From Here
Jed Gottlieb Monday, December 28, 2015
as it hard to track down 215 gems from 2015? Actually, the trick thing was finding stuff to cut (my original list had nearly 250).
Between the embedded Bandcamp link and the playlist, you can hear everything. Enjoy!
1. “FourFiveSeconds,” Rihanna, Kanye West and Paul McCartney — It’s as if RiRi, Ye and Macca spent February hole up in a South Boston apartment writing a winter anthem. Rihanna’s wounded vocals (thankfully effects free) could be about our stolen space savers: “I think I’ve had enough I might get a little drunk/I say what’s on my mind/I might do a little time.” But McCartney’s uplifting guitar strumming and the brilliant, organ-powered gospel break add optimism. The song slammed into the over-produced Top 40 reminding us a killer voice and sweet melody will always succeed, reminding us to stop shoveling and enjoy.
2. “Alexander Hamilton,” Original Broadway Cast — We live in a world where my mother and mother-in-law spent Thanksgiving dinner agreeing they simply had to get tickets to hip hop musical about a Founding Father. This is a world I’m happy to live in.
3. “Stars Outnumber Our Hearts,” Melissa Ferrick — The singer-songwriter unwinds the tale of an August night when the night sky exalts the spirits of a whole seaside town (and helps Ferrick “get good with getting old”). “Stars” transcends mortal songwriting: a perfect pop verse, chorus and hook paired with the singer’s sublime cadence and tough-yet-delicate acoustic guitar.
4. “Emotion,” Carly Rae Jepsen — An astonishingly delicious fluff ball of cotton candy fun, the song blends Jepsen’s girl-next-door aesthetic (something missing from pop since Taylor Swift became a hip New Yorker) with intricate production that winks at Berlin, Belinda Carlisle and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis masterpieces.
5. “Elevator Operator,” Courtney Barnett — Rock rises again and again and again. Patti Smith, Pixies, PJ Harvey, the Hold Steady, and now, Australia’s Courtney Barnett. Thanks Courtney for reminding me my great love can’t be killed.
6. “Our Lives Our Times,” Chadwick Stokes — Songwriters tend to level off young. Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks didn’t write better songs at 40 than they did at 30. That rule doesn’t apply to Stokes. Pulling equally from the Clash, Public Enemy and CSN, Stokes rants beautifully about the horrors of our culture of excess.
7. “Good Friday/Gloria,” Ruby Rose Fox — Simple, sublime soul music and arty, underground indie rock don’t mix. You can find inspiration in one or the other. Both? That’s audacious. But Fox builds her aesthetic on audacity. Like a heretical Stax single or gospel number about exorcising an ex-lover, this is what we’ve come to expect from Fox.
8. “Kidnapped,” Sidewalk Driver — Boston rock fans think of Sidewalk Driver as a live band. But subtract the gimmicks and glitter and what’s left? Rich melodies, sharp riffs and guns-a-blazin’ guitar! My favorite from “My Face,” the band’s first LP in five years, “Kidnapped” lays out a clever hero-gets-the-girl fantasy over a fantastic, hard-rocking new wave gem.
9 & 10. “Southwestern Territory” and “The Legend of Chavo Guerrero,” The Mountain Goats — The characters on album “Beat the Champ” come from songwriter John Darnielle’s memories of watching wrestling as kid, using it as an escape from his abusive stepfather. Darnielle’s desperation haunts the record, but he also imbues his champions with humanity and humor. As even a single spin shows, he scores with Ben Folds’ sharp ear and pens rock librettos like Bob Dylan in fighting shape.
11. “King Kunta,” Kendrick Lamar — Poverty and opulence. Party jamz and political rants. Funk throwbacks and free jazz. Profanity and Ralph Ellison allusions. Lamar is large, he contains multitudes, this is his latest thrilling chapter in his version of “Song of Myself.”
12. “Loving Arms,” Party Bois — The Bois get romantic, new romantic — a la the genre pioneered by Spandau Ballet and Duran Duran (circa “New Moon on Monday”). No pure retro fetishist, Party Bois distinguish the song by getting Keith Pierce to turn his growl into a coo. Behind the restrained roar, Johnny Northrup’s sweet vocals add contrast. Put them together with perfect synths and a ripping guitar solo, and you have a jam fit for dance floors ’round the world.
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13. “Arrows,” Amy & the Engine — Delicious pop tempered by a tough indie rock undercurrent (listen to that big, fun guitar solo). Sates a hunger you didn’t know had for something between Carly Rae Jepsen and Neko Case.
14. “I’m in Love with the Summertime,” Dirty Bangs — Brandon Flowers wants to bring Springsteen into the new millennium. I respect that brother, but singer Evan Kenney beat you to it. And don’t try dragging Otis or Elvis into the now. Kenney has that locked down too. A drift into the gospel of rock ‘n’ roll with three guitars and one thumping drum kit.
15. “Molly,” Palehound — After 60 years of rock guitarists rolling over the form, Ellen Kempner made it original once more. More spiritually than stylistically, she approaches guitar with the same sense of reinvention as J Mascis and St. Vincent. Then there are her lyrics. And that bridge. And her mesmerizing, calling-from-the-bottom-off-a-well vocals.
16. “Raising the Skate,” Speedy Ortiz — Speedy Ortiz came up on the road with the Breeders, Thurston Moore and Stephen Malkmus, so it’s no surprise Sadie Dupuis’ quartet advances the agenda of ’80s and ’90s alt-rock pioneers. Yes, the aesthetic agenda of noisy, experimental rock. But, more importantly, the legacy of sonic freedom and fearlessness.
17. “Magnets,” Disclosure and Lorde — The second biggest pop mystery of the year (after the mainstream’s inexplicable shunning of Carly Rae Jepsen) is how this slow-burn dance jam missed hitting the Hot 100. Amazing team up, hypnotic hook, subtle-but-forceful production. What more do you people want?
