We gained about as much musical talent as we lost in 2016.......
A lot of good albums have come out this year, and here is the list of my favorite of those albums. If you have any questions or complaints, then please send us fan mail or whatever the opposite of fan mail is. We love fan mail here at Von's Records. My top ten favorite albums are listed in the order that I liked them the most. The remaining 20 honorable mention albums are listed in alphabetical order. I listed the genres of the albums in parenthesis. This list was a labor of love. Thanks for taking the time to read it.
BIG NEWS GUYS AND GALS!!!!! Our prodigal son Shifty has decided to resume his award winning (I give myself pats on the back after I write each one. Does that count???) series of picking albums that he likes. Wow!!!!!!!!! This is good news. The rules of this beloved series are a little bit different this time around. Shifty is only going to do this for every quarter of the year. He doesn't have time to make a list once a month. He also ran out of Seals of Approval to give out. Gasp. All of these Shifty Picks came out in the months of January, February, and March. Without further ado, here are my music picks.
Anderson .Paak - Malibu
-This album is a very interesting fusion of PBR&B, Jazz, and Hip Hop that reminds me a lot of the sound that Kendrick Lamar achieved on To Pimp a Butterfly. That's very high praise, and Mr. .Paak has definitely earned it with this album. Very upbeat, warm, and uplifting. Perfect Summer music.
Big Ups - Before a Million Universes
-This is the second album by the band Big Ups, and this album goes in more complicated and unexpected directions than their previous album. Big Ups sounds like a toss up between Slint (Post Rock) and Fugazi (Post-Hardcore). They have a very unique take on being disappointed at the world around them. Check em out.
David Bowie - Blackstar
-David Bowie's latest and last album is a triumph. The Goblin King himself continues to show that he has more tricks up his sleeves on his 27th album. Apparently this album was inspired by the experimentation that modern rappers and rap groups have been doing over the past decade. One article I read said that Bowie was heavily inspired by the raw power and lyricism of the band Death Grips (check them out if you haven't already). This album may not be for every Bowie fan due to how experimental it is, but I believe that this is his best album since 1980.
Diiv - Is The Is Are -This is the second album by the shoegaze/indie rock band Diiv (pronounced like dive). Is The Is Are is the result of a lot of turmoil by lead singer Zachary Cole Smith, and this turmoil results in a lot of emotions that are present throughout the entire album. This album reminds me of thunderstorms for some reason. Not the spooky scary kind though. It's more like the calmer kind that you want to hang out and dance in. It's very dreamy and before you know it, the storm is over and a new different kind of calm takes over. Definitely my favorite album of the year so far. LISTEN TO THIS IF YOU LIKE WEATHER STORMS!!!!!!!!
Kendrick Lamar - untitled unmastered
-Kendrick Lamar is on a whole 'nother level. His leftover songs are better than most people's none leftover songs. King Kendrick decided to let a 5 year old produce part of one of his songs, and it's one of the best parts of the album. We are not worthy.
Margo Price - Midwest Farmer's Daughter
-This is a country album that is about overcoming challenges and trying to make a good enough album so that you can make money and buy your dad his farm back. Margo honed her skills in Honky Tonks all across Nashville until Jack White heard her sing, and then he immediately signed her to his label. Margo Price does a fantastic job of putting you into her world. This album is the bees knees and it totally isn't just for country fans. It's for music fans. Definitely a standout singer, and a fine addition to the current wave of country singers who actually write their own songs (e.g. Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, & Kacey Musgraves)The first song on the album tells you everything you need to know.
Nap Eyes - Thought Rock Fish Scale
-My coworker Alex put it best by saying that this is the best Lou Reed album in years. Very accurate.
Pinegrove - Cardinal
-They sound like a more emo Wilco. Great album about feelings and other stuff. The band describes their music as, "Music for the promotion of introspective partying!" That sounds about right.
Savages - Adore Life
-Savages has made another great revivalist post-punk album. This new album features the same intensity that was on their previous album, and perhaps a little bit more. This album is filled with sweet bass lines that sound real nice on my ear holes. Overall I feel like this album is a little more varied than their debut album.
