Top 10 Albums of 2015

I have been a very negligent blogger recently.  Sorry.  I will try to update more frequently.  For today, though, here is my top 10 list for 2015!  First, EPs:

Arrow EP (LEVV)

This basically two-song EP came up on noisetrade a few months ago, and I really liked it.  It's eletropop, but the girl lead singer has an amazingly good voice which works really well with this style of music.  The background music is sort of ethereal.  Give it a listen; I hope they come out with more new music soon!

All Creatures - Volume 2 (Jacob Montague)

Jacob Montague of Reality San Francisco released this EP this year.  Most of the songs are very stripped-down and quiet, but the lyrics are powerful.  He has a very melodic voice, as does the girl who accompanies him!  Pianos and horns, and vocal harmonies, are used to powerful effect.

Echoes of Wonder EP (Salt of the Sound)

This is a Swedish couple who write very ethereal and chill electronic music.  They have really good voices!  Overall the EP is a great winter collection of songs: it sounds very cold and snowy but beautiful.  Highly recommended if you like electropop.

Lord & Lady EP (Lord & Lady)

This couple sounds very much like The Civil Wars, although they are a bit less wandering and strange in their melodies.  The songs build in a cool way, and get layered with lots of different instruments.  Both the guy and the girl have amazing voices.  It's worth a listen if you like the idea of a less indie and more straightforward version of The Civil Wars.

The Ancestor EP (Darlingside)

This group reminds me a lot of the Fleet Foxes, or Stornoway.  They have a nice, understated brand of indie rock, almost 60s retro sounding, which really appeals to me.  All of the songs on this EP are very good.  The last one is a great cover of Smashing Pumpkins' "1979"; there might be more covers on here for which I haven't heard the original songs.

We Are Arrows (Paper Lights)

I've known about this band for a long time, but for some reason I've never really listened to their stuff.  If I heard any of their songs I wasn't particularly sold.  This EP, though, is amazing!  Every song is genius, and the transitions are masterful.  I'm not very familiar with their earlier work, but my impression is that this EP is a significant direction change for them, and a lot more eletropop-esque.  It's hard to not listen to it really loudly, and the songs get caught in your head.

And full length albums:

10. Sun Leads Me On (Half Moon Run)

This Canadian indie rock group finally came out with a new album this year.  I actually didn't get around to listening to the whole thing until today.  My first impressions of the first few songs when I initially attempted to listen to it a few months ago were not that great, but on listening to it today it's quite good.  Overall it's more rocky than the last album I would say, and is perhaps a bit more meandering and varied in the style of the songs.  But there are some really good songs.

9. Keep It Safe (Wild Ones)

This new album by Wild Ones is incredibly 80s, with lots of synthesizer and eletro-pop sounding riffs.  The girl's voice nicely complements the electronic instrumentation.  Many of the songs are pretty fast-paced, which suits the genre well.  It's a good album overall, and worth a listen if you like 80s electropop.

8.  TOW'RS (Tow'rs)

This group is a collective of musicians from Flagstaff; their style of music is perhaps most comparable to Josh Garrels or the Oh Hellos.  Most of the songs are very folky, with a variety of instrumentation.  Their songs are all about story-telling, and they do it very well.  This first album is a collection of seven songs; I enjoyed every one independently, but taken together they make up an excellent album.  The group seems to be prolific; they released another album just a few weeks ago!

7. Blurryface (Twenty-One Pilots)

Twenty-One Pilots returned with their fourth album this year, "Blurryface".  It's extremely good.  I would call it a continuation of their previous style: a very creative mix of genres with a lot of alternative rock influence but also very intelligent rapping.  Normally I don't go in for white rap, but theirs is so clever, and the lyrics are very thoughtful critiques of our the hypocrisy in our culture.  The songs are incredibly catchy too.