18, 19 & 20. “Smoke Rising,” “Tortured Boy” and “Avalon,” Brown Bird — After 13 songs about fever dreams, monsters and mysticism, “Axis Mundi” crescendos with “Smoke Rising.” Then late singer-songwriter-guitarist David Lamb and partner MorganEve Swain each deliver a song for the other. Swain’s “Tortured Boy” dates back to 2008, but you’ll hear why Lamb insisted it be included. Lamb delivered a final Christmas present to his wife with “Avalon.”
21. “This Town,” When Particles Collide — Punk rock fury, heavy metal crescendos, and delicate melodic turns combine in this duo’s tribute to lost friends. If you like the title track, the whole EP follows through with equal intensity.
22. “All Night Dynamite,” Kingsley Flood — Only Kingsley can sound like the Beatles, Clash and Johnny Cash’s backing band in a single three-minute song (or is the Sonics, Who and Pearl Jam?). Only Kingsley can release three EPs in a year and leave us wishing for more.
23. “Feel Right,” Mark Ronson and Mystikal — With help from Mystikal, Ronson gets his James Brown, George Clinton and Beastie Boys on at once. I dig that he’s forcing odd pieces together without looking at the picture on the box.
24. “Traveler,” Chris Stapleton — The salvation of modern country sounds exactly like classic country. Thank the lord.
25. “Can’t Feel My Face,” The Weeknd — Stop complaining about the lack of impeccable pop songs and pretend this is Michael Jackson produced by Nile Rodgers (if Jackson and Rodgers wrote songs about cocaine).
26. “24 Frames,” Jason Isbell — Isbell returns with his sharp mind and deep reflections on getting sober, family life and loneliness, oh, so much loneliness. But there’s growth there too. And you can’t beat that melody.
27. “Downtown,” Macklemore & Ryan Lewis — Macklemore answers “Uptown Funk” with an ode to the golden age of hip hop (and mopeds). Joining him on this adventure: Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee, Grandmaster Caz and Foxy Shazam frontman Eric Nally singing “You don’t want to beef, boy!” over a rock opera bridge. You will love or hate this song. There is no room middle ground.
28. “Billions of Eyes,” Lady Lamb — Brooklyn-via-Somerville-via-Maine singer-songwriter Aly Spaltro collects flashes from her life and turns them into existential meditations. Here she sings about just making a train and the short, tight bond slipping through the closing doors creates between her and the other passengers. Then she explains how that minor success, that tiny victory, makes her happy enough to forget everything wrong with the world.
29 & 30. “Way Like Water” and “In Waves,” Sarah Blacker — Her new album may fall off after two songs, but that happens when you frontload your LP with two of the sharpest, smartest, most staggering songs of 2015. In three minutes, “Way Like Water” snaps between sweet cooing and big electric guitars booming out a bigger hook; over the second three-minutes, the title track stomps the elusive ground between pretty pop and a tough rock.
31. “Vitamin T,” Session Americana — Winsome usually wins out over whimsy in this local collective. But world’s greatest harmonica player Jim Fitting writes songs counterbalancing his mates introspections, like this homage to tequila.
32. “Sequestered in Memphis,” Barnstar! — I have a sacred relationship with the Hold Steady, so to hear the bar band’s tune turned into a bright, wide string-band romp gave me a shock. A shock I loved so much I kept sticking my finger in the socket to connect with the magic again and again.
33. “Should Have Known Better,” Sufjan Stevens — The best song about grieving this year. I know, I know, that doesn’t make you want to rush to listen. But you should anyway.
34. “Cherry Picking,” Potty Mouth — Northampton noise pop (power rock?) trio Potty Mouth deliver a tune that could work on both the “Singles” and “Pretty Pink” soundtracks.
35. “Gimme All Your Love,” Alabama Shakes — Instead of giving the mainstream what it (thought it) wanted, Howard and her boys do what they want: a dip into metal, neo-soul, freaky jazz and interplanetary space rock. They made the right choice.
36. “Idiot,” The Dazies — Punk rock meet saxophone. Oh, wait, I’m sorry, you two met in the early ’70s at that party at Iggy Stooges’. Good to see you back together. (Hell, yeah I miss Mean Creek. But I can’t complain about Mikey Holland having more time for the Dazies.)
37. “Dreams Come True,” Brandon Flowers — Before you dismiss it, play the first 20 seconds — those horns! That youthful, weathered vocal! After you realize this one deserves some time, let the record play. Like so many, the Vegas singer/songwriter looks to Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Duran Duran for inspiration. Unlike everyone, he borrows from lesser albums such as “Tunnel of Love,” “Black Tie White Noise” and Duran’s self-titled 1991 album. Flowers sings about the average Joe and said Joe’s troubles in love and finances, but he does so through hip dance beats and glam rock.
38. “Restless,” New Order — Some think New Order can’t exist after bassist Peter Hook’s departure. These people probably gave up AC/DC after Bon Scott. I dig Hooky’s skills, but New Order shines as bright as ever with “Restless.”
39. “Honeymoon,” Lana Del Rey — Rey floats in on a breeze of strings singing, “We both know that it’s not fashionable to love me/But you don’t go ’cause truly there’s nobody for you but me.” The first lyric comes with a heavily mascaraed wink, the second phrase has wisdom. Nobody does what Rey does. While her peers try to mix up a new cocktail with the same ingredients, Lana borrows from stranger sources — Nancy Sinatra and Mazzy Star, film noir and pop culture.
40. “Devil Pray,” Madonna — Producer Avicii helps find a balance of Material Girl and modern Madge with trending (or formerly trending) EDM tricks and a lyrical introspection absent from most of Madonna’s early stuff. Her obsession with the divine and a catchy chorus remain.
