RECKLESS RECORDS 2015 BEST OF LISTS
TIM QUINLAN
freddie gibbs – shadow of a doubt
kendrick lamar – to pimp a butterfly
oddisee – the good fight
jamie xx – in colour
disasterpeace – it follows (soundtrack)
drake – if you’re reading this, it’s too late
viet cong – viet cong
sun ra – to those of earth and other worlds
jim o’rourke – simple songs
earl sweatshirt – i don’t like shit, i don’t go outside
tuxedo – s/t
STEVEN RAHMAN
J.Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive
Cole World’s best project to date, poignant & artful. He’s shown flashes of this kind of music, but he’s never put it together this way.
Phryme – Phryme
Royce & Preem. If that was all, you know how dope it is. On top of that the soundscape is built from samples of Adrian Younge’s catalog. It’s interesting to see Premiere draw from one source like this, plus Royce is rhyming his behind off.
D’Angelo & the Vanguard – Black Messiah
Another December 2014 entry. This on the account of being D’angelo is at the very least an incredibly important record, but add to that the interesting textural decisions in these compositions, & you get a soul record that people would have claimed impossible in this day & age.
2015:
Joey Bada$$ – B4.DA.$$.
People want to call the Pro.Era movement throwback, & it’s obvious that the 90s was a major influence, Joey is a new school emcee with old school flavor. Take a listen, this will surprise you by being polished & really well structured. From a 19 year old wunderkind…
Lupe Fiasco – Tetsuo & Youth
Only Lupe could open up a record with an 8 minute BAR FEST! BARS, BARS, BARS! Just pure emceeing that makes you listen over & over. What makes this great though is the content & Lupe’s ability to write lyrically intricate raps that few can match, while maintaining a topical approach that is unique & political.
Rhiannon Giddens – Tomorrow is My Turn
This Carolina Chocolate Drops member has one of the most beautiful voices. Pure in tone with a beautiful ability to imbue emotion with a moan or a growl or a whine, she’s able to carry classic songs with gravitas, & bring them to modern listeners in an approachable way.
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
This is an avant garde approach to Hip Hop in many ways, but it’s so rooted in traditional Black music. Soul, Jazz, Funk, & Gospel all make brief appearances here to create a distinct listening experience.
Earl Sweatshirt – I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside
Don’t let the title scare you away. Earl’s newest record is amazingly heavy, dark, & oppressive feeling, but it’s not a sad or depressing record. It doesn’t scream of joy. Instead it’s thoughtful, lyrically dense, & enveloping.
The Internet – Ego Death
Syd tha Kid & Matt Martians are bringing the R&B band to the new millennium. Ego Death features a polished production sound which isn’t surprising given the members of this band, & the sound features references to many different artists including Pharrell & N*E*R*D*, Dwele, Jamiroquai, & even some Sade. Combined with Syd’s fey, but earnest voice, makes for one of the best R&B records of recent memory.
SiR – Seven Sundays
Beautiful soulful stuff out of Inglewood. Sometimes seems to grow out of a Curtis Mayfield tradition, amazing arrangements & harmonies in the songs & an incredible voice. A short, single listen burst of dope modern R&B.
Doomtree – All Hands
One of the best respected crews in all of Hip Hop, Doomtree makes passionate hard-hitting music. Born out of a punk aesthetic but couldn’t be more straightforward with the beats & rhymes as these are some of the most technically inclined MCs in the game. This can make you think & make you dance.
Cecile McLorin Salvant – For One To Love
I can’t do enough to sing the praises of Ms. Salvant. Her ability to sing with style, class, range & a sincerely wicked sense of humor. She’s a reminder of the great jazz-singers, Etta, Billie, Sarah… & the Aaron Diehl trio which plays with her is just about perfect for her, a great match.
Rapper Big Pooh & Nottz – Home Sweet Home
I was sure this was gonna be good, Pooh over some Nottz from VA beats, that just sounds like a great record waiting to happen, but I never expected it to be nearly PERFECT. Pooh has always been a bit underrated, but on this he shines, particularly because these beats that Nottz put together for him, are absolutely magnificent.
Oddisee – The Good Fight
Oddisee is one of my favorites doing it today,as a producer & MC, & he keeps growing in both. He’s added some melodies to his flow, & he keeps upping the difficulty with rhymes & concepts. The Good fight is just another in a long series of excellent Hip Hop records.
Clear Soul Forces – Fab Five
The nerdiest of Rap, spit with dexterity & skill unmatched. It’s the kind of Rap music that people rarely hear. Its intelligent & referential without ever feeling corny or overwrought, & the production from AML alum Nameless, helps to carry the “Back Pack Sub-Woofer Rap” to crazy heights.
Jamison Ross – Jamison
Thelonious Monk award winner, Jamison Ross’s debut is all about showing the musician’s ability to do multiple things. A genius on the drums, his ability to lead a band, & to sing were rather unknown. This record is a complete show of his talents & definitely worth the pick-up.
Honorable Mentions:
Bilal – In Another Life
Bird & the Bee – Recreational Love
Moonchild – Please Rewind
Various Artists (Mello Music Group) – Persona
Open Mike Eagle – A Special Episode Of
Metric – Pagans in Vegas
Ludacris – Ludaversal
Alessia Cara – Know-it-All
Hiatus Kaiyote – Choose Your Weapon
Quarter Street – Quarter Street
Action Bronson – Mr. Wonderful
BILLY SMITH
These eleven items in release date order were aurally exciting.
The funny part is, I haven’t seen the actual movies that
some of these soundtracks are for. Life, man.
Olafur Arnalds “Broadchurch” Score (Mercury)
Cliff Martinez “My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn” (Milan)
Swervedriver “I Wasn’t Born To Lose You” (Cobraside)
Godspeed You Black Emperor “Asunder, Sweet & Other Distress”
“It Follows” Soundtrack by Disasterpeace (Milan)
Olafur Arnalds & Alice Sara Ott “The Chopin Project” (Mercury)
Faith No More “Sol Invictus” (Reclamation!)
Lou Barlow “Brace The Wave” (Joyful Noise)
Uncle Acid “The Night Creeper” (Rise Above)
Leon Bridges “Coming Home” (Columbia)
Johann Johannsson “Sicario” Score (Varese Sarabande)
DAVE HOFER
Antigama – The Insolent & live at Maryland Deathfest (Selfmadegod)
A$AP Rocky – At.Long.Last.A$AP (RCA)
Entheos – Primal EP (Self-released)
Fuck the Facts/Fistfuck – Split 10″ (Noise Salvation)
Fuck the Facts – Desire Will Rot LP (Noise Salvation)
Guilty Simpson – Detroit’s Son (Stones Throw)
Immortal Bird – Empress/Abscess (Broken Limbs)
Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire – Merry eX-Mas & SMD 2 mixtape (Self-released)
Mutoid Man – Bleeder & live at Reggie’s (Sargent House)
Napalm Death – Apex Predator: Easy Meat (Century Media)
Rae Sremmurd – SremmLife (EarDrummers/Interscope)
Run the Jewels – Bust No Moves 12” (Mass Appeal)
Teething – Ralph 7” (Dingleberry)
Waxahatchee – Ivy Tripp (Merge)
V/A – The Music of Grand Theft Auto V (Mass Appeal
CHARISSA TOLENTINO
Universal Togetherness Band (Numero Group compilation)
Aphex Twin – Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments PT2 (Warp EP)
Aphex Twin – MARCHROMT30A EDIT 2B 96 (Warp 12”)
AFX – orphaned deejay selek 2006-2008 (Warp EP)
Connan Mockasin – Caramel (Reissued 2013 | Purchased 2015. Mexican Summer)
Natural Information Society & Bitchin Bajas – Automaginary (Drag City)
Wand – 1000 Days (Drag City)
Sun City Girls – Torch of the Mystics (Reissue – Abduction)
Bing & Ruth – City Lake (RVNG Intl.)
