50-31 | 30-11 | 10-1

30. Hiatus Kaiyote – Choose Your Weapon

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It took me a long time to come around to Choose Your Weapon. Even as an avid fan of their debut, the follow-up is incomparably perplexing. Every time you start to wrap your head around the groove, tracks will spiral off in opposing directions — if you’ve ever heard a song that melds Afrobeat and chiptune as coherently as “Atari”, let me know. This steepens the entry curve somewhat, and means it may come across as flighty and directionless if not given the time of day (*cough* Fantano *cough*). However, those who delve deep and give it that time will find one of the most bizarrely enriching listening experiences of 2015.

Soul revivalists all too often pigeonhole themselves into a specific niche, but Hiatus Kaiyote make use of many strains of jazz, soul and funk from the last 50 years. You would think this smorgasbord of influences would cause the album to come across scatterbrained, but the band always somehow manage to rein it back in thanks to the enigmatic vocals of Nai Palm. Through every absurd twist in Weapon‘s wild ride, Palm is always there, adjusting to match the backdrop while providing some much needed grounding for listeners losing their way amongst the labyrinthine compositions. Have no doubt: it can be an exhausting and complex journey, but the payoff is worth every second. –ComeToDaddy

29. Everything Everything – Get to Heaven

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Perhaps there was a moment you caught yourself stuck in front of the news this year with a knot forming in the pit of your stomach, an uncanny feeling that the world of today is unsustainable. Jonathan Higgs surely knows the feeling well, only he seems to suffer it tenfold to the rest of us. Get to Heaven holds a mirror to the reality of 2015 where brainwashing, manipulation and coercion are the order of the day, our lives orchestrated by shadowy forces operating off-screen. Listening to all this rampant paranoia could’ve proven suffocating were it not for Jonathan’s band mates pulling free of the dark abyss and sugarcoating his bitter truths with supple rhythms and tight indie pop hooks. Everything (Everything) is going to hell around us, but at least the soundtrack is ‘sing it in the shower’ catchy. –DoofusWainwright

28. Leprous – The Congregation

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A band always making it a point to challenge themselves creatively, Leprous have become one of the finest groups emerging within the plethora of neo-progressive rock bands. With The Congregation, Leprous sound more in tune and focused as a whole. Acting together as a controlled, fully-functioning organism, the band members rely on many colors and sounds to seduce the listener. Everything from sludgy guitar riffs to moodier ambient textures and atmospherics make for a truly engrossing and charismatic release. The increased maturity is also made apparent by the larger emphasis on Einar Soldberg’s extensive vocal range and diverse singing styles. These quirky elements bring together a more evolved sound for Leprous: a sound emphasizing that the band is in no way settling into a comfort zone and continuing to display their many talents while impressively standing out from the many worthy contemporaries as well. –Ben Kuettel

27. George Clanton – 100% Electronica

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If the DeLorean broke down temporarily in Back to the Future II when Marty and Doc went to 2015, and they needed a new album to remind them of home, 100% Electronica would be it. “It Makes the Babies Want to Cry” sounds like Tears for Fears on acid, with vivacious synths, lush electronic beats, and the melodious baritone voice of Clanton himself meshing together perfectly. “Kill You In Bed” takes this even further, with the ominous ring of a bell contrasting a wall of cheerful synthesizers and serene vocals. Dark, funny, and sometimes even a bit emotional, 100% Electronica is a perfect blend of ’80s synthpop and modern-day vaporwave. –ExplosiveOranges

26. Leviathan – Scar Sighted

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Scar Sighted is, simply put, sixty-four minutes of fear, hatred, and anguish in aural form. “The Smoke of Their Torment” immediately sets the tone, kicking off with messy guitars, pounding percussion, and ear-piercing howls that gradually slow into eerie ambience and an unnerving spoken-word section. What really makes the album, though, is just how unnerving the whole thing is. Whether it’s the ominous, dissonant instrumental work, his inhuman screaming, or the rather disturbing vocal samples he’s selected, something just feels off about Wrest’s musicianship and composition. Beautifully grotesque from start to finish, Scar Sighted holds its own as one of the darkest metal albums of 2015. –ExplosiveOranges

25. Turnover – Peripheral Vision

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If American Football were to make a new album in 2015, then I believe that it would sound something like this. Drawing massive influences from Dream Pop and Pop-Punk, Turnover share the sound of American Football mixed with the likes of Slowdive. The music gives off the feeling of being melancholy and strikingly happy all at the same time. However, one of the best things going for this album is the incredible guitar lines, which never feel dull or uninspired. Also, if it weren’t for the great production, then each new guitar line wouldn’t sound so crisp and emotional. Turnover’s sophomore attempt at combining emo and dream pop is successful in forming strong expectations for them in the future. –Hogan

