Brendan’s favorite LPs of 2015. When you’re done here, be sure to check out Billy’s favorite LPs and EPs. Need more Brendan? Find more here.
11 – D’Angelo // Black Messiah
(technically a 2014 release, but it might as well be a 2015 release and we never properly acknowledged this fine piece of music last year)
Another year of fantastic tunes. Not sure why, but it was a bit easier to nail my favorite LPs down than the last couple of years (favorite EPs was a bit more work this year). Enjoy and tune in later today for Brendan’s favorites.
Music is special. There’s nothing quite like discovering a new favorite song for the first time. I probably listened to this track ten times in a row when it first came across my desk. This track is truly mesmerizing and I for one can’t wait to hear more from this New York-based songstress.
Haynie’s debut full-length was jam packed with big names, including Romy (The xx), Lykke Li, Devonte Hynes, Julia Holter, Father John Misty…just to name a few. But it’s the leadoff track with Mike Snow’s Andrew Wyatt and the one and only Brian Wilson that I can’t get enough of. Seriously though, this entire album is great and deserves a proper listen from beginning to end. Doo-wop vocals, playful keys, and swaying sax all come together to create this fun and energetic diddy.
I REALLY want/need to attend CMJ one of these days. Bucket list adventure for shiz. “Stolen Jars was one of Bob’s favorite discoveries from the CMJ Music Marathonthis year. ‘Wreaths Rakes’ is full of hand claps, galloping percussion and staccato guitar licks that build on themselves to create a lush, lively tune.” (via All Songs Considered)
“Car Seat Headrest signed to Matador this year, and then promptly remastered and re-released some older material. So, technically, this song is only partially from 2015. Regardless, I think it’s a very inspired tune and I love the angsty lyrics – ‘I want to sing this song like I’m dying.’” (via Side One Track One)
“Lianne La Havas’ 2012 debut album was rooted in stripped-down acoustics. But the English singer-songwriter’s upcoming second album, Blood, explores neo soul, doo-wop and R&B. The second single, ‘What You Don’t Do,’ is an ode to a reliable, supportive lover, and its infectious positivity makes it a perfect summer pop song.” [via All Songs Considered]
Keys and strings hook me everytime. But there’s so much more to this track than that. Trevor Power’s sat down with The Fader earlier this year and had this to say about his song (and video), “With all the police brutality in the media, it seemed like every single day there was some element of chaos—but in different forms. It just got so bad. I feel like we live in this shitstorm now where there’s so many corrupt people in high places, people getting away with all this shit. So, I sat down and I decided to just write whatever came to my mind. Living in Idaho, it’s easy to feel isolated from all of these events, and that was sort of my way of dealing with it. There’s also elements of loss tied to [the song] as well. I lost one of my closest friends a couple years back, and that bled into everything. It was all these ideas put into a blender. For me [the concept of the video] was this idea of having this extension of yourself. We go down these life paths and we feel like we’re always alone, but we have those different aspects of our personality that are essentially grounding us; we’re not quite alone, because we have our spirit. It was that idea, combined with the idea of losing someone and having them still be alive throughout your day to day—because I think that’s a very real thing. Anyone who’s experienced any sort of loss, you know you go out on a windy day you feel the wind on your skin and you feel like they’re still there.”