Alessandro Cortini – Risveglio (Hospital)
Maki Asakawa s/t (Honest Jon’s Records Reissue)
Disasterpeace – It Follows OST
Lizzy Mercier Descloux – Press Color (Light In the Attic)
Floating Points – Elaenia (Luaka Bop | Pluto)
Future – Dirty Sprite 2 (Epic 512725)
Tame Impala – Currents (Interscope Records)
J Dilla – Dillatronic (Vintage Vibez Music Group)
Ken Camden – Dream Memory (Kranky)
Benjamin – Arriving (Cherries Records)
Daniela Casa – Sovrapposizione Di Immagini (Finders Keepers)
Moon Duo – Shadow of the Sun (Sacred Bones Records)
Implodes – Reverser (Gilead Media)
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly (Interscope | Aftermath | Top Dawg)
Arnold Dreyblatt – The Orchestra of Excited Strings “Nodal Excitation” (Drag City)
Francoise Hardy – Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles (Light In the Attic)
PHILIP CERZA
2015 Albums I loved, in no particular order except the order they come to mind, so I guess that must mean something in its own way, or maybe not, I don’t know, I just work here:
Perpetual Motion People – Ezra Furman
No Cities To Love – Sleater-Kinney
Natalie Prass S/T
25 – Adele
Gone By The Dawn – Shannon and The Clams
Time To Go Home – Chastity Belt
Sound and Color – Alabama Shakes (See also: THUNDERBITCH)
Ivy Tripp – Waxahatchee
Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit – Courtney Barnett
Fading Frontier – Deerhunter
Painted Shut – Hop Along
Star Wars – Wilco
I Love You Honeybear – Father John Misty
Mr. Wonderful – Action Bronson
Beat The Champ – The Mountain Goats
Something More Than Free – Jason Isbell
To Pimp A Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar
Weirdo Shrine – La Luz
Aureate Gloom – of Montreal
Ratchet – Shamir
On Your Own Love Again – Jessica Pratt
The Agent Intellect – Protomartyr
I Want To Grow Up – Colleen Green
Art Angels – Grimes
Divers – Joanna Newsom
Songs I overplayed: “Hotline Bling” “Cool For The Summer” “FourFiveSeconds” “Dimed Out” “Cubs in Five”
Movies I liked: Mad Max, Inherent Vice, Love & Mercy, Dope, Nasty Baby, Lost River, Creed
Other stuff I dug: Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl – Carrie Brownstein, Hamilton, The Best Show, Last Week Tonight, Parks & Rec, Master of None, Broad City, Light In The Attic, finally seeing Jonathan Richman live
JAKE LINGAN
Jim O’Rourke- “Simple Songs” (Drag City)
Laurel Halo- “In Situ” (Honest Jon’s)
Wume- “Maintain” (Ehse)
Ono- “Spooks” (Moniker)
Quicksails- “Fleurs De La Lune” (Captcha)
Lizzy Mercier Descloux- “Press Color” reissue (Light In The Attic)
Expert Alterations- “You Can’t Always Be Liked” (Kanine)
Oneohtrix Point Never- “Garden of Delete” (Warp)
Sapropelic Pycnic- “See Sun Think Shadow” (Perfect Wave)
Circuit Des Yeux- “In Plain Speech” (Thrill Jockey)
When- “The Black Death” (Ideologic Organ)
HKE & t e l e p a t h- “Gateway” (Baro)
Liquid Liquid 12″ reissues (Superior Viaduct)
Beatriz Ferreyra- “GRM Works” (Recollection GRM)
AFX- “Orphaned Deejay Selek 2006 – 2008” (Warp)
Michel Redolfi- “Pacific Tubular Waves/ Immersion” (Recollection GRM)
“Ork Records: New York, New York” compilation (Numero)
Magas- “Heads Plus” (Midwich)
Led Zeppelin- “Physical Graffiti” reissue (Atlantic)
MAGAS 2015 FAVORITES
Maki Asakawa – S/T 2LP (Honest Jon’s)
Masahiko Satoh – Belladonna LP (Finders Keepers)
Patrick Cowley – Muscle Up 2LP (Dark Entries)
Second Layer – World of Rubber 2LP (Dark Entries)
Harry Pussy – S/T LP (Superior Viaduct) reissue
Sun City Girls – Torch of the Mystics LP (Abduction) reissue
DJ Clent – Last Bus to Lake Park 2LP (Duck ‘n’ Cover)
Alessandro Alessandroni – Industrial LP (Dead Cert)
Mike Broers – Stagma EP 12” (Clear)
The Velvet Underground – The Complete Matrix Tapes 4CD (Universal/Polydor)
RP Boo – Fingers, Bank Pads & Shoe Prints 2LP (Planet Mu)
Bill Orcutt & Jacob Felix Heule – Colonial Donuts LP (Palilalia)
Ron Morelli – A Gathering Together LP (Hospital)
Fit Siegel – Carmine 12” (Fit)
Jlin – Dark Energy 2LP (Planet Mu)
I.B.M. – From the Land of Rape & Honey (The Suppressed Tapes) 1995-2005 2LP (Interdimensional Transmissions)
Fingers Inc. – Another Side 3LP (Alleviated) reissue
Aaron Dilloway – Psychic Driving Tapes LP (Trilogy Tapes)
Wolf Eyes – I Am a Problem: Mind in Pieces LP (Third Man)
FP Oner – 5 2LP (Mule Musiq)
Gesloten Cirkel M1 & M2 !2”s (Murdercapital)
Moon Pool and Dead Band – MEQ 2LP (Midwich)*
Magas – Heads Plus 12” EP (Midwich)*
Viands – Temporal Relics LP (Midwich)*
Mick Travis – Face Disappears After Interrogation 12” EP (Midwich)*
*Full disclosure…I put these out!
ANGELA ZILES
Top 25
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly (Top Dawg Entertainment)
Bjork – Vulnicura (One Little Indian)
Beach House – Thank Your Lucky Stars (Sub Pop)
Weedeater – Goliathan (Season of Mist)
Four Tet – Morning/Evening (Temporary Residence, Ltd)
Viet Cong – Viet Cong (Jagjaguwar)
Natural Information Society & Bitchin’ Bajas – Automaginary (Drag City)
Sun Ra and His Arkestra (Gilles Peterson presents) – To Those Of Earth And Other Worlds (Strut)
Earl Sweatshirt I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside (Columbia)
Tuxedo – Tuxedo (Stones Throw)
AFX (Aphex Twin) – Orphaned Deejay Selek 2006-2008 (Warp)
Disrotted- Disrotted (Diseased Audio)
Jeremih – Late Nights (Def Jam)
DJ Clent – Last Bus To Lake Park (Duck N’ Cover)
Joshua Abrams – Magneticoception (Eremite)
Leon Bridges – Coming Home (Columbia)
Ken Camden – Dream Memory (Kranky)
Goatsnake – Black Age Blues (Southern Lord)
Skull Decay – Not Titled (self-released)
Various Artists Compilations & Mississippi Records Releases:
V/A – Saigon Rock & Soul (Sublime Frequencies)
V/A – Studio One Jump Up (Soul Jazz)
V/A – I’m In A Strange Town: Blues & Gospel 1927-2967 LP (Mississippi)
Idrissa Soumaoro – Ampsa LP (Mississippi)
Norma Lyon – The Music of Norma Lyon (Little Axe)
Lum Guffin – Lum Guffin (Mississippi)
Best Song:
Chance The Rapper – Angels
Best Music Video:
Missy Elliott – WTF
(She’s back!)
