Standing on the edge of 2015, the arriving year on the horizon looked to be an embarrassment of riches. There was going to be a new Beck album, a new Red Hot Chili Peppers album, the Buffalo Sabres were going to get McJesus, and the Bills were definitely at least going to get in the playoffs.
Fast forward 365 days. All we have is one Beck song, the Chili peppers got delayed by a broken Flea arm, the Sabres got bamboozled by the NHL lottery, and the Bills proved to us once again that if it looks like a tire fire, and it smells like a tire fire, then you’re probably not going to get in the playoffs.
2015 also had a fistful of musical disappointments as well. Toto, Whitesnake, and The Scorpions (Ve are Scorpyans!) all put out new albums, and I listened to all of them so you don’t have to. That last sentence made me sad to write. None of these were more disappointing to me then The Bright Light Social Hour following up a fantastically raucous self-titled debut with the mother of all duds, Space is the Place.
But there are silver linings people. The musical electric sex that is a new Beck album is on its way, the Peppers are recording, Jack Eichel - the consolation prize in the McDavid tank-fest - is a God Damn stud and a half, and the Bills are going to… I don’t know, Tyrod seems like a nice dude I guess.
To the picks. If this was a piece written about sports, what I am about to do would be considered indiscriminate homerism.
Honorable Mentions aka "The Sausage Casing":
Blitzen Trapper - All Across this Land
Everything they do is great, but I love them when they get weird because I’m a weirdo (see my picks below) and this one just wasn’t weird enough. Does that make sense? I don’t care if it does, I’ll be here listening to "Thirsty Man" on repeat.
Alabama Shakes - The Sound and Color
Fantastic sound. When it’s fast and upbeat (relatively speaking) I love it, but when it’s slow I stop paying attention.
Tame Impala - Currents
They tell you how this works in the first song “Let it Happen.” Then they slowly bombard the shit out of your earphones with stereo trickery in the mix. Cool stuff, but the slow parts seem targeted for an audience that has been eating quaaludes for breakfast.
The Top 10 aka "The Inner Sausage Meatstuffs"
10.) Sheepdogs - Future Nostalgia (October)
9.) Wilco - Star Wars (July)
I love Wilco. My Spotify year end wrap up told me I spent the year listening mainly to four artists, and these guys were numero uno. Why didn’t I mention the anticipation of this album in that beginning vignette? Because no one knew it was coming. BAM, all of a sudden one day the Twitter machine had news about a Wilco about, then BAM BAM it was available, and sweet mother of crap, it was free. Admittedly, I was putty in Jeff Tweedy’s beard before I even started listening, but it holds up. I consider it like a decaf version of YHF.
How marvelously bizarre. This one is a doozy. If you’re not already into what old Patty Stickles and crew have been laying down on previous Titus Andronicus albums than there could very well be nothing for you here. Yet, you might really enjoy parts. It’s a punk rock opera, and it’s so long that it’s literally exhausting. But finishing this thing from front to back makes you feel like you climbed a mountain.
7.) Ben Folds - So There (September)
5.) Modest Mouse - Strangers to Ourselves (March)
"God is an Indian and You are an Asshole". That’s a song title that I only just now realized I don’t know exactly what Isaac Brock means when he says “Indian.” Modest Mouse put out a pretty good album, but I love Modest Mouse so top five it is.
4.) Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper (January)

3.) Built to Spill - Untethered Moon (April)
I used to prefer indie darling B2S with fast catchy tunes. Then jam-band B2S beat me into submission. This album was everything I wanted out of them. It starts with an almost too perfect "Living Zoo" (IronFish Editor Note: It actually starts with the sextacular "All Our Songs" though "Living Zoo" is soul affirming) and ends with a fantastical shitshow called "When I’m Blind". Everything in between fits the “what I want from Doug Marsh” storyline.
2.) Hot Chip - Why Make Sense? (May)

1.) 1989 - Ryan Adams (September)
You’ve already listened to this a bunch haven’t you? First listen gave me a solid, woah. That was followed by an embarrassing amount of revisits. I’ll admit I like the Taylor Swift version but Ryan Adams replaces any iota of brainlessness with crushing depression.