24. Horrendous – Anareta

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Last year’s Ecdysis had a teaser-like quality to it, brimming with ideas but lacking the bonds required for them gel effectively. It left everyone with bated breath as to what Horrendous would treat us to next, and whether or not Anareta could be everything Ecdysis tried to be. Safe to say, any reservations one may have had were completely alleviated. The riffs pack more punch, the leads are more affecting, the songwriting is more concise, and the production is beefier without sacrificing even a modicum of those enchanting dynamics. In combining the veiled technicality and progressivism of Death with the melodic rock-sensibilities of Carcass, Horrendous have paid homage to their influences without sounding derivative, breathing new life into a movement that appears to thrive off stagnation. Of course, the resounding success of Anareta will come with heightened prospects, but like a well-played game of Snooker, one can bet Horrendous are already thinking two shots ahead. Watch this space. –Jacquibim

23. We Lost The Sea – Departure Songs

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The suicide of We Lost The Sea’s lead vocalist Chris Torphy really left a mark on his fellow bandmates, as 2015’s Departure Songs is not only a fitting emotional homage to Torphy, but an extraordinary collection of music. It’s unsurprising the band chose a path different from past routes — in which they excluded vocals and delved into darker and more ambient instrumentation — possibly as a sign of respect. Yet, there is the occasional choir or voice echoing in from the distance, and moments like these where the instrumentation is so dense and complex really leave a mark on the listener. The journey is without a doubt long, but not a single bit of it is boring or monotonous, and the grand buildups and soaring climaxes cannot be forgotten, even long after they depart. –Hogan

22. Tame Impala – Currents

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Currents isn’t much of a lyrical album, despite the overwhelming critical consensus that it narrates some kind of heartbreak. True, it dwells on that theme throughout – perfectly so on the stiff groove of “The Less I Know the Better” – but those concepts of love et al. are fleeting, mere background noise to what’s actually going on: some progression for rock. Rock music – at least in recent years – has fallen to the revival narrative, lacking the initiative to move forward and all too happy to flog dead clichés as an aesthetic. Currents, awash in hip-hop and electronica grooves, denies the fad of Royal Blood and Wolfmother, opting instead to bring the sounds of the ’70s to the modern dance floor. Ignore what Kevin Parker’s saying and focus on the rhythm, because this is what rock bands should be sounding like in the 21st century. –Arcade

21. Ghost (SWE) – Meliora

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Ghost make music that’s deceptively pleasant. On the surface, they’re a Swedish metal band with satanic imagery, but if you dig a little deeper, you come to find they make some of the catchiest music in all of modern metal.  Ghost’s mix of ’70s and ’80s hard rock and heavy metal fits perfectly with the band’s theatrical imagery and performances. The riffs just seem tastier when you know the singer calls himself “Papa Emeritus” AKA the “demonic anti-pope”. Not every song is a winner, but Meliora is fun enough to warrant 40 minutes of your time. –Robert Lowe

20. Joanna Newsom – Divers

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Joanna Newsom can, in some ways, be considered the James Joyce of modern music. She is puzzling to a high extreme, with riddles and scholarly references for lyrics and instrumentation that at first may sound simple, but also prestigious and mesmerizing. Yet everything doesn’t have to be understood to be enjoyed. Sure, there is somewhat of a seeming pretentiousness to the lyrics, where most people with curious imaginations will scour the Internet to gain a brief understanding to them, but that isn’t entirely necessary. Just like Joyce’s Ulysses, it is the attention to detail that is not only staggering, but beautiful at the same time. Newsom’s approach to baroque pop this year is undoubtedly not only one of the most perplexing albums of the year, but also one of the smartest and well thought-out as well. –Hogan

19. Death Grips – The Powers That B – Part II: Jenny Death

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In late October, Death Grips made the announcement that they are currently working on a new album, confirming everyone’s suspicions that the hip-hop trio’s latest LP, Jenny Death, was not meant to be their last. Having been a fan of Death Grips for years, this news should have been expected; yet, it still came as a bit of a surprise to me. From the massive hype revolving around the album’s release (“Jenny Death when?”) to the last song on the album being titled “Death Grips 2.0”, it was easy to be mistaken that Jenny Death was going to be nothing more than one last hurrah for the band before they call it quits, a definitive statement. In reality, however, Jenny Death is the embodiment of that “Death Grips 2.0”: a return-to-form comeback album that encompasses many of the band’s best ideas from each one of their LPs.