Best Live Performance:
Iggy Pop at Riot Fest
MATT JENCIK
Michael Angelo S/T reissue
Big|Brave Au De La
Bjork Vulnicura
Ken Camden Dream Memory
John Carpenter Lost Themes
Circuit Des Yeux In Plain Speech
Clay Rendering Snowthorn
Disasterpeace It Follows soundtrack
Arnold Dreyblatt Orchestra of Excited Strings: Nodal Excitation reissue
Enslaved In Times
Flying Saucer Attack Instrumentals 2015
Steve Hauschildt Where All is Fled
High Aura’d/Mike Shiflet Awake LP
Lamartine Reportage reissue
Led Zeppelin reissues
Kedr Livanskiy Sgoraet 12”
Magas Heads Plus
Mariah Utakata No Hibi (reissue)
Matchess Somnaphoria
Moral And Life is… (reissue)
Steve Moore The Guest soundtrack
Morbus Chron Sweven (2014 release that I listened to more than most 2015 releases)
Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave Phantasm soundtrack (reissue)
Natural Information Society & Bitchin Bajas Autoimaginary
Negative Scanner S/T
Jimmy Page Sound Tracks reissue
Jessica Pratt On Your Own Love Again
Rat Columns Fooling Around EP
SCREAM FACTORY DVD LABEL
Second Layer World of Rubber reissue
Spires That in the Sunset Rise Beasts in the Garden
Kurt Stenzel Jodorowsky’s Dune soundtrack
Tame Impala Currents
Thee Speaking Canaries Platter Base Must be Constructed of Moon Rock
Tribulation Children of the Night
Tropic of Cancer Stop Suffering EP
Kurt Vile B’lieve I’m Goin Down
Wapassou S/T reissue
Elyse Weinberg Greasepaint Smile (reissue)
Wrekmeister Harmonies Night of Your Ascension
Zombi Shape Shift
V/A Brown Acid: The First Trip
V/A Cold Waves of Color VOL. 1 & 2
V/A Ork Records: New York, New York
Scream Factory DVD/Blu-Ray label
SHOWS
Chameleons Vox
Circuit Des Yeux
Enslaved
Negative Scanner
Ride
Soulside
Tribulation
Wolf Eyes
Zombi
CHRIS W.
BEST HIP HOP / R&B ALBUMS OF 2015
1) THE WEEKND “Beauty Behind the Madness” (REPUBLIC RECORDS)
2) BIG BOI & PHANTOGRAM “Big Grams” (EPIC RECORDS)
3) SNOOP DOGG “Bush” (DOGGYSTYLE RECORDS)
4) PRINCE “HITnRUN PHASE ONE” (NPG)
5) TINASHE “Amethyst Mixtape” (SELF-RELEASED)
6) GUILTY SIMPSON “Detroit’s Son” (STONES THROW)
7) A$AP ROCKY “At.Long.Last.A$AP” (A$AP WORLDWIDE)
8) KENDRICK LAMAR “To Pimp a Butterfly” (TOP DAWG/AFTERMATH)
9) GOLDEN RULES “Golden Ticket” (LEX RECORDS)
10) ABRA “BLQ Velvet EP” (577114 RECORDS DK)
11) THE INTERNET “Ego Death” (ODD FUTURE)
12) HEMLOCK ERNST & MADLIB “Trouble Knows Me EP” (RAPPCATS)
13) KELELA “Hallucinogen EP” (WARP RECORDS)
14) GHOSTFACE KILLAH & BADBADNOTGOOD “Sour Soul” (LEX RECORDS)
15) TRAVIS SCOTT “Rodeo” (EPIC RECORDS)
HONORABLE MENTIONS
*every song released by RIHANNA throughout the year
*NIYKEE HEATON’s Soundcloud
BEST ALBUMS OF 2015 (… THE REST OF THEM ALPHABETICALLY)
ACTIVE CHILD “Mercy” (VAGRANT)
ALABAMA SHAKES “Sound + Color” (ATO RECORDS)
APHEX TWIN “Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments Pt. 2” (WARP RECORDS)
COURTNEY BARNETT “Sometime I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit” (MILK)
GEOFF BARROW & BEN SALISBURY “Ex Machina (soundtrack)” (BACK LOT MUSIC)
DEAN BLUNT “Babyfather EP” (SELF-RELEASED)
CHVRCHES “Every Open Eye” (GLASSNOTE ENTERTAINMENT)
MARIE DAVIDSON “Un Autre Voyage” (HOLODECK RECORDS)
DERADOORIAN “The Expanding Flower Planet” (ANTICON)
GRIMES “Art Angels” (4AD)
KACY HILL “Bloo EP” (G.O.O.D. MUSIC)
JENNY HVAL “Apocalypse, Girl” (SACRED BONES)
INVENTIONS “Maze of Woods” (TEMPORARY RESIDENCE)
JAMES PANTS “Savage” (STONES THROW)
JENNYLEE “Right On!” (ROUGH TRADE)
LANA DEL REY “Honeymoon” (INTERSCOPE)
LEWIS “Hawaiian Breeze” (FIASCO BROS. STUDIOS)
CLIFF MARTINEZ “The Knick: Season 2 (soundtrack)” (MILAN RECORDS)
ELA ORLEANS “Upper Hell” (HB RECORDINGS)
SHLOHMO “Dark Red” (TRUE PANTHER SOUNDS)
SOKO “My Dreams Dictate My Reality” (BECAUSE MUSIC)
SON LUX “Bones” (GLASSNOTE ENTERTAINMENT)
THE THE “Hyena (soundtrack)” (CINÉOLA)
UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS “The Night Creeper” (RISE ABOVE RECORDS)
U.S. GIRLS “Half Free” (4AD)
WIRE “Wire” (PINK FLAG)
CHELSEA WOLFE “Abyss” (SARGENT HOUSE)
JAMIE WOON “Making Time” (POLYDOR)
ZOMES “Near Unison” (DISCHORD)
YOUNG EJECTA “The Planet EP” (DRIFTLESS)
ANTHONY ILLARDE
AMBROSE SLADE Beginnings (Morgan Blue Town LP)
BROADCAST catalog reissue (Warp LPs)
THE CITY Now That Everything’s Been Said (Light In The Attic LP)
BOB CREWE The Complete Recordings (Real Gone Music 2CD)
ROBIN GIBB Saved By The Bell: The Collected Works Of Robin Gibb 1968-1970 (Rhino 3CD)
REALLY RED Teaching You The Fear: The Complete Collection 1979-1985 (Alternative Tentacles LP)
ROYAL JESTERS English Oldies (Numero LP/CD)
SAVAGE BELIEFS Big Big Sky: A Recorded History of Savage Beliefs (Alona’s Dream LP/CD)
SEEDS Evil Hoodoo (Big Beat 10″)
EPIC SOUNDTRACKS Rise Above (Easy Action 2CD reissue)
SUN RA To Those Of Earth…And Other Worlds (Strut 2LP)
VARIOUS Back From The Grave Volumes 9 & 10 (Crypt LPs)
VARIOUS Early Pakistani Dance Music 1967-75 (Ovular LP)
DENNIS DUNAWAY Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs! (Thomas Dunne Books)
BOBBY HART Psychedelic Bubble Gum (Select Books)
MeTV FM 87.7
JACOB KART
1. Mary Halvorson, Meltframe, Firehouse12.
2. Sam Prekop, The Republic, Thrill Jockey
3. Ryley Walker, Primrose Green, Dead Oceans
4. Tyondai Braxton, HIVE1, nonesuch
5. Rob Mazurek, Galactic Parables vol 1, cuneiform
6. Never Enough Hope, The Gravity of Our Commitment, Milk Factory Productions,
7. Dan Friel, Life, Thrill Jockey
8. Frank Rosaly, Malo, Utech Records
9. Josh Berman, A Dance And A Hop, Delmark
10. Nick Mazzarella, Ultraviolet, International Anthem
CHARLES TAYLOR
BEST JAZZ OF 2015
Olie Brice/Tobias Delius/Mark Sanders: Somersaults (free jazz record of the year!)
