favorite albums from 2015 .. raw:: html - *Depression Cherry* by **Beach House** - This was when the world caught up with what I already knew, these guys are one of the best bands currently working. It is a little strange that dream pop made by two people with fairly minimal instrumentation and fairly consistent production techniques has had such staying power. This is great record, and "Beyond Love" is my most favorite song of theirs among many favorites from them. [*Memory*: For some reason I had convinced myself before I hear it, that there was no way this was going to stand up to their earlier work. Wow, I was wrong.] - *Thank Your Lucky Stars* by **Beach House** - Now, releasing two records after one another was some serious flexing. In my opinion, this one is even a little bit better. It certainly is a bit brighter in a way that I like. [*Memory*: Hearing that this existed and was the leftovers from the first album they made this year, and thinking there was no way it could be great. Wow, was I wrong.] - *Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance* by **Belle and Sebastian** - Very solid an enjoyable, but the kind of record that made me wonder how much more they could milk the sound they had been working for the last decade plus. Sarah Marin's vocal contributions continue to carry the band a bit at this point. They needed to change after this, and they did. [*Memory*: When I played the first song on this record the first time, I realized it was the end of an era for these guys.] - *Honeymoon* by **Lana Del Rey** - A very mellow left turn for Lana, this wasn't perfect by any means, but it was an important step in a different direction that she still is on as of 2021. - *Meliora* by **Ghost** - [**2015 FAVORITE**] This is the record where the formula came together in a big way. It is amazing how something so satirical can also be such seriously great music. "He Is" is such a beautiful and stunningly produced mockery of christian rock. [*Memory*: One of the most fun shows I have ever been to in my life was seeing them at the Rochester Main Street armory on this tour] - *Have You In My Wilderness* by **Julia Holter** - I have had a strange relationship with this record. I was exposed to the song "silhouette" by Spotify radio soon after it came out and loved it. I listened to only that song for years and never sought out the record. When I finally heard the whole album and loved it, I never checked out any of her other releases. I don't know why I am approaching this artist so cautiously. This is the kind of conservatory trained musician making complicated but highly melodic music thing that I love. Maybe someday I listen to something else she has done. *Memory*: I've streamed the song "silhouette" on Spotify more than almost any other song in existence] - *Bones* by **Son Lux** - NPR's "favorite son" recruits some permanent members and becomes a real band. It was the best thing to ever happen to this project. This is nerd rock at its finest. A very strong concept record, this one to listen to from beginning to end. Still my favorite of theirs. [*Memory*: I saw them at the Warhol after this record, and that was the right kind of place to see this museum on the tour adventurous art rock.] - *Carrie & Lowell* by **Sufjan Stevens** - I think there is a prevailing opinion that this is Sufjan's finest work. I'm glad he made this record so that the general public can understand the brilliance of this man, but I'm far happier that he immediately returned to making the weird stuff I like way more. Still a fine folk record with that Sufjan magic, but a bit too conservative to stand with his best work. [*Memory*: I almost didn't buy this on vinyl as it just wasn't "my kind of Sufjan" but I decided it has its time an place (and a place in my collection)] - *Multi-Love* by **Unknown Mortal Orchestra** - They finally got it all to work together here. The delightfully funky electronic sound they occasionally got to work on their first two releases comes into focus here. Such a great sounding production as well, even though I'm pretty sure this is an analog home recording made in that little studio on the cover. [*Memory*: It took a while to realize I loved this whole album because I liked the first track so much, I never got to the later stuff] - *Hand Cannot Erase* by **Steven Wilson** - A mellow prog rock concept record about an isolated person dying alone. Obviously intended to be sad and haunting, but also exceptionally beautiful. Feels like a massive upgrade to the Stupid Dream/Lightbulb Sun era **Porcupine Tree**. [*Memory*: Every now and then an album becomes a running playlist favorite despite not being in the typical genre for exercise. This is one of those for me.] - *Vespers for a New Dark Age* by **Victoire** and **Missy Mazzoli**. The first Victoire record was a classically trained composer creating a rock band to make a very unusual kind of prog rock. This album is the composer using that band to play a contemporary classical work. In a way this albums felt like the end of "indie classical" and while I liked to scoff at the idea of the genre, it was a real and compelling thing for a while. The remix of "A Thousand Tongues" by the very much not a classical composer **Lorna Dune** feels like the last glorious moments of the spirit of classical music nerds forming rock bands. [*Memory*: I remember tweeting my enjoyment of the "A Thousand Tongues" remix and I could tell the artists generally appreciated the support] - *The Epic* by **Kamasi Washington** - This is the most recent of my favorite albums that I do not own on vinyl, but easily could if I wanted to. I think it says a lot. I really like this triple album of modern jazz fusion, but I like his next record even more. There is nothing here that makes me need to own another quite epic release on vinyl, but I spin this one on Spotify often. The texture of this music is exceptional. [*Memory*: Hearing this and realizing what a consistent artist Washington is]