41. “Goddamn Draculas,” Goddamn Draculas — I love a band that names a song after itself (see Bad Company, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath). When your band name is Goddamn Draculas, it’s extra awesome. Actually the song sounds like a cocktail of Bad Company, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath.
42. “Black Corridor,” Worshipper — Over a tall boy and a monster set from Township this summer, ex-Mellow Bravo drummer Dave Jarvis told me he’d been recruited for a new project. Humbly he claimed to be the least-talented guy in the band. I told him he was being ridiculous (because he was) but when I heard the lineup (John Brookhouse, Bob Maloney, Alex Necochea) I understood what he meant.
43. “Secret Makeout Factory,” And the Kids — The Northampton band has the cure for anxiety, arguments and boredom: Everyone needs to take off their pants. And here I’ve been thinking the cure was putting And the Kids on repeat.
44. “Night Closing In,” Darlene Love — Little Steven produces one of America’s great voices singing Bruce Springsteen. ’Nuf said.
45. “Every Time Katie,” David Wax Museum — Their latest LP flows more freely (this from a band that’s always been pretty darn loose). Instead of opening with a bright, joyous song — which had become a standard approach — “Guesthouse” begins with this slow, otherworldly drone drifting through the fog.
46. “Archers,” The Ballroom Thieves — Punk rock on folk instruments. Folk with a lion’s heart. Harmonies. Cello. A booming beat. Boston’s next major act.
47. “Harrison Ford,” Darlingside — On paper, they seem very NPR (not that that’s a pejorative): folk roots, big harmonies, classical violin meets Americana fiddle. But the four-piece is more than their resume. Check out guitarist Don Mitchell’s Edge-like guitar effects. Oh, and these nutso lyrics.
48. “Rise Up,” Andra Day — Everybody’s looking for the next Adele and Amy Winehouse. I found them in one person.
49. “High Time,” Kacey Musgraves — This one might be about smoking weed, but it soars on a mellow, buoyant Patsy Cline-like melody.
50. “Lean On,” Major Lazer, DJ Snake and MØ — A lot of non-American pop has begun to cut through this country’s clutter. Like Sia or Charli XCX before her, MØ adds heart to a glitchy, twitchy electro track.
51. “Newmyer’s Roof,” Craig Finn — Finn’s characters still get high in bathrooms. But here he joins them to watch the planes crash into the towers from a Brooklyn roof. Heavy on reflection, heavy on heaviness.
52. “Ain’t It A Drag,” Jeff Lynne’s ELO — Could be a lost Traveling Wilburys masterpiece — that bridge!
53. “Pressure Off,” Duran Duran with Janelle Monae and Nile Rodgers —Most ’80s acts’ chase fads or retreat back to a classic sound. Duran Duran’s classic sound echoes what’s hip now, and young bands still chase what Duran did decades back. Every Maroon 5 song chokes on the glitter Simon Le Bon and crew kicked up long ago.
54. “Shadow,” Bearstronaut — Hits the sweet spot between Factory Records output and whatever Greg Kurstin or Ezra Koenig hopes to do next year. (No release date yet but they debuted it live.)
55. “Dream Lover,” Destroyer — The crabbiest man in the business smoothers this uptempo boogie in horns, horns and more horns.
56. “Call Off Your Dogs,” Lake Street Dive — Oh, man, Lake Street is going full pop? Yacht rock even? In 2016, the New England Conservatory alums go from NPR favorites to bad and nationwide.
57. “Go For Broke,” Petty Morals — Makes me want to wear a poodle skirt and put a safety pin through my nose, and I think that’s the idea. The girl group/dance band/punk act bops through the joyous track singing, “We just want to party/We just want to dance/We don’t wanna stop/We don’t ever miss a chance!” Just like that, Petty Morals create a double dutch chant you can bar hop to.
58. “In Your Garden,” Julie Rhodes — If the Y axis is Janis Joplin and the X axis is Susan Tedeschi, then… Hmm…Math’s not my strong suit. But Julie Rhodes is somewhere between them. Go see the soul shouter at Atwood’s in January. She’ll be headlining the House of Blues and touring Europe as soon as this songcrushes iTunes.
59. “Lifted Up (1985),” Passion Pit — Where other confessional acts drone on about their troubles over an acoustic guitar or piano, Passion Pit layers keyboards on synth patches on drum loops. It references ’80s new wave, ’90s IDM (intelligent dance music) and modern electronica.
60. “All Our Songs,” Built to Spill — Even when I turn the volume to low, this sounds huge; even out of weak computer speakers, it swells and crashes like a tsunami.
61. “Country & Western,” The Daily Pravda — This song has no country or Western to it. Well, that’s not exactly right. Frontman David Jackel slides into the track with some twang, some drawl and swagger when he sings, “Daaarling don’t go out tonight…” It could almost be some sort of freakish country tune (like that The The does Hank Williams album from the early ’90s maybe?). Then the band washes any wagon dust off the track with the crunch of electric guitars, buzzing synths and computer squeaks. In comes the new romantic-meets-Morphine saxophone, drums sticks pounding toms, and Ruby Rose Fox cooing and wailing.
62. “Out of Context,” Eternals — Modern Boston does ’70s Laurel Canyon. I love it. (Get hip to them before they blow up).
63. “Them Changes,” Thundercat — The year’s No. 1 somewhere-between-Al-Green-and-Hall-&-Oates groove.
64. “No Room in Frame,” Death Cab for Cute — Leader Ben Gibbard and wife Zooey Deschanel split right after 2011’s “Codes and Keys,” and on the follow-up, he dug into dark stuff. On the new album’s opening cut, he sings, “Was I in your way when the cameras turned to face you/No room in the frame for two.” Never afraid to tell personal stories, Gibbard has made an intense breakup album with “Kintsugi.”
65. “Let The Light In,” Honeysuckle — Why yes, we do have string bands here in Boston to compete with anything you have in Tennessee.