Ideal Bread: Beating The Teens
Hoodoo Blues & Roots Magic: s/t
Joshua Abrams: Magnetoception
William Parker: for those who are, still
Kirk Knuffke: Little Cross
John Russell: with…. (Emanem)
Kris Davis: Save Your Breath
Evan Parker: 3 Nights At Café Oto
ADAM CAVANAUGH
Top Ten releases of 2015
(in no particular order)
1.) Fabio Frizzi – “The Beyond” (soundtrack, reissue)
Death Waltz records
2.) Disasterpeace – “It Follows” (soundtrack)
Milan records
3.) Radioactivity – “Silent Kill”
Dirtnap records
4.) Make-Overs – “Wardrobe Malfunction”
KRNGY records
5.) Thing – “Thing”
Solid Sex Lovie Doll records
6.) John Carpenter – “Lost Themes”
Sacred Bones records
7.) Yuzo Koshiro – “Streets of Rage” (video game soundtrack)
Data Discs records
8.) Various Artists – “NES Greatest Hits Vol. 1”
Moonshake records
9.) Riz Ortolani – “Cannibal Holocaust” (soundtrack, reissue)
Death Waltz/ One Way Static/ Mondo
10.) Oppenheimer Analysis – “New Mexico” (reissue)
Minimal Wave records
HONORABLE MENTIONS
– Junichi Masuda – “Pokemon Red/Blue” (soundtrack)
Moonshake Records
– Slasher Dave – “Exorcisms”
Bellyache Records
– Disasterpeace – “FEZ” (soundtrack)
Polytron
EMILY ELHAJ
ALBUMS
Jessica Pratt – On Your Own Love Again (Drag City)
Thelma and the Sleaze – Greatest Hits Live (Self)
Erykah Badu – But You Caint Use My Phone (Self)
Flying Saucer Attack – Instrumentals (Drag City)
Itasca – Unmoored By the Wind (New Images)
Bjork – Vulnicura (One Little Indian)
Salad Boys – Metalmania (Trouble In Mind)
Broken Water – Wrought (Night People)
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (Milk)
Joanne Robertson – Black Moon Days (Feeding Tube)
Tina – Sink cassette (Sophomore Lounge)
Johnny Young – II cassette (Voyager Golden)
Nest Egg – Respectable (Bathetic)
Barnett + Coloccia – Weld (Blackest Ever Black)
Moses Sumney – Mid-City Island (Self) 2014
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love (Jagjaguwar)
Dean Blunt – Babyfather (Self)
Xam – Tone Systems (Deep Distance)
Ryley Walker – Primrose Green (Dead Oceans)
Beach House – Depression Cherry (Sub Pop)
Charles Cohen – Brother I Prove You Wrong (Morphine)
Chaos Echoes – Transient (Nuclear War Now)
Toupée – Leg Toucher (Moniker)
Red Sea – In the Salon (Bayonet)
Lionlimb – Turnstile 7” (Bayonet)
Promised Land Sound – For Use and Delight (Paradise of Bachelors)
U.S. Girls – Half Free (4AD)
Arthur Russell – Corn (Audika)
Deerhunter – Fading Frontier (4AD)
The Cairo Gang – Goes Missing (Drag City)
Jaye Bartell – Loyalty (Sinderlyn)
Dick Diver – Melbourne, Florida (Trouble In Mind)
Floating Points – Elaenia (Pluto)
Kamasi Washington – The Epic (Brainfeeder)
V/A – Bobby Gillespie Presents: Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down (Ace Records)
V/A – Ultra High Frequencies: The Chicago Party (Numero Group)
Leon Bridges – Coming Home (Columbia)
Daniel Bachman – River (Three Lobed)
REISSUES
Promise – s/t (Got Kinda Lost)
Arvo Pärt – Passio (AJNA)
Broadcast LPs (Warp)
Spooner Oldham – Pot Luck (Light in the Attic)
Willie Nelson – Teatro (Light in The Attic)
The Wild Poppies – Heroine (Manufactured Recordings)
SHOWS
Exhibit BE featuring Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Trombone Shorty
Laneway Festival
La Luz/ Shivas, Siberia
The Sal Show, Circle Bar
Ryley Walker/ Steve Gunn, Gasa Gasa
Swans, El Rey
Sleep/Thou, The Civic
Wume, Oval Space
Kevin Morby, The Lexington
Jenny Hval, Cafe OTO
Mayor Daley, Meatpie
Me & My Dog, Dublin
High, Siberia
Angel Olsen, Lisbon, Portugal
Thelma & The Sleaze, Turn One
Charles Bradley, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Kendrick Lamar, The Civic
Peaches, One Eyed Jacks
J Fernandez, Moth Club
Disappears, 100 Club
Mdou Moctar, Cafe OTO
BENJAMIN CROWELL
in alphabetical order:
Advance Base – Nephew In The Wild (Orindal)
William Basinski – Cascade (Temporary Residence)
James Blackshaw – Summoning Suns (Important)
Disasterpeace – It Follows OST (Milan)
Flying Saucer Attack – Instrumentals 2015 (Drag City)
Arthur Russell – Corn (Audika)
Silkworm – It’ll Be Cool (Touch and Go)
Kurt Stenzel – Jodorowsky’s Dune OST (Cinewax/ Light In The Attic)
Tropic Of Cancer – Stop Suffering (Blackest Ever Black)
Wrekmeister Harmonies – Night Of Your Ascension (Thrill Jockey)
ZACH CAPUTO
M3LL155X by FKA Twigs (experimental r&b)
Time To Go Home by Chastity Belt (garage rock)
Rose Mountain by Screaming Females (punk/indie rock)
Fingers, Bank Pads, and Shoe Prints by RP Boo (footwork/dance)
Zipper Down by Eagles of Death Metal (garage rock/rock n’ roll)
Death Magic by HEALTH (synthpunk/dance punk)
Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (post-rock/noise rock)
To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar (jazz fusion/funk/hip-hop)
Lost Themes by John Carpenter (ambient/electronic)
Holding Hands With Jamie by Girl Band (post-punk/noise rock)
The Day Is My Enemy by The Prodigy (dance punk/big beat)
The Powers That B by Death Grips (experimental/noise/hip-hop/punk)
Severe by My Disco (doom metal/noise)
This Is The Sonics by The Sonics (GARAGE ROCK DAMN IT)
Dumb Flesh by Blanck Mass (electronica/noisy dance)
Garden of Delete by Oneohtrix Point Never (experimental)
i’ve always been good at true love by the ily’s (garage rock/experimental punk/lo-fi) [free digital download only]
No Cities to Love by Sleater-Kinney (post-punk/indie rock)
Fantasy Empire by Lightning Bolt (noise rock/metal)
The Epic by Kamasi Washington (jazz fusion)
Key Markets by Sleaford Mods (punk/spoken word)
Summertime ’06 by Vince Staples (hip-hop/gangster rap)
II by METZ (noise rock/punk)
CHRISTIAN KECK
In no particular order
Girlpool – When The World Was Small
Beach House – Depression Cherry
Beach House – Thank Your Lucky Stars
Myrkur – M
Tame Impala – Currents
Lightning Bolt – Fantasy Empire
Shamir – Ratchet
Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late
Circuit De Yeux – In Plain Speech
The Body & Thou – You, Whom I have Always Hated
MICHAEL FEERICK
-The Velvet Teen – All Is Illusory
-Title Fight – Hyperview
-The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – Harmlessness
-Tame Impala – Currents
-Panda Bear – Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper
-Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
-Disasterpeace – It Follows soundtrack
-Protomartyr – The Agent Intellect
-Ought – Sun Coming Down
-Katie Dey – Asdfasdf
J DAVID CARTWRIGHT
Piper Spray: Krolorog
Wei Zhongle: Nu Trance
Oneohtrix Point Never: Garden of Delete
Julia Holter: Have You in My Wilderness
Eartheater: Metalepsis
The Body and Thou: You, Whom I Have Always Hated
Foodman: Couldwork
Tropic of Cancer: Stop Suffering
Wolf Eyes: I am a Problem: Mind in Pieces
death’s dynamic shroud.wmv: I’ll Try Living Like This
JAMES RUMSEY