6. A Head Full of Dreams (Coldplay)

Coldplay just released this album last week, suggesting it might be their last!  I heard very little fanfare about it, making me think people don't know about it.  Overall it's really good, with a mixture of styles similar to many of the previous albums.  Some of the quieter songs remind me of "Ghost Stories", but other songs with hip-hop collaborations remind me more of "Mylo Xyloto".  There are some classic songs mixed in there, particularly Army of One (which sounds like it has Mat Kearney in it, but I have no evidence of that).

5. Every Open Eye (CHVRCHES)

The Scottish eletropop trio came out with their second full-length album back in September.  I didn't get around to listening to it until today, but it is spectacular.  It's definitely in the vein of their previous work, with a strong electropop influence and a lot of synthesizer noises.  The songs are super catchy though.  I highly recommend it.

4. Return to the Moon (EL VY)

This is a very new band that I only heard about a few months ago, composed of one of the guys from Menomena and Matt Berninger (lead singer for the National).  It's an amazing collaboration, and this album is genius.  It reminds me very much of the National, but with perhaps a less orchestral feel, and you can sense the strange Menomena influence.  Some of the songs are extremely catchy.  Not many of the lyrics make any sense.  Overall it's really good though.

3. Dear Wormwood (The Oh Hellos)

This is the follow-up album to 2012's "Through the Deep, Dark Valley", and it's based loosely off C.S. Lewis' "Screwtape Letters".  While it is similar in a lot of ways to the first album (including musical style), the new album is overall darker, with a lot of apocalyptic references.  In some ways the guitar riffs remind me of Sufjan Stevens (see below), but their sound is a lot bigger and generally more upbeat.  It sounds like they generally had a full band with them for the recording.

2. Home (Josh Garrels)

This new release from Portland-based Josh Garrels is a pretty significant shift from his previous music.  It took a few listens for it to grow on me, since it is decidedly more bluesy than his previous work.  It is very gospel-centred, though, with lots of songs dealing with community, relationships, and the journey.  Once again he is pretty masterful with his combinations of instruments and fusion of genres.  I highly recommend this album.

1. Carrie & Lowell (Sufjan Stevens)

This album.  I think it is the most intense and powerful albums I have ever heard.  His first release since 2010's "The Age of Adz", and his first writing dealing with the recent death of his mother, it is on the whole relatively acoustic and understated, focussing on intricate but compelling guitar work.  It's also extremely dark.  Some might consider it a return to his roots.  Either way, if you don't have the album, you need it as soon as possible.

Wild Ones

This is a band I came across through noisetrade.  I'd never heard of them before.  I would describe the group as a fusion between classic 80s-style electropop, shoegaze, and dream wave.  Super catchy and interesting.  I highly recommend listening to their new EP "Heatwave" on their bandcamp.  The music sounds to me like a mix of Chvrches and Beach House.  The lead girl's vocals remind me of Purity Ring.  The backing instrumentation has that 80s-style percussion and a variety of synthesizer sounds; the beats are super simple but really get into your head.  It's nearly impossible to listen to this music and not move.  You can download some of their music for free on noisetrade.

Paper Lights

I can't remember when I first heard about this band, but for some reason they didn't initially click.  I think they might have played some local shows, and some of my friends were into them, but I wasn't that impressed with what I heard.  This was about 3 or 4 years ago.  Fast forward to about a month ago, my wife played their new EP "We Are Arrows"at home while we were just hanging out.  I was immediately blown away.  The EP as a whole is genius, and each individual song is so spectacular.  The combination of electropop elements with the percussion is really good.  You should definitely give it a listen.  I've been listening to all their stuff on rdio, and I have to say it's the most groundbreaking new band I've discovered in some time.

Rivers & Robots

Sarah actually introduced me to this group.  They are an English worship band, but their music style is quite unlike anything I've heard before in that context.  It's super creative and forward-looking, and they are excellent musicians.  Their latest album, "All Things New", is fairly electronic, and the combination of guitar and synthesizer / electropop noises is really cool.  The lead singer's voice takes a bit of getting used to, but it's not bad.  I highly recommend giving them a listen, even if you normally don't go in for worship music.  You can listen to all their stuff for free on their bandcamp.