Sheer Mag - III EP
-Fantastic album that reminds me of the glam rock band T.Rex, but with a harder more punky side and a female singer. Very catchy guitar driven music that is just a ball full of fun. Truly all that and a bag of potato chips. It's only about 14 minutes long, and it's definitely time well spent. Check it out on their bandcamp page. https://sheermag.bandcamp.com/
Honorable Mentions: -Esperanza Spalding - Emily's D+Evolution
-Julia Brown - An Abundance of Strawberries -Mothers - When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired -Porches - Pool
-Thao & the Get Down Stay Down - A Man Alive
-Wild Nothing - Life of Pause
A lot of good music has come out this year. I'm looking forward to a lot more music that is coming out. Thanks for reading.
Shifty's Favorite Albums From The Year 2015!!!! Hey That Was This Year!!!!!!
This was a great year for music. Probably the best year since 2012. I listened to more than 300 (maybe 400?) albums that came out this year, and I made a list of the 50 that I liked the most. This isn't a list of the best albums that came out this year. This is a list of my favorite albums that came out this year.
My Top 15 Albums of 2015
Ought - Sun Coming Down
Viet Cong - Viet Cong
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly
Vince Staples - Summertime '06
Jimmy Whispers - Summer in Pain
Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon
Jamie XX - In Colour
Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect
Pinkshinyultrablast - Everything Else Matters
Deafheaven - New Bermuda
Deerhunter- Fading Frontier
Lightning Bolt - Fantasy Empire
Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper
Waxahatchee - Ivy Tripp
Majical Cloudz - Are You Alone?
Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order)
Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color
Arca - Mutant
A$AP Rocky - At.Long.Last.A$AP
Baroness - Purple
Beach House - Depression Cherry
Beach House - Thank Your Lucky Stars
Blur - The Magic Whip
Car Seat Headrest - Teens of Style
Cloakroom - Further Out
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
Czarface - Every Hero Needs a Villain
Death Grips - The Powers That B
Destroyer - Poison Season
FKA Twigs - M3LL155X
Freddie Gibbs - Shadow of a Doubt
Girlpool - Before the World Was Big
Grimes - Art Angels
Hop Along - Painted Shut
Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free
Joey Bada$$ - B4.da.$$
Julio Bashmore - Knockin' Boots
Krallice - Ygg huur
Krill - A Distant Fist Unclenching
Kurt Vile - b'lieve i'm goin down
Leon Bridges - Coming Home
METZ - II
Royal Headache - High
Sleater Kinney - No Cities to Love
Speedy Ortiz - Foil Deer
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
Sun Kil Moon - Universal Themes
Tame Impala - Currents
Titus Andronicus - The Most Lamentable Tragedy
Tribulation - The Children of the Night
Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love
The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Harmlessness
How many of these albums have you listened to? Did you have a favorite album this year?
I didn't make a list thing in April because I didn't have the time to make one. I'm gonna put that right here. Cool. There was a lot of good music that came out the past two months.
Due to the fact that I featured two months of music in this Rundown Overview, I separated the music by month. The same prison rules apply to these Monthly Rundown Overviews. If I like a music it goes under the #thingsiliked section and it also gets one Shifty Seal of Approval™. If I really liked a music, then it goes under the #thingsilikedliked section, and OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! IT GETS TWO SHIFTY SEALS OF APPROVAL™!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU BASED SHIFTY AND THANK YOU BASED SEALS!!!!!!!! This is what a Shifty Seal of Approval™ looks like:
It is cute and you want one
April Music
#thingsiliked
Speedy Ortiz- Foil Dear
Very fierce. Sadie Dupuis is a great lyricist and this album features some of her best to date. Only a genius would be in a Pavement cover band called Babement. The only reason why I didn't love this album is because I felt like the the guitars weren't as dynamic on this album.
#I'mNotBossyI'mTheBoss
Toro y Moi- What For?
Toro y Moi is trying to go back to the simpler times. It's kind of a return to his roots simply because this album sounds the most similar to the music that was on June 2009. And I love it because that's a damn good album, and so is this. I wouldn't call this Chill Wave though..... it's more complicated than that.
#IWishMyNameWasChazwickBundick
Waxahatchee-Ivy Tripp
Katie Crutchfield has been making some sweet DIY music for a while now. She just signed to Merge and her new album features her at her most confident. She is not one to be triffled with and Ivy Tripp is her loudest battle cry yet.