66. “Phantoms,” Freezepop — A lovely electropop tease for next year’s LP, right? C’mon Liz and Sean, it’s time to get that full-length on.
67. “Daffodils,” Mark Ronson and Kevin Parker — Spacey, acid-washed funk led by the Tame Impala frontman.
68. “Energy,” Drake — How hard is Drake? He managed to incorporate requests for his WiFi code in the year’s key tell off track.
69. “Air It Out,” Dutch ReBelle with Jefe Replay — Right between Drake and Janet Jackson for a reason. (Hey Dutch! Go worldwide already!)
70. “Unbreakable,” Janet Jackson — Instead of charging into her new record with a grand statement (see “Control,” “Rhythm Nation”), she opens with a stroll, a tender, sincere love letter to her fans. Unlike her peers, Jackson doesn’t fear slow-burn R&B. Repeated listens reveal she learned a lot from Frank Ocean (or maybe it was the other way around).
71. “Ong Ong,” Blur — Guitarist Graham Coxon and producer Stephen Street culled Blur’s latest from a five-day, 2013 recording session in Hong Kong (booked on a lark when the band had some free time after the cancellation of a Japanese festival). The session led to tracks that flow with a looseness, a smoky haze Blur fans will recognize. But these 12 cuts have been chilled out even more than usual — “Ong Ong” creeps along over singer Damon Albarn’s sunny hook and a trippy guitar riff.
72. “Drink Her Away,” Hayley Thompson-King — The Major Stars and Banditas frontwoman makes an EP straight out of James Reed’s LP stock (read: bits of Dolly, Emmylou and Loretta). Thompson-King starts the proceedings with a desperate dirge with oodles of early rock reverb.
73. “Surface Envy,” Sleater-Kinney — The mighty chorus forwards the trio’s aesthetic agenda: “We win/We lose/Only together do we break the rules!” A reunion record with none of the flab or bloat of a spent band looking for new fans and fresh cash. This isn’t Foreigner looking to sell 500,000 units at Wal-Mart ahead of a summer tour. This is a genuinely anti-mainstream triumvirate delivering a finely-crafted flashbangs
74. “Waking Up in the Morning,” Pile — When I was a kid I wondered if any bands didn’t sound like Def Leppard. I never wondered if any bands sounded like the exact opposite of Def Leppard. Enter Pile. Start here. If you like this one, you’ll like everything they do.
75. “Around this Town,” Soft Pyramids — I’m the boy who cries wolf with the “perfect pop song.” I’ll fess up to it. But this Boston band produced an utterly amazing indie gem. You can ignore me but you’ll only be punishing yourself because this is, well, a perfect pop song.
76. “No Future Part IV: No Future Triumphant,” Titus Andronicus — Ex-Somerville resident and current New Yorker Patrick Stickles publicly battles bipolar disorder over runaway punk and epic crescendos that roll through every sonic turn fit for a garage, basement or dive bar.
77. “Koopa,” Tigerman Woah! — I could tell you this band plays a mix of punk and Americana and you’d get a rough idea of Tigerman. But their ethos matters more: If Woody Guthrie was alive, Lynn’s Tigerman Woah! would be his favorite act. That may be the nicest thing I’ve ever said about a band.
78. “Alright, Goodnight,” Doom Lover — A ghost story that hits on everything the band excels at: loud and tender harmonies, jagged, trembling guitars, a thumping, scary crescendo.
79. “Are You Around,” Michael Christmas — Boston’s best bet at a breakout rapper, Christmas delivers this slice of modern indie rap with a chill vibe and mellow flow through the haze of ’90s hip hop.
80. “Fresh Prince,” Cousin Stizz — No, wait, maybe this guy’s our best bet. Laid-back beats and hypnotic flow and big Spotify spins.
81. “A Beautiful Exit,” Miguel — Is Prince listening to this? Is he taking notes? Is he trying to top it, react to it? No, of course he’s not.
82 & 83. “Stay Angry” and “Everyone I Know,” Eldridge Rodriguez — You know how you like Interpol but kind of think they’ve been faking lately? Boston’s Eldridge Rodriguez tells the rock ‘n’ roll truth with the requisite boom and gloom. And you can dance to it… or you can mope in a dark corner of the bar with a glass of Fernet Branca.
84. “You Taste Like Water,” The Wrong Shapes — Vampire music for mid-winter never sounded like– Wait, what does vampire music for mid-winter even sound like? Lonely, lush-yet-minimalist, kinda Bowie, with a sad, sweet cello line.
85. “Food Trucks,” The Grownup Noise — The Boston band drips out this tune casually on a keyboard, a lazy string of notes that just seem to wander. But eventually singer Paul Hansen’s dark, smart lyrics turn the ditty into a tale of love vs. freedom, commitment vs. imprisonment. Nice turn.
86. “Shovel,” Jenee Halstead — I’ve heard Jenee Halstead labeled folk. Her new EP, “Edge of the World,” hits my ears like sorceress music, rings of smoke through the trees and the bells of Rhymney. Producer Sean McLaughlin has done for Halstead what Daniel Lanois did for Emmylou Harris. He embedded a tremendous voice in an otherworldly, shadowy soundscape.
87. “The Time That Never Was,” Bruce Springsteen — Sometimes the songs the artist leaves off the album top the ones included. This outtake from “The River,” is one of those times.
88. “Pacing Like Prince,” Ryan Montbleau Band — You don’t casually invoke the name of Prince. If your lyrics draw a line between you and Prince, you need to bring the funk like it’s 1984 at Minneapolis’ First Avenue. Ryan Montbleau brings said funk.
89. “Stare,” Prince — Speaking of His Purple Majesty, rumor of his demise have been greatly exaggerated.