LEVV

I came across this electropop duo on noisetrade.  I was initially hesitant about the dubstep-like parts of the music, but the melodies and backing instrumentation are undeniably genius.  The girl also has a ridiculously beautiful voice.  Check out their noisetrade page...it's the only source of their music that I can find.  I think the EP just came out, and I believe it's the first of their music to be released.  I definitely recommend checking them out, and I have a feeling they will be worth following over the next several years.

Among Elephants

Sorry for my prolonged neglect of this blog!  It has been a busy summer.  This was another noisetrade discovery: you can download some of their music for free at their noisetrade page.  I would describe the music as somewhat poppy, but with a folk base.  It's pretty catchy, and worth a listen.  One of their songs for free download is a really upbeat summertime song, and other one is a more mellow, acoustic tune.  I like the guy's voice, and the creative instrumentation.  Definitely check them out; apparently they have an album coming out at the end of August.

Katey Laurel

Noisetrade introduced me to this artist from Denver.  The style is somewhat poppy (particularly her newer stuff), but she has kind of an interesting, retro-sounding voice, which also happens to be extremely tuneful.  The backing instrumentation is pretty full and orchestral...it's well done.  Overall, it's not nauseatingly poppy (like some modern artists), but more folky.  You can listen to her older releases on her bandcamp.  Give it a listen if you aren't disgusted by the poppiness!

Kate Tucker & the Sons of Sweden

I originally came across this excellent Nashville group on a mix by Charlie Lowell of Jars of Clay (who, it turns out, has a taste for electropop music which is very similar to mine).  Since the recent demise of grooveshark, I had a hard time finding any of their music to listen to for free, but I found their album on rdio, and I must say it's quite good.  I think you can also listen to most of their stuff on soundcloud site.  I particularly recommend the song "Hangover", it's so awesome.  I love the style of the music, with orchestral and highly melodic instrumentation behind the girl's crazy ethereal voice.  Presumably that's Kate Tucker.  In any case, you should definitely listen to their one album "The Shape the Color the Feel".

The Golden Hippie

This is another one of those artists that I can't remember how I came across.  I would describe the music as poppy alt-rock, although the lyrics and beats seem influenced by soul and R&B.  She has a pretty compelling voice.  I would recommend her soundcloud site to see if you like it.  Right now, the only release is a namesake EP, but according to the soundcloud site a full-length album is coming out soon.

The Vespers

I came across this group on noisetrade.  They are hard to describe...I guess it's poppy folk.  The girls who sing have an amazing voice, they are super tuneful.  And it works really well with the backing instrumentation, which is sometimes minimalist and sometimes really big.  You can listen to a ton of their music on their bandcamp.  I highly recommend checking them out.  Apparently they have some new music coming out too, since they recently posted on noisetrade.

Vanessa Carlton

Everyone between the ages of 15 and 40 probably knows Vanessa Carlton's song "1000 Miles", which came out in 2002.  I actually didn't know any of her other music up until very recently, but she just release a new EP on noisetrade in advance of a full length album coming out in October.  I was very impressed.  The piano she plays is slightly out of tune, which adds to the cool atmosphere.  Her voice and the backing instrumentation work together really well.  It sometimes sounds like there is a full orchestra playing behind the piano.  I would classify the style of music as indie/folky pop; some of the songs are pretty dark/heavy.  Her EP is still available for downloading on noistrade for right now; you should get it.

Sufjan Stevens

Everyone who is reading this blog probably knows about Sufjan Stevens.  His earlier state-themed albums "Illinoise" and "Michigan" were massively popular and ground-breaking, and "Seven Swans" was exceptionally good.  Many of Sufjan's loyal fans were initially intrigued with the new, more electronic direction that his music started to take with his EPs "All Delighted People" and especially "the BQE", then his LP "The Age of Adz", but it as the years went on and his music grew less and less melodic and more abstract, I think a lot of people checked out and stopped following what he was doing.  In this context, Sufjan recently released a new album "Carrie & Lowell", which is sort of a memorial for his mother who died in 2012.  The musical style is polar opposite to the Age of Adz; it's generally acoustic guitar and piano.  The guitar riffs and the melodies are extremely simple, but unbelievably compelling and powerful.  It's a super dark album, and fundamentally depressing, but the musical skill and genius behind it is just unbelievable.  It's the best album I've heard in a long time.  If you haven't yet heard it, by all means buy it.  Apparently Sufjan is going on a limited tour with this release, too.