“I Break Mirrors in My Face in the United States” explodes the listener’s ears as soon as the album begins, consisting of MC Ride shouting the same words over and over above a sea of electronic madness, reminiscent of “You Might Think he Loves You…” from Government Plates. Throughout the nine tracks that follow, Death Grips continue to draw inspiration from their previous works while still bringing new ideas to the table. Perhaps the most notable change on Jenny Death is MC Ride’s vocals. Every sound that he can possibly make with his voice is present on the album. From absolute screaming, to perverted whispering, to unintelligible vocoder rapping, MC Ride has completely let himself loose, delivering what is arguably the greatest vocal performance of his entire career.

For a less-talented band, a return to form of this magnitude would have likely resulted in self-parody. For Death Grips, however, drawing influence from their past was exactly what the band needed to do. The blending of new ideas with elements of their earlier albums (particularly the band’s first LP, Exmilitary) on Jenny Death was a welcomed change for a band whose music had been slowly descending into absolute madness. In some sense, it’s too bad that Jenny Death won’t be Death Grips’ last album. It would have made one hell of a grand finale. –Nash J.

18. Oneohtrix Point Never – Garden of Delete

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With Garden of Delete, Daniel Lopatin has conjured up something more visceral than his early ambient material and more erratic than recent gems like Replica. However, for an album notable for its unearthly exoskeleton, Garden of Delete is astoundingly emotive. Sprawling tracks like “Freaky Eyes” and “Mutant Standard” showcase contemporary malaise and disdain for convention. The ambitious concept behind the album is admirable, but even more impressive are the unnerving textures, disembodied vocal snippets, and jittery effects that evoke something more than any backstory could explain or anticipate. Garden of Delete is not music with answers. It’s an album for those who value the challenge of finding their bearings in the fog. Once you find them, Garden of Delete proves to be a revelation. Lopatin’s mysterious and befuddling approach to electronic music yields a sonic landscape that is both melodic and consistently riveting. Few musical puzzles are this satisfying. –Justin Swope

17. The Dear Hunter – Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise

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Living up to others’ expectations can be tough, be they from family, your employer, or even yourself. And there’s an underrated strength in taking those expectations upon yourself and working to meet them: not always for yourself, but for the sake of the important people around you. Upon announcing the existence of Act IV, The Dear Hunter invited upon themselves a crushing amount of expectation from hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions?) of fans. With a lengthy six year break from the Acts, could The Dear Hunter channel their signature theatrical magic?

Was there any doubt?

Act IV is every bit as joyous, melancholy, epic, and fun as any previous album put out by the band and most albums released this year by any band. While musically more poppier than the band have ever sounded, the signature audio theatrics mesh beautifully with Casey Crescenzo’s voice, creating a diverse and ultimately fulfilling experience throughout its runtime. With Act IV, The Dear Hunter not only meet expectations, they exceed them for their fans’ sake. With a whole new generation of music listeners blossoming in between the releases of Acts III and IV, this is the album many fans will come to know The Dear Hunter, but for us old timers, that’s just fine. –Calc

16. Grimes – Art Angels

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Claire Boucher is an irritating character at the best of times. Case in point: reducing the intentions of male artists such as Ariel Pink — a misquoted Madonna criticism – and SOPHIE – his name — to the broader problem of men’s rights activism. Of course, on previous albums, this overreaching was forgivable in part because it never explicitly entered her music. On Visions, she used minimal electronica on songs like “Oblivion” to project her understanding and experiences with sexual assault and other generally-considered ‘serious’ gender inequities. It wasn’t hard to endure because it was careful and adult in its handling of Boucher’s politics, both musically and lyrically.

