15 favorites, 2015.
2015 was a cool year for cool music! Except for this tumblr, it wasn't cool because I didn't write anything. We can see my 2014 list just one page back. S
hit, how uncool. I'll try to fix that later, I swear I'll be cooler next time. Please believe me. I'll be better tomorrow.
There are links to the songs. And a lil’ mix at the bottom. 2016 bb, can’t wait~
Jamie xx - “Obvs”
I dig the feelin’ of this song. The steel drum sound is so different from the stuff I usually like that it’s a palate cleanser every time I hear it. The echoing, cavernous feel of the song makes me feel like a mote of dust.
easyFun - “Laplander”
I couldn't very well do a yearly wrap-up without some tons of PC Music! 2015 wasn't actually their hottest year (definitely some jams though, and I'm v. excited for the whole Columbia deal) but PC Music will never die. easyFun rocked my world with Deep Trouble - the whole EP is ace af and the crazy, screechy opening on “Laplander” is increeeeeedible.
LE1F - “Koi”
This is the part of the mix where SOPHIE takes over! Songs featuring SOPHIE’s production soundtracked many months of my life in 2015 and I couldn’t be happier about that. “Koi” was great because it brought LE1F diverse sound to the level of something that I could leave on repeat forever.
Namie Amuro - “B Who I Want 2 B” feat. Hatsune Miku
The great part about SOPHIE’s production credits this year was the variety of collaborators he worked with. All pop music, yeah, but LIZ, Madonna and Amuro Namie couldn’t be more different in terms of their current positions in the echelons of pop music. Yet SOPHIE made amazing contributions every time!
SOPHIE - “JUST LIKE WE NEVER SAID GOODBYE”
More SOPHIE, more SOPHIE!!! This song is my #1 this year, no doubt in my mind. This could have been the only thing SOPHIE did this year and he'd still be 'my favorite producer, 2015 ed.' But he did so much more, and it's all my shit. SOPHIE rules my world. SOPHIE makes me feel coy. SOPHIE is who I want to be. SOPHIE gives me everything I want. SOPHIE forever and ever.
Drake - “Know Yourself”
I was thinking about omitting Drake from this mix because, like, it’s Drake. He’s Drake. Would my meager contribution of words matter at all? But I realized that’s the whole thing: Drake is bigger than me, than all of us. I simply couldn’t not include this song. (But for real Drake, woes is a fucking terrible acronym, what in the name of god was that about?! I refuse to accept it.)
Kendrick Lamar - “For Free? (Interlude)”
Mr. Duckworth wrote my favorite album this year. To Pimp a Butterfly just rules so fucking hard. I think the most startling part of my deep love for this album is that on paper I would probably never listen to it: I didn't care for good kid, m.A.A.d city, I don't like jazz and I think Kendrick's voice sounds kinda weird. But this album is simply undeniable. It's incredible. So incredible. It's funny, it has heart, it's raw, it's beautiful. I still get chills during "U" and "Mortal Man." I still get fired up listening to the live version of "i," and "For Free? (Interlude)" still makes me laugh. And the poem?! My god. There’s so much here. This will forever be one of those albums that I can't listen to one song off of later - I'll have to go back and listen to the whole thing again. It's unstoppable, it's irresistible.
Mitski - “Square (Solo Piano Version)”
Goddamn, Mitski rules so hard. I mean, obviously Bury Me at Makeout Creek was one of the best things to happen in the world in 2014. So it only follows that one of the best things to happen to me in 2015 was going back through Mitski's old releases and finding radiant songs like "Square." This version is my favorite, the piano perfectly complements the feeling evoked by the lyrics.
Father John Misty - “Holy Shit”
In stark contrast to my unexpected love for To Pimp a Butterfly is how obvious it was gonna be that I would love this album. I first heard this guy last year when I listened to "Bored in the USA" and I was hooked after, like, five listens. (Those first three listens where I was like, “is this dude serious...?” were tough to soldier through, though.) Once I realized he wasn't just dressed-up in some snarky, hipper-than-thou chic I knew this album was gonna rule. And it did. It fucking did rule, and "Holy Shit" was one of the standouts.
Fred Thomas - “Bad Blood”
I'm rolling the dice on this one. It might not hold up - I've only been listening to it for about three weeks. But at this point I've listened to Fred Thomas speak-sing his way through "Bad Blood" so many times already that I'm feeling pretty confident that it won't be out of place when I come back to this list later on. There are a lot of other highly lyrical jams on this album, too and it seems like the guy has a big back catalogue for me to delve into. All hail Fred Thomas.
The Modern Lovers - “I’m Straight”
Another talksong! To me, this song is incredibly reminiscient of one of my all-time favorites, "Heroin" by The Velvet Underground but it's kind of opposite in mode--rather than describing a spiraling addiction, it describes the sober guy merkin’ on druggies’ girlfriends. I like it. I dig it.
Car Seat Headrest - “Something Soon”
So glad I finally listened to this dude this year. I had heard of him here and there for years but for whatever reason never got around to listening to him. My grave error has been rectified and Car Seat Headrest is a new favorite for me. Twin Fantasy rules, Teens of Style rules and I'm eagerly anticipating his new album (that I think is coming in 2016?)!
Hop Along - “Powerful Man”
I'll never not love Francis's vocals in Hop Along. It's so dynamic and the way her voice enters into a those hoarse-yet-sing-songy registers is sublime. Hop Along's lyrics are always on point, too! This was a fun show to go to, too.
Titus Andronicus - “Dimed Out”
This song is such a fucking banger. I'll never not be a sucker for poppy, punk-ish songs that blow the roof off through sheer energy. I don't know, I don't think the song is too original or anything--it's definitely got a type, right? But that shit doesn't matter: "Dimed Out" is just so, so fun!
katie dey - “you gotta get up to get up”
This katie dey album was probably the most left-field, unexpected jam this year. Just the sound of it and the way it feels is all so unusual to me that it’s nearly sublime. This track caps off the mix really nicely but one of my favorite parts of the other songs katie dey released are the chopped-up, nearly-unintelligible vocals. I can’t wait for more from her.
Man. I’m so eagerly anticipating 2016. Life is bliss.
Here’s the mix on 8tracks~