Jon DeRosa

I can't remember how I came across this guy.  In just a few words, I would describe his music as retro alternative rock.  There is really nice backing instrumentation, with interesting chord progressions, and a nice balance of percussion and vocals.  The dude's voice is smooth and sultry; it sounds like it's straight out of the 1940s--it reminds me a bit of Belle & Sebastian.  Give his album "A Wolf in Preacher's Clothes" on bandcamp.

Will Dailey

I can't remember how I was introduced to this guy a few months ago.  He's a singer/songwriter from Boston.  The style of music isn't quite my go-to genre...it's pretty rocky, sometimes pretty country, and almost classic rock-esque.  Some of the songs I would even describe as jazzy.  In general it's a bit noisy and shouty for me, but he has some good songs.  You can actually download one of his albums for free on noisetrade for the moment.  You can listen to some of his older stuff on soundcloud.  Here is a music video for one of his more popular songs; it's pretty representative of his style.

Young Oceans

I can't remember how I came across this band from New York.  They produce eletropop-type worship music, and I kind of like it.  The style is understated but tuneful vocals, with almost dream-wave like instrumentation.  You can listen to all of their stuff on their bandcamp; apparently they have quite a few full-length albums from the past several years (one of them is an advent album).  I recommend giving them a listen if chill, ambient-style music is what you're in the mood for.

Beta Radio

I first heard the song "Winter Eclipse" on a Christmas mix this year...you can stream the song here.  I was intrigued; the chord progressions, the intricate instrumentation, and the lead singer's melodic voice all contributed.  I was interested enough that I looked up and streamed all their albums.  I think the best way to describe the music is folky rock.  More folky than rocky I guess.  Here's one of my favourite of their non-Christmas songs.  It's quite catchy.  They have several albums that you can stream on their bandcamp.

Joshua Hyslop

I came across this guy on noisetrade about a month ago.  He's an extremely skilled banjo player, and the arrangements are quite powerful.  His voice is also strikingly tuneful and different.  Check out this live video.  His lyrics are very thought-provoking.  Here's another good (non-live) one.  I really like the style of his songs: they are folky, but with a compelling melody and driving beats.  It's a nice balance of different genres.  There are a lot of cool instruments too.  This is one of my personal favourites.

Zach Winters

This guy is the most recent amazing discovery I've had on noisetrade.  I actually haven't listened to anything other than the "Monarch" album, but I see that there is a lot more available to stream on his bandcamp.  It took me a few listens to get into the music, but after once through the album I was decidedly intrigued.  The sound is really mellow and acoustic, but also occasionally intense and quite powerful.  Here's a live version of a song that's representative of his style.  His music reminds me of Bon Iver the most, although his melodies are significantly easier to follow, and make way more sense.  Also the lyrics actually are reasonable, which is more than can be said for Bon Iver.  At times his music also reminds me of Josh Garrels, although he has a tendency to be more quiet and contemplative, less beat-driven than Josh.  In any case, I highly recommend giving at least "Monarch" a listen.

Amy Stroup

Here's another singer/songwriter-type out of Nashville: Amy Stroup.  I really like the style of her music.  Not too poppy or country, but a nice in-between.  She also has a really cool voice...it actually sounds sort of like a female version of Andrew Belle.  I guess there are also similarities with Katie Herzig, except that the tunes are much better.  Check out this live video.  There is also some good backing instrumentation on most of her songs.  You can listen to all her stuff for free on her bandcamp page.