In contrast, Grimes uses Art Angels to get all up in your face about those grating misgivings, and she doesn’t care for a second that, sometimes, it can get really fucking annoying. She spends the entirety of lead single “Flesh Without Blood”, a finely crafted pop tune if there ever were one, complaining about how conceited male professionals can be. It’s a trait that continues throughout, with a litany of hooks hiding a litany of grievances. For those insistent that Art Angels is some commercialized shot at mass communication, the lyrical depths Grimes reaches reject that notion entirely. It’s incredibly subversive yet still affronting with its intent, which, while hardly making for a perfect or even classic record, still equates to being just about the most thrilling album 2015 had to offer. –Arcade

15. Steven Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase.

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The frequent elephant in the room regarding Steven Wilson is how he’s an admittedly awful lyricist. Not many people would claim this to be false and Hand. Cannot. Erase. proves itself to be no exception. However, this can be easily overlooked due to his fantastic musical ability. Not only does he continue to grow as a musician here, but we finally see him straying away from his Porcupine Tree roots, which is a much need change of pace. He seemingly ran out of ideas for that band, but luckily, he still seems to have plenty of wonderful blueprints up his sleeve for his solo career. It’s for these reasons that Hand. Cannot. Erase. is an absolute triumph. –Nick Mongiardo

14. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ‘Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress’

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‘Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress’, the fifth album from one of the most influential and acclaimed post-rock bands of all time, shows Godspeed in just as harrowing and apocalyptic a mood as they’ve ever been. However, their latest LP shakes up their tried-and-true formula by adding an almost uncharacteristic dose of heaviness to its forty minutes of music, along with elements of stoner rock and a stronger drone component than seen in their previous efforts. It’s not so much a change of course as it is an evolution to their sound, and while it has drawn a somewhat more divisive reaction compared to their other work, those with whom it connects will have no trouble recognizing exactly what has made Godspeed such a driving force behind the growth of the post-rock scene since the release of their debut in 1997. –Ryan Kroner

13. The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die – Harmlessness

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Harmlessness shows a great change in TWIABP’s sound. It is much more confident and energetic, with a much more human and relatable feel to it. The lyrics, which are far more triumphant and self-assured, play along perfectly with the larger-than-life instrumentation. Songs like “January 10th, 2014” and “Ra Patera Dance” showcase the band’s talent for creating emotional, yet understandable songs that are led by some pretty strong and catchy instrumentation. The album is a breath of fresh air for a genre that maybe hasn’t had its fair share of great releases this year. –Hogan

12. mewithoutYou – Pale Horses

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It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what it is about mewithoutYou’s Pale Horses that makes it such a fascinating listen. Although not my personal favorite album of the year, it was easily my most-played. From the second I heard the album, I knew it was going to become somewhat of an obsession. On the surface, Pale Horses appears to be a simple album: the songs are short, the band’s instrumentation isn’t always too memorable, and the vocalist’s lyrics are often near-impossible to decipher. Yet, to call the album simple could not be further from the truth, as it is no doubt one of the most thought-provoking albums of the entire year.

Pale Horses stands out in mewithoutYou’s discography as their most personal release yet. Singer Aaron Weiss gives arguably the greatest vocal performance of his career, delivering lyrics that contain a variety of themes and ideas, from spirituality, to political conflicts, and to personal traumas such as the death of his father. The rest of the band provide a solid background to Weiss, creating an atmosphere with each and every song that always fits perfectly with the vocals at the forefront. In a way, the album pierces directly into very your soul, and with final track “Rainbow Signs”, leaves you in an emotional state that will without a doubt leave you absolutely breathless. While Pale Horses may be an extremely personal album for Aaron Weiss, there is simply something about it that I think we can all connect to in one way or another. –Nash J.

11. Kamasi Washington – The Epic

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Jazz purists are crying out for all these new Kamasi Washington fans to delve deeper into the genre. Contrary to the opinions of many, jazz really isn’t dead. Dip even slightly below the surface and you’ll find a multitude of artists pushing the envelope and further exploring the limits of the genre. Seeing a jazz album nipping at the heels of 2015’s Top 10 may not come as a surprise to some, given elements of the genre have been seeping into many recent favorites (Kendrick and Flying Lotus being the most notable). However, what separates the aptly titled The Epic from all these is the purity of Kamasi’s beast. There’s vocal jazz, modal swing, hard bop, fusion, Afro-Cuban – damn near every facet of jazz explored over the past 50 years is covered in some form here.

It’s hard to really delve into the album in this small space, but the most refreshing part of it all is that you don’t need to be familiar with all these strains to appreciate the amount of passion poured into this behemoth. There can be an insufferably steep entry curve to modern jazz, and it would’ve been easy to slip up here between the overblown concept and three intimidating hours of material. In terms of time, Kamasi has commanded a greater portion of my 2015 than any other artist, and I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface. This ridiculous breadth and depth comes with great benefits though. Sure, The Epic didn’t creep into our Top 10, but it will almost certainly stand the test of time better than those releases above it. This isn’t just an album, it’s 50 years of history distilled into a 3-hour cinematic experience. That’s hard to top. –ComeToDaddy

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