90. “Ring Around the Ghost,” The Luxury — Through upheaval (both personal and with his band’s lineup), frontman Jason Dunn forged a minor masterpiece. He spins out chord changes that go from trippy British Invasion to buoyant Britpop.
91. “Miss You,” Oh Malô — Next year everyone will be saying, “Oh, yeah, I’ve been hip to these guys since the beginning.” But let’s be real. Maybe four dozen fans watched them at the Boston Music Awards. In 2016, four dozen fans will be shut out of the Sinclair when they sell-out the place.
92. “Chop,” Vundabar — What I said about Oh Malo goes for these guys too (although the later BMA spot earned them more eyes and ears).
93. “Torture,” Krill — Goodbye sweet, loud Krill. We can only hope you reunite soon. OK, I know you broke up like two months ago but still…
94. “I’m a Full Grown Man,” Barrence Whitfield & The Savages — Our city’s champion of garage rock (punk soul?) gets his mojo working.
95. “Wild Imagination’,” Kurt Vile — One of our mightiest champions in the war against modernity battles on. Or maybe it’s another tremendous song about a broken heart.
96. “Bad Blood,” NAO — A voice like Mariah. A soul like Donna Summer. Production straight out of 2020.
97. “The Singer Addresses His Audience,” The Decemberists — Some think Colin Meloy’s vocals are precious, precocious and affected. I understand the gripe, but that voice — soulful, tender, winsome — sells his stories. Only he can peddle you the lyric “So when your bridal processional/Is a televised confessional/To the benefits of Axe shampoo/You know we did it for you”
98. “Albert,” Eddie Japan — If Moz had starred in “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” he would ride into the sunset over this song. And I mean that as great praise.
99. “Evils,” These Wild Plains — ’70s Nashville harmonies, extra textures (lap steel, harp, shakers) and a nice knack for detouring into heavy and/or modern rock.
100. “Hello,” Adele — It’s a fine song. A good song. I like it. I don’t tune out when it’s turned on. But… Every song on “21” and “19” tops it. Right? Am I nuts? Let’s talk this through.
101. “Can’t Keep Checking My Phone,” Unknown Mortal Orchestra — If the Talking Heads and LCD Soundsystem kept going and then made an album together.
102. “Let It Happen,” Tame Impala — Right between Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Escort for a reason.
103. “Body Talk,” Escort — Disco lives! And that’s all you need to know about this song. Fine, I’ll give you more: Straight outta Vassar College, Escort released one of 2015’s tremendous dance albums in “Animal Nature.”
104. “Beautiful Midnight,” The Sheila Divine — “Can love exist in a failed decade?” Man, I hope so. The Sheila Divine opens its first album in three years with this question over a slowburn beat somewhere between sparkling new wave and thundering, old-school alt-rock.
105. “Shadows,” Let’s Wait — Boston basically owns the new new wave sound. P.S. Why wasn’t this a split release with Bearstronaut’s “Shadow?”
106. “Bathroom Graffiti,” Trophy Lungs — This one’s for Fat Mike, this one’s for Lint, this one’s for kids who need punk salvation.
107. “Teenage Wonders,” Salem Wolves — “It’s the signal not the soooooud!” comes the shout over this sharp, jagged rock. Strong lyrics, huge guitars and just the right amount of Monkees harmonies.
108. “The Plan,” The Front Bottoms — If, like me, you sometimes get angry about the Dismemberment Plan never breaking big or Cake going into semi-retirement or the legacy of Violent Femmes drying up, you should listen to this. You’ll be less angry.
109. “40oz On Repeat,” FIDLAR — Garage punk. You’ll dig it. Bonus points for the lyric: “But I got bills to pay, and I got pills to take/Cause I’m born and raised in the USA.”
110. “When I Was Done Dying,” Dan Deacon — What makes music accessible? What makes it inaccessible? And what kind of the music is this? None of these questions are rhetorical. This production hurts my ears and I like it. Katy Perry could take the hook to number one. Music is so weird.
111. “La Loose,” Waxahatchee — Relationships are tough (check the lyrics). But they do fuel indie pop songs. Case and point.
112. “Same Old Love,” Selena Gomez — She’s found an aesthetic between an ex-Disney star who dated Justin Bieber and the understated, dark anti-pop of Lorde, Lana Del Rey and Frank Ocean.
113. “Somebody to Love,” Kacey Musgraves — When she gets tender, she’ll break your heart. Country hasn’t had a simple and sad ballad like “Somebody to Love” in ages.
114. “I Really Like You,” Carly Rae Jepsen — During the chorus, Jepsen sings, “I really, really, really, really, really, really like you.” Somehow she dumbed down “Call Me Maybe” (she says “really” 67 times in three-and-a-half minutes). I don’t care. It’s sweet, radiant, stupid and right for blasting with windows open while speeding to the Cape.
115. “Truckin’,” The Greatful Dead (I guess) — Trey helped the Dead come alive. Yeah, it’s the obvious cliche, but it’s absolutely true. At the final shows this summer, he pushed the core four forward into the music with huge electric guitar and giddy smiles.
116. “Losing Touch,” Albert Hammond Jr. — The Strokes guitarist has found a post-rehab groove as deep as anything his band has dug this decade.
117. “All Day,” Kanye West with Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom and Paul McCartney — The chaotic, complex production pushes every thought out of your head. Then when you think you understand the glitchy, freak rant, in comes Sir Paul playing a jaunty acoustic guitar and whistling a sweet, light melody.
118. “Ravens and Writing Desks,” Aloud — Because the Beatles never wrote about “Alice in Wonderland,” Aloud had to. Or, the trippiest tune about “Alice” since “White Rabbit.”
119. “Tune Her,” Psychic Dog — The trio reels you in with catchy cool rock then clobbers you over the head with a feedback outro somewhere between Jimi Hendrix at Monterey and an SST compilation.