Dark Ages/Vapor/Sorry State Records
https://sorrystaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/vapor
Institute/Catharsis/Sacred Bones
https://institute.bandcamp.com/
The Almighty Deacons/Beat Up the World/Ciabatta Brain Tapes
https://thedeacons.bandcamp.com/releases
Inner Alter/Volume 1/Ritual Knife
https://inneraltar.bandcamp.com/releases
Chasm/DEMO/Self Released
https://chasmbloodychasm.bandcamp.com/releases
Blind Dog/DEMO/Ciabatta Brain Tapes
https://blinddog.bandcamp.com/album/demo
Phantom Head/South of Heaven/Self Released
https://phantomhead.bandcamp.com/album/south-of-heaven
American Hate/Greatest Hits/Self Released
https://americanhate.bandcamp.com/
The Conquerors/I Don’t Know/High Dive Records
https://theeconquerors.bandcamp.com/album/i-dont-know-i-see-you
Blue Healer/MMXV Demo/Self Released
thebluehealer.bandcamp.com
THOR JORGENSON
TENEMENT – PREDATORY HEADLIGHTS
CASTLE – DOLLAR STORE GRIN
LOS CRUDOS – DOBLE LP DISCOGRAFIA
WEEDEATER – GOLIATHAN
CURREN$Y – PILOT TALK III
GAR BRANDT
Top stuff list
No particular order
Bolt Thrower: IVth Crusade
Neko Case: Truckdriver/ Gladiator/ Mule
Genesis P. Orridge: Rebellion Is Over
LCD Soundsystem: Yr Citys a Sucker
Public Image Limited: Bettie Page
Cocksure: Corporate Sting
Sam Phillips: Man Who Invented Rock N Roll
Fuzz: Fuzz II
Citizen Dick: Touch Me I’m Dick
Fuck You Pay Me: Public Disgrace
Meat Wave: Delusion Moon
Foals: What Went Down
Ghost: Meliora
Kadavar: Berlin
Sword: HIgh Country
Nurse With Wound: Sylvie & Babs
Chelsea Wolfe: Abyss
Western Star: Fireball
DVD
Salad days: A Decade of Punk In Washington DC
Friday Night Live Most Played:
Swans: Gate
Useless Eaters: Live In San Francisco
Best In Show:
Cannibal Corpse
Cattle Decapitation
At Durty Nellies: Downtown Palatine!!!!!!
Best In Store:
Insane Clown Posse
@WP
KEVIN HEIN
2015 favs-
RELEASE OF THE YEAR
Telepath- Virtual Dreams Plaza (t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者 – 仮想夢プラザ)
(I know, I know, it’s a travesty for me to put a digital release in my top slot, but i’d be a LIAR if I said anything else did it for me like this one does.. 31 tracks, each over 31 minutes long.. resented as a colossal 16 hour album. Ambient sample regurgitation/meditations ala Caretaker, gentle dreamy cascading loops that gradually and subtly change over the course of the track. Many of them sound vaguely familiar, recalling previous dreams and memories, both real & imagined. Each track really takes you to another world- seriously check this one out folks. A physical edition is coming early 2016!
-https://telepathtelepath.bandcamp.com/album/–32
~2015 most-played, most enjoyed- in no particular order~
Auscultation- L’Etreinte Imaginaire (Simply one of the best house records i’ve ever heard.. every second of this thing grooves like a motherfucker and is perfect in every way)
2814- Birth Of A New Day (Akin to floating above the violet haze of a neon lit metropolis at night- LPs coming to Reckless soon!)
V/A- Skyward Territories (the Difference Clouds side- new levels of Akira OST vibes. Futuristic cyberpunk noir at it’s best)
Charli XCX- Sucker (Bubblegum perfection, fun cranked to 11)
Jefre Cantu Ledesma- A Year With 13 Moons (Lush chorus of the Cocteaus meets the surf of Hecker’s blistering noise)
Grimes- Art Angels (Just like audible candy, so catchy and sticky and sickly sweet. Extremely polished and well produced, good luck topping this one)
Swervedriver- I wasn’t Born To Lose You (Real rock music, and the best “reunion” album since Dino Jr’s “Beyond”)
Drake- If You’re Reading This… (never thought i’d like Drizzy.. but I couldn’t ignore the ambience behind the beats.. the masterful production really pulls the listener into new sonic worlds)
Kyle Landstra- Unshared Properties (Contemporary meditative synthesis at it’s best, the rightful heir to Steve Roach’s throne)
~Honorable Mentions~
Drawing Trees/Ant’lrd- Balanced Breakfast (soft and pleasant like a sunny spring morning)
Broadcast reissues (much needed!)
Televape- Beyond Love (Alien VHS funk submerged underwater)
Onra- Fundamentals (90s feel-good rap)
Palmbomen II- S/T (home-made analog techno)
Ryley Walker- Primrose Green (folk ripper’s best)
death’s dynamic shroud.wmv- I’ll Try Living Like This (Plunderphonic mastery- no “mash-up” artist can do it like these guys)
Journeyman Traxx- Smoke Tape (the freshest classic sounding techno jams)
Panda Bear- Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper (PB Skylar Spence- Prom King (Saint Pepsi Pulse Emitter- Digital Rainforest (Daryl finds the gunk knob and cranks it to the max)
Mac Demarco- Another One (just like the title)
No Joy- Everything New (new is good)
Lapalux- Lustmore (alien roomsound electronics)
Jaakko Eino Kalevi- S/T (laid back lounge pop)
Dr. Dundiff- Frenemies With Benefits (summer boombox jam)
Best Coast- California Nights (stadium sized power pop)
Steve Hauschildt- Where All Is Fled (electro-acoustic pleasantness)
Favorite label in 2015- Dream Catalogue
https://dreamcatalogue.bandcamp.com/
Say what you will about whatever “vaporwave” means.. ignore the hashtags, memes, and bad web art and just listen.. This label is installing dreams into your brain and putting out the music i’ve always wanted to hear. Very happy to announce that Reckless will be carrying Dream Catalogue tapes and LPs in 2016- keep your eyes peeled
BRIT ISHEIM
AFK – orphaned deejay selek 2006-2008
Aphex Twin – Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2
Maki Asakawa – Maki Asakawa
BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah – Sour Soul
Björk – Vulnicura
Karen Dalton – It’s So Hard To Tell Who’s Going To Love You The Best
Death Grips – The Powers That B
(shoutout to Fashion Week)
Father John Misty – I Love You, Honeybear
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
Lightning Bolt – Fantasy Empire
MAGAS – Heads Plus
Micachu & The Shapes – Oh Baby
Moon Pool and Dead Band – MEQ
Second Layer – World Of Rubber
Kamasi Washington – The Epic
Chelsea Wolfe – Abyss
Various – In A Moment… Ghost Box
and lastly, for that special cat in your life…
Run The Jewels – Meow The Jewels
TIANA ZEROM
RAP (alphabetical order)
A$AP Rocky – At. Long. Last. ASAP (RCA)
Big Grams – Big Grams (Epic)
Blackalicious – Imani Vol 1 (OGM Recordings)
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly (Interscope)
Mick Jenkins – Wave[s] (Cinematic)
POP (alphabetical order)
Alabama Shakes – Sound & Color (ATO)
Bird and the Bee – Recreational Love (Rostrum)
Charli XCX – Sucker (Atlantic)
Empress Of – Me (Terrible)
Florence + the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful (Republic)
Holychild – The Shape of Brat Pop to Come (Glassnote Records)
Hudson Mohawke – Lantern (Warp)
Lianne La Havas – Blood (Warner Bros.)