Jacob Hudson

I came across this guy on noisetrade recently, and he sounds literally indistinguishable from William Fitzsimmons.  Not sure what the deal is with that (whether he's ripping Fitzimmons off), but the music is undeniably really good.  I guess his voice is slightly different from Fitzsimmons', but the overall sound and style is super similar.  It's extremely chill.  If you're in the mood to relax, or be really depressed (you can achieve either, depending on your outlook), this is well worth a listen.  Here's a link to the noisetrade site; looks like he doesn't have a bandcamp site.

Top 10 Albums of 2014

In keeping with past tradition, first I give you a few notable EPs.

Drifting EP (Hollow Coves)

This folky duo from Brisbane has a really nice homey feel.  I really like how their songs start quiet with just the acoustic guitar, and gradually build, with increasing percussion and other instrumentation.  One of the guys in particular has a thick Australian accent, which adds a cool touch.  It's really good chill out music if you need to relax.  The last song, "Heatwave", seems an appropriate year-end song since it's recently been over 100 F in southern Australia.  I'll be looking forward to this band's new work in 2015.

Innate (Laulu)

This group is from Minneapolis; they have a really nice acoustic sound.  The girl's voice is really other-worldly and amazing-sounding.  And actually the dude's voice, too...they work well together, and they both create the same interesting atmosphere.  I would classify their sound as slightly tribal, but the rhythms are variable, even within individual songs.  They are definitely worth checking out if you enjoy folky, indie music.

Fountain EP (Island Wren)

This band was another recent noisetrade discovery.  They have a cool do-it-yourself bluegrassy sound, and the arrangements are quite well done.  They strike me as a really young band; some of the lyrics are not perfectly in tune.  But the range of instrumentation used is really impressive; there are some very skilled musicians in the group.  Particularly the violinist.  The harmonies are also bold, and generally well-delivered.  I really like how the songs build and gradually change.  The last couple of songs are really one long piece.

Wolfe (Brolly)

Last year Brolly announced the exciting news that they are relocating to Denver as a band!  They were also working on new music, which was released in late July.  I actually didn't get around to listening to the new EP until this autumn, but I was quite impressed.  Their initial EP was not just a fluke; their skill and powerful sound is still evident on this new release.  I am eagerly anticipating a full-length album from the band in the not-too-distant future!  And hopefully some live shows too.

Now on to the top ten albums:

10. The Whiskey Switch (The Whiskey Switch)

This group, headed by a guy by the name of Luke Brindley (whose solo stuff is also quite good), is sort of a throwback to Bob Dylan's style of music.  Although I've never personally cared for Bob Dylan's style of talking during his songs and not really singing very much.  The Whiskey Switch is how I imagine Bob Dylan would sound if he actually sang during his songs.  It is pretty mellow western-style folk, with some nice backing harmonies and cool finger-picking guitar work.  I imagine it would be good road trip music.

9. Slouching (Work Friend)

I only came across this band in the last month or so.  My first impressions were of the similarity to David Bazan's work.  The lead singer's voice is incredibly deep and raspy, and really complements the electric guitar distortion featured in some of the songs, as well as the driving percussion.  Overall, though, the music is somewhat more melodic and more immediately accessible than Bazan's music.  I haven't been able to follow the lyrics on each of the songs, but overall they strike me as pretty dark and depressing.

8. Volume I & II (Streets of Laredo)

This band is not my typical favourite band style.  They are a bit too rocky and maybe a bit too country for my normal taste, but something about their sound works for me.  I think something about their sound reminds me of alternative bands from the Pacific Northwest (especially Band of Horses).  They have that vintage, old-school vibe.  And the beats are really rocking.  The band sounds like it's pretty large, with a lot of different instruments and a number of vocalists.  Check them out if this sounds like a style you would enjoy.

7. Christmas Collection 2014 (Sleeping at Last)

It's been interesting to follow Sleeping at Last over the few years.  The band has been around for a long time now, and their style has definitely changed considerably.  But their music remains really beautiful and moving.  This year they released a Christmas collection through noisetrade, and I really liked it.  It's a nice mix of old Christmas carols re-worked, and original songs.  It takes something special to make me like a Christmas album, since there are so many of them these days and many are terrible.  But I think they succeeded.  Give it a listen.