120. “69 Tremors from the Vat,” Stash Wyslouch — I thought I was the only guy who dug Metallica and Old Crow Medicine Show. But roots ace Stash Wyslouch, formerly of the amazing Deadly Gentlemen, has produced a whole album of heavy riffs and bluegrass licks.
121. “Someday I’ll Get My Way,” Muck and the Mires — Boston’s Muck and the Mires make rock with the same clatter and harmony that the Who, Kinks and Remains pioneered in the mid-’60s.
122. “Smooth Sailin’,” Leon Bridges — Music you can use to shut your dad up when complains, “They just don’t write write ‘em like they used to.”
123. “Won Yet,” Weakened Friends — I will always be a sucker for a clever lyric delivered over an equally-clever bridge and screaming guitar. This one comes with Sonia Sturino singing “I’m the worst at my best” while she wails away on her six string.
124. “Be Kind To Your Neighbor,” Zerobot — Earthy and interstellar. That can be a hard combo. But not when you get the right amounts of dreamy guitar, rumbling drums and sonic changes from intimate to epic.
125. “Stay a While,” Lyle Brewer — He channels old souls, Django Reinhardt and Jim Hall, on the sweet, sad runs here.
126. “Julep,” Punch Brothers — Other bluegrass bands remain content chasing Alison Krauss and Ricky Skaggs (perfectly noble pursuits). The Punch Brothers balance back-porch pickin’ with precious indie pop melodies, complex classical passages and jazz interludes.
127. “You Belong to Me,” Bryan Adams — Somehow Adams’ new LP “Get Up!” opens with a nice, tight Buddy Holly homage.
128. “Gone,” JR JR — A sonic smile.
129. “Dreams,” Beck — Yay! Beck worked himself out of his funk with some funk.
130. “No No No,” Beirut — A trap door from pop to the complex catalog of Beirut.
131. “Bratty Bones,” The Grownup Noise — It might push forward in a rush, but the song dissolves, or evolves, into symphonic crescendos and falls.
132. “Don’t Lose Heart,” David Wax Museum — If you fell in love with the band’s acoustic roots at their Newport Folk Festival debut in 2010 or main stage triumph there a year later, you’ll relish this earthy, emotional song.
133. “Call My Name,” Sidewalk Driver — It bops! It actually, positively bops! Like a good Monkees 45.
134. “Blue Angel,” Ruby Rose Fox — See lucky No. 7. Also, I hate those people who say I’m moving to Europe if so-and-so gets elected, but I’m moving to Spain if Ruby Rose Fox doesn’t go national in 2016.
135. “Here,” Alessia Cara — When the outsiders pretend to be insiders, we get the best pop music. See Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga, Alessia Cara.
136. “Flesh Without Blood,” Grimes — Ditto.
137. “Kamikaze,” MO — Ditto one last time.
138. “Choctaw County Affair,” Carrie Underwood — On the down-and-dirty, straight-up-nasty, roadhouse-romp Underwood hollers over Jason White’s slinky tale of murder — playing against type, Underwood and her beau do the deed and get away with it.
139. “Trouble,” Keith Richards — He shouts out this boozy rocker with the wounded tenderness and carnal grunt he perfected between “You Got the Silver” and “Little T&A.”
140. “Let The Good Times Roll,” J.D. McPherson — When your dad talks about rock ‘n’ roll, he’s talking about this song.
141. “Silent Movies,” Madisen Ward and the Mama Bear — When your dad talks about Americana, he’s talking about this song. Wait, does your dad talk about Americana?
142. “Fan the Flames,” Sheer Mag — When your cool older cousin talks about rock ‘n’ roll, he or she is talking about this song.
143. “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins),” Father John Misty — The title sells the song. No? How about Mariachi horns and a lyrical twist? “I wanna take you in the kitchen lift up your wedding dress someone was probably murdered in.”
144. “Barnstable County,” Barnstar! — Guitarist Mark Erelli’s “Barnstable County” pairs a tale of lost love (murder ballad anyone?) with harmonies as high and lonesome as anything out of Nashville.
145. “Pack up the Circus,” Session Americana — Musicians typically wind down as they pass into their 50s. The local collective of players making up Session Americana will spend their golden years selling more tickets and albums than they did in their 20s. Thankfully, this LP looks at middle age with suspicion. Leading off the new album, the title track wonders, “Are we holding on for life and spinning our heels?”
146. “Lovely Ghost,” Field Day — The local quartet includes longtime Boston rock writer Joan Anderman on vocals and guitar. I’ve wondered if my years covering the scene would help me write songs; I doubt I could ever pen one that balances ugly, angular rock with lovely, smooth pop as nicely as Anderman’s “Lovely Ghost.”
147. “Solitude,” Marissa Nadler — If Nadler wasn’t so busy at making her own awesome music, I’d push for a whole set of Black Sabbath covers.
148. “Why Try to Change Me Now,” Bob Dylan — Rumor has it that after Sam Cooke listened to Dylan, the soul singer decided voices would no longer be measured by how pretty they were. Instead, they would matter only if they convinced you that they told the truth. Think on that while Dylan does this Sinatra standard.
149. “More…” Wilco — Do albums still matter? Does rock? Does a band like Wilco? Jeff Tweedy seems to answer these questions with a big, loud, melodic shrug. I wish Wilco could be the next CCR or Kinks. But they can’t. The world left that stuff behind.
150. “Leaving the Body,” Aye Nako — In case you need more fresh guitar after Palehound and Speedy Ortiz.
151. “Spotlight,” The Static Dynamic — A moody, slow-burn ballad that– Whoa! OK, scratch that. What begins as a quiet piece with frontwoman Jess Collins laying down some gentle keys explodes open after a minute. The band steamrolls the ballad with big drums and booming guitars. Somewhere between punk and metal and ’90 alt. rock, “Spotlight” settles into a furious thump. Through the volume Collins’ vocals soar repeating the dreamy hook: “Will you play that song for me tonight?! That one that goes la la la!!”
152. “Cherokee,” Rhythm Future Quartet — The local group of young virtuosos conjures up the spirit of a hot club in postwar Paris.
153. “Riverman,” Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds — Plays on the “Wonderwall” riff before sliding into flower-power and dissolving into a saxophone jam reminiscent of Dick Parry’s work with Pink Floyd.
154. “Pageant Material, Kacey Musgraves — This title track takes down the Southern tradition of beauty pageants with classic pedal steel guitar and a string section that sparkles like a tiara.
155. “Mother,” Florence + the Machine — Like the half visionary, half pop machine she is, Ms. Welch mixes her stylized anti-pop with a little Top 40.
156. “All Your Favorite Bands,” Dawes — A rock ‘n’ roll hymn to rock ‘n’ roll bands (and love and El Caminos).
157. “Majorette,” Beach House — Every song from the duo feels like a super slow motion leap from a dock into a lake. The drums kick in when your toes leave the wood and the fade out ends before you break the surface. Or something like that.
158. “Game Over,” Cool Uncle — The year’s second best somewhere-between-Al-Green-and-Hall-&-Oates groove courtesy of Bobby Caldwell, Jack Splash and Mayer Hawthorne.
159. “Your Girl,” Grace Potter — Mines classic r&b then adds a flash of modern Top 40.
160. “Nightingale,” Magen Tracy & the Missed Connections — Like the Motels doing a Broadway showstopper produced by Phil Spector. Something I never imagined and totally dig.
161. “Invisible,” The Juliana Hatfield Three — For the cult that worships “Become What You Are,” a sorta sequel to Hatfield’s signature track “My Sister.”
162. “Get Right,” Arcade Fire — See No. 87.
163. “Johnny Delusional,” FFS — Exactly what you’d expect from Franz Ferdinand and Sparks. That’s a compliment.
164. “Loud Places,” Jamie xx — If you like moody, spacey modern new wave and don’t know Passion Pit go back to No. 59. If you own all of Passion Pit’s tracks, this is your next jam.
165. “The Party Line,” Belle & Sebastian — Wait, these guys are a dance band now? OK, I’ll allow it.
166. “Better Days Ahead,” This Blue Heaven — Not surprisingly, this is the band’s swan song — the tune feels final: lonely piano, sweet, sad vocals chanting. “The end is not the end, it’s just a start” into the squall of crescendoing guitar and drums.
167. “Only,” Tall Heights — The Boston duo’s unique instrumentation (guitar and cello) give them a distinct sound. But they succeed because of old-fashion talent: strong songs, great harmonies.
168. “Moving On,” Zombies — Groovy. And I don’t mean that sarcastically.
169. “Bounce,” Trey Anastasio — Has Trey been listening to early Chicago? I approve.
170. “Spots of Time,” Warren Haynes — At the Grateful Dead’s final shows, Phish’s Trey stood in for Jerry with tremendous joy and skill. I didn’t even wonder how Haynes would have done in the role. Then I heard “Spots of Time.” Haynes co-wrote the sweet, nostalgic jam with Dead bassist Phil Lesh and the song features the guitarist blazing out jazzy, wild runs of notes that recall Garcia at his most furious.
171. “Shine,” Dave Gahan & Soulsavers — English electronic duo Soulsavers frames Gahan’s voice with earthy tones, red-dirt rock and raw organ.
172. “Bros,” Wolf Alice — I know this song is from a London band, but it should replace the Cranberries in those Ireland commercials.
173. “Pearl DeVere,” Feints — As a fan of big, blustery Elton John and Bernie Taupin ballads about the Wild West (see “Tumbleweed Connection”), I’m a sucker for this tale of an old madam and her whorehouse (naturally). Now gather round and here the tale of Pearl DeVere, godless woman, notorious career…
174. “From the Pinnacle to the Pit,” Ghost — What Tipper Gore warned us about.
175. “Immortals,” Fall Out Boy — If you love Green Day, Imagine Dragons and Queen equally, “Irresistible” was your favorite song of 2015.
176. “Jet Pack Blues,” Fall Out Boy — If you love Green Day, Imagine Dragons, Queen and Richard Marx, “Jet Pack Blues” was your favorite song of 2015.
177. “Blackstar,” David Bowie — Bowie will not do what you want. He just won’t. Sorry. This means for every pop gem or reconstructed slice of rock he releases, we get ten-minute free-jazz, trip-hop, beat poet dirge.
178. “Faces of Stone,” David Gilmour — The most Pink Floyd-y track since 1979.
179. “When Gods Go Mad,” Czarface with GZA — Wu-Tang Clan’s Inspectah Deck and Boston’s 7L & Esoteric. Deck return with GZA to raid your vinyl stash and comic book collection.
180. “Close Your Eyes,” Meghan Trainor — In the moments between the faux hip-hop, thumping beats and big, brass horns, Trainor squeezes some genuine soul into her debut LP: I want the hushed opening of “Close Your Eyes” to go on forever.
181. “Livin in the Sunshine,” Louie Bello — The Boston crooner may never be famous, and that’s a shame. Maybe as a compromise we can all agree the New Kids on the Block (or even JT) need to cover this and make Bello rich.
182. “Massachusetts Avenue,” Geoff Eng — A New Zealand native who started at Berklee last year, Ong makes pop that would make Hall & Oates proud. Yes, the Hall & Oates of “Maneater.” But more the duo that made the bubbly, buoyant soul of “Abandoned Luncheonette” (you don’t know? oh, you gotta listen).
183. “Whatever Happened,” Brian Wilson — He reunites with old bandmates Al Jardine and David Marks and harmonizes like it’s 1966.
184. “Cygnus X-1 Book I The Voyage: Part I/The Story So Far//Part III,” Rush —One of Rush’s weaker live releases, “R40” does contain possibly Neil Peart’s last drum solo laid to tape.
185. “Dreams of Clay,” Dwight Yoakam — Has a “Suspicious Minds” feel. Which is about the best thing you can say about a song.
186. “Insects,” Chris Isaak — You should give his Dylan-gone-ZZ Top romp a chance. This one hums like a Ford coupe rolling out of Mississippi on Highway 61.
187. “Pine Needle Tea,” Chadwick Stokes — The man does joyful, hippie folk better than anyone.
188. “You Can’t Say We Didn’t Try,” Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell —You can’t match Harris’ voice, and it would be silly to try. But Crowell’s laid-back crooning and human harmonies sit comfortably under Emmylou’s divine vocals. Listen to the duo reinvent duets on the lonely, barroom ballad.
189. “Rich Man,” Boz Scaggs — Somewhere between Robert Plant and Michael McDonald. And I mean that in a good way.
190. “Treat Her Right,” Billy Gibbons — What did you expect from the ZZ Top frontman’s new solo outing? Latin jazz? Dance beats both techno and tropical? Texas surf blues? I hope you said “Yes” to all that.
191. “S.O.B.,” Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats — In the immortal words of Homer Simpson: “To alcohol, the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems.”
192. “Cool for the Summer,” Demi Lovato’s — Pulls in bits from Christina Aguilera, Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey, Katy Perry. Somewhere in all the thievery is a song.
193. “Sunny Side Up,” Faith No More — The band has always found a surprising artistic space between Queen and Tool. They do it again with the heavy metal jazz here.
194. “The Wolf,” Mumford & Sons — They triumph by cranking the volume and exploding through fuzz bass and marching drums on a wave of pure, delightful catchiness.
195. “Tomorrow,” Goddamn Draculas — How about those Bruce Springsteen (Meatloaf? Hold Steady?) piano chords.
196. “So Close,” Sidewalk Driver — Features the right amount of restraint, a restraint I didn’t know the ribald band was capable of.
197. “Something Soon,” Car Seat Headrest — I’ll never tire of indie punk fury and a shout of “Let’s burn this house down!”
198. “Give Me a Sign,” The Vaccines — There’s something endearing about a band of witty Brits doing their version of a Night Ranger ballad.
199. “Hot Scary Summer,” Villagers — Basically a quiet folk album with little, arty flourishes, “Darling Arithmetic” doesn’t need to get loud to have an impact. Drumheads slapped with brushes, picked-out acoustic guitar and sparse piano and organ frame some truly lonesome vocals. Best example: the urgent, wounded shout contained in whispers on this tune.
200. “Mr. Misunderstood,” Eric Church — So modern country, you can produce quality music. Keep it up.
201. “Outta My Mind,” The Arcs — I like this as much as any Black Keys song.
202. “Let You Go,” Grace Potter — Could sit between Adele and Katy, but I’d put it between Aretha and Carole King.
203. “Purple Rage,” Dilly Dally — Mass doesn’t have a monopoly on noise rock. The proof: this Toronto band’s ace Pixies rip off.
204. “Ship to Wreck,” Florence + the Machine — You can hear the Coldplay in “Ship to Wreck,” and more. Florence Welch has Chris Martin’s knack for melody but elevates songs with a dramatically more magnetic voice.
205. “Hold On For Life,” Ellie Goulding — If you love that breathy, “Florence + the Machine at a Reykjavik discotheque” sound, try this mix of Eurodance and faux-Celtic grooves.
206. “Far Afghanistan,” James Taylor — Tells the tale of an Indiana boy deployed in Kandahar. He’s missing home but, in a twist, he’s also struck by the beauty of the place.
207. “You’re Such A,” Hailee Steinfeld — Yes, she’s a JV Jessie J. Yes, she’s PG Lily Allen. Yes, it’s all so derivative of Taylor, Katy, Britney, Gwen… But damn if there’s not a little magic in this pop confection.
208. “Homegrown,” Zac Brown Band — You didn’t ask for a song that mashes the most corny bits of John Cougar, Jimmy Buffett and Dave Matthews, but Brown delivered. You hate it now, but a day at the beach with half a dozen tallboys and it’s your favorite song.
209. “In a Broken Dream,” Rod Stewart — Rod’s fans and foes need to spin his re-recording this acid rock gem (a ’60s tune he sang with Python Lee Jackson) to hear what he’s still capable of (Jeff Beck, pick up the phone and beg Rod to tour with you one last time).
210. “Hell and Back,” The Airborne Toxic Event — Somewhere between the earth of Woody Guthrie and the synth of “Pretty in Pink” prom.
211. “Hell or Highwater,” David Duchovny — Laid-back vocals over a kind of spacey Americana boogie mixed with New York cool (somewhere between Wilco’s “A.M.” and a Lou Reed/Strokes thing, or, to be less generous, like a drunk Dylan with a better voice).
212. “I’m So Sorry,” Imagine Dragons — A rough Southern rock riff, gentle piano bridge and furious crescendo. C’mon, that’s worth a spin.
213. “Love Yourself,” Justin Bieber — The melody says, “I’m sorry.” The words say, “Baby, it’s all your fault (and maybe you can fix things if you check yourself).” Bieber, are you actually a complicated bro?
214. “Term Brady,” Termanology — Of course Boston MC Termanology made better music than this in 2015. But c’mon, how can an Deflategate anthem not make this list?
215. “White Man in America,” Yellow Whale — Massachusetts comedian Marty Johnson and music journalist Pat Healy had a baby. A baby that would never, ever sleep. Instead of going insane, the couple spent restless nights writing lullabies and kiddie rock romps. File under They Might Be Giants, a kinder, gentler Frank Zappa or Barney the Dinosaur on acid.
Thanks Jed!
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