Jamie xx – In Colour (XL)
U.S. Girls – Half Free (4AD)
EVERYTHING ELSE (alphabetical order)
Cécile McLorin Salvant – For One To Love (Mack Avenue Records)
D’Angelo and The Vanguard – Black Messiah (RCA)
Erykah Badu – But You Caint Use My Phone (Motown)
Gary Clark Jr – The Story of Sonny Boy Slim (Warner Bros.)
Hiatus Kaiyote – Choose Your Weapon (Flying Buddha)
The Internet – Ego Death (Odd Future)
Janelle Monae – Wondaland Presents: The Eephus (Epic)
Kamasi Washington – The Epic (Brainfeeder)
Kelela – Hallucinogen (Warp)
Leon Bridges – Coming Home (Columbia)
Honorable Mention
Beirut – No No No (4ad)
Eleventh Dream Day – Works for Tomorrow (Thrill Jockey)
Lion Babe – Begin (Interscope)
Lupe Fiasco – Tetsuo & Youth (1st & 15th/Atlantic
Paul Weller – Saturns Patterns (Warner)
Prince – Hit N Run: Phase One (NPG Records)
Protomartyr – Agent Intellect (Subpop)
Shamir – Ratchet (XL)
Sleater-Kinney – No Cities To Love (Sub Pop)
Swervedriver – I Wasn’t Born To Lose You (Lolipop Records)
Tame Impala – Currents (Interscope)
Tanlines – Mixed Emotions (True Panther)
Tinashe – Amethyst (self-release)
Toro Y Moi – What For? (Carpark)
Veruca Salt – Ghost Notes (El Camino)
Top 5 Singles (alphabetical order)
I don’t need to remind you about hits like 7/11 or BBHMM. Lean On was inescapable, and everybody has heard Take Me To Church and Uptown Funk. Here are my personal favorites.
Alessia Cara – Here
A$AP Rocky ft. Rod Stewart, Miguel & Mark Ronson – Everyday
Beck – Dreams
MS MR – Painted
Nicki Minaj ft. Beyonce – Feeling Myself
FAVORITE MOVIE
Ex Machina
I take it you’re familiar with Oscar Isaac from Inside Llewyn Davis by the Coen Brothers (if you haven’t seen that, just stop reading, and go watch that now). Well, here’s another film starring this talented actor. This taut sci-fi thriller is way more exciting than Gravity and The Martian and comes highly recommended!
TOM WALCZYK
Records I’ve really enjoyed in 2015
*** No Particular order***
Ought– Sun Coming Down (Constellation)
Disappears — Irreal (Kranky)
Beach slang — The Things We Do To Find People Who Like Us (Polyvinyl)
Broadcast– LP reissues (Warp)
Protomartyr– Agent Intellect (Hardly Art)
Replacements Twin Tone Years LP Box Set (Rhino)
Viet Cong– S/T (Jagjaguwar)
Melvins– Lice- All/ Egg Nog
Melvins– Bullhead/ Ozma (Boner)
Ty Segall– Ty Rex LP (Goner)
Color of Noise –(Soundtrack & Documentary)
Sleater-Kinney– No Cities To Love (Sub-Pop)
Negative Scanner– S/T (Trouble in Mind)
Timmy Organism– Heartless Heathen (Third Man)
Dead Weather– Dodge & Burn (Third Man)
CHELSEA WELCH
Best of List 2015
New Releases
Viands/ Temporal Relics (Midwich)
Patrick Cowley/ Muscle Up (Dark Entries)
Karin Krog/ Don’t Just Sing/ An Anthology 1963-1999 (Light in the Attic)
Wume/ Maintain (Ehse)
Jessica Pratt/ On Your Own Love Again (Drag City)
Wire (S/T) (Pink Flag)
Bjork/ Vulnicura (Little Indian)
Kurt Stenzel/ Jodorowsky’s Dune (Light in the Attic)
Reissues
Lizzy Mercier Descloux/ Press color (Light In the Attic)
Liquid Liquid/ (s/t)/ (Superior Viaduct)
Vega, Chilton, Vaughn/ Cubist Blues (Light in the Attic)
Mariah/ Utakata No Hibi (Palto Flats)
Laraaji/ Ambient 3: Day of Radiance (Glitterbeat)
Arthur Russell/ Corn (Audika)
Broadcast/ Catalog Reissues (Warp)
LEA BOARD
Jamie XX “In Colour”
Metz “II”
Wand “Golem”
Kendrick Lamar “To Pimp A Butterfly”
Mike Krol “Turkey”
Fuzz “II”
Car Seat Headrest “Teens of Style”
Jacco Gardner “Hypnophobia”
Tame Impala “Currents”
Kurt Vile “B’lieve I’m Goin’ Down”
OLIVE PANTER
2015 best, in no order
u.s. girls – half-free
mitski – bury me at makeout creek [2014 but late, gotta count]
girlpool – before the world was big
sufjan stevens – carrie and lowell
eskimeau – O.K.
teen – little doods
staple singers – freedom highway complete (reissue)
julia holter – have you in my wilderness
dick diver – melbourne, florida
wavves – v
sleater-kinney – no cities to love
arthur russell – corn (reissue-ish)
yo la tengo – stuff like that
shannon and the clams – gone by the dawn
SARAH FRIER
(no order whatsoever)
Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit & Think…
Waxahatchee – Ivy Tripp
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly
Ty Segall – Ty Rex
New Order – Music Complete
Jlin – Dark Energy
Sleater Kinney – No Cities To Love
Kurt Vile – b’lieve I’m going down
Destroyer – Poison Season
Father John Misty – I Love You Honeybear
Tame Impala – Currents
Disappears – Irreal
Mac Demarco – Another One
Mikal Cronin – MCIII
Protomartyr – The Agent Intellect
Pulp – Different Class (reissue)