6. Curse Our Love (Young Rebel Set)

I'm not sure how I never came across this band until now...apparently they been around since 2007.  They are an indie rock band from the north of England.  When I first heard the album, I was struck by the lead singer's incredibly ability to stay perfectly on pitch, despite the emotion and power in his voice.  There is a good variety of songs on the album; some are more poppy, some are more rocky.  The lyrics are not particularly uplifting, but it's undeniably good music.

5. The Mountain (Jordan Ruiz)

This guy is apparently from LA.  He has a very calming, soothing voice, and a nice mix of acoustic guitar in the background along with a bigger orchestra sound at times.  He does a good job recording harmonies over himself.  The music style is folky, but with some pretty syncopated beats on some songs.  Pretty much every song is straight out of the Bible, and/or preaching the gospel; it's pretty solid.  I highly recommend giving him a listen.

4. Ghost Stories (Coldplay)

I've always loved Coldplay.  So I was pretty excited when I heard they were releasing another album, only a couple of years after their last one, Mylo Xyloto.  The first couple of songs they released, Magic and Midnight, set the tone for the album: quiet, introspective songs.  Midnight, in particular, impressed me with its seemingly perfect capture, in music form, of the atmosphere that exists when you're alone in the middle of the night.  The entire album is really good, although the lyrics are pretty depressing: generally filled with regret and sadness.  My personal favourite is "Another's Arms"; the percussion gives me chills every time I hear it.  The only downside about the album is that it's too short.

3. The Astorian (Side Saddle)

I came across this group on noisetrade I believe.  They are from NYC, and I believe the lead singer has been involved in other bands and music projects before.  The closest comparison I can make is with the Shins, although Side Saddle is undeniably more rocky, louder, and more beat-driven than the Shins' typical work.  I was really impressed with the clean percussion, and also the creative way the lyrics work with the rhythms.  The horns are really cool too.  The lead singer also has a very tuneful voice.

2. Islands (Bears Den)

I think of Bears Den sort of like the new Mumford and Sons.  They have continued the tradition of the liberal use of banjos as an English band.  The song structures are generally simpler than Mumford, but I think that often works to their advantage.  This is their debut album, and as such it features many of the songs previously released on their EP.  As a whole, however, the album works extremely well.  Many of the lyrics are bit on the dark side, and there is a fair amount of profanity, but it makes the music that much more powerful.  I really like the simplicity of a lot of their melodies, and how the guys' voices work together so well.  This album is high on the list of the top records.

1. All This Is Yours (Alt-J)

We've all been eagerly awaiting the next release from Alt-J, and let me just say it did not disappoint.  I've been obsessed with it pretty much since the day it was released.  I can't deny some parts of it are really weird, and during my first listen there were many "...what?" moments, but there were also a lot of parts where I continue to get chills.  Some of the songs are intense, super-dark songs (like "Hunger of the Pine"); some are fun, old-school-sounding rocky songs (like "Left Hand Free"); some are epic orchestral sounding songs, and there is one marginally dirty almost overtly sexual song, which is hilarious.  Pretty much every song is genius.  Also, I don't know if it's because I've gotten more used to the lead singer's voice, but I had a much easier time understanding the lyrics on this album than on "An Awesome Wave".  There wasn't really much competition for the top album of the year spot this year; this was a clear winner.

Side Saddle

I realise I am remiss in not posting a "top 10 albums of 2014" list yet.  I'm hoping to get to it.  But, until I have enough time at my disposal to do that, I will continue to point out individual bands that I'm really liking these days.  Today I give you: Side Saddle.  The band is from Queens.  I really like their sound; it's extremely melodic, and the perfect blend of indie and heavier rock.  I would describe them as most similar to the Shins, with some resemblance to Death Cab.  Check out this video.  The video's weird, but the song is genius.  You can stream the whole thing on their bandcamp site.  I'm expecting good things from this band in the future...I think they have a ton of talent.