For our final year-end list we’re doing things just a little bit differently. POD is a team of writers with our own particular set of interests, so instead of doing one list for the blog as a whole, we figured it’d be much better to highlight our own individual tastes by each dropping a list of our own for the Dopest Albums of the year.
My inclinations steer towards Rock and you’ll see my favorites of 2015 fully show that, but you’ll see a couple of other genres deservedly included here. So hit the jump and read MY list of the Dopest Albums of 2015.
Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color
Roots Rock at its finest! Alabama Shakes really put out one of those albums that you can yourself in. The music has so much range; it can be spacey and other-worldly like in “Sound & Color,” hair-raisingly groovy like in “Don’t Wanna Fight,” heartwarming like in “This Feeling,” and profoundly soulful beyond its years like in “Gimme All Your Love.”
This album sounds like it comes out of a whole different era, one where musicians truly value creating expertly-crafted music that feels honest, and they go out and do that themselves. Oh yeah, and did I mention how lead singer Brittany Howard comes off like a modern Aretha that plays guitar like Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and has a penchant for putting on a slight Al Green voice every now-and-then too? Yeah, I went there.
Key tracks: “Sound & Color,” “Don’t Wanna Fight,””Future People,” “Gimme All Your Love”
The Arcs – Yours, Dreamily
Speaking of Dan Auerbach… The man behind The Black Keys formed a new band called The Arcs and he proved that pretty anything he touches is golden. The music feels a lot more southwestern than Nashville, drawing a noticeable line between both of his bands, but the lead singer/guitarist’s songwriting doesn’t get affected much at all with the change of backing sonics. Yours, Dreamily definitely draws from Jazz composition, the balladry of the 50s, and the dreaminess of songs from the “spirit of the 60s” era, while the music as a whole is equal parts heartthrob badass and dreamy hopeless romantic. That sounds like the music that comes from the kind of guy we can only hope we become if we drink enough bourbon and steer away from trimming our beard.
Key tracks: “Outta My Mind,” “Put A Flower In Your Pocket,” “Nature’s Child,” “Chains Of Love”
A$AP Rocky – At.Long.Last.A$AP
One of the earliest albums to get chosen for this list was A$AP Rocky’s A.L.L.A for very obvious reasons. Definition of turnt. Definition of lit. You might’ve seen those two words used frequently throughout 2015 whenever someone was having a bomb-ass time, and odds are they were listening to from Rocky. But the album isn’t just bravado and heavy beats; A.L.L.A also sees a fair amount of more mellow, introspective joints that you’ll best appreciate from the couch, with no distractions and nothing but your favorite vice is the only other thing that holds your attention.
Key Tracks: “Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2,” “Electric Body,” “Jukebox Joints,” “Every Day”
Cage The Elephant – Tell Me I’m Pretty
One of the last albums to get added to the list was December release Tell Me I’m Pretty, from Kentucky rockers Cage The Elephant. The band hooked up with The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach so that he can hold the production reins for the new project, making it one of the best collaborations of the year for us. There’s nothing not to like of catchy songs with awesome guitar riffs, and that’s exactly what this album offers.
Key tracks: “Mess Around,” “Too Late To Say Goodbye,” “That’s Right”
Donnie Trumpet & The Social Experiment – Surf
This one is a Chicago masterpiece. Chance The Rapper’s group the Social Experiment got together under the guidance of member Donnie Trumpet’s artistic vision and crafted Surf. The first free album ever released on iTunes was highly anticipated and showed instant signs of just how good it could be when “Sunday Candy” came out, and lucky for us when it (surprisingly) finally hit the net fans were not disappointed. Some of the game’s biggest and best artists across several generations collaborated on this. Mainstream acts like Big Sean, J. Cole, and Busta Rhymes all justifiably killed it with their features, but it was the Chi acts like Noname Gypsy, Saba, Joey Purp, and Mike Golden that shined the most.
Taken from our review: “This is the sort of music you won’t ever move on from, or grow out of. For years on out Surf will be one of those albums you will be thankful for and be glad that you were actually around to hear and experience it when it was first released.”
Key Tracks: “Slip Slide” “Wanna Be Cool” “Windows” “Familiar” “Go” “Sunday Candy”
Eryn Allen Kane – Aviary: Act 1
Lord knows I loves me some Eryn Allen Kane. Her vocals give me chills, no matter how many times I hear songs like “Have Mercy” or “Slipping.” This EP is just one of two from her Aviary series, and with this material being as good as it is, if she can top it in the second half of the project then we are surely looking at the next big artist out of Chicago since her boy (and day 1 POD favorite) Chance The Rapper.
Key tracks: “Have Mercy,” “Slipping,” “Piano Song”
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
Easiest pick for this list goes to Kendrick Lamar and his masterpiece, To Pimp A Butterfly. This album put the Compton rapper on a whole other artistic level, showing off his social consciousness in his lyrics and straight up flexed on the artistic front with the variety of sounds, production styles, and vocal delivery techniques he employed for this project. It’s a snapshot of the black experience in the 21st century and it’s one of the most powerful albums you’ll ever get in its genre, and music in general.
Key tracks:
Sleater-Kinney – No Cities To Love
Sleater-Kinney’s return to the fold was a glorious, kick-ass one via No Cities To Love. The band’s first album in 10 years picked up where they left off, with Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker, and Janet Weiss showing no signs that they were away from the game at all. The fury was felt throughout, the Punk spirit alive and well, and every song was as anthemic as the next. I would follow Tucker’s guidance, wherever they may lead me; her voice is that powerful. Best of all, Sleater-Kinney’s latest effort shows you can still be this good even with this many albums into a band’s career.
Key tracks: “Fangless,” “No Cities To Love,” “Bury Our Friends”
Tobias Jesso Jr – Goon
This album really played to my soft spot. Goon by Tobias Jesso Jr. is a continuation on the sort of music that made John Lennon (post-Beatles), Harry Nilsson, Elton John so beloved decades ago, with beautiful melodies that are perfectly paired with lyrics that will make you love, fall out of love, and love again. It’s not hard to pick out favorites, but it is hard to listen to just that handful of tracks when you can go through a good roller coaster ride of emotions within these 12 songs by listening to the record completely.
Key tracks: “How Could You Babe,” “Without You,” “Hollywood,” “Can’t Stop Thinking About You”Crocodile Tears’
Towkio – .WAV Theory
The wait for Towkio’s .WAV Theory came to an end this year, fully unleashing the SaveMoney man onto the world and setting him on his way to being the next Chicago product to blow up. On the second track “Clean Up,” Towkio says “I get it get it, your friends did it, they famous/ And you rap, too, so when you gon’ make it?” and the quick answer is, he’s made it.
This was the first time the spotlight was totally fixated on Towkio and the man took full advantage, displaying he’s got a fine collection of sounds that beg to be heard. The debut mixtape pulled from all sorts of musical elements, from Disco and Electropop to straight up Hip Hop. This is only the start, so let us tell you right now that Towkio will soon become a household name to those beyond the crowds who follow the music blogosphere.
Key Tracks: “Clean Up,” “Involved,” “Free Your Mind,””God In Me,” “Heaven Only Knows”
Wavves – V
Now that I revealed my soft side, let’s bring it back to Rock & Roll! Wavves’ V is fist-pumping, crowd-surfing, headbanging material that you know will only get better when it’s played live (and it is). This is catchy as all hell and its Punk-y flair will make you play this album on repeat. You’ll want this to lead you on your next road trip, you’ll need this as the soundtrack to your next killer house party. Nate Williams, you menace you. Thanks for helping us all Rock out just a little bit more while we still can!
Key tracks: “Heavy Metal Detox,” “Way Too Much,” “My Head Hurts”
The Weeknd – Beauty Behind The Madness
This was the Pop/R&B record of the year by a long-shot and it was this album that finally propelled The Weeknd into superstar status. The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Madness made the Canadian artist become the closest candidate we have to a new Michael Jackson, a grittier and more sexually-indulgent version of MJ, but an MJ successor nonetheless. Not only did the man first known as Abel Tesfaye shine in his solo outings on this album, but his carefully-picked collaborators (like Kanye West, Ed Sheeran, and Lana Del Rey) were nothing but great improvements to the tracks they featured on. If you need some excellent Pop music, this one’s for you.
Key tracks: “Tell Your Friends,” “The Hills,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” “In The Night,” “Dark Times,” “Angel”