RYAN SCACCIA
1. Godspeed You! Black Emperor “Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress”
2. Cloakroom “Further Out”
3. John Carpenter “Lost Themes”
4. Zombi “Shape Shift”
5. Eleventh Dream Day “Works for Tomorrow”
6. Zomes “Near Unison”
7. Uncle Acid “The Night Creeper”
8. Meatwave “Delusion Moon”
9. Sun Kil Moon “Universal Themes”
10. William Onyeabor “Atomic Bomb” (Reissue!)
EMILY BEH
Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp a Butterfly
Bjork – Vulnicura (instrumental)
Purity Ring – Another Eternity
Ezra Furman – Perpetual Motional People
Chelsea Wolfe – Abyss
LIanne La Havas – Blood
Tunde Olaniran – Transgressor
Grimes – Art Angels
Metz – II
G.L.O.S.S. – Demo
MELISSA GRUBBS
Joshua Abrams -Magnetoception
Maki Asakawa – Maki Asakawa
Broadcast (catalog reissues)
Ken Camden – Dream Memory
Neko Case (reissues)
Circuit Des Yeux – In Plain Speech
Lizzy Mercier Descloux- Press color (reissue)
Patrick Cowley – Muscle Up
Disasterpeace – It Follows soundtrack
Disappears – Irreal
Fingers Inc.- Another Side (reissue)
Francoise Hardy – catalog reissues (cds out now, lps out soon)
Implodes – Reverser
The Internet – Ego Death
Kendrick Lamar-To Pimp A Butterfly
Led Zeppelin (catalog reissues)
Liquid Liquid (reissue)
Magas- Heads Plus
Spooner Oldham – Pot Luck (reissue)
Ork Records: New York, New York compilation
Run the Jewels – Bust No Moves 12”
Second Layer – World Of Rubber (reissue)
Kurt Stenzel Jodorowsky’s Dune soundtrack
Swervedriver- I wasn’t Born To Lose You
Tame Impala- Currents
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats- The Night Creeper
Universal Togetherness Band- Universal Togetherness Band
Mariah – Utakata No Hibi (reissue)
Kamasi Washington – The Epic
Chelsea Wolfe – Abyss
Wume – Maintain
Friends of Reckless
BRIAN CASE – Disappears
jenny hval – apocalypse, girl
adrian sherwood – sherwood at the controls: volume 1
the necks – vertigo
diät – positive energy
beach house – thank your lucky stars
sleater kinney – no cities to love
shopping – why choose
savant – artificial dance
big brave – au de la
valet – nature
girl band – holding hands with jamie
negative scanner – negative scanner
LoneLady – Hinterland
ben salisbury & geoff barrow – ex machina
colleen – captain of none
wire – wire
james murphy – remixes made with tennis data
viet cong – viet cong
metz – II
tomaga – familiar obstacles
housewives – work
föllakzoid – III
regis – manbait
BRETT ANDREW GROSSMAN
Twenty-Five Things About 2015
Faith Healer “Cosmic Troubles” (Mint)
Domenique Dumont “Comme Ça” (Antinote)
Deerhunter “Fading Frontier” (4ad)
Car Seat Headrest “Teens of Style” (Matador)
Viet Cong “Viet Cong” (Jagjaguar)
Sufjan Stevens “Carrie & Lowell” (asthmatic kitty records)
Colleen “Captain of None” (Thrill Jockey)
Destroyer “Poison Season” (Merge Records)
Girlpool “Before the World was Big” (wichita)
Inventions “Maze of Woods” (Temporary Residence)
Panda Bear “Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper” (Domino)
Implodes “Reverser” (Kranky)
Tame Impala “Currents” (Interscope)
Helen “Original Faces” (Kranky)
Julia Holter “Have you in my Wilderness” (Domino)
Deerhunter “Fading Frontier” (4ad)
William Basinski “Deluge” (Temporary Residence)
Lullatone “Sounds of Spring” (Self)
Joanna Newsom “Divers” (Drag City)
Veruca Salt “Ghost Notes” (El Camino Media)
Colleen Green “I want to Grow up” (Hardly Art)
In a Moment… Ghost Box Compilation
Ken Camden “Dream Memory” (Kranky)
Giovanni Di Domenico & Jim O’Rourke “Arco” (Die Schachtel)
Earl Sweatshirt “I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside: An Album by Earl Sweatshirt” (Columbia)
Reissues
Egisto Macchi “Il Deserto”(Cinedelic)
Musiques electroniques en France 1974 – 1984 (Replica)
Early Pakistani Dance Music From Original 7” Soundtracks 1967-1975 (Ovular)
DAVID MARTIN – Omnian Music Group/ Captured Tracks
LPs
1. Dick Diver – “Melbourne Florida” LP Trouble In Mind
2. Don Howland – “Life Is A Nightmare” 12XU
3. Meg Baird – “Don’t Weigh Down The Light” Drag City
4. Courtney Barnett – “Sometimes I Sit And Think And Sometimes I Just Sit” Mom + Pop
5. The Silence – “Hark The Silence” & S/T Drag City
6. Ryley Walker – “Primrose Green” Dead Oceans
7. Russell St Bombings – S/T Smart Guy Records
8. Carousel – “2113” TeePee
9. The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – “Freedom Tower” Shove Records / Mom + Pop
10. Dave Rawlings Machine – “Nashville Obsolete” Acony Records
11. Drinks – “Hermits On Holiday” Birth Records
12. Circuit Des Yeux – “In Plain Speech” Thrill Jockey
13. Salad Boys – “Metalmania” Trouble In Mind
14. Protomartyr – “The Agent Intellect” Hardly Art Records
15. F ingers “Hide Before Dinner” Blackest Ever Black
16. Prinzhorn Dance School – “Home Economics” DFA
17. Ultimate Painting – “Green Lanes” Trouble In Mind
18. Deaf Wish – “Pain” Sub Pop
19. Eleventh Dream Day – “Works For Tomorrow” Thrill Jockey
20. Masami Kawaguchi – “The Mad Guitar Sings” Black Petal
21. Home Blitz – “Foremost & Fair” Richie Records
22. Kurt Vile – “Believe I’m Goin’ (Deep) Down – Matador Records
23. Yo La Tengo – “Stuff Like That There” Matador Records
24. Pole – “Wald”
25. Obnox – “Boogalou Reed” 12XU
7”s / 12”s / EP’s
1. Savoy Motel – “Souvenir Shop Rock” b/w Hot One” Official Memorabilia
2. Lower – “I’m A Lazy Son…But I’m The Only Son” Escho / Matador
3. Mac McCaughan – “Box Batteries” b/w “Whatever Light”
4. Novelist x Mumdance – “1 Sec” b/w “Shook” XL Recordings
5. Implodes – “Reverser” Gilead Media
6. S/cks – “Cut Bait” b/w “Enemies List” Mind Cure Records
7. The Gories – “Be Nice” b/w “On The Run” Third Man Records
8. Howling Hex – “Butterfly” b/w “Party Shoes” Drag City
9. Exhaustion – “Phased Out” 12XU
10. feedtime – “flatiron” b/w “stick up jack” Sup Pop
Reissues
1. Speaking Canaries – “Platter Base Must Be Constructed Of Moon Rock” Chunklet Industries
2. Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments – “Straight To Video” Straight To Video
3. Scharpling & Wurster – “The Best of The Best Show” Numero
4. Billy Synth – “Off The Deep End” & “We Have You Surrounded” Mind Cure
5. Dean Carter – Call Of The Wild” Big Beat
6. Pack – S/T Ugly Pop
7. Youth Brigade – “First Demo” Dischord
8. Cate Le Bon -“Me Oh My” The Control Group
9. Discharge – “Toronto ’83 In The Cold Night” Ugly Pop
10. Teengenerate – “Live At Shelter” Ugly Pop
11. Stooges – “Have Some Fun: Live At Ungano’s” Rhino
12. Dead Moon – “Live At Satyricon” Voodoo Doughnuts / Mississippi Records
13. Deathwish – S/T Disclaim Records
14. B-52’s – “Live 8-24-1979” Rhino
15. V/A – “Destroy All Art” Rock ’N Roll Parasite Records
16. V/A – “We’re Loud – 90’s Cassette Punk Unknowns” Black Gladiator / Slovenly Records
17. The Girls – “Punk-Dada Pulchritude” Feeding Tube
18. Blast – “Damned Flame” b/w “Hope” Death Vault Records
19. Rema Rema “Entry / Exit” Inflammable Material / Le Coq Musique
20. 39 Clocks – “Subnarcotic” Luxury Product
21. Rolling Stones – “The Marquee Club Live in 1971” Eagle Vision
22. Steve Treatment – “All Dressed For Tomorrow” Messthetics / Munster
23. Jimi Hendrix – “Hear My Music” *& “Freedom: The Atlanta Pop Festival 1970” Dagger / Sony
24. Kim Salmon & the Surrealists – “Ya Gotta Let Me Do My Thing” Bang
25. Mars – “Mars Archives Volume One” Feeding Tube
Live shows
Savoy Motel @ Berlin & Union Pool
Sue Garner / Alan Licht / Lee Ranaldo @ Trans Pecos
Girlschool @ St Vitus
Dick Diver @ Cake Shop & Babys Allright
Gotobeds everywhere, every time
Total Control @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Glue @ Palisades
Salad Boys @ Palisades
Meg Baird @ Union Pool
Carousel @ The Cake Shop & The Wick
Ultimate Painting @ Rough Trade
75 Dollar Bill @ Trans Pecos & birthday parties
Eleventh Dream Day & Antietam @ Mercury Lounge
Protomartyr, Car Seat Headrest @ Santo’s Party House
Damon & Naomi / Elisa Ambrogio @ The Bell House
Dark Blue @ Rough Trade & Mercury Lounge
Deaf Wish @ Alphaville
Melvins @ Santo’s Party House
Circuit Des Yeux @ Trans Pecos & Academy Records
Connections @ Cake Shop
Obnox @ Pianos
Holly Herndon @ The Wick
SHELLY WESTERHAUSEN – Secretly Distribution
Alphabetized because I’m horrible at picking favorites:
ALL DOGS – Kicking Every Day (Salinas)
GUN OUTFIT – Dream All Over (Paradise of Bachelors)
JOHN CARPENTER – Lost Themes (Sacred Bones Records)
KURT VILE – b’lieve i’m goin down (Matador)
LA LUZ – Weirdo Shrine (Hardly Art)
OUGHT – Sun Coming Down (Constellation)
RYLEY WALKER – Primrose Green (Dead Oceans)
SHANNON AND THE CLAMS – Gone By The Dawn (Hardly Art)
SHANA CLEVELAND & THE SANDCASTLES – Oh Man, Cover the Ground (Suicide Squeeze Records)
SHOPPING – Consumer Complaints (FatCat Records)
THEE TSUNAMIS – Saturday Night Sweetheart (Magnetic South)
TORRES – Sprinter (Partisan)
ULTIMATE PAINTING – Green Lanes (Trouble In Mind)
VIET CONG – Viet Cong (Jagjaguwar)
WAXAHATCHEE – Ivy Tripp (Merge)
HENRY OWINGS – Chunklet
Pinecones (now known as Arbor Labor Union)
anything Wayne Rogers
Destroy All Art
Screature
Mutual Jerk
Honey Radar
Salad Boys
Uniform (both NY and GA iterations)
Deep in the Throat of Texas
Spray Paint
J.R. ROBINSON – Wrekmeister Harmonies
Trevor Jackson Presents: Science Fiction Dancehall Classics
Bell Witch – Four Phantoms
Lily Chao – Chinese Folk Songs
Leviathan – Scar Sighted
Rose McDowall – Cut With the Cake Knife
Sergius Golowin – Lord Krishna von Golowin
Shows:
Kevin Drumm @ Chicago Cultural Center Oct 9 2015
Fountain Sun @ Bohemian Cemetery July 2 2015
Helen Money @ Alex’s Bar Dec 10 2015
The Body / Full of Hell @ Empty Bottle Aug 2015
Books:
Karl Ove Knausgard – My Struggle
Rachel Kushner – The Flamethrowers
Frank Stafford – What About This : The Collected Poems of Frank Stafford
VINCENT TORNATORE – Lion Productions
C. Duncan “Architect” just about the only new music I listened to all year, apart from the new Bowie single, which I also thought was excellent
Television “Marquee Moon” one of the best records I’ve listened to in this or any other year; I tacked on some alternates + tracks from “Adventure” to make my own super Television mix
Wapassou “S/T” sure, it’s on Lion, but it’s one of my favorites of the year; i listen to my own releases more than anything else, since I have to shepherd them through all stages of production. Checking the masters means listening to something nine or ten times (at least).
Velvet Underground take your pick: Matrix Tapes box, super deluxe of third album (my personal favorite)
Pastels/Tenniscoats “Two Sunsets” new for me, although it’s several years old; bought used from Reckless!
Roxy Music ‘Mother of Pearl’ fade in after the spastic opening, the rest is stupendous
Laurence Vanay (Jacqueline Thibault) “Le Petite Fenêtre” another one of mine, beautiful stuff
Beethoven piano concerti, played by Wilhelm Kempff if only classical labels approached their catalogues the way the best reissue labels do… although at least the music gets out into the world.
Big Star returned to their catalogue after many years, glad I did
Zoot Money “Transition” cheap CD, great songs, excellent mastering… ‘Stop the Wedding’
Various “Duke Reid Treasure Chest” old o/p Heartbeat label collection, some of the purest music ever made…
the Deep “Psychedelic Moods of the Deep” 3xLP I just found out this morning that Rusty Evans (alias Marcus) died a couple of weeks ago. The person who told me about Rusty also pointed out that my label was the only one to ever issue Freak Scene (CD), Marcus (2xCD), and the Deep. I’m glad to have had a hand in promoting the legacy of one of the true greats of psychedelia. This set took a lot of twists and turns, which is why it ended up a triple LP; proud of how it came out (same with our Tin House LP+EP) even though the greater public doesn’t seem to know much about it, thanks to saturation bombing from the majors (too many LPs), the narrow focus of social media, etc. I sure wish there were more stores out there like Reckless… that’s a fact.
BRIAN FOOTE [aka leech. of kranky, peak oil, audraglint, conflict of interest]
here are my favorite 2015 releases excluding all the incredible music i am involved with in some personal capacity.
gonno ‘remember that life is beautiful’ endless flight
lief ‘taraxacum’ until my heart stops
aci edits ‘/\07’ aught
rorys world ‘trust image’ 1080p
fl0rist ‘phenomena ep’ all caps
sotofett ‘drippin for a tripp [tripp a dubb mix]’ honest jons
young thug ‘slime season’ not on label
savant ‘artificial dance’ rvng
karmelloz ‘silicon forest’ cleaning tapes
amnesia scanner ‘angels rig hook’ gum artefacts
soichi terada ‘sounds from the far east’ rush hour
mariah ‘うたかたの日々’ palto flats
fit siegel ‘carmine’ fit
j-zbel ‘how i made my mom & sis my sexbot slaves’ brothers from different mothers
peder mannerfelt ‘the swedish congo record’ archives intérieures
recycle culture ‘trapped goddess’ not on label
sun of ‘social zombies’ opal tapes
e.r. ‘qen sew’ 1432r
color plus ‘netcika’ bootleg tapes
road hog ‘on the lam’ not on label
sk kakraba ‘songs of paapieye’ awesome tapes from africa
lapti ‘v tiraj’ ГОСТ ЗВУК
plo man ’stations of the elevated’ acting press
dj haus ‘burnin up’ rinse fm
aris kindt ‘floods’ scissor & thread
jeremih ‘late nights: the album’ def jam
Stephen Sowley
2015
No order:
Diat–Positive Energy LP
Aeon Fux–I’m Gonna Beat The Fuck Out Of Terry Richardson mp3
Erykah Badu–But You Caint Use My Phone Mixtape
Joshua Abrams–Magnetoception DLP
Regis-Manbait DLP
Hungry Man–Eater LP
Courtney Barnett–Sometimes I Sit And Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit LP
Scharpling & Wurster–The Best Of The Best Show Boxset
Bjork–Vulnicura DLP
Vince Staples–Summertime ’06
Mike Krol–Turkey LP
Obnox, period.
G.L.O.S.S, period.
Bully, period.
Malportado Kids at Weenie Hut Jr’s
Aye Nako–The Blackest Eye 12″
Heather Leigh–I Abused Animal LP
Theo Parrish–American Intelligence TLP
Total Control at the Bottle
D’Angelo & The Vanguard–Black Messiah DLP
Screaming Females–Rose Mountain LP
Colonial Donuts in Oakland, CA
Mozart–The Tick cassette
Laurel Halo–In-Situ D12″
A.P. Mike–Michael Perry mp3
Eddie Palmieri at Symphony Center
Kendrick Lamar–To Pimp A Butterfly DLP
Jason Lescaleet & Kevin Drumm at Constellation
Te-Nehisi Coates–Between The World And Me
Protomartyr–The Agent Intellect LP
Missy Elliot–WTF mp3
Violence Creeps–On My Turf 7″
The Coneheads–LP1//C.C.T.V–S/T 7″
Norwood